Soccer!!!

The boys had their first game today! Their team name is the Lightning Bolts, and they played against the Green Dragons. Joseph wished his team could have been named the Dragon Riders. (Actually, he originally lobbied hard for the Titans, but oddly enough, none of the other 6 and 7 year olds knew what a Titan was).
The game ended in a tie (the best way for these little-kid games to end as far as I'm concerned). Unfortunately the tie was 0-0, so none of the kids got to actually make a goal. Joseph and Brigham played fullbacks for much of the game, and they made a great little partnership out there sending the ball back down the field whenever the other team got too close to the goal. (sorry Mama, I know how much you just love soccer talk. I promise to try to keep my play-by-play commentary to a minimum)
The funniest part for me was after the game, listening to Joseph and Brigham talk about it. Here's about how it went:
Brigham: "I can't believe the ref didn't call the other boy when he picked up the ball with his hands!"
Me: "Maybe he didn't see it, the ref can't see everything you know."
Joseph (argumentative): "No, he was standing right behind the kid!"
Brigham (outraged): "Yeah, and he was looking RIGHT AT HIM when he did it and he didn't say anything!"
Me (placative): "Well, sometimes you disagree with the ref's calls, but you know, the other team probably saw you guys break some rules that the ref didn't see either."
Joseph (indignant): "We didn't break any rules! And there was another kid who did a high kick and the ref didn't call him either."
Brigham: "Yeah, and it was a dangerous high kick!"
Joseph: "Yeah, a dangerous high kick and he did it on purpose!"
Brigham (disgustedly): "The ref should have thrown him out of the game."
Me (trying hard not to laugh): "Do you guys know what the word exaggerate means?" (yes, they do...)



Here's Ben giving the kids some last minute instructions before the game.



Joseph striding toward me at halftime.



Brigham after the game.



Mosey's technically not on the team, being just a couple years too young. But we had an extra jersey, and since his daddy is coach, he got to go out on the field for about a minute (literally) before halftime. He felt a little intimidated with all the bigger kids, as you can see (he's the one with his too-big soccer shorts down past his knees just standing there watching the action).



Mosey spent most of the game admiring his new favored possession, a real walkie talkie. The boys already have some toy walkie talkies, but there are only two (a slight problem when there are three boys who each desperately need one. It gets really old refereeing whose turn it is). Plus they didn't work very well and made really annoying screeching sounds whenever the boys pressed the call button, which was all the time. So we went to Fryes last night and got the boys some real walkie talkies (four of them), so they could all play. They actually work very well and the boys have had fun playing with them all day, hiding in the back of the hall closet and making Dad try to guess where they were (he had the 4th walkie talkie), and other fun games.



We attempted to get a quick group shot before the game, as several of the parents brought their cameras. Well, Joseph being his usual self would not smile, and instead stuck out his tongue and hunched over like Quasimodo. Cute. It's funny to see the kid standing just behind Joseph looking at him like, "What the heck are you doing?"



So I yelled at Joseph to put his tongue back in his mouth, for heaven's sake! He obeyed, instead giving the camera a baleful glare, but my instructions backfired as now you can see that two other children thought sticking their tongues out would be a good idea! Ya can't win.

Mosey and Chrissy

Mosey loves Chrissy. Chrissy is learning to tolerate Mosey. She'll actually lay still and allow him to pet her without bolting.

She is a good cat, non-demanding, but good for a nice lap-snuggle late at night when I'm sitting at the computer. Chrissy is, however, a hunter.

She started with grubs (which, by the way, disintegrate into the most disgusting congealed masses of brown goo after a few hours unnoticed on my bedroom floor, Chrissy's favorite depository for captured grubs). She then moved on to grass hoppers, which are still a favorite of hers. She brings them inside still hanging on to life, with various numbers of legs missing. A merciful killer she is not.

Recently she graduated to mice. So far she's brought three of these lovely specimens into our house, two still living, and the boys have observed her catch a few others outside. Who knew we had so many mice living in our backyard? They are pretty cute little mice, and I vacillate between wanting to rescue the cute furry little things from the fangs of our killer cat, to watching in fascination as Chrissy fulfills the measure of her creation. Hey, if we really do fall into a worldwide depression and eat up all our food storage, she can catch us small birds and rodents to eat! Yummy.

yaaaawwwnnnn...

