Pool Dreams

When I dreamed of what we would do with our pool, I envisioned lazy weekends...floating in the pool on a perfect raft...cold margarita (on the rocks with salt and lime please) in my chilled cup holder...maybe some nice music playing in the background...a nice cool breeze...

It is actually closer to crazy loud  kids hitting each other with pool toys, kids cannon ball splashing me on my make-shift raft of 3 noodles, no beverage, hot 100+ degree air blowing and no music and a lot of 'watch this mom'.

However, it is nice and refreshing to jump into the pool after yard work (not me, my sweet husband), house work, inside boredom...

and to swim with these crazy people - 

Agent P

(the white on her face is self applicated zinc type sunscreen)

Agent P is a very good swimmer and is often swimming and playing with A-Dog. Mini P and Monkey can swim down to the bottom of the pool for dive sticks, do flips and yes, cannon balls and belly flops.

I know, where is A-Dog??? Oh he is inside doing homework. 

Sad but true.

The kid has a lot of homework.

I forced him out after lunch, but didn't take a picture.

I was busy lounging around on my noodle raft and couldn't figure out how to get off and get it set back up didn't go back inside to get the camera because I would be wet.  I will take a picture of him all hot and sweaty at his first Cross Country meet tomorrow.

Of course, it might be just the back of him...by the time I figure out when he will be running past me, I find the camera amongst little kid snacks/drinks/books..he will have past me by.

If you have any clue how one watches a Cross Country meet - please let me know. I'd like to continue being a supportive parent without just sitting out in the middle of the desert waiting for him to run by. Or me running from spot to spot trying to out pace him. Love the kid, but this seems more challenging than I am capable of figuring out.

Cheers!

Can you spare a prayer?

The 11 year old son of my cousin will be undergoing a bone marrow transplant in the coming months. His world was turned upside down in May and has fought and fought to over come this terrible cancer that grabbed him.

He is currently CANCER FREE - but since it is a very aggressive cancer and has proved a challenge to control, he will be needing a bone marrow transplant. 

My cousin Shari and her family are currently reorganizing their life to accomplish this.

Here is his story:  Dillon's Journey

Can you keep them in your thoughts and prayers??

Specifically:

• For strength while their family is separated
• For healing
• For patience. As we all know, appointments can often be frustrating and he has a lot coming up.
• For minimal issues (good blood counts, good health, no other illness while his immune system is compromised, many other things!)

I will continue to add things to my blogs about him, but there is also a tag on the side of my blog to check in on him.

He is 11. This is terribly unfair for him and his family. We all know someone impacted by cancer.

Thanks for the extra prayers :)

I have no title

Things around here have been rather chaotic and scattered uneventful.

Kind of sad huh?

It seems like something amazing should have happened...

But A-Dog leaves for school by 7:45am every day. Returns about 6pm after either Cross Country or Baseball workout. He eats, showers and or swims, does homework and goes to bed. Rinse and repeat.

The kids and I do school for a few hours (argue about math), eat (complain about our lunch), enjoy quiet reading time (moan about the hour we have to be quiet), swim and play (argue and take out 6000 legos), make dinner (wonder who is making dinner) and other random stuff (like wonder who made this mess and who invented glitter). 

Some days we go to the library so we can check out another 30 books. 30 might be on the low side. I wish I was exaggerating. We love books, what can I say. Some days we get groceries. I mean, mama can't run out of wine coffee...shopping can be educational ;). And of course, the house is spic and span when my sweet husband gets home. I can say this, because while he might read my blog, he NEVER makes comments...so I know he won't contradict what I type :)

Fridays we don't do real school work unless we have to. We do fun school work. Paint, art, play doh, music, field trip, sit around and do nothing because we just can't function, ya know - it gets stressful around here.

I need to find out where I can file a report about the threats and verbal abuse I've been receiving here.

Mostly from Mini P.

On a daily basis I hear: 
"I am NOT going to (insert affectionate action here - hug, kiss, be your friend, love you) ANY MORE EVER AGAIN!!!!".
"You are being MEAN!!! I don't WANT to clear my plate and you CAN'T MAKE me". 
"You are a BIG meanie!!!"
"I'm MAD at YOU!!!"

