After we arrived at Port Columbus, Michael found a penny on the floor. He saw the penny, picked it up and Alex said, "Michael, this was your lucky vacation!" You see Michael had found about 6 lucky pennies while on the road.
Jenny really liked the idea of it being a lucky vacation, and just the utterance of the thought makes her smile.
RAPatton
Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Slide Train
As always, the boys enjoyed their trip to Florida. Out of all the hotels we stayed at this one had the nicest pool. It was set in a garden and was so authentic, that Alex called the walk into it our 'nature hike.' The pool was a series of lagoons and waterfalls. The boys liked the hot tubs, but really liked the waterslide. It was not as impressive as the one at the rec center, but it was outside, and it was warm and sunny.
RAPatton
RAPatton
Monday, March 27, 2006
Kung Fu Reader
Michael's reading abilities seem to improve at an ever increasing pace. In the last 2 days he has started and finished a book in a single day. Of course these are children's chapter books, but still it is impressive.
The hardest thing has been to get him to buy into new reading material; he has loved his Magic Treehouse series, but has been much more close minded about starting other similar collections. Well, recently he finished all the currently printed Magic Treehouses (all 35!), and that has forced him to read new material such as a "Mouse called Wolf". He fought it first, but has found some stuff that he enjoys enough that he starts and finished in a day.
RAP
The hardest thing has been to get him to buy into new reading material; he has loved his Magic Treehouse series, but has been much more close minded about starting other similar collections. Well, recently he finished all the currently printed Magic Treehouses (all 35!), and that has forced him to read new material such as a "Mouse called Wolf". He fought it first, but has found some stuff that he enjoys enough that he starts and finished in a day.
RAP
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Impressive Enough that She was Going to Share it with all the OtherTeachers
Alex has been doing well lately. In his parent teacher conference Mrs. Carpenter raved about his mathematical and problem solving ability. In fact something that he did (she did not specify what to Jens) was impressive enough that she was going to share it with all the other teachers in the district at their math council. He is one smart panda.
In addition to being smart, he is also good and unfortunately that is less common than you would hope for. When Jens was watching Alex's friend Jacob and his kid brother at Chuck E Cheese Jacob took all the tickets from his brother. A different friend, Will, was using inappropriate language at locker soccer and then lied to Jens face about it. Not only does Alex not do these things, they clearly registered as the wrong way on his moral compass and that is good.
RAPatton
In addition to being smart, he is also good and unfortunately that is less common than you would hope for. When Jens was watching Alex's friend Jacob and his kid brother at Chuck E Cheese Jacob took all the tickets from his brother. A different friend, Will, was using inappropriate language at locker soccer and then lied to Jens face about it. Not only does Alex not do these things, they clearly registered as the wrong way on his moral compass and that is good.
RAPatton
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Gameboy Fairies
On Sunday morning (while I was at work), Jen took the kids to a bowling birthday party for our receptionist's son. Jen said that she felt like a celebrity because we were the 'gameboy fairies.' Since our boys got the new Gameboy DSs for Christmas, I gave her our old Gameboy to give to her son for his birthday. He loved it.
Speaking of Gameboys, while Jen was in Hawaii I let Michael take his Gameboy DS to school; the other kids were playing with them during indoor recess (indoor recess happens on rainy days). That turned out to be a good decision. You see, these devices are designed to play with other players through their wireless connection; not only did Michael ended up socializing with the 3 other boys who have one, he ended up being their 'leader,' because they all slaved their devices to his. He was quite proud, and it was a big social step to him. In fact Michael's nemesis was one of the kids, and now instead of giving Michael trouble they are friends again.
RAPatton
Speaking of Gameboys, while Jen was in Hawaii I let Michael take his Gameboy DS to school; the other kids were playing with them during indoor recess (indoor recess happens on rainy days). That turned out to be a good decision. You see, these devices are designed to play with other players through their wireless connection; not only did Michael ended up socializing with the 3 other boys who have one, he ended up being their 'leader,' because they all slaved their devices to his. He was quite proud, and it was a big social step to him. In fact Michael's nemesis was one of the kids, and now instead of giving Michael trouble they are friends again.
RAPatton
Friday, March 17, 2006
Name Tags
Based on the pictures, and the tales told by your daughter, it sounds like the Joe Gorman Retirement party was a big success. Good. I am not alone in thinking that he deserved such a grand celebration.
Jens mentioned that at the end of the year that Joe might want to create a collage for his holiday card; if he does, I would suggest including this picture. Even Jens likes it, despite the fact that she has that epitome of cool fashion accessory, the name tag, on. She always gives me grief about refusing to wear name tags (or displaying them prominently if I do), but now she is starting to understand (cue evil laugh!).
