The Craziness Continues

Christian did not have as much trouble last night as his siblings, but the night before was different. He had to write several types of sentences with his spelling words in them. I could tell right away he wasn’t interested in doing this so I helped him. And of course, he argued with me that what I was telling him was not right and so forth. I gave up and told him to have at it. That fueled a fit where he decided he would just not do it and get an F. After some harsh words, he settled down and we got those sentences done. He was impatient throughout it all, though, and boy was I glad when he had the last one down.

Last night, he had much of homework done by the time he got home, so he was much better about everything. He ate his dinner without fuss and played with his Trio blocks upstairs. He also visited with us downstairs from time to time, smiling all the way!

There must be a full moon this week, and I am not looking forward to tonight. Keep your fingers crossed that it is a better one for all. We have an appointment for an estimate, and I am hoping the kids behave themselves!

New Beds On The Way

We decided to go ahead and purchase new beds for the older two. Christian chose a black loft bed with steps, and Tori, a brown one (no white available). They are not as high as a college loft, but have enough room underneath for a dresser and a bookshelf. The steps on the end also have drawers.

We wanted to give the kids more floor space to spread out and more places to put their things, and the loft beds seemed like the best solution. They were also one of the sturdiest options available.

Ollie and Tori are thrilled they are getting the beds, especially with the fact that the beds may come in the week of Easter. If so, Huts and I will be working hard that weekend to get the beds put together and everything in place before the real fun of dyeing eggs.

This weekend, Ollie and Tori helped me move around their rooms and the stuff on their walls to prepare for the new furniture. Better to get it done now since we have to put the beds together. They liked picking out where things should go and seem happy with their “new” rooms.

Loads Of Fun

Huts had a great idea this weekend: to take the kids to the children’s museum in Bloomington and let them blow off some steam. I wasn’t sure because of how quickly they got bored last time, but this time, they had a ball. They spent three hours playing on three floors and would have stayed longer if the Legos had been there (they were removed to make way for play stages—sorry, Christian).

We left around 1 and went to the toy store, where they all found something they had been looking for for a while—Christian, mini Lego figures, Tori, Tippy Tumbelina LaLa Loopsy, and Eli, a camera and Caillou video.

We were all hungry so we went to Applebee’s where we spent our gift certificate from Christmas. We got a nice big booth in the corner and the kids actually sat down and ate. Christian wasn’t too fond of his dry burgers, but he ate them anyway like a real trooper. Tori gobbled down her grilled cheese, while Eli ate his macaroni and cheese.

We got home around 4. Eli had fallen asleep in the car and slept until 6. Tori and Christian played with their toys while Eli slept, and then they all three played together until dinner and bedtime. It was a nice day.

Valentine's Day

We had one of the best ever! It started with Huts and me taking the afternoon off just to have lunch together and prepare for the second grade party. We got to relax a little before the chaos! And of course, when I got into the car, Huts had a great little surprise for me—flowers, chocolates and a Sing-a-Ma-Jig (the kids and I are obsessed with them!). I also got a surprise at work with an e-mail from a long-lost cousin whom I chatted with last night and learned much about my grandmother's side of the family.

We got to the school early to set up for the party. Our friend, Carol who recently retired, came too—many thanks to her. The kids came in and we had a great time together playing games, putting together a craft and scarfing down sweets of all types. This was our last official party of the year, and Huts and I did much better this time around. We had more than enough stuff to do. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, and there were no meltdowns this time. Carol even managed to sneak down to Tori's room and sit with her for a while. The kids came home happily exhausted.

My Birthday Flower

Christian woke up this morning and told me Happy Birthday first thing. Then he gave me a hug. He also made me a flower from Legos. Huts will post a photo of it soon. I took it to work where everyone admired it. But now I must take it home so Christian can dismantle it and return it back to his game, which is the first thing he did when we all got home.

Bellyacher

Christian came home Monday with a great assignment: to research and report on someone in black history. His choice? Martin Luther King Jr. Since he was out of school, I decided we would tackle it and get it done well before the February 23 due date. We sat him down to look at some photos and listen to some clips of King’s speeches. Then we printed some research and away we went. I helped him complete all of the notes and then yesterday we put them together into a report.

Christian wrote four pages on Martin Luther King Jr. and we just touched the surface. We could have said so much more, but it was grueling just to get him to write four pages. When he was done, he leaped off the bar stool and crawled into the living room. Huts coaxed him up to the computer screen where they printed off photos and glued them to a folder. I tucked his report inside, along with his research, notes and some other photos. Now all he has left to do is the oral report.

I tried to teach him all I could about Martin Luther King, but I don’t know how much he understood. It’s hard for an eight-year-old to
comprehend being treated differently because of the color of your skin or how much money you have. Racial and class discrimination is hard to define in eight-year-old terms.

The only thing we missed and probably should have mentioned was King getting the Nobel Prize at the young age of 35. Oh well, I will keep talking to Christian about it and hopefully get him ready for his oral report. I don’t think they get a real grade on it as long as they do it to the best of their ability.

Birthday Party

Christian came home yesterday with an invitation to a birthday party tomorrow, so tonight we’re headed to Toys R Us for a present. The kids don’t really know it, but they will be happy. They’re always ready to check out what’s new in toys.

Huts is hoping to take them outside for some sledding this weekend. We bought another sled so the two older kids could coast down the hill at the same time. Huts went down on his tummy last time and was sore afterward. It was fun to watch them go sledding!

Mr. Affectionate

Christian will turn 8 in a few months, but that doesn’t mean he has forgotten his mom and dad. He snuggles up to us on the couch and relates stories of school and Lego sets to come. He comes down every night and tells me about everything he has seen on TV, gives me a kiss and hugs me tight. He tells us that he loves us when we tuck him in at night and he gives everyone a kiss, including his little brother. He may be growing up, but he is still the affectionate kid he has always been. He is going to make some lady very happy one day if he keeps this up.

Cleaning Time

There are new Lego sets and Christian has already started collecting them. This weekend, he got a small set in exchange for some serious hard work. Usually he avoids all chores, but he wanted the white ninja, so he decided he would pitch in. He vacuumed the whole upper floor and the furniture too. He’s got the height to push the vacuum cleaner around, but not the strength. He huffed and puffed pushing it around, but I have to admit he did a good job.

Tori also pitched in to earn a small toy. She and Eli helped me wash down sticky doorhandles, tables and walls. They also helped me scrub up spots on the carpet and stairs. We put things away too and dusted. It was funny to see them scrub the walls with their wet cloths. They helped without complaint and Tori was happy to play with her LaLaLoopsy tea set.

Christian Quote of the Day: "They didn't lie it is refreshing!".

Lego Mania

Christian, Tori and I played some of Christian Lego games he got for Christmas last night. First we played Race 3000, which was a pretty decent and quick game once we figured out how to play. Some of the directions were pretty confusing, especially adding tiles to the die. Christian beat me by a wide margin and we moved onto the Lava game. After each of us getting burned by "lava" a couple of times, Christian scooted up the pyramid and took off on the dragon for the victory again. Lastly Tori joined us for game of Creationary. We kind of made up our own rules and rolled the dice to determine which category we were going to build. Christian's Wishing well was pretty good, but I had to cheat and sneak a peek at his card for a blimp. Christian guessed Tori's, which I wouldn't have gotten from her building technique. Both were able to guess my tractor. They both enjoyed the fun of the games, but it was getting near bed time for Tori, so the games were put away for the night. Luckily Eli didn't destroy the games or the Lego pizza truck while we were playing. At least that is one set that won't have to be rebuilt tonight.