One boy

+

Six night-time throw-ups

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Two complete changes of bedding

+

One bath

+

One rogue alarm clock that went off at 6:01 AM

=

One very tired mommy

Brisingr

So how many of you have read the Eragon books? My boys LOVE them (and so do I). We listened to Eragon and Eldest almost without stopping, and Brisingr came out a couple of weeks ago.
On Friday Christopher Paolini came to Austin for a book signing, so I packed up the kids and went! The signing started at 4:00, so we got there at about 2:00 to browse the book store (it was held at a bookstore) and then be first in line. Unfortunately I didn't realize that you had to get a ticket when you bought the book, and the ticket gave you a place in line. We had bought the audio book, but not the real book yet, so when we bought it that afternoon, we were in group F. Oh well, best laid plans and all that.
Ben came down to meet us there and we went to Party City to get the boys' Halloween costumes (they've been asking me since AUGUST when they can buy them), and then got back to the bookstore at about 5:00.
There were a bunch of renaissance-fair type people milling about, and some other not-really-renaissance type people like a Centaur and a dragon. The dragon, I get (the Eragon books feature a dragon named Saphira). But renaissance people? Centaurs? Ok... Anyway, it was interesting for the boys anyway.
We finally got up to get our book signed at 7:15, so it was a long afternoon. We couldn't take pictures when we got up there to get our book signed, so I tried to grab a picture earlier. This was the best I got.


I very nicely cropped out the foreground lady's derriere. I had to snap the picture when she bent down out of the way. And yes, in case you are wondering, Christopher Paolini does look like he's about 18. He's actually 23. Eragon was published when he was 17 (!!!!!). He had been homeschooled all his life, which of course explains it. :-)
Anyway, he was very gracious and signed the book to Joseph, Brigham, and Moses.



Here are the boys in front of the dragon, which actually released real smoke out of its nose! Mosey was completely fascinated by all the different characters milling about.



Here's Mosey taking a ride on the Centaur. Alas, Mosey's eyes are closed. This centaur guy was there the whole time and I kept thinking he must be tired of standing! Actually, at one point Mosey was running behind him and I nearly yelled out to Ben to grab Mosey before he got kicked by the horse!!! I am such a doofus.

Anyway, it was fun and now we have a signed Brisingr which will one day be worth millions. :-)

Mentos experiment

(I tried to add text to the video below, but blogger wouldn't let me do it. So here's the text I wanted to write below the video)

Yes, we did the classic Drop-Mentos-in-Diet-Coke experiment, except we used Diet Pepsi. Just to be different. :-)The boys loved it, but my favorite part was seeing how the dog reacted. He just looks up as if to say, "How dare you interrupt my nap!" and gets up and lays down again a few feet out of the spray zone.

Mentos, the Freshmaker!

Drama at the bank

Yesterday afternoon started with such potential.
My boys have been diligently collecting (and spending) their chore nickels. (How much longer will I be able to pull the wool over their eyes, that 5 cents for picking up the play room is a fair wage?)

Anyway, in an effort to encourage saving, I took them to the bank to start savings accounts. (Although, really, what is the point? In a year, inflation will make whatever they've saved not worth the price of gas it will take to drive to the bank to withdraw it... If Bank of America still exists in a year).

Mistake #1: Going to the bank at 3:30 PM when it closes at 4:00.
Mistake #2: Forgetting the boys' social security numbers at home.
Mistake #3: Letting Mosey carry his nickel jar (against my inner voice telling me not to).

First, WHY do banks close at 4:00? Isn't that like totally anachronistic? Who gets off work at 4:00 these days except bank workers? Anyway, we get there at 3:30, and I tell the guy who greets us that we want to start savings accounts. He takes a look at my boys' nickel jars and I can tell he's totally thrilled to have our business. He asks me if I've got the boys' social security numbers. Oops, nope. It's too late to drive all the way back home to get their SS cards, so I call Ben to see if he's got them. He's in a meeting but says he'll call me back in a minute. 20 minutes later he calls back and has Joseph's and Brigham's but not Mosey's. Oh well, I've come all this way, I may as well get Joseph and Brigham going with their accounts.

We traipse across the lobby to the bank worker's office (I can tell she's also totally thrilled to be starting two new accounts each comprised of 20-something-dollars worth of nickels with 10 minutes left in her working day). Mosey insists on carrying his nickel jar, so I dig it out of my purse and he carries it in.

