We BURN It!

Sometimes my kids get really frustrated with their school work.  A test they've been nervous about comes back sporting a less then ideal grade, despite the fact that they've tried their hardest.  This is incredibly discouraging and they have a tendency to get down on themselves about it.

This happened to my son with his French test.  I don't think French is super important.  I think he should do his best, but I'm not horribly alarmed if he's not getting straight A's.  It's not a core subject (and...he's an Albertan :-0 )  Besides, he started French a full year and a half later than the rest of his class.  There's NO WAY he's going to see high marks at this point.  His class is speaking and writing full sentences.  he's working on 'Bonjour.'  Nevertheless, he expects top marks from himself anyways.

Shame covering his features, he showed me his French test.  I looked at it.  I tried to encourage him by appealing to his sense of reason.  Then, noticing I was getting nowhere, I walked to the drawer, grabbed a lighter and instructed him to follow me.  French test in hand, we headed to the fire pit.  I gave him his test and I gave him the lighter. 

"Burn it," I told him.

A look of sheer joy, relief and surprise came across his face. 

"OK!"  And so he burned it.  The problem was solved.  His mom was happy with him.  The evidence was gone and forgotten.  And a boy returned to the house with a bounce in his step once again.

**NOTE**
This is NOT, I repeat, NOT a good way to deal with all your problems.  The Edmonton Fire Department does not want to start putting out fires because this blog told you to become an arsonist.

But Mom...we NEED a Rocket Launcher!

I have been wondering where the middle piece of my vacuum cleaner had gone.  And what do you know...this morning Paul wandered into the kitchen toting the missing vacuum cleaner on his shoulder.  You see, it has a neat little mechanism where one side contracts into the other side making it smaller.  It also makes a nice clicking sound when it is contracted or elongated.  When I asked for it back he vehemently protested, "But Mom...we NEED a Rocker Launcher!"

 

 



A Beauty of a Day!

It was SUCH a beautiful day!  We were all outside the better part of the day.  Check it out.

 

Paul is infatuated with Dan's motorcycle.

 

Eric helped me for most of the day cleaning out the pool and starting the long process of adding and treating the water.

Eric is also impressed with Dan's bike (I think it must be a guy thing).

 Dan and Courtney hauling some dirt for my planters with the tractor.

 

Seth hanging out on his own tractor.

 Courtney on her scooter--with her grandpa boots on of course.

 Paul's shooting hoops (he's QUITE good!).  Dan joined him a little later.

 Not being able to resist, Dan took his motorcycle for a little ride.

Farm Boys and Libraries

Every now and then I like to take my 5 year old farm boy away from his chickens and try to refine his rougher edges by taking him to the public library and exposing him to some good literature. 

 

But I've learned that you can't take the farm out of the boy or even hide it.  This is the book he found in the library and chose to take home.

 

  So much for cultivating a love for the classics.

Kites--One of Spring's Delights

Grandpa bought the kids a shark kite.  What a hit!  And they got it on a day when the wind was just perfect for flying kites.  It kept these hooligans busy for quite some time too!

 

 

"Mommy...I HAVE to Make Mud!

Reading With a 5 Year Old

--I apologize for the poor formatting.  I have been struggling  for several hours with this post.  Seth's words are in green font.  The rest are my words or some background narration.Tonight I was reading Seth a story before bed.  He chose the biblical story of Rebecca--how she met the stranger at the well, married Isaac and bore twins, Esau and Jacob.

I start reading and as I come to the part where Abraham's servant is in the home of Rebecca amidst her family.  Seth interjects:
"Mom, we sit around a table in Sunday School and I was sitting beside ____________(insert name) and he put glue in my hair here, here, but not hear (as he points to various parts of his head).  And I didn't yell at him."
"That's good Seth, now lets get back to the story." We continue to read and soon Seth interrupts again.
"Mom, what if just you and me were in the house and a badger came and grabbed me?"
Thinking he wants an insanely heroic action scene, I tell him, "I would run and grab a pitchfork and stab the badger.  Or I would stomp on his head and kick him until he let you go."
"Or...you could grab the lawnmower and blow grass in his face."
"Ummm, yeah, I suppose I could.  Let's keep reading." We read how Rebecca was a real comfort to Isaac when his mother, Sarah, died.
"Mom, are there witches in heaven?"
WHAT???!!!  Where did this come from?  "No Seth,  There are no witches in heaven.  They will all be thrown into hell.""Will Satan throw them into hell?"

"No, God will do that."

"Oh, well, that's really good.  Keep reading mom."
Alrighty then.....I continue on to the part where after being barren for 20 years, God gave Rebecca not only 1 baby, but TWO!

"That's what happened to Dora the Explorer!"
"Dora the Explorer had babies???"

"Yup!  She had 2."
"That's so totally crazy that I hardly believe it.  Let's just keep reading."
I continue with the story and come to the place where we learn that Isaac is going blind.  I tell Seth to close his eyes to see what it's like to be blind.
"Mom, I can still talk when my eyes are closed."
"Yes, Seth.  Isaac could still talk too.  There was nothing wrong with his mouth or his voice.  Only his eyes.
"Oh."
"So Esau went out to kill a wild animal for his dad.  It was probably something like a deer."
"OHHHHH, I'm really scared of deers, Mom.  They run REALLY fast.  I run fast too.  And dragons can run fast.  Dragons breathe fire too.  They can puts lots of trees on fire."
"Are we done the story now?"
"Do you want to be finished?"
"Yes, because I'm thirsty."

I wish his kindergarten teacher the best of luck in September.