- Today is Superman's birthday eve. He'll be 29.
- Today is also my youngest brother's birthday. He's 17 and just got his license. I still have a hard time believing he's not 8 any more.
- Today is ALSO the Hulk's last day of preschool. He's tested out, because it's a state-run preschool. I'm proud of him, but also wondering what the HECK I'm going to do with him all day long! Playdate, anyone?
- I got to meet up with some bloggers today. It wasn't an exclusive thing, so don't feel bad. Annie is planning DeNae's son's wedding reception, but she needed help with the execution of the reception since she'll actually be out of town the day of. So Steph and Kristina and Jill and a few other bloggers met up with Annie, got step-by-step details (including pictures) (controlling much?) (just kidding!) from the planner, then went to lunch.
- At said lunch, I ordered a Dr. Pepper. (They didn't have diet). I inhaled my first one pretty quickly (I had a migraine coming on) and the waitress had a refill for me quite promptly. But I nearly choked on my first sip because it was NOT Dr. Pepper. I think it was Diet Coke. Now, I know many of you out there are DC lovers. I, however, am not. Especially when I am unprepared for it. It was like drinking coffee when you think you're going to drink hot chocolate. I'm getting chills now, just thinking about it.
- I'm cooking two pans of brownies right now to surprise Superman at his office. What are the chances that they'll be done when I need them to be? I'm thinking not good, since I am almost always running perpetually late.
- I need to clean out my oven. I spilled some lasagna in it a few weeks ago and now every time I warm up the oven, it smells like burnt tomato sauce. But the only time I actually remember that my oven needs to be cleaned is when I need to use it. Thus, my oven is never clean.
- I went to my Zumba class last night. Even though I was crampy. That's how great Zumba is. MWAH! to Zumba!
- Do you watch Big Bang Theory? Community? American Idol? Grey's Anatomy? Private Practive? The Office? I watch all of these shows. And do you know when they are ALL on? Thursday. And I simply do NOT have enough space on my DVR. I chose to record American Idol since that's the only show I can't watch online. Superman and I will have to catch up on the comedies tonight. Along with Smallville and The Soup. Then I'll watch Fashion Police.
- Along the same lines.....if you watch TV like I do, (which I admit is probably too much) do you have a place online to discuss your shows? Do you just do it on your blog? I used to comment on a small entertainment site, but I think 2 of the contributors had babies and the site kinda dropped off. Do any of you know of a site like that? If not, would you be interested in contributing to or reading one?
- Wow. I don't know where that came from. I did NOT intend to propose a new blog. I can't even keep up with the ones I have now. But I kinda want to throw my ideas around about The Bachelor and American Idol and Biggest Loser........so...........yeah. Get back to me on that one.
- I'd better go check on my brownies.
- Dang it. I over-cooked them. Who would've guessed that 2 pans of brownies only take 3 more minutes to cook than one pan?
- I'm out. Word to your mother.
2.25.2011
2.17.2011
Liquidy Fluids
We're having a problem with fluids at our house.
Poor Miss Marvel has had a stomach bug. She kinda threw up the other day. It was more like a chunky spit up than actual vomit. (Delicious, right?) I have since kept her pacifier in her mouth as much as possible to keep down anything else that might come up. (Is that mean? Or smart? Doesn't it seem like a lot of parenting comes down to that question?) So although she's hasn't ralphed, she's had some.......fun diapers. Lots of #3. (You know. #1 plus #2. #3)
So there's that.
Then there's Spiderman, who's been like Water Works in Monopoly the last little while. He cries at anything. Anytime I'm in his classroom, he finds something to get worked up about. Or when I'm helping him sound out words and he guesses the wrong vowel sound. He cried when his video game privileges were revoked. He cried when I asked him to clean up his bedroom. He's crying on my shoulder right now because he doesn't want to go to bed. I'm not even kidding. He's like a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Beiber concert.
