Good
A lot of the weekend has to do with my kids beginning to come of age. Brianna continues to enjoy learning to ride bike. She rode for at least 2 or 3 miles and at one stretch rode a solid ½ mile. Then when I complement her about how well she is doing, she asks, “if she’ll get paid a dollar” for a fine job of biking. At nearly 8, she doesn’t quite understand the idea that not all “activities well done” mean you get money for them.
A lot of my enjoyment in life overall is seeing Ted grow up and really showing leadership skills as the oldest member of his flag football team and at home. He tells other kids what they should be doing on the field, and the coach sometimes has given him the toughest blocking assignments which he has handled well (He may be the oldest kid on our team but definitely not the biggest kid in the leagues as there are a number of kids bigger than Ted). & he has emerged as a voice of reason even at home, sometimes he’ll tell me that I am too tough on someone, like Andy.
This weekend we both had a lot of hope that his team would finally win their 1st flag football game. (If the Detroit Lions can do it, why not us??). We had fun talking about the impending football game and our 2 fantasy football teams (1 of our teams finally won while the other is winning & we’ll find out after the Mon. Night Football game).
Bad
Ted’s team did not get their 1st victory. They lost 20-0. They make stops on defense but, as opposed to 2 weeks ago, just cannot get anything going on offense. The head coach was disgusted with the lack of blocking. & Ted was disgusted he did not get a catch as a receiver or a tackle/flag on defense. He cried his eyes out and left the field in disgust before the rest of his teammates. The head coach kind of thought favorably of that and felt that at least Ted cares! After the game, some of the kids admitted that they don’t like blocking, and he promptly told them to quit if that was the case. So this Tuesday’s practice will be kind of interesting. What bothered us coaches is that if they had blocked, they would have won. & if they block next Sunday, they can definitely win their homecoming game.
A lot of the weekend has to do with my kids beginning to come of age. Brianna continues to enjoy learning to ride bike. She rode for at least 2 or 3 miles and at one stretch rode a solid ½ mile. Then when I complement her about how well she is doing, she asks, “if she’ll get paid a dollar” for a fine job of biking. At nearly 8, she doesn’t quite understand the idea that not all “activities well done” mean you get money for them.
A lot of my enjoyment in life overall is seeing Ted grow up and really showing leadership skills as the oldest member of his flag football team and at home. He tells other kids what they should be doing on the field, and the coach sometimes has given him the toughest blocking assignments which he has handled well (He may be the oldest kid on our team but definitely not the biggest kid in the leagues as there are a number of kids bigger than Ted). & he has emerged as a voice of reason even at home, sometimes he’ll tell me that I am too tough on someone, like Andy.
This weekend we both had a lot of hope that his team would finally win their 1st flag football game. (If the Detroit Lions can do it, why not us??). We had fun talking about the impending football game and our 2 fantasy football teams (1 of our teams finally won while the other is winning & we’ll find out after the Mon. Night Football game).
Bad
Ted’s team did not get their 1st victory. They lost 20-0. They make stops on defense but, as opposed to 2 weeks ago, just cannot get anything going on offense. The head coach was disgusted with the lack of blocking. & Ted was disgusted he did not get a catch as a receiver or a tackle/flag on defense. He cried his eyes out and left the field in disgust before the rest of his teammates. The head coach kind of thought favorably of that and felt that at least Ted cares! After the game, some of the kids admitted that they don’t like blocking, and he promptly told them to quit if that was the case. So this Tuesday’s practice will be kind of interesting. What bothered us coaches is that if they had blocked, they would have won. & if they block next Sunday, they can definitely win their homecoming game.
1 coach is allowed to go onto the field w/ the team to either call plays (on offense) or call formations (on defense). I came up w/ a new formation (a 5 man line instead of the usual 4 man defensive line), and our defense did not allow the Bucaneers to score. I came off the field and triumphantly yelled to the defensive coach who usually goes out on the field, "Now that's a formation that works!!" Hope he didn't take offense and think that was a dig at him. Probably not, I said it w/ a smile on my face. & besides, he went out on the next series and used the same one he did before and they didn't score that time either.
Ted wasn't happy that I found a defense that worked against the opponent's offense. It was a tough game, and he cut his hand. At times, Ted gets so morose and dejected, that I worry about him staying that way. Luckily, his intellectual curiosity, his confidence prevails, but will there come a time when it won’t ?
Good
There’s a long saying giving advice about parenting, and one of the sentences go, “If you compliment children, they will learn to appreciate.” That certainly is true of Andy. He is very earnest and doesn’t have the jaded fuck-all attitude that some teenagers have. We found out that on the state standardized test, Andy only was in the 60th %ile in Reading. He had always done well in all his subjects on the standardized tests before. As he gets older, we learn more about the innate problems he has. We sat down and I had a long talk with him that just as a basketball player must practice new moves each summer (even though that's not as fun as doing commercials and spending their millions), he must read more. & he agreed, and he has followed through.