The office is teeny-tiny and the woman has to drag in another chair so we can all sit. Joseph and Brigham and Mosey are antsy and fidgety, having sat in the lobby already for almost 25 minutes with nothing to do but watch the stock market report on CNBC. I tell Brigham to SIT DOWN and be quiet. While I was hissing at Joseph and Brigham to be still, Mosey very carefully balanced his nickel jar on the arm of the chair he was sitting on. Brigham simply can't be still. He stands up on his chair and climbs over the back of it. I turn to yell at him again just in time to see him deftly knock Mosey's precariously balanced nickel jar off the arm of the chair where it shatters on the floor. Lovely.

Bank workers, hearing the crash, come running in, and soon I've got Mosey in a sobbing heap on my lap, a very nice lady picking tiny shards of glass out of the pile of nickels on the floor, a bank manager standing in the doorway anxiously telling my boys over and over to please stay seated (I'm sure they're thinking law suit, and how sad is that? That they have cause to be worried I would sue THEM over my own son getting cut by a glass jar that HE broke?), and the 20-something woman helping us open the accounts (with no kids of her own, I'm sure, and now very little chance she ever will have her own kids) sitting at her desk nervously eyeing my children and putting forms in front of me for me to sign.

I mumble something about there always being drama with three little boys, and sign on the dotted lines while trying to shush and comfort Mosey and hopelessly trying to hide my embarrassment.

We finally get out of there at 4:25, with Mosey's now glass-free nickels in a bank bag, and two freshly opened savings accounts.

And to think I get to do this all over again when I take Mosey back to open his account!

I should have just taken them all to the dollar store and let them go crazy blowing all their hard-earned cash. :-) Hey, at least it was memorable!?!

Chemistry and cooking

Did you know it is the mixture of acid and sodium bicarbonate that produces the carbon dioxide "explosion" in vinegar/baking soda volcanoes? Did you know that baking powder is a combination of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and acid salts? The addition of water activates the reaction and causes the dough to rise.
Our "experiment" today was making pumpkin raisin cookies (the soft ones) with and without the addition of baking powder and baking soda. I think the boys' expressions speak to the success of the experiment!




And Naomi? This picture is for you. My green scarf, picture courtesy of Joseph. My hair is starting to grow in a little bit, but I think I'll still be in hats and scarves for at least a few more months.

Scrabble hilarity

We were playing Scrabble tonight for family home evening, and Mosey and Joseph were on my team. Joseph was pretty good at finding 3-letter words, but Mosey mostly just wanted to make the weirdest nonsense words he could make on our letter-holder. Every time he made a new one, he started laughing so hard, he'd lose his breath. I expected to see tears coming from his eyes! I'm not sure what was so funny about those nonsense words, but it was absolutely HILARIOUS watching Mosey crack up like that. I wish I could find that kind of humor in seven scrabble letter tiles!

Surprise!

This is what I found when I came back from taking Mosey to preschool this morning. I was looking for the boys, wanting to start lessons, but couldn't find them! Then suddenly I hear giggling from the playroom, open the cabinet, and SURPRISE!

For your viewing pleasure

I want it; I really, really want it...

Anyone have a spare $2700 laying around? I seriously neeeed it, I promise, I really do!

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=17662

Home Alone

As of yesterday, I am officially on my own. At least, between the hours of 7:30 AM and 6:30 PM. Christine, Elijah, and Lucy are now back home in Boston with Brigham (the big one, that is). It was so great having them here. I hope Christine thought so! Elijah and Mosey of course had the normal spats that kids their age will have. One of them was over this pair of fuzzy, pink butterfly wings, believe it or not. They managed to take turns, however, and I didn't waste the photo-op.


Tryin' out to be the tooth fairy (Christine, click to see it larger-- I'll email them to you).


YES! He finally got the butterfly wings!


Joseph and Brigham I think are glad to have our home back to "normal," and to be able to build their Kapla creations without the danger of little ones knocking them over. Here's one they made recently-- a re-creation of the Babylonian temple considered to have been the real Tower of Babel.

Later on, they got out our Book of Mormon action figures and decorated it with "knights" and "warriors." We had read about ancient Babylon in our history books this past week, so I was glad they had absorbed at least some of it!

Tuesday was Ben's first day as Coach! I think it went really well. The kids all had fun, especially Joseph and Brigham. More work than Ben was really expecting out of this soccer business, but I think it will be just right for the boys. Mosey was out there running around, too, which I didn't feel bad about, because his dad was the coach! There were about 9 kids out there, and a couple more joined tonight, I'm told.




Beautiful sunset over the practice field.

