Love Muffin

Happy Post Labor Day! And also Happy First Day of School for those getting up before dawn to hop on the bus. This year the kids get picked up by the bus about the same time as last year. Too early! They each ride separately since they go to different school buildings. Number One Son, again is picked up at the crack of 6:50am. Sweet Pea gets to sleep in since her bus arrives at 7:10am. It's sad that even in September, it's dark when they get up.

Even though she gets an extra 20 minutes Sweet Pea still comes down the stairs a little groggy sometimes.

This morning, Sweet Pea, shuffled down the stairs and settled into her chair at the kitchen table.
"Good morning, Sweet Pea, what would you like for breakfast?", I asked.

I heard a mumble from her haystack morning hairdo that sounded like Cousin It from the Addams family.

"What was that?", I inquired.

"I want one of those bagels.", she drowsily slurred. She pronounces bagel with a short 'a', like in the word bag.

Then she changed her mind, "No wait. I want an American muffin."

"Do you mean an English muffin?"

"Oh, yeah."

Hopefully, she wakes up by the time English class rolls around.

Kids Gone Mild

Just to let you know, today is World Autism Awareness Day, which is kicking off Autism Awareness Month. If you happen to see the symbol of a multi-colored puzzle piece on someone, give them a slap on the back and a 'right-on, thumbs up'.

Spring Break has finally ended. The kids had a little more than a week off due to a teacher workshop tacked onto the end of break. The kids enjoyed their vacation, but were really ready to get back into the school routine. Number One Son had been rising with the sun for the last three days. I kept telling him he could sleep in but he didn't want to. He was also getting a little tired of playing 'Littlest Pet Shop' and 'My Little Pony' board games with his sister.

Sweet Pea didn't let her brother's enthusiasm for mornings influence her. All during break she slept in until a respectable hour. But you could tell that she was getting anxious for school to start again too.

I guess Mom and Dad are pretty boring. No MTV beach parties, no road trips to Daytona, no milk chugging contests. They did get to ride their bikes in between snow storms though.

On the night before school we mentioned that break would be over tomorrow and school would start again. Both kids raised their hands and yelled, "Yay!" It's nice that they are still at an age that likes school. It won't be too long until school is the enemy to be 'cut' at all opportunities and snow days will be prayed for more intensely than anything in church.

Until then, we will appreciate a 'fun school' attitude from them.

It's too bad that Spring Break couldn't have been a week or two later this year. The spring weather is just on the cusp of being really nice. Sweet Pea even commented this morning that she doesn't like waking up in the night. She means she doesn't like her mornings to be dark outside. But, the days are getting longer a few minutes at a time. At least the sun is up by the time the bus comes.

Before long, summer will be here and then the real vacation starts. If they were anxious for school after one week off, how will they handle three months? Maybe year-round school wouldn't be a bad idea.

The Negotiator

We had some good news from school this week. On Friday, the mailbox had a postcard addressed to Number One Son. It was a CBG from his school. This was not a recruiting letter from Russian intelligence. A CBG is a 'Caught Being Good' notice. When a student is observed doing the right thing in a difficult situation at school, the witnessing teacher rewards the student with a CBG.

Number One Son's situation happened on the playground during recess. While playing a game, a bunch of kids were arguing with one boy. The teacher said that N1S was trying really hard to convince all of the kids to stop arguing and continue playing. He was then very consoling to the one boy who was ganged up on. The teacher said N1S showed a lot of empathy for the boy. Empathy is one thing we are constantly working on with N1S. We were very proud of him. Kids with Asperger's very often have trouble recognizing an other's point of view. For the last five years, N1S has been slowly improving his ability to recognize social cues to choose appropriate responses. He also has been having improved interactions with some neighborhood boys his age. He no longer is hesitant about initiating play, but he actually takes part and enjoys the games they play together. A couple years ago, these same boys would just walk away when N1S would say something off the mark or play in an unorthodox way. We now feel comfortable letting him go off and join in the group on his own. He still needs a little 'pre-play coaching' once in a while, but it is considerably less than before.

The CBG notice from school was definitely a high point of the week for N1S and us. It says that something is going right in his world. I hope we have a little something to do with that. I know that he deserves most of the credit for his effort. Maybe this will be the first of a long line of CBG's. Even if it isn't, we know that he is working hard and doing his best.

We showed N1S his CBG and asked him for his view of how he handled the situation. He said he saw all of the kids fighting and he told them to stop. He said, "Guys, if you don't stop arguing, you'll lose all of your play time." Very logical. I'm not sure if his empathy was for a friend or for wasting play time.

Either way, we are pleased with N1S's choice of action.

