Math has never been my strong point. Ever! I started having problems with it in elementary school and it has become worse the older I have got. I was always in the low group in school and never felt confident with my math scales. Although, I can figure out discounts and sales in a jiffy! I am the person to take with you if you ever need to figure out what you would get off that shirt you've been checking out.
So tonight I was doing math homework with Gavin. Poor thing is me but miniature. He is having the hardest time. He worked on a single page of math homeowrk for 45 minutes. It was 6 questions! I caught myself talking louder to "help" him unerstand and finally just reverted to leaving him at the table to figure it out. I had to walk away...several times. I even sent him to his room to clear his head. After the ordeal I have poured myself a glass of wine. I am sitting and enjoying it too.
The only thing I could figure out to do, is to write his teacher a note letting her know just how much help he needs to catch up to the other kids in his class. I hope I did the right thing. He tries but I can't help him how he needs. I don't have any expertise in math, in fact, I didn't get a four year degree for that reason. I failed elementary algebra in J.C. Horrible...I know.

Discipline

I have been having the hardest time with my boys in the area of discipline. Spanking works for one, the other with time outs. I hate having to do things different for each kid and was looking for something that works for both.
So I developed a new plan. I give each boy 60 minutes worth of a video game for the week starting on Sunday. The minutes are written on a whiteboard and displayed in the kitchen. Each time they do something "naughty" I take away five minutes. If it is really bad, I take away 10 minutes. But, get this, I also reward the boys by gifting them 5 minutes. Gavin was given 10 minutes from David last week because he did really well on his tests throughout the week. It worked so well that I wish I had thought about this two years ago! So on Saturday's the boys redeem their minutes for the video game of their choice. GENIUS!

Funny quote

This morning my boys let me sleep in. They play rather loud in their playroom and I was trying to ignore them, but I could keep my eyes closed until 8 o'clock, which is sleeping in for me. So I get up and make my coffee and they continue playing. All of a sudden I hear this horrible noise. I don't know if it was Gavin trying to make a gun noise or what but it was loud and made my skin crawl. I walked in the room and ask the boys to keep it down because Daddy is sleeping. Quinten turns to me and says, "Thank you for letting me know Momma. I was going to get really, really loud so it was nice of you to ask me to be quieter". Really? I didn't even know what to say to that!

School...finally!

School has started and the boys and I are almost used to it. We have been at it for two weeks now and although Quinten has adjusted well, Gavin has been having a difficult time.

Quinten loves going to afternoon Kindergarten. He gets to hang out all morning, play and watch cartoons. Then after having lunch he hangs out with his friends for a couple hours at school. Quinten has aways enjoyed learning and growing up to be just like his brother.

Gavin has been a challenge. He whines every morning and tells me how much he hates school, which translates to "I want to stay home and play with my toys". So after a good 45 minute argument, he figures he isn't going to win and gets his act together. I won't tell you the warm feelings that run thru my body every morning when he acts up, or is it the heated blood running thru my veins? Either way it is painful and obnoxious beyond words. I have given him a big responsibility daily. He is assigned to Quinten pick-up duty. He gets out of school and runs to Quinten's room to wait for us. He loves doing it!

A good thing this year is that parents are actually talking to me. David tells me I am unapproachable because I look like a snobby bitch, but I think it's because I usually don't look very excited to be standing in the hot sun. Either way, people have felt more comfortable to talk to me. I wish this would have happened two years ago when Gavin was in Kindergarten. I have made an effort to smile more and make more eye contact. It is a lot of work to make friends, that's for sure.

So hopefully my boys continue to look forward to school, or slowly get used to the new routine. I love to see them come home and show me what they have learned and tell me about what they played. I love school!

Summer

We didn't do a lot this summer but we had some fun.....




We dressed Klyde up in a K-9 costume....he hated it!

We went to the beach for a couple days and played in the sand.

Gavin last his 1st tooth. As I write this, he is working on his second. I told him it needs to come out before Monday!

The boys have enjoyed playing with Daddy and tinkering with the motorcycle.

Vacation

I am really excited about my husband going on his vacation this week. He is off thru the beginning of September. He is able to come with me to take the boys to their first day of school, soccer practice and get a lot done around the house. I love that part!
Along with all the positive, his vacation includes a trip to Las Vegas with his friends for a bachelor party. Now this is fine...kind of. I wouldn't be worried if he was going with a bunch of married guys with good morals, but he is going with a bunch of cops. I know, sounds weird, huh? Cops are big drinkers, who typically love the ladies. This means David may get tagged along to the strip clubs and forced to do shots of tequila. I am hoping that he is able to maintain his will power and fulfill his promise to his wife about being the self appointed "babysitter". I am hoping he will cut his friends off after too much alcohol, remove their beer goggles with the ladies and keep them from making a pit stop at the local jailhouse.
I have to admit that I am jealous about his trip. A couple months ago there was a huge air show in Las Vegas that my friends were going to and when I brought it up to him he said, "No". Not even gave me a chance to plea my case....if fact he didn't even listen to what I wanted to say about it. He just said, "No". Now I will admit I have been known to be a bit of a loose cannon in the past, but come on it's been how many years?! So I have reminded him that if he gets to go, so do I. I love Las Vegas. I am in awe of the lights and the fun....and the people! I could sit and people watch all day.
So I am hoping that this vacation is good, for both of us. There aren't any mishaps that will require any bail money or collect calls. Do I have to bring it up or are we all thinking of The Hangover.

North Side Drivers

I have an addiction to Sonic. The real fruit slush with strawberry to be exact. So today I was going to take the boys to get our usual.
On my way to Sonic, I was driving south on Willow from Copper. Anyone who has driven on this street knows that this is a two lane road with a double yellow line. Well, it never fails a young, teenager gets behind me and tailgates me like no ones business. Now normally, for the sake of my kids, I get over into another lane or speed up a little to appease the idiot who doesn't know how to drive. Today, this young girl was in no such luck. I was behind several other cars that wanted to drive under the speed limit. Apparently this girl was very irritated that this was happening to her so she rode my donkey. For every stoplight I watched in my rear view mirror to make sure she noticed that my brake lights were lighting up. But she didn't get it, she continued to drive on my bumper. Now, don't get me wrong....I have been known a time or two to slam on my brakes for the "big, black dog" that runs across the street in front of me. And let me tell you, that dog runs right in front of me and I have to slam those brakes on real hard. This "big, black dog" has been lucky so far and has escaped every time. And most people that have had a problem respecting my back end, have got the hint. I was happy when my turn off came and I could get away from this girl, who is in need of a driver re-exam at the DMV.
It made me feel better when I was paying for my Sonic and noticed a Clovis Police Officer behind me in the drive thru. I asked to pay or their drink as well, knowing that they have to deal with idiots such as the teenage driver all day long. It's the little things that can change your attitude and make another person feel appreciated all in one shot.