Science and Ribbons

The school science fair was last Thursday. J wanted to participate. I was kind of at a loss. Neither D nor I remember doing this at his age. We wanted to make sure that he did something age appropriate; that he understood the concept of, and that he could do himself without much assistance from us.

And, we wanted it to be fun.

He decided on a volcano. While D did lend a hand in the putting together of the structure, he was able to cause the eruption.

I have to admit that at first I thought it was a little too easy. I had a big display board and not enough info to cover it. (Disclosure: I did the whole board, but that was the one area where the school had asked for volunteers to come in and help other students.) Once we walked into his classroom and I saw how impressed his classmates were with his model, however, I knew this was perfect for him.

There were plenty of other projects to ooh and ahh about, mostly by the 5th graders who are required to turn one in. Even some of the underclassmen had amazing boards; whether or not they had "extra" help is not my business. I was happy with J's effort and so was he!

The weather put a crimp in the judgement of the K-4 kids. There was a two-hour frost delay which caused that part of it to be canceled. By the time I got there in the afternoon, J had already done his presentation and my neighbor said he did an amazing job. She said he had a huge crowd and explained the chemical reaction like "a teacher."

Though I wish I had been there to see him, maybe it's better that I wasn't. A lot of times, when we're around, he looks over and it's as if he's talking only to us. I'm proud just knowing that he did so well.

In my previous post, I talked about our special Lenten Prayers. On Thursday night J said,

"Dear God, thank you for Science. I had fun today. Thank you for ribbons. I got one. I don't know if you made science and ribbons, but I want to thank you anyway."

God had a hand in Science; probably one in ribbons too. And most certainly in one of his greatest creations: Our wonderful, wonderful J!

Prayers

I really wanted J to get into the Lenten season, but I wasn't quite sure what to do. My parents didn't make me give up anything when I was eight years old. I don't remember if they even made me adhere to the Fish Friday rules. And the Catholic Church doesn't require either until the age of ten, I think ~ maybe 14. However, with First Communion coming up in a couple of months, I wanted to do something to recognize the 40 days leading up to Easter.

Since he only plays Wii on the weekends, I didn't think giving up would have an impact. He loves his desserts, so I could have gone that route, but that's the kid's only indulgence on weekdays. There will be plenty of time later on to make him miserable, this year, I was going more for enrichment. That's when I decided that instead of taking something away, I would add something to his daily routine. Because the Thankful Turkey (here) that we did a couple of years ago was a big hit and something that made us think about our day and the blessings throughout, I added an extra prayer to our nightly ritual; a special prayer for someone/something that day.

J is very into saying his prayers, but they're usually the typical Our Father/Hail Mary type of prayers that are recited; doing an ad lib one was a new concept for him. After a couple of days of prompting him, here are some of my favorites:

"Dear God, Thank you for my family. I like them. Please take care of them. Amen."

"Dear God, Thank you for my Dad. He's nice. Keep him healthy and safe. Amen."

And tonight: Dear God, Thank you for M. I love her. Keep her safe. Amen."

Does anyone else see a pattern here? It's almost form-like:

Dear God,

Thank you for (Insert Noun Here). (Insert Compliment Here). (Insert Prayer Request Here). Amen!

M has been in the room a couple of times when he's said his prayers and has added some of her own:

"I like dresses. Thank you for dresses. I like dresses."

And this evening: "Thank you for my bruder. I'm sorry I be mean to him."

Amen, Sister!

A Decade Later

Ten years ago today I left the house on Conrad Drive that I had lived in for so long; the place where I, for all intents and purposes, grew up; the place that once had so much life and where my father lost his.

It was a day filled with emotions. On the one hand, the excitement of moving to a different state and starting a new life with my future husband. On the other, seeing the tear-stained face of the woman who had never needed me more than she did at that time.

With my veladora in hand, I turned away. Since then I have married, become a mom, and moved another two times. I've endured happy times as well as sad ones. I've worked at my trade and have taken on a new one. My life is as it is now because I took that step; the same step that led me to a place where I found a strength and resolve that I never knew existed within me.

Looking back now, leaving there was like a breath of fresh air. I felt so liberated. So light. Even with the stresses of being a new mom and moving to DC, I knew I had made the right choice and that I was where I needed to be. Our move to WA State 5 years later was like a homecoming. I was back on the West Coast and an hour-plus away from Sacramento.

About a year ago, D's work began a restructure where the opportunity for us to move back might be on the table. It's been a long process and now it seems as though we'll be here for a little bit more. The logical side of me knows that it's the best option for now. Our house is worth much less than what we paid for it, J's school is wonderful, and the position D would take on would be one that would leave room for another move. To another state. So staying here is the best option. I really do get that. And yet I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit disappointed. Even with all the stresses that particular move would bring.

While my life has seen many changes, not much has changed there; and it's the same things that drove me away that are now calling me home.

By the Numbers

0 - Number of sleepovers J had attended before January 7, 2012

2 - number of little boys fooling around in the bathroom pretending that a little hair gel would magically turn into a weapon

4 - Number of stitches needed to close up the gash the countertop inflicted

3 - Number of days that passed before they could be removed

1 - Number of brave little guys that took the beating like a man, shed few tears, and emerged on the other side with some street cred and a story to tell

One Rockin' Party

A rock wall

a best friend

a neighbor friend




a cousin

another cousin

a new friend

a friend's sister

one more neighbor

and a little sister

throw in a bunch of cupcakes

and you have all the ingredients for a Rockin' Party!

J is GR8