Junk in my Trunk
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Wednesday, 30 May 07 - 12:04 AM (GMT -05:00) By Andrea S. Stolz in Just Sayin... |
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There is a young woman in my church who is about 19 years old. Very gentle. She has had a number of difficult to diagnose health issues and an unusual pattern of learning disabilities...so I of course immediately warmed to her.
She is coming to my house two afternoons a week now to help me with the boys. She can sit for them if I need to run out or can listen to one read while I spend some individual time with the other.
I figure this gives me a 1:1 student to adult ratio those afternoons...combine that with the fact that we also offer a 1:1 student to computer ratio and I'm thinking my little school sounds all manner of elite and marketable...
Yesterday the four of us went for a hike at Connetquot State Park. During one of our breaks, we discovered that Claire is particularly interested in Egyptian history and artifacts. She offered to bring over some of her favorite books and show them to the boys.
"What are some of the things you find most interesting about Egyptian history?" Ben asked.
"Well, they worshipped cats. They had all sorts of gods and goddesses that are different from our God. And when you died? You got buried with the things you loved most so that you would have them in the afterlife."
This led to one of my all-time favorite types of conversations: what would get buried with you?
"Mom would get buried with her laptop," Ben said immediately.
"There are no pop-ups and free wi-fi in the afterlife," I agreed.
"Well, if you're good," James chimed in.
"I'd get buried with my Wii and with my shark collection," Ben offered.
Claire would get buried with her favorite CD's: John Lennon, The Donnas, Mariah Carey. James would get buried with his Lego Aqua Raiders. And some chocolate. And a fuzzy blanket for if it got chilly. And the PlayStation II--since he planned on dying after Ben, so the Wii would already be gone.
Clearly, We Have Not Yet Entered the "My Mom is a Fool" Phase of Development...
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Wednesday, 23 May 07 - 07:27 PM (GMT -05:00) By Andrea S. Stolz in Just Sayin... |
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Ben: Hey, mom: did you know that as a snail consumes its prey, its jaws work like a conveyor belt...much like the helicoprion, actually! I just heard that on Animal Planet's "Most Extreme Appendages."
Me: No, I hadn't heard heard that...you mean the snail's teeth move?
Ben: Yeah, I think so...I think that's what they meant. I'm surprised you didn't know that!
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
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Friday, 20 April 07 - 05:58 PM (GMT -05:00) By Andrea S. Stolz in Just Sayin... |
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We went to our first LIGHT (Long Islanders Growing at Home Together) event today. Very nice to meet other moms, spend some time with other kids...
At one point, one of the moms leans over and grabs a bug off of Ben's shirt as he sits down to talk with me."What was that? A bug?" he asks immediately.
"We're not crazy about bugs in this family," I explain, thinking about how it might be a good idea to do a bug unit with the boys before it gets too much warmer...
"Yeah, I really, REALLY don't like bugs," Ben agrees. "Although, ironically, I am fascinated by the arthropleura, a six-to-ten-foot long millipede that roamed the deciduous forests of the late Carboniferous."
Two Thangs
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Sunday, 08 April 07 - 02:47 AM (GMT -05:00) By Andrea S. Stolz in Just Sayin... |
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1. Took BBoy to Tenebrae service for Maundy Thursday. During the Last Supper bit SonOfMine leans over--and in the poorly modulated whisper that accompanies any 11 year old, PDD boy's philosophical observations (ie: a booming clamor)--reports:
"Ya know...I ate some extra 'body of Christ' we had lyin on the kitchen counter in the car on the way over here!"(ie: "bread".)
A fact I ultimately had to rebuke him for sharing.
"But you laughed when I said it," was my Christian son's reply.
"Do you think it's easy to behave in church...just because I'm a grown-up? Do you? It's NOT!!!" I hissed at the firstborn heatedly. "Here we are with a new minister and I'm in the second row of the church listening to a dramatic retelling of how CHRIST was betrayed and then SUFFERED AND WAS CRUCIFIED AND DIED on the cross...
AND I'M LAUGHING!!! That was completely UNFAIR!"
It took a second for all of this to register. Then SonOfMine got that smile on his face: the smile I REALLY love. The one where he's trying to hide his glee but failing miserably. Abjectly, even.
"Sorry, Mom," he finally said, desperately trying to hide his grin. "I thought you could handle it, that's all."
"Well, I think it's pretty clear THAT WAS NOT THE CASE!"
2. Cadillac is using The Jam to promote its latest car. I don't know what I find more pathetic: the fact that Cadillac has bought the rights to the song...
Or the fact that I am driving a 1994 Toyota Camry with over 200,000 miles on it...
Gross? Furthest thought from my mind!
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Monday, 02 April 07 - 05:14 PM (GMT -05:00) By Andrea S. Stolz in Just Sayin... |
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James had his first ever non-family-related sleepover last night. Exciting stuff! He packed up all on his own (remembered: stuffed red bear, stuffed bonnethead shark, stuffed orca, Captain Underpants collection...forgot: toothbrush, socks) and recited rules of appropriate behavior before leaving.
Today, during the exchange, my friend Kristine told me about dinner. She'd made carrots, mashed potatoes and a buffalo-style chicken. No, no and no in James' book. He looked uncomfortably at his plate for a couple of minutes, but when prodded, explained,I'm not saying your food is gross. I'm not saying anything like that. I'm just saying that I don't think I want to sit here any longer and I would like to be excused. Please.
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