Saturday, June 25, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
6/23/11 2011 Pre-K graduation!
Today was preschool graduation! As usual, our preschool did a nice job of preparing the kids, with the whole group entering one at a time and then performing at least 7 little songs, with enthusiastic hand gestures.
All except one.
Some years there's a cryer, and this year, it was ours. Katrina had refused to sing along with all the practices, her teacher told us, and now she was so mad that she was put in a position to perform (though she didn't have to sing) that she buried her face in her hands and cried. People asked if she had stage fright or was feeling overwhelmed or is sensitive -- hah! No. She was just P.O.'d that she couldn't get out of this. Our little contrarian.
She pretty much went along with the diploma receiving ritual at least, but without the bounding happy proud smile of the other kids.
After graduation, we went to Pump It Up, where I had a a great time scaring other first-time kindergarten parents to death with my tales of woe about school. "What, you can't go to Hawaii for a week?" one Mom asked. Uhhhh, that would be a big fat NO.
Anyway, I'm very proud and happy anyway, despite Katrina's troubles today, that we're done with preschool forever!
6/23/11
All except one.
Some years there's a cryer, and this year, it was ours. Katrina had refused to sing along with all the practices, her teacher told us, and now she was so mad that she was put in a position to perform (though she didn't have to sing) that she buried her face in her hands and cried. People asked if she had stage fright or was feeling overwhelmed or is sensitive -- hah! No. She was just P.O.'d that she couldn't get out of this. Our little contrarian.
She pretty much went along with the diploma receiving ritual at least, but without the bounding happy proud smile of the other kids.
After graduation, we went to Pump It Up, where I had a a great time scaring other first-time kindergarten parents to death with my tales of woe about school. "What, you can't go to Hawaii for a week?" one Mom asked. Uhhhh, that would be a big fat NO.
Anyway, I'm very proud and happy anyway, despite Katrina's troubles today, that we're done with preschool forever!
6/23/11
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
6/21/2011 First day of summer
It's HOT!! Usually I like hot, but on Tuesdays I go running, usually with a coworker. We had a heck of a time today running our usual 4-1/4 flat route, talking about motivation techniques and trying to keep each other going. Toward the end, my coworker had to stop and walk; for me that's worse so I finished and then walked back to meet him. We were both dizzy and chilled (like goosebumps) and felt awful.
I'm a summer person, but NO THANKS to 99 degree weather! How many more minutes until ski season??
Busy crazy night...last day of preschool tomorrow (!), cleaners coming tomorrow so tons of cleanup tonight -- AND new episodes of White Collar and Covert Affairs on TV. I didn't even bring my work laptop home tonight!
One thing that keeps the Bay Area permanently crowded is that even on 99 degree days like today, it's pleasantly cool tonight.
6/21/2011
I'm a summer person, but NO THANKS to 99 degree weather! How many more minutes until ski season??
Busy crazy night...last day of preschool tomorrow (!), cleaners coming tomorrow so tons of cleanup tonight -- AND new episodes of White Collar and Covert Affairs on TV. I didn't even bring my work laptop home tonight!
One thing that keeps the Bay Area permanently crowded is that even on 99 degree days like today, it's pleasantly cool tonight.
6/21/2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
6/20/2011 Mad About You
Good grief. Gabriel has been really easy and cooperative lately, but he reminded us again tonight that when he wants to dig his heels in, he has no equal.
I think it started because I asked him to wash his hands before dinner. He felt he'd washed his hands recently enough, but I insisted anyway. It's a rule, I'm not about to go making judgements on how dirty hands or the length of time or activity engaged upon since the last hand-wash: you wash your hands before dinner.
He was so mad that I had to give him a countdown just to get him to leave the room to go wash his hands, upon threat of losing computer time (something he's been getting daily now that it's summer, a rare thing, and only for programming). Then he sat in the bathroom for 20 minutes until I chased him out with the same threat. Then he sat at dinner and refused to eat for a full 40 minutes, until it was time to clean up. He got a 5-minute respite while Dave to go check something in his car outside, but at the end of that 5 minutes, that was it, dinner's over.
Then he refused to leave the kitchen, put his shoes away, go upstairs to get ready for bath, or do anything without being prompted by the threat of lost computer time. Finally we got tired of pushing him every step of the way and told him that every minute past 8:00 that he's not ready for bed is a day of computer access lost.
He's now 10 minutes past time, with 10 days of computer time lost. Sounds oh so GREAT huh? I can't wait to enforce that one.
An hour and a half long conflict, that's still not over, about not wanting to wash his hands. And don't think for a second that "he'll learn" for next time. Ohhhhh no, if he decides to dig in again, it'll be the same darn thing all over.
That's Gabriel for you. At times like these, I can never decide if I'm madder AT him or madder ABOUT him!
6/20/11
I think it started because I asked him to wash his hands before dinner. He felt he'd washed his hands recently enough, but I insisted anyway. It's a rule, I'm not about to go making judgements on how dirty hands or the length of time or activity engaged upon since the last hand-wash: you wash your hands before dinner.
He was so mad that I had to give him a countdown just to get him to leave the room to go wash his hands, upon threat of losing computer time (something he's been getting daily now that it's summer, a rare thing, and only for programming). Then he sat in the bathroom for 20 minutes until I chased him out with the same threat. Then he sat at dinner and refused to eat for a full 40 minutes, until it was time to clean up. He got a 5-minute respite while Dave to go check something in his car outside, but at the end of that 5 minutes, that was it, dinner's over.
Then he refused to leave the kitchen, put his shoes away, go upstairs to get ready for bath, or do anything without being prompted by the threat of lost computer time. Finally we got tired of pushing him every step of the way and told him that every minute past 8:00 that he's not ready for bed is a day of computer access lost.
He's now 10 minutes past time, with 10 days of computer time lost. Sounds oh so GREAT huh? I can't wait to enforce that one.
An hour and a half long conflict, that's still not over, about not wanting to wash his hands. And don't think for a second that "he'll learn" for next time. Ohhhhh no, if he decides to dig in again, it'll be the same darn thing all over.
That's Gabriel for you. At times like these, I can never decide if I'm madder AT him or madder ABOUT him!
6/20/11
Sunday, June 19, 2011
6/19/2011 D-Day
Low-key Father's Day around here. I went running this morning with Betsy, then came home and made Dave's favorite breakfast (with middling success unfortunately!). I wasn't feeling well today, so didn't do much in the afternoon, but found the energy later to do some long-overdue gardening and pruning. Our landscaping really needs regular attention -- it only took half an hour to clip enough stuff to completely fill our huge yard waste bin. At dinnertime, I put out the things the kids had made for Father's Day, and we had a relatively calm dinner and kid-bedtime.
No major blowouts or issues with kids today -- that's the best gift possible for Dad!
6/19/2011
No major blowouts or issues with kids today -- that's the best gift possible for Dad!
6/19/2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)