The First Report Card

I knew, intellectually, that Drake would be receiving a report card.  It's only Pre-K, but the school has standards and communicates those standards to the parents.  I wasn't expecting the report card to be in Drake's folder yesterday.  After all of the issues and the four trips to the Principal's office, I felt a catch in my throat.  I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to read that "Drake is a sweet boy and a pleasure to have in class."  Whew!

The behavior is starting to turn toward the better, but there are still some set backs.  Two weeks ago, Drake shoved another boy to the ground.  Thankfully, the boy wasn't hurt.  When we were getting in the car that day, Drake said to me, "I don't want to send Frank a Christmas card."  (He has been making cards for all the kids in his class to mail out.)  "Why not?" I asked.  "Because Frank is mean," he replied.  Knowing that Frank was the boy Drake shoved, I had to dig deeper.  "Drake, what happened with Frank today?"

And then it all spilled out.  "Frank was pushing me and I told him to stop and he wouldn't stop so I pushed him."

"Did you tell your teachers that he pushed you first?"  (In the report from the teachers, when asked why Drake pushed Frank, Drake's response was "Because I felt like it.")

"No."

I felt two unusual sources of pride in my boy.  First, he didn't tattle.  We've been working on that with him, and even though both would have been in trouble, Drake's punishment would have been less severe.  Second, he didn't start the fracas, but by golly, he finished it.  I've been worried that Drake will become the target for bullies because he can be really sensitive.  I felt relief and pride, knowing that he will stand up for himself and not take any crap.  Should I be proud about that?

Mr. Independent

Scene: 5:30 am.  The house is dark and quiet.


Flynn wakes up.  He slaps his feet into the kitchen and gets himself a glass of water.  He goes back to the bathroom to take care of business.  He returns to the kitchen.  He opens the refrigerator, takes out a cup of yogurt, and sits at the table.  He remembers that he needs a spoon, so he goes and opens the drawer to get one.  He likes the big spoons.  He returns to the table, looking at the lid, wondering how he is going to open it.

Why do I have the feeling that he would make himself a cup of coffee if he could a) see over the counter, and b) liked coffee?

Feast Day

I am really enjoying of the holidays this year.  The boys are getting into the spirit and have an unnatural attachment to "Jingle Bells".  Yesterday, the 6th, was the Feast Day of St. Nicolas.  At school, Drake and his classmates had their "shoes" filled with goodies.  (Shoes being the paper ones they had colored the day before.  Something about a health code violation to place treats in their actual shoes.  :P )  In the evening, I took the boys to Bruno's European Cafe for good schnitzel and to meet St. Nicolas, all decked out in his traditional bishops' robes. I decided to have the boys eat first, since an unfed boy is a grumpy boy.  While waiting for the food, Drake wanted to write a letter to St. Nicolas on his place mat.  This is what he wanted to write:

Dear St. Nicolas,
I really like your dress.
Thank you.
Drake


The boys ate their adults size meals and made their way to the big man.  Flynn was skittish, but Drake walked right up to him.  They received chocolates, oranges, pfeffernusse, and coloring books.  Most of the chocolate was gone before we returned home.  And the boys bounced off the walls into the night.

Drake- chatting with St. Nicolas

Flynn wanted to start coloring RIGHT NOW!
(Sorry the pic is sideways.  Still trying to figure out that glitch.)

Crazy Cake-Pop Lady

I am not a baker, never have been.  Once I became I mom, I decided that I should at least learn how to decorate a cake.  Then, two months ago, I discovered cake pops.  I am not sure what possessed me to purchase the recipe book.  Maybe it was the pitch that they were east to make.  Maybe I couldn't resist the cute factor.  For whatever reason, I glommed onto them and haven't stopped.  For Thanksgiving, I made my third batch: turkeys.  I have learned much about the technique now.  First, candy melts = super glue.  Don't leave the spoon in the bowl of candy melts when it all cools.  I had to pry the spoon out.  Second, make an assembly line whenever possible.  Third, wear gloves when attaching milk chocolate peanuts. Forth, make the pops over a series of days to keep from losing patience.

I started by making the heads out of milk chocolate peanuts and sprinkles.  All of the bits are really tiny, and therefore, a big pain in the ass.

Do you feel like you are being watched?

I also have a problem with size.  My turkeys turned out to be Butterballs.

Gobbles?

For the second round, I made robots for a potluck Tim was having at work.  I didn't get to place the antennae on top because the hardened shell made it impossible to insert the soma noodle.

The varying expressions were fun to make.

The boys have fun making these, too.  I just give them some cake balls before the coating dries and let them go to town on sprinkles.

Drake is so serious about decorating.

This was the first round: ghosts.  Everything was pretty lumpy, and the food pen didn't work so well on the coating.  I probably needed it to cure longer.

Pre-ghost face

Flynn: quite the ham

This is indeed a fun process, but it is very time consuming.  I do like the results.  Plus, they keep longer than cake.

Meta NaNo- The End

I stopped writing for NaNo.  Although I really like the premise of my novel, I am just not in a writing place right now.  With schedules in chaos, a child with discipline problems at school, being sick, being injured, and being stressed, I just wasn't able to make it work this time.  The process was causing me more stress and anxiety; your hobby or passion shouldn't make you feel that way.  I will let the story sit and simmer for a while.  I will eventually return to it because it is, as I mentioned earlier, a really good premise.  I want to tell it well.

Meta Nano- Week 2

Week 2 was miserable: illnesses, wrist injury, 50 essays to grade, stress.  So little was written.  My most productive times were at the Write-Ins.  Creativity flows there (and plot bunnies fly through the air).  This week should be better.  No major assignments are due.  No holidays.  I will still have to contend with illnesses and such, but I should have time to write.  On a positive note: I have really been furthering the story.  Very little time has been spent on filler and brainstorming.

Current word count: 13,342
Days behind: 6

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Drake

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
But he wasn't there, he was in the wall.
He found the power.
He's been dead a while.
The itsy bitsy spider will be back later.