Bad
I was taking a short afternoon nap Sunday; when Andy was walking around the room I was sleeping. He was crying. We worked on his Science project Saturday, but he failed to inform me that it was due today, the 28th. We took 8 pictures of plants and animals, and he needed 16 to even pass, 19 to get a C and 25 to get an A. So, I had to rouse myself up and take 11 more pictures of plants and animals in less than an hour’s time. It got so that since there was no daylight, I had to go into grocery stores and take pictures of plants. Andy needs to learn to STOP procrastinating and get better organized. But maybe many of us were like him when we were young. I keep hoping and feeling confident that Andy will have a productive adult life if he gets the right direction. We were hustling so much last night that MB said, “I am so past caring what grade he gets!” Better buck up, dear, we still have 7 months until graduation. & she realizes that and will continue to help. She only was frustrated b/c she worked 13 hrs. then came home w/ Andy & I working on it for a few hours already. Again, why couldn’t Andy have told me the day before? Then she wouldn’t have done anything but relaxed after a hard day’s work.
Bad at the very end.
Before we went to bed, there was a tornado warning for Cook County until 10:15 and a tornado watch until 2 am. So, Brianna really freaked out. First, she vomited then she was shaking from hearing the hail pounding the brick walls of our condo. When the hell was she traumatized by a damn storm?!? We haven’t suffered through any tornados, (thank God!). So, she easily persuaded Mom that she must sleep with us, and the 3 of us were very crowded in our queen-size bed.
When I woke up, I asked, “Did you dislike that it’s so cramped in our bed, Brianna?”
“No,” she cheerily replied this morning, “it felt just fine.”
Luckily, I don’t let her sleep in our bed except in very rare circumstances.
Ted wasn't happy that I found a defense that worked against the opponent's offense. It was a tough game, and he cut his hand. At times, Ted gets so morose and dejected, that I worry about him staying that way. Luckily, his intellectual curiosity, his confidence prevails, but will there come a time when it won’t ?
Good
There’s a long saying giving advice about parenting, and one of the sentences go, “If you compliment children, they will learn to appreciate.” That certainly is true of Andy. He is very earnest and doesn’t have the jaded fuck-all attitude that some teenagers have. We found out that on the state standardized test, Andy only was in the 60th %ile in Reading. He had always done well in all his subjects on the standardized tests before. As he gets older, we learn more about the innate problems he has. We sat down and I had a long talk with him that just as a basketball player must practice new moves each summer (even though that's not as fun as doing commercials and spending their millions), he must read more. & he agreed, and he has followed through.
Bad
I was taking a short afternoon nap Sunday; when Andy was walking around the room I was sleeping. He was crying. We worked on his Science project Saturday, but he failed to inform me that it was due today, the 28th. We took 8 pictures of plants and animals, and he needed 16 to even pass, 19 to get a C and 25 to get an A. So, I had to rouse myself up and take 11 more pictures of plants and animals in less than an hour’s time. It got so that since there was no daylight, I had to go into grocery stores and take pictures of plants. Andy needs to learn to STOP procrastinating and get better organized. But maybe many of us were like him when we were young. I keep hoping and feeling confident that Andy will have a productive adult life if he gets the right direction. We were hustling so much last night that MB said, “I am so past caring what grade he gets!” Better buck up, dear, we still have 7 months until graduation. & she realizes that and will continue to help. She only was frustrated b/c she worked 13 hrs. then came home w/ Andy & I working on it for a few hours already. Again, why couldn’t Andy have told me the day before? Then she wouldn’t have done anything but relaxed after a hard day’s work.
Bad at the very end.
Before we went to bed, there was a tornado warning for Cook County until 10:15 and a tornado watch until 2 am. So, Brianna really freaked out. First, she vomited then she was shaking from hearing the hail pounding the brick walls of our condo. When the hell was she traumatized by a damn storm?!? We haven’t suffered through any tornados, (thank God!). So, she easily persuaded Mom that she must sleep with us, and the 3 of us were very crowded in our queen-size bed.
When I woke up, I asked, “Did you dislike that it’s so cramped in our bed, Brianna?”
“No,” she cheerily replied this morning, “it felt just fine.”
Luckily, I don’t let her sleep in our bed except in very rare circumstances.
SEQUEL TO THIS STORY
No, the assistant coach didn't take offense (see my remark made during the game) to my formation at all. Our team, the O.F. 49ers are planning to use a 5-man defensive line most, if not all, of the game!! I couldn't planned it better myself, and the funny thing was that Coach Geoff thought of it all by himself (maybe he received a little osmosis learning after my remark last Sunday).
GO OAK FOREST 49ers!
stay tuned tomorrow for results of the O.F.49ers-O.F. Broncos game. Root the 49ers on! It's Ted's HOMECOMING GAME, (even his mother took off work to watch)!
