1. You pull into your garage after school/work, get the kids out of the car, and they immediately walk across the yard and into the neighbors' house.
2. You start your billionth story by saying "this one time, my neighbor Nicki said...", and your coworkers mimic you by saying "this one time, at bandcamp..."
3. You have moved your baby monitor to their house so you can hang out there longer.
4. You are only slightly shocked to see one of the neighbor boys opening the sliding door to your house - from your fully fenced and locked backyard. (He climbs the fence. We're going to put a gate in to cut down on the possibility of injury.) Then he walks into the house and says "my mom told me to come over and ask what Jamie's doing and tell her to come over."
5. You bring yummy food home from Noodles and your kid asks to eat it over there - and you agree because Nicki already told you to bring it over.
This could go on for awhile but I'll leave it there. We have the best neighbors!
Friday, April 30, 2010
School Conference
We had our first Parent-Teacher conference at Jack's school yesterday. What a surreal experience. It is really strange to sit and have someone else tell you about your son. Here's what we learned:
He is doing really well with his language - writing and reading. He's writing words and beginning to read. He's also doing really well at math. He is writing into the three-hundreds and recognizes three-digit numbers.
He's learning some Spanish, sign language, a song in Russian and a Sri Lankan dance.
He's "playful." Miss Mari says that he is starting to talk to his classmates during work time, but nothing that's annoying her. That's me in him.
He listens intently to every single thing she says to them, then repeats it back to her at strange times, sometimes months later. He tries to make sense of everything she's teaching them. After learning about Presidents, and specifically JFK and Lincoln, he asked her if someone killed ALL OF THEM.
He has to play with the peg board every day. He will not miss a day. She brought it over to show us and set it on her desk as she went to find something else. Chuck immediately began playing with it. Like father like son. He's already Googled it and found a place to buy them.
Jack's a very well-behaved boy. He helps in the classroom, does exactly what Miss Mari tells him, and gets along with the other kids.
The last thing we learned is the funniest to me. Miss Mari was telling us about one little girl who has developed a habit of taking some of the materials and moving them to other spots in the room. At this point we were in the hallway and Jack was standing with us as we prepared to leave. He listened as Miss Mari told several stories. Then he said "yeah, sometimes I just sit where I am and watch them move things and then I know where to find them."
My little spy.
We're very proud.
He is doing really well with his language - writing and reading. He's writing words and beginning to read. He's also doing really well at math. He is writing into the three-hundreds and recognizes three-digit numbers.
He's learning some Spanish, sign language, a song in Russian and a Sri Lankan dance.
He's "playful." Miss Mari says that he is starting to talk to his classmates during work time, but nothing that's annoying her. That's me in him.
He listens intently to every single thing she says to them, then repeats it back to her at strange times, sometimes months later. He tries to make sense of everything she's teaching them. After learning about Presidents, and specifically JFK and Lincoln, he asked her if someone killed ALL OF THEM.
He has to play with the peg board every day. He will not miss a day. She brought it over to show us and set it on her desk as she went to find something else. Chuck immediately began playing with it. Like father like son. He's already Googled it and found a place to buy them.
Jack's a very well-behaved boy. He helps in the classroom, does exactly what Miss Mari tells him, and gets along with the other kids.
The last thing we learned is the funniest to me. Miss Mari was telling us about one little girl who has developed a habit of taking some of the materials and moving them to other spots in the room. At this point we were in the hallway and Jack was standing with us as we prepared to leave. He listened as Miss Mari told several stories. Then he said "yeah, sometimes I just sit where I am and watch them move things and then I know where to find them."
My little spy.
We're very proud.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
You Just Keep Growing and Growing and Growing
Chuck and Jack's conversation before bed:
Jack: "When Grandma Bernice and Grandmommy turn 100 I'll be 11."
Chuck: "How old do you think they are? No no, you'll be like 27 when Grandma Bernice turns 100."
J: "Mommy knows someone who is 100. Do you know someone who is 100?"
C: "No I don't."
J: "Because 100 is as old as you be."
C: "No, you can be older than 100."
J: "How old CAN you be?"
C: "Well, I think the oldest person is 114."
J: "Do you know him?"
C: "No."
J: "How did he get that way?"
C: "Well, he just kept on livin'."
J: looked like his mind was blown "Does he have a giant house?"
C: "I don't think so."
J: "It has to be huger than our house because his head would be up by the ceiling...Grandma Bernice will need a bigger house when she's 100."
Jack: "When Grandma Bernice and Grandmommy turn 100 I'll be 11."
Chuck: "How old do you think they are? No no, you'll be like 27 when Grandma Bernice turns 100."
J: "Mommy knows someone who is 100. Do you know someone who is 100?"
C: "No I don't."
J: "Because 100 is as old as you be."
C: "No, you can be older than 100."
J: "How old CAN you be?"
C: "Well, I think the oldest person is 114."
J: "Do you know him?"
C: "No."
J: "How did he get that way?"
C: "Well, he just kept on livin'."
J: looked like his mind was blown "Does he have a giant house?"
C: "I don't think so."
