Last day of APRIL:
Saturday, April 30, 2011
April Picture Hodpodge!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Do I dare blog this?
Last night I was standing in my bedroom doorway talking with Alex and Rylee as they got into bed. (I can see into both of their rooms from more doorway.) I let a little "toot" slip and Alex looked up from his bed and with a huge, sincere smile said,
"Congratulations Mom! You had your first fart!"
I started laughing.
"Alex, I have farted before. That was not my first fart but is that the first time you heard me?"
"Yes!"
"Wow. In two years you have never heard me fart before?"
"No!"
I have to admit I'm pretty proud of myself. It's not that I don't do this normal bodily function, (just like everyone else does, I'm sure) I am just proud that I've been so discreet all this time.
I was sharing the story with my nephews tonight (because you know how boys think anything to do with farts is sooo funny?) After laughing and laughing, Brach shared that he has never heard Aunt Wendy fart either but commented that he sure has heard Uncle James fart....a lot!!!
Teeheehee!
Teeheehee!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Summer Jobs
I sat down at my computer only to discover this typed into my search bar:
summer jobs for 11 year old girls in murray
Apparently Rylee is looking for a job?
It made me smile.
My ambitious girl.
Now, if I could get Austin to look for a summer job for a 17 year old boy and if Kambree could get a summer job for an 18 almost 19 year old girl, life would be great!
Anyone have suggestions??
Anyone have suggestions??
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Baby Egor
This is Alex's nephew.
Egor.
Pronounced more like Eggor - not like Frankenstiens assistant.)
Life, Paska & Tough Love
Okay. Life has overwhelmed me lately. Remember my motivation post? Well, it started a whole heap of work and we're in the thick of it right now!
We moved Devree upstairs after *I* painted not only the bottom half of her room a lovely shade of purple but the top half of her room because it looked so bad compared to the fresh paint! Pictures coming soon. Just waiting on RC Willeys to deliver the dresser tomorrow. HUGE long ordeal getting her a dresser. After looking all over town for days on end, we decided on a big black armoire. It was really big. Yep. TOO big. So back it went and we ordered a dresser.
I could go on and on about finishing our basement and the tight time schedule we're on to get the drywall up, the furniture moved for carpet layers in the finished bedrooms and then all the furniture moved for the mud guy in the rest of the basement, and Kambree coming home without a bedroom ready for her but I won't. It's too boring.
About Easter Paska, (for those of you who have asked) it was okay. At least according to me. Alex said it was the "best he ever had" but he tends to be a little biased. My brothers girlfriend, Eleana (from Ukraine, what a coincidence huh?) said it was wonderful and she seemed pretty excited that I had made it. She's a size ZERO so the fact that she ate some AND took some home warmed my heart. Everyone else thought it was just okay. It's not very sweet. Eleana says that's why she likes it. That American pastries are just to rich and sweet. Yeah. Probably why she's a size zero? I'm just glad it turned out. (I am not the best bread maker. Yeast stresses me out.)
So, here comes some tough love with Alex.
For months he has been neglecting to bring home his graded weekly homework. I brought it up at his last IEP and his teacher was baffled. "Alex, why aren't you bringing home your homework?" Alex just shrugs. He did go retrieve some from the garbage in his classroom. He had a weekly grade of 97%. I asked why he wouldn't want to bring this home? Again, shrug. He did admit that he doesn't like to bring home his Fast Forward grade because he thinks he's "doing bad" but this is the reading program he's in and the percentage is based on what he knows and where he's at and each week he improves in small increments. The one and only report I saw said he was at 60% in one area and 51% in another. He must have interpreted those scores as "bad" and of course throwing it away would be better than bringing it home? Needless to say, we had words about it not being "bad" and that even if it was, bringing it home and letting me help him or get him help would be better than just getting farther and father behind.
