Stop Gavin!

Posted on 2016/01/14 by circuskitchen

Thursday, January 14th 2016

2016-01-14 Stop Gavin! [45 seconds]:

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Super Stretch and his Sidekick BAM!

Posted on 2016/01/13 by circuskitchen

Wednesday, January 13th 2016

Messing around in a solid effort to get post-homework, pre-bedtime ya-ya’s out on the trampoline, Gavin was determined for me to catch a shot of him mid-air.

Here is what we got:

2016-01-13 20.38.25-1

As if we need an optical illusion to accentuate his shape

 

The camera seems to have captured his entire trajectory, making him look 8′ feet tall while still only 8″ inches wide.  (o:

Naturally in the way of little sisters, it was ClaraJane’s imperative to likewise give it a go:

2016-01-13 20.40.47-1

Nailed it!

 

Different but also fabulous outcome.    Voila.

Now you have met SUPER STRETCH and his sidekick, BAM!

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Here’s Why Homework

Posted on 2016/01/13 by circuskitchen

Wednesday,  January 13th 2016

image

 

Sharing the matter with my mom, turns out she has a “speech” about homework ready to deliver to the boys,  for various reasons.  When she summarizes it for me I’m (almost) wordless.  Once in a while your mom just nails it.  I swooned.

Here is the gist, in Her words:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Doing well in school is something you just must do.

You’re gaining the tools you’ll need as an adult.

As an adult, you can’t get a job, acquire a house, buy a car, get a phone, or even go to the grocery store without these basic skills, and when you’re an adult your parents won’t be doing it for you — you have to do all this yourself.

We’re lucky — all you children are fully capable of doing school work at your grade level.  It’s the adult family members job to make sure you get all the work done and all the learning accomplished.

There’s no avoiding it. You need these tools, no matter what you may think of them now.

Doing homework is part of how you master these tools — doing things over and over until you can do them without thinking, so you are able to move on to the next level of things you need to learn.

Everybody has to do it, so learn to do it quickly and to find some enjoyment in it.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Later she sent this text:2016-01-13 SPEECH HOMEWORK SPEECH

Mom also described to me how ClaraJane had voluntarily joined them in trying to tackle spelling,  even though she’s only 4 and is still learning to write.

“Truth be told,” she adds, “I went over Mile’s “menu” of homework activities and found nothing suitable to be doing when all three kids are here.  It may be that spelling words are the most I can hope for.  Gavin will always be up for that because it’s like cake for him, and Miles can do it because it’s not a “critical thinking” exercise.  They did it without too much drama yesterday.”

image

 

Later CJ gravely informed me that “We don’t want to go to Bubble Wow’s anymore because she makes us do homework.”   Of course this is not true, but mom deserves all the credit here.  Isn’t it *why* you become a grandparent in the first place,  so you don’t have to deal with this kind of crap?  In any case I’m extremely grateful, since my work schedule takes me out of two crucial days of overseeing it.  And FWIW I’m determined for my kids to develop more effective tools to handle their academic responsibilities than I did.

Here’s to Possibility!

Keep Calm and Do Your Homework

 

And to Struggle.

image

 

 

 

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I Don’t See Any Reason That You Should Know What I’ve Been Doing

Posted on 2016/01/13 by circuskitchen

Wednesday, January 13th 2016

2016-01-13 12.44.14-1

Nailed it.

 

Judging from this Homework Log of Gavin’s I just found, it looks like we are totally acing this homework supervision thing. (Not.)  Of the Book Report, Language Arts and Math assignments he’s had this week, he’s made some progress in -surprise surprise- Language Arts.   This morning he “confessed” that the reason I found the book report he read to me so “well written” is because -wait for it- he copied the summary from the back of the book!  “And don’t you DARE make me write another one,” he says.

“Hmm,” I say.  “Well, that is a trick probably every student has tried at least once in their career since time immemorial.”

“Even YOU?”

“Yup.”

“Oh,” he says, as if that’s the end of the discussion.  (HA.)

“It doesn’t exactly work out that well,” I tell him.  I don’t mention that it was around 10th grade, and that I didn’t even start writing book reports until at least 3rd or 4th grade (he’s in 2nd).  Then between cold weather and mittens and bus stop friends that’s about as far as we get on the topic.  Yet.  Though he did find time to say, “Mom, since our bus hasn’t come yet and you’re not using your phone, could we play some chess?”

We’ve never even *played* chess, in real life OR on an app I’ve never used; yet he naturally knows it’s there.  It’s 18°F degrees out and the bus is coming… I try to string some words together about staying in the moment and being content with that.  Argh.

And between my jobs on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Grandchildren playdates with Grandma through Wednesday, I get exactly THURDSAY -when homework is already DUE, and maybe FRIDAY -not a favored day for homework- to work with the kid.

I’m still acclimating to the new year and the new schedule with DH at work full time.  Praise to the domicile gods for sending our housecleaner Rosemary today… we at least have a *clean* -yet overfull- home in which to operate now.  I’m already overwhelmed with post-holiday resolution (sending gifts and cards that never got sent, writing and supervising the writing of thank you notes… and sending THOSE).  NO NO NO Whining.  These are such embarrassingly self-inflicted first world problems.  I’m just staring at (aka: writing about) them, that’s all.   (Lucky you.)

no-whining

 

ANY ADVICE MUCH APPRECIATED!!!   Chiefly in the realm of guiding this fabulously independent-minded, too-smart-for-his-own-good, seeing-right-through-this-homework-BS, needs-to-do-it-anyway, suck-it-up-because-life-is-full-of-crap-you-don’t-want-to-do-and-you-need-to-be-able-to-handle-it-anyway BOY!!!

