Survey says!

I thought it was time we delve into the serious mind of Vern. I asked him some thought provoking questions from a Hightlights survey and here they are with a little commentary to compare to the real survey.

Question #1 - What is your biggest problem right now?
Answer - (given without ANY hesitation) Ann - his sister

Tidbit: This was #2 on how the other kids also responded.  #1 on the article was school work and we ALL know how well Vern does with school work.

Question #2 - Other than members of your own family, who is a person you admire and respect?
Answer - GOD

Tidbit: God did make the list for the survey but right above nobody. That makes me a little sad. Friends were on the top of the survey of all kids participating.

Question #3 - Do you have chores that you must do at your home?
Answer - Yes.

Tidbit: Kids aged 9-12 75% had chores.

Question #4 - If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?
Answer - Play football!

Tidbit: Play was first on the list of respondents with sports being 4th.

Question #5 - If you had five minutes to talk to our President, what would you tell him?
Answer - Can I play in your bowling alley with your? How about we go swimming?

Tidbit: While the question was aimed at more global issues, many kids responded to the question with more personal concerns. Children's concerns about the problems in their lives and families were a stong theme.   I guess Vern's response would fall into their category of questions about daughters, family, dog.

Question #6 - Do you get to spend enought time with your parents?
Answer - Yes

Tidbit: 71.1% of kids said yes.

Question #7 - What should grown-ups know about being a kid today?
Answer -  That parents should leave you alone and give you ALLLLL the video games we want!

Tidbit: At this point in the survey, I think a show was interesting him on the tv.  The survey's top response was being a kid is hard. Technology did make the list at around 3-4% of the respondents.

Question #8 - Do you think its harder to be a kid today than it was for your parents?
Answer - No, well maybe. (But no reason.)

Tidbit:  Even as our world inevitably changes, the experience of childhood remains remarkably the same. "State of the Kid - Highlights Magazine"

1974 or 1984?

Vern had a trip to the eye doctor today.

He just had to try on glasses while he was waiting. IF Vern needed glasses he demanded that he get these:

Shortly after trying on said glasses he fell over a bucket and got angry that the bucket was there instead of a chair. Hmmm maybe those glasses don't help him see the best.  These glasses were gold wire rimmed jobs with clip on sunglasses straight out of the past.  He seriously wanted to get them.

Next was his appointment. He wanted me to come in with him but I was only able to come in for part of the appointment as I was helping his sister put in new contacts.  While I was in with Vern at his appointment the doc was telling him all about how he had good eyes and he should take good care of them, etc...  Next doc goes on to ask Vern "So has your mom ever had Dry Eye Malformation?" (or some very techinical term I did not catch as I was trying to figure out what it was and if I had ever had it.)  Vern replies in complete dead-pan seriousness "OH NO! My mom would NEVER have had that."

You would have thought he was swearing to the Pope himself!  I burst out laughing and Vern just gives us that killer smile we all know so well.

Turns out Vern's eyes are are great. No glasses today. WHEW!

Grandma and Grandpa time

We all had to go out of town for a couple day trips and kids were not allowed on these. Since Vern was not in school he got to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa.  Unfortunately, he does not get to spend tons of time with them so this was a great opportunity to spend some quality alone time with them. 

We dropped him off last evening. He had his bag all packed and was ready to go.  We get there and Grandma tells him to show me where he will be sleeping. So off we go to see his bedroom. We check it out and head back out. As we get to the living room he says casually, "Ok, bye mom." He proceeds to flop himself on the couch and pretend I am gone all ready!

Well I am having none of that so I at least get a kiss before I leave.  That is pretty much an indication he is happy to be there and I have been dismissed.

Fast forward to pickup.

I don't get much out of him. Again not surprising for Vern.  Here is his rendition.

"I got to stay up until after the news was over.

I slept in but no idea to what time.

I couldn't help Grandma with the flowers because it was too cold and windy. We watched Avitar instead."

A couple of other things I gathered from other sources. He played a mean game of Uno and beat his Grandpa.  He got his haircut and it went ok. His dad stopped in to visit him last night for a little bit.

I think everyone had a good time!

THANKS Grandma/Grandpa for some quality Vern time!!!!!

The spring has sprung...

Springing ahead is hard on DA MOM. I have blogs in mind and I will get to them...

as soon as I can deal with this time change.

Staying up/out to late on Saturday has done me in. It was not planned nor anticipated yet it happened.

Must recover.

Sunday events did not help the situation so  I PROMISE.... I will blog soon.

Giggles

I really need to capture on some sort of multimedia when Vern giggles.

Sometimes I think he likes to get tickled just so he can get the giggles.

Or maybe it is that I tickle him just so I can hear him giggle.

It really is the best.

It is sincere.

It is not made up.

It makes my heart swell with love.

Listen to a child giggle and see what it does to your heart.

Alligator meat!

Vern was in quite the talkative mood the other night.  We had beef ribs for dinner. We are not a big fan of beef ribs but this is the last of the side of beef we had and sometimes we have to eat the cuts we don't like as a family.

I tried to find a decent piece for Vern to have. I cut off the fat (a huge task) and tried to make it edible with BBQ sauce and nice accompaniments of mashed potatoes, green beans, and home made bread.  He did ok but still complained of it being toooooooo chewy and why do we have to eat this. Why can't he just have another piece of bread....bla bla bla.

Then he starts talking about all this different kinds of meat he has tried. 

"...and guess what I have even tried ALLIGATOR!"

"When did you try that - over at the wild game feed?" (they attended one for the boy scouts the previous Friday.)

"Oh no mom, at dad's house!"

"Really?"

"Yes, he got it in the mail or something. Really mom he has some." 
(I think he was trying to convince me his dad went out and captured this alligator on his own.)

(Now remember we live in the midwest where there is narry an alligator nor any other reptile of the sort that could survive our winters.)

"And you tried it?"

"Well not really but he has some!"

At this point I burst out laughing at his fabulous story telling abilities.  I do hope he blogs or is published when he is an adult.

Weekend read-fest

As I wrote earlier, Vern is down to the wire on getting his reading complete for the quarter. He found a book to read that he needed to get finished over the weekend so he could take the test on Monday.

We talked about this on Friday before school. "Read hard this weekend."
 "I will mom."

So Sunday night I decide to call him and see how the reading is going.

"Hi Honey, what are you doing?"

"Not much mom."

"Get a lot of reading done like we talked about?"

Silence.... followed by "Yes, I guess."

"Well that is good. Get the book finished and take that test tomorrow."

"Ok, bye mom."

Fast forward to Monday after school.  I call home to check on them.

"Hello."

"Hi Vern, how is it going?"

"Good."

"Are you getting your homework all done?"

"Yes."

"That is great."

"Mom" (said in a sad - pathetic - quiet sort of voice)

"Yes honey?"

"I kind of lied to you."

"About what?"
"Reading,  (pause)  I didn't read all weekend at dad's."

"How come???? I mean I called you last night to see how it was going."

"Well there was a movie on - Rudy, and dad said it was good and so I wanted to watch it."

"I'm disappointed at your poor choice."

"I'm really sorry mom, I will read 80 minutes tonight."

"Ok, I will see you soon."

Instead of being discouraged at his lack of reading (that is typical behavior there) I am taking away 2 positives from this:  1. He did fess up to his lie. (which before he never would do even though he would get caught anyway)  2. He apologized and followed through with reading the entire 80 minutes last night.

Progress.