The 'Times' Are a Changin'

Not only are the times changing, but so are the additions and subtractions. The school district offered a class tonight to explain the 'new math' that they are teaching the kids these days. It seems that every two to three years a new way to do math is adopted by the school. This is OK with me. I enjoyed math in my younger days. I think that different math methods only enhances the understanding of numbers. Not every method works for every child, but different options are good for students to find their own way.

The night started out with a downpour. A storm blew in just before the class. I quickly jumped in the pickup and headed out. The rain increased so that I could barely see. After three blocks it started to hail. I whipped a uwey at the next stop sign and raced back home. I parked the pickup in the garage and took Lady Di's van to the class. I was sure she wouldn't mind. It already has a little hail damage anyway. I hydroplaned all the way to the primary school because the sewer drains couldn't keep up with the deluge. It probably didn't help that I was racing close to the curb to see how big a wave the tires could make. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, the rain stopped. Which was good because the front door had a sign that said, "Go to the back door".

I entered the school and eventually found the class, after accidentally crashing a women's aerobic class in the gym. I'm glad I figured it out before I really started to sweat.

I walked into the correct class and helped myself to the snacks. I took a few pretzels and a bottle of water. OK, I really took a fistful of cookies and a Pepsi. I thought the class was very informative. Did you know that four is now the new five? It was a relief to finally learn the definitions of the terms that Number One Son has been using to describe his math homework. I found out that the kids use the 'Lattice Method' for multiplication. I think this method is often used in backyard garden landscaping and under porches. They also use the 'Partial Product' method. This method helps the student complete part of the problem before getting out the calculator. There was no mention of the fingers and toes method, which was in vogue when I was a kid. Of course, way back when I was a kid in the olden days, we only used numbers one through five. All those other numbers and that fancy zero were discovered much later.

I was lucky enough to meet Number One Son's challenge math teacher. She was nice and spoke very positively about N1S. She also is very excited about math. When she started quizzing me about multiplication tables, I pretended to have a coughing fit and made a dash for the water fountain in the hallway.

With my narrow escape, I made my way home in time to kiss the kids goodnight. It was then Lady Di's turn to quiz me on what happened at the meeting.

"It was great, Hon!", I exclaimed. "They served cookies!"

Have a Good Day

This is the first year that both munchkins go to school all day. Number One Son is entering third grade and his sister, Sweet Pea, is attending all day Kindergarten this fall. Is it possible to experience 'empty nest syndrome' before they move out? Whenever the house is empty and quiet, it is just another reminder of how fast they are both growing up. It has been nine years since we haven't had a young one in the house. N1S was just starting school when Sweet Pea was born. Now she will be riding the bus too.

N1S got to start school today. His little sister gets to start her learnin' tomorrow. The bus comes at 6:40am. It is dark when we get up and the sun is just starting to awake up when we go out to wait for the bus. We will need flashlights when winter comes. Even though it was early, N1S got right up and picked up where he left off last school year. He got dressed, ate a cereal bar, brushed his teeth and sat out on the porch to wait. N1S likes routines and this is the exact same order he got ready to last year.

When the bus came, N1S gave the driver some muffins that Lady Di had made the night before. It doesn't hurt to 'grease the wheels' a little at the beginning of the year. We actually do things like that because N1S is more comfortable if he knows people well. Baked goods break the ice and the drivers usually remember him for it. They also appreciate a little pick me up on the first day.

N1S came home after school today with a big smile on his face.
"That was excellent!", he proclaimed, walking up the driveway. This was somewhat unusual. In years past, when we would ask him how his first day was, he would grunt, "OK I guess". Further questioning by Lady Di or myself would glean like answers.
"Do you like your teacher?"

"Yup"

"Did you make any new friends?"

"Yup"

"What are their names?"

"Idunno"

"What was for lunch?"

"Ummmmm....I forget."


"Did you really go to school, or just fall asleep in the bathroom until it was time to come home?"

"Ummmmm....I forget."

This year he was really excited coming home from school. I think he was mostly proud of meeting a new friend. People who know N1S, know that he sometimes struggles with initiating and sustaining friendships. He said he met a kid who really likes Harry Potter, and I guess they talked in English accents all day. I'm sure the lunch ladies were impressed. When Lady Di asked N1S his new friend's name, he actually knew it. And he didn't say Dumbledore.

At supper time, it was my turn to ask him about his day. He told me about his friend. He told me what he had for lunch. (mini corn dogs) He even told me about the book that the teacher read to them.

Is this what I can expect from third grade? Is N1S finally turning a corner in his development and/or maturity and paying more attention to his surroundings? Or did he simply have a good day at school. I don't really care why my son had a good day at school. I just care that he had one. I know everyday won't be golden, but I would like to see that most of them are. He is off to a pretty good start.

