Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lost in Translation








Hello Karen & Teresa -- 

Last week Christian kept telling me not to pack his lunch on Friday because he was supposed to have pizza with Ms. ______. What for, I asked? And, believe me, it took several days to get a coherent response. He finally said, "Mrs. _____ has a tiny camera and she filmed me picking up trash in the playground." He also said one other classmate - Tanner? - was filmed returning something to the office. Oh, so for a good deed. Well, since I was still not sure, I packed his lunch. So last Friday after school I asked Christian about his lunch with Ms. _____, and he said they did not meet and he doesn't know why, and that was the end of the story. At that age, I remember having a wild imagination or confusing different stories. It reminds me of 'Ramona Quimby' (all my favorite childhood Ramona stories)! I'm really curious what Christian was thinking. Can you shed some light on it?

Christian's kindergarten teacher left me a voice mail message:  "I think Christian was confused. He got a Character Counts slip from another teacher for an act of good behavior - and I don't remember specifically what it was - but it was one of our Special Ed. teachers who caught him doing something really nice and special for someone else.  And so they read it over the morning announcements, and I told him that he would be getting a free pizza lunch this Friday...all the kids who receive those Character Counts slips are able to have pizza lunch with the principal once a month...and if you want to send a couple other 'healthy' things in the lunch with him in case he doesn't eat what the principal has {laughter}, that's ok, too.  But, the principal does not have a miniature camera that she uses to spy on the kids ...I'm sorry for any confusion this may have caused.  I will probably save that e-mail forever because that's just adorable that he thought he was spied on with a mini camera."





Ok, let me clear up a couple things:  When I again asked Christian about his good deed, he said that he had held up his line so that someone could pass through.  I think that's the story and I'm sticking with it.  Second, Christian is on a health food kick.  We have been trying to get Gaby to eat healthier snacks and to stop his diet of chicken nuggets.  One day I commented, "Uncle Jaime does not eat any junk.  He is very careful about what he eats because junk is bad for you."  Big mistake.  Christian, who may have a slight obsessive compulsive disorder, took it to heart.  So recently his teacher told me that Christian refuses to eat snacks during snack time.  "Something about his uncle who eats healthy...."  So, that is why his teacher commented that Christian could take a few 'healthy items' with him on pizza day with the principal.


Christian's soccer team receives their trophies on the last day of soccer. 
Christian did not eat any pink iced cookies or the yummy fruit pizza, except for the fruit.  He still eats licorice and chocolate dipped granola bars, though.  But not at school, because like Romana Quimby, he loves his kindergarten teacher. Oh, guts!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Brothers Playing Nicely

"When I'm bigger I can play the DS, but right now I'm a little bigger."
Gaby (4 years; 2 months) 3/31/10

"Mommy, Gaby gross."
Jojo (2 years; 6 months) 4/18/10



Jojo is tired of the paparazzo sneaking a photo as Gaby gasses up the car.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Viva la Revolucion!

"Newt Gingrich"

Christian said, "We have to stand on the street with a sign - again?  That's boring!" I think Christian ended up having a lot more fun than he had expected. 

Gabriel: "Is the government going to be there?"

Mom: "No, but they'll hear us."

Gabriel: "Are they going to get mad at us?"

Mom: "They may not agree with us, but we are here to speak up because we are allowed to do that."

And Christian, our little citizen photo journalist, took some interesting photos.  He waved and cheered at the honking cars as they drove by on a busy street during rush hour.  Yaya had fun, too.  The police were out watching us 'extremists', but there was no violence or obnoxious behavior either by us or the few tea party crashers who showed up.  And there were thousands out on the street peacefully protesting.



Chains We Can Believe In, baby.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

In Like a Lion

March ended like a lion, and the month was wrapped up with Yaya's birthday. 

And then it was Easter! Oh the joy of doing messy things.




Time for a swig of milk...
Now back to fighting coloring...


All dressed up to hunt Easter eggs... Nana & Papa sent those dress shirts, along with toys and books. Grandpa Kenny and Karen sent books, a huge checkerboard game (yes!), and some movies.
More photos coming soon.  We were lucky with Easter weather this year with a two-day respite from the winds.

Happy Easter to all.