Can we talk about money?

I know it's generally not considered polite to discuss money in public but this is my private blog, right?

Last night when I sat down for dinner there was an envelope next to my plate. I asked my husband if it was something I should look at before or after dinner. He encouraged me to open the envelope. Inside was a bonus check! We had been waiting for news of his raise so I was expecting to see a notice with the amount of his raise (which was on another paper) but we were not expecting a bonus.

Like most homeschoolers we live on a pretty tight budget. When we moved last year our mortgage went up 60%! Not surprisingly, our income did not go up the same amount. Last night I sat down and paid off the balance on three credit cards! I also paid for 2 of 3 summer camps Adam plans to attend. What a great feeling! We're just as broke today as we were yesterday but we're much closer to being out of debt (well, except for that pesky mortgage). It was great to go to the bank today to deposit the bonus check and then straight to the post office to mail out the bills. Easy come, easy go.

Overweight children

Why are so many kids fat?

City Public Health Director Fred Ruscek said a survey of first-graders last year showed 39 percent were overweight and 20 percent were obese, based on body-mass index findings.

39%!!! That's a lot of overweight kids. The news doesn't surprise me. My kids are very thin (as my husband and I both were) so I tend to notice heavy kids because they're so much bigger than mine. I was wondering if my perception was skewed - was I noticing so many heavy kids because I was comparing them to my thin kids? But everywhere we go I see very overweight kids. I have also noticed that there are not nearly as many heavy homeschooled kids - at least not in the circles I run in. I wonder if there's any correlation.

I know everyone wants to blame television and other screen time activities but I think the issue is bigger. I think kids are spending too much time engaged in screen activities (computer, video games, television) because their parents are too scared to let them play outside alone. I think if more kids spent more of their time like I did as a child - running around outside with my friends - we'd have less fat kids. I am very grateful to live in a area where it is normal for kids to go back and forth between houses, ride their bikes around the neighborhood, build forts in the woods, play baseball in the backyard and ride scooters and skateboads down any hill they can find.

An aside -
The man in the photo in the above linked article was one of the worst teachers I ever had. He taught Shakespeare while I was in high school and was known to grade very unfairly (athletes and popular kids received much higher grades). I eventually had to go to the Principal to receive fair grades in his class. It's amazing I wasn't turned off Shakespeare permanently.

Blogging friends increase your intelligence

I took Sarah's advice and subscribed to the Utne Reader again. I haven't subscribed since graduate school. My first issue arrived today and I'm so excited. It's time for me to spend some time thinking about things besides parenting and homeschooling.

When I saw River Crossing on the clearance table at Barnes & Noble this weekend I thought of MFS and bought it. We haven't played yet but I promised Jared we'd open the box tomorrow.

Thank you Sarah and MFS.

Hand me down books

We are a family of many books. I simply can not resist buying a great book. Our town library has less children's books than we do. Many, indeed most, of our books were bought used. They come from yard sales, Goodwill, used curriculum sales, and ebay. I'm picky about my used books - bindings need to be tight, pages clean, no funny smells or yellowed pages.

As Adam was becoming a reader, I was always happy to buy him the latest book in whatever series he was interested in that time. Hence, we own every Magic Treehouse book, every Secrets of Droon book, the entire Dragonling series and many more. Now that Jared is reading I went through the boxes (not all the books got unpacked after we moved), and pulled out the appropriate easy readers. We own stacks of easy readers. Then, last week, Jared made the big jump into chapter books. He read his first Henry and Mudge book.

In celebration of his great reading ability, Jared and I took a trip to Barnes & Noble this weekend. He picked out a brand new book - one that hasn't been read by anyone in the whole world - and a bookmark (because of course one needs a bookmark when reading chapter books). He read one chapter in the store and finished reading the book to Jeff and I last night. He was so proud of himself.
Sometimes you really need something brand new. Especially when you're the middle child.

Pray for Peace

A visiting minister shared this reading in church this morning. It resonated deeply with me and I'd like to suggest it to anyone who asks, "What do UU's believe? Do they pray?" I'd like to suggest it to anyone who says, "I'm not the praying type."