Today went pretty well, sans sisters. It was busy with lessons, then errands, then doctor's appointment (counts are ok, about the same as last week, platelets good, hemoglobin ok, white blood count ok, neutrophil count a little low, but not too bad), then piano lessons, then dinner, then soccer, then bed! I scheduled my doctor's appointment next week for Wednesday so Thursdays won't be so busy.
Here comes the weekend!

Soccer

I withdrew Joseph and Brigham from their Town and Country soccer team. I was able to get them signed up with a different league that I think will be much better for them.
I registered with the league online, and then got an email telling me to attend a parents meeting on Saturday. I thought I'd show up and be told what team I'm on, and be given information on the coach, uniforms, etc. Instead, I show up at this elementary school cafeteria where the meeting was being held, and am directed to "Table 4." At Table 4 were all the parents in the zip codes surrounding mine. We were told to choose a coach, decide on practice times and places, and organize ourselves into a team! I, and a lot of the other parents were a little taken aback. I mean, I paid $85 for each child to register, and I would have thought some of that fee would go toward some kind of organization.
So one of the moms finally stepped up and took charge, dividing us up into two teams, and taking volunteers for equipment manager, etc. We didn't assign a coach (none of us had any soccer experience), but decided we'd all sort of pitch in with coaching.
I wasn't feeling too great about things as I left, but I called Ben to talk it over, and eventually decided it will probably be just the thing for Joseph and Brigham. Ben has volunteered to be coach! He played soccer for several years growing up, so he has some knowledge. It will be great for the boys to have their dad as a coach, and all the kids on the team will be beginners, like them. The games are all on Saturday, and I'm sure will be all about having fun, and not too competitive. Ben will be a great coach, he has just the temperament for it. The boys' coach with Town and Country had two of his own kids on the team, and at the scrimmage game last Saturday, pretty much spent the whole time yelling instructions at his kids, and ignored the other players. He was a really nice guy, don't get me wrong, but not a good coach for my boys.
Our first practice is tomorrow night. It'll be fun!

Mosey Mo Mo

Here is a little post about Mosey at four-and-a-half. Just a few things I want to remember about him at this age.

• One of Mosey's favorite phrases right now is, "How do YOU know?" For example, today we were at a soccer game and Mosey asked me what the coach's name is. I told him, "Steve," and Mosey immediately responded with, "How do YOU know?" Well, if you don't think I know, why'd you ask me? :-) A couple of weeks ago after I smashed my finger in the van door (getting much better, by the way), Mosey was looking at it and asked me if it hurt. "Yes, a little," I said. To which he immediately replied, "How do YOU know?" Silly boy.


• Mosey has a new love-- his Lil' Kinz Chihuahua he has dubbed "Little Dog." Yes, I'm sad to say the infamous Sunshine Bear has largely gone the way of all good toys. He sometimes still makes an appearance, but one of these days he'll be forgotten out in the garden and be made a real bear by the nursery magic fairy. Like Sunshine Bear, Little Dog has been the cause of many late departures as Mosey or I frantically search the house for the missing toy. Mosey informs me that Little Dog also loves to swim and take baths. Hurrah for the Webkinz corporation making a product that can withstand both of these activities on a very regular basis!

• Another famous Mosey phrase at the moment is, "I kind of feel like _____ for some reason." The blank can be filled in by things such as "a reading treat," (we keep a box of little candies on top of the fridge as an incentive for practicing reading and math), or "going to Sonic," or "sleeping in your bed," or any number of Mosey's other great loves. My favorite part of this is the "for some reason" part. Hmm, I'm not too confused about your reasons, Mosey!


• Mosey has a LOT to say. And I do mean a LOT. I remember the twins being in this stage of life, I'd pick them up from Pre-K and they'd both be talking at me a mile a minute, with me frantically trying to keep up and give each boy appropriate comments showing that I am paying attention to them simultaneously. Mosey is just a singleton, but somehow manages to have about as much to say as Joseph and Brigham put together! He always prefaces one of his monologues with, "I hafta tell you something!" He can't just say it, he first has to tell me that he has to say it! To which I usually answer, "Well, you better tell me then!" And we're off to a sometimes very long monologue about something or other. I usually find this trait pretty cute, if eventually exhausting. But it is a problem when I'm doing lessons with the big boys because Mosey's tangents can be very long and have the potential to derail the momentum of the lesson.


