Olympian in the high school meet

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of months ago about Missy Franklin, swimming prodigy and winner of many gold medals during last summer's Olympics. Miss Franklin is still in high school (because she is just 17, after all) and is, consequently, still swimming for her high school swim team as an amateur athlete. The article detailed how UNFAIR some of the kids, coaches, and parents at her rival schools are finding this. There were lots of quotes heavy on the whining. This seems significant to me--emblematic of our "everyone gets a trophy" mentality. I think if I had a kid swimming against Missy Franklin, my advice would be to get in her wake and swim as much like she does as you possibly can. You'll still come in second, but at least you will be better than you probably would have been otherwise.

 Then last night we had a little family time around the Monopoly game, and Harper had acquired Boardwalk and Park Place. She bought three houses (after adding up the total in her head--triple digit numbers! Singapore Math, I'm sorry I had begun to doubt you!) and was sitting pretty. Until the Daddy got three hotels, and I got all 4 railroads, AND she had a few unlucky rolls. Watching the tears well up in her previously glowing eyes when she realized she was bankrupt made me realize something: it is NOT easy to watch your children face disappointment. I confess that I felt a little less judge-y about those parents in the Missy Franklin article at that moment. I also realize that losing well at Monopoly is an important life skill. Although when I came back from putting Helena in the bath, the Daddy had had mercy and had bailed her out a little. I guess it's like playing Monopoly with Sasha and Malia.

We all went to the dentist this morning. It was Hudson's first ever visit, and Harper's second. A little late (very like us when it comes to all things medical) to the preventative care, but thankfully, they were both cavity free. I am not. My mouth is going to have to be Dealt With in quadrants over several months, though none of it is very serious. Does anyone else think getting the x-rays is the worst part?? Maybe I just have a delicate palate.

 I just finished a popular best seller that had TWO unreliable narrators. This has vexed me ever since 10th grade and The Great Gatsby. I believed Nick Carraway. If I ever write a book, my narrator will be trustworthy.

 I still can't do Helena's birthday interview because the video camera memory is full, and the Husband has been too crazy busy to track down the hard drive.

 I'm reading For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and it is a delightful reminder of why we are schooling the way we are. Which is timely, because I have been a little weary of things lately. Possibly because I finally went to the doctor on Friday and it turns out that post-flu I have developed a couple of different -itises. I am currently on four different pharmaceuticals, and am finally beginning to feel myself again. Only now poor Helena has a fever. AGAIN.

 We got a blender for Christmas and we've been making smoothies. They have all been well received, except for two days ago when I got over zealous with the raw, vegan, sprouts-based protein powder. It was wretched. Helena thought it was delicious, the other two did NOT. I made Harper drink hers because she threw a small fit about it. Then I drank the rest because I can't stand to waste healthy (expensive--raw, vegan, sprouts based protein powder does not come cheap) food. It tasted charred somehow. Like charred, sprouty, bananas covered in flax seed oil and plain Greek yogurt. I'll be sure to post the recipe on Pinterest. You know, I just realized what with my steroid shot and my super unpalatable smoothie intake, maybe I should consider a run at the Tour de France this year.

That is all. Not even a picture to temper the randomness.

Interview with Hudson, who is newly SIX.

I have to be honest that the interview did not go at all well with Hudson this year. He was surly and curt. He was, as they say in law enforcement, a Hostile Witness. Granted, his birthday fell at the end of week one of The Terrible Flu of 2013, and, as birthdays go, things were a little disappointing. The two requests he'd had, in terms of celebrating, were a camping trip with the Daddy, and some bike riding with his pal T, and neither of these things happened because of our protracted recovery. We did go eat at Escalante's, per his request, but none of us had fully regained our appetites, and it all felt a little less-than. Anyway, as you read the interview, realize that I have omitted the, "I don't KNOW!" that he actually gave as his answer on almost every question, before I gently cajoled another out of him.

1. Hudson, at what age does a person become a grown up? 99. Why do you think so? Because it's really old. No. 500!

2. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do? I guess watch "Star Wars" or play with my Ninja Legos.

3. What is something that makes our family special? Watching "Star Wars"

4. Are you a good friend? NO. Well, I guess I'm a good friend. Because I like Star Wars, I guess.

5. How would the world be different if animals could talk? I don't WANT to talk to animals I want to talk to ALIENS.

6. What is the best thing about being a kid? Playing with Zane (one of his new Ninja Lego guys) and this guy. I forgot what his name is. The worst thing? Not getting to watch "Star Wars" when you say no.

7.Where is your favorite place in the world? Camping. Speaking of camping, WHERE is my knife?

8. If you could give one gift to every child in the world, what would it be? Uh...maybe a book or something? Maybe Trumpet of the Swan?

9. What are five words that describe you? I guess Luke (as in Skywalker), Navy SEALS, brown hair. That is all.

10. If you could invent something, what would it be? A robot or a lightsaber.

11. If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what would it be? Bring weapons to school. Why CAN'T we bring weapons to school?? (our homeschool co-op had to make a no weapons rule because last year, so many of the older boys were bringing knives and swords and other weaponry for their presentations, which made playground time a little harrowing.)

