Four By Design

Talented and Gifted Program

2012-02-12T00:14:00.000-05:00

The other day I went to the orientation for Prince George's County Program for Talented and Gifted (TAG) children. I learned a few things. Kids with high test scores and recommendations from their teachers can attend 1 of 9 elementary schools in the county where the entire school is dedicated to TAG students. The teachers are trained in cultivating the minds and talents of high performers and kids can get more customized lessons based on their ability. We will need to enter the lottery program to get into one of these TAG Center schools but the chances are best for entering 2nd graders.

However, this process made me think.

1) Kids are tested and tracked for the TAG program based on a standardized test score in 1st grade. Wow! This underscores the need to be actively engaged with your kids right away.

2) Once you are in the TAG program, you are TAG for life and therefore if you miss the entry at 2nd grade it is nearly impossible to ever gain admittance into the TAG program.

3) Charter schools do not have to follow the same rules about the TAG program and therefore may or may not offer the same kind of advanced curriculum. Maybe charter schools are not all that they are cracked up to be.

4) As we think about the growing stratification in our societies regarding wealth and inequality, we often look to differences in education to "explain" certain differences. It would seem to me that segregating the best students from their peers would work best for those high performing students, but I wonder about the students left behind.

I certainly hope the formula we used on Cole works for Reed. And I also hope Cole wins the lottery to get into the TAG Center school.

More to come.

Key Milestone - Cole Recognizes NPR

2012-02-10T23:56:00.003-05:00

I subject Cole and Reed to hours upon hours of news radio. I like NPR, so they must like NPR. Plus I don't like the lyrics of much of today's music and I am sick of listening to Michael Jackson. Therefore, every car trip they are subjected to NPR. And tonight Cole said, "so, there are too many wolves in Wyoming". Yes, NPR was doing a story about the overpopulation of wolves in the upper Northwest of the United States.

I was so proud. Cole and his dad are proud nerds!

Twin Update

2012-02-09T20:25:00.001-05:00

This week we had another ultrasound and the amniocentesis. Both boys are perfect! They did a through scan of all of their anatomy an everything looked great and the preliminary results of the amnio show both babies are genetically normal.

Here is Baby A looking like he's picking his nose and then giving us a high five.

Here's Baby B waving and showing us his little piggies.

Kids & Headgear

2012-02-05T11:17:00.001-05:00

Chef Reed helping Daddy make porkchops.

Cole breaking in the new headband at his basketball game.

Good Report Card for Reed

2012-02-04T15:30:00.002-05:00

"Reed has an excellent attitude toward school. She is doing a great job with reading one vowel words and starting to sound out sentences. Reed is very inquisitive and a great problem solver, she catches on easy to new concepts being taught. These traits have assisted her with learning addition, measurements, and patterns in math. She is very cooperative and participates in class but she need to work on talking less during class work time. Reed is joy having in my class."

Quoting Ms. Snyder, Pre-K teacher.

Reed talking too much ... surprise, surprise.

Friday Classwork

2012-02-03T16:08:00.000-05:00

Reed is reading and Cole is doing 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication. Can't complain at all!

Clown party

2012-01-29T11:29:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I took Reed to her classmate's birthday party. The theme was circus or carnival. It was held in some backatown type night club that smelled like gasoline but the girls seemed to have a good time. Here's some pics of Reed and her buddy Kierstyn. I couldn't get a good shot of the birthday girl, Jorie, who was running around too much.

Two Piece

2012-01-27T17:05:00.000-05:00

So right after I found out I was having twins, I got a craving for fried chicken. Eric dutifully went to pick it up, still in shock that a) I was pregnant at all and b) that it was confirmed to be not just one baby but twins.

When he came back home loaded with chicken and sides, he started calling me "Two Piece" as in a two piece meal. The nickname stuck immediately. It refers to me and or the twins. For example in reference to me: "What are you hungry again, Two Piece?" or in reference to the twins: "Two Piece has you all messed up, you just took a 3 hour nap."

Anyway, it's starting to really sink in, at our 16 week check up today, the sonogram shows good almost equal growth, healthy heartbeats and 2 penises. 2 boys! Reed and I will remain Queen and princess and I'll have to feed 2 more boys which means we'll be shopping at Costco every week for basic household staples.

The debate over names continues but at least I don't have to shoot down naming my future daughter something like Stevie or Derick. (Eric's insistence on no girly girl names went totally overboard this time around.)

Ready for bed

2012-01-26T20:31:00.001-05:00

Every night Cole & Reed have taken to posing at the top of the stairs when their ready for story time.

Kids say...

2012-01-26T19:43:00.001-05:00

My son just said, " holla at you later man," into his sister's Dora phone.

Design Challenge

2012-01-21T10:58:00.004-05:00

Reed and I started with a joint project to build a tower with the blocks. She had a different vision for the tower than me and decided to build her own tower.

But first some comments from the designers ...

"Any designer first has to consider function. My client wanted a tall, modern, open structure. So building upon on strong foundation, I used color and basic geometric patterns to achieve the desired aesthetic. Reed's tower is heavy looking and obviously not as tall" - Eric T.

"Your tower is tall but not as pretty as mine. I like mine more" - Reed T.

You be the judge. I think the answer is obvious.

Just a weird day

2012-01-17T00:02:00.002-05:00

Reed was pretty well behaved while getting her hair twisted for over an hour, but she nearly had a meltdown over dinner.

Cole ate 6 pieces of pizza the other night but for some unknown reason he decided not to have lunch today and was cranky most of the afternoon. He ate two massive servings at dinner to over compensate.

It is clear that Cole is becoming addicted to video games. But since he is conditioned to do work before video games he is constantly on us to give him his next assignment. He is tearing through these workbooks and online worksheets. A tipping point is coming soon.

Reed is excited about the pregnancy. She is protective of Tanya and very interested in Tanya's stomach. Cole is less enthusiastic. His focus is on the Xbox and the Wii. But he is looking forward to having someone to play sports against. I am reluctant to break the news that his potential little brothers won't be big enough for a long time to do what he wants to do.

Went car shopping ... we may be in the market for a minivan. LOL!

Lost Build a Bear Photo

2012-01-14T08:56:00.004-05:00

Reed celebrated her fifth birthday at Build a Bear. She loved being the center of attention despite the awkward smile ... Sorry I didn't upload sooner!

Friday Classwork

2012-01-13T09:48:00.000-05:00

It is becoming extremely difficult to keep up with the number of worksheets and drawings they produce at school.

BTW ... That weird animal Cole drew is his Tiger, Lion, Panther, Bear, Bengal, and Wildcat all mixed into one. The overload on professional sports names is not by accident.

