Sick Days

Bad news: Shane had a fever Thursday night, so we kept him home Friday.

Good news: Carrie cooked bacon.

Also good news: Carrie and Shane made popsicles.

Even better news: Shane wanted to play with the vacuum cleaner.

For a sick child with a high fever, Shane didn't seem too affected. Meds knocked his fever way down and he went out on errands with me.

The real times he seemed sick were nap and bed time. He's snotty throughout the day (and how), but when he lays down the cough gets him. It made sleep hard to come by.

Saturday, Carrie went to work. Shane and I played around the house.

We were supposed to meet Samuel for a play-date after soccer practice. We built cubes out of dice and knocked them over instead.

I, also, started Shane on some different types of video games. He wasn't too interested in the flying ones.

He did play Bastion some. Up until this point, he's mainly watched me.

I prefer to drop video games in front of Shane than TV shows, because they require interaction. I like things that make Shane/people/me think in a new way.

We played with the rhyming cards from his kindergarten kit later. In case you were worried there wasn't any "old school" learning going on. We practiced with scissors to cut out an R2D2 John sent us.

I'm not looking to create a super genius. I just think life is boring if you don't learn or do something every day. There's only so many kid shows I can take. 

The Disposal is Dead. Long Live the Disposal

Shane napped. Carrie was home. Nova was out. We killed the power and replaced the sink's disposal.

Not bad for sick day productivity.

Bamboo Wars

Shane and I have gone out every day this week on bamboo hunts. New eruptions happen daily. They're well camouflaged, too. I'll see one out the window and end up finding ten more.

If we miss a shoot, it can double in size. One clever girl hid in a bush and was over a couple of feet when I tracked it.

Ten minutes a day. Shane enjoys it. I hope if we snap enough now when it's easy, there won't have to be a war of attrition (and mattocks) later.

An example of a week's unimpeded growth was down the street.

It's not my land or we would have snapped all of them. It's fun!

I leave you with a haiku

Bamboo, you may grow
Bamboo, we are after you
So stop spreading here.

Rainy Week = Movie Time

Cue song. Roll credits. Dance!

Permanent Tooth Sighted!?

Somehow, Carrie noticed Shane has his first loose tooth. A permanent tooth is peeking in behind it.

That Works?!?

I dropped part of the coffee machine into gross sink water about a month ago. Carrie discovered chopstick hold the main filter in place just right.

Extra grains populate the bottom of a cup, but it works! There are plenty of other things to worry about. The chopsticks actually amuse me (Did you notice I blogged about it before fixing it?).

Some things slide. Especially, when Carrie and I both work.

We've had a spate of expenses hit this past week. First, the AC went out. There's a valve failing that will stick in between if we switch modes. Then, the beetle needed repairs to pass inspection: a new windshield, rear brakes, rear rotors, and rear bushings. When we took it to the lowest /most-reputable quote, they pointed out the fog lights had to be fixed to pass inspection, too. Oh, and there was a vet issue with Mira, Carrie hurt her knee, went to the orthopedist, and got a cortisone shot yesterday.

It's a good thing we save! (And farewell, tax refund! We hardly knew you!)

We're doing fine. Life stays busy and we shrug off some stuff to have downtime. I wouldn't want the house to be perfect in lieu of playing with Shane or watching a show with Carrie. There's more to life than stuff.

I should probably soak that filter in hot soapy water now that I've posted it. Then it's off to get Shane. SOLs are next week. I'll probably take a personal day sometime in May to replace the kitchen sink disposal and drink coffee all day.

Life Lessons

Two (of many) life lessons I learned growing up:

1) Show appreciation.

2) To show something, you have to actively communicate it. Sometimes explicitly.

I text my coworker pictures whenever any of the neighborhood kids hop on her son's old kettcar.

Everyone but Kilian's gone for a ride now.

The End is Nigh! Review! Review!

Is it summer yet?

That time of year hit a little earlier this time around.

But then again, school gets out several weeks earlier here, too.

Working as intended, I suppose.

If I had to compare this year to others, I would sum it up as: fewer kids, less paperwork, more disrespect. It's a trade-off, but one I'm okay with. I plan on doing it again next year. My boss asked if I could cover the first week of summer school, too.

