Max Sayings

"Mommy, I want to be an owl because then I could stay up late at night."

"Mommy, last night I had a nightmirror (nightmare)."

Since I know Simone will want her own Owl picture, I had to preemptively make one for her.

Spa Hour

When Michael and I worked on the car, the sun was shining brightly.   Even though I put on sunscreen, my skin was affected from my constantly wiping the sweat off my face and from the sunscreen being wiped away.  I took a shower every night and this all left my skin so dehydrated.  I had never before felt like a facial was in order.  Knowing that those things are expeeeeeen$ive, I did a home spa treatment.  The kids were very interested in trying it too!

Caterpillar Action

While harvesting some basil, I found the lone caterpillar had grown and was very active in the afternoon.  I carried out each kid one at a time to allow them more time to investigate and to allow me an extra hand to film the action.

I Learned How to Make GIFs!!!!

Kids think learning ends when school ends.  I am here to say, "NO!"  I have learned a (questionably) valuable skill - how to make animated gifs.  They are mini-movies and possibly my new obsession.

Thinking Outside the Box

The kids' art supplies arrived in a big rectangular box.  I have to hand to Simone for seeing the potential in what most folks would view as purely utilitarian.  That which delivered fun items ... was itself a fun item.  Simone asked if she could have the box and I happily obliged.  I thought that since we had painting on our brains that morning, she would use it as a canvas. Instead she did this.

Do you see her?  Here's a closer look.  

Simone first poked holes for her eyes and nose, found it suitable, and then made holes for arms.  What did she get?  Her very own robot disguise!  If you look closely at the bottom center of the box, you'll see the letters, "YMCA."  After she got tired of the robot she decided to make it the YMCA guy that is the mascot the organization brings to all its events.  

Max wanted to try too and ended up acting very much like the YMCA guy who very poorly sees where he's going and, according to eyewitness accounts by Simone, will toddle about unless someone is holding its hand.

These kids sure have a lot of fun.

Art Studio!!

When we first moved to Tampa, I was so tired and so not in the mood to do as many art projects as we used to do in Alameda.  As the year progressed, however, I felt bad that Max has not had as much art experience as his sister has had.  I realized several weeks ago that he hadn't done much scissor skills and he's already 3!  I felt determined to change this lazy attitude of mine and give my kids the full "kid experience" of painting and creating and deconstructing and pasting.

Armed with a coupon from JoAnn's and Lakeshore Learning I began gathering supplies.  I also tidied up the screened porch which was to be their new art studio.  We unfortunately haven't received all the paint colors due to the progressively regressive service UPS has been delivering, but the kids couldn't wait any longer!

Simone squealed when she saw the paint cups set out

Max insisted on helping so I asked him to grab the paper towels

Ready, Set, Paint!

Let it flow!

We had to do our painting at 8 in the morning - not just due to their excitement - but because it was going to get hotter the longer we waited.  If I remember correctly, the temp was at about 79 degrees.  After the kids finished, they discussed their paintings.

After their interviews, the kids decided they needed to put the titles on their paintings and added ...

Today was too busy of a day to get the remaining red, brown and orange colors so we might be trekking to the physical Jo-Anns store tomorrow because I have a coupon!  Maybe that's how Max thought of the name of his painting "Cue-Ponj."

Terrible Threes

The famous Terrible Twos are not quite as bad as the Threes have been for Max.  He whines a lot more and throws more tantrums.  I think it's because he is more aware of what he can't do in comparison to not only Simone but also to Michael and me.  He also has favorite things now and he is more insistent on having his favorite things.  For example, he has his favorite shorts and favorite pants.  When they are dirty - or have been worn for an entire day - Max cannot wear them until I've washed them.   This frustrates him to no end!  We basically leave him alone as he cries and wails.  When he finally calms down, he gives in to wearing another pair of pants or shorts.

I don't know if I'm projecting this development with Simone but I think it might have been the same on her when she was 3.  I should really look back at the archives to see if it's true.  I don't remember clearly because I had had a newborn Max to deal with and also had little sleep at the time.