Ahh ... Where has the time gone

2012-01-12T14:03:00.005-05:00

I am always amazed at how my life experiences will be so much different than the life experiences of my kids.

For instance, Reed and Cole were unable to identify this object as a TV.

I guess they are not familiar with big boxes adorned with metal spikes coming from the top and large circular dials.

My kids will never know ....
- how to reheat a dinner without using a microwave
- about album release parties
- how to put a needle on an albums
- the pain of fast forwarding past your favorite song on a cassette
- about the need to always have a $0.25 to make a call on a pay phone
- about using an encyclopedia to do a report for school
- that typewriters existed

I could go on, but why make myself feel older.

Twins

2012-01-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it. I am concerned, overwhelmed, shocked, and excited. We have to worry about cars, college tuition, and even where to put the new additions to the family. I am comforted by the wonderful kids we have in Cole and Reed.

Any suggestions on the names? Right now, they are "A" and "B"

ICE!

2012-01-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we took the kids to see ICE! at the Gaylord Conference at pretty amazing display of ice sculptures shaped like the characters from Madagascar. The highlight was the ice slide. Cole the dare devil went down it about a dozen times and Reed inched down it a few times very slowly. On her last run she had her parka on correctly and she sped down the slide like everyone else was and she started crying. You gotta love their differences. Big kid Eric had fun on the ice slide too!

Talented and Gifted

2012-01-10T20:58:00.002-05:00

I am not happy about the non-verbal score but we can work on that.

Top Gifts

2012-01-02T13:41:00.002-05:00

The top three gifts for Cole is easy - the Bey Blade Stadium, Mario Kart and the Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Jersey. For Reed, it is a little trickier. I would say her Zhu Zhu pet hamsters, makeup kit, and doll.

Sounds of the Season

2011-12-26T20:16:00.003-05:00

This rendition is unedited ...

Cole: "Feliz Navidad"
Reed: "Feliz Navidad"
Cole: "Feliz Navidad"
Reed: "Feliz Navidad"
Cole: "Feliz Navidad"
Cole: "Somebody Farted"
Reed: "I didn't Fart"
Cole: "I didn't Fart"
Reed: "I didn't Fart"
Cole: "I didn't Fart"
Reed: "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"
Cole: "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"
Reed: "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"
Cole: "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"
Cole & Reed: "From the bottom of my Heaaaaaaarrrrrt"
Cole: "Somebody still farted"

Testing out her new gifts

2011-12-26T16:41:00.001-05:00

Reed got her first stater make- up kit, here's her first look.

Post # 400 .... Wow

2011-12-24T20:06:00.004-05:00

Can't believe that we have over 400 posts on the life and times of the Thomas family. Fittingly post #400 comes on Christmas Eve and I couldn't help but scan in this picture Reed drew to commemorate the holiday.

"Happy Birthday Jesus, I Love You". She forgot the "You" but an admirable job nonetheless.

Eating Habits

2011-12-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

Reed is eating so much better. She eats more types of food and she eats faster. But faster is relative. She was starting from a 1 hour baseline and she may be averaging 40 minutes per meal now. Not great, but definitely an improvement.

Cole is constantly reminding us that he is going to be a handful. We no longer order kids meals at the fast food restaurants and last night he ate 5 pieces of pizza. Watch out!

Christmas Cards for Santa

2011-12-20T19:57:00.002-05:00

I had to finish up for Reed. She started to run out of steam.

First College Basketball Game

2011-12-18T20:28:00.003-05:00

Cole had a great time at yesterday's Georgetown game. He was cheering for Georgetown as if he were a student. He was dancing during all of the musical interludes and followed the score intently.

Reed was well behaved, albeit somewhat disinterested. The popcorn appeared to be the highlight for her. She expressed a desire to go to a baseball game next time.

Reed in the red

2011-12-17T10:04:00.001-05:00

A few days ago I picked up Cole then Reed. Reed ran off ahead to get her coat and backpack from her classroom, Cole ran ahead too. In the classroom they have a picture of a stoplight with clothespins with each students' name on it. Green is good, yellow is not great, red, well you know, not good.

So as I was getting to the room I heard Cole say, "Reed you got a red!" Reed was trying to quickly get her stuff and get out of the room before I could see.
Cole asked, "what did you do, Reed?"
Reed said, "Shhh I'm not telling, I'm busy."

She later confessed to talking too much, something that's not too surprising from the little motor mouth.

Friday Classwork

2011-12-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

I have been a little lazy with scanning and uploading their classwork. But honestly, the stuff they bring home is way too easy and simplistic to even warrant scanning and uploading to the blog. Check out the green busy work page the teacher gave Cole. She has given him that same sheet twice in the last couple of weeks.

That being said, I am working with Cole on 3 Digit x 1 Digit multiplication and his reading comprehension. And I have recently instituted, a Reed must do homework first on weekends before playing make believe and singing and dancing and talking gibberish and whatever else she does. With the new policy, I suspect that she will be moving along with her math and reading on an accelerated pace as well. I had hoped that she would voluntarily want to start doing homework like her brother. In hindsight, that dream had no chance of coming true.

Catching Up on Blogging - Cole Update

2011-12-11T10:19:00.002-05:00

Cole has been his usual self. High energy, high activity, high affinity for sports and competitively obsessed

1. Yellow, yellow. In school the past week he has received 3 "yellow" marks for behavior. One on day some kid kicked him and he kicked him back. On another day, he was talking too much in the hallway, on another day he displayed a poor attitude when he wasn't called on enough. Once he got 2 yellows I told him that he would be punished and sent straight to his room if we got another bad report. On Friday when he came home with his 3rd yellow he went straight to his room and said "I know I have been bad and I have to go to my room". His grades are good but if his behavior doesn't improve we will have to try something more significant.

2. Christmas Wish List. Earlier this week at dinner, Tanya asked Cole what he wanted Santa to get him for Christmas. As discussed above, Cole was having a bad week at school with his behavior. So Cole glumly responded, "I will probably only get bricks and coal". I was kinda touched that he understood there are consequences for poor behavior. I kinda felt like our parental lessons were sinking in. Reed took the opportunity to twist the knife. Sarcastically she asked, "So, Cole are you going to build a house with the bricks and coal?" If she were my sister I might have punched her in the face.

3. Sports obsessed. At six, he has the patience and the attention span to watch a full game of football and definitely basketball. He seems to really like college basketball. And his favorite team is North Carolina, not surprisingly because they were the preseason #1 team in the country. He likes the best teams. That is probably a good thing since he takes defeat so hard. Last night I asked if he would like to go to a basketball game next weekend. He asked who was playing and when I told him Georgetown and American University, he shook his head no. I don't like those teams, I want to see North Carolina. It is good to be a parent because he will go to the Georgetown game and love it. Too bad we won't be visiting his cousin Nikki there.

