Monday, January 30, 2012

Opposites

The kids are playing opposites quite often these days.  Saturday was Movie Night at home and the kids could not agree on any movie - the Boy would say yes to a movie and that would immediately elicit a "NO" response from the Girl and vice-versa.

Finally after a back and forth we were going to each pick a movie put it into a hat and draw one, although I think the process would have been lost on the Girl but it was something.  I then picked Despicable Me and suddenly there was agreement.  Granted I think that option was given with a positive and negative reaction which leads to me to the theory that the kids were either trying to make our heads explode or remind us why our two wonderful children were enough.

In other news around the house, the Boy is playing basketball.  He is having fun and plays good defense but doesn't realize he needs to get closer to the basket as he doesn't quite have the strength for the three pointers yet.  The Girl is very much into playing Mom or Teacher these days, I think it is mostly as she wants to be in charge - ahh, who am I kidding she is in charge.  My AGW and I are trying to paint and redecorate our bedroom which will be great, it is just the fact that I know doubly hate wall paper, both putting it up and taking it down.  There is a border that I put up and being like my Father I was going to be sure it stayed up there and now I am cussing it out trying to get it down.  

Monday, January 23, 2012

26 Jump Ropes

For some of my classes in PE at the school I teach you would have figured I would have been injured some other way.  We have golfed, played frisbee football, floor hockey, basketball, volleyball (even a student faculty game), scooter boats, etc.  We are doing jump roping for Jump for the Heart and the American Heart Association.  All day we have had music (disco if you are wondering) and different jump rope activities.  Besides being dizzy from one two many games of helicopter with the younger grades the day was going remarkably well until the class of 26 kids.  26 kids in a gym with jump ropes is a dangerous thing, not so much for the kids but for the teacher.

I love all the kids and this class is a great group of kids.  They all want to show me all the time how good they are at everything we try.  One thing they had trouble with today with their teacher (me) was spatial awareness.  They were all very proud and wanted to show me how good they were getting at jump roping.  One sweet little boy starting saying "Hey Coach, watch me!" and as I turned my head - WACK! right on the top.  After all we have done and tried in gym class I am surprised it has taken this long to have something happen.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Why Poke the Bear?

Granted I would never poke an actual bear but this is something I wonder of my children sometimes.  The bear in this instance would be each other.

When one of the kids is not happy about some tiny little unimportant issue, why must the other child poke the bear.  I mean the Girl can already be pissed at me for just trying to help her sustain life by offering her food and the Boy has to come up and get in her face, say something to her, or just be too close.  She will make it known that she doesn't want you to look at her or talk to her but the Boy insists on talking to her or looking at her.

When the Boy is playing with his Legos, or down in the basement playing with his trains, the girl must go and grab something from him or bug him to no end.  He gets mad and reacts and then she cries because she poked the bear and he didn't like it.

The issue is they don't learn anything other than the other gets mad, and then they get sent to timeout but that is no deterrent to them not doing the same thing two minutes later.  I wonder if they would learn if the poke a real live bear with a stick or something, knowing my luck the bear would play nicely with them increasing the madness of the situation.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Snow Days

Considering Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day I was hoping for a snow day today as it would have made for a nice long weekend and a break from a little of the craziness.  Being a teacher has brought a new light to snow days from the strictly stay at home Dad days.  Then I hated snow days as it ruined my quiet time, plus it meant it was hard to go anywhere because the roads were bad enough to close school so it probably meant I shouldn't be driving the kids around.  Now I was hoping for one.

The day at school was good but I was still thinking of the snow day.  I had one thought, I would still have to be home with the kids (I love them dearly but not when we are stuck in the house).  Next came the question, "Would it be better to have the day off and be home with my kids beating the snot out of each other while I drown the noise in martinis or to be a school with the kids at school playing floor hockey?"

The answer becomes more clear as I sit here typing this watching my kids play and not listen when play gets a little out of hand.  Until they are a little older I think this question will be debated in my head and officially answered when I have a snow day before or after a weekend and run out of gin or vodka to make my martinis.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Report Card

The Boy recently brought home his second quarter report card.  My AGW and I were very happy.  He is doing a fine job.  There has been one issue which has been noted a few times now with his conduct. The comment used is "Self Control".  I have a hard time with this as he is a 7 year old boy who skipped the 1st grade and is very friendly and social.

I believe the biggest issue is he likes to talk, or as a teacher I was talking to said "He is a Chatty Charlie!"  I laughed a little but it is true.  I try hard not to worry about it too much as he is kicking some 2nd grade butt in the classroom but I feel like the bad parent because I see the comment every time there is a report card or interim report thus far (4 so far this school year).  We talk about it and do our very best to work on it but he just keeps going on.  There is even a nice big prize if he gets five perfect conduct days in a row (getting a stamp without having to write his name down or put any checks by it each day).

Then after being a little non-nonchalant about it he got a discipline report for talking excessive even after multiple warnings.  I really don't think he cared until my AGW and I laid down the punishment.  Hopefully he has a better understanding of consequences when you don't follow the rules.

The Girl is talking more and more and has since started 5 day preschool.  This is a wonderful thing as Tuesday and Thursday now I have a few hours to myself.  The first day it was strange not having her around but it only took about 1 minute and 17 seconds to start to enjoy the quiet time I was going to have.  She loves school and loves the extended day program on the days when I am teaching.  She is quite the pistol though as she is very strong willed and unless it is her idea forget about it.  I really believe her goal before she turns 5 is to see if she can make my head explode.