Miscellany for today

[pat]

There are a whole bunch of comments that I need to reply to, but am I doing that? No. I'm generating another post. Oh, well..

D's day was not as good as yesterday and Monday, but was still pretty good. Considering how poorly he fares with transitions, his behavior this week has been really a pleasant surprise. (The new meds are bothering his stomach, though.) He's practicing away at learning to ride his bike and at reading "The Boxcar Children" and showing a lot of perserverence in both endeavors.

D & K got annoyed with me today because I could not answer what seemed to them a very simple question: why, exactly, could you not break down red, blue, and yellow into other colors the way you could green or orange? My answer, that you just couldn't because they were primary colors ("I know that's what they're called!" said D in a huff) was deemed insufficient. They were annoyed until K, in a bright and perky voice, said "Don't worry. We'll ask Dad when he gets home from his business trip. He knows everything." brian1789, consider yourself forewarned.

(I wanted bright children. The fact that they think of questions I cannot begin to answer is a consequence I'll live with. Two years ago, when he was six, D demanded to know how we knew that green was actually green and not really some other color. I explained how color worked (different colors reflect different wavelengths (I think I called them "pieces") of light) and he pretty much got it. I didn't even bother to think about such things until I was much older.)

K told me tonight "I'm really lucky to have such a great Mom and Dad." I was very touched and told him I felt very lucky to have such wonderful sons.

J has been his usual helpful, thoughtful self. I'm going to miss that when he finally transforms into a teenager. He was very excited because he fulfilled his reading goal for the trimester today. (He is now classified as a "Super Reader". The book that sent him over the top was "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.") Now, if he can just remember to keep turning in his reading logs, he should get a good grade.

I found my keys today (I was working with an incomplete set of back up keys) after they had been missing for a week. And I walked 3/5 mile for exercise today, which is not at all much, but I did it with D, as part of his school "Running Club." We've made a promise that every Wednesday lunchtime we're going to walk together. We hope to get closer to a mile next week.

I had a very nice lunch with hopeforyou. It was sweet of her to call and ask me to lunch, and I had a good time.

Comments

[frankenboob.livejournal.com]

:) I just want you to know that I am so impressed with J... he is incredibly thoughtful and helpful. You're doing a good job.

Had dinner at church tonight... missed you. Peggy something-or-other is cooking now... I'm not sure how well you know her. I don't really know her at all... but when I heard she used to be the chef at Chez TJ I MADE SURE I ATE AT CHURCH TONIGHT. Mmmmmm-mmmm. I'll be there every Wednesday. K Mendoza and I sat on the floor... there was nowhere else to sit. It was nuts, but the food was incredibly good, cheap, and cooked by someone else. Yay.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

I passed along what you said to J... he tends to be very hard on himself so I think it was good for him to hear.

And I meant to do dinner at the church.... I probably will next Wednesday.

[frankenboob.livejournal.com]

While you're at it, tell him (I think I've already said it) that he gets more & more handsome as well. :)

One member of this household, in particular, has been a member of the J fan club for years. He's is always welcome to come hang out with us. You all are, in fact. (Even J Sr. :) Once the weather warms up (& the pool heater gets turned on again) you're all invited to come over to swim & BBQ.

I am in kindof a frantic mood this morning, but I would like to see you more. The swim invite is ongoing... when the weather is nice we are in the pool almost every day. It's always nice to have friends there too.

I called to get an appt today & the dr is only in from 9:40 to noon. He's supposed to call me. I'm having a minor meltdown... he had better come through.

[kayre]

D & K got annoyed with me today because I could not answer what seemed to them a very simple question: why, exactly, could you not break down red, blue, and yellow into other colors the way you could green or orange?

How old are these kids? Once my kidlet was in school, "Let's look that up on the Internet" became my mantra. I'd jot down all the questions and odd words in my planner during the day, and then we'd have a nice internet session in the evening. Even if they're so young you have to do the typing and reading, as I suspect, make it a rule that they have to be with you while you search; that way they'll learn the search processes, and pick up all the serendipitous tidbits one tends to find on such searches. Have fun!

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

J has been his usual helpful, thoughtful self. I'm going to miss that when he finally transforms into a teenager.

I'm sure you already know this, but those traits aren't likely to go away. I don't like it that popular media expectations of teenagers are so low - I suspect that some 13yo absorb those expectations as "permission" to behave badly, and some parents absorb them as permission not to try very hard. I don't mean you - this just bounced out at me as an opportunity for a rantlet and a tribute.

My observations (although limited in scope) suggest that the helpful thoughtful (male) kid is likely to continue being helpful and thoughtful most of the time but having more mood swing than previously for a couple of years (maybe 13-14?) and after that being even more great to have around because he's got a bigger picture of what's helpful. The "problem" (actually a pleasant consequence of growing up, good for him and not so good for you) is that teenagers have increasingly spread-out lives, so that he's not home much any more. And when he is home, he might be on the telephone listening to a friend who's got parent troubles, or he might be in the kitchen cooking a snack as large as your family's dinner for a friend who's living on his own, or he might be using the world-wide web to figure out what he wants to try first in his career and what university programs are available to study it ...

Our J is still helpful and thoughtful. He is in his last year of high school. He also has a co-op placement in a school, and volunteer work most weekends on a tall ship, and occasional employment, and a group of interesting friends. I miss him already, and I'm going to miss him more when he's not living here.

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Actually, we have the mood swings now (J turned 12 in November.) Our major concern is that he seems to tend towards getting depressed.

As he gets older, I find more and more that I enjoy just hanging out with him.