The Ever Famous Eye Roll

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I just want to give the ever famous eye roll all the time lately.

Mica's going through the, "I feel threatened when you say that" phase. I don't know where he's getting this feeling threatened bit. I mean we've only hit him like once in his whole life. That was when he tried to run across the street when a car was heading towards him. He is 12. He is around other kids that have attitude. He reads a lot of books, which characters could have attitude. It's fairly new to us. Sure he's gone through phases, but usually it's short lived. I hope this one is too. I don't care that he shuts himself in his room so much. It's part of growing up to have privacy. The attitude bit needs to go! I think he felt threatened from me telling him to work faster, and pay attention to what he was doing.

Walk Out | Walk Up | Why Not Both?

Mica's school had a walk out a few weeks ago. Right now they are on Spring Break. Ok...I'm glad young people are standing up for what they believe in, BUT most middle schoolers don't understand what's going on.

Teachers have been pushed down because they don't want kids to walk out. It's a safety thing. They are responsible for those kids.

Those in Middle School are usually in tune with their own life changes (acne, hair that's growing in places it didn't grow before, and feelings) at this point. Travis had about an hour talk with the boys about what the walk out is about, and what stepping up is all about. Neither child had a clue prior to the talk.

Heck I think some adults don't get it. People sure do have opinions on if kids should walk out or step up. It's like it's one or the other type thing. Why not do both if that's what they believe? Gun Control isn't just about guns being taken away. It's about monitoring who has guns, allowing those who buy guns to buy them, but have background checks first, and giving people that have mental conditions the help they need. Those things are more what the walk out is about  to me.

The people that are against walking out want kids to walk up. Go to a person that needs help, and help them. Pick that kid that always gets picked last. Be kind! Isaak in particular does that anyhow. If he was older - I don't know why he couldn't walk up and walk out.

We get on this younger generation for not being excited about things. Here they push to fight for some rights, and we're pushing them down for it. I do get that teachers can't have the students walking out to God only knows where. Maybe the staff should be allowed to go with them. A walk would do a lot of people good.

God in Schools

So one of my family member's posted this:

For one whoever originally posted that needs to learn to get better lighting when they take photos! For two the font choices are awful! Ha!

I've stayed quiet for why too long in my life! I commented: God was allowed in the church where the Dylann Roof shot and killed 9 people. He was also present in the church where Devin Patrick Kelley killed more than 2 dozen people.

Guess what? Not everyone believes in God. Guess what? In Denmark they have the highest percent of atheists. Denmark one of the happiest places to live. I'm not saying everyone should be an atheist. Be what you want to be. The problems we have are bigger than God not being talked about in public schools. If you do believe in God, God is everywhere right? That's what I was taught in confirmation class.

Recycle

My boss was on vacay for this week. That is up until today. He said all frantic like, "Alissa do you know where those recycle boxes came from in our break room?" They've been here for 2 yrs now! I recycle the freaking school papers.

I said, "Well technically they belong to the city, but I brought them here. I just put them there to get them out of the classrooms."

He said, "Well they can't be there. We need to hide them for the Open House. Tell me where you put them." All with a concerned look on his face.

Then he said as he walked away, "I may be using you to get things done for the Open House today and tomorrow."

I took them to a storage bay. He stopped me and said, "Where are you going with those? Don't go towards the classroom with them."

I said, "To the storage bay."

He said, "No that room is locked. It will be harder to get them in and out of there."

He directed me to the storage room.

Yep a day of eye rolling!

Random Tid Bits

1. Mica looking at the ad below, "Why do they call it Double Quarter Pound King, when they could just call it Half Pound King?" Us, "Good question." 





2. We also discussed during one breakfast this week what an Oxymoron is. Mica said, "It's like freezer burn. Two opposites in one word, or set of words." The Great Depression is another example. Isaak said, "I bet butt cheeks is an example of an Oxymoron." Possibly! Ha! Can you think of an Oxymoron? 


3. Another season of basketball was wrapped up a few weeks ago. Isaak loves it! He's getting more aggressive with getting the ball. That's a good thing in sports. A few of his team members had issues. The coach's son was getting in trouble at school for talking. The coach kept him out for all the games! Then one twin had violent problems. The other twin was great! He took off his shoes, and threw them across the court, yelled at the ref, slammed the door a few times, would slam the floor when the other team had a free throw and more. He too was out the rest of the season. Isaak couldn't believe how the one twin acted. 





4. We may be ending our relationship with the Leadership Camp the boys go to on Saturday nights. We love having some time away from the boys. I loved what the organization stood for: Building Leaders.
   
   • They are getting less consistent with their discipline tactics. Our boys don't need to be disciplined, but they see the lack of consistency with other kids.
   
   • Their turn over rate for workers has been really high lately! Mica got snapped at for touching insulation. Well he didn't know it was full of tiny particles of glass. Cover up the insulation with a blanket! There's tiny kids that go there. Insulation looks like pink cotton candy.
   
   • Our boys are in the minority. The organization is all about equality, yet my boys are always picked last for every game, or event. There is a thing called reverse discrimination. I wanted my boys to get a taste of it, but it not be their every Saturday night!
   
   • When we pick up the boys they have to ask our names every single time. It's not that big of a group.
   
   • I feel like our boys are leaders already in many ways.
   
