Random Tid Bits

1. Yesterday I was distracted in the office because boss man and a building next door were have loud words exchanged. I was sneaky, and wanted to listen in on what was going on. I could hear loud voices, but everything was muffled because of walls and distance. When I went to move closer to hear, and pretend to look at books. Get this...his wife was doing the same thing. Ha! She wanted to know what was going on too. I went back to my office.
   
   This isn't the first time they've exchanged loud words. The fight is aways the same. They are arguing about the parking lot.
   
   Restore is a nonprofit that helps destroy things people don't want, and sells those things for cheap. The problem is, is that they drive their big ass trucks through our parking lot very fast. Our concrete surface has gotten destroyed on more than one occasion. It gets fixed, and gets destroyed again within a few weeks.
   
   Our school has fixed it, then they asked to share the price to fix it a 2nd time, then boss man blocked off the area to make them go the other way. Restore didn't like that! Boss man said he blocked it off to protect our students because they drive fast around the school. True, but it's not really the reason he blocked them off. Well after a few fights about it being blocked off, boss man I believe sent them the bill to fit the concrete. In boss man's defense we're not driving big trucks around the building EVER. Then Restore brought up that our students and staff park in their lot space. We're having them move.
   
   What's one to do in this type of situation? I hear about neighbors fighting over trees, or retaining walls. This is kind of a similar situation. Yes I could fight over trees and a retaining wall with a neighbor as well. We haven't, but we could.


2. We have a ton of junk food left over from New Years in the deep freezer. I said, "Pull out some pizza rolls. We can have them as a snack. Travis said, "Careful the pizza rolls are hot. They just came out of the oven." I said, "No worries." I grab one to eat it. He said, "You're going to burn yourself!" I said, "No you just need to learn to eat them right. You nibble the long edge off. Then you open it up like an old 80s money clip/holder, and blow on it before eating it all." It took him a minute to know what I was talking about. Hey I never burn myself with this method of eating a pizza roll.





3. We had a follow-up meeting with Mr. Principal last night. I went in saying, "Well it's good news, we now have an index card of things going wrong, verses a full letter page." It did go better!
   
   We found out that the biggest reason why Isaak got a C in Social Studies. It was because he went to go meet with his teacher and councilor on his own accord; then when he got back the Librarian didn't tell him what they worked on. She wanted him to ask his partner, which she did nothing the whole time, and had no clue. Isaak didn't understand what to do. Most of his packet was blank. He actually answered more questions than his partner that was there the whole time.
   
   Now he has to follow up from the packet he half did with a PowerPoint. Mr. Principal is going to have him work on the packet instead of some reading assignments he finds aren't making him grow. That's helpful! 


4. It's getting ready to snow good in Nebraska. All the elementary, middle and high schools got off school. It didn't happen much until the 1/2 half of the day. The kids all have Martin Luther King's Day off as well. Yay for a 4 day weekend. Have you had any snow where you live?


5. I'm a little nervous to drive home. It's a sheet of ice out there! 

Random Tid bits

1. Travis and I haven't fought in a very long time. It's good, but I think it's healthy to fight every once in awhile. Last weekend was that time. No worries...we made up. It actually was in regards to Mica. If you have kids, have you ever fought about them with your spouse, ex, boyfriend or girlfriend?
   
   One morning Mica was typing a one page paper, for a homework assignment on my work laptop. Good thing: He can log on to Office365 anywhere with his school account. I was making breakfast.
   
   Mica said, "Mom I think I know a way to make this paper longer faster. I'll just bump up the font size 2 more points."
   
   I said, "No! I don't want you doing that. Just take your time to do a good job. That seems like something one of my students would do; just to get the paper to go from one page to two."
   
   Mica said, "Mom it's fine."
   
   I said, "Honey please don't do that. If anything...don't do that for me. What's the standard size?"
   
   Mica said, "She didn't specify."
   
   I said, "What size are you taught is the standard?"
   