I like the setup better than the first alternative school I worked at. I survived three years there as a new teacher. Maybe I'll hang around this one for more.

Seize the Day

Here's a scene from today's game.

Shane did get his head in the game off and on after I started to coach him. He even scored an honest goal on a breakaway (the conditions were near perfect). I did let him wander around with his shirt over his head the first several minutes. 

I don't want to be "that guy." The one who yells the whole game and always tells his kid what to do. I try to let Shane muck around and figure some stuff on his own......but there's only so much of shirt-over-head boy I could take! It turned out fine as it always does.

It was amazing how much energy the team suddenly showed when the snacks came out. 

Shane invited himself on to a blanket and offered to help a random girl draw, too.

...and yet, he still acts shy sometimes (emphasis on "acts").

We did find an unpleasant surprise on Shane when we got home.

It had already bit. I removed it, took a picture, and killed it. The internet enabled me to kill the next half hour researching ticks (it's a blessing and a curse).

I cooked taquitos for lunch and stuffed Shane silly to try and help him nap.

Carrie napped instead.

At least until Shane got into the car.

We met up with Grandma in Grandpa at a restaurant in Oilville. They wanted to get together before they went on their next trip.

It was bed time when we got home. Shane's tucked in and Carrie's back asleep on the couch. I'll sneak upstairs myself in a moment.

The War Begins Again

Kindergarten Round-Up

Shane bounced out the daycare door. Instead of a right to the car, he hooked a left to the fence.

"Hey everybody! Everybody! Grayson! Owen!" Shane yelled.

His friends jogged over.

"I'm going to my future school!"

And for some reason, Grayson and Owen had to touch him. 

I love how enthusiastic Shane is.

I did all of my homework beforehand. I had a birth certificate, proof of residence, paperwork, and my ringer on. I left a voice message at the doctor's about immunization records and record of a check-up, but hadn't heard back.

We walked inside and then I found out I'm a total Type A for around here. No one asked me about immunization records or anything else. Basically, we walked in, turned in some papers, and then hung around.

It was a great looking school.

One of the kindergarten teachers asked Shane to write his name and draw a picture of himself. She gave us a box with some supplies, rhyming and number cards, and that was it. I asked if there was a tour. We got it!

Shane's potential future teacher walked him around. He was super interested in the little garden with the mama and baby turtles.

The teacher's voice amused me. She used a stereotypical sing-songy Kindergarten Teacher voice.

There were three different kindergarten classes. They all had smartboards, ipads, and I saw Dragons Love Tacos!

We were ready to leave when Shane realized he had a pencil and a pencil sharpener in his new box.

Suddenly, we weren't leaving anymore.

Shane sharpened, sharpened, and then walked and sharpened all the way to the car. He spilled the shavings in back ("I'm not mad, but I hope you learned a lesson about how messy those things can be!")

Shane and I are looking forward to his new school next year. Carrie wanted to see pictures when she got home. I bet she makes a trip to check it out later.

PS: Shane and I have a new routine whenever I check the mail.

AC Troubles

Turned the AC on Monday.

Got grinding noises..

The upstairs system works, but the downstairs/basement is unhappy. The solution has been to keep it off. Carrie called and set up an appointment Saturday.

Trying to Exercise Again

I started trying to work out some now that wrestling is over. I don't have any desire to become the next Hercules, but I would like to stay in basic shape. It's healthy. It's gives me something to do before picking up Shane on some days.

So far, I'm not in pain for days after working out. Progress! I can go down the stairs without rubber legs after squats, too.

Hot Day

88 F was the high. The air smelled funny this morning, too. Like smoke/cooking.

Then I remembered the news I heard this morning.

The Shenandoah National park was cooking. Carrie called me to tell me about the smoke she could see over the hills. Pretty crazy. 

I picked this up from a different article online:

The National Park Service says:

"The fire is within the park's Fire Ecology Zone, where the fire is allowed to occur to achieve natural resource benefits commensurate with the park's responsibility to protect life and property, and keep the fire within the park boundaries."

Simply put, they are allowing the fire to burn within a designated area and doing everything necessary to keep the fire contained within the Shenandoah National Park.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

PreSchool Birthday Party Sunday! Owen turned five.

Big Success!

And I have more proof Shane's mine (the first 20 seconds or so should get the point across).

