Hazy Days of Summer

So, our summer has begun, and things are subtly shifting.  As the kids get older, the dynamic is changing.  Or perhaps I'm blaming it on their age when it's just me!  You know all those books I'd lined up to read the kids?  Well, I haven't really read them consistently for months now.  The kids both have their own books that they like to read at night.

Alex is a mixed package these days.  Messy as anything around the house, still...BUT much better about keeping his room clean and helping out.  I can also get him to run errands or stay home for a delivery, and there's hardly ever been a better sport about it.

Fiona and I are in the midst of what we've dreaded for at least a month.  She's supposed to be cleaning her room, which has been in a ridiculous state for far too long.  We both are miserable throughout this process.  I keep hoping and thinking that she's finally starting to make some progress, but I finally had to pull the plug last night.  That is, the plug on the laptop.  I've been downloading stories for her to listen to as she cleans (one of the only ways I can get through it myself!).  I really do want her experience to be as pleasant as possible, but she's prone to simply sit down in the middle of the mess and listen to story after story.  Generally I break down at some point and do most of it for her, but she nearly always trashes it immediately after that, and she's nine now...

So, not complaining, really.  We've both been anticipating this--making a mountain out of a, well, little mountain of a mess.  Certainly bigger than a molehill!

I am still waiting for my own attitude adjustment that generally comes with summer.  I'm still far too spoiled with alone time, and this 24/7 thing is a lot for me to take, even if they're the sweetest people on earth!  Fortunately, they're both sleeping at the moment--hoping they stay conked out for a while!

Oh, one new fun thing...  Alex introduced me to the game of Rumis yesterday, and I quite liked it!  He beat me 2 of 3 times (and no, I never 'let' him!), but now that I have my bearings, we'll see... 

New chicks

We have some brand new arrivals!  Two Welsummers and two Plymouth Rocks--their names are Agnes, Hermione, Nicolette Machiavelli, and Hester.  Yes, Alex has Nicolette--it was the only name I would agree to among the many ridiculous names he suggested.  I retain unilateral veto power!  And yes, Michael's terrible suggestion, 'Nidhog' (a horrific beast of lore) was also vetoed!  Sort of funny, but I didn't want to burden the poor chickie with that name!  And Fiona was even more adamant about that!  Agnes is an American Girl name, and Hermione was my 'inspired' choice (seeing as how the Welsummer breed is from Holland and the name Hermione has an old Germanic root...and I adore the character, of course!).  Michael chose Hester as a classic name for a Plymouth Rock settler.  I like!

A Plymouth Rock biddy--she'll be black-and-white barred when she grows up.  A classic American chicken.

A Welsummer--will be a pretty brown bird that lays dark brown eggs

So...we were hoping the chicks would arrive while Bach was still a broody bird.  Nice to have a mama for them, right?  Well, Bach is quietly sitting on her egg this afternoon when we bring the chicks out.  I tentatively place one under her to test the waters.  Bach freaked.  She backed up and pecked the poor little chick more than once.  She stared at it a little while and then made a mad dash into the yard.  She completely wigged.  Oh well...they're inside under the heat lamp now.  Michael's suggested we might want to try the middle of the night so that she'll wake to them, but his source suggested not to do that if you're very attached to the biddies.  Hmm...

Tech Savvy

Hah!  I managed to embed the link to the video of Fiona's song below, and I didn't even know what the word 'embed' meant!  Kind of self-explanatory, maybe, but I wasn't sure!  Anyhow, I wasn't able to directly load it into the blog--not sure why--but the link seems to work. 
Hurrah!  :)

Fiona singing in Class

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Fiona singing Carrie Underwood's song Change in class on Friday.

Script-Writing Leader

Here at the end of the school year is the culmination of what the kids have been working on all year, so you're going to see the peak point of my bragging about them right around the beginning of June every year.  And yes, if I had to pick an area of my life where I feel supremely blessed, this is certainly a top contender.  I swear that I simply go to the quarterly conferences with full expectations of hearing my kids praised and to receive heaps of credit that I've done little to deserve. 
Honestly, Alex's teacher started in on what a fantastic job he'd done on the previous day's presentation.  He'd taken pains to make it interesting and funny, apparently, and it covered quite an impressive quantity of material for class review.  She was fairly glowing. 
My response?  "What presentation?"
I'm not sure she quite believed me, until then, at how truly hands-off I am about Alex's schoolwork.  I rarely even ask him about schoolwork, as I tell him that as long as he's getting glowing reports and good grades, I won't bug him. 
So, the conference was par for the course, with me feeling both proud and a little sheepish about receiving all that credit.  One stand-out comment, though, was that his teacher described him as the leader of the script-writing group for his classroom's section of the History of Language play.  Anyhow, given my bent towards writing, I did feel particularly proud about that.
Truly, though, Alex rarely brags and hardly ever seeks credit for what he does.  And he didn't even mention that presentation to me.  He does give me a hard time about my own activities, though.  I mean, really, does he honestly think that I'm throwing trash out the car window? 
And, boy, he's really disappointed at the fact that we bought a new couch that used some scrap leather in the making of the synthetic cover (elaborate process that makes it more leather-like).  It's a beautiful couch, and I thought 'good enough, it's just scrap--no animals killed for this'.  However, Alex asked, in his astute way, "Well, do you think the leather factory received money for those scraps?  Aren't you supporting the industry?"  Oh, right...
Gosh, I'm proud of my boy--and a little antsy about needing to live up to his scrutiny!   