Catching Up on Blogging - Reed Update

2011-12-11T09:51:00.003-05:00

Reed is funny, silly, conniving, and adorable. Here are a few nuggets from the last couple of weeks.

1. Strutting her stuff. We purchased some new sneakers and shoes for our little princess. She doesn't wear them out nearly as hard as her brother, but nonetheless it was time. She loves her shoes and she couldn't wait to wear them to school. She had to wait a couple of days because it was raining here but when she did rock the shoes she strutted into school. The teacher asked "Reed, are those new shoes?" And Reed quickly replied "Why yes they are. Thank you for asking." Since they are nice she asked if she could keep them in the original box and in her closet so they wouldn't get dirty next to the other shoes in the hall closet.

2. Long Hair. Tanya got a haircut. And of course Cole and I also wear our hair short. Someone asked Reed at dinner if she wanted a haircut like any of us and she said "no". I am a princess and I need long hair. Cole asked if she wanted long hair like Rapunzel. She shook her head disaprovingly and replied, "I want long hair just for me".

3. Liar, Liar. Just this morning Tanya and I were lying in bed comfortably resting before getting our day started. Reed and Cole were downstairs. They were supposed to be watching a TV show. Everything was going well and then we heard a loud THUD. The sound was so jarring, Tanya and I immediately got up and the home alarm glass break sensor went off. There was no crying so I assumed the kids were okay, but certainly something was very broken. When I got downstairs there were no visible signs of damage. No one was hurt. But they were both stone quiet and both were looking at me intently. I asked Reed, "What happened?" She looked me dead in my face and said "Nothing". I nearly lost my mind. Clearly something happened. The alarm was just going off two seconds ago. I looked more closely and I saw her stocking in her hand instead of on the mantle where we had put it the night before. Before, I tore into his sister Cole said "The thing that holds the stockings fell down". Cole must have hurriedly placed the stocking holder back on the mantle and Reed was quick to assume that replacing the item was sufficient to get away with their crime. But in his haste Cole didn't put it back exactly right, nor was it exactly centered as I had placed it. So, I knew right away that he had tried to "undo" what had gone wrong. I went back upstairs, rested for another 10 minutes or so, and took a shower. I needed to calm down before I had my talk about honesty with Reed. Telling the story I can laugh. Living the story, wasn't nearly as funny.

The Joy of Riding Home from Costco

2011-12-03T09:49:00.000-05:00

Not His Best Smile

2011-11-23T08:31:00.001-05:00

Don't Have to Tell Cole to Smile Big

2011-11-21T19:51:00.001-05:00

Reed Sick, Better, and Observant

2011-11-21T19:42:00.003-05:00

Last night Reed was a little sick. She was running a fever and she threw up twice. It is heartbreaking to watch my daughter not feel well and walk herself over to the bathroom to throw up in the toilet. But after some ibuprofen to reduce the fever and a good night's rest she was at full strength today.

Reed is still drawing pictures of the family and yesterday before she felt ill, she brought me over to her so she could get a close up of my face. She needed me close to make sure she "got my face right". Well, she started drawing my eyes and after she made the circles, and made a dark dot in the center, she picked up the red pencil to draw some thin red lines in the circles representing my eyes. A not so subtle reminder that I have to do a better job taking care of myself and getting more sleep.

I love that girl!

Reed's Birthday Day 1

2011-11-20T12:05:00.001-05:00

Reed's 5th birthday has been loads of fun. On her actual birthday Aunt Maria and I brought cupcakes to pre-K. After school, she opened presents from the family. The extra special guests, Nana and Aunt Maria made the the day even better because they brought gifts and cards from our other Aunts in Bermuda. Later we had Reed's favorite meal, pizza.

Day 2, party at Build-a-Bear! Stay tuned.

Friday Classwork - Reed

2011-11-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

Two things ... she colored the boy with brown skin and the girl with light colored skin. Kids are so wonderfully race indifferent. And this work is too easy for her. However, I am counting on a strong foundation to pay dividends in the future.

Friday Classwork - Cole

2011-11-18T08:38:00.000-05:00

Clear difference between the work he can do at home (top) and the work he is expected to do at school (bottom).

Linc's birthday and meeting the new baby

2011-11-15T15:11:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we drove up to NJ to celebrate Lincoln's 4th birthday and finally meet Dave & Courtne's new baby, Logan.

All the kids enjoyed cupcakes and then Eric got them settled down for story time. He's great at holding their attention.

Reed was excited to meet the new baby and was very happy to hold her for a few minutes.

I always wanted to have a circle of friends like my Dad had when I was growing up. Even though we don't all live in the same place, a lot of the same feelings of family and closeness are there. I think it's great for kids to have that.

1st Grade Report Card

2011-11-11T18:44:00.000-05:00

No complaints.

Halloween Spirit

2011-11-08T09:34:00.001-05:00

I alawys wanted to be the fun Mom. So when I saw all the fun stuff at Target, I couldn't resist decking the house out too.

Let's see what I can pull off for Xmas next.

Soccer ... Disappointing Ending

2011-11-04T18:40:00.000-04:00

The kids played hard. Cole tried so hard. So did David and Daniel. Our goal tending was solid all year. But unfortunately we had a skill deficit and it caught up with us in the playoffs. I took defeat hard again but at least the kids had fun.

Sugar in the shower

2011-11-01T21:36:00.001-04:00

Reed is a slow eater. Not wanting to give up her sweets despite the fact that it's shower-time she just kept right on licking the lollipop while washing up.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:02:00.002-04:00

Spider Woman, Spider Man, and Snow White came home with way too much candy!

Kids say part 2

2011-10-29T13:32:00.001-04:00

As we were finishing up our Wendy's dinner last night, Cole asked how come grown ups don't get a toy with their food.

"You should get a phone or a Xbox game or something."

I love that kid.

Kid's say...

2011-10-28T20:53:00.001-04:00

Eric: We're going to Wendy's for dinner.
Cole: Thank you Daddy.
Reed: Ah yeah, let's get this party started.

No one knows where she heard that phrase. My guess is those kid's dance mixes they play at daycare.

Fall From Grace

2011-10-27T21:26:00.002-04:00

Cole has lost 3 BeyBlades (toys), 2 Sweaters, 1 Sweater Vest, and he almost lost his lunch bag during this school year. Yes, the school year that is less than half over. He has also received 3 or 4 verbal warnings and his first "yellow". I recently learned that he has been chewing the erasers (metal tip too) off of his pencils. And today his teacher called me at work to tell me that Cole was overly demonstrative when he didn't receive the same size piece of cake as the other kids during a in-class celebration.