• Mosey is following his mom's long tradition of hating shoes. He takes off his shoes and socks at the soonest possible moment. Brigham does this too. Sometimes I've just gotten his shoes put on, and during the 2 minute ride to preschool, they both mysteriously come off. Usually he explains this with, "I forgot," which is more honest than Brigham's usual excuse at Mosey's age which was, "I didn't take them off!" Later it evolved to the "ghost in the car" that took off his shoes while he was otherwise occupied.


• Mosey's favorite food is still a "meat and cheese sandwich." He's getting more open to other foods, though, which is a good thing. Time was he'd insist on a meat and cheese sandwich for breakfast, another one at lunch, a third for snack, and he'd often ask for one at dinner although I'd usually insist he eat what I had prepared. He is still my drink kid, though. This kid can drink more fluid at a sitting than anyone I know. He must have a bladder of iron. He is not at all shy about going to the garage refrigerator and bringing in one of Ben's drinks (various diet sodas, etc.) and helping himself. Well, it's better than Coke in a baby bottle, right?

• Mosey gave his first primary presentation last week when he was asked to read a scripture. He was very cute and did a good job reading 3 Nephi 12:16. He read it perfectly, although he was very quiet. The prayer, scripture, and talk were all given by sunbeams, and some were definitely better in their delivery than others.


• I'm sure I'll think of some other Mosey-isms, and as I do, I'll probably add them to this list. But for now, I'm sure glad he's my son!

A few pictures

The results of our acid-base indicator experiment on Tuesday. Pretty, no?


The boys LOVED this experiment. Afterwards, they said to me, "Now we're real live scientists!" I guess you have to mix chemicals together and have them change colors in order to be a "real live scientist." It was fun and easy. Get a red cabbage and cut it up, then boil it in water, and strain out the cabbage. This will be your indicator. Pour equal amounts of indicator into glasses or jars, and add various household chemicals. Acids will turn red, Bases will turn blue/green. One of ours (Oxy clean) turned green, then yellow, then orange, so I have no idea what that was! We tested tap water (basic), distilled water (neutral), OxyClean (??), vinegar (acid), Milk of Magnesia (base), cream of tartar (acid), baking powder (base), lemon (acid), and Lysol (base).


Afterwards, I let them mix them all up, which was of course at least as much fun as the actual experiment.


One of Brigham's many, many Kapla block creations. He built this one in collaboration with Mosey, and I think it was supposed to be a Webkinz palace?


And another tower he built tonight.


Mosey fell in love with Rachel while she was here. I seriously think he loves her more than me. Here they are making pizza together. Please ignore the gruesome Voldemort picture on my refrigerator. It is part of a Harry Potter calendar that, uh, the boys... yeah, that's it, the boys picked out last year!


Mosey gave giant hugs to Rachel, just like this, all the time.


Brigham and Joseph loved her too.

Things are looking up

Well things seem to be going a bit better the last couple of weeks. Monday was another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, which ended by Ben coming home from work early and taking charge of a certain little boy. Said little boy went back to Ben's office and came home several hours later with his math completed, a smile on his face, and an apology for his mom.
Even better, he was a perfect angel on Tuesday. Lessons went as smooth as silk, and he was happy and cooperative all day.
Today was overall pretty good. Lessons went very well, although I decided to let Ben handle math with Joseph again. One small incident involving a stolen grape soda and a certain little boy who ran away from his crippled mom and hid in his bedroom upstairs, where his mom cannot get to him! And then about 5 minutes (maybe not that long, but it felt like it) of ear-splitting door slams from upstairs. But then this little boy came back downstairs and played very nicely with his brothers and cousins, and also very nicely got ready for soccer and went to practice.
So, not perfect, but pretty good, overall.
Soccer was much better today. First, it was about 15 degrees cooler than last week. Second, I think I may be able to get the boys on a team with another league here in Austin that only has games on Saturdays, and whose season does not start until October! I'm not 100% sure yet (actually not sure at all), but I am hopeful. As it is, the boys' soccer schedule got rearranged because of the cancelled games due to the non-existent hurricane last weekend, so HALF of their games are on Sunday. It seems pretty dumb to have the boys on a team (and pay more than $300) for which they can only make half the practices and half the games. I talked to the coach after practice today and told him we were thinking about joining another team, and he was ok with that. So maybe there are some other options.
In any case, both boys seemed to have a better time today, and had an even better time when Ben played 2-on-1 soccer with them, and they beat him 10-0. And we skipped the drills practice.
It's been fun having Christine and her kiddos here. She's been a big help, especially during some of the drama with a certain little boy.
Mosey is feeling quite competitive with Elijah. It is very normal, I know, and a little annoying, but also pretty funny. All the rules that Mosey feels free to break without compunction when it's just him and me in the house, MUST now be followed to a T by Elijah and Lucy! (Sorry Elijah and Lucy!). There's also a fair bit of competition over toys, of course as soon as one child has a toy, that is the ONE toy that the other just cannot live without. It's good for Mosey to have this experience, though, and Elijah will probably go back home very grateful that he's the oldest in his family!
Tomorrow is the boys' first piano lesson, so I am nervously hoping it goes well. Please let this be something both boys can really enjoy!
Also another doctor's appointment in the morning. I am also nervously hoping my white counts will be up. The last 3 weeks, they have just plateaued out at a level that is not so hot. My other blood counts (red blood cells, platelets) have been doing fine. Well, I haven't had to get a blood transfusion anyway! (Hemoglobin 9.3, platelets 137, for those who care). My platelets are actually doing really great. But my white count has been hovering at around 2.1-2.3 for the past few weeks, and my neutrophil count has been down at 1.2-1.4. Not enough to land me back in the hospital, but definitely not where I want them to be. Certainly low enough for me to have to be really cautious about germs and sick people, which is no fun.
Finally, my hair is starting to grow back in a little! Just a very, very little, but hey, it's progress! The boys can no longer call me "bald mommy" with 100% truthfulness. Although they still do, and I still mostly am.

