Who is Cooper Voting For?

Durstion called me with this story...

Grace came home with homework that included voting for the next president. As she, Durstion and Cooper were discussing each candidate, Grace announced that she was going to vote for John McCain.

At this point Durstion turned to Cooper and asked him who he was voting for. He answered, "I am going to vote for You Rock You Mama, I like that guy."

Heh....


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The Silent Q

Weekday afternoons in our house are spent around the kitchen table, getting homework done. I have found that if the kids are in my eyesight doing homework, the homework seems to get done in a more timely manner. If the kids are in their rooms, there is the lure of the TV ("Mom, the TV helps me concentrate"), the lure of the toys (Mom, I just needed to get this castle built!") and the lure of the text message ("Mom, Becki is just so depressed that John didn't talk to her today, I need to reassure her")

If everyone is in the kitchen, I can control the environment (no TVs, blocks or cell phones, or anything else), I am available to help if a problem arises, and I also know exactly what each one of them is doing in school. Although my kids will disagree, I think this current strategy is a good one.

Abby is with us every afternoon, and until last week, being in kindergarten, never had homework. I never make her sit at the kitchen table with everyone else, but she isn't allowed to watch TV or be on the computer, because it would distract everyone else. While this sounds harsh, I wanted to have the afternoon environment in our house conducive to homework, and I knew that Abby would eventually have homework too.

But, Abby, always the good sport, joins everyone else at the table and keeps herself occupied. She colors, looks at books, and lately, has been writing. She has discovered the joy of creating words. It is always so cool to see when a child figures out that all those letters, when put together just right, can create words, and those words create stories. She and Grace have been making books for the last couple of weeks. They will take several sheets of paper, staple them together, draw pictures on each page, and then come up with words to match the illustrations. It is really awesome to see.

One day last week, Rhys and Abby were sitting at the kitchen table, he was doing his homework, she was working on a book. (Kellan was at volleyball practice and Sawyer wasn't home from school yet). Abby is plugging away, pausing every now and again to ask Rhys how to spell a word. Then she asked him how to spell his name. To which he replied...

"Well, my name is kind of different. Have you heard of the Silent E?"

Abby: "Of course, the Silent E makes vowels say their names"

Rhys: "My name has a Silent Q. It is similar to the Silent E because you don't say it, but it is still there. You spell my name Q-R-H-Y-S"

Abby: Dutifully writes down each letter as he says it.

Rhys: "Now, it looks like my name is pronounced "kwareese", but it is just Rhys, you don't say the Q"

Abby goes on to finsh her book about Rhys, with everytime his name is mentioned, and it was several times, it was spelled "Qrhys".

Me: "Why did you tell her your name had a Silent Q?"

Rhys: "I don't know, I will tell her the real spelling in a few days."

Yesterday, we had a similar scenario. The two of them were sitting at the table, he was doing his homework, and she hers - she now has homework. Suddenly he looks up and says..

"Abby, my name doesn't really have a Silent Q."

Abby: "I know, because everywhere your name is spelled in this house, there is no Q, I figured you were joking with me."

Rhys: "I was, sorry. But I do need to tell you that you have been spelling Sawyer wrong. Her name has a Silent L. You spell it L-S-A-W-Y-E-R."

I am sure Abby will figure that one out, too.

Run, Marin, Run!

I have always had a love-hate relationship with running. Once I get into it, running is awesome. If I don't run for while, it sucks again. And so it goes.

I started running in high school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth). I joined the cross country team because a cute guy I liked was on the team. Running cross country turned out to be way more than I bargained for, but I couldn't quit the team because I didn't want cute guy to think I was a loser. So, I plugged away, running miles everyday, and after a bit, I started to like it. It was an amazing feeling to feel like I could run forever - it was such an accomplishment to me that my body could feel that good. I was never a star member of our team, I was never fast, but for me the goal was just to finish, and by the end of my time on the cross country team, I could do it.

