I love that moment...
Apr. 22nd, 2010 02:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altarflameThe one when I realize I'll be watching Lost later in the evening. It's the little things, you know? And no, I do not by any stretch of the imagination think I'm going to get any ANSWERS out of the few remaining episodes. They're going to keep introducing new characters and throwing in plot twists and alternate dimensions right up until the very last moment of the very last one, at which point the camera will pan way, way back, and the island will go up in a giant mushroom cloud that resembles the head of John Locke. Then, from the burning wreckage, we'll see that huge statue foot thing walking off on the water...and the credits will roll.
My brother is doing SO WELL. I am really, truly proud of him for the first time in a long time. He is on week #3 of getting up early - on his own - every morning, taking the bus out to JobCorps, and participating. It is so much better than we could ever have hoped. He's writing essays about what he wants out of life, and taking placement tests, and having a physical (? whatever) and going on their fun trip to the movies on Friday and genuinely spurred on by the reward system...I am truly thrilled with it.
Three SHOCKING things have happened since he started, each more surreal than the last.
1. He wore colors. I mean, I almost wrecked as I spotted him walking home in khakis and a blue polo shirt. I don't think I've seen him in colors since he went through his camo phase at 10.
2. He stayed late one day to play pool with somebody in the rec hall. Someone who didn't even speak enough english to decide on rules together, but it was still fun. This is both voluntary socializing and racial tolerance.
3. Today. TODAY!! He brought a friend home! I was so shocked at first I was kind of gaping. It was a really nice seeming guy too, who I wasn't even nervous about having in my house. He gave Bob a ride home and they were going to play video games. WONDERS NEVER CEASE.
I am beginning to feel for the first time in these 6 months that maybe there is real good happening because he's come down here, and real hope for him one day approaching a point of independent adulthood. During the window of time he's home and not asleep yet, he does the dishes everyday, sometimes along with other menial one time chores. He also spends more of that window out of his room, even if it is just lounging on the couch to watch whatever movie my kids are watching or something.
Seriously something. I told him I was really proud of him today, and he turned away towards the dishes so I wouldn't see him grinning.
Random pictures.
Lucky kids.
Ginger peach tea, coconut milk, honey, ginger cookies, marble cheesecake. On a daddy-made tray ♥
Aaron's ridiculous chicken Hairy (short for Harrietta, long for H). It's feathers just grow in those colors, so she always looks filthy.
Ananda's super sweet Lily, and Elise learning to be gentle as her pigtails fall out.
Chrysanthemum wants to eat them SO BADLY.
The library...
I told Jake, I'm going to take your picture, and so he did this.
I said no man, I want a regular picture. So he did this.
Isaac's nicknames are gisaac, lisaac, jisaac, thisaac, xisaac, brisaac...you get the picture.
This is serious business.
-I am so tired of fighting with Elise for two hours after the bedtime routines are OVER
-I love leave in conditioner - why have I not been doing this all my life?
-after talking with Tawanna for awhile today, and at least one honorable benefactor who wishes to contribute to the cause this evening (Shaun), I feel like I really want to prioritize Aaron going to NYC with his group in July, but probably let go of the scholarship thing later in the year. We need balance between letting each of them realize their potential, but not going insane as a family.
-Shaun also knows someone who needs some voice work done and so I may be doing some reading aloud for pay
-along with sending in a bajillion stories, pitches, manuscript segments and so on to a bajillion agents, publishers, small presses and contests
-I really love the way A and A's dance classes afford us with these opportunities for me to take other kids places regularly and do other things with them...like on Monday, I take the three littles to the (really nice, too far to be justified if we weren't already up there) park for two hours while A and A dance. This past week they got to catch a lizard, watch a butterfly go from flower to flower sucking up nectar, observe an ant colony of the BIGGEST SCARIEST ANTS THIS SIDE OF AFRICA, and still play in the sand for awhile. Then on Tuesdays, I take Ananda and them to the library for the hour - again, it's a nicer branch than we have here in Homestead, and also because of his one solo hour dancing we have a set day/time we go reliably every week. Thus we do not lose track of time and end up with a bunch of fines, like we historically have. FYI, this nonfiction books for Aaron thing is really working out GREAT...he begs to be able to keep reading when we turn the lights off at night. Moving on, Wednesdays I drop A and A both off, then I drop Elise off at Oma's. This has become really, really special and eagerly anticipated for Elise and Oma(mil) both. Robby and Patrice (her older cousins) are usually also there to shower her in solo attention. And then I bring Jake and Isaac back here and it's just the three of us studying their AWANA verses and having a snack together until it's time for me to take them to AWANA.