Self Doubt

I just read a book about homeschooling during the first year, so I know that self-doubt is completely normal, and to be expected. But I still don't like it.
I found out that Brigham would have been in the same class as his friend Adam (whom he rode to and from school with most of last year), and Joseph would have been in the same class as his best friend Kenny.
Things have been going great with Brigham, but he would do just fine anywhere, even stranded on the North Pole (as long as he had some paper and a sharpened pencil).
I'm struggling with Joseph. He is still doing the same thing where at some random point in our lessons, he just decides he's done and will no longer cooperate. On Thursday we got ALMOST through all our lessons (I was congratulating myself), all the way to the very last line of his science lab report, and he decided he was done. He wasn't going to do it. Friday it was during our 2nd lesson, handwriting, that he decided he would not cooperate. He was doing his "P's" wrong, and I was trying to show him the correct way, and he got angry and refused to listen to me or watch what I was doing. I was just tired and worn out from dealing with him so I told him if he didn't want to do handwriting, then to just go outside and play. Which he did for the rest of the morning. Maybe what he really needs is some decompression time from everything that has happened this summer. Or maybe he's just being difficult because I'm letting him be.
I have no leverage over him because I can't back anything up. I can't say he has to go to his room if he's going to misbehave, because I can't make him go to his room. I can't say he won't be able to go to the park or whatever outing if he doesn't behave, because I can't leave him home alone, and it's not fair to deny Brigham and Moses. He is so strong-willed, that when he is in the moment during one of these episodes, there is literally nothing that will motivate him to just stop it. I know I was like this to a large degree when I was a kid, and I don't know what would have worked with me either!
I'm also so disappointed in soccer. I signed up the boys for soccer in our community's sports league. It is the only youth soccer organization in North/Northwest Austin. I really wanted just a simple, low-key soccer team with one practice a week, and one fun game on the weekends. Instead we get placed on a team that practices on Sundays and Wednesdays (so we already can only go to one practice), and "plays up" (not sure if that is the right term) against older, bigger teams. And everyone on the team except my boys have played soccer for the past two years. I was told it's ok to only go to one practice a week if we also go to the "drills practice" after Wednesday's practices, and attended a "Development Training" class on Monday nights. Way, way more of a time commitment than I anticipated.
We had our first practice on Wednesday. The boys did ok for the first 45 minutes (just team practice), although I could see Joseph getting frustrated and I could tell both of them really didn't know what was going on. Then there was "drills practice," which apparently goes on for TWO HOURS!!! It was SO hot outside, and Brigham forgot his water bottle, so the one they were sharing quickly ran out. Both boys participated for a while, then I could see Joseph at the far side of the field just standing there, his head sort of down and to the side, like he does when he disengages. I saw the coach go over and talk to him, but he wouldn't respond. Finally he takes his ball and runs off the field and sits under some bushes and won't move. Rachel went over to try and talk to him, but he wouldn't respond at all. Brigham practiced for a little more, but when the kids all started running laps (after an hour and a half of practice in 95 degree weather), he was just pooped! He came over to me, all red-faced and sweating and said he wanted to go home.
So we got his stuff and started back to the van. I can BARELY walk at this point because of the heat, and Rachel had to practically carry me across the grass, up the gravel path, across the bridge, and to the van. I'm about in tears because this is NOT what I wanted, and Joseph refuses to come to the car. We have to back out and just about drive out of the parking lot before Joseph comes running back to the van.
And boy, is he in a MOOD! He starts hitting Brigham, kicking the back of my seat, and finally Rachel pulls over into a parking lot to try to get control over the situation. She takes him out of the car, and he's totally out of control, hitting and kicking, and just completely out of it. Finally she wrestles him back into the car and I sit on the middle seat and hold him to prevent him from kicking and hitting Brigham (poor boy, he's sitting there crying, not knowing WHAT he's done to his brother to deserve all this).
When we got home I stayed in the van with Joseph to try to calm him down and figure out what was going on. He finally calmed down, but couldn't really tell me what was wrong apart from the fact that his coaches kept mixing up him and Brigham, or when they got it right, called Joseph "Joe," and he said that the drills were "just like P.E. and Tae Kwon Do," whatever that means.
I know it just wasn't what he was expecting. Frankly, it wasn't what I was expecting. I was SO sad, because earlier that day we had gone to Academy and bought the boys soccer cleats, soccer shorts, and size 3 soccer balls. Joseph was just so excited, he immediately changed into his soccer gear and wore it for the rest of the day until we left for practice. I so wanted something that he will really like and feel like he is good at. And now he's on a team that has played for 3 years, so he feels completely incompetent and over his head. I think Joseph could really enjoy soccer, if it had been less intense than it was. It was just really overwhelming for their first day.
I hope it gets better. We'll stick it out for a few weeks. Their first game would have been today, but the games all got cancelled because of Ike (although we haven't gotten more than a few sprinkles and some breeziness). Then his coach called and said there would be a friendly scrimmage against one of the other under-8 teams, which would have been perfect because it would have been less pressure and less competition, and would have been a good first game experience for the boys. But they had been invited to a friends' house (Kenny), and I just couldn't cancel that.
So now I'm feeling pretty low. I don't know how to help Joseph. I'm wondering if homeschooling is making him worse. I'm feeling bad that the boys aren't getting to go to class with their buddies. I'm so disappointed and worried about soccer. I'm continually frustrated by my physical limitations. I feel horrible that I can't even go to my kids' soccer practices (no way can I do it without someone to help me get down and back from the field, and drive us home afterward). I can't take them on cool field trips or hikes in the woods. It all just stinks!!
I'm praying so hard every day to know what to do-- how to conduct lessons, how to handle Joseph, how to give attention to Moses and Brigham, how to be able to run my life again! But right now it all sure seems so cloudy.