Despite all the whining, I feel better prepared.  I look at Simone and see that she got over it.  I can't wait for Max to get over it too!  Although ............. I know that there will be other hormonal, cerebral, and physical developments that will pose as more challenges.   Sigh.  Such is the life of a human.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Simone really takes after me in terms of not wanting to clean up after herself.  Her Chinese bolero jacket was lying around and I asked her to put it on the coat rack if she wasn't going to wear it.   This is how she solved her dilemma of wearing something that was too hot to put on herself:

Another way that she resembles me is that she is addicted to the screen - computer or television.  I think that might have added to her resistance to put her jacket away.

How Do You Spell ... ?

Michael recently built a lovely window table for the kids.  It's actually made of leftover scraps and old shelves for which we didn't have a need in our new house.  The lovely part of it is that its height is perfect for their little bodies and they get a view of the outside while they color, create, and write.

As their first acts of creativity, Max and Simone drew lots of pictures.  Some for Michael and me - some for Lauren, Brandon and Grandpa.  We had to label things for Max when he asked for help, but Simone wanted us to just tell her how things were spelled and she executed the writing.  She however repeatedly asked the same questions of how to spell her cousins' names so I made her a little chart.

When she saw that I had not put Max anywhere she put his name in the sample letter I made.  He had to be included!

Add Sugar to the Sweet

Take a sweet, lovely girl to a restaurant to have some "Mommy and Me" time while her brother takes some sports and arts classes.

Use caution when adding sugar to the already sweet.  This is what happened when I got Simone a chocolate sundae yesterday.

Her silly behavior continued well into the evening.   She had to sleep off the carbohydrates.  

Yippee for Gymboree

I've been concerned about Max's not getting exposure to other kids and had been making an effort to take him to the YMCA to just put him in the child care so that he could interact with other kids.   He doesn't really enjoy it at first and has been running away from me once we get into the sign-in room.  He's almost reached the front doors of the building.

One day that we were supposed to go (Tue, Wed, Thurs), he and Simone kept whining that they would rather stay home.  Maybe I was feeling particularly lazy that day.  Maybe I had a moment of clarity.  Who knows!   But I told him, "OK.  We'll stay home."  The kids watched Magic School Bus which relieved me a little because it's an education cartoon.  I also got to work on more of my own projects.

The next day, we went to Max's scheduled Gymboree class that focuses on different sports.  It's a drop off class (so I don't have to stick around).  It's not competitive and slowly introduces kids age 3 to 5 different sports.  Max so far has done Track and Field and is now doing Soccer.  If I had signed him up earlier, he would have been doing golf!!!  It really suits his energy level and love of music - all in an environment that I think more closely mimics the school atmosphere (i.e. there is a lot of listening for instructions and waiting for one's turn).

Since Max had missed the previous class (Michael and I had been working on the car and totally forgot to take him), the teacher said that he could substitute it with the art class that immediately follows the sports class.   Max said he wanted to do the extra class and I enthusiastically consented.  Max would get more exposure to kids and the classroom environment and Simone and I could have more "Mommy and me" time!

Now I'm contemplating letting go of our YMCA membership and just using that money for the Gymboree classes.  The only reason why we were heading to the Y recently was to get Max to his pretend "preschool" which was really just child care and had no structure, something I feel he needs to get used to to prepare for Kindergarten public school.   One thing is for certain:  Max is excited to go to Gymboree and doesn't whine about it.

Max and Simone feel impatient waiting for the baby class to end.
Once it does they get to enter the play area.

Don't blink for the next photos - you might miss the blur that is Max.

These photos were taken in a span of a mere 15 minutes.  And this was before he took his sports class.   When we picked him up 2 hours later, he still was hyper!

Science Beyond our Backyard

I went outside to see the progress of the caterpillars and found out that our tiny row of carrots were not enough to sustain their appetites.  They razed the leaves and have either gone to search for more leaves (luckily not the basil) or have been eaten since they essentially ate their camouflage.

I did find one caterpillar that looked like he had been the runt of the group because he was as big as the others were when I last saw the big bunch.  

I don't think we'll be able to see these guys metamorph in their chrysalises.   :-(   

That's ok, really.  We still get to see science around our neighborhood.  Today, while riding their bikes around the neighborhood, Simone spotted a lizard that was flaring its red throat flap while hanging out in the middle of the sidewalk.  I told Simone that he was trying to attract the ladies.  "See how red my throat is, ladies? I'd make a good father!"  