Pray for Peace by Ellen Bass

Pray to whoever you kneel down to:
Jesus nailed to his wooden or marble or plastic cross,
his suffering face bent to kiss you,
Buddha still under the Bo tree in scorching heat,
Adonai, Allah, raise your arms to Mary
that she may lay her palm on our brows,
to Shekinhah, Queen of Heaven and Earth,
to Inanna in her stripped descent.

Hawk or Wolf, or the Great Whale, Record Keeper
of time before, time now, time ahead, pray. Bow down
to terriers and shepherds and siamese cats.
Fields of artichokes and elegant strawberries.

Pray to the bus driver who takes you to work,
pray on the bus, pray for everyone riding that bus
and for everyone riding buses all over the world.
If you haven't been on a bus in a long time,
climb the few steps, drop some silver, and pray.

Waiting in line for the movies, for the ATM,
for your latté and croissant, offer your plea.
Make your eating and drinking a supplication.
Make your slicing of carrots a holy act,
each translucent layer of the onion, a deeper prayer.

Make the brushing of your hair
a prayer, every strand its own voice,
singing in the choir on your head.
As you wash your face, the water slipping
through your fingers, a prayer: Water,
softest thing on earth, gentleness
that wears away rock.

Making love, of course, is already a prayer.
Skin and open mouths worshipping that skin,
the fragile case we are poured into,
each caress a season of peace.

If you're hungry, pray. If you're tired.
Pray to Gandhi and Dorothy Day.
Shakespeare. Sappho. Sojourner Truth.
Pray to the angels and the ghost of your grandfather.

When you walk to your car, to the mailbox,
to the video store, let each step
be a prayer that we all keep our legs,
that we do not blow off anyone else's legs.
Or crush their skulls.
And if you are riding on a bicycle
or a skateboard, in a wheel chair, each revolution
of the wheels a prayer that as the earth revolves
we will do less harm, less harm, less harm.

And as you work, typing with a new manicure,
a tiny palm tree painted on one pearlescent nail
or delivering soda or drawing good blood
into rubber-capped vials, writing on a blackboard
with yellow chalk, twirling pizzas, pray for peace.

With each breath in, take in the faith of those
who have believed when belief seemed foolish,
who persevered. With each breath out, cherish.

Pull weeds for peace, turn over in your sleep for peace,
feed the birds for peace, each shiny seed
that spills onto the earth, another second of peace.
Wash your dishes, call your mother, drink wine.

Shovel leaves or snow or trash from your sidewalk.
Make a path. Fold a photo of a dead child
around your VISA card. Gnaw your crust
of prayer, scoop your prayer water from the gutter.
Mumble along like a crazy person, stumbling
your prayer through the streets.

A visit with Nana

My Nana's social worker suggested that I take Nana out in the community. So I took a trip to the hospital to take my Nana out. She had been talking about getting a permanent so I made an appointment at a salon and took her there. I was nervous about taking her off the hospital grounds - nervous she might get really agitated with me in the car, nervous she would refuse to return to the hospital, nervous she would get really crazy in the salon.

All my worries were for naught. Nana was very pleased to see me. Except for a few comments about her not being happy with me managing her money, she was very pleasant. She never mentioned any strange thoughts or beliefs and couldn't have been nicer at the salon. She looked much more like the Nana I know after the permanent and she was just tickled with all the attention. The last time she had a perm was 1996!

I asked her if she wanted to get lunch or a snack or go for a walk in the mall but she was happy to return to the hospital. I was so relieved that our first field trip went so well. We talked about her upcoming release and I suggested that she consider a place nearer to me. She said that would be fine with her. She didn't seem upset that she won't be returning to her own apartment.

I'm feeling more hopeful for her future.

I'm not whining

I've never wanted my blog to be a whine fest. Sometimes when things are tough it seems better not to blog at all.

I'm struggling with my decision to obtain guardianship over my Nana. She remains in the state hospital and is much clearer, less angry, less overtly mentally ill since starting medication about one month ago. Still, she's not happy. She's very angry that I'm her guardian and that I control her money and make all the big decisions. She is appealing every decision that's been made so far. She is using every legal channel open to her to try to regain control of her life. I don't blame her.

I'm her granddaughter. The natural order of things has been changed by my becoming her guardian. It shouldn't have to be this way. I'm tired. I want her to stop fighting. I want her to realize that I'm doing the best I can and that I'm taking care of her because I love her. I want her not to hate me. I want her to be my Nana.

