The Plan

My son is going to be seven in June. He’s going to be seven, and he still doesn’t know how to ride a bike without training wheels.

Maybe you can relate. I know I can. You see, I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until second grade. Yep, that’s right. Second grade. and, it looks like my little guy is on the same path.

Now, not to make excuses, but there are a few simple reasons for this:

1. We live on a hill, and the driveway is definitely not flat. It angles downward and ends up right on a busy street. Not an ideal place to learn to ride a bike.
2. We have no sidewalks directly in front of our house. There’s a sidewalk to our left or across the street. Again, can’t really send the child out to practice riding up and down the sidewalk by himself, and the neighbors don’t particularly like it when you camp out on their lawn for a couple of hours. 😉
3. I don’t like outside. Yes, it’s true. I know. Whatever. It is what it is. I love the sunshine, the warm breeze blowing into the house, the windows open. Ahhh. Perfect. But…I do not want to enjoy all of that outside. I like screens, shade and the comfort of being inside. This is a bit prohibitive when trying to teach someone to ride a bike, and leaves the majority of the weight on the shoulders of my husband, who, by the way, loves being outside.

The Right Size

Now, with that being said. The munchkin has this really cool blue and green bike with training wheels…that is waaaay too small for him. My parents have a bike for him, which is really cool. (See the picture above? The one in front is the actual bike.) Unfortunately, we’re not sure there’s a way to attach training wheels to it. It’s a 20″ and many of those don’t allow for training wheels.

As we explained this to the munchkin, he was a bit distressed at first. You see, his current bike is a 14″ and an 18″ is still too small for him – those are the ones that allow for training wheels. The 20″ is what he needs, no question. So…what to do?

Definitely Not a Daredevil

While the little guy appears to be laid back and willing to try anything, this is definitely not the case. He’s extremely cautious, likes to think things through and is not willing to take risks when it comes to anything. Ah…like father like son.

So, back to my question: What to do?

He was totally freaked out when we tried the Daddy-will-run-behind-you-holding-on-to-the-bike scenario in the bike store the other day as we were getting a feel for sizes. That did not go over well at all – for either of them, actually.

In the end, we decided to see if we can find a way to fit the training wheels on the 20″ and go from there. Decision made.

The Plan

Enter, the plan. After we get back home and let the p’s know that we’re going to use their 20″ bike they got – even if we can’t put training wheels on it, the munchkin says, “Here’s the plan, Mommy.”

“Um, okay. What’s the plan? What are we talking about?” I inquire.

Using lots of hand gestures (he is part Italian, after all), he explains. “Okay. We’ll take my little bike with the training wheels and take them off. Since I can totally touch the ground easily on that bike, I can ride it without putting my feet on the pedals and instead get used to the feel of balancing the bike. Then, I can use the bike Grandma and Grandpa are giving me and have Daddy hold onto it until I get the feel for it. Then, I’ll know how to ride a bike without training wheels.”

He smiles and walks in the other room.

Alright then. Glad he has it all figured out. My little planner.

What plans have you or your children made to help you adjust to a new situation? I’d love to hear about them. Drop me a line below, and let’s share our Common Grounds.

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The Spelling Lesson

Every Friday my first grader has a spelling test, which we practice for each and every day up til then. The class was recently working on compound words. We ran through all the words like normal and finally got to “suitcase.”

“Hmmm. That’s a hard one,” says the munchkin. He attempts to spell it, fumbles over “suit” and completes “case” with no problem. After he finished trying to spell it, he asked to see the word.

Ah yes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree on this one. I’m a visual learner, and seeing something is how I better take it in, process it, understand it and eventually learn it. Like mother like son in this case. *Smile.*

So, I show him the word. He frowns a bit, and I can tell he’s noodling something in his little mind. After a pause he says triumphantly, “I get it. It’s just like ‘pursuit.'”

Huh? I turn around to look at him, wondering how he (a) knows the word and (b) comes up with this comparison. And then it hits me.

“Yes. Yes, it is. You mean from Pokémon, right?” I ask. He nods and smiles.

You see, “pursuit” is one of the moves a Pokémon may use, and he was drawing the comparison with the “suit” part. Well, I thought that was pretty good logic, and a great way to remember the word. 😉

What clever comparisons, tricks or tips have your family members come up with to remember something? Drop me a line below. I’d love to hear about it.

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Sad and Thankful

We’ve had a bit of a sad week. My son’s first grade teacher passed away this week.

My understanding is that she had cancer. She did not teach last year because of it, but felt well enough this year to come back. Everyone was thrilled. She was a woman in her 60s who had made a career in teaching young minds. And she was absolutely wonderful for the munchkin.

She got him. I mean, really got him, ya know? She understood that he was a smart little boy (maybe too smart sometimes), who understands how to manipulate situations to either get his way or make his way easier. She and I were always on the same page when it came to how to handle these innocent manipulations.

We made him do the work. 😉

He often tries to get others to tell him the answer so that he doesn’t have to waste his time trying to come up with them on his own, can get his work done faster, and then can have more time to focus on what he wants to focus on: everyone else. My dad often jokes that he’s practicing to follow in his footsteps as an administrator.