 

Oh and PS:  I can’t ask my Hubsand because apparently he was the same way.

And I myself have only a vague idea because I was given strait A’s growing up for doing nothing (but being “smart” – great plan) until I encountered actual work and shit hit the fan because I was clueless (and no offense but so was everyone around me).

ANYONE?!

 

 

Posted in childhood, comedy, domestic life, education, faith, family, forgiveness, grandparenthood, health, love, mental health, Mindfulness, parenthood, patience, work, work-life balance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Many Animals

Posted on 2016/01/12 by circuskitchen

January 2016

2016-01-12 15.53.46

 

OK the point of this video is not to brag about our animals but to share the absurdity of how many we have *in a city condo*… not to mention in my arms all at once.

Squee!

2016-01-12 How Many [29 secs]:

 

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My Bandaids are GONE

Posted on 2016/01/12 by circuskitchen

Tuesday, January 12th 2016

bandaid

 

“I’m SAAAD!” ClaraJane comes in my bedroom this morning as I’m pulling on boots.

“What is it Baby?”

“I put bandaids in my …backpack?” she says to her reflection in the mirror, gulping  breaths.

“Yes?”

“And now they’re GO-OOONE!”  she sobs, con waterworks.

“Oh honey!” I say, getting down behind her in the mirror. “Did you see how I organized your backpacks last night?  The box had opened and scattered the bandaids all around  inside your backpack.   Mommy collected them and put them all in your pencil pouch. Maybe you won’t like it, but do you want to go see first?”

Calming down, she gravely nods yes in the mirror.

“…When you’re done watching the tears roll down your face?”

She laughs.  I laugh.  We laugh together.  Then she whacks me.

“You made me LAUGH,” she protests, storming out.

Woe unto the mother who helps her daughter resolve her pity party… TOO SOON.

And that reminds me… I better go get more bandaids.  I don’t want to find out what happens should the bandaids actually be GONE.

 

PS:  Also reminds me of my favorite Willie Nelson song / favorite song to sing to my darling precious beautiful girl whom I love so much it’s crazy:

 

#Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, #Willie Nelson,

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Exterminate Your Stress

Posted on 2016/01/06 by circuskitchen

aka:  FUNNY RELAXATION VIDEOS

 

F* That:  A Guided Meditation [2:29]:

 

 

 

Dalek Relaxation Tape for Humans [1:18]:

 

 

Dawg Won’t Listen to Owner [1:33]:

 

That is all.

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Jenny, Jenny, Jenny and Tall Paul

Posted on 2016/01/06 by circuskitchen

January 2016

At the behest of Tommy the veteran Cambridge native, actual Marine and most endearing custodian at our kids’ school, I looked up these two pieces of musical history as he decreed.  It seemed fitting that I note them here for posterity.

Jenny, Jenny by Little Richard [2:06]:

 

You might want to stop there, or shield your eyes from this next one lest it leave you scarred as it has my husband.  Nothing against Annette Funicello, but… ouch!  The song’s okay, just consider yourself warned re: this video.

Tall Paul, Annette Funicello [1:54]:

 

I hadn’t actually realized there was a song about each of us until Tommy told me, but now I do and now you know too.  (o:

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Babies It’s Cold Outside

Posted on 2016/01/05 by circuskitchen

Tuesday,  January 5th 2015

It’s super cold out this morning.  Like it stings to inhale and tears leap out of your eyes crying “Whyyyyyy?” as they fall, freezing into tiny ice drops that shatter on the ground.   9° degrees Fahrenheit, turns out.  Thank goodness I’d bundled up these children.

Waiting for the schoolbus I ask Gavin if I can take his picture and he goes, “Sure. ‘Cheese!'”

image

 

ClaraJane demurs, but I sneak one anyway (sorry Baby):

image

 

The new face of Elementary School terrorism?  Nope, just winter in New England.  And this Cali girl loves it.  All I need is indoor shelter, heat and coffee.  Ha that’s all.  And wifi.

[Note: Homemade hats by Bubble Wow.]

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Magic in the Mess, Huh?

Posted on 2016/01/03 by circuskitchen

THEN WE MUST HAVE A LOT OF FRIGGING MAGIC AROUND HERE!

Sunday, January 3rd 2015

Crawling, clawing out of the post-apocalyptic wreckage that is December Holiday Break at Home with your Family…  the light at the end of the tunnel actually lies in the hope that comes with knowing these rug rats (and even the DH) will be back in action -ELSEWHERE- tomorrow!  (Although sadly I fear the operative word in that sentence is “lies.”)

As in;

lie to me coffee

 

Meanwhile I’m getting present to the lifelong fact that I have ever felt only as much serenity as there is in my environment.  So that means, right now, just about not any.

I know, I know, #Mindfulness.  And;

peace within the storm

 

But I’m just wondering…  #Xanax?

Ha ha ha. #notreallyjoking  #okfineillgomeditate  #gah

Also this:

 

 

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