I have no doubt that Cole ended up with a smaller the normal piece. And I also have no doubt that Cole was pissed. He does not tolerate injustice. However, that is no excuse for his behavior. And we talked about that.

My mom is quick to point out that he needs a different, more mentally challenging school environment. Maybe. But we give him plenty of extra stimulation at home and his behavior issues aren't related to school or classwork activities. We will reevaluate his school at the end of the year but as of now I believe the current charter school provides him with the best education and is most convenient for our current situation.

More to come.

Penmanship Punishment

2011-10-26T20:59:00.001-04:00

Bike Riding

2011-10-26T14:13:00.001-04:00

The great fall weather has finally allowed us to get Cole caught up on his bike riding without training wheels.
In true Cole form, he's taking the "figure it out on his own" approach so he just goes and falls until he gets his balance. He's getting pretty good but I'm still nervous that he'll break his neck.

We got Reed a real bike as an early birthday present so she could get some practice in before it gets too cold. In true Reed form, she takes it very slow and needs constant contact with an adult even though she has very stable training wheels.

I'm looking forward to family bike rides along the trails out here in the future. We just need bikes for the grown ups now.

Friday Classwork

2011-10-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

I think the extra year of Pre-K will be good for Reed. It can't hurt to master the fundamentals. At least this week Cole has avoided the easy mistakes.

Another Standardized Test

2011-10-20T19:45:00.004-04:00

This is a follow up to the test he took in Kindergarten. The results individually are good. I don't like his sounds and letters score but he isn't much for sounding out words. He seems to just memorize letter combinations and roll from there. But his percentile rank seemed to drop from last year, still good, but still a drop. This was true in all subjects except for Math. I guess pushing him to do division has had some benefit.

Don't Sleep on Reed

2011-10-18T13:42:00.000-04:00

Cole's competitiveness has been pretty well documented so I'm writing to prove once again not to underestimate Miss Reed Lynn Thomas. There is a very smart, calculating little mind in there.

Sure she can be loud and silly. She makes up funny songs and sings them at the top of her lungs. She talks in strange voices that drive me up a wall at the end of a day at work. But she also has her cool quiet times when she rolls with the punches and just does her own thing.

On Sunday evening, she asked me when dinner would be ready. It was still pretty early, maybe 5 or 5:30. I told her it would be ready soon. She said she was hungry. She had lunch around noon so that made sense. I was still working on the sauce for the chicken but most of the components were done and since Reed isn't too into sauces anyway, when she asked me again, I quickly made her a plate of chicken and egg noodles.

We've gone over how long it usually takes Reed to eat many times. Since she was all alone at the dinner table and she was eating something she likes, it didn't take her quite as long. She even ate the green beans that I had to give to her after she finished the other stuff because I hadn't finished cooking them yet when she first sat down. The rest of us were sitting down to eat dinner while Reed was getting her dessert of my fresh homemade apple pie. Cole asked if Reed ate all of her dinner and I said yes, she ate early because she was hungry. Something I wholeheartedly believed to be true.

Then Reed said, " I wanted my dinner early so I could beat Cole."

Nicely played.

21 Minutes

2011-10-14T20:41:00.002-04:00

I picked up Cole from school. Every time I pick Cole up he looks like he has either been in a fight or just came from gym class. His shoes are untied, his shirt un-tucked, pants dirty, one arm in his jacket with the other half of the jacket dragging along the ground with his book bag trailing on the ground as well. But at the end of the day, I don't have the energy to say anything.

But anyway ... Today I picked up Cole. Again he looked disheveled. Again I said nothing. But today was also different. When we got into the car I told Cole that I would be leaving him at home by himself while I went to get his sister from day care. He had two rules to follow, don't answer the door and don't open any doors. In a proud moment for me, he responded that he was trustworthy and had integrity. (Although he pronounced it in-gret-tity). He said being trustworthy and having integrity means you do the right thing when no one is around. Couldn't have scripted it any better.

I dropped him off and went to pick up Reed. 21 minutes later I was back with Reed and he was still in the basement playing his video game. What a milestone!

Friday Classwork

2011-10-14T19:23:00.003-04:00

Reed is breezing through this work and Cole is too. He is making some careless mistakes on work that is way too easy for him. I am not too worried. I seem to recall doing the same thing.

A Moment of Harmony

2011-10-10T18:28:00.001-04:00

The other day after picking the kid's up from school, I went upstairs to change out of my work clothes. They were downstairs alone, the TV was off
and they weren't bickering with other. This went on for several minutes. A strange occurence for them lately.

I came back downstairs to find them working together on a Seek & Find book their Meema had gotten for them.

A great moment of sibling cooperation.

Bike Riding Practice

2011-10-08T20:57:00.000-04:00

Check out the a small, but intimidating, snake on the path. All in all it was a fun and mostly accident free first try.

Friday Classwork

2011-10-07T20:28:00.001-04:00

Reed is learning the foundation of Christianity in her new pre-k program.

Elisa's Wedding

2011-10-06T20:54:00.002-04:00

Our friend Elisa got married today. Only got a few decent shots

1st Grade Progress Report

2011-10-04T19:56:00.002-04:00

Nothing surprising except he is Above Average in Reading and just proficient in Math. Hmm. But it is just a progress report I guess.

CJs BDay Party

2011-10-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Pizza + Cake = Big Smiles!

Friday Classwork

2011-09-30T20:08:00.003-04:00

It almost seems pointless to keep including these easy assignments in our blog ... but I will patiently await more challenging work as the school year moves on. Maybe I will start including our supplemental work instead!

I was right

2011-09-30T19:58:00.002-04:00

As early as November of 2009, it was clear to me that Cole was going to be competitive. Very competitive. I started thinking about his competitive streak again last Saturday after we lost our soccer game 1-0. Cole was visibly upset and verbally chastised his team mates for not paying attention. He was right those kids have their heads in the sky. It seemed it was only me and him that cared. We were both livid. He was okay by the time we got home. I wasn't over it until about midday on Tuesday. I have learned to be a better loser but I still hate it.

Anyway, his competitive spirit lives in almost everything he does. Just like me. On one occasion this week he reminded Reed that she hasn't finished dinner before him in over a year. Who keeps track of that? Cole does. And when we got home from soccer practice he was upset and stomping around because he gets in the house last because he has to take off his soccer cleats and shin guards before he leaves the garage entrance door. Who needs to enter the house first. Cole does. That's competitive.

Reassured

2011-09-23T14:59:00.002-04:00

Tanya attended Reed's school's open house. I emailed Cole's math teacher. The primary takeaway was that both kids are doing fine, the curriculum starts off slowly in the year and picks up at the end, and that we should continue our home education habits. Tanya felt better about the language arts pedagogy used at Reed's school and I am willing to be patient while the teacher helps Cole reach his full academic potential.