J: "It has to be huger than our house because his head would be up by the ceiling...Grandma Bernice will need a bigger house when she's 100."
Sunday, April 25, 2010
I Win
If I can be bold, I have made up the best parenting rule ever.
After listening to Jack whine and complain quite a bit yesterday, I instituted a new Banjostrand Family Rule. For every one complaint/whine, you have to say one nice thing about the subject you are talking about.
I love my rule.
He said he never wanted his bike again. "What do you like about it?" "...training wheels..."
He railed on something vague about our house. "What do you like about it?" "...trashcan..."
My theory is that he is going to get so annoyed with having to answer me every time that he'll eventually stop the negative talk. Either that or I'm going to learn a lot about his favorite parts of the universe.
After listening to Jack whine and complain quite a bit yesterday, I instituted a new Banjostrand Family Rule. For every one complaint/whine, you have to say one nice thing about the subject you are talking about.
I love my rule.
He said he never wanted his bike again. "What do you like about it?" "...training wheels..."
He railed on something vague about our house. "What do you like about it?" "...trashcan..."
My theory is that he is going to get so annoyed with having to answer me every time that he'll eventually stop the negative talk. Either that or I'm going to learn a lot about his favorite parts of the universe.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Conversations
My conversations with Jack could not be funnier right now. He is a funny little kid. And gullible.
Today in the car we had the following conversation:
Jack: "Logan has midgets in his closet." (What do you say to that, by the way? And how do you not drive off the road?)
Mommy: "Really? Did he tell you that?"
J: "Yes. It's true. He said it."
M: "Bud, do you even know what a midget is??"
J: "No. Do you know?"
M: "Yes."
J: "Tell me."
M: "Well, it's not a nice term. There are some people who don't grow the way you do or Mommy and Daddy did, so they are smaller than other adults. Sometimes they are your height. But they have decided that they feel best when they care called 'little people,' not 'midgets.' That word hurts their feelings so we don't say that."
J: silence
M: "And I'm pretty sure that Logan does not have any little people in his closet."
J: "Yeah, I bet he hasn't even LOOKED in there."
Today in the car we had the following conversation:
Jack: "Logan has midgets in his closet." (What do you say to that, by the way? And how do you not drive off the road?)
Mommy: "Really? Did he tell you that?"
J: "Yes. It's true. He said it."
M: "Bud, do you even know what a midget is??"
J: "No. Do you know?"
M: "Yes."
J: "Tell me."
M: "Well, it's not a nice term. There are some people who don't grow the way you do or Mommy and Daddy did, so they are smaller than other adults. Sometimes they are your height. But they have decided that they feel best when they care called 'little people,' not 'midgets.' That word hurts their feelings so we don't say that."
J: silence
M: "And I'm pretty sure that Logan does not have any little people in his closet."
J: "Yeah, I bet he hasn't even LOOKED in there."
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Currently
Another of my attempts to capture as many moments in the kids' lives as I can...
Jack - 4 and a half
Favorite Topics of Discussion: bear hunting, how fast he can run, what page on his workbook he's on at school (and where his friends are)
Favorite Movies: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Snow White
Favorite Books: anything Disney, Silly Jack
Favorite Songs: Hush Little Baby, I've Been Working on the Railroad (this has been on the list FOREVER)
Favorite Foods: Peanut Butter and Jelly, pancakes, yogurt, fish sticks, oatmeal
Ryker - 22 months
Favorite Topics of Discussion: dogs, balls, being thirsty or needing food, dancing
Favorite Movies: anything with animals
Favorite Books: I Went Walking, Elmer's Weather
Favorite Songs: anything Jack wants
Favorite Foods: crackers, yogurt, oatmeal
Jack - 4 and a half
Favorite Topics of Discussion: bear hunting, how fast he can run, what page on his workbook he's on at school (and where his friends are)
Favorite Movies: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Snow White
Favorite Books: anything Disney, Silly Jack
Favorite Songs: Hush Little Baby, I've Been Working on the Railroad (this has been on the list FOREVER)
Favorite Foods: Peanut Butter and Jelly, pancakes, yogurt, fish sticks, oatmeal
Ryker - 22 months
Favorite Topics of Discussion: dogs, balls, being thirsty or needing food, dancing
Favorite Movies: anything with animals
Favorite Books: I Went Walking, Elmer's Weather
Favorite Songs: anything Jack wants
Favorite Foods: crackers, yogurt, oatmeal
Monday, April 12, 2010
Banjostrand Vocab
Some new words have emerged in our house over the last week.
Jack:
-Medicillin (as in "I'm allergic to Medicillin.")
-Dame (exclamatory phrase just like something it sounds like that I say too much, apparently)
Ryker:
-Chichi (rhymes with kitty - full phrase is "I chichi" - meaning he needs water.)
-Ci (rhymes with high - meaning the tears are flowing.)
Jack:
-Medicillin (as in "I'm allergic to Medicillin.")
-Dame (exclamatory phrase just like something it sounds like that I say too much, apparently)
Ryker:
-Chichi (rhymes with kitty - full phrase is "I chichi" - meaning he needs water.)
-Ci (rhymes with high - meaning the tears are flowing.)
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