I recently enrolled the kids in a martial arts class. I told the teacher that I'd like to sign up for classes myself, but wanted to see if the kids could stay focused and do what they need to without my help.
Alright. So the teacher told me with a smile that I should leave and come back in an hour, when the class ended. Why did this feel so unsettling? I don't think of myself as one of those annoying, hovering moms that don't let their kids alone... right? RIGHT?
When I returned, the class was wrapping up. My kids were pretty much done, meaning that they were at the limits of their focus and concentration. There was a tiny bit of goofing around, but it wasn't that bad, in retrospect. Still. It took every fiber in my body not to jump in and growl a the kid to do it right and pay attention.
That is, it took every fiber in my body not to disrupt the class
So who is it that really needs the help in staying focused in class in order to let the teacher do his/her job? Eheheheee ohhhhhhhh the irony.
I thought this article was really interesting, and decided to leave ya'll with it even though there may be no one around to see it and I won't be here to talk about it.
Justice: "Someone said that John McCain was in an airplane and it got shot down and he was taken prisoner in a war or something. But I don't think that means he deserves to be president."
Lotus: "Right. Being a POW doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a good president, either. But people are funny about that."
Courage: "That man farted!"
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So, do you guys talk politics with your kids? What do you think about kids being taken to political rallies?
I have one couch potato kid and one bounce-off-the-wall kid. Thing is, when they play together, the bouncy one slows down. When my couch kid (Asher) is with any other kids, they don't play chase. They all sit around and listen to him talk or watch the homemade vids he's made or play with his little handmade toys. ASHER HAS ZERO INTEREST IN ANY SPORTS.
As some of you may know, Asher is on some meds right now and they're making him gain some weight. He won't swim (he sits in the pool). We walk a couple blocks to the store every day (but any more and he complains his feet hurt--it's a weird phenomenon--his father has it--tender feet). His father used to bike competitively and that was the only thing that got him to move so I know I need to get Asher a bike and he'll be off---but can't afford that at the moment.
Got the bill from the doctor's office for Courage's pre-kindergarten checkup and shots.
$245.63
WTFWTFWTF?! I have insurance, and it's even a PPO. But they don't cover Measle/mumps/rubella at all. They only cover 25% of the polio shot, and tuberculosis prevention is only covered 50%.
Dude. You know what it cost me to birth this child? $20.
It seems a shame that most girl's parents just assume that "my kid's a good girl and isn't going to do that."
It also seems counterproductive that most kids learn about it in school. Hell, I remember the school sex ed classes ... the teacher wouldn't let us take the book home (afraid that people would jack off to it? learn something from it?), the teenagers were nervous and disruptive, the teacher was straight-laced and embarassed, and a good number of the parents signed protest slips to keep their children out of the class. (Ah, good times in the country, eh?)
The ads being thrown at our kids are relentless. I get creeped out when Asher repeats Wal-mart slogans to me word per word. We stress homemade gifts around here, and the kids spend holiday money from grandparents etc at the Dollar Store. I wanted to bake gifts this year but first I have to learn how to bake (the kids didn't seem to mind the blobs we made the other night that were supposed to be cookies but I'd like to give the in-laws something less .... blobby).
Question: how do you address the capitalist frenzy of the season?
With the holidays upon us (hay, it's already Day 2 of Hanukkah - where's my chocolate coins, yo?), comes ALL the reasons why the holiday season has the highest incident of suicide. >.<
So, all these gatherings with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents - are there any landmines in the living room, and what the hell are ya gonna do about it?
I've got the neocon granny, but luckily we won't have to see her this month - I already did that last week. But then there's the whole lot of others, who treat the kids like, well, KIDS, and that irks Justice to no end. He actually got into it with his grandfather one year... and it bothers me just a little that I have to ask Justice to be the grownup in his situation.
If you can't blow off the big family gathering, what do you do for damage control?
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BTW, I got sick of telling the computer I'm over 14, so I turned off the "adult concepts" setting. Since I've never done the LJ mod/admin thing before in my life, and am only faking my way through right now, let me know if you have any recommendations for this comm. My office door is always open XD .
broke-ass
anxious
drained