A for Army, B for Boobs, C for ...

Grade One brings many thing to a young boy's life...and his mom's for that matter.

Last week W learned more about patterning (math), tinting (science), home reading (level D) and exciting subjects like boobs and missing lunch hour recess for playing army.

First the boobs.

Please note we do NOT use this term at home. I dislike it. It's breasts or chest. That's it.

So imagine my surprise when I hear Sir W call R a "boob" only to have him later inform me that it's not a bad word cause everyone has boobs.

And where did he learn this word? His teacher....so he says. They were talking about how tall he is and that he's almost up to her boobs. Huh? Oh please let that be wrong!

Boys will be boys...especially at lunch hour when they are left to their own devices. So, my Sir W and two other little grade oners were happily playing Army, swinging their coats around and pretending to fight each other.....which is not allowed on the playground. Army cost these three muskateers their next lunch hour. Now they are literate after spending 45 min "reading" in Principle's office.

Aaaargghhh!

The A, B, Cs of parenting a school aged child.

A is for Army

B is for Boobs

then C is for Crap!

Listen!

"Listen on the first time!

"What did I just say?"

"Mommy just wants you to listen!"

and sometimes it's even, "Hello?!" or "That's it! I'm getting my whistle!"

Oh, the joys of talking to the kiddos....getting them to listen and do right away. With one boy who has ADHD and another who is 4yrs sometimes turning 2yrs (Why? Why? Why Mommy? Why?), brain surged, direction challenged and TSC kiddo....the listening is a BIT of a moot point.

So, today when instructing W for the 4th time, "Do you have your backpack?" "Get your backpack."

He says to me,

"You are being Mr. Bossypants."

Okay.....point taken....BUT if you would just listen....and it's my JOB!

Hmmmm...maybe, just maybe I should have went to the "How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen" workshop my Favorite Husband emailed me about.......

Do you have a special secret trick that works for creating listening skills in your children? I would love to know!

Halloween Decor

The day after Thanksgiving I was seriously advised that while he (W) was at school, I ought to be home decorating for Halloween. Because I told him we could not decorate until Thanksgiving was over. Did he forget? No. Did he take that very literally? Yes!

So...it has begun. There is a little more each day, so I will only post a few of the indoor items.

Thank heavens for Pinterest as many super spooky ideas are found there!

Super easy pumpkins & no mess!

Countdown Pumpkin - sprayed with chalkboard paint purchased at Michaels, hotglued feathers, birds and rats to the top...voila!

Mummy-kins - W is all about Mummies right now and his costume reflects that so we created some Mummy-kins by wrapping cheese cloth and hot glueing googly eyes.

Wingless Bat - well, he's been chalkboard painted too but W wants him as a bat so on went the eyes and sticker nose but I still have to convince W to make his wings! Eeee! Half finished bat-kin.

Says it all doesn't it?! Hallelujah for Michael's 50% off seasonal items.

Rat a tat tat...uck! This is W's style. His choice while Halloween shopping with B, my favorite husband and the boys beloved dad. Can you believe they brought these home? Yuck. W is enamoured with all things gross.

Which explains why he borrowed the Encyclopedia Horrifica from the school library. May I remind you he is 6yrs of age and goes to a K-4 school. Uh...where's the librarian? Anyway, I digress as I go off on a tangent suitable for a separate post....

Anyway, the rodents are W's and he is quite proud of them. Talk about a farewell statement as you leave. ....kinda like they are the giant cousins of the ones we catch in our fireplace....Oops! there I go again....off-line, off-line, off-line.

Do you decorate for Halloween? All out or just a jack o lantern?

(PS: Our remaining spooky decor will be posted at a later date)

The Christmas Shoe

I remember this shoe. Fondly.

It was always on display at Christmas time...grandly and proudly...as my Grandma Gertsma made it. All golden and arranged to display the poinsettas and little angel hidden within.

Makes me smile that this pasta encrusted, golden painted, plastic poinsetta'd shoe was kept and displayed year after year.

Tacky? Maybe.

Precious? Yes.

Treasured? Yes.

My southern grandma is long gone. Passed away at the young age of 98yrs when I was 16yrs of age. Yet, this funny Christmas shoe still exists. I found it last weekend tucked away in a super dusty cupboard at my mom's....long forgotten.

So, her golden heal has been dusted, the plastic flowers washed, the angel retucked, and ready for display when the Christmas season arrives.

Mr.6 - Lego Birthday

W is all about Lego. So, it's no surprise that Lego was the theme of choice for his birthday. Which is fun and easy for inspiration and ideas.

However, please note that I am full of ideas but not TALENT! Oh, how I wish there was some OCD and artistic talent coursing through my veins and brain. But alas....there is not. There is a lot of the "that'll do" and Kindergarten art skills oozing about. So be forewarned....the ideas may be grand, but the quality not so much!

W's Lego party decorations and plans consisted of:

• lego creating with a Bricks4Kidz instructor
• lego block cakes
• homemade lego decorations - jars of lego & lego happy birthday board
• lego cake pops - okay I almost made these...cookies made & all supplies ready...but I ran out of time and energy...how terrible is that! The birthday boy didn't even notice!

And the birthday gift....

repainting and docorating W's room with a little Star Wars paraphenlia. He is a fanatic! So I consented with sheets (hello Ebay!), Death Star grey paint (really, it's a dove grey from Lowe's) and Star Wars wall decals (found at Monkey Mountain).

I stayed up all night to finish it off....listening to Stuart McLean Vinyl Cafe podcasts, laughing out loud, snorting even, by myself....which was worth the effort as W was thrilled! Thrilled!

And there ya have it. The story of a lego birthday & star wars room for a little man turning 6yrs by his loving parents....whom are artistically challenged.

PS:There will be no mention of repairing the dry wall using an electric knife.... because I do not own power tools.

River Dance

A favorite past times is to spend warm days by the river. Pack a snack, join a friend or cousin, bring the dog, and the camera 'n' off we go!

We are lucky to live in a city with two rivers and lucky to have a grandma with a river near her house too. Some people live near oceans....lakes...lucky ones! Us prairie dwellers make the most of what water sources we have...our rivers.

Throwing rocks, wading, building dams, finding clams, swinging bravely on a lone rope, listening to the calls of geese and cranes as they begin their annual migration.....shall I stop now?

Whatever will we do as this "flummer" comes to an end and the cold sets in? We can still visit the river...but it won't be the same to throw rocks while wearing mittens!

Sunny Days...

Ahhhh.....dreaming of the sunny days of summer. They're already becoming a memory. The bees, the warmth, the kids laughing outside playing with the dog and begging to go play in the backalley....where we ride bikes, scooters, kick the "Dora" ball around.

The healing. Watching over stitches. Watching for seizure activity. Thrilled that our little boy is doing well, but wishing he would not go down the slide head-first...or at all for that matter!

The sunny days of 2011 will always be overshadowed by R's temporal lobe resection. Waiting....then the hospital days....and then the healing. A wise inter-blogging friend once wrote me about getting to the healing side...and she is so right!

Fun day trips such as this one to the Sunflower Maze and animal park. Maneuvering the maze...the boys running ahead, holding my hand, running back to

check in and ensure we are all on the right path...looking for clues.

Ah, the sweet, sunny days.