Most Impressed

Yesterday was the Ellis Has Talent show, and I discovered who blew me away more than anyone else at the show.  Actually, it was someone that I already knew has a ton of talent--he plays multiple instruments and has won the show before.  He's put out albums and writes his own music.  However, I didn't expect to be impressed by him.  In fact, I didn't even expect to see him at the show.

Why not?  Well, because he no longer attends Ellis.  He's in high school. 

What was he doing there?  He was invited to be a judge.

Why did he perform?  Well, he didn't actually play an instrument...or sing. 

How did he impress?  I was absolutely FLOORED when we spoke with him after the show.  The little squirt has an absolute celebrity persona.  A plastered, affable smile as he dains to speak to us.  I couldn't believe it.  As if he has to deal with adoring fans all day long.  We were going up to speak to him, to congratulate him on his performance at the Arts Academy.  We've known him since he was around the second grade, but I've never seen him like this! 

While part of me wanted to smack his self-satisfied little face, another part of me was in stitches.  I couldn't believe it.  You know, I am a little admiring of that absolutely incredible level of self-confidence.  I feel sure he expected us to beg for his autograph at any moment.  He was being soooo absolutely gracious, with his instantaneous, sugary, "Oh, thaaaank you..." and fake smile.  You know, I don't think I've ever quite met someone so supremely enmeshed with his celebrity persona.

No, he wasn't rude.  At all.  And perhaps I wouldn't have been so stunned if it actually had been a real celebrity (though he apparently has local reknown).  But the kid...gosh, well, I guess he IMPRESSED me again.  I couldn't stop talking about it.  Little stinkin' brat!  :)

Okay, now...for the show.  Yes, it was cute.  Again, this is where it behooves me to be completely uninvolved with things.  For, if I didn't know that Fiona had auditioned and not been placed in the show, I would have loved it.  I would have smiled sweetly at the cute little off-key, childish performances.  No, not saying the show was completely without talent.  There were some really good acts.  However, I think Fiona would have taken her age division hands-down.  Of course, that's just my own motherly opinion.  Fiona's friend beautifully sang an original, cute tune, and she didn't even place in the top three.  She wasn't quite as showy as the acts that got the prizes (I was dumbfounded at the winners chosen--certainly not based on talent, but maybe on entertainment value).  I maintain, however, that it was absolutely absurd, nonsensical that Fiona wasn't placed in the show.  And I'm irked because next year she'll be in the next age division, and there is a girl one grade ahead of her who is ridiculously talented and beautiful--also of local fame--who will share her category, so Fiona's chances of actually placing/winning will be a little more difficult.

Oh, I haven't mentioned Alex!  He told jokes--three different times.  I was so proud that he was bold enough to get up there.  He says that he was nervous, and he did stare at the floor much of the time, but he used voices and got through it and the audience laughed...it was great. 

Ahh, and I really must share the funniest part to me, personally.  This is June weather, right?  In Savannah, no less.  Well...my son wore his Armani cashmere/wool coat.  It was one of my finds recently at a consignment shop, and my enthusiasm rubbed off on him, apparently.  I mildly tried to dissuade him yesterday, but I think part of me finds it hilarious that he's so attached to the image he thinks it conveys.  Too funny.

In fact, when I first bought it, he wore it to school, and I tried to talk him out of it.  When he got home, I asked, "Alex, isn't it too hot for that coat?" 

He shook his head and answered, "No Mom, it really isn't.  I can wear it for up to twenty minutes at a time without a problem!"

OMG!  How hilarious, right?  He'd apparently gotten three different compliments on the coat at school that day (yes, all from girls!!!).  Well, I just find it too cute to argue with him any more, and his face was a bit flushed up there on the stage, which I honestly do believe was due to the coat more than nerves! 

It really is a nice coat...

And Alex really did do a good job.  Bravo to my Boy! 

And, again, I'm still not over Fiona not getting in the show.  She would have been incredible.  Sometimes life just doesn't make sense...

Fiona's art pieces from Ellis 2nd/3rd grade art show

Fiona's cover art!

Check out the invitation to the Ellis 2nd/3rd grade art show!  It features Fiona's artwork!  Notice that her name's on the page twice--see if you can find it!