We also were notified that he was accepted into the accelerated math program at school. N1S loves math and numbers. He likes to figure out different ways to solve problems and rearrange numbers. He doesn't always like to do math homework though. Maybe I can get him to balance the checkbook.

His sister, Sweet Pea was accepted into the accelerated speaking program at her Kindergarten. She will have no problem keeping up with this. She is definitely not the shy one and would love to tell you why. I asked her if she was excited for kindergarten. She said, "Yeah, and we will be getting lunch!" I guess lunch at school for the first time would be cool. She has actually joined her brother for lunch at his school before but I think she really is looking forward to being with her class.

Tomorrow, Sweet Pea invades kindergarten. I can't wait to hear all about her day.

Summer Over? Never!

I heard from someone that summer is now over. Is summer really over? The temperature still seems like summer. Flowers are still blooming. I'm still mowing the lawn. I'm not ready to release summer from my kung-fu grip just yet. Just because Labor Day has come and gone, doesn't mean I can't still work on my awesome farmer's tan lines. I can still hear cicadas in the trees and I can still walk barefoot in the grass. Oh no, summer is not over yet.

Every year, summer speeds by faster. We never have enough time to do all of the things we want to do. Since we had a record number of ninety degree days this year, we got to swim more than previous years. Both pool and beach. We played baseball and soccer. We got to go to the State Fair. We went to the Mall of America. We went to a Twins game. We rode bikes and played with chalk and bubbles. We went to parades. We did a little fishing and golfing. We visited family in three states. We had a few bonfires with smores in the back yard. We even went camping for the first time as a family. Summer always seems so short. We hardly got to do anything!

If summer fun really is over, what can I look forward to now? Let's see. I can look forward to cold weather and shovelling snow. (Yay! Minnesota!) I guess that also means less mosquitoes. Also, now that the kids are in school, I can try out that napping program I've been developing. But only on my mornings off from work. Maybe, Lady Di and I can do some exercising together. Or maybe a little golf. When the mildly cooler weather comes, I won't have to mow the lawn as much. Plus, I won't sweat a bucket and a half while doing it. We will get to go to high school football games on Fridays, and watch college football on Saturdays, and pro football on Sundays. If you call Vikings football, pro. We have trips to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch planned. Church suppers will also start filling the calendar. Then comes Halloween, burning leaves, hot chocolate and before you know it, Thanksgiving. Gee, I wish summer wouldn't last so darned long. I never have enough time for my Autumn fun stuff.

But how can school actually be starting already?

Even though summer seemed to go on endlessly, school sneaked up on us again. Let me clarify, school sneaked up on me. Lady Di was ready weeks ago. She not only gathered school supplies from the kids' school lists, she packed their backpacks and had them ready last week.

N1S starts school tomorrow, and Sweet Pea starts in two days. We'll see if we can strap them down for bed tonight. It will be hard for them to sleep, knowing all the fun stuff we have to do, now that summer is finally over.

Shoulder Angel

I'm very proud of Lady Di. She has recently climbed the first rung on the ladder to nursing. She just completed an accelerated three week CNA training program. So now she is a certified nursing assistant. Her program had tests every day. She was so nervous about passing them that she studied like crazy every night. It paid off too. She graduated at the top of her class and was offered a job at the nursing home right away. Her instructor gave an award to each student at the end of the program. She cited Lady Di for being 'Most Meticulous'. At the beginning of the program, Lady Di's instructor told the students that she was going to be a little angel on their shoulders, whispering the correct way to perform tasks. She said that Lady Di's award signified that Lady Di no longer needed her shoulder angel, as she always strove for perfection and never cut corners when caring for residents.


She's not sure if she will work right away. She is also taking a college English class on her way to nursing school. Once her college general classes are finished, she can apply for nursing school. Her CNA certification and 4.0 grade point average should give her a little bit of an edge when they select students for nursing school.


It's not easy to go back to school after over fifteen years. I don't think I could do it. In fact, I'm sure I couldn't do it. My study habits involved a lot of procrastinating and cramming. Now with two kids, I don't think they would always be accommodating to the 'all nighter'. Lady Di doesn't have that problem. She does her work nightly and actually learns what she needs to know instead of memorization. I know Lady Di will do well. She really works hard and it will be worth it in a couple years when she is a nurse.

Nursing really does suit Lady Di well. She is the most caring and empathetic person I know. She works well with kids, seniors and everyone in between. I don't see any limit to what she will want to do. As long as she continues college, I will try to be there with help and support.


As long as she tells me where the 'college parties' are.