Science in Our Backyard

I normally will spray and squash the pests that I find on our leaves, but what I found last week looked too precious to kill.   I went to the garden to show how abundant our basil has grown since the ambush of rainfall.

And then I found this at the corner of my eye ...

Let's take a closer look at these caterpillars!

I noticed these guys all had white patches on their back.  Could that be the remnants of their molting?  Or maybe of what their egg sac was?

I showed Simone and Max the bugs and they seemed to be fascinated.  We would have been out there longer, but I had been carrying both in my arms so that they wouldn't get dirty in the soggy grass.  They had just taken a shower and  normally I don't let them outside once they've bathed, but seeing life science up close and personal was too valuable to pass up.  My arms tired out, however and we went in very soon.  

4 days later I checked up on the caterpillars and they were twice as big!  

They also had moved from the singular carrot plant on one corner of the planter box to the other bunches on the opposite end.  It's good to know that these guys love carrot leaves and will leave alone the basil, which had been on the way to the second patch of carrots.

I wonder what we'll find when we return to the planter box?  Based on the time that has passed, I'm hoping we're finding little chrysalises!  

Kids Eye for the Straight Guy

We have so many beads in our household that the guys have thought of an interesting way to use them.

Michael was just minding his business one afternoon when a couple of kids barraged him with beads!

Their onslaught was unending!  He was helpless to resist.

Car Days - Brakes

In this video we get a glimpse at the old rotors and the new, polished ones.

To see the beginning of Car Days, jump to the first post here.

Car Days - Motor Mounts

The mechanics told as that the cause of the clunking noise Michael heard was a bad motor mount.  Motor mounts help hold the engine in some suspension so that the heart and soul of your car is not wildly moving around when you drive over bumpy roads or terrain.  The driver's side motor mount was apparently shot, but they said that the passenger side was ok.  When we took the items out, we were able to see for ourselves how bad their condition was and to compare them to brand new versions.

To see the beginning of Car Days, jump to the first post here.

Car Days - New vs. Old

It is so fascinating to see what comes out of our car's tubes, pans & crevices.  The liquid is definitely murky, dark and gritty, but its age is emphasized when you compare it to what it should look like.  To be fair, we know that time will affect a once clear liquid.  But when we did our comparison of old and new, we saw how long overdue these replacements were.

To see the beginning of Car Days, jump to the first post here.

Car Days - 1st Day's Work Analysis

When Michael told me he was going to do a lot of work himself on the car, I volunteered to help him so I could learn what he is doing.

Warning ... my next sentences will be morbid so if you don't like the topic of death, you should just skip the next words and just hit play on the video below.

I love being with Michael, but I know that it is possible he might die unexpectedly.  I like to learn things about how to take care of the house so that if Max, Simone and I were ever to be left stranded without the man of the house, I - the woman of the house - can take care of the remaining Meyers.  I hope to grow old with Michael, but I'm always trying to think independently.  So part of my wanting to learn about the car is to know more about how to take care of our transportation and not to be at the mercy of mechanics who have a reputation of wanting your money more than to help you with good service.

I came through this experience thinking negatively of doing car work myself.  But I am feeling empowered that I can stroll into a Jiffy Lube and be able to tell if the mechanics are speaking the truth or not about oils and filters needing to be changed.  I am also feeling well-prepared to maintain a car in the future.   I used to regularly have the oil on my Honda Civic changed, but in terms of doing brake fluid and transmission oils, I was oblivious.  

Not anymore!!!

To see the beginning of Car Days, jump to the first post here.

Car Days - Introduction

Michael had started to hear a clunk when he drove our white car and decided to bring it into a mechanic to see what might be wrong.  He warned me that the problem might be the transmission and that replacing it might cost $5,000, which is half the amount we paid for the car! Luckily the mechanic did not mention the transmission having a problem.  Unluckily there was a giant list of things we had to do to get our car in good working condition.

To see the beginning of Car Days, jump to the first post here.