My parents divorced when I was very young. My mother worked as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant at night and my grandparents cared for my sister and I on the weekends. We spent a lot of time together. On Saturdays my grandmother often worked overtime at the factory. She and my grandfather would get up early and have breakfast together before she walked to work. I got up soon after she left and my grandfather and I sat at the table drinking coffee (mine was mostly milk) out of white Corel mugs with tan flowers around the rim. We would play gin rummy until my sister woke up.

When my grandmother returned from work we would often drive to visit relatives. She had a brother who was bed-ridden and she would bring him meals for the week. She had another relative in a nursing home we would visit and another elderly couple that we visited at their home. On Sunday mornings, we went to Mass at 6:30 in French. My grandmother and I walked to church while my grandfather and sister stayed behind in bed. During mass my grandmother would feed me Canada mints from her purse and help me follow the service.

She worked hard her whole life - in the factories, caring for her ill relatives, caring for my grandfather and watching after my sister and me. When I start to feel sorry for myself I need to remind myself just how much like her I really am. I can't just sit by and let her be crazy and sick. I know that I have to do whatever I can to take care of her. She would do the same thing.

It's only rock n roll

but I like it, like it, yes I do

Jeff and I watched the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions on VH1 the other night. I'm not the sort of person who tends to get terribly sentimental but I loved hearing Jackson Browne, Bob Seger and other legends of rock. My favorite part of the evening was seeing George Harrison's son, Dhani, receive his father's award and then play guitar alongside Prince and Tom Petty in his Dad's place.

It's eerie how much this young man looks like his father when he was young. Sure, Paul and John were great but George and Ringo were so much more cool.

What we're reading

This morning, Jared read his first chapter book, Henry And Mudge In The Green Time. We just love Henry and Mudge. By the beginning of first grade, Jared should be quite a reader.

Adam finished his third book about World War II - A Boy at War: A Novel of Pearl Harbor this morning. He said it was "good, short and full of adventure". Sor far his favorite book is the first one he read - The Last Mission.

I finished The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) yesterday. This is the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy. MFS was right. It is "marvelous stuff". Read it for yourself, read it to your kids - just read it. I started the second book in the trilogy last night.

For their bedtime read, Jeff is reading Freddy the Detective - our first Freddy book. Eric is finding the chapters a little long (but he's only 4) but Jared is just loving it. I'm sure we'll go on to read many more Freddy books.

Schoolhouse Rocked

Schoolhouse rocked
No longer just for the religious fundamentalists, home schooling has gone main stream, especially in Massachusetts. It's estimated that as many as 20,000 children here have abandoned test-crazy public schools and high-priced private schools for the comfort of the living room couch. But most surprising of all is that Harvard, BU, Brown, and other colleges are welcoming home-schoolers like all other students.

For a pretty well balanced, interesting article click on the title.
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Life Lessons

I believe the Universe has been trying to teach me a lesson for the last few years. I must not seem to be getting it because I keep getting the opportunity to learn it over and over again.

I feel like the Universe is banging me over the head and saying, "Learn to be a grateful receiver (you fool)!" It's quite loud and insistant.

9 years ago, my husband was taken to the hospital via ambulance due to a very scary incident involving the loss of lots and lots of blood. At the time, I didn't know what to do. Our families were far away and I had few friends in town. Out of desperation, I called a woman I had been becoming friendly with. She was only too happy to come to my house to watch my baby while I followed my husband to the hospital. When I came home many hours later she had completely cleaned my bathroom (which was awful and disgusting due to my husbands condition). I could not believe she would do this for me. She has since become my very best friend in the whole world.

5 years later the same thing happened and my husband was once again rushed to the hospital via ambulance. I knew even fewer people this time and was shocked when a neighbor called at 5:30 in the morning to say that they had seen the ambulance arrive to take Jeff away and that her daughter would skip school so that I could go to the hospital to be with him.

While he was in the hospital I received phone calls from friends, acquantainces and complete strangers with offers of help. Many times I told people that we were fine and didn't need anything because I didn't know how to tell them what I truly needed. Other times I humbled myself and accepted help from the strangest people for the strangest things. Other times I was unable to turn down the assistance because it was simply put right in front of me (like when a woman I barely knew delivered a meal to my door).