There are a lot of CAPS because she gets angry in LARGE CAPITAL BOLD letters. I'm glad she weighs barely 30lbs because the other day I had to fling her from the hallway gently put her in bed and inform her I would be back in a few hours after she slept off her sassy mouth. I could go on all day about this girl and her less than stellar attitude when she gets tired, but I would run out of space!

Next week, I am going to take a few photos. 

Not of Mini P's attitude (but I could). Of the kids in general.

I know what you are thinking -  "GET OUT OF TOWN!!!"

In the words of a very cute 4-yr old boy - "Get IN town!"

But for those of you who just can't wait - here is one when my sweet husband took the younger 3 to the children's museum last month.

Dad said "be serious", so we are!

Cheers!

School is in session...oh yay.

Yup, school started at Casa de Locos. Do you need a translation? I certainly don't! I need something else...that comes in a bottle...with a cork...


But, let's not dwell on my sanity level.


I learned so much last year about curriculum, learning styles and the simple fact that Agent P and I are VERY DIFFERENT.


He loves, loves, loves science and history and facts. I really don't. 


I love math and numbers.  He does not.


It makes for a very complicated learning environment at times.


I also have come to appreciate that all my kids learn differently. Some need to read it, some need to see it, some need to touch it...and my kids are all a bit of all of that.


I remember ADog being in Kinder and about half way thru, I figured out he still didn't know how to read and that they weren't really teaching him, nor did they mention anything about it. By then, he was 6. (Give me a break, he was my first kid...we experiment with those...right?) So, I took it into my own hands and taught him myself. By 1st grade, he was reading at a 3rd grade level - so obviously he was ready. He was a math kid and at 4 could add numbers in his head and loved to be drilled on them...


Then came Agent P. He started part time preschool when he was a bit over 4.5 yrs old. They discovered by week 2 he knew all his sight words for Kinder already, plus 50 more - and that was just the initial testing they did. Who knew. We aren't the type of parents who push academics as a primary learning  path.  I'd like to say for him, "we pursued a more substantial learning path such as exploratory learning thru experiments and excursions"... But let's be honest here, he was 2.5 when the twins were born. His learning came from him having to fend for and entertain himself. I cannot take credit for his aptitude to read. We really didn't have to teach him anything and even now he is good at deciphering new words.


Then there came Mini P. Mini P has loved, loved, loved books from the time she could pick them up! She would sit and let anyone read to her. ALL. DAY. LONG. I remember one time they were at my parents house for a few hours - and they were young - under 2 or 3 probably. When I got back, I asked how they were and my dad says "fine. I think I read 60 books." That is Mini P. 


At 4 or maybe before, she started reading. Not just sitting with books making up the words, actually reading them. For a few weeks she asked what each word was, often remembering it after the first time. She did this in the truck A LOT (try driving and deciphering a word that someone is spelling out loud...trickier than it sounds).  In 4 months she will be 5. She cannot start Kinder at schools for another year. But she has read all of Agent P's books from school last year (2nd grade readers) reads chapter books (such as M@gic Treehouse books which are 2nd-4th grade books), and is spelling her sight words. 


Let us not forget Monkey. Monkey, oh Monkey. How I love him. I love him for his love to not learn school things. He has no desire to read or write or anything. He is a normal 4 year old boy who loves trucks and trailers and towing things. He knows his letters, but often tells us a different letter because he just DOESN'T CARE. LOL!  This week he had sight words - it, in, for, me, I. He still has no clue what they are. Even after practicing all week. But he loves singing and watching shows about construction and trucks and is very good at playing alone with his trucks. To him, life is funny and entertaining. He loves to mess around and not take life seriously. He is what grounds me and makes me realize it's ok to NOT follow the norm. It is ok to hook up My Little P0ny trailers to a dump truck.  He colors outside the lines, goes against the grain and challenges me to open my mind to his chaos.


So, we move forward. At 3 different paces. 


Doing 3 different things.


BUT with some things in common.


They get to be with each other. Learn to get along with their siblings. Fight Play with each other every day. Go to T@rget when Mama needs to. Swim. Play games. Even go to Grandma and Grandpa's if we want.


They will all have their strengths.

They will all have their weaknesses.


They will all learn what they need to learn.


SO, while some may not agree with homeschooling, it is what we do for the younger 3. It works for us for now. And today, we are going to play with colored water and do some painting (on paper, not my walls...I hope...)


Cheers!