   We'll see if they can talk us into staying, but as of right now I think we're leaving when it hits the next tier. 


5. Travis started teaching at a Catholic elementary school this week. They needed a sculptor resident teacher a few days a week. I think he now gets how much work there is in being a teacher. He gets paid well. That doesn't account for all the prep work. It really doesn't account for all the help his wife and boys helped him with either! It will be a great experience, something to put on his resume for sure. Good luck to him! It's his first day, and I'm writing this Monday! We cut out many cardboard pieces for Kindergartener's to make a puzzle sculpture (560 to be exact), strips of colored paper for them to add to their sculpture. He cut out lots of wood bases for older kids to make a wire sculpture, with pantyhose on top, and Gesso on top of that. Lots of colored pieces cut for some older kids to make a 3D shape. Teaching is a lot of work. Especially when you first come up with a project! The rest should be easier! They have days to complete their projects. 

Explaining to Kids Why Dental Health Is Paramount

You have to do more than just tell children that it is important to brush their teeth. Early in childhood, kids are inundated with videos, music, and even puppet shows that are meant to explain how to properly rinse, floss and brush their teeth. Check best-dentalassistantschools.com to learn about the schools that your children’s dentist and dental hygienists attended. Little kids might need to see a giant tooth and toothbrush dancing around to make brushing fun, but they also have to see why it is critical for them to take care of their mouths over a lifetime.

We started washing our kid's gums with a damp baby washcloth. As they got teeth, we brushed them once a day and let them brush them the once a day. When they got old enough to understand a timer, we set it for them to brush their own teeth. The light up toothbrushes work great for timing kids as well. Our kids only hated getting their teeth brushed when they were sick, or cutting teeth. Otherwise they get glowing reports at the dentist office.

People Only Get Two Sets of Teeth

So, your children should get a kick out of knowing that everyone has a set of baby teeth, and eventually, a full set of adult teeth. They may even giggle a bit when they find out that there’s a tooth fairy who goes around and leaves money to children who leave said baby teeth under a pillow. With that said, kids also need to know that their adult teeth won’t be replaced naturally if they fall out due to neglect or poor hygiene. Don’t scare your children, but do tell them the truth about childhood oral hygiene. Your kids’ adult teeth are being formed under their gums years before they make their first appearance. Ensure that your kids are getting the best foundation available by teaching them to cherish both sets of teeth.

Healthy Teeth Support Strong Bodies

If your children go to the pediatric dentist twice a year and get glowing reports, their overall health will be better. Kids who don’t go to the dentist regularly also don’t normally go to the doctor as they should. These poor children end up having their oral hygiene neglected just as much as their physical wellbeing and development. Tell your kids that they should care about themselves, inside and out, by brushing their teeth twice a day.

Helping Your Children to Avoid Common Dental Problems

Kids can get more cavities during childhood than adulthood simply because they are still learning how to prioritize oral hygiene in their schedules. In addition, kids also tend to eat a lot more candy and sugar than adults. Children shouldn’t be forbidden from eating sweets or lectured every time they forget to floss. Tell them that proper oral hygiene will aid them in keeping their teeth healthier. In turn, they won’t need fillings or have to sit through uncomfortable root canals. When children know the advantages and disadvantages of following a particular behavior, they generally make the right choice on their own.

When explained in an approachable manner, kids really have a great time caring for their teeth in the morning and at night. Let them incorporate good oral hygiene into their daily routine at an early age, and soon they might be reminding you to use mouthwash and floss. Your children can have bright smiles as well as bright futures by explaining the steps they need to take to practice proper oral hygiene.

Disclaimer: This is a guest post with content added from me.

WW: Metro Science and Engineering Fair {Linky}

Mica's Science Fair Project: Stacking Vegetarian Against Fast Food Diet was 1 of 20 that won at his middle school. His middle school is a science magnet school, and has 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders, so this was a pretty big deal. He had a high fat and carb diet for 2 weeks, and a vegetarian diet for 2 weeks. He kept a food journal, weighed himself every day, we took his blood pressure every day, and paid attention to his stool. Let's just say that he was a grump, and super gassy on the unhealthy diet. He was much more tolerable on the healthy diet.

His project went on to compete against all the other best science fair project in Omaha at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium this Saturday.

We checked him in at 7:30.

Then Travis, Isaak and I had the world's best zoo to ourselves for the most part. The zoo didn't open until 10. We didn't waist any time. We started off in the Aquarium. It was too cold to hang around outside. 

We stayed awhile watching the penguins.

There were a lot of orange things in one aquarium.

Ok so one yellow-green living thing.

The Jelly Fish are so cool to me. They are like watching a lava lamp.

 I've painted a few octopuses or octopi in my life. Did you know that the plural of octopus can be octopuses or octopi? 

We don't get a lot of time alone with one child, so we took the opportunity to shoot photos with just Isaak in the Rain Forest.

Isaak took a photo of us too.

This peacock walked right on past us outside.

My favorite moment was hard to shoot. A gorilla feeding her baby.

The baby had some playtime after eating. I think he or she just discovered their feet.

Mica didn't place in this Science Fair. He was really bummed. I felt bad for him. One of the judges gave him their business card. He thought for sure he won something. I said that he should just be happy he got that far. Life is difficult at times.