Recently, I have had to reach out for help again. Taking care of my Nana and the legal mess it entails is taking so much more time and energy than I counted on. Today I had to go to court again. Yesterday as I was fretting over what to do with the boys (Jeff couldn't stay home with them) and calling babysitters who couldn't help, I finally called a woman I'm friendly with in town. I asked her if she could take my youngest son (which was my biggest problem) and she gladly offered to take him for the day saying, "Really, you'll be doing me the favor. T could really use a playmate tomorrow." Now I don't know if that's true or not (she said the same thing last time I asked her for help) but I do know that it made me feel better when I dropped Eric off bright and early this morning.

A few years ago, I saw an elderly woman standing outside the grocery store with her metal pushcart filled with groceries. It was late, cold and snowing. I asked her if she was waiting for the bus and when she said that she was I offered her a ride home. She told me that she "just lived up the road a bit." After quite a struggle I got her cart into my car and got her situated and we started down the road. After driving down the road for a few miles the woman told me that she actually lived in the next town but had been afraid to tell me that because I might rescind my offer.

As we drove she told me that the most difficult part of growing old is becoming more and more dependent on people. She told me how she had learned to become a grateful receiver over the years as she had to ask for or accept more and more help. She was so kind and so grateful for the ride home on that dark, snowy night. I've always remembered what she said to me. I wish it were easier to ask for help when I need it. I'm getting better at it - I've had enough practice.

Happy Spring!

Here's how the boys heralded in Spring



In like a lion, out like a lamb
In like a lion, out like a lamb ...

It's becoming my mantra.

Too little time, too many books

"That's the duty of the old," said the Librarian, "to be anxious on behalf of the young. And the duty of the young is to scorn the anxiety of the old."

They sat for a while longer, and then parted, for it was late, and they were old and anxious.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I started the 2nd book in a series a few nights ago. I had enjoyed the first book and bought the next two books rather cheaply off Half.com. I really thought I'd enjoy these books as lighter fare between the heavier books from The Well Educated Mind. Well, I've been trying to like the book because I paid for it but the truth of the matter is that I've found the writing to be poor and the story uninteresting. I decided to abandon the book. There are simply way too many good - no make that great - books to waste my time reading lousy ones.

So, last night I started a new book which I've quoted above. I'm really enjoying it.

Who knows what I'm reading?

Yikes!

I just wrote a very large check for Adam's piano lessons. Adam has been wanting to learn to play guitar for over 2 years. We decided that he would need to learn to play piano first but the cost of lessons has been out of our budget. This year we earmarked part of our tax return for piano lessons. We feel very grateful to have found a piano teacher - right across the street from us! This means I don't need to drive him there or try to entertain the little guys while he has lessons. Adam can walk to piano lessons all by himself. I hope he enjoys his lessons and practices without a hassle.
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Piano lessons have added to our already busy Thursday. We have our Homeschool Resource Center for most of the day, piano lessons later in the afternoon and Cub Scouts after dinner. It's a long day.

My husband is Adams' Cub Scout den leader. I get to help him out behind the scenes. Tonight they are working on their Craftsman badge and are making the Marshmallow pipe shooter guns that I first heard about on TWTM site.

You can see them here. We made a prototype last night and they are really cool! The boys are going to have a great time making these and Adam is making one as a gift for his best friend's birthday this weekend.
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I lost my latest court battle with my Nana. *big sigh*
This means more paperwork and more time in court to try to get her the care she needs. As Forest Gump would say, "And that's all I have to say about that."

What's a guy to do?

Fight Over Doughnuts Results In Gym Teacher's Resignation

I just sit here shaking my head.

More Nana stuff

I was back in court today for a Probate hearing for my Nana. This was the first time she's actually appeared in court - she refused to appear the last two times. It was pretty awful having to talk about her with her sitting right there. I had been warned ahead of time that her lawyer was a pain-in-the-butt and he was. This guy thought he was on Law & Order or something. I found it pretty comical really and didn't let him shake me nor did I let him pressure me into giving an answer that I didn't believe in.