Mrs. S. knew how to handle him, and he respected her for it. Mrs. S.’s passing is a sad day for us all.

Her kids loved her, respected her and knew that she pulled no punches — and that they weren’t going to get away with anything in her classroom. And they learned. They learned the joy of reading and writing. They learned the joy of learning.

And for that she will be truly missed.

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Friday Funny: Soooooo

While taking part in our nightly ritual of reading, the munchkin picked out his new favorite book, Rhyming Dust Bunnies, climbed onto my lap, settled in and began to read. Part way through the book, he came to a two-letter word and promptly stopped reading, focusing so hard on the word, I’m surprised a hole didn’t spring through the book from his laser-vision.

“Sound it out,” I gently encouraged him.

“Sss-ah. Sah,” he says, frowning. He tries again. “Sss-ah. Sah?” He says again even less convinced this time.

“Make it a long ‘o’ instead,” I instruct, thinking this will promptly result in the proper pronunciation of the word, “so.” After all, they’ve been learning about long vowel sounds and short vowel sounds at school.

Nope. Instead, I get: “Sss-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.” I think he carried the “long” vowel out for nearly 3 seconds, at which point I burst out laughing. “Not that kind of long vowel,” I get out through hiccuped laughter. “‘Oh,’ not ‘ah.”

“Ohhhh. I get it. Sss-oh. So.”

Bingo! What a nutball! Gotta love him.

On a separate, but related note, if you have young kids learning to read and have not been privileged enough to stumble across the Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas, I highly recommend it. It’s hilarious and up for an award.

Discovering Our Common Grounds

What funny stories do you have to tell? Let’s hear ’em! Drop me a comment below. 😉

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Nope. Uh, No Way!

Image by: Demion

So the other day when I picked the munchkin up from his after-school program, I asked that standard question, “Did you have a good day today?”

“Yep. Good,” he answered.

Of course, we all know that you have to dig a bit deeper to get to what really happens each day, right? So, I follow-up with: “What did Mrs. S. teach you today that was the most fun?”

“Oh, Mrs. S. wasn’t there today. We had a substipitute.”

“A wha– oh, a substitute,” I interpreted. “Did she do things the same way Mrs. S does them?”

“Nope,” came the fastest reply known to man. “Uh….noooo. Noooo waaay. Not even close.” Said with a dismissive wave of the hand, lift of the brows and shake of the head.

Clearly Mrs. S. takes the gold in his eyes. I’m so glad. I lift my cup of java to say, “Here’s to hoping first grade continues down the positive path it’s been traveling. And, here’s to Mrs. S. The munchkin loves ya!”

I’d love to discover our Common Grounds. Drop me a comment to let me know what crazy things the little ones in your life have said/done recently? 😉

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Why wouldn’t they just send an e-mail?

My parents recently returned from a 10-day cruise along the East coast beginning in Maine. During the course of their trip, they sent two postcards to my six-year-old.

When the first one arrived, he looked at it questioningly. “That’s their boat,” I explained. (It has only 25 cabins; so I’m classifying it a boat vs. a ship.) “And, on the back, they wrote you a note.”

I read the note, and he listened.

“This is a postcard,” I explained. “People send them to their family and friends while on vacation.”

This is met with a look of complete and utter puzzlement. Eyebrows raised, eyeballs rolling and head shaking, he says, “Why wouldn’t they just send an e-mail?”

Yep. And that’s the mind of a six-year-old. He just didn’t get it. But, when the second postcard arrived, he understood its purpose, was impressed that “mooses” could swim and that he could read most of the words written on the back of the card.

Generation gap. Personally, I love postcards. It’s something special that symbolizes vacation, fun and family. Maybe I’ll win him over…eventually. 😉

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Mommy, You Should Do That!

Image by: gerbrak

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is to watch the Bachelorette (or Bachelor, depending on which is on at the time). So, Monday night, I settle in to watch the ridiculous drama unfold. (Who’d have thought that there could be so much drama with a house full of men!?!)

Periodically during the show, they give their little pitch: “If you or someone you know should be the next bachelor or bachelorette, log on now to submit your nomination.”

That must have been the first time the munchkin was in the room when they went through their spiel, because he immediately turns to me, mouth agape, gasps and says, wide-eyed, “Mommy! You should totally do that! You could be the next bachelorette!”

As I sit staring at him dumb-founded, he waits patiently for an answer. “Uh. See that guy sitting over there?” I say, pointing to the hubby. “I’m married. To him. You know? Your dad?” The hubby waves. (Funny.)

“Yeah? So?” he asks, looking from one of us to the other. “You can still go on…can’t you?”

“Well, since the point of the show is about the girl finding one guy that she thinks should be her husband – that she should marry, no. Nope. I can’t do it. I’m already married.”

“Oh,” he says dejectedly.

“Besides, wouldn’t that make daddy sad? He’d be left all alone, then,” I explain.

“No,” the munchkin says more excitedly now. “He’d have me! I’d still be here. So, can you do it?”