Then high school ended, cute guy no longer seemed that cute to me, and my running faltered and eventually stopped. In my early twenties, I started running again. I felt fat, I had a lot of stress going on, and running was a welcome escape. I kept it up for awhile, and then once again something moved up in importance (probably another cute guy, who liked drinking as opposed to running - I chose real winners in my youth), and the running stopped.

And it went - every few years I would take it up again, feel really good, and then life would step in and it would take a back burner again. When I was running, I loved to talk about it with other runners; comparing mileage, routes and various aches and pains. When I wasn't running, I would avoid those kinds of conversations, feeling all kinds guilty when I would overhear people talking about running.

As married life and kids became the focus of my life, running took the title of "Never Happening Again". I would talk about running in the past tense, nostalgically. "Ahh, yes, I was once a runner - good times!". I took it up again briefly when Rhys was a baby, but stopped once I quit working to become a fulltime mom. Yes - I know that sounds counter intuitive, but not much I do really ever makes a lot of sense.

Anyways, I started running again this spring. In about March, I took a long hard look at myself and said to my husband, "I want to join a gym." He said, "What can you get at a gym that you can't get for free? Greenbelt - there's your cardio." He points to some dust covered dumbells, "There's your resistance training." And then he points to himself, "And I will be your trainer. You can do this if you really want to."

Well, obviously there was no gym membership forthcoming. And José was right. I could do this if I really wanted to. So, I started to walk the Greenbelt. I would run maybe 10 steps. And then say to myself, "Walking is fine, no need to run."

I love the Greenbelt. I love that so many people use it, I love how beautiful it is, I love that it is right across the street from my house. I have been utilizing the Greenbelt since forever. When I was running in high school, we would run on the Greenbelt (a little different then than its current form), When I was running in my twenties, I ran on the Greenbelt. And always when I ran, I would listen to my music. Remember how awesome the Walkman's were when they first came out? I thought those were the best invention ever, I could listen to my music when I worked out. Working out becomes instantly more fun if there is good music involved. And, in those days. I would run on the Greenbelt listening to, you guessed it, Def Leppard.

Yeah, so not much has changed. I now have an ipod, but it is loaded with Def Leppard. Def Leppard has a lot more songs now than they did 25 years ago.

I love my time on the Greenbelt. It is time alone, listening to music that I enjoy. As spring merged into summer, my walks became a little more like runs. Little by little, the time I spent running was more than the time I spent walking, and little by little, running sucked a little less.

During the summer, I was coerced by my girlfriends to take a deep water aerobic class. Never one to resist peer pressure, I took the class and have ended up really liking it. When temps soared above 110 degrees, the swim class took the place of my run/walks. When school started, I found the need to have some alone time again. So, one morning I decided to go for a walk (the temp was a brisk 98 degrees - brrr!). I put my earbuds in, cranked up the Def Leppard, and off I went. And I ran. I ran the whole way (only 2 1/2 miles, but still). And I felt GREAT!

So, I currently run on the days I don't have swim class. Some days the runs are more walking than running, but other days I feel like I could run forever. I am trying to get up to 5 miles, but I am not there yet. Maybe I never will be. It is still awesome, to be outside, alone, looking at all the beautiful scenery my little town has to offer, listening to my favorite songs.

I do have more than Def Leppard on my ipod. I also have The Wiggles (seriously). Big and Rich. Oingo Boingo. And Abba. Because it is so fun to run to "Dancing Queen". And being in my forties, I simply don't care how I look when I run. Back in my early running days, I worked out in full make up. I would be mortified if I saw someone I knew. I wasn't above diving behind a bush to avoid talking to an acquaintance. Now, I love seeing people I know. I look so scary when I am running that a student didn't recognize me when she saw me run by. (Of course, she thinks I live at the school.) And I am not shy about singing along to my ipod as I go. So, I am the goober who is running along singing as she goes. Yeah, I laugh at those people when I see them, too. And if the Wiggles come on, you might see me doing the Monkey Dance. But I own the fact that I am a geek.