I got to hear testimony from the independent psychiatrist also. It made me want to cry. Nana told him things that she hadn't told the rest of us. Her delusional system is so scary. It makes me so sad to think that she has these thoughts in her head all the time and voices telling her really terrible things. She told the independent psychiatrist she fears for her life.

I got to visit with her after court for a little while. She kept trying to pull me into arguments but I kept refusing to engage. I got her talking about my boys and that changed the subject. She asked me if I'd like to hear her play the piano. I had no idea she played. We went into a very nice sunroom with a piano and lots of plants. She closed the doors and sat down and played. I asked her how she had learned to play and she told me about waiting in food lines during the depression after her father went bankrupt. Somehow the children waiting in the food lines were offered piano lessons. Of all the children in her family, only Nana learned to play. She hasn't played the piano in 61 years!

We ended the visit on a positive note. I promised to look into taking her out of the hospital for a short time so she can get a perm. She walked me to the door, said good-bye and let me give her a hug. According to the doctors she'll never be well again. I look forward to more brief moments like the one we had today.

Mission statement

A recent post by Darby on her thoughts regarding her daughter's public school experience has got my brain in a whirl. I couldn't stop thinking about it while in the shower this morning (where I do my best thinking of course).

When the going gets rough or when we begin to question ourselves about our homeschooling venture, I think it's vitally important to have a mission statement of sorts to fall back on. If we know why we're homeschooling and not just why we're not sending our kids to public school, it makes the tough times much easier. It's hard to give advice to friends or strangers about homeschooling if you don't know what their fundamental thoughts on homeschooling are.

Here are some of my fundamental beliefs:
1. I believe the school system (public, parochial, and private) is so flawed that it can not be fixed.

2. I believe that schools are filled with very hungry children. Children hungry for time with their parents and families, hungry for authority, hungry for attention, hungry for an education, hungry for leisure time to be children.

3. I believe that most parents today are doing a terrible job raising their children. Parents spend so little time with their children that they don't want to waste this time disciplining them. I see an entire generation of spoiled brats whose parents never say no and who don't mean it even when they do.

4. I do not want my children being raised by their peers.

5. I want the best for my children. I know them better than anyone. I know their strengths and weaknesses. I know how to let their strengths shine and shore up their weaknesses.

6. I want my children to be proud of their accomplishments and not feel they need to hide them to fit in.

7. I want my children to be able to be children for as long as possible. I do not want them worrying about whether their clothes or sneakers are cool or whether someone might beat them up in the bathroom or whether following their interests will make or lose them friends.

8. I want my children to have lots and lots of free time to explore their interests. I want them to have the opportunity to be bored so that they will be encouraged to find something new to do.

When I look over this list, I realize that I could not send my children to school. It goes against too much I believe in. I would have to make too many compromises.

When push comes to shove, I believe that the worst day homeschooling is better than the best day in public school anytime. Hands down.

Good intentions

I hope I get points for good intentions.
This morning I lay in bed listening to my two youngest running around madly downstairs. How I longed to stay under my down comforter! I tried to convince myself that it would be a good day to skip church but that not working I dragged myself into the shower. An hour later, I had everyone fed and dressed and we headed off to church (amidst protests that they wanted to stay home this week). A little over half way to church, Jared threw up all over himself and the car. We did a quick U-turn at the end of the bridge and headed home. I guess we should have stayed home today.
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More sad news ... our mouse died today. Please don't send condolence cards. It wasn't cute or fuzzy and we didn't even care for it that much. It's very hard to get much done, however, when one right clicks and the button stays down for good. So off to Staples I went to buy a new mouse. It's lovely and sleek and "optical". We no longer have that yucky little ball on the bottom of our mouse.

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I finished reading Pride and Prejudice and can't believe how much I enjoyed it. I had no idea it was so funny. It was like a breath of fresh air after Gulliver's Travels. I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to Oliver Twist or not. I wasn't able to find it at Borders yesterday but I did place an order. I'm going in to it with a positive attitude.

Dragons

Have you seen Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons ?

I found this book today while shopping at a real brick and mortar Borders. It is one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen. Click on the link above and then be sure to click on SEE INSIDE THIS BOOK. You can't really see what it's like on the website but the book has wonderful drawings, diagrams, inserts (of dragon skin and membrane), maps, puzzles, runes ... If you didn't believe in dragons before, you're sure to believe in them after reading this book.

