It's a new year - let's do it!

Vern is getting some exercise. With his wrestling and all. Today I was on the treadmill and low and behold here comes Vern wanting to climb on too. I told him he could after I was finished.

He starts unbuttoning his shirt, "Mom, I have to get outta this shirt."
He comes back 2 minutes later in shorts and a tshirt ready for action.
"Sweetie, you have to wait until mom is finished."
"Well how long is that going to be?"
"5 minutes."
"Okayyyyy"

He goes to sit down, reading a magazine like waiting for a doctor appointment.

When I finally let him on with all the rules he was SOOOOO excited!

He got on and did great and followed the rules...pretty well.

Good times for Vern.

Good Days

Vern has been having quite a few good days. No big troubles in school. No disasters on the school bus.  I have not succeeded in getting him to do his jobs without being nagged about it. Ideas???

Tonight he wanted on Webkinz soooo bad. He was not allowed until his jobs and school work were done. That left all of 20 minutes before bedtime. Then we had a temper tantrum because the computer wouldn't work right. HOW do I make him understand if he does his chores he would have more play time? Nothing phases that boy.

He gets to attend the reading party tomorrow, this will be the 2nd one I believe. He is pretty excited about that.

Otherwise Vern and the rest of us are just stuck in the wintertime rut. Looking forward to spring!

Pinewood Derby

Vern had his pinewood derby competition this weekend. He used his car from last year as he couldn't do Pinewood Derby last year because of all the trouble he was getting into.  You can't tell from the photos below but it looks a lot like an old car his dad used to have - 1978 TransAm. Gold and everything.  His car was pretty fast. He won quite a few of his heats but not enough to place in the top 3. The top winners were only .001 second off each other so good races.  John, my oldest, also entered a car in the open class. He got consistently second but no trophey for him either. They had a fun time. 

Think Sheet

So when the kids are naughty they get to fill out "think sheets".  It is kind of funny because I have been in work place situations where the same type of thing is filled out when some one f*cks up and has to explain what went wrong and why it won't happen again.

Here was Vern's. (Not verbatium as I had to send the sheet back signed.)

Problem:

I climbed on a snow pile when the teacher told me not to.

Solution:

Listen to Mrs. Jones the first time she tells me something.

As I am signing this I ask Vern "How many times have we gone over this same thing at home Vern. If you just listen and do things the first time you do not get into trouble?"

"Yes Mom I know."

I'm sure he was or will be back on the snow pile soon. UGH!

Not another one!

Yes another one.

Another NO SCHOOL day. This one was unexpected so DA MOM did not have any chores or activities planned for the kids and did I pay.

I was blessed with repeated phone calls. "MOMMMMMM, he did..."

"MOMMMMMM, she hit..."


"MOM, would you tell those two to..."

and when I was in meetings, the same thing over again in a voice mail.

Their dad came to pick them up early afternoon and the rest of my day was much quieter.

Mom's night at wrestling

Boy was DA MOM out of her comfort zone at wrestling the other night.  Luckilly Vern knew where he was going or I never would have found it. Then I walk into the area...

Full of smelly little boys and men all too full of testosterone. No WONDER Vern fits in so well.  The kids are all wild and the men are all ugh - ugh with their chests puffed out and tight tshirts on.  Now granted they were in all great shape but they looked military and very intimidating.

So I cowered along one wall trying not to stick out like a sore thumb. The kids start their warm ups and even those are different than any other sport I have seen. The kids are doing very different stretches and up on their heads. I am lost!

After the kids get into groups and start learning what would it be...moves? One of the coaches starts talking about meets and other things I can barely hear as it is loud and I am away from some of the other parents.  He then starts talking about a singlet. HU???? I am thinking. What on earth could that be some sort of helmet?  He asks if I need one. I give him the dumb new comer look and confess I have NO idea what he is speaking of. He does some funny motions over his body and it finally clicks. It is the funny little suit that wrestlers wear in meets!!!! No I say. I didn't know if Vern was participating in those yet. So maybe later I will get one if Vern starts begging to participate in meets. I don't know how or if that will ever work as most are on Sundays and we are in church then. Guess we shall see.