-I also love the way Isaac, Jake and Elise have become an inseparable trio - it especially makes me happy for Isaac, who has traditionally been kind of left out amongst his siblings. Because he's the oldest, he's the one who makes up most of their games and decides most of their activities, and it evens things out a little with him being as...well, wimpy, as he is. They play games like one person holds the one in front of them, and a third holds the second person, and then the first starts running all over the trampoline like crazy while the other two try to hold on. And more elaborate, characterizes pretend stuff. They pack things up to go on journeys. It's just great.
-Just in the next 3 months we've got:
-cave exploring with PATH
-storytelling under the stars at the library at night
-science fair
-Elise's 3rd birthday (at the beach)
-beginning of science classes (taught by a middle school science teacher turned PATH mom with a great curriculum they're psyched about), which will be early Tuesday afternoons for 6 weeks
-"Historically Speaking", greek myth themed
-PATH field trip to BASS museum's ancient Egypt exhibit
-Annie at Christina's birthday slumber party
-Annie's 10th birthday (at Jacob's Aquatic Center)
-summer placement auditions at Dance Empire
-DE recital
-beginning of rehearsal for PATH-kid-written play Annie will be doing stagecraft and costume design for, and Aaron possibly playing the villain
-Aaron's 9th birthday
-girl scout day camp for one week, maybe two (for Annie)
-Grant going to the smoky mountains for a week with Shaun (his prearranged, from his whole family Christmas present for when it was warmer)
-Aaron's group going to NYC for a week
I am psyched.
My brother is doing SO WELL. I am really, truly proud of him for the first time in a long time. He is on week #3 of getting up early - on his own - every morning, taking the bus out to JobCorps, and participating. It is so much better than we could ever have hoped. He's writing essays about what he wants out of life, and taking placement tests, and having a physical (? whatever) and going on their fun trip to the movies on Friday and genuinely spurred on by the reward system...I am truly thrilled with it.
Three SHOCKING things have happened since he started, each more surreal than the last.
1. He wore colors. I mean, I almost wrecked as I spotted him walking home in khakis and a blue polo shirt. I don't think I've seen him in colors since he went through his camo phase at 10.
2. He stayed late one day to play pool with somebody in the rec hall. Someone who didn't even speak enough english to decide on rules together, but it was still fun. This is both voluntary socializing and racial tolerance.
3. Today. TODAY!! He brought a friend home! I was so shocked at first I was kind of gaping. It was a really nice seeming guy too, who I wasn't even nervous about having in my house. He gave Bob a ride home and they were going to play video games. WONDERS NEVER CEASE.
I am beginning to feel for the first time in these 6 months that maybe there is real good happening because he's come down here, and real hope for him one day approaching a point of independent adulthood. During the window of time he's home and not asleep yet, he does the dishes everyday, sometimes along with other menial one time chores. He also spends more of that window out of his room, even if it is just lounging on the couch to watch whatever movie my kids are watching or something.
Seriously something. I told him I was really proud of him today, and he turned away towards the dishes so I wouldn't see him grinning.
Random pictures.
Lucky kids.
Ginger peach tea, coconut milk, honey, ginger cookies, marble cheesecake. On a daddy-made tray ♥
Aaron's ridiculous chicken Hairy (short for Harrietta, long for H). It's feathers just grow in those colors, so she always looks filthy.
Ananda's super sweet Lily, and Elise learning to be gentle as her pigtails fall out.
Chrysanthemum wants to eat them SO BADLY.
The library...
I told Jake, I'm going to take your picture, and so he did this.
I said no man, I want a regular picture. So he did this.
Isaac's nicknames are gisaac, lisaac, jisaac, thisaac, xisaac, brisaac...you get the picture.
This is serious business.
-I am so tired of fighting with Elise for two hours after the bedtime routines are OVER
-I love leave in conditioner - why have I not been doing this all my life?
-after talking with Tawanna for awhile today, and at least one honorable benefactor who wishes to contribute to the cause this evening (Shaun), I feel like I really want to prioritize Aaron going to NYC with his group in July, but probably let go of the scholarship thing later in the year. We need balance between letting each of them realize their potential, but not going insane as a family.
