Wednesday, November 27, 2013

A decade of Andrew

Will somebody please explain to me how this happened?
















Monday, November 18, 2013

Andrew. Just Andrew. Occasionally Mik...Andrew!

It's so hard to encapsulate Andrew in one blog post.  Kids get so complex and fantastic as they age.

Andrew is 4 foot 11 1/2 inches tall.  He is 76 pounds.  He still wants to cuddle like a lap dog.  I am not a hugger or a cuddler by nature...but it is really easy when kids are little and fit in your lap.  I have to make a conscious thought to remember to cuddle with this large bony kid.  But it is so worth the effort...he just craves touch and melts right into your arms.  He adores back rubs or getting enveloped in a hug, he curls up close to read a book or watch tv.  I enjoy it, because I know soon he will not want to hug his mom anymore.  But then, I've been saying that for the last 5 years, and it still hasn't come true.

He turns 10 next week.  TEN.  I am so incredibly proud of the person he has become, and yet I am so emotional about him growing up.  TEN.  Why can't I keep him around forever?  I so enjoy this kid.

Andrew has a sarcastic witty personality.  He is always coming up with jokes on his own.  He thinks of a pun or some word play and then tries to work it into a joke.  Sometimes they don't work...but usually they do.  He is fun to tease and will give it right back to you.  He is almost never disrespectful though...he has an innate ability to not cross that line when joking around.  He is clever and quick about his humor...and he cracks me up on a daily basis.

He can create a happy morning of play with his siblings or he can create chaos and fighting.  How our days together go depends almost entirely on Andrew's mood.  Luckily for us, he is usually an easy-going and kind big brother.  When playing on his own, he is almost always making lists or brackets or writing plays about computer game characters.  He really enjoys a good board or card game, but he still hates timed games.  They make him really nervous for some reason.  He is a good loser and just enjoys the playing of the game.

Andrew still loves sports.  He watches football with his dad, but still mostly enjoys the wrap up shows.  He knows crazy facts about players and stats.  He never complains about going to practice for whatever sport he's involved in and he adores getting in his uniform and playing the games.  He does NOT like to shower afterwards.  A struggle for sure.

He is messy.  He throws his socks around and I find them in corners all over the place.  His room is frighteningly cramped and disorganized.  He is in charge of putting his clothes away and will wait and wait and wait until I threaten to go on laundry strike to put it away.  He balks at any chore and you would think I'd asked him to donate a kidney the way he protests.

Andrew is still a kind kind kind boy.  It is the one thing that makes me the most proud of him.  He has empathy for others around him and hurts to see the world hurt.  He asks all sorts of insightful questions when we are alone together.  He is curious how the world works and the past.  He loves history, geography, writing, math...well...just about every subject in school.  I can't think of one he doesn't enjoy.

He has lots of friends, but NEVER asks for anyone to come over.  He had zero desire for a birthday party this year, although he enjoys going to other people's.

It's gotten to where Andrew teaches me things now.  Or brings up questions I don't have the answer to.  I always thought it would be a hard transition to not being the all knowing parent, but I like learning from him.  He's learning all about Pennsylvania this year, and of course I know nothing about it.  He gets such delight from teaching me, and he's a pretty good teacher.  He's going to end up WAY smarter than me, so I guess it's good that my ego is not too bent out of shape by this one.

He is not materialistic.  He does not ask for much and does not really question why we don't have things his friends have or go places his friends go.  He seems very contented with his life.

In a nutshell, Andrew is just one cool kid.  He makes me so very proud to be his mother and send him out into the world.  I'd hang out with him any day of the week!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Michael, or Mike, or Mikey, or often Andr...Michael!

I literally cannot WAIT for Michael's parent teacher conference in a few weeks.  This child confounds me.  Not in a bad way.  But in that I just have NO IDEA what he is up to.  I'll ask him to add two things together and he'll tell me the answer is "one hundred million five billion".  But then just yesterday he announced, "Mom?  25 plus 25 is 50 because 20 and 20 make 40 and 5 and 5 make 10, so 40 an 10 make 50."  He will refuse to rhyme words...instead telling me zombie or fart rhyme with cat.  But then he reads a BOB book for the first time, sounding out words and figuring it out like a champ.  He just is not a show off like his big brother was and not sweet and compliant about answering questions like his sister.  Confounds me.

He is a comedian.  He loves loves loves to make people laugh and will do or say anything to get that from you.  He often gets you to laugh without even meaning to.  He has the most expressive eyebrows, and they raise and lower seemingly with their own will.  It is especially endearing when he is being very sincere or very manipulative.  He also appreciates humor greatly...especially potty humor or physical gaffs.  He has the loudest most contagious belly laugh.  I dare you to not laugh when Michael gets the giggles.  It is impossible.