Adam developed a strong interest in dragons after reading Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) late last year. He has a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks and I bought him some of the dragon Mega Blocks sets in the clearance aisles at Walmart (if you don't check out those clearance aisles, you should). Today, I bought Dragonology to go along with the Mega Blocks. I just know he'll love this book. It's taking all my will power not to give it to him right now.

Just for fun

Just for fun, my 6 year old decided to clean out the fireplace while I was on the telephone. The results are left up to your imagination.

Fun, huh?

The Political Compass

The Political Compass is a great test.
"There's abundant evidence for the need of it. The old one-dimensional categories of 'right' and 'left' , established for the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly of 1789, are overly simplistic for today's complex political landscape. For example, who are the 'conservatives' in today's Russia? Are they the unreconstructed Stalinists, or the reformers who have adopted the right-wing views of conservatives like Margaret Thatcher ? "

Very interesting test which challenged how I view the world. Give it a try.

Boys, books and war

My 9 year old son has developed a very strong interest in World War II. We're actually studying the fall of Rome so World War II is pretty far off our history rotation. So, never one to squelch an interest, I've been looking for appropriate books he could read on the subject. He was happy to read about the war in our History of US books but he wanted more. I've found a number of great historical fiction books on the subject (my library only had one).

I wish that my son wasn't interested in war but it seems almost inevitable with the times we live in. He understand our beliefs and feelings on war in general and the US involvement in Iraq specifically. He doesn't understand how horrible war is however. Upon seeing a picture of a mushroom cloud for the first time he exclaimed, "COOL!" And I suppose it is cool to him but I want him to see how terrible war is, too.

I found some great books that I think will help him to understand more about WWII and war in general. He's learning about the great sacrifices that the men who fight and their families make. He's learning about loyalty, friendship, betrayal, greed and duty. He's loving these books.

Foster's War

The Last Mission

Don't You Know There's A War On

A Boy At War

The Art of Keeping Cool

Number the Stars

Twenty and Ten (also titled: The Cave)


EyeWitness: World War II

Accomplishments

Adam finished his Culinary Cuisine course at the University today. He just loved this class which consisted of a geography lesson combined with a cooking class every week. The course was taught by diet tech students at the local University. Adam loved the class and was very sorry to see it end.

Jared finished Explode the Code 1 this morning. His reading skills are well beyond the level of this workbook but his fine motor skills need the practice. He enjoyed working in the book and was glad to finish his first ever homeschool workbook. He got a new pack of Pokemon cards for the accomplishment and was eager to start Explode the Code 2.

Jared was headache free until about 3:30 today. That only makes things more complicated. I'm hesitant to believe now that it was a migraine and wonder if he has a virus or an allergy.

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For the first time I removed someone from my Favorite Blogs list. I understand that we all come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs and opinions on important matters. Still, I believe that there are lines one shouldn't cross. I feel that this blogger crossed the line today and I don't want to link through on my blog anymore.

My poor baby

We generally avoid the doctor's office like the plague but today I finally had to call them. Jared has been complaining of a terrible headache since Friday. He spent the weekend crying and telling us how much his head hurt. We tried medications and nothing we tried even touched it. He was just in constant pain.

Today he told me that his eyes hurt. I called the doctor and they asked that we bring him in right away. We made the 45 minute drive in slippery, snowy weather and Jared just kept crying. The doctor was wonderful and did a pretty thorough exam. He believes Jared either has a virus or a migraine headache. Unfortunately, there aren't any medications approved for the treatment of migraines in children this young.

We're doubling the regular dose of Motrin and even gave him some cough syrup with codeine (since he can't swallow pills and there isn't another liquid form of codeine). We're hoping that maybe if he can get a good night's sleep, the headache will go away.

I'm praying Jared wakes up tomorrow headache free. I also hope that this isn't the start of a cycle of childhood migraines. After listening to the doctor, Jared told me that he's not going to have another migraine headache until he's an adult. I just want the pain to go away. Now.

Neopets

I know that some of you don't use electrical forms of entertainment for your children but the children in this house love Nintendo, television and the computer. While I don't pretend that everything they do is educational or even worthwhile, they do manage to find some great ways to entertain themeselves.