   Mica said, "11 pt."
   
   I said, "Use that then. It used to be 12 pt when I was a kid. I teach my design students that body copy in a magazine is 9 or 10 points. If 11 pt size is what you're taught, she didn't say otherwise, you should use that size. You can always email her to ask her as well."
   
   Mica said, "Mom I'd be doing her a favor. She is older, has glasses, and can't read all these paper well."
   
   I said, "It sounds to me like you're old people shaming. Move the font size back!"
   
   Later that day:
   
   Mica said, "I'm done."
   
   I said, "Did you move the font size back to 11 pt like I said?"
   
   Mica said, "Oh I forgot. Now I can't because I sent it already."
   
   I lost it! I don't feel like I yell that much, but I was full on yelling at that point! Then Travis came in, and started yelling too.
   
   Travis said, "I think you need to stop, cool down, and Mica will learn from his mistakes. Think about how you're handling this!"
   
   I did handle it good in the morning. When he didn't listen, is when I lost it. It's like all respect went out the window for me and Mica's teacher. It seems like I don't get backed up all the time, so I was upset the rest of the day. What a way to spend a day off! The whole day Mica didn't see what the big deal was. The next day we talked it out. It's all ok now. I do think fighting has to happen in any relationship at times. Although I think Mica is still in the clouds about the whole incident.


2. Travis texted to me that the leaf Isaak and I crafted for his work won a $20 GC to Red Lobster.
   
   
   
   
   

   He texted, "Date night!"
   
   I texted back, "I don't know Isaak helped me create it. Maybe it should be a Mother Son night."
   
   He texted a grumpy emoji face back.
   
   Should Isaak and I use the gift card, should Travis and I go out on a date with it, should Isaak, Travis and I go out, or should we just use it for our whole family? Part of me was messing with him, but another part of me was thinking, Isaak deserves some of that.
   
   
3. Travis and I have been battling out what I should or shouldn't give Isaak's teacher for the holidays. I always give something! But it's hard because she's not our fav not a good teacher. I said, "What if we gave her something impersonal like school supplies? She could still use them. It's for the kids too." He was ok with that. Then my mom said, "Alissa you have to give her something fun!" I can't win!
   
   
4. I have a student that cracks me up almost every day I have him.
   
   He asked me why he doesn't have a girlfriend, and said he understands girls so well because he has 4 sisters. All while he was talking to me he was adjusting his man parts. Certainly not anything, any girl want to see!
   
   He told me he was going far for Thanksgiving to see his sister's new kid. I said, "Oh what's his name?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "You better find out!" When he got back he still didn't remember his nephew's name. He had to call his mom to ask. When he found out it was Rowen he was like, "What kind of name is that?" I said, "Someone could say the same of your name. Don't judge. Just love him, and remember his name."
   
   
5. Isaak has kind of hit a downward spiral with basketball. He gets anxious ever since his team switched from the Y to a bigger better league. I was beginning to think he was alone in feeling this, but as it turns out he's not. You can read about sports anxiety here. Now we just need to try and learn how to combat it. He was a great basketball player before!

Playing Transformers

Mica's on another roll of playing with Transformers. They are not my favorite toy. I can't figure out how to transform them. So when Mica says, "Mom I can't get this one into a truck!!!" I stand there with a big question mark over my head.



Why can't they just go back to playing with Thomas? His characters teach good lessons. NOPE! Transformers it is. Whatever Mica wants to do, Isaak's interested in as well.

We played Transformers. Mica played the part of, "Bumblebee". Isaak was "Optimus Prime". Isaak quickly wanted me involved. I know very little about Transformers and I quickly followed Isaak's lead and became, "Optimus Mom". I was fighting off the evil germs that were in the house. Really I was cleaning and talking like a robot along the way.

Mica as Bumblebee

For some reason "Bumblebee" and "Optimus Prime" kept fighting. Aren't they both supposed to be good guys?

They were both being, BOYS.