Anyway Vern has a great practice and I even managed to get a couple photos with my phone.  One kid was scared of Vern and one actually wrestled with him.

Vern is on top.

Don't look on floor. Look at kids standing and grabbing on each other. Vern is in blue.

Nose Bleeds

Boy have we had some fun here. Vern has been getting some B-A-D nose bleeds. Enough that I called ask a nurse and they told me to call the doctor on Monday.

They were more than just nose bleeds. These things contained big chunks or clots or something! OMG. I was a bit worried.  The nurse I talked to didn't seem to think that was normal thus why I have to follow up with the doctor. 

On a good note, Vern didn't have one today but we told him to keep it calm today and not be so rambuncious.  I will have to find out about wrestling tomorrow also.

So much to remember...

Wrestling 101

Tonight Vern started wrestling. I think this will be an interesting endeavor.  It was dad's night so I didn't get to witness first hand but I heard all about it.

First John comes flying in the door. VERN NEEDS ADVIL.

Then Vern come stumbling in looking dead tired. "Mom, I need some ice on my back."

Then Ann says "Oh write about how this kid kept hitting Vern in the face."

Or wait, how about how tired it made Vern.
Or how hard he had to work.

OR even the phone call later from his dad stating Vern should stay in this as it would help him a lot.

I think it will take some of Vern's energy and channel it in a good way, that is why I signed him up in the first place.  The practices are twice a week and dad gets one night so it should be manageble time wise.

To be continued...

Getting to DaMom

So you know this has been a longgg, coldddd, snowyyyyy, and no-school week. So on Friday I decided bribery was in order. If they were good all day, minimal fighting, do their jobs, etc. I told them I would pay them. Now I never said how much, just that I would pay them.

So sometime in the afternoon I get a couple phone calls from Vern and his sister Ann, complaining and tattling and fighting. I said oh darn guess you lose out on your cash now. So sorry. Maybe you better try to make it up to me.

So they both did I am sorry cards for me.  Here is Vern's. It was pasted to the garage door for me when I got home.

I am so easy on them.

Snow days wearing thin...

So winter break was supposed to be over Tuesday. Mother nature had other plans for the kids. She thought they needed more time off. OH WAIT, the school administrators decided the kids needed more time off because parents can't be parents and make their kids dress weather appropriately and send them to school. When did school staff have to be more of a parent than the parents????

Ok, I'm sorry I was on my soap box about how parents somehow are unable to be parents and make their kids do basic things. (I have a 15 year old so I know how tough teenagers can be. So if he doesn't have the hat and gloves on at least they are in his pocket for an accident.)  Geeze I can't seem to get off my soap box tonight.  Maybe I am ready for the kids to get back to school as it is wearing on me also.

So the kids have used up all their snow days and will now be going longer in the spring.  The weather has been horrible and I do agree they should call off school when the wind temp is -30 but some of their weather days I do not agree with.

The kids have been doing really well considering they have been stuck at home for days. I decided to take them for pizza tonight. Fiasco...FIGHTING about where to eat, FIGHTING about where to sit in car, FIGHTING about what to order...Some days I wonder why I even try.

They have one more day tomorrow. Let's hope they finish out the week on a good note.

Learning on vacation

Sometimes with kids its so easy to sneek in learning and they don't even have a clue they are learning!  That happened on Vern's Christmas vacation.  We headed to a museum and Vern had a good time. He was asking questions and taking pictures an running all over the place.  It was cold and snowy (no surprise) so there was hardly anyone there. We had virtually all the exhibits to ourselves.  I never did tell Vern he was soaking up information. It will be our little secret.  Here are a couple pictures from the outing.  Tomorrow is back to school unless the cold or more snow keeps it closed...

WOAH mom this is cool!

Photo opportunity

Diggin up bones.

Vern's Christmas 2009

Vern's Christmas was exciting for him. He was very excited for all his gifts.  I thought I would describe it with some photos of his Christmas.

Happy with the Bakagons.

Some Wii games.

Hampster in a ball.

Some little guys.

His big gift - electric guitar.

Can you tell he likes it?

I guess he needs a helmet to play.

Pencil case his grandma made for him. :-)

Counting his money in Life game.

And here is his Kiss impersonation when he got a hold of my camera.