Laughter ensues. And, to his credit, the hubby didn’t jump in and say, “Sure, go ahead mommy. I don’t mind.” It would have been his perfect opportunity, after all. 😉

“No, honey. I’m married to Daddy. It’s only for people who aren’t married,” I say. Turning to the hubby, I say, “On the bright side, heaven forbid if anything ever happens to you, but the munchkin’s got me covered. He’s already trying to set me up!”

Unbelievable. What a nutball! Gotta love the naiveté of an almost-six-year-old.

Chat later!

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You Never Change, Dad

Image: DandyDanny

I don’t know about you, but in my household, American Idol is the thing to watch two days a week. So, as you can imagine, we were all excited to  watch this week’s season finale. Would it be Crystal or Lee? What were all the surprises in store for us? Who besides the Idols would be on the show this year?

As we were pondering all of these scintillating questions, we all settled down on the couch in the family room with great anticipation, the hubby flipping on the surround sound before we began.

Now, we have this tug-of-war in our family when it comes to the surround sound. This was something that was already in our house when we purchased it, which of course, thrilled the hubby to no end. When we watch shows, such as American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and Glee, it gets turned on, and then the battle begins.

Me: It’s too loud. Turn it down, please.

Hubby: I can barely hear it. What are you talking about? I was thinking it needed to be turned up, even.

Me: I think you need to have your ears checked.

Hubby: They’re fine.

Me: Really? How old are you again? =)

You get the idea. And then, the first song on Idol comes on: School’s Out by Alice Cooper. The hubby immediately hops up (haven’t seen him move that fast in awhile), and heads to the stereo to turn it up. (I told you, the system was here when we purchased the house, right? Well, our stereo is a Fisher, and it’s at least 30 years old. So, yes, we have to manually turn the volume up or down using a dial. I know, it’s a rough life.)

As he happily dances away from the stereo, volume now at full blast, he smiles at the munchkin, who proceeds to shake his head, laugh and say, “Dad, you just never change, do ya?” Said with the wisdom of an almost-six-year-old. =)

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‘Fuggeddaboudit’ (a.k.a., Forget About It)

Image: SarahDeer

As I was driving the munchkin home from his after-school program today, he asked me what he assumed to be a simple question, “Mom, will Cartoon Network be on TV when we get home?”

Hmmm…now, this could mean many things. We have Comcast cable, now called Xfinity, which offers On Demand programming. This allows us to view shows after they’ve aired like a digital video recorder (DVR). The munchkin repeatedly refers to On Demand as Cartoon Network, not realizing that Cartoon Network is, in itself, a specific channel on On Demand. (Clear as mud, right?)

“What do you mean, will it be ‘on’ when we get home?” I ask, I think innocently enough.

“Ugh. Mom, will Cartoon Network be ‘on’ when we get home. You know, Cartoon Network? On? Home?” he says punching each phrase to emphasize my inability to comprehend.

“Do you mean On Demand? I’m not sure what you mean. Do you mean can you watch it when you get home?” I try to clarify.

*Head shaking ensues, followed by a slap to the forehead in exasperation.* “Mom,” he begins as if speaking to a three-year-old. “Don’t you know what Cartoon Network is? You know, Ben 10, Bakugan, Tom & Jerry. You know?”

“Yes, I know what Cartoon Network is, but I don’t understand your question. The TV isn’t on now, if that’s what you’re asking, and I’m not sure why you would be wondering if Cartoon Network would be ‘on’ when we get home. If you’re saying you want to watch something on Cartoon Network when we get home, that’s fine,” I say, thinking I should have covered all the bases with this one.

Or not.

“Fuggeddaboutit,” he says in all seriousness with a pretty good imitation of his ancestors on his father’s side.

As I’m dying with laughter, he calmly proceeds to say, “Mom, stop laughing. You need to concentrate while you’re driving.”

From the mouths of babes…

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You Can Have My Piggy Bank, Mommy

Image: Daniel Y. Go

So this morning as we were driving to school, my five-year-old asked me why he wasn’t going to be a “walker” tomorrow and Friday. *Explanation: The one day I don’t work, I can take him to school; these days he’s considered a “walker.” All the other days of the week he’s considered a “busser.”*

His class is hosting a Mother’s Day Tea this Friday; so I’ve switched my work schedule to work Wednesday so I don’t have to work on Friday. He thought he’d get to be a walker Wednesday and Friday. *Heart. Sad.*

“Sorry, kiddo, nope. Just on Friday,” I explain.

Pause. “Oh.” Another pause. “Why does Sam get to be a walker everyday, then?” (Names changed to protect the innocent.)

“Well, Sam’s mom doesn’t work in an office. She stays at home and works there,” I say.

“Why do you work, then?” he asks.

“Mommy would love to stay home with you, but both Mommy and Daddy have to work so we can afford to live where we live, give you food and clothes and pay bills.”

“Well, then how can Sam’s mom stay home?”

“I’m not sure. They must be able to afford it,” I answer.

Long pause. “I’ll give you all the money in my piggy bank, Mommy. Then you can afford to stay home,” he says.

*Heart. Breaking.*

“Awww, that is so sweet, honey. Unfortunately, that probably wouldn’t be enough money to pay for all we have to pay for. But I wish it were.”

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