12. What is your favorite...
Color? black
Smell? fire
Food? red bell peppers
Book? Star Wars (Lego character encyclopedia)
Activity?? Playing with Legos, bike riding with Daddy
Sound? Star Wars music

13. What does Daddy like to do? I guess watch "Star Wars." And shoot bb guns.

14. What does Mommy like to do? I don't know what you like to do.

15. What makes you special? I guess that I like Legos.

16. What do you MOST want to do? Watch "Star Wars."

17. What would you like to write a book about? Star Wars.

18. What's your favorite thing to wear? I guess my Star Wars shirt.

19.Describe what you look like. I'm a boy with brown curly hair. I am tall. Brown? eyes.

20. What are you looking forward to this year? Playing Mario. THAT'S what I am excited about. This week I am going to play an entire CHUNK of Mario.


So. there it is. Maybe you will remember that last year's interview was heavy on "Cars 2," and this year I obviously could have just skipped the entire interview and typed in "Star Wars" for every answer. Yes, this makes me sigh.

A few other observations of this boy:
1. He wears socks 23 hours and 55 minutes out of every day. He strips them off before his shower, and puts on a new pair as soon as he has dried off his feet.
2. He only weighs 35 pounds.
3. But he's athletic. He picks up new Tae-kwon-do moves the first time. He can do a wheelie on his bike. He does all sorts of fanciness with his light sabers. He can dribble a basketball very well. And he jumps from VERY high things and lands like a cat.
4. He prefers shorts, even when it's chilly out. He also rarely leaves the house without his braided paracord belt, from which he hangs his knife and his light saber.
5. He plays with Legos for hours every day.
6. He loves to snuggle right next to me when I read aloud. If he hears someone reading, he will always stop what he is doing and go listen.
7. We have slowly worked through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons this year, and he is on lesson 78.
8. He can write fairly neatly for a lefty.
9. He doesn't ever eat much (see #2) and if he doesn't like what we are having for dinner, he will get sad about it and start talking about how maybe he will just throw all of his toys IN THE TRASH.
10. He makes friends easily. He shares readily.
11. He plays well with both sisters. Most of the time.
12. He thinks Harper is the funniest human being EVER.
13. He doesn't drum nearly as much as he used to. Which, honestly, makes me simultaneously relieved and sad.
14. He loves having his back scratched at bedtime.
15. Turtles are his favorite animal.
16. He is always ecstatic to see the Daddy walk through the door. As lovely as we are, it can't be easy being around all of the ladies all the day long.




17. He quit taking an afternoon nap about 8 months ago. He usually sleeps 11 hours at night. The blue blanket is still quite necessary. As is the thumb. Though I think he is considering quitting. Just like he was last year.

I made some of my signature Homeliest Cupcakes Ever. Can you guess what they are?

I'm alive again.

Well, that was a break. We've all been better for about a week now, for which I am exceedingly thankful. We had Hudson's sixth birthday, then Helena's fourth a week later, and I will be posting the birthday interviews this week at some point. Meanwhile, I wanted to make sure I left evidence of Saturday night. We spent the weekend with the Grandparents Pate. They have season tickets to the Lamar University Cardinals basketball games. We went with them, and Harper and Hudson got invited to participate in a Sports Clips sponsored dance competition during one of the time-outs in the first quarter. Hudson thought he probably did NOT want to participate, until the sweet student volunteer recruiting kids told him there was a PRIZE involved. "WHAT is the prize?" Hudson queried, still very much on the fence. Harper decided she would definitely do it, so Hudson decided to go along. The guy told them they would be dancing to a song called Gang Man  or Nan or something or other, and was met with blank stares from my kids, and also from me.  I thought about suggesting that we could definitely boogie down to our timeline song, from the beginning of recorded history up to Prince Henry Founds School of Navigation, and that we knew the sign language, and that it would take approximately 15 minutes, but instead there was 30 seconds of this:

 

 Just before they walked out, Hudson thought he probably and most decidedly did NOT want to participate. He definitely did NOT want to play one of the guitars. I convinced him he could go out with his pirate do-rag and do some tae-kwon-do, and guess what? Little man WON the dance off!! The prize was a large thermos cooler WITH a straw, a Sports Clips t-shirt (size adult XL which we passed on to Grandfather Pate), a piece of beef jerky (also given to Grandfather Pate), a tube of men's shave gel (given to the Daddy) and a FREE haircut! Harper and the other boy (his name was Johny) got a pair of Lamar University sunglasses and a lanyard necklace thing. I'm not sure the judging had any sort of objective criteria, considering Johny, as you can see from the photos, had some MOVES (look at him all Michael Jackson on his toes in the second photo!), and Harper, who did her ($500) cartwheel in the midst of her impressive choreography, actually performed better than Hudson. All I can figure is that they decided Hudson was the one most in need of a free haircut.

Anyway, it kind of felt like one of those moments Donald Miller talks about in one of his books when the family jumps off the dock into the water just to make things memorable. Dancing like no one is watching in front of a crowd of a thousand people definitely counts as a memory, I think.  I will be back soon. Maybe tomorrow.