One place that they all like is Neopets . I'm not saying that Neopets is hugely educational but it's nice to see the boys taking care of their Neopets and worrying about them having enough food.

Basketball season is over

Jared had his final night of basketball last night and Adam had his final game today. Sadly, the Green team did not win against the mighty Black team. They went down fighting, however, with a final score of 18 to 12.

I was going to post a team photo until I realized it might not be kosher to post a picture of kids on the internet without getting permission from their parents first. Also, I had the boys stand against the wall in the school gym and it has the name of the small town where we live painted on the wall. So in the name of privacy, I won't post a team picture.



Instead I'll post a picture of both my basketball stars. They both had a great time this season. This was Jared's first time playing basketball and he ended the season still not knowing how to dribble :) He had a great time though and can't wait for next basketball season. This was Adam's first time playing basketball also and he had a great season. He turned out to be a terrific defensive player and a great team player. He's looking forward to basketball camp this summer.

The good old days

I miss the old commercials for Prince spaghetti that were on in the 70's. "ANTHONY!" We all knew that Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day.

Or the one for Alka Seltzer - Plop, plop. Fizz, fizz. Oh, what a relief it is.

Somehow I don't think I'll be singing songs for Erectile Dysfunction, financial planning, or pharmaceuticals (for depression, heartburn, allergies and that little purple pill that I don't know what it's for).

My husband has a theory that the obvious need for financial planning is causing the ED and therefore the need for anti-depressants.

Thoughts on sports

I wanted to write a beautifully inspired post about my thoughts on boys and organized sports but this is the post you'll get to read. :)

My oldest son, now almost 10, has been playing sports for 4 years now. At first he just played soccer. Then he added basketball and finally, last year, he started playing baseball. I think organized team sports are a great thing. They are a great bonding experience for my three boys and their sports minded Daddy. I also think that knowing the basics of American sports (like baseball, football and basketball) are a form of cultural literacy. I want my boys to be able to participate in a pick up game of basketball during college or play softball for their company team.

My husband is tall, thin and athletic. My boys have inherited the tall and thin parts but the athletic gene seems to have passed by all of them. Now maybe it's not fair to pass judgement on the 4 year old yet but the 6 year old and (almost) 10 year old are not the most athletic boys in the world. What amazes me, however, is their love for the game!

The younger boys are just thrilled to be able to get out in the yard and play football or basketball with Daddy. Adam is a different story. He loves being part of the team. So far he's always been the least talented player on every team he's played on. He got one hit during the entire baseball season, never scored a goal in soccer and has yet to score a basket in basketball. Still ... he listens attentively to his coach, plays with enthusiasm, cheers for his teammates and thinks he's a good player.

We are in the midst of basketball playoffs. Adam's team won both Monday and Tuesday night and we will play in the championship game on Saturday (against an undefeated team). Adam's coach asked me if Adam was nervous. Nervous? Adam doesn't even seem to understand why he might be nervous. They're just games to him and he plays them with the same enthusiasm he plays every game.

A parent commented to me last night how happy Adam always is on the floor. Her son is a much better player but he was getting angry and discouraged last night because his playing was off. Adam was just excited when he got his first shot near the basket (he hadn't gotten a shot off during the regular season). He cheered loudly and patted a teammate on the back during their run down court after this smallest and youngest player scored a basket.

Sometimes it's hard to see our children as other people see them. I would never have described Adam as a cheerleader or always happy. That's not how he is at home. That IS how other people have described him, however, and how his coaches and the other parents and kids see him. I will admit that I am embarrassed sometimes by his lack of athletic ability. I wish he could be good at just one sport that he plays. Adam, however, believes he IS a good player and that keeps him going.

We'll all be there on Saturday cheering on the Green Team as they play the Black Team. Adam thinks they can win.

The Day of the Laundry

I hereby declare today The Day of the Laundry.
I had fallen a little behind on the laundry and planned to catch up today. The boys decided to add to the challenge. One thought it might be fun to play in the mud while the weather was warm (we are officially entering mud season here) while another thought it might be good to vomit in his bed.

So on top of catching up on regular laundry, I'm washing bedding and winter coats. I am very grateful I do not have to use the wonderful scrub board I found at Nana's this weekend. I can't even imagine how they ever got laundry done that way. Washers and dryers are good things (as Martha would say).