Alex Update....

I was reading this morning on my blog about what was going on around this time last year. I wrote DAILY about funny things Alex said and did. It seemed everyday I just had a plethora of material. Now that Alex is getting the language down, I don't have as much to write about. But I've got a couple Alexisms to share.

Alex has spelling words, my vocabulary words and content words (usually relating to science or what the class is studying.) weekly. This week there were some expressions in his content words. Try as I might he had a hard time grasping what an expression was. I finally just asked what he thought these expressions might mean:

Shed some light on it.

To shine a flashlight on it?

Light a fire underneath someone.

Light him on fire?

Make light of something.

(Absolute silence.)

Yep. Expressions are hard.

Because he's still not regained-and probably never will-full video game privileges he's found a lot of fun things to do with his spare time. (He's even confessed that he's glad he doesn't get to play video games all the time because he's having much more fun with his new found desire to build things and play tunes on the piano!)

His newest project is building this: "sweet homemade Nerf gun" ! (Click on link if you'd like to see how he's building it.) He needs a certain 1/2 inch ball valve-which took me forever to figure out-finally he just showed me the video. He went down to my Dad's. No valve. (Not even sure he was able to communicate what he wanted because he was telling me it was a tool? My Dad doesn't hear well so, I can't imagine that the communication was actually accurate!) We emailed James. No answer. Then later he was sort of stomping around disgruntled about everything that I was asking of him. I asked him to do his reading. He was frowning so much and I couldn't figure out why. I frowned at him and asked how he'd like it if I looked at him with this grumpy face all the time. He stormed off and began to read. I gave him a minute and then checked on him and his eyes were filled with tears. "What is wrong Alex?" He burst into tears. "I can't make it work. I try and try and it won't work. I need to buy part and I don't have enough money!" "The Nerf gun?" "Yes." "All this stomping around and looking grumpy is over the Nerf gun that you don't have the right parts for?" "Yes." I explained that I thought he was mad at me for asking him to put his scout book away and do his reading. That he can't expect to make things without the right materials-even if he is creative there are some jobs that just need the right stuff. That we'd talk to Dad, see if we had this do-hicky and if not he could buy one at the store. But until he gets back with us, he just needs to wait. I suggested he could look it up on line and see how much it cost, reminded him that he was getting his allowance tomorrow. Then we talked about patience. His lack of patience. (We've been talking about patience for almost two years now-given that I was trying to teach him patience two October's ago during the hosting program when he couldn't ride a bike the very minute he sat on it and had dissolved into a puddle of tears. A Ukraine puddle of tears never the less that could not communicate with me or I with him!) He needs to be more patient.  I cannot and will not drop everything and run and get parts or what not for his projects. He only informed me of the need of said part today around dinner. He needs to plan, communicate and have patience. (Gee-wiz! He and Devree are like peas in a pod with their need to get things RIGHT NOW!  Can I handle having TWO of these high maintenance, gotta get it now kids?? I think they're going to drive me to drink!) Then I made him take some deep cleansing breaths, air in through the nose out through the mouth and he began to giggle. 

After he finished his thirty minutes of reading he found the part on line. It's at the local hardware store and it cost $2.47. He will have his allowance tomorrow and I have no doubt that he'll negotiate/bug me until we get to the store after school! 

Wow. 

I wonder if Ben Franklin or Thomas Edison's mom had this problem?

We have a court of honor on Sunday where he'll be awarded four merit badges for his work during scout camp. He had a board review last night and needed to review the scout oath, motto and pledge. Here he is practicing:

Isn't he a cute kid?

Todays' journal entry was sweet but a little odd. 

I know that I do not like taking all the getages (garbages) but thats how my mom loves me. My mom loves me when ever she gets mad and  I love her now matter what happened's.

We talked a bit about this. I asked if he thought I brought him here just to take out the garbage?

No.

Do I only love him only because he takes out the garbage?

No.

Do I only love him when I'm mad?

No.

Well, that's what is sounds like in you journal.

Oh.

We went back over it to try and make more sense of it and he decided to erase the garbage part and then switch some words around so it says "My mom loves me even when she's mad." (Whew. That sounds a lot better then the only time I ever love him is when I'm mad!)

Later after his spelling pretest (where he got ONE right and asked if I could help him study spelling better next week-I almost fell to the floor-he was asking ME for help and additional time to study! Glory be and the Saints be praised!) and his vocabulary pre-test (that he aced-thank you very much!) I told him as he was leaving, "I sure love ya!" and he looked at me confused. "Alex, it means I sure love YOU!" Again confused look, "Sure love you?" I finally just asked, "What do you think I'm saying?"  "That you love me lots and lots no matter what?"

Yep. 

Exactly.