I am hoping that writing this doesn't curse my current running happiness. I don't want to look at this post next month, and say, "So not doing that anymore." It would be nice if I could keep this up. Because I feel good; all those silly things people say about working out are so true...I sleep better, I have more energy, I am less stressed. And I have lost some weight. So, if you read this blog, and you see me, feel free to ask me how the running is going. And then raz me mercilessly if I say I am so not doing that anymore.

Edit: I ran the 5 miles today! Yeah me!

My Best Leading By Example Story

Sawyer can be pretty careless with her electronic gadgets. The digital camera she got for Christmas is broken, and now her ipod is dead. Gah!! Does she not realize that these gadgets are expensive, and that money doesn't grow on trees?

I sat her down and gave her the "You need to treat these pieces of equipment carefully - when they break because you are careless, we do not have the money to replace them" lecture. And then, patting myself on the back ("I rock as a parent! Yeah me!"), I left for work.

And when I got there, I couldn't find my new, expensive, cell phone.

AHHHH!

I looked everywhere and it was nowhere to be found. I called the place I stopped on my way to work, no sign of it. After work (it was my Nanny gig, so it was in the evening) I scoured the house. I called and called it, eventually the battery ran out and it went straight to voice mail. It was lost.

That night, we had a monsoon storm.

The next morning, José goes out to look in the truck to see if I somehow missed it (whatever), and finds it in the driveway. In pieces (I had obviously run over it. More than once.), and wet (remember the monsoon?). I took back the "whatever".

He comes in, shaking his head, holding the shattered remains of my (new, expensive) cell phone in his hand. To his extreme credit he said absolutely nothing - just gave me a slight shake of his head; which was worse than being yelled at, but then, he never yells.

I had to leave for an outing with the kids, and off I went, furious at myself for my carelessness. Didn't I just give Sawyer this lecture? How stupid am I? How will I possibly be able to survive without my cell phone? It's been 10 minutes since I left the house and I am DYING!!!

When we got home, a brand new, BETTER and MORE EXPENSIVE cell phone was waiting for me. (My husband rocks!).

So, what did I teach Sawyer? If you are careless with your expensive gadgets your dad will come through and get you better stuff. Now that is the heart of a hard earned life lesson.

Yeah, I am not harping on that topic anymore. I simply always try to have my phone with me, and hope she doesn't see when it slips out of my hands (all too often).

Off I go to resume work on "Best Parenting Tips" by Marin Velarde - Super Mom.

Leading By Example

So, I am laying on my bed the other day, and Cooper comes to cuddle with me. He looks up at my ceiling and says, "Auntie? Why is there a spider web up there?"

"Because I need to clean my room", I reply

To which he says, "Why do you get mad at Sawyer when she doesn't clean her room, and you don't clean yours?"

For a 4 year old, Cooper is a very wise little guy.

And he made a great point. I am constantly harping on my kids, but do they ever see me making a concerted effort to keep things clean? On a regular basis? They are supposed to straighten their room every day; I think the last time I straightened my room I was pregnant with Rhys (and that was in the other house...heh). I really want the dishes to be done on the days the kids are scheduled to do them, but who does them one days when the kids aren't scheduled? Um, that would be no one. Ok, this is not one of my proudest parenting moments. That how-to book of parenting I was going to write has been put on hold.

So I cleaned my room last week. I vacuumed that gray mystery lump that was sitting on my dresser for so long - I had thought it was a piece of art from the kids' preschool days - it was actually my wedding photo. (I think, those kids looked so young and enthusiastic and thin...maybe it was the picture that came with the frame. No, wait, that handsome groom is José. Yeah, he's still that cute. ). I got rid of the spider web on my ceiling (sorry for the short notice, dude, hope you like vacuum cleaner bags), I got rid of clothes, I cleaned baseboards, I scrubbed the floor, I dusted(!), and by the way, my TV screen isn't dying, it was just a thick layer of dust that was making the picture blurry. My room is spotless.