Friday Classwork

2011-09-23T13:18:00.001-04:00

Sibling Spats

2011-09-19T12:13:00.000-04:00

I'm quite sure when it started but Cole & Reed seems to be arguing more and more. What they are fighting about I really can't say because they don't articulate themselves very well in this area. I know all of this is normal and I really try to ignore it because I read that they are supposed to learn to work it out on their own so that they can resolved conflicts properly in their adult lives. I'm okay with this in theory. If their arguments made sense, I think I would happy to let them work it out, but since they are so loud and stupid, I have to just tell them to knock it off.

Here's is a list of common phrases that come out every day these days when they are together:

"You're not the boss of me!"
"Cole! Why you snatch that from me?"
"Why are you looking at me?"
"STOP!"

Friday Classwork

2011-09-16T20:18:00.002-04:00

This is a little ridiculous now. I was considering teaching Cole two-digit multiplication and they got him working on his counting. Reed is coloring?! I will have to start considering better options.

Ridiculous Reed

2011-09-15T20:19:00.001-04:00

She wants to take a bath without getting wet.

I told her to put some pants on and she said she didn't know what pants looked like.

She doesn't like her shoes because even though they are sparkly, the don't light up.

New Plan for Cole

2011-09-13T23:05:00.002-04:00

So, Cole is addicted to the Xbox and generally playing video games. He can't get enough. We have been using his addiction to promote our academic agenda but it is getting to the point where we just can't keep up with all his homework requests.

But eureka!

I have a solution. Instead of him having to do his multiplication tables or complex subtraction, he will have to do chores, or maybe some exercises too. I won't give up on his academic assignments but we can add different elements to help teach other skills.

We will start this weekend!

I miss Daddy

2011-09-08T21:02:00.001-04:00

Once a month, Eric has a dinner meeting. The kids don't like it. Even though he has been doing it for a year or two, they are always upset about it.

Tonight Cole said he missed Daddy 4 or 5 times. We had popsicles, sherbert, played Uno, Mommy is still chopped liver.

Xbox Junkie

2011-09-07T16:38:00.001-04:00

On Labor Day morning Cole came into our bedroom at 7:08 in the morning to remind is that we need to buy him Madden 2012.

We have a real problem here.

Friday Classwork

2011-09-01T23:39:00.001-04:00

Cole's work is ridiculously easy for him. Reed is getting a heavy dose of the Christian curriculum.

Finally!

2011-08-31T23:32:00.002-04:00

It may be early but I think I have finally found the "leverage" I have been looking for with Reed. It has been right in front of me the whole time. Reed loves desserts and sweets - this has been previously well documented. Aha!

Tonight I told Reed that she could have dessert if she finished her worksheet. In 5 minutes the worksheet was done. She wrote her name correctly. She was neat. She got them all correct. A marathon begins with a single step!

Cranky Cole

2011-08-31T21:50:00.002-04:00

Back to school time means that for the next few months Cole is going to have a much shorter fuse. The riggers of school and soccer practice leave him tired and irritable. It's pretty annoying. Of course he just talks about how annoying Reed is which gets Eric and me annoyed. Back to school is supposed to be a relief to parents but I'm not on board with that.

Today Cole said that Reed acts like a 2 or 3 year-old. I told him that she acts like a 4 year-old. He said that he didn't act the way she acts when he was 4 years old. I told him that everybody is different. He said that,"my brain is smarter than her brain." I told him that Reed is smart she just plays around too much.

Cole had been pretty cocky lately too, he says he's smart enough to skip 1st grade, and he told me that I should clean up the kitchen after dinner, Eric's job, because Eric works so hard all the time.
Cocky, cranky time at the Thomas house and I can't catch a break.

Day 31

2011-08-31T11:38:00.003-04:00

My 30 day challenge is over. I was less than successful with not yelling than I would have hoped. No one could have predicted an earthquake, a hurricane and a professional cataclysm would have coincided with my personal challenge to be more patient with my children but those are excuses and I know I have some work to do.

In all fairness though it's not like the kids were trying to not do things that would make me yell while I was working on myself not to yell. 6 and 4 year-olds are incapable of self-reflection. They don't sit up at night thinking, " I really shouldn't have told Mommy that the chicken for dinner wasn't good just because the sauce made my fingers sticky."

The second part of my challenge worked out much better, I did get into a routine with the blogging and I have really enjoyed it even though only 4 or 5 people actually read it. Hi Nicole!

Let there be light!

2011-08-30T10:35:00.004-04:00

I guess I was so happy to have the power back on that I forgot to blog yesterday.

Helen made lasagna with ground turkey and spinach and Cole complained about the spinach so much that I got annoyed with him. I guess I'm still influenced by the West Indian upbringing I had that I'm just not going to put up with a certain amount of back talk. I never quite understood what that meant as a child but I totally get it now.

Someone goes through the trouble of making you food and and you say next time don't put xyz in it?! I thought your were, " a little bit starving," 5 minutes ago. I told him to just to eat around it but he wanted to sit there sulking about it which was totally unnecessary. Reed might be the wild card but Cole does complain quite a bit, especially for a kid who pretty much gets what he wants. For that reason I could be provoked to yell at sweet, perfect Cole as well.

Cole is never satisfied, he wants to be older, taller, stronger, smarter. He has to have different toys; he has to have better drinks. The weather isn't right, it's too hot, there's too much pollen, it's too sunny or too rainy. He complains about wiping his crusty mouth and having to put lotion on his ashy legs and putting lip balm on his chapped lips. He complains about quiet time and bedtime. He complains about stuff Reed did 2 weeks ago.

I tried ignoring it but lately I figure if I have to suck it up and deal with everything I'm not getting and he really should learn how to appreciate how fortunate he is.

Proud of Cole

2011-08-29T17:22:00.002-04:00

Cole is my dude! So the power has been out and he has been devoid of television, computers, and the xbox. You would have think we had deprived him of water. However, once the power came back on he used our battery powered clock/weather instrument and reset the clock on the oven - without help and without prompting. I was impressed.

But I am just as impressed with the homework I have been giving him. Word problems, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. I am debating starting him on two digit multiplication.

Power Junkie

2011-08-28T22:32:00.001-04:00

At the tender age of six, Cole is hooked on electrical entrainment. The power went out around 4:30 this morning due to hurricane Irene and at the time of this writing, 10:30 pm it's still out.

We played outside, several times, played Uno, several times; did homework, ate, went to Chipotle, walked around some stores. Cole could not be satisfied.