Michael is unpredictable with games.  He begs his dad and Andrew to play chess with him, and then patiently accepts their advice and loses every time gracefully and asking for more.  But then you'll play Candyland with him, and if he gets the gingerbread man card, he will kick the pieces and flip the board and storm off in anger and frustration.  As far as I can tell, if Michael asks to play a game (rarely), then you are good to go.  If you convince him to play a game with you...all bets are off.

He is quite perceptive to emotions.  And he will try to bend them back to his favor if need be.  One time when he was asking me to wipe him, a task I find very irritating because he is WAY older than my other kids were when I didn't have to wipe them anymore.  As I burst into the bathroom in response to his hollars for help, he looks sweetly up at me, bats those big old eyelashes, and says, and I quote, "Mom?  Did you know that it is VERY IMPORTANT for kids to have grownups?  Kids need grownups to protect them and feed them and take care of them.  Wouldn't it be sad if a kid didn't have a grownup to be with them?"

Schmoozer.  Manipulator.  Crafty.  Clever.  Quick as a whip.  Endearing.  Loveable.  Future politician?

He loves to build with blocks, legos, anything that can be built with.  He makes bizarre shapes and buildings and creations and then creates a huge back story to go along with it.  As I type this, he has a bunch of wooden blocks laid out.  He is explaining to me that one side is electric and blocks people from the new watery house.  There are cymbals on each side of the building that are used to call their friends and/or zombies to come and party and/or eat their brains.  He has a crazy imagination and can talk on and on about imagined computer game boards or inventions or whatever.

Michael's favorite subject at school is math.  He will race off the bus to tell me that he got to do math with Mrs. M today!  He is just now learning the names of the kids in his class.  Jeff and I went in to be mystery reader last week, and Michael was so so so excited.  I helped with his class's Halloween party, and Michael was so well behaved, such a good listener, so funny and good.  He makes me proud.  When we are at school functions, there are always kids yelling out, "Hi, Michael!"  He sometimes responds to them, but is mostly aloof.  It worries me a bit, but clearly they like him, so who knows what is going on in his head.  He call the kids in his class "My so and so", as in, "Mom, there's my Ian and my Will.  I'm going to go play with them!"

Michael will eat just about anything...but never consistently.  He'll wolf down scrambled eggs one morning and then when you make it for him the next day, he'll act as if you've offered him monkey brains or something.  There is no such thing as making the foods that he likes, because it changes so much day to day.  Except for pizza.  That boy can put away pizza like it's his job.  He is wiggly at meal times, and when Andrew is sitting next to him at dinner, (who thought of that seating arrangement?), Michael is constantly reaching over to touch him or get in his face.  We have many many conversations a day about personal space and keeping out of others'.  In gymnastics, he is constantly hanging on the teacher or another student, always giving kisses and hugs...even to random kids on the other soccer team that he doesn't know.  Personal space.  Michael does not understand it.

Michael is sensitive and resilient.  He is adorable and annoying.  He plays great by himself and desperately needs someone to play with.  He loves talking but not answering questions.  He is a man of contradiction...and we love him so!

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Lily or Lillian or both

Lily's full name is Lillian, of course.  Most people just call her Lily, although I have always called her Lillian quite a bit.  Not always in anger...I just love the name.  Even at a young age, Lily wanted people to know she had another name.  It drove me crazy in pre-school when she would tell people, "My name is Lily.  But it's really Lily-Ann".  Once we finally taught her how to properly pronounce her name, she's been using them both to introduce herself.  And once she learned how to write Lillian, she will alternate what she writes on papers.

In Kindergarten, her teacher put Lily on everything.  But Lily would sign 1/3 of her papers Lily, 1/3 her papers Lillian, and 1/3 her papers LilyLillian.  I explained that while I loved BOTH of her names, she would eventually have to decide which one she wanted to be primarily called, or else it would confuse people.  In true Lily fashion, she disregarded me completely and continued to be Lily AND Lillian at the same time.

In first grade, her teacher put Lillian on everything...desk name plates, hooks, etc.  I asked Lily what she was called in class, and she said Lily and Lillian.  She continues to alternate which she writes on her papers.  Teachers call her different things.  She responds to both.  Somehow this is working for her.  As a girl who grew up telling teachers on the first day of school that "I like to be called Gigi, not Giselle", I am fascinated by her fluidity with her name.  And surprised her teachers are being this flexible too.  I just wonder which one she will choose to be her primary name eventually.

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This week, Lily is taking the standardized test to get into our gifted program.  I kind of forgot until 2 of the 3 days of testing had passed, so she didn't even get the normal "test day big breakfast" that I have always tried to give Andrew.  She doesn't know what this test is for...in first grade they are constantly being evaluated so the teachers can place them in reading groups, math groups, etc etc.  So it's no big deal to her.  It WOULD be if she knew what it was for.  Because she desperately wants to follow in her big brother's footsteps and desperately wants to be in Humanities (our district's gifted program).

I don't think she is going to get in.  I think she is very very smart, and I maintain that I think she will end up being my most successful child professionally because of her attitude towards hard work and stubborn unwillingness to give up.  HOWEVER, I don't think she is gifted.  Which to me means an ability to think outside the box and above and beyond the "normal" way of thinking.