José totally didn't notice. Cooper, on the other hand, was very impressed.

So, my new plan is to try to lead by example. I hate housework, and I hate cleaning, but the life lesson here is that there are certain things that need to be done in life, even if you dislike them. Plus, isn't living in a semi clean house more comfortable? My kids all shrug and roll their eyes when I pose that question. (I do the same inside my head, but don't tell them.) I am working on it, at least now that I have a leg to stand on, because they will see me doing my chores too.


Read on for my best leading by example story....

Back to School!

So, today was the first day of school. For the kids, there was nerves and excitement. For me? The same.

On a whim, I asked the kids what their goals for this year were. Not really expecting much of a response other than an eyeroll, here are the responses I got...

Sawyer - "To get better grades"

Kellan - "To read the complete "Twilight" series"

Rhys - "To learn my multiplication and division tables so well I don't need to think about them"

I was pretty impressed by these goals. My friend Sandra suggested I write them in a visible spot so none of us forget. Good suggestion - have I done it yet? Not so much.

Drop off was interesting. Rhys was pretty matter of fact. He didn't want me to walk him to class, but I insisted, only to be berated by his teacher for doing so. Note to self: listen to the boy.

Kellan took off with a confident smile in my direction. She was excited.

Abby (can't forget her) looked a little tentative, and I gave her a squeeze, and left her room, tears running down my face. My baby is in kindergarten. I think I am having a harder time with this than her parents...

Sawyer asked that I drop her off at school (we usually do the carpool thing with another family), and she was nervous. Understandably so. I remember those first days of school (for me it was high school) walking into those classes, hoping to just see one familiar face, and once a familiar face is spotted, hoping it is friendly. God, it sucked. I tried to be all mom-like and give her a speech about the opportunity of meeting new people and stopped halfway through. No - it sucks. I hated, and still hate, walking into a new situation. She hopped out of the car, with a small smile for me, and then I went off to start my day (and that is whole other blog, not written yet, see http://www.diaryofapreschoolteacher.blogspot.com/ in a day or two).

Pick up time arrives. Actually, way before pick up time arrives, but me and my cronies are so excited to go back to the bench (http://depositextratimehere.blogspot.com/2008/08/back-to-school.html), we arrive at school 30 minutes early.

First to be picked up - Abby. "I love school, my favorite part is the cafeteria."

Then Rhys makes his way out. "My teacher is the strictest teacher I have ever had". Looking at his short list of teachers, that probably is a true statement. He did allow that her strict rules regarding no talking in class and no running around the classroom were probably good rules to have.

Kellan finds me. "I love fifth grade!" She loves her teacher, she loves her class. Yeah!

Now to go get Sawyer. I'm all scared, because I know how hard her day most likely was, and frankly, Sawyer is a glass half empty kind of gal. She gets in the car. "How was your day?" I ask tentatively. She gives me the thumbs up. What a relief! She has people she likes in her classes, her teachers made the upcoming year sound exciting, and she is now an 8th grader - big kid on campus. Whew!

So the madness starts again. I have made the decision to be home with my family more this year, giving up a few of my many babysitting gigs so I can be around more. I am thinking that I will have all of this extra time, so I can help my kids organize themselves and cook wholesome wonderful meals for them. Yet, the first day of school has come and gone, and even though I am working less, the time - still not there. It is after 9PM, and everything that I needed to get done today, both in the house (dishes. lots and lots of dishes) and for work still sits in gigantic piles around me, mocking me.

I am taking a deep breath, and just going to go with the flow. Do the best I can. And try to have a fun time doing it, and try to make it fun for the people around me. Because if I can provide entertainment for the people around me by how scattered I am then my job is done.

Rhys telling me his day was terrible...

Allergies?

I brought back all kinds of cool gadgets and goo from the three day science camp I attended last week. I probably should write about that at some point, it was one of the best experiences of my life. In this video, Abby and Grace demonstrate one of the many uses of Gravi-Goo. (Turn down the music down there on the right hand side before you watch the video.)