So, yesterday I asked where his graded homework was? "Oh, I will bring tomorrow." Today he came in and slipped his "100% for the week" score on my desk. "Great job Alex!" I almost tossed it in the garbage but as it sat there and I worked, I thought I should check his spelling test. I almost brushed it off. He's cheated in the past (back when he was bringing home his homework) because he corrects his own test and turns in his own score. But I thought we had nipped that in the bud. I really want to trust him. I almost let it go but again, I felt prompted to just confirm that he wasn't cheating.
Guess what?
He marked ONE wrong but turned in a 100% score. When he actually missed TEN!
TEN!!
It dawned on me, THIS IS WHY HE'S NOT BEEN BRINGING HOME HIS HOMEWORK!!
I felt snookered. Betrayed and so very disappointed.
We had already addressed this months ago and I thought he had a handle on it.
If I stop feeling so hurt and step back, I think he cheats as a survival instinct. Something ingrained in him from the orphanage? I don't know how to break him of it. I've told him a hundred times that I don't expect him to be perfect, just to do his best. (I do however except him to complete all his assignments and have good behavior.) We have never gotten angry for bad grades. I know he's not afraid of us. I do think he doesn't want to disappoint us and they only way he thinks he can do that is by cheating?
I'm also ticked at his teacher! When I caught this months ago not only did I talk with Alex, I brought it to his teachers attention. (And why are they correcting their own spelling? When I went to school we always had to trade with our neighbor and correct each others!) So I've emailed the teacher and I'm sending the test back in a sealed envelope. I am asking him to confront Alex on this. I feel like a rat-fink turning my son in but I've talked and talked and I'm hoping his teacher will be more effective than me? I'm hoping this "tough love" approach will sink in once and for all?
Advice anyone? Am I the worst mother ever??
I could go on and on about finishing our basement and the tight time schedule we're on to get the drywall up, the furniture moved for carpet layers in the finished bedrooms and then all the furniture moved for the mud guy in the rest of the basement, and Kambree coming home without a bedroom ready for her but I won't. It's too boring.
About Easter Paska, (for those of you who have asked) it was okay. At least according to me. Alex said it was the "best he ever had" but he tends to be a little biased. My brothers girlfriend, Eleana (from Ukraine, what a coincidence huh?) said it was wonderful and she seemed pretty excited that I had made it. She's a size ZERO so the fact that she ate some AND took some home warmed my heart. Everyone else thought it was just okay. It's not very sweet. Eleana says that's why she likes it. That American pastries are just to rich and sweet. Yeah. Probably why she's a size zero? I'm just glad it turned out. (I am not the best bread maker. Yeast stresses me out.)
So, here comes some tough love with Alex.
For months he has been neglecting to bring home his graded weekly homework. I brought it up at his last IEP and his teacher was baffled. "Alex, why aren't you bringing home your homework?" Alex just shrugs. He did go retrieve some from the garbage in his classroom. He had a weekly grade of 97%. I asked why he wouldn't want to bring this home? Again, shrug. He did admit that he doesn't like to bring home his Fast Forward grade because he thinks he's "doing bad" but this is the reading program he's in and the percentage is based on what he knows and where he's at and each week he improves in small increments. The one and only report I saw said he was at 60% in one area and 51% in another. He must have interpreted those scores as "bad" and of course throwing it away would be better than bringing it home? Needless to say, we had words about it not being "bad" and that even if it was, bringing it home and letting me help him or get him help would be better than just getting farther and father behind.
So, yesterday I asked where his graded homework was? "Oh, I will bring tomorrow." Today he came in and slipped his "100% for the week" score on my desk. "Great job Alex!" I almost tossed it in the garbage but as it sat there and I worked, I thought I should check his spelling test. I almost brushed it off. He's cheated in the past (back when he was bringing home his homework) because he corrects his own test and turns in his own score. But I thought we had nipped that in the bud. I really want to trust him. I almost let it go but again, I felt prompted to just confirm that he wasn't cheating.
Guess what?
He marked ONE wrong but turned in a 100% score. When he actually missed TEN!