RAPatton
Jens mentioned that at the end of the year that Joe might want to create a collage for his holiday card; if he does, I would suggest including this picture. Even Jens likes it, despite the fact that she has that epitome of cool fashion accessory, the name tag, on. She always gives me grief about refusing to wear name tags (or displaying them prominently if I do), but now she is starting to understand (cue evil laugh!).
RAPatton
What 6-yr-old kid knows the word "dormant" or about Mt. Fuji!?
Jenny took the camera to Hawaii, so there will be a shortage of pictures of the boys, but on the bright side there will be no shortage of pictures that scream 'Aloha!'
Jenny told Alex that she went on a bike ride down a volcano. Alex shared his fears that the lava might get her, so Jenny explained that she was safe because that volcano doesn't erupt anymore. He responded, "You know, I heard Mt. Fuji is dormant too." What 6-yr-old kid knows the word "dormant" or about Mt. Fuji!?
R.A.Patton
Jenny told Alex that she went on a bike ride down a volcano. Alex shared his fears that the lava might get her, so Jenny explained that she was safe because that volcano doesn't erupt anymore. He responded, "You know, I heard Mt. Fuji is dormant too." What 6-yr-old kid knows the word "dormant" or about Mt. Fuji!?
R.A.Patton
Monday, March 13, 2006
Rough Life
Let me tell you Alex has a rough life; do you see how small that cart is that he was riding on. No pillows, no space to spread out, overall a very hard way to avoid walking through the grocery store.
When Alex had the flu, he told Jenny how rough his life was, and further informed her in a storm of screams and tears how she was 'ruining his life!' Among things she has done to ruin his life was make him take medicine, and make him go on errands after school.
Furthermore he bellyached how she ruined his life because Michael talks too much on the bus (he was a little too upset to explain how that was Jenny's fault, but it WAS her fault.) So the next time you hear a cute Alex story, remember that his life has already been ruined. Such a tragedy!
RAP
When Alex had the flu, he told Jenny how rough his life was, and further informed her in a storm of screams and tears how she was 'ruining his life!' Among things she has done to ruin his life was make him take medicine, and make him go on errands after school.
Furthermore he bellyached how she ruined his life because Michael talks too much on the bus (he was a little too upset to explain how that was Jenny's fault, but it WAS her fault.) So the next time you hear a cute Alex story, remember that his life has already been ruined. Such a tragedy!
RAP
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Doogle -- Never Give up
Jenny had taken ill with a bout of Crohn's Sunday, so I took the kids out of the house for the day. After going to the grocer and barber, we ran out of errands so we decided to see a movie. The boys wanted to see something called 'Doogle.' I had never heard of it, and apparently no one else had either, because we had the theater completely to ourselves. It was an animated film with the voice talents of Chevy Chase and Jon Stewart among others.
I did not find the film very entertaining. So to amuse myself, about 30 times during the film I raised my fist defiantly in the air and yelled 'Never Give Up!' This did not even phase the boys during the presentation, but it did amuse me. However, after the film I see that the boys did not ignore my proclaimations; I heard them discussing how Doogle triumphed over adversity by never giving up. :)
RAP
I did not find the film very entertaining. So to amuse myself, about 30 times during the film I raised my fist defiantly in the air and yelled 'Never Give Up!' This did not even phase the boys during the presentation, but it did amuse me. However, after the film I see that the boys did not ignore my proclaimations; I heard them discussing how Doogle triumphed over adversity by never giving up. :)
RAP
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Saint or Martyr?
It is undeniable that my bride takes on too much on a frequent basis; PTO, Women's Club, her writer's group, the paper etc. etc. What is up for debate is whether this makes her a saint or martyr. Discuss this among your selves.
Recently one of her projects paid off in getting this photo. Michael's class won the PTO Grocery Challenge. Jenny, and her PTO compatriots, served his entire class an ice cream (sorbert for our guy) party.
RAP
Recently one of her projects paid off in getting this photo. Michael's class won the PTO Grocery Challenge. Jenny, and her PTO compatriots, served his entire class an ice cream (sorbert for our guy) party.
RAP
Monday, March 6, 2006
Pneumonia, so much better than Oldmonia
It has been a rough week; Alex got the flu on Tuesday, Michael on Thursday, I came down with it 3AM Saturday and Jen succumbed at about 11AM Saturday; by the middle of Saturday we were all pretty sick. Fortunately the kids were ot the tail end of it, and they were better by Sunday.
Jen and I were not so lucky; we both saw our doctor Monday morning and several X-Rays later we discovered that I had/have pneumonia -- oh, joy. I feel better now, but won't be really healthy for about 2 more weeks. The good news is that Jenny did not get pneumonia which would have endangered her Remicade treatments.
RAP
Jen and I were not so lucky; we both saw our doctor Monday morning and several X-Rays later we discovered that I had/have pneumonia -- oh, joy. I feel better now, but won't be really healthy for about 2 more weeks. The good news is that Jenny did not get pneumonia which would have endangered her Remicade treatments.
RAP
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