Tidbits from homeschooling

Here are a couple of the things we've been doing at school recently:


Learning about the structure of molecules. In the foreground is Glucose, in the background is Methane, Silicon, Carbon Dioxide, and Water. And the Dots were yummy to eat afterwards. We talked about how our glucose molecule would be turned into real glucose after we ate it!

And you HAVE to see this video. I'm not kidding, it is SOOOO funny!

We've been memorizing some poems as well. This is the boys' favorite so far.

Back to Houston tomorrow

It's been a very busy week, hence no updates. I'm getting used to the homeschooling thing, although there are still plenty of kinks to work out, including a bunch I'm probably not aware of yet! It is a challenge, but a good kind of challenge that I can see paying off.

I worry I'm not doing enough, but then I also worry I'll burn the boys out, so I don't know. I guess it's normal to worry a lot at the beginning.



(writing always goes a little smoother when eating Cheetos, don't you think?)




I'm trying to type without the use of my left pinky which I slammed in the car van door today on the way to church. Ouch. I think I might end up losing the nail. Wanna see? If not, don't look at the next picture! Whenever these sorts of things happen to me, I'm always glad it's me and not one of the boys. We would have been late for church trying to calm down whichever boy it was!


(click to see larger if you really want to see the gory details)

It's been really fun having Rachel here. She is the perfect assistant. That's what I really need, a full-time assistant. I'm trying to be responsible for more and more day-to-day stuff, but she's such a huge help in doing things like getting the boys drinks of water, going to turn on the light in the bathroom for Mosey, clearing off the table after meals, folding and putting away laundry-- all those things that mean lots of walking back and forth. Mosey constantly wants me to "come and look at this," and it kills me to not be able to do it every time he asks (I'd quickly run over my step quota for the day), but Rachel is happy to go and ooh and aah over whatever it is.