The Hulk's fluid problem is the same as its always been -- potty training. He went 4 days without an accident, then pooped his pants today. Incidentally, it was after all his chores were done and he had played his video game that the "accident" happened. One of his requirements for playing Lego Star Wars is to have no accidents. So I find it interesting that only after he played his game for the day did the "accident" occurred. (The kid is driving me batty. He's graduating preschool early because he's excelling so much, but he still can't keep his pants clean for more than 5 days at a time. I really really hope that changes by kindergarten.)
But the biggest fluid problem 'round these parts involves a thing and not a person. But the thing is so important that it's like a person. It's the kitchen sink. And unlike all the other fluid issues in our aMayzing household, the sink's problem is one of stoppage, not leakage. It's been slowly building up the last few weeks and hit the breaking point this afternoon. I had complete stoppage in both sides of the sink. We called a plumber, but he couldn't come till tomorrow. Superman got a bucket and unscrewed portions of the pipes. Water poured out, but we couldn't see a blockage. When he screwed the pipe back on and turned on the water, the same thing happened. Complete lack of drainage.
So Superman went to good ole Wallyworld and bought the most expensive drain unclogger he could find. The bottle said that the user should wear protective eyewear and rubber gloves when pouring it down the drain. (We of course had neither of those and just decided to be really careful.) I asked Superman if we should say a prayer before pouring it in the sink. I was kidding, but I shouldn't have been. We should have prayed.
Note to self: If your gut is telling you to pray, for the love of Google, PRAY.
(Maybe there's a reason we're told to pray always....)
The bottle said to pour it down the sink, wait 20 minutes, then chase it with cold water. It also said to make sure the liquid wouldn't be touching any non-acidic proof substance. (Like cotton or skin. Hence the warning to use gloves.)
About 18 minutes after we poured the Liquid Death down the drain, we saw water leaking onto the kitchen floor.
The cleaner has eaten through our PVC pipe.
Which brings me to the last fluid-related problem within the walls of my home:
My tears ducts. They've had about all they can take and are now ready to burst.
WAAAAAAHHH!
Poor Miss Marvel has had a stomach bug. She kinda threw up the other day. It was more like a chunky spit up than actual vomit. (Delicious, right?) I have since kept her pacifier in her mouth as much as possible to keep down anything else that might come up. (Is that mean? Or smart? Doesn't it seem like a lot of parenting comes down to that question?) So although she's hasn't ralphed, she's had some.......fun diapers. Lots of #3. (You know. #1 plus #2. #3)
So there's that.
Then there's Spiderman, who's been like Water Works in Monopoly the last little while. He cries at anything. Anytime I'm in his classroom, he finds something to get worked up about. Or when I'm helping him sound out words and he guesses the wrong vowel sound. He cried when his video game privileges were revoked. He cried when I asked him to clean up his bedroom. He's crying on my shoulder right now because he doesn't want to go to bed. I'm not even kidding. He's like a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Beiber concert.
The Hulk's fluid problem is the same as its always been -- potty training. He went 4 days without an accident, then pooped his pants today. Incidentally, it was after all his chores were done and he had played his video game that the "accident" happened. One of his requirements for playing Lego Star Wars is to have no accidents. So I find it interesting that only after he played his game for the day did the "accident" occurred. (The kid is driving me batty. He's graduating preschool early because he's excelling so much, but he still can't keep his pants clean for more than 5 days at a time. I really really hope that changes by kindergarten.)
But the biggest fluid problem 'round these parts involves a thing and not a person. But the thing is so important that it's like a person. It's the kitchen sink. And unlike all the other fluid issues in our aMayzing household, the sink's problem is one of stoppage, not leakage. It's been slowly building up the last few weeks and hit the breaking point this afternoon. I had complete stoppage in both sides of the sink. We called a plumber, but he couldn't come till tomorrow. Superman got a bucket and unscrewed portions of the pipes. Water poured out, but we couldn't see a blockage. When he screwed the pipe back on and turned on the water, the same thing happened. Complete lack of drainage.
So Superman went to good ole Wallyworld and bought the most expensive drain unclogger he could find. The bottle said that the user should wear protective eyewear and rubber gloves when pouring it down the drain. (We of course had neither of those and just decided to be really careful.) I asked Superman if we should say a prayer before pouring it in the sink. I was kidding, but I shouldn't have been. We should have prayed.