Do It Yourself Worktables

A few weeks ago, the family and I were at a Lowe's store browsing their sale section.  Michael eyed a discounted rolling worktable / toolbox.  The price was slashed by 20%, but it was still an expensive purchase of $200 for something that I didn't think we had room for in our garage.

While Michael respects my decision to save money, he also resorts to his resourcefulness when he covets a new tool or piece of "furniture."  He spent about $6 for a 10' long 2x4, found scrap plywood, and gave in some sweat and muscle to get what he wanted and to satisfy my concerns about money and lack of space.

Crying and Laughing = Craughing!

Some days are tough in the Meyer household.  Sometimes I think that both kids might be PMSing themselves.  Here's a video that expresses the insanity of frustration - the feeling you get when things are not going your way, you're too tired to resolve your problem, and you're mad that you can't stop being mad about ....   what was I mad about again?

This was taken while we were waiting to meet up with Michael for dinner.  The kids had just finished their Happy Meal and were playing with their toys in the front of the car.  Max's particular "Spy Gear" special message decoder was not working to his satisfaction.  Really, he just lost one of the special messages that come with it.  We later found out it was under his leg.

Tiny Dancer

I always wanted to take ballet when I was little - what little girl didn't(!) -  but didn't get the chance to do it until I was already in college!  Funny coincidence was I took it at a YWCA in Berkeley.  22 years later, Simone is taking a preschool version of the class that includes some introduction to jazz.  Here is a video of her dance recital in March of 2013.  She enjoyed the sessions but got "danced-out" and is taking a break for now.

Despite her lovely performance and her enjoying the classes, she got "danced-out" and is taking a break for now.

Spider Man's Amazing Friend

Simone accidentally called Iceman, "Assman."

He very well could be that too.  

First Adventure in Homeschooling

We decided that I would start Simone's 1st grade homeschool during the summer after her Kindergarten.  In fact, we started the Monday after her last day of school.  My belief is that learning, formal or not, happens all the time.  The only reason why there is a vacation in compulsory education is that, historically, children needed to help their farming parents between the months of June and August to reap the harvest.

I have been preparing for about 3 years for the moment I would start homeschool.  I had chosen The Well-Trained Mind as a structure for teaching Simone, but I can already see that we might veer from its organization.  In fact, I go through a re-evaluation of teaching methods every day!!!  Issues include number of breaks, when is the best time to teach Simone, where is the best place to teach her, how to present information, and how to mix up the subjects from day to day.

One thing I have learned with how I present information is  I need to be more interesting!

Simone straight up told me that I am boring.  Wha- what WHAT?!?!?    Me? Boring?  Well that was a shocker, but a very constructive criticism.  AND an instigation to give more props to teachers who teach more than one child!

The funny thing is that our first day was one of our most creative.

I had bought a lot of e-books from Teacher Express, a sub-company of Scholastic, Inc.  For the first day, I turned to one of their activities.  I chose the brain hats because Max had recently asked about our brains and where it is.  Simone really liked coloring hers.   Max got frustrated that he couldn't color and cut as well as his sister.

After a few more days of our doing worksheets, Simone kept telling me that learning is borning.  So for one of our writing prompts, I asked, "Why do you think learning so boring?"  Here is her answer.

"Because you do it difrnt"

On the left is a picture of Simone with her teacher Mrs. Dye.  Simone is happy and standing tall.

On the right is a picture of Simone with me.  She is cowering in a corner.  She told me, "Here, I am crying."

My ultimate goal is not to copy what teachers do, but I do want to get her more excited about learning.  Simone did comfort me by telling me that she likes how I teach her Spelling. 

I think Simone might be more of a kinetic learner than I originally thought.  Well ... here's to learning more about learning.  

Hooky at the Beach

A few weeks ago, we played hooky and went to the beach.  

It was so wonderful!  The weather was hot and the water was warm again.  Little did we know this was going to be one of the last sunny days we would see without rain!  

Now everyday, we get rain in the afternoon.  I remember during our first few days in Tampa it always rained at around 3 or 4 pm - just about the time we wanted to jump into the hotel pool.   That had been the middle of July.  I'd say this whole afternoon rain thing started in mid-June.  

One of the great advantages is that I don't have to worry about watering the plants!!!  The basil in the salsa box is thriving!