Reed handled it much better. She's always able to entertain herself, sometimes that drives us crazy because she can be kind of loud and silly, but today she was pretty chill.

I was not that chill, it is day 28 and I clearly can't go 30 days without yelling. This might just have been one of the worst weeks I've had in several years. My frustration with some major aspects of my life is really starting to wear on me.

I have enjoyed the blogging and I have been very good with that part of the challenge so this endeavor still seems pretty worth while.

School and daycare are closed tomorrow, so I hope we get power back or Cole remembers how to use his imagination and play with his other toys or one of is might complely loose it.

Hurricane activities

2011-08-27T20:58:00.001-04:00

We went to the Home Depot, Amish Market, and the grocery store. I decided it would be a good day to make my late summer peach & blackberry pie.

Reed and Cole we're happy to help of course which made me super tense because I am a real perfectionist about my pies. Little kids are better suited for cookies and cakes, pies are serious. I gave it a shot since the whole no yelling thing is sort of blown anyway.

It wasn't too bad. Reed was especially in to it, she put on her little apron and had me put on mine and since I had some extra crust, I even made a little mini pie in her mini pans that she got for Christmas. This is the type of thing I would have loved to do as a little girl. Plus my ambition to be able to make as many things from scratch, come from all those Summers with my Nana. I know now that even though she too is a yeller, she still had incredible patience to teach me hour to make all that stuff. I don't think I was as inquisitive and nutty as Cole and Reed are but still. Nana rocks.

Nobody's Listening

2011-08-26T20:57:00.002-04:00

Day 26 and I know now why I yell, nobody listens to me. I say things over and over, at work, at home, to co workers, to children, to my husband, no one is freaking listening. I try to say things different ways, sometimes, as a true English major, I build an argument and provide supporting examples. I repeat myself and explain and explain. It doesn't matter. They don't want to hear me, they don't want to pay attention, they want to do what they want to do, they think they know better, they think they know more than I do, they think they're just better. But they're not and they don't, so I yell.

What else is there to do?

Sleepless Shouter

2011-08-26T04:24:00.001-04:00

It's 4 am, I technically missed a day of blogging in my 30 Day Challenge, I also technically yelled. Sometimes Reed defies all logic and predictability. On top of that she refuses to do what she's told and only does what she wants. I guess that's normal for a 4 year old.

I guess it's normal for a mother to shout a little bit when her 4 year old is being disobedient. She actually stopped messing around when I did repeat myself more firmly today, but I could tell she did not like it. She hates to back down and so do I. Unlike Cole she doesn't get upset that I yell she gets upset when she can't do what she wants. Cole just doesn't like yelling our being perceived as doing anything wrong which is why he rarely does anything wrong.

Anyway, I still hate my job and I can't sleep. I'll double up on the blog today.

Pushed to the breaking point

2011-08-24T21:01:00.001-04:00

Today is day 24 and all the yelling happened at work. I got completely fed up with having to defend myself and dealing with pompous frauds and their snide comments. I hate my job, I hate it so much that I'm soured on my whole profession.

When I was home with Cole and Reed when they were newborns I realized that I was capable of doing something so much more important and meaningful than fundraising and prospect research. I went back to work out of necessity, like a lot of other mothers but ever since I did, I've felt a huge emptiness where something more important should be. So I spend the bulk of my day with people I hate which causes me to be edgy and yell at the people I love. I know I'm not alone but It sure does feel that way sometimes.

Who in the house knows about the quake?

2011-08-23T21:27:00.001-04:00

Another Prince reference cause it's my blog and I love Prince.

Today we had a 5.8 magnitude earthquake on the East Coast. The epicenter was near Charlotte, VA which is pretty close in earthquake terms. They said it lasted 30-35 seconds or, according to my Dad, long enough to wonder when it was going to stop. It was loud, it was scary and everybody felt it.

There were no major injuries but there was some reported damage around the Metro area. I called the kids' schools and everything was fine there too. Cole said he wasn't scared and the school used it as a teachable momment to talk about earthquakes around the world including the massive one that hit Japan earlier this year.

Coming down from the adrenaline rush of the earthquake had E and I on edge so Reed's antics were not well received today at all. Reed said she was scared by the earthquake and then she asked everybody if the earthquake cracked their teeth. She had several diva moments this evening and there was definitely some yelling.

Cole said that he wished we could have the original Reed who followed directions and didn't get in trouble. He also said that he wished he could get in her brain and make her act right. Sometimes you can't hug that kid enough.

Cole's First Day of First Grade

2011-08-22T09:23:00.008-04:00

We dropped off Cole for his first day of First Grade and I was surprised by how emotional I got. I saw all the parents bringing in their Kindergartners and that got the water works going. I remembered dropping Cole off last year and how he was so excited in the morning and so upset that afternoon when I picked him up at the end of the day. I guess that flashback was too much for me.

He was excited this morning too, the drop off went pretty smooth, we were going to just drive off but he said, "I don't know where to go." He still needed us, more emotion for me. I hopped out of the car a waited with him until they let everyone in the new building. I'm sure he'll have a great first day.

Scandalous

2011-08-22T08:47:00.003-04:00

Reed, Cole and I were playing a "friendly" game of UNO. This game was going back and forth, a tight battle between familiar and formidable foes. As the game was drawing to a close, Cole found his hand devoid of a needed red card. He went to the stack to retrieve a card and mistakenly exposed two cards. He saw that the top card was a green 4, useless in his quest for world UNO domination. But the second card, the card underneath the green 4, was Wild Draw Four. The most dominant card in the stack. His salvation. He not so gracefully attempted to take the Wild Draw Four and claim it as his own.

Reed was oblivious, but I was watching the board like a hawk and quickly pointed out his transgression. I ordered him out of the game and onto the steps while Reed and I played a couple more games. Only after telling his mother what he had done and apologizing to Reed and me, was he allowed to return to the game. I think the embarrassment and exile taught him a lesson.

Honestly, I am not that mad. Like Al Davis said, "if you ain't cheating you ain't trying". I love the competitive spirit. Even at UNO.

Quiet Sunday

2011-08-21T22:19:00.001-04:00

We just hung out at home. Laundry, cooking, morning news shows.

I had to use some emphasis with Cole, I think he rushes brushing his teeth. He said he brushed them while I was washing Reed's hair but I didn't buy it so I asked him to do it again and he copted an attitude.

Tomorrow is the first day of school for Cole. 1st Grade.

Going to the woodshed

2011-08-20T23:22:00.002-04:00

So I have debated about what constitutes yelling versus projection or emphasis and that's fine. I know what I'm trying to work on and I'm not going to split hairs. I didn't yell today but Eric sure did, in his way.