Note to self: If your gut is telling you to pray, for the love of Google, PRAY.
(Maybe there's a reason we're told to pray always....)
The bottle said to pour it down the sink, wait 20 minutes, then chase it with cold water. It also said to make sure the liquid wouldn't be touching any non-acidic proof substance. (Like cotton or skin. Hence the warning to use gloves.)
About 18 minutes after we poured the Liquid Death down the drain, we saw water leaking onto the kitchen floor.
The cleaner has eaten through our PVC pipe.
Which brings me to the last fluid-related problem within the walls of my home:
My tears ducts. They've had about all they can take and are now ready to burst.
WAAAAAAHHH!
2.08.2011
Learning by Immersion
As I mentioned in my last post, Superman and I have the opportunity to put Spiderman in a Chinese language dual-immersion program. The program runs first through sixth grade. The students spend half the day learning reading, writing and spelling in English, then the other half they learn math, science and social studies in Chinese.
We're considering this for a few reasons. First, Superman went to Taiwan on his mission and speaks some Chinese. So Spiderman would have additional reinforcement at home. Secondly, this is an incredible opportunity. The world market is headed toward the East, and any leg up we could give our children would have exponential benefits. Thirdly, Spiderman seems really excited about it. Fourthly, research and testing have great news about the program. Kids who learn math in Chinese do much better at it. Being bi-lingual gives you a better understanding of your own language. And because half the day is taught in English, the kids don't lag behind in their own language. Most of them test right at grade level, and many test above, on standardized testing.
I am hesitant about the program for many reasons. I am mostly nervous because I'm just not sure if it's the best fit for Spiderman. He is a bright child, but he is right in the middle of the pack in reading and writing. Sometimes he switches consonants around in words he hears. He didn't really start talking till he was 3. He is more prone to guessing words than sounding them out.
He gets overwhelmed and frustrated very easily. Every time I ask him to do his chores or his homework, he cries. He says it's 'too hard'. I have to talk him down each time. I worry about him being overwhelmed when his teacher only speaks Chinese. I know of a girl whose mother is a native Chinese-speaker, and even that child came home crying every day for the first month.
I am also worried about him socially. He still talks about how many friends he had at our old house and that he wants more friends here. There are several reasons he doesn't have as many friends. 1) He's now in school all day. 2) The demographic of the neighborhood is different. There just aren't as many kids. 3) The kids in his grade at school aren't in his class at church. Basically, he just doesn't have the same opportunities to make friends as he once did. But his closest friends are the ones he rides the bus with. If he goes to another school, he will lose that social aspect.
The schools hosting the Chinese immersion do not have buses. I would drive them to and from school each day. It's a 10-20 minute drive depending on traffic and the school he'd go to. I'd be driving the boys for the next 7 years. (If Spiderman gets into the program this year, the Hulk would most likely do it next year, and continue through the 6th grade.)
That's a pretty big time commitment.
But even now, as I review this list of concerns, I can rebut each one. If he's just average in reading and writing, that's okay. He'll be learning those in English. Mixes up consonants occasionally? Then learning a new language will make his weakness a strength. If I want him to make more friends, I need to get to know the parents of the kids he gets along with. Arrange a play date. Not a big deal. And driving to and from school each day is a small price to pay for my child being nearly fluent in a 2nd language by 7th grade.
The program director is hoping to have higher level Chinese courses available at the middle and high school level by the time the children reach that age. Ideally, they would continue learning Chinese and be taking college courses by high school.
At first, I felt like like doing this would be choosing the direction of Spiderman's life. What if he doesn't want to speak Chinese in his profession? What if he feels like he has to? I don't want him to resent us making this choice for him.
Then I realized the utter absurdity of that. What person doesn't want to speak another language? What adult resents the opportunities their parents gave them? Just because he may speak Chinese, doesn't mean he has to live in China or be a UN translator. He would just have an incredibly marketable skill to accompany whatever it is he chooses to do with his life.