TEN!!
It dawned on me, THIS IS WHY HE'S NOT BEEN BRINGING HOME HIS HOMEWORK!!
I felt snookered. Betrayed and so very disappointed.
We had already addressed this months ago and I thought he had a handle on it.
If I stop feeling so hurt and step back, I think he cheats as a survival instinct. Something ingrained in him from the orphanage? I don't know how to break him of it. I've told him a hundred times that I don't expect him to be perfect, just to do his best. (I do however except him to complete all his assignments and have good behavior.) We have never gotten angry for bad grades. I know he's not afraid of us. I do think he doesn't want to disappoint us and they only way he thinks he can do that is by cheating?
I'm also ticked at his teacher! When I caught this months ago not only did I talk with Alex, I brought it to his teachers attention. (And why are they correcting their own spelling? When I went to school we always had to trade with our neighbor and correct each others!) So I've emailed the teacher and I'm sending the test back in a sealed envelope. I am asking him to confront Alex on this. I feel like a rat-fink turning my son in but I've talked and talked and I'm hoping his teacher will be more effective than me? I'm hoping this "tough love" approach will sink in once and for all?
Advice anyone? Am I the worst mother ever??
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter!
Coloring eggs the night before:
The baskets
The traditional "waiting on the stair" picture.
Hunting for eggs
Austin wearing his basket on his head...
After church my family came over for dinner and a plastic egg hunt. This is me gathering the kids up before the hunt.
Then the camera battery died and we didn't get any other pictures.
Here is video of Austin's funny "basket head" performance. He was a bit shy at first but eventually he gives in.
(Sorry it's side ways. I shot it wrong!)
My Paska!
I'm serving it at our family Easter dinner tonight.
Don't know if it's good or not.
My other children remembered having it last year from the Russian store and how dry it was. I told them I hoped it wouldn't be dry this year. Alex told me if it's not dry, he will save a piece for a few weeks and WAIT for it to be dry!
Don't know if it's good or not.
My other children remembered having it last year from the Russian store and how dry it was. I told them I hoped it wouldn't be dry this year. Alex told me if it's not dry, he will save a piece for a few weeks and WAIT for it to be dry!
Crazy.
It's suppose to be dry?
Last years Easter Paska experience....
http://blessedwitharichhart.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-friend-ritva-brought-over-easter.html
http://blessedwitharichhart.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-friend-ritva-brought-over-easter.html
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Wheeler Farm Photo Shoot!
Shhh....it's a surprise for my mom (and she never reads my blog so I think I'm safe) for her birthday in June. We took all her grandchildren the Saturday before Easter on a photo shoot.
My cute cousin Kym took the real pictures but these are one's I snagged on my little camera.
Here's my five.
(Yes, the boys look like they're in pain. Keep an eye on Austin and Alex throughout for various looks of pain, grimace and constipation.)
All the grandkids. Syd was pretty upset at this point and the other grand-boys are about as thrilled as A&A to have their pictures taken.
I joked that everyone looks perfect in the next one!
The girls!
Austin standing on wheel. Why? Because he can?
A fake pose of brotherly love
A more real life pose
I think this might be the best of all nine.
My girls are not afraid of the camera....
AND they are pretty photogenic, if I do say so myself
The Boys....(Check out Zach's face....to funny!)
Kambree wanted me to take this picture of her by some junk. Her theory? If you stand by something ugly in your picture, you will look prettier? Whatever.
Austin in his GQ pose.
The boys again...
Alex looks like he should be on the old TV show "The Waltons"
They really liked posing on this old truck.
Syd & Kam
Dev
Ry
The oldest and the youngest grandchildren
I love this one!
The boys....they are really grumbling at this point.
All though he looks thrilled, Z was actually telling us he was done having his picture taken!
This is how Alex wanted his picture taken. I think he thinks he looks like a cowboy?
The boys were not thrilled about this one.
I can't wait to see how this one turned out from Kym's view point.
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