Accomplishments big and small

In this past week we saw quite a few milestones in our home, here’s a list of a few:

The boys had Interim Reports, like a report card, but it doesn’t really count.. kind of a mid-marking period way of letting parents know: Dude, your kid is failing- get on their butt about it…