Sunday, July 15, 2012

What's Up with D.J.?

And here we have a modern art depiction of D.J.  Stand back, frown, clear your throat and nod approvingly. He likes to mess around with my phone.


D.J.'s big deal in the last little while was breaking his thumb.  One Sunday evening we had some friends over for dinner.  After finishing dinner, the boys had enough of adult talk and usually wander away.  This night, they wandered to the back yard to play.  We could see them wrestling, all normal-like, no need to worry.  Then D.J. walks in the house whimpering, not even crying, that there's something wrong with his thumb.  He was diving for Spencer, Spencer rolled and D.J. landed on his thumb.  We look at it, have him bend it, compare it to the breaks we've seen on America's Funniest Videos, and it just doesn't seem that bad.  But then my mother instinct kicks in and I feel we should take him to the instacare.  The x-ray there showed the tip of his bone on the first knuckle broken.

But then when he goes to the orthopedic doctor, we discover there was a clean break straight across the bone! Here is his first cast.  Yes, this is 1 of 2 casts in 4 weeks.  The stuffing from the first cast came out of the top for a number of reasons: D.J. is still very active with a cast, he decided to play in the mud at the father's and son's camp out, and he pulls on it mindlessly.  He chose a white cast for his second one because he felt it would be cooler since dark colors absorb more light.

D.J. is free and is a testimonial of the importance of opposable thumbs.

D.J. was very excited to hear that the Rec. center started a flag football league.  He had two practices a week and games on Saturday.  Mark and I agreed that this is one of the funnest sports to watch that our boys have been in so far.  This picture is from the last game he played, one of the only ones without his cast!

Fourth grade is a time for do-si-do's.  I remember doing the Virginia Reel in fourth grade with a boy who happened to have a scab right in his elbow which I refused to link with, so I linked with his fore arm. To make matters worse, his name was Brandon Stubbs, which sounded to much like scabs.  I digress.  D.J. wasn't too happy about the whole situation either, which is why I don't have any pictures with him looking at me.
That's one fast virginia reel. . . or his mom can't figure out the camera.

Memorial Day hike with slingshots.

D.J. decided one day that killing ants with a magnifying glass would be fun.  But that wasn't enough excitement.  It turns out that burning your name into the back deck with a magnifying glass is much more exciting. . . until your mother makes you scrub it off with a toothbrush.  Looking on the bright side, he gets points for creativity and resourcefulness and making me laugh on the inside.

D.J.'s favorite way to read a book it to listen to it and follow along.  It's much faster.  He's always good to figure out faster, more efficient ways to do things.
I love this kid.

Update on James

James has apparently decided within the last six months that he knows everything, can do anything and everybody loves him.  Needless to say, we are experiencing growing pains with him. The problem is that he is still so cute and cuddly.
Here's what's up with him:

In February, James's class performed a patriotic program in honor of President's Day. He did a great job, even though his face doesn't display much excitement here.


This year he lost his two front teeth.  They are starting to come in now and he is happy about that because he can finally scrape off the good stuff on an artichoke.

James loves to read which is probably the reason that he thinks he knows everything. He's made it through two Harry Potter books and is now working on The Candy Shop Wars by Brandon Mull. 

When James was two he didn't draw on things.  When James was four he didn't draw on things. But now James is seven and he's decided to draw on things.  I find little pencil drawings on the kitchen counter, the window sill, his desk and this lovely masterpiece: his shirt.  Apparently Superman can do his own stunts but not without a little blood coming from who knows what body part.  Maybe he used kryptonite toilet paper.

As if James's natural face wasn't pathetic enough when he asks for something, he decided to make a "begging boy" out of foam paper, with blue pleading eyes and a sweet smile. Maybe Mom will say yes to someone who doesn't look like James?

Things that have come out of James's mouth:
James' prayer: Help us not to be like Megamind in the beginning, but like Megamind in the end, so we can be good.

Prayer from James tonight: We're thankful for the people who invented ice cream and candy. (Thank you Candy Shop Wars)

James lost a tooth in Moab in the sand and we never found it. James lost a tooth in church today and someone gave him a tiny green treasure chest to put it in (Thank you!).

James's note to the tooth fairy: Dear, toothfairy, in Moab I litrliley lost a tooth so will you give me two dollers? if you will thanks! P.S. Please leave the box hear

James prayed last night that "people who don't have very good brains will get better brains."

 James also finished another season of soccer and had a soccer party with his coach, Kevin Daly.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Literacy Costume Review

Another school year has come and gone and I had another fun year reading to the kids at school.  It has come to the point that whenever I'm at the school, the kids think I'm dressed as something.  My favorite is when I go to school in exercise clothes or am sporting a pre-shower look and they say, "who are you today?"  I say, "a frumpy housewife." I get blank stares for that one.

For Candy Shop Wars. . . 
. . . a Laffy Taffy, complete with jokes: How do you mend a broken jack-o-lantern? With a pumpkin patch.  What do you call a monkey who loves potato chips? A chip monk.

Little Critter books

Joseph had a Little Overcoat is one of my favorite books. Mark wasn't crazy about the costume.  I guess I looked too much like a man.  I had a PTA Christmas party to go to in the middle of my reading so I just went like this, because they already know how crazy I am.  Nobody recognized me as I approached the door and someone told me, mid-sentence, that they couldn't take me seriously.  So, I consider this my most successful costume.
Maybe this is why I decided to let my hair grow long.

Froggy books are always a hit! I need to do a better job at matching my greens because many kids pointed out my mismatch.  When you are finding costumes at the thrift store you can't be too picky.  Frogs are multicolored anyway.  Well, this one is.

Literacy Month was "Rhyme Time."  Nobody knew what a beatnik was.  Perhaps that's good.

The principal joined me for Dr. Suess Day to peruse the lunchroom and ask students to rhyme words.  Many took the opportunity to pull on my tail too.