Eric can get loud, he can put all the base in his voice and make his point real clear. He doesn't do it as often as I would and most of his triggers are still a mystery to me and the kids. He says it is to keep them guessing. Whatever.

He let loose on Cole today. He didn't get loud. But it was a stern taking to. I don't think he's ever talked to Cole like that before. The closest thing was maybe the Flag Football incident last year. Eric was mad. Cole misplaced the new game cartridge that we got him for his birthday and this just set Eric off. It'll turn up and now we don't have to worry about getting Cole one of those cool Nintendo DS thingies that I think he's too young to have. I can keep him a liitle boy with his more childlike Mobigo educational game devices and I'm well on my way up from chopped liver.

Working Girls

2011-08-19T23:14:00.001-04:00

I took Reed to the office with me today. I had taken Cole in once a few months ago so I owed Reed the trip. She was the perfect angel. She was so excited to go in to the city. Reed can be a wildcard sometimes but I've noticed lately that when we're doing something she is really interested in doing, like getting her nails painted or her hair done, or helping me do the grocery shopping, she can be totally delightful. Maybe she's just likes doing "Mommy things"

I still kind of lost it a bit at bedtime after a near perfect day. I just can't get into the loud, naked, rowdiness that goes on. It's mostly Reed. They're both rowdy but Reed hasn't learned when to quit. I am learning to keep It together but saying the same thing over and over is still going to get louder eventually.

Once more with feeling

2011-08-18T23:09:00.001-04:00

Tonight was back to school night for Cole's school at the new location. It was crazy crowded so we left and came back for the second round of sessions. I was disappointed that we're going to have the same social studies teacher a last year. That woman had us doing so many projects that I felt were royally inappropriate for kindergarten. I also thought that there had to be better ways to teach 5 year olds those concepts.

Anyway, when we got back the kids had some cookies and I asked Reed to put her napkin in the trash and to be careful not to drop the crumbs on the floor. I asked her to do it 3 times. The final time I used a bit more emphasis. It wasn't yelling because I asked my Dad who was witnessing the exchange. He said yelling is the loudest you can get and when you are completely unhinged. If that is true the I hardly ever yell, even before this challenge.

I've said this same definition to Eric several times. He thinks that yelling in anything above your normal speaking voice. I can't win with him. At least my Dad gets me.

No yell workout

2011-08-17T23:13:00.001-04:00

Cole and I both yelled at Reed today. I mentioned that Cole and I feel closer now that I've stopped yelling so much. It's true that most of the time I have no reason to yell at Cole. He's not perfect but he's pretty close and he's super sweet and generally tries to do what he's told. I would most often yell at Cole when he has done something highly dangerous or really gross.

We've established that no one can work a nerve like Reed Lynn Thomas. This morning she woke up whiny. She is not a morning person, we're not exactly sure what time she actually goes to sleep. I put them both to bed between 8:30 & 9:00 but when Reed falls asleep is anybody's guess. I often find all sorts of toys in her bed in the morning and some nights we can hear her singing or talking to herself. So she's whiny and teary in the mornings a lot.

Cole told her to stop whining, I told her to stop whining. When she did stop, she just messed around and moved really slow and was uncooperative. I was working the no yell muscle until she leaned too far forward in her booster seat so I emphatically told her to sit back. It was unsafe but I did loose it a little, too.

Later at bedtime, my favorite time of the day, I lost it a little again. Reed had all of her drawers pulled all the way open and she got the glider chair stuck rocked allthe way back for the 20th time. I started to yell but pulled back mid way even though out felt kind of good. I worked the muscle, got some perspective and got it together before I looked like at lunatic.

Last week of camp

2011-08-16T22:12:00.001-04:00

Cole's school starts on Monday and the camp has a few nice final field trips. Today they went to NASA Goddard to learn about the planets according to Cole. Since everything to Cole is a competition, he was happy too tell me that Jupiter is the biggest. There was also some sort of movie and Cole said that Reed got scared and asked him to sit next to her. E & I both thought that was pretty cute.

Day 16, I'm too tired to yell today I think.

Family Time

2011-08-15T22:53:00.002-04:00

Tonight we had our first sit down dinner with the whole family. Soccer practice all last week had us eating on a staggered pattern, Reed, Helen and I would east first and them my Dad, Eric and Cole would eat later when E & C got home from practice. Everyone got to see Reed's 50 minute dinner session. It was a very Cosby Show type of moment.

Cole read 1 1/2 of his new books that we got for him for his birthday, Danny & the Dinosaur. He did really well with the new material. I've read most of our other books to them so much that the kids know some of them by heart, especially Reed. She can recite, One Fish, Two Fish and most of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes word for word, she thinks she really is reading them.

Day 15 yell free, even though Reed is still highly frustrating these days. I doubt that my yelling or lack there of affects her much, she seems impervious. I do think that Cole appreciates that I've been calmer, he's seems to be more cuddly with me lately. That's really nice since I've been second fiddle to Eric where Cole is concerned since he became aware that I was a girl and Eric was a boy. That may not be at all true but it does feel that way some times. Reed is totally a Mommy's girl. A few months ago Cole said to me that Reed was my best friend and I realized then that he must have thought that since Reed was always hanging on me that I liked her more or something. It's funny, of course, since most of the time he is Eric's shadow and I'm chopped liver.
Anyway, I'm half way through and I'm feeling like I'm on my way to being a better Mommy.

On the Road

2011-08-14T21:19:00.001-04:00

The trip home took 2 hours longer than the trip up to New Jersey. The kids watched 45 mins. of phonics and 4 hours of Looney Tunes. Eric says we shouldn't let them watch tv for a week. It's a nice idea but it will be really tough to execute.

There were lots of tears when we left,Cole cried, Taylor cried, I think Lincoln cried a bit. It's rough to say goodbye but Dana &Chris are supposed to come down for Labor Day. For now I need some quiet time with the Food Channel. I do love our little crew though and how close the kids are getting to one another.

It's tough to say if I yelled or not today, car-ride and all, I would say no. I'm almost half way!

BBQ at the Nicholas'

2011-08-13T23:51:00.001-04:00

The 2nd annual Nicholas BBQ was great.

Cole can almost swim and I'm not quite sure how he figured it out. I didn't think that the Summer camp was giving him lessons. I really must sign him up for some formal instruction. He puts his head under the water holds his breath and kicks and moves his arms. I'm not sure if he can float though.

Reed had a pretty good time dipping her feet in the water, that's about it, but she was happy.

Play with the "cousins" was good, there were no major incidents. Baby Taylor is walking now I was proud to be one of her chosen people who can hold her, and Reed didn't have a huge problem sharing me with her either. Cole still doesn't want to go home tomorrow.