Jeff adamantly thinks she will get in.  He thinks she is very very smart and that her mother is comparing her to the one child who got the highest entry scores in 5 years at our school.

We'll find out in a few months who is correct.  But I have a feeling that if she doesn't get in, I'm going to have to console Jeff as well as her.

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I am kind of terrified of Lily growing up and losing her confidence in herself.  I know it is coming...self-doubt is too much a part of girl growing up.  We were watching a modeling show (I know, great job, right?), and the contestants had to participate in a physical challenge.  These wafer thin models could hardly walk DOWN a flight of stairs without needing a break to catch their breath.  I paused the show and pointed that out.  And told her that being STRONG is way more important than being skinny.  That she should not worry about her weight but about how strong her heart and muscles are (something I tell myself everytime I go to the gym).  After harping on for a few minutes, Lily stands up in front of me, skinny as a bean (19th%tile weight), and flexes her muscles and then stretches down and touches her toes.  She says, "You've seen me run, Mom.  You know I am strong."  Just keep up that attitude, girlfriend.




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One thing I always try to do is infuse math and science knowledge into the kids' everyday lives.  Almost anything can be made into a math problem ;)  So when we are watching the Voice, I pause and ask Lily, "There are twelve contestants.  Two are going to be eliminated.  How many will compete next week?"  Stuff like that.

Yesterday morning, it was snowing a little bit, but our outdoor thermometer read 40 degrees.  So I pointed a question at Andrew, "What temperature does water freeze?"  Imagine my delight when Lily immediately pipes in, "32 degrees!".  I give her a high five and then ask (again kind of directing it at Andrew) how it can be snowing if it is 40 degrees...much higher than 32.  AGAIN, Lily beat Andrew to the punch, declaring, "It is colder high up in the clouds where the snow starts.  And then it melts when it hits the ground because it isn't cold enough."

Yowza!  Good thing Andrew was eating breakfast so I could discover just how brilliant Lily is.

She, in true girl fashion (grrrr), immediately said, "Mrs. V just taught us that in school, that's how I know."  As if that detracted in any way from her remembering it.  I quickly told her that is why she is so smart...she listens to her teacher and then remembers it forever!

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Monday, November 04, 2013

Photo dump!

Somebody turned 7...a month ago.  Doesn't she look so OLD?  For her birthday, Lily, Memere, and I went shopping at the 2nd largest mall in the US.  She was feeling a bit under the weather, but I think she still had a good time.  Back at home, she opened gifts from her brothers and ate a delicious cake her daddy made.  He went a little baking crazy and also made 2 pumpkin pies while we were out shopping.  Once he starts baking...he just doesn't stop!





Here's Lily working on one of her birthday presents...window sun catchers from her Aunt Andrea.  


A few weekends after Lily's birthday, the weather was perfect to go up to the Pocono Mountains and watch the raptor migration.  Hawk Mountain was AWESOME.  We saw lots of raptors...half a dozen hawks, a few falcons, and even one bald eagle, soaring way way overhead on a thermal.  Pretty awesome.  And I kept commenting to Jeff how the path seemed shorter this year...the kids are getting so good at hiking it's crazy!  No whining!  Yay!
 Lily and Michael quickly got bored of searching the horizen for soaring birds, so they found a little spot in the boulders to make a "nest" and pretended to be hawks nesting.  Cute!
 Andrew was all in...of course.  He loved every second of our hiking/bird watching adventure.

 Attempts at family photos should be taken at the beginning of the hike...not the end.  Lesson learned.


 After our hike, we went to the park's ampitheater and listened to a naturalist talk for an hour about raptors.  She was really really a wonderful speaker, and she brought along a few live animals which kepts our kids captivated.  Jeff and I even learned a few new things.  





This is a random photo of the kids with their "go-gos".  They play with these tiny plastic figurines for HOURS.  HOURS, people.  I had to document it.


Pumpkin carving!  And we had power to do it in this year!



Lily has to write a journal entry each week.  Last week she chose to write about her Aunt Sara's exciting news.  She's just a teeny bit excited.  She's even picked out names (Lucy or Benjamin), just in case Sara and Colum have a hard time picking one.  She has no idea that this new cousin is going to live 1700 miles away.  Le-sigh.  Moving to far flung locations seems all romantic and exciting until you really want family close by.


Jack-o-lantern final results!

Mario hated his mustache, but we made him keep it on for the photos...because it was sooooo cute!

Luigi wore his mustache the whole night.  To be fair...it was smaller.
 Doing Mario and Luigi poses.

 Attacking Bowzer
 Posing with the fearsome "Head-tilt" witch.

 Posing with Cuddles the cat.  Also...HEADTILT

 This one is my favorite!

Once Mario shed his mustache, some other people wanted a turn with it.



Another Halloween finished!  Now time to prepare for Andrew's birthday and then...gulp...Christmas!