The party favors were a huge hit. Shane blew on his noisemaker so much it got clogged with cake. Strangely, no one was willing to clean it out for him (he asked!).

Afterwards, we went by the used sporting goods store. It's about time to teach Shane how to play catch.

We swung by Costco for milk, but suffered a catastrophe when we got home. Shane's new party favor slinky was BENT!

That's what happens when you sling it around like you're Indiana Jones, Jr. 

Shane had a hard time accepting that. He pouted through multiple rooms until he threw himself on the couch. He threw some junk on top for extra drama.

Shane didn't get a lot of sympathy on this one. I let him crash on the couch for 15 minutes and then he was good to go. Frankly, the birthday party was scheduled for nap time. I bet he was overtired.

We went outside to play some baseball when the world was bright again.

And then Shane wanted to go down the path. It looked a lot different without the undergrowth. It's a lot less reminiscent of The Hobbit when I can see through to the playground and basketball courts.

Shane's eyes were rooted on rocks and waterfalls.

Trees are a blast, too. We played until he fell ankle deep into the water.

Meanwhile, Carrie turned her target into a pincushion. The weather was too nice to be inside!

Thus, our weekend ended. I was a little late writing this, but I'm caught up now.

Which fits better: ShaneurDay? Or Dadurday?

First garage sale of the season. My coworker, Cindy, told me her street was having it. She told me that she had a 'kit car' her son loved. "[Audi] said he'd move the seat back and still use it if he could!"

Shane woke up earlier, so we investigated. He was a fan.

I paid $35 for the kettecar and some kid books. That's more than I would normally pay for anything at a garage sale. However, Cindy's love for that car burned bright. She loved, Shane loved it, and I love to spread good cheer. I bet Shane's excitement brightens her weekend (and it was a tough week at school so I'm sure we all need it!).

Of course, that cleaned me out. We pedaled past the other sales.

Shane wanted to go for a drive straightaway. He needed to eat breakfast and get ready for soccer, though. We missed last week when we were in West Virginia. We left as Carrie started to get ready for work.

Practice started off productive. The weather was gorgeous. Shane kicked and passed and listen to coach....

...until he decided he was too tired.

It's not like the kid was forced to wake up early. He's the one that barged into my room and hopped on the bed! Shane opted out of most of the end of practice game. When a coach checked in with him, Shane said, "I'm too tired."

I made Shane stand up after a while. I didn't want him to get kicked or eat a ball. Mostly, I left it alone. I cheered if he ran around, and did my usual bit throwing in soccer balls.

At the end, someone pulled out a tablet and team spirit was kindled anew.

Shane had plenty of energy to try our his new car when we got back (though, I made him come inside and snack and rest for a little bit since he was too tired for soccer. I didn't want to punish him for not trying, but a short rest and refuel seemed a natural consequence/learning opportunity).

Shane was a little timid with it and didn't stay at it as long as I expected. That was fine, because there was a festival he wanted to go to.

On our way back to the car from soccer, Shane and I walked with Coach D and his son, Lucas. Lucas told Shane he was going to "the fair." Coach D clarified: The Tom Tom Founder's Festival was downtown and free. Shane wanted to go.

So we did.

What Shane really wanted to do was find Lucas. "He'll recognize me because of my shirt!"

No one we knew crossed our path, and Shane wasn't interested in anything else. From there, we went to the discovery museum.

Which we discovered was under renovations.

Thankfully, they had a "Pop-Up Museum" around the corner.

I like to let Shane run around and try to interact with the other kids on his own. I don't want to be the focal point of all his interactions. I do jump in with ideas at times (otherwise I'd get bored).

Today, I suggested we build a house. I built the foundation with Shane and then stepped back to let the kids do the rest.

When they ran out of blocks, I suggested a bear for a roof. Shane agreed.

Then he upgraded bears and added a sheep.

It will be fun to see the VADM when the renovations are done in May. The Pop-Up was short on kids. Shane and his new friend, Carolyn, were the only kids most of the time we were there (I'm big on telling Shane, "If you learn someone's name it shows you care.").

We still had a lot of fun (and free parking!). When I brought Shane home, he was cranky. "I promise I won't nap!"

An hour and a half later he's still up there. Completely silent.

Mission accomplished.