Over Due Alexim's

I am learning so much working training FULL TIME.

I am learning: 

• Why families eat fast food for dinner.
• That the laundry is NEVER done. Ever.
• That skipping the gym FOUR DAYS straight isn't a problem
• That I MUST have a caffeinated beverage and chocolate mid afternoon to stay awake.
• Which because of the two above listed life lessons, I am learning that sitting all day behind a computer in tight jeans is very uncomfortable.
• That washing my hair twice a week instead of every other day is totally acceptable.
• That there's a reason no one comments on my blog. They work! And don't have time!
• That you just focus on the next 24 hours and worry about whatever else is coming when it gets closer!

I'm sure I've learned even more but I need to be preparing a Sunday school lesson and studying my training manual  - not so I can pass the dreaded assessments (I already passed all of 'em! Woot!) But so I can actually help my JB customers when they call me on Monday. Oh yes. I'll be solo on the phones.
Hoping and praying I don't get a "I'd like to change my international flight to another date and I'm flying with an infant - I want to pay with my husbands Travel Bank and make sure I get my True Blue Points! Oh, and can you tell me if I can bring _________(insert some odd thing here that I have no idea about!) and can you tell me what the on time average is for the flight I'll be taking from _____ to ____? (Insert two cities that I have no idea what the airport codes are). "
Such fun.
Four more days of full time training and then it's my late night, weekend shifts at the call center for a week before coming home to work out of my house. 
But today between running Dev places, helping Alex with his English studies, trying to finish the laundry, clean the house, show houses, key box a new listing -thirty minutes from here - negotiate repairs on a contract and balancing our checking account, I wanted to document a few Alexisms:

Today at lunch I just cleaned out the fridge and freezer, warming up left overs, cooking some tator -tots, and pot-stickers. Just a hodge-podge of this and that.
Alex: Mom, I'll have some sticks."
Me: Sticks? Alex, I am not serving sticks, you'll have to go out in the yard for those.
Alex: No, these. Sticks.
Me: You mean pot-stickers?

Kambree and Rylee were putting together a puzzle Thanksgiving weekend. I joined in and then convinced Alex to come help.(He's not really into anything that is not electronic)  Rylee was giving me ideas for her Christmas list and asked for some Van's (shoes). Alex misheard her and in a disgusted, authoritative voice informed us all that "We are not getting ants. They will eat my food and bite me!" We burst out laughing. Ants? She said Vans!

Last week Alex came home with a bad brushing report from the orthodontist. Boo. We talked once again about the importance of brushing his teeth. Then I said exasperated "Alex, if I could I'd put you in diapers, back in a crib and just start over - I would!" To which he excitedly replied "Oh, mom. That would be great! Then you could teach me everything right!"  
If only that wouldn't be the weirdest thing ever. A 13 and 1/2 year old in diapers with a bottle and a binky!
I told him that people would probably find that crazy and take him away from me so, we will just have to work with what we've got.
He agreed.


He is talking a lot about Ukraine these days.
Telling me about the fruit that grew on the tree next to the red building at the orphanage. According to Alex, it was black berries? Do they grow on trees?
He talks about stealing and how many items he stole. He told us (while we were feeding the missionaries dinner - never the less) that he stole a ladies purse but she caught him and hit him in the head with it.
He is getting a little defiant about studying and writing in his journal. He wrote a whole entry about how he hates writing in his journal and talking about his feelings. How it's enoying (annoying) and makes him strest (stressed). He "would do anything to stop writting (writing)  in his journal exceped (except)  thes (these)  things laundry, toilet (as in cleaning toilets),  masoch (give people massages)  and vacum (vacuuming).
What a funny list.
(And no, we don't make him give anyone massages. Weird.)
He did admit that: "When I growup (grow up) I will rite (write) about me doting (dating) girls and I will remember them. 

He is really into girls. Scary.
Later that night as I tucked him into bed, I asked him what was worse, writing in his journal or living in an orphanage?
An orphanage.
Well, his journal writing is how we work on his grammar and sentence structure and it also helps him with his communication and until he's on grade level he'll need to keep writing in his journal,  Besides, I want to understand him and I want him to be able to express himself and feel confidant in his English both in speech and writing.
He seemed okay with that and since then (last Thursday)  he wrote a great entry about the difference between Christmas here and in Ukraine. The saddest part:
In Ukraine if you have a family you get to have a big party and open presents and eat food till 12:00 o'clock. In the orphaneg (orphanage) we didn't realy (really) celabrate (celebrate) Christmas the only thing we did is (was) eat oranges and watch a very scary movie. 


Not sure if I blogged this but I was reminded of the time we watched "Oliver" with Alex a couple of months ago. The show opens in an ugly gray orphanage where they sing "Food Glorious Food". Alex kept looking at me funny. Then when little Oliver goes up and says "More please?" and holds out his bowl, Alex looked at me with huge saucer eyes, "Mom, did you think my orphanage was like this?" I told him I wasn't sure what it was like but I was worried that it would be like this. He matter of factually announces,  "It was nothing like this." then turned back to the show and continued watching without a care in the world. Well, he did have one care, at one point he asked. "Why do they have to keep singing?" Uh...that would be because it's a musical?
Boys.
He sounds just like Austin.

Anyway, my lesson and training manual are calling.