Schools out for summer!

Well Vern is now finished with 7th grade and onto 8th grade. His final grades were similar to 3rd quarter with A's and B's. I was happy but the part that made me the happiest was there were no "N's" or needs improvements from any teacher!!!! Vern was using his time more wisely and trying harder. That is what we have been asking for and Vern finally pulled through. GREAT JOB VERN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next year in 8th grade each student receives an Ipad to use for the year. We have to attend meetings in August on this. If it helps Vern with studying I am all for it. I just hope he doesn't sit in class playing games. This will be quite the test of his abilities to resist temptation. I am sure you will see blogs on the topic...

Vern has a lot of summer activities planned. There are camps and vacations and trips to see people. He will keep busy.

We are trying to push Vern to get off the electronics and get out and do different things. This is a huge challenge. Last weekend we "made" the teenagers go on a bike ride.  Vern actually had a good time and enjoyed it. His sister....let's just say she hates us and can't believe she had to be seen in public with a stupid helmet on. My God, we are trying to ruin her!  The drama was unbelievable.

For the summer we are hoping there is more of this:

And less of this!!!

We shall see how it turns out!!!

Spring Break

Vern has been on spring break for a week! Do they REALLY need a week off? He is in 6th grade and not hitting any beaches soon...Anyway....

He is ready to get back to school even if he say he doesn't.  I'm tired of the lump on my couch. I am tired of battling - do your reading, stop playing the ipod, no more MineCraft, go get on the treadmill. DO SOMETHING!!!!

Click - TV on.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

This morning Vern's alarm went off. Up he jumps. Drawers bang. Out he bounds to the kitchen.

He puts on his best pitiful voice when he sees me.

"Mommmmmm, I barely got 6 hours sleep last night." Sad puppy dog eyes follow.

"What happened?" I am a sucker for sad puppy dog eyes.

"I couldn't sleep."

I give him a big hug and start my get off the couch lecture.  I shouldn't have done the lecture but I am a mom and sometimes it is a requirement...

"I'm sure you will sleep better tonight after a long day at school and confirmation tonight."

"Ya, Love ya mom. Have a good day!"

I love you too Vern!!!!

The Chicken or the Egg?

It has been a while since we had a good Vern story. Well here is one that has been going on over the last week or so.

Out of the blue a week or so ago Vern says, "You know mom, I was hatched."

I of course jump all over that with "No, I was there when you were born. You were definitely born. I felt every second of it."

To which he replies, "Mom you birthed an egg and then I used my temporary beak to break out."

Me: "Oh for GOSH SAKES where do you get this stuff?"

Vern: "It's real mom I swear. I remember it because I have a photographic memory from back then."

Me: "OK, sure but I know you were born."


Move on to a few days later...

We are driving in the car and I remark to Superman about Vern being hatched from an egg. He laughs and says "Ya, I heard that the other night and had a good laugh."

I say, "You know I don't know how they could have attached that device to his head though a shell and not crack the shell itself?"

From the back of the vehicle, "Well you know the shell DID crack.  I just quit arguing because I know I was hatched and I didn't want to argue with mom any more."

More laughter.  That is our Vern!

 

Glasses

 

 

Vern is a new man. He has now joined the ranks of millions of people around the world.

He wears glasses.

Now his prescription is barely a prescription but he had been complaining about not being able to see the board so both the optometrist and I broke down and he now has glasses.

I keep wondering in the back of my head if this was a ploy on Vern's part because his best friend has glasses. Time well tell.

Until then, here is Vern in his new specs.



 

 

 

 

 

Bathroom Rules

This blog comes on the heels of my Toilet Cleaning blog, where I talk about how no one person is any more or less important than another and how cleaning toilets is a very humbling experience.

As a result of my humbling experience, we had Bathroom 101 in our household this evening. Now this is a definite 101 class and it needs to be repeated every so often as users of said bathroom seem to forget there are A-N-Y rules at all.

The basics of this class include:

How to throw trash into the trash receptacle instead of wherever it happens to land on the floor, counters or towels.

How to put the toilet lid up, pee, wipe up various splatters or other messes, flushing, and putting lid back down. Now you might think I am a finicky lady that doesn't want to fall in when using the toilet. This is a very good reason but not the reason I used. I have a pet that is not allowed to drink regular tap water or their kidneys will act up and they will D-I-E. This is why it is very important to put the seat down after use. This has been explained before but this section of class needs repeated often.