Day 13 and everybody at the barbecue well confirm that I did not yell.

My sweet Cole

2011-08-12T21:42:00.001-04:00

Tonight we're driving to New Jersey for the Nicholas family BBQ. The kids are excited to see their "cousins".

On the way home from camp, Cole asked when we were going to be coming back home. When I told him Sunday, he began to cry because he wanted to stay longer. He is so sensitive. I know he gets it from me. I hope that he learns to cope with it and protect himself.
It's day 12 and I may have slipped up with Reed but Eric said that he won't count it because she is so, shall we say energetic.

Day 11

2011-08-11T22:15:00.001-04:00

Since I blew up at Eric yesterday after Chuck E Cheese's and another stupid day at work, I had no need to yell at all today.

Having my Dad live with us has so far been pretty cool. Today he noticed that my tires we're low and he put air in them for me and he got some claritin for the kids.
He's pretty handy.

Happy Birthday Cole!

2011-08-10T21:59:00.001-04:00

Cole is the sweetest little boy. Every morning he comes in to our room to say good morning. This morning he was grinning from ear to ear, so proud to be 6 years old. He then wanted to weigh himself, 54lbs. with his clothes on. Every year on their birthdays we also measure their height this year Cole is 4' 1/2"

I picked the kids up early and took them to Chuck E Cheese's. Cole & Reed had a great time. Then Cole got to play 2 games of Xbox without having to do any homework.

Day 10 - lots of yelling, but not at the kids, so I'm still doing well.

There's Joy in Repetition?

2011-08-09T23:00:00.002-04:00

I LOVE Prince, but he was not talking about dealing with a 4 year old.

This evening I must have said, "Reed, please be quiet and eat your dinner, " 27 times. I don't know how many times most mothers can say the same thing over and over without getting louder, but it's a really tough thing for me. Plus Reed asked for her dinner immediately after I got home. She wouldn't even wait for me to change my clothes but as soon the plate was in front of her, she did about 27 different things and none of them was eat her food.

On to Bed & Bath time, "Reed, put on your pajamas and brush your teeth," 15 times. She danced around , she messed with the glider chair in her room, she compared the whites of her eyes to Cole's whose were all red and puffy from allergies, more on that in a minute. All of this without a stitch of clothing or any progress what so ever, it's maddening. It was so much easier when she was 4 mouths old, not to mention quieter. She hardly ever cried as a baby, now she's had 3 meltdowns since Saturday. Tonight's was because I wouldn't give her drops for her eyes like I did for Cole who was running around outside at soccer practice for an hour while she was inside eating her dinner, for an hour.

Some of this is probably because she is competing for my attention with 2 extra people. Before my parents moved in and I started really trying not to yell I thought she was really mellowing out and becoming my little angel again. Anyway this is day 9 and I didn't yell.

Tomorrow we're suppose to take Cole to Chuck E Cheese's for his birthday and I might need a hall pass from this whole challenge thing because that place is utter chaos.

Cole, the next Usain Bolt. Maybe?

2011-08-09T21:55:00.002-04:00

Today I had the pee wee soccer kids race down the field. What was impressive was that Cole beat the 8 year old kid that was helping the coaches. And I had to exert myself to ensure I won. In a few years, I will not be racing Cole. He will never experience beating his dad in anything. He may be better than me. But I will retire before my undefeated record is tarnished.

Reed's meltdown

2011-08-08T22:54:00.001-04:00

Day 8 no yelling. Today was the first full day with my Dad and Helen living with us and I think having a new audience inspired Reed to put on a grand performance.

Typical dinner time scenario, fixing her plate, rice, chicken, no peas, she opted for cucumbers. How many pieces of cucumber? Reed wanted 3, I said no, grabbed a small handful and gave her her plate. She got upset, she wanted 5. I was not negotiating pieces of cucumber. She started crying and stomping. I sent her to her room. My Dad & Helen watched the whole thing. I stayed totally cool and in control.

Reed's 4 year old meltdowns have become much more theatrical. Before she would just explode but now, there's a build up with little wimpers, then a few tears as if she's testing us, when we stay firm she escalates to hopping up and down and yelling whatever it is she wants. Red straw, 5 cucumbers slices, whatever it is, over and over. She's sent to her room and then she stomps and starts screaming and kicking her feet on the floor. It is a true to form temper tantrum. It lasts about 5 minutes and then she apologizes and immediately comes in for a hug. That's our Reed.

Reed's Summer Camp Work

2011-08-08T20:00:00.001-04:00

In the end, we didn't have much choice but to let Reed attend the summer camp where should we eventually attend pre-k in the fall. The new school would be employing a different curriculum and she would be exposed to a different environment with different kids. Still pre-k is pre-k, no matter what new "innovative" curriculum is employed. Reed has already mastered the soft skills, let's hope she gets the academic challenge she needs.

This stuff seems easy for her.

"A little super day"

2011-08-07T20:57:00.002-04:00

Day 7 no yelling. I made a ridiculous amount of curry chicken, 42 pieces of chicken, in anticipation of my Dad and Helen coming to live with us. We were expecting them on Friday but packing up to 29 years of stuff owned by two people who can't embrace the fact that not all old stuff is worth keeping takes 3 days for professional movers to pack up and put in storage.

Everything went pretty smooth today. It was 100° outside so the kids stayed in. Cole did problem sets and played X box and Reed colored. I gave her a mani-pedi, her new favorite thing. It goes with the whole pretty thing.

After a much needed thunder storm, we went for a quick walk around the block after dinner. E & I walked, the kids ran. Then they went and showered and got ready for bed without any rowdiness. It was great. Reed said it was, "a little super day."

Sneaking a post in

2011-08-06T23:39:00.002-04:00

Cole is getting a little too physical. His play fighting is getting rougher and he is getting stronger. It is getting hard to subdue him without exerting a dangerous level of force. Someone is bound to get hurt and it wont be me.

Reed is a trip. My wife's shoe tying downfall was predictable. I was in the library listening to the whole thing. I wish I had a witness because I knew this would lead to a "loud moment". I tried helping Reed tie her shoe laces earlier this week. I knew what was in store. Reed only cares about things she cares about. Your hopes, wishes, and expectations mean nothing to her. Her independence of thought and actions are unflappable. She had a 10 minute blow up about having a red straw versus a purple straw. Instead of trying to fight or change her, I am able to laugh more. But once I find the appropriate incentive to affect her behavior, once I find that one thing that she really cares about that I can use as leverage, I will be a happy man.

Cole is multiplying and dividing now. Next up is two digit multiplication and long division. The man is a competitive machine. One of his classmates "knows how to read really big words". So of course Cole wants to know really big words. My little mini-me is coming along nicely.