Open House

We had an open house at Mica's school this evening. I felt kind of sorry for Mica's teacher. She has a head cold. She had to be there all day, then all evening. She was a trooper. She greeted us very cheerful.

I know what it's like being a teacher. I have to stay late for certain events even at college level.

Mica was super excited to show us around! Just listening to him show us things made me realize that he's learned new things already.

• He rattled off the seasons and months in correct order. He's heard both these things before, but would mess up the order every time before. 
• He's starting to be able to count by 5's. Then he counts normally higher.
• He now knows the difference between his coins. 
• Starting to be able to tell time.
• Learning how to use a computer. I've never let him just play with my laptop.

He told me that his teacher lets them use the point stick as long as they used it for pointing. Mica pointed at all kinds of things. He loves to play with Kenects, which we don't have any at home.

Mica also introduced us to all kinds of people and the class bird, which Isaak thought was, "Cute!"

Mica's wanted to wear this sweater for two days. I told him to put it in his locker for when he gets cold at school. He's warn it home both days. Daddy asked Mica why he likes his sweater so much? Mica said, "Because I look like a Daddy when I wear it." He's so funny!

Jacket

Mica wrote this on his chalkboard yesterday. Daddy helps him think of his sentence. Then he helps him sound out the words. He wanted to only put one "l" in "will." Mica then reads it off and on. Daddy said that he can tell Mica's trying to pick apart the words he wrote. His wheels are spinning. He's getting something out of the words he wrote.

Writing and putting together his Lego sets are Mica's newest loves right now. It's funny how kids go through stages. In the spring and early summer Mica loved to draw. He went through paper like crazy. I'm sure he killed a tree. Before that was puzzles. He was a master puzzle putter together. I know "putter together" probably isn't the best of English.

*Side Note: Our language is horrible! Just saying! Teaching Mica how to spell reminds me of how bad our language is. Think about the word, "Wind." It's used for two entirely different things. "The wind blows." "Wind your clock back an hour." There are many spellings of the word, "There, their and they're" depending on how you use it. Tons of silent letters. Then letters we don't use often {q, z, x}. Why do women go by Miss, Mrs and Ms; when men only go by Mr? So lame. Really if I want someone to know if I'm married, I can just tell them. Then Daddy told me I mix up "Then" and "Than" on my blog all the time. Sorry! He tells me how to use them and I just forget.

I hated learning Spanish in school. I figured I had enough problems with our difficult language. How in the world could I learn a new one? If it were my choice, I think hearing people speak French is the most beautiful. That language will never rule though. The rulers seem to be Spanish, English and Chinese.


*Side Note 2: A cold front came through. That's why Mica wrote what he wrote. Isaak was crying because he was so cold this morning. I said, "It's only going to get colder dear!" :(

Mica Was Awarded

Mica got this award last week:

We didn't exactly know what it meant. Did everyone in the class get one? Was he the only one that got one? What did he get it for?


Mica said that he got the award for following instructions.  I said, "Good job!" I was thinking, "Aren't you always supposed to follow instructions?"


Tonight there was a small letter saying something about these awards. I guess the principle picks someone that got the award to have lunch with.

Daddy's response, "How scary!!!" I'm like, "What?" He's like, "The principle is someone the bad kids go to. I was always scared of her in school. I would have never wanted to eat lunch with her." We of course were talking about this while the kids were sleeping and in bed.
 
I always liked the principle where I went to school. She seemed nice. I never had to go to her office. She ate lunch with us on our birthdays and in my case, my 1/2 birthday.

The two people I didn't care for: 

1. I didn't like the librarian for not letting me pick out a picture book. She said I was too old. I went over to the bigger books and grabbed the first one off the shelf. I didn't even look at it. I was so mad. I got home and I remember my Dad (Grandpa Spiehs) saying, "You got a book about Muhammad Ali? This book is long!" The pictures in picture books were my favorite part of reading. It wasn't until my fifth grade teacher talked to me; that I started reading bigger books. She told me, "Oh you can come up with pictures in your mind, while you are reading." Somehow that approach did it for me. She acted out historic things in class, and switched her voice for the characters. She had me reading 500 page novels by the end of the year.
2. I also disliked one of the resource ladies. Yes I was in the resource room a lot when I was a kid. I'm a bad test taker! They even talked about holding me back. The resource lady smelled like coffee and cigarettes. Not a great combination! She held me after school for coming up with the word, "Enormous." She thought I copied it off the board. Really I came up with it the year before, and used it again because that teacher praised me for coming up with such a great word. I never looked at the board. HECK to be honest, at that age I probably thought up the word, but didn't know how to read it. Then the resource lady got on my friend for leaving school early to go to Disney World. She thought he shouldn't be leaving to do that; since he was having problems in school. Truth, he had heart problems. He had open heart surgery that summer and passed away. As a kid, I never forgave her. The next year she wasn't working there any longer. I had an inner celebration. WOO HOO!