-Shaun also knows someone who needs some voice work done and so I may be doing some reading aloud for pay
-along with sending in a bajillion stories, pitches, manuscript segments and so on to a bajillion agents, publishers, small presses and contests
-I really love the way A and A's dance classes afford us with these opportunities for me to take other kids places regularly and do other things with them...like on Monday, I take the three littles to the (really nice, too far to be justified if we weren't already up there) park for two hours while A and A dance. This past week they got to catch a lizard, watch a butterfly go from flower to flower sucking up nectar, observe an ant colony of the BIGGEST SCARIEST ANTS THIS SIDE OF AFRICA, and still play in the sand for awhile. Then on Tuesdays, I take Ananda and them to the library for the hour - again, it's a nicer branch than we have here in Homestead, and also because of his one solo hour dancing we have a set day/time we go reliably every week. Thus we do not lose track of time and end up with a bunch of fines, like we historically have. FYI, this nonfiction books for Aaron thing is really working out GREAT...he begs to be able to keep reading when we turn the lights off at night. Moving on, Wednesdays I drop A and A both off, then I drop Elise off at Oma's. This has become really, really special and eagerly anticipated for Elise and Oma(mil) both. Robby and Patrice (her older cousins) are usually also there to shower her in solo attention. And then I bring Jake and Isaac back here and it's just the three of us studying their AWANA verses and having a snack together until it's time for me to take them to AWANA.
-I also love the way Isaac, Jake and Elise have become an inseparable trio - it especially makes me happy for Isaac, who has traditionally been kind of left out amongst his siblings. Because he's the oldest, he's the one who makes up most of their games and decides most of their activities, and it evens things out a little with him being as...well, wimpy, as he is. They play games like one person holds the one in front of them, and a third holds the second person, and then the first starts running all over the trampoline like crazy while the other two try to hold on. And more elaborate, characterizes pretend stuff. They pack things up to go on journeys. It's just great.
-Just in the next 3 months we've got:
-cave exploring with PATH
-storytelling under the stars at the library at night
-science fair
-Elise's 3rd birthday (at the beach)
-beginning of science classes (taught by a middle school science teacher turned PATH mom with a great curriculum they're psyched about), which will be early Tuesday afternoons for 6 weeks
-"Historically Speaking", greek myth themed
-PATH field trip to BASS museum's ancient Egypt exhibit
-Annie at Christina's birthday slumber party
-Annie's 10th birthday (at Jacob's Aquatic Center)
-summer placement auditions at Dance Empire
-DE recital
-beginning of rehearsal for PATH-kid-written play Annie will be doing stagecraft and costume design for, and Aaron possibly playing the villain
-Aaron's 9th birthday
-girl scout day camp for one week, maybe two (for Annie)
-Grant going to the smoky mountains for a week with Shaun (his prearranged, from his whole family Christmas present for when it was warmer)
-Aaron's group going to NYC for a week
I am psyched.
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 07:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 08:17 am (UTC)PMS + sinus attack have made for slightly less happiness in the past hour :p
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 08:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 08:20 am (UTC)Anyway, we're still deciding who's going.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 01:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 01:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 04:41 pm (UTC)I don't know if you are aware of this, but Tina's on a quest to rid the world of mushrooms. Pacman style.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 05:57 pm (UTC)I am a bizarre tea set junkie. Don't get me talking about the Alice in Wonderland tea set I have....
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 02:43 pm (UTC)I love Ananda's hair and would have DIED to have my hair like that when I was 10! And if my mom had let me have pink hair at 10, I probably wouldn't have dyed it pink at 27, lol.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 05:53 pm (UTC)I kind of think this is, like, the one time in a person's life it can be totally ok and without repercussions to do something crazy with their hair. Grant wanted so many crazy things done with his hair as a teenager and it was always like - NO WAY. His parents were just super image conscious people and his dad would march him into the barber shop and tell them to give him "a regular boys' haircut!"
no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 11:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 05:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 04:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-22 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 03:29 am (UTC)I'm not sure we have JobCorps here - is it like a programme to give unemployed skills and training to help them find work?
no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 03:53 am (UTC)There are a lot of dropouts who've wound up in prison and then got out, there, and people who were hemming and hawing about the military, but also a ton of people like Bob who just have/had no direction at all and were kind of floating along. They offer a lot of short term rewards and incentives that seem almost insulting to me...because I live in the real adult world. Like $25 every other week and going to the movies on Friday. But for him and most of the other people there, it's significant and a reason to try. Bob's not used to having any spending money of his own in his pocket.
My favorite part about it is that they are really involved with the students - there are tons of counseling sessions and one on one talking with the staff all the time - and VERY strict rules. You can't beat somebody up, or refuse to do an assignment, and expect to come back the next day. It's government run and this one is actually on our old air force base (which is no longer really operating as a base).
no subject
Date: 2010-04-23 04:38 am (UTC)