Next the class moves on to showering basics. This includes things such as the shower walls are not to be used as a collection point of Ann hair. This same concept holds true for the drain. Soap is included in the showering process and not an optional feature to be used occasionally.

Finally we move onto the final - how not to turn the bathroom sink into a nuclear war zone in under 1 day. Toothpaste is meant to clean teeth, not left in the sink for things to drop into it. Once again not a hair collection zone. We like to look at Ann's hair on her head - not drizzled over the sink. Finally, every toiletry you own does not have to sit on top of the sink for the entire world to look at. We believe you have sufficient product that does not need to be kept out for all to see. It is not that amazing, we all have those supplies.

Of course this class was met with groans and I know mommmmmmmmmmmm.  We shall see if it does any good.

Up next week, Bathrooms 202, how to clean a bathroom the MOM way!!!

Christmas holiday 2012

I always enjoy the time around Christmas/New Year from the perspective of sharing it with the kids. I take off time when they are off from school and we hang out. Sometimes we do things. Sometimes we are lazy. The point is spending quality time with them and enjoying being a family.  This year was no exception. The bonus this year was Superman also took time off so we had total family time.

Darn Blogger made it more difficult to upload photos so I do not have as many as I would like on here. We will just make do until I find an easier way to add photos to my blogs.

All right for some activities we did. Of course we had presents and Christmas. Here is a shot of Vern getting a Christmas ornament of the best player on his favorite pro team. His aunt scored on that one!!!

 

The pets L-O-V-E-D having us home for the holidays. They all vied for our attention. Here is a shot of Ann and Buddy. I thought this was and excellent photo and Ann took it herself! She is so good at so many things. 

 

 

Here is another one of our pets out playing in the snow. OK so it is not really our pet but we had a great time watching them play. I was surprised for African lions they stayed out in the cold. I would expect the temperatures to be to cold for them. Shows you what I know...not much! :-)

 



We also played Apples to Apples and UNO with the family.  The kids also got me to participate in the new Just Dance 4 Wii game. I beat them on the One Direction song and I think they were as shocked as I was. Ann usually wins all the rounds on that game.

We watched a couple movies (none were outstanding). We also did a bunch of cooking and decluttering of bedrooms. Vern's room looks a LOT better after taking loads of stuff out of his room. We also did our share of sleeping in. I was more relaxed than I had been in a heck of a long time.  I think the word I am going to choose this time off - contentment.

Now we are going back to our regularly scheduled hectic lives.

Where's Vern?

Instead of Waldo we are going to look for Vern.
Good Luck!

 

One liners

The Thursday before the big championship game, Vern hurts his neck. Some kid hit him and gave him quite a stinger. We went to urgent care and things looked OK. The bad part, Vern was not cleared to play until we went to see our primary care doctor.

On that Friday off to Docs we go to see if Vern will be able to play in the championship game.  In comes Doc. He is a happy guy and likes to joke with the kids. In he blazes with his jovial personality and joking with Vern. (He is handsome so that is a fringe benefit. hee hee)

 He then begins to ask Vern questions about his injury. How did it happen? Where does it hurt? You get the picture.

Then, Doc gets to....are you having any headaches?

Vern looks over at me, doesn't break a smile but has a twinkle in his eye and proceeds to say - Only her.

Doc can't help it. He bursts out laughing.  Then Doc asks Vern, Do you cook?

Vern replies, Yes, macaroni and cheese!

OK Doc concedes - proceed on teasing your mom.


At work later....


I'm working away in my cube and Vern is sitting beside me reading. We are quietly minding our business when we hear Lady B (for b*tch) stop in to talk to Lady A in an office very nearby.

Lady B proceeds to start in (if you work in an office you know the type - never happy and always complaining about something). ")@)@$)#$)_++(_!*_$%$&&^$^&GW%(^*(#Y@;#);@# Squawk squawk squawk" On and on and on.

Vern suddenly stops reading.  Looks up and says to me, "What is THAT ladies problem? She sure is cranky!"

It took everything in me not to burst out laughing. I did have to instant message what Vern said to a couple of people that know her and we had a good laugh.  Sometimes you can't fix cranky but you sure can laugh about it.