WW - Indiana Jones {Linky}

These days Mica doesn't want to be called, "Mica." He wants to be called, "Indiana Jones" aka "Indie."

This is his Halloween costume that he's worn 2 days in a row and off and on before then. I really don't think he'll get sick of his costume before Halloween. He's REALLY into character! Everyone on the playground was calling him, "Indiana Jones." He told me that I'm the lady he saves in the end. ;) He knows he can't date until he's 16, so I'm the next best thing.

Oh...that is not a purse. It's a satchel. He keeps artifacts in it. This weekend his artifacts were plastic Halloween bones. 

The only part of the costume he doesn't have yet is the whip. Yes it came with a whip. I'm not about to get that out early. I can see some damage done with that weapon.

Daddy Introduced the Kids to a Burrowing Wolf Spider

This is what Mica wrote about it:

Nebaska = New Balanace

I was taking a shower this morning and Mica comes walking in. YA no privacy!

He said, "Hey Mom look! I tied my shoes!" I peer out the crack of the shower door and said, "WOW Mica that is cool! Go tell Daddy!" I was thinking that he's pretty funny because last night when we told him to practice tying his shoes, he wanted nothing to do with it. Maybe he only wants something to do with it on his terms.

Mica couldn't even get Daddy to open his eyes for like 5 minutes. Finally he did. Mica said, "Look Daddy I tied my Nebraska shoes!" New Balance, Nebraska; It's all cool that our 6 year old got their branding wrong! ;)

By the way these photo's were not taken while I was in the shower. ;) I took Mica outside after I was dressed!

The Web It Designed

This was off our front porch this morning:

I'm always amazed when I see a spider web. Something so small created such a cool design. They don't even make webs to look ascetically pleasing. They just are cool!

Side Note: Isaak walked into a spider web last week. He freaked out!

Today We Went to a Farmers Market

One of my really good friends Mark went with us to the farmers market at Aksarben Village.

I got zucchini, basil and grapes. Later Daddy said we have basil. I didn't realize. He told me earlier that it didn't do well.

The boy's had lemon aid and a chocolate croissant roll. Isaak kept licking all the chocolate out of the croissant and ate the croissant last. Sounds like something I would have done at his age.

There was some cool music there.

Then the boy's played, while Mark and I talked. Mica was running around with the other kids. A few kids were calling him, "Indie" and "Indiana Jones." His newish obsession. He dressed like Indiana Jones again today. Isaak was unlike his brother. He was playing the shy card. It took him awhile to play, but he finally did.

Mica's behind there.

Then we went over to see Aunt Terra's clan. I wanted to see Emerson because I don't know when I'll get to during the week. Next weekend we have another wedding to go to. This time it's a college friend. At Aunt Terra's house the boy's got crazy together. Four boy's = Fun and Wrestling. All the sudden all their wild sides come out. It's not like it's fighting. They are just being crazy boy's. When there's two of them together, they aren't like that. When there's four of them together they are just crazy! I know they don't get to see each other as much as they used to. Today was particularly nuts!

Today Was a Grumpy Day

The day started out where Isaak wouldn't stop crying. He wouldn't tell us what was wrong. He had a deep cough, so I assumed that he just didn't feel good. He didn't feel warm. Isaak's one of those kids who milks crying for as long as he can get attention for it. I try to block it out. I feel like sometimes he feeds off negative attention. Daddy on the other hand tries to reason with him. When he gets no where with Isaak, Isaak ends up in timeout to cool off. Then he gets more upset and cries even harder. Luckily this behavior is RARE!

Isaak was starting to break free from whatever was bothering him. I was about ready to make juice with the juicer. Isaak wanted to help. I told him that he could as long as he went potty and washed his hands. He wouldn't, so I started making juice. Isaak always considers dropping the fruit into the juicer, "his job." Since I took over his job, he lost it. He was now in a full blown tantrum. Things let up as we all sat down to eat.

At breakfast Daddy told me that TV is pretty much off limits this weekend. He doesn't want Mica and Isaak watching anything from 911. I understand. It's too deep for them to understand. When he told me that, it was a reminder of that day long ago and close at the same time. We had just moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Omaha, Nebraska just to be near family. We were living in my parent's basement until we could find work. Neither of us could have predicted the economy taking a dive! Daddy really wasn't a Daddy then, but started his job at the dental lab that very day. It was surreal for him. I was still looking for work. My day was glued to the TV. The stories that made me cry the most was anything to do with children not being able to find their mommies and daddies! I've always had a soft spot for kids! The next day I had a mint making party at my friends house. She was getting married that Saturday. I remember crying just because her day was supposed to be a happy day. A day planned out for her and her soon to be husband to enjoy. I felt bad for her. Some of her relatives couldn't make the wedding. Yes it was a happy time, it was also mixed with sadness. Silly that I was crying because I longed for her to be happy. I should have been laughing to make her happy. That is pretty much what I was doing during that time. My students are getting to the point where they barely remember that day. Most of them were around the age of 8 years old. TV was probably turned off, on their behalf. Just like we are leaving it off this weekend for Mica and Isaak to not see.

That grumpy mood carried on all day for Mica, Isaak and I. I broke up fights. Isaak wanted to play in Mica's room. He's not allowed to play in there while Mica is playing with little Lego sets.

I cleaned all our bedding and drapes. A lot of trips to the basement! One boy would always follow me downstairs. They wanted to take old toys upstairs to play with. Mica told me that he was really mad at me for trying to get rid of some blocks that he never played with.

Then I was annoyed about our mail. I've noticed a pattern, on Husker football playing day our mail is delivered super late. It annoys me! Just saying. I'd rather be watching fooseball then football. Daddy is out all evening at a friends house watching the game. 

That's how our day went. BLAH! We're all allowed to have a crappy day every now and then.

It wasn't all bad. Here are the highlights: Mica dressed up like Indiana Jones. I'll have photo's  shown on Wednesday. ;) He told me I couldn't call him, "Mica." I had to call him, "Indiana Jones." Isaak said this about a photo of Ronald McDonald, "Hey that's Burger King!" Can you tell that we don't go out to eat all the time? Mica used a really BIG word "Executively" at breakfast. He even used it right. Daddy and I were both laughing at that one! :) The way Mica starts talking to Grandma Spiehs on the phone is funny. He doesn't say, "Hi." He just starts talking. It's as if she's right there in the room. I suppose I should talk to him about phone etiquette; but then I wouldn't be laughing anymore.

Yesterday I laughed because a student turned in her idea on her next assignment. It had Elvis on each and every sketch. You might be thinking, "Elvis isn't funny!" You are right. He's not. He is when you have a story to go with one of his songs! In Kung Fu Panda, the Panda gets hit in his private parts. He says, "OH MY TENDERS!" Whenever Mica gets hurt, or hit in that general area he says, "OH MY TENDERS!" This is much better then a little boy saying something else. Elvis' song Love Me Tender came on a year or so ago and Mica said, "LOVE MY TENDERS?!? WHY WOULD I WANT TO LOVE MY TENDERS?!?!" Anyhow I thought about that story when looking at the girls artwork and could not stop laughing! I'll never think of the song the same way again! It will forever be funny to me. I of course had to tell my student the story, or she would of thought I was laughing at her sketches.

The Little Engine That Could - Game

Our boy's love trains! We have a lot of Team GeoTrax and tons of Thomas the Tank Engine.

We haven't started collecting Chuggington or Lego train stuff because we have so much of the other sets. I very much dislike that the Chuggington sets do not fit into the Thomas sets! I understand about Team GeoTrax; it's really a whole different type of set. It's all about remote controls.

I'd be willing to collect the Lego one if it were not so expensive! Mica likes Legos! A few years ago I bought the wooden train from the Little Engine That Could. I love that it fits on the Thomas track. It won't go under the tunnels {just an FYI}. We also have the Lionel Polar Express wood Train Set {thanks to Grandma Spiehs}. All the Lionel and Brio products fit up with Thomas! :)

I love the story of The Little Engine That Could. We have a book and movie. I like the book the best. The boy's like both the movie and the book. The meaning is just perfect! It teaches others to pitch in and help out. It also sends the message of trying to do things you don't think you can do. With Mica learning to tie his shoes and Isaak learning to get dressed this is a meaning I want to instill in my kids. Mom's pretty sick of Isaak going potty and refusing to pull up his pants! He'll bounce around for an hour {if we let him} with his pants and underwear around his ankles! It doesn't bother him a bit! He sometimes says, "I can't pull my pants up!" Then other times when I try to pull his pants up, he says, "No! I do it!" He'll pull them back down just to pull them back up again! in his defiance he has to unbutton and unzip sometimes to get his pants up and down. Mica never has had to. Isaak has a butt and hips and Mica doesn't.

A Giveaway Mommy is giving this sweet game, or another game away! She said about the game, "The train zips down the mountain - but also teaches turn-taking skills, counting and understanding what a 'space' is on a game board."