Parent-teacher conferences are this week and I will be discussing this possibility with Spiderman's teacher. Superman and I are continuing to make this a matter of prayer, as well.
So now that you have all the details, what do you think? Am I just being silly and over-protective thinking this might not be the best fit? Can I really deny him this opportunity based on those factors? Or are they legitimate concerns?
We're considering this for a few reasons. First, Superman went to Taiwan on his mission and speaks some Chinese. So Spiderman would have additional reinforcement at home. Secondly, this is an incredible opportunity. The world market is headed toward the East, and any leg up we could give our children would have exponential benefits. Thirdly, Spiderman seems really excited about it. Fourthly, research and testing have great news about the program. Kids who learn math in Chinese do much better at it. Being bi-lingual gives you a better understanding of your own language. And because half the day is taught in English, the kids don't lag behind in their own language. Most of them test right at grade level, and many test above, on standardized testing.
I am hesitant about the program for many reasons. I am mostly nervous because I'm just not sure if it's the best fit for Spiderman. He is a bright child, but he is right in the middle of the pack in reading and writing. Sometimes he switches consonants around in words he hears. He didn't really start talking till he was 3. He is more prone to guessing words than sounding them out.
He gets overwhelmed and frustrated very easily. Every time I ask him to do his chores or his homework, he cries. He says it's 'too hard'. I have to talk him down each time. I worry about him being overwhelmed when his teacher only speaks Chinese. I know of a girl whose mother is a native Chinese-speaker, and even that child came home crying every day for the first month.
I am also worried about him socially. He still talks about how many friends he had at our old house and that he wants more friends here. There are several reasons he doesn't have as many friends. 1) He's now in school all day. 2) The demographic of the neighborhood is different. There just aren't as many kids. 3) The kids in his grade at school aren't in his class at church. Basically, he just doesn't have the same opportunities to make friends as he once did. But his closest friends are the ones he rides the bus with. If he goes to another school, he will lose that social aspect.
The schools hosting the Chinese immersion do not have buses. I would drive them to and from school each day. It's a 10-20 minute drive depending on traffic and the school he'd go to. I'd be driving the boys for the next 7 years. (If Spiderman gets into the program this year, the Hulk would most likely do it next year, and continue through the 6th grade.)
That's a pretty big time commitment.
But even now, as I review this list of concerns, I can rebut each one. If he's just average in reading and writing, that's okay. He'll be learning those in English. Mixes up consonants occasionally? Then learning a new language will make his weakness a strength. If I want him to make more friends, I need to get to know the parents of the kids he gets along with. Arrange a play date. Not a big deal. And driving to and from school each day is a small price to pay for my child being nearly fluent in a 2nd language by 7th grade.
The program director is hoping to have higher level Chinese courses available at the middle and high school level by the time the children reach that age. Ideally, they would continue learning Chinese and be taking college courses by high school.
At first, I felt like like doing this would be choosing the direction of Spiderman's life. What if he doesn't want to speak Chinese in his profession? What if he feels like he has to? I don't want him to resent us making this choice for him.
Then I realized the utter absurdity of that. What person doesn't want to speak another language? What adult resents the opportunities their parents gave them? Just because he may speak Chinese, doesn't mean he has to live in China or be a UN translator. He would just have an incredibly marketable skill to accompany whatever it is he chooses to do with his life.
Parent-teacher conferences are this week and I will be discussing this possibility with Spiderman's teacher. Superman and I are continuing to make this a matter of prayer, as well.
So now that you have all the details, what do you think? Am I just being silly and over-protective thinking this might not be the best fit? Can I really deny him this opportunity based on those factors? Or are they legitimate concerns?
2.03.2011
Inquiring minds want to know......
Language immersion programs.
I know that some of you out there have had children in language immersion programs, and I'm sure others of you know people who do.
What are your thoughts on language immersion programs?
I will share some of my thoughts in my next post, but I want to hear what you have to say. Superman and I have the chance to put one of our children in a Chinese immersion program, and I want to learn as much as I can.
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