At lunch Isaak spilled his milk 3 times.  You would have thought after him spilling it twice I would have thought about taking his drink away. For some odd reason I didn't think of that. Instead he had to clean it up, he was sent to time-out after the third time of spilling it, and he had to stand to finish his meal without milk.

Isaak was getting out of hand, so he went to rest at 2. Usually I don't put him down until 3. He was battling everything, and we had somewhere to be at 3.

In bed, Isaak kicked his wall. I got after him for that. Isaak spit on his bedding. I have no clue what that was about and I got after him for that as well. It was just a naughty behavior day for Isaak. Off went his sheets to be washed. When the boys act like this it's usually because they are tired. Spitting isn't normal behavior.

We went over to see yet another new baby. My cousin Brent was in town. They had their baby 3 days after my cousin Brad and his wife. Two babies 3 days apart.

After holding little Brooklyn, the boys went outside to play. They were a sweaty mess when they were done. They played hard with their cousins; plus it was hot outside.

We went home, I gave them baths, brushed their teeth, and they did the neti pot.

Isaak thanked me for sweeping his floor and making his bed. He had a total behavior turn around.
Isaak was off to bed. He went down without a fight at 6:30! That boy was tired!

Mica was about to follow Isaak's lead. He was laying down. I said, "Mica it's kind of early to go to sleep, why don't you come help Mom make bread and clean?" He he did.

Do Your Kids Fight?

I think the answer is, "YES!" for most families.

Yesterday Mica came running down the lawn and said, "Isaak hit me!"

Daddy goes up the hill to see what the deal is.

Isaak said, "Mica was laying on me and wouldn't get off!"

Daddy said, "Is this true Mica?"

Mica said, "Well I didn't have a blanket to lay on, so I laid down on Isaak." As if it justifies him laying on his brother!

Then they both had to come indoors.

We've caught Isaak spitting on Mica twice. Why? Because Mica's doing something first. UGGG!!! That's not something that is sanitary!!! I got on Isaak big time about that!

Oh and has a habit of picking his nose and you maybe guessed it, eating what he picks out! YUCK!!! We had a major talk with him about that one. He said, "But they taste really good. Daddy said, "I don't care if they taste like chocolate chip cookies! You don't eat anything that comes out of your body. Your body is trying to get rid of it because it's yucky. Lets hope that talk helped!

I've heard of people tying their kids together to do dishes; just to learn to get along. If they were old enough I swear I would.

We're Trying a New Tactic Out

We've found that our boys sometimes like the time-out chair. Daddy's been reading and listening to pod casts on parenting.

We cleared off the landing. Instead of separating the kids when they get in trouble, we put them together. They got in the fight, they have to figure out how to fix it. We cleared off the landing and that is where they go.

Does it work? We're not sure yet. We do hear them discussing how they are going to fix their problem.

For instance: The boys like to kick one another. It not out of anger, just fun for them until someone gets hurt. It went too far, so they went on the landing to discuss what they were going to do instead of kick one another. I wasn't sure if Isaak was able to discuss too much; because of his age. Guess what? He did. He said, "Mica instead of kicking one another we could kick a ball." That's progress, right?

This is what we are trying out. We're new to this way of discipline. The goal is for them to solve their own problems. It's that or talking to them with analogies that they can understand.

I do have to say that they after trying this, they do seem to work better with one another sometimes.

Yesterday Mica tried to overplay Isaak. He only wanted Isaak to put his new airplane together according to the instructions. I took Mica aside and said, "Mica do you remember when Mommy taught you how to put puzzles together?" He shook his head. I said, "I told you to put all the outside pieces together first. Then the middle ones. This made it easy to put together. After many times of putting it together you didn't do it the way Mommy told you." He shook his head. I said, "Directions are there to help you. Just like Mommy helped you with puzzles. After you know how to put something together, you can or Isaak can put it together any way you/he likes. Let Isaak put the airplane together the way he wants to." He seemed to get it.