On Saturday we went and toured the Capitol building, something the boys and I have done a few times, but it was Ben's first time (and Rachel's). The boys mostly love the Capitol gift shop, don't ask me why. Joseph spent $7 of his own money to buy a Texas flag collar for Mister. He's a sweet boy.

After we went to Countyline to treat Rachel to some good ol' Texas barbecue. And made sure to catch a turtle out back when we were finished.


Luring the turtles in with pieces of bread and turtle pellets.



Success! Ben caught one unawares.

Ben playing the pied piper with the other kids on the dock.

There were so many turtles out that day!!

Then yesterday evening we went up to the church so the boys could ride bikes. Brigham really did great, getting right on and riding with no help! Rachel taught him how to get started without his funny little running start (sort of waddling with his legs on either side of the bike). Mosey just had fun wheeling around on his tricycle. Joseph's bike only had one training wheel, so Ben took it off and worked with him on riding without. He was doing great until Ben let him go after Joseph told him not to. He wasn't too happy about that! He'll get it soon, though. He's not as fearless as Brigham (more like me), so it doesn't come quite as easily.

On the way home we stopped to get the boys shin guards for soccer. I'm frustrated because the boys' team practices on Sundays... I talked to the coach and they can attend a soccer workshop on Monday evenings, and then practice with another team on Wednesdays. But that means two practices a week instead of one, and seems far from ideal. I asked if we could be transferred to another team, but no response yet. But the boys are SO excited, I just can't tell them they can't do soccer this year. Joseph's been asking to play for months. Last night as soon as we got home, the boys put on their shin guards, and they went out to play in the backyard twice today.

And finally, here are some more pictures of my hats! (I know you've been dying to see more...)

The ugly leg things are braces I wear to keep my feet flexed at a 90 degree angle. They prevent my feet from dropping (the dreaded "foot drop") and making me trip.

Now off to bed! I have to be up at 4:30 AM to drive out to Houston. Fun, fun, fun. Rachel's coming with me, don't worry.

My red hat

Ben and I went to see "The Dark Knight" tonight, and Naomi put the boys to bed. I'd seen it before with my mom, but Ben hadn't seen it. It was interesting seeing it again, there was a lot of stuff I hadn't really caught the first time. Ben thought it was well-done, but stressful. Can't disagree with that!
We had a pretty fun Labor Day. I did lessons with the boys in the morning, and Ben studied for his actuary exam. In the afternoon Ben took them to the park and I took a nap! Then we had a barbecue for dinner and the boys and Naomi went swimming after Ben and I left.
Joseph sometimes gets in these moods where he won't talk. He'll keep his mouth closed, and say what he's trying to say behind his closed mouth. He'll write letters in the air to spell what he's trying to say, but he won't actually say it! He just gets in these moods sometimes, particularly when he's mad or frustrated.
He got in one of these moods when we were doing math flashcards. I told him he didn't have to do flashcards if he doesn't want to (although the boys do get one skittle for every two flashcards they complete), but if he did want to, he had to actually say the answer. Well, he didn't want to do that, so he lay on the couch and kind of moaned while Brigham did his. When we were done, Joseph was still upset, and actually almost started to cry. I sat by him to try to figure out just what was wrong. He tried writing in the air, but I couldn't decipher the letters. Then I had him write the letters on my hand with his finger, and he wrote, "I want to do flashcards." So I told him that was fine, and then he wrote "outside." I have to commend him on his correct spelling!
So he and I went outside and did flashcards for a while, with him writing the answer on my hand.
What a funny little boy! I'm not sure I did the right thing by catering to his whims in that way, but I also didn't want to have a huge conflict with him, and honestly I guess it's ok to do flashcards outside with him writing the answers on my hand!
I think it's going to take a while before we really get into a smooth routine with lessons. I'm mostly trying to figure out how to avoid/defuse power struggles with Joseph. It's tricky! I'm hoping as he gets used to the routine we'll have fewer of these incidents. It gets tiring trying to figure out ways to avoid direct conflict with Joseph. A few days ago I had to sit in the closet with him while he did his handwriting by flashlight. It was the only way he would finish what I asked him to do!
But I guess that's the beauty of homeschooling, I can actually accomodate my kids' individual learning styles, even if it means sitting in a dark closet or playing Annie Sullivan to Joseph's Helen Keller!