magnet student

Bug is attending a "Magnet School for High Achievers" this year.  He wrote this story after his first day.

Magnet School

On my first day of school at KMS I got to my classroom. Then, we went to the Transmogrifier Room. we waited and waited and finally , an elegantly built machine came into view. It was sleek and shiny, painted red, and had buttons and dials all over it. as we neared the front of the line I noticed that it had a hatch with a window. Through the window I saw a student, then there was a flash of light and I couldn’t see him anymore. It must have been the transmogrifier! What were they turning us into? Soon, the hatch was opened and I stepped in. I then saw another hatch on the other side of the machine. That’s where the others must have gone! suddenly there was a flash of light. I looked down at my new body. I still had arms and legs, but I had turned into-what else, a horseshoe magnet!

He still has the goal of being a "best selling author" for his career. I think the plan is to pair that with also being an elementary school librarian. The "media center specialist" (librarian) at his former school had a huge influence on him. He has tried to email her this story but we're not sure if she'll check her school email address now that she has retired.

I hope the librarian (media center specialist) at his new school appreciates my little magnet.

my prince

"The little boy started to fade, just like we left him in the sun too long. … He had been a ragamuffin, hurled into space by the seat of his pants. Suddenly, he shopped for shirts, and worried about his hair. He got too heavy to throw. ... He turned twelve, then thirteen, and then the little boy just disappeared.
Just when you start to get used to it, to not minding it so much, it all vanishes, and the little boy you launched in the air stands at your shoulders like a man, and when you turn to say something you find yourself looking right into his eyes.
He is not helpless, not needy.
He is everything I rushed him to be."

Does that make your heart hurt or what? Yeesh!

The Prince of Frogtown is a memoir inspired by Rick Bragg’s relationship with his ten-year-old stepson as well as of his father (who left the family when Rick was still very young.)


My firstborn has started seventh grade. He has less than one more year before we begin to call him a teen. Right now he's still a young boy. He's still innocent and naive and I like it that way. I think the decision to start him in kindergarten as a "young five" is showing now. Academically he's always been where he belongs. Socially and emotionally I see the differences between him and his peers more now than ever. But I see them in a way that makes me grateful, not sorry we sent him on.

I was sorting photos on Picassa, which tries to label people. I got distracted by the hundreds of pictures of the boys and browsed through them, pulling out pictures labeled as them which were not them. As I looked through the pictures of Bug I saw how his face has changed over the years. Nevertheless, they all look just like him.  Pook, not so much. None of the older pictures looked like him. Instead, they all looked like little kids. I realized that I can't remember Pook ever being a little kid. He is so grown up. He has always been so grown up.

He does things no child of mine has ever done.

"He is everything I rushed him to be."  I need to slow things down. I want to appreciate him now as the young boy he is. I want to enjoy his silliness as much as I'm awed by his insights. I want to notice that he is little. He will always break new ground around here, but I need to hang on to his childhood before it slips away.

back to school quiet

It is quiet here.

Pook and Bug are off to fourth grade and seventh grade, respectively. I hope all is well. Hopefully I'll hear a little about their days this afternoon. Hopefully.

Yes, bed making resumed along with school.

Floor cleaning was not required, fortunately.

cereal pantry

This is an interpretation of the cereal aisle, or in some cases how the cereal aisle should be, according to Pook and Bug. 

• Unspecial K       ("Breakfast for the rest of us!")
• Hi-Caffeinated Fructose Flakes
• Corn-syrup Krispies
• Sugarless Grain Puffs
• Count Drabula
• Soggy Lumps O'Fiber
• Crazy Carbohydrate Calorie Crunchies
• Captain Mush
•  Hi-fiber Flax Flakes
• Sugar Frosted Chocolate Bombs
• Cardboard Clusters
• Floppy Flakes
• Carbonated Sugar Pops
• Sauseating Nutty Nougats
• Bland Bombs
• Mustard Frosted Weat Squares
• Garlic Puffs
• Honey Bunches of Goat
• Red Pepper Flakes

And I told them that these two might actually sell:

• Coffee Crispies
• Cappuccino Clusters

 

dropoff

Or, this could be titled, "needs practice."


I dropped Pook and his friend off for two free games of bowling. Dropped. Them. Off.  This is a huge milestone for me, but my friends who also have biggish kids aren't impressed. I need someone with a whiny seven year old to really appreciate this. I learned today, as summer is nearing its end, that kids could register to get two free games of bowling daily this summer.  We will be back.

And we need to go back, because my usually dawdling child did not quite get the point of the whole thing. Their goal is to spend as much time enjoying free and air conditioned play away from home as is possible. My goal is to get things done while not having bored kids. Perfect for us all.

Except, after dropping them off, I filled up the tank with gas and came home. The place was about a mile from here, so no big deal. I pulled out some things I need to do, started, then answered the phone.

"OK, we're ready."

"What?"

"We're done. We're ready for you to come get us."

"But... it's only been 30 minutes."

"Oh. Well, we're ready."

So I drove back.  But we reviewed the concept so that we can try this again, perhaps with more friends next time.

1. free
2. air conditioned
3. play with friends
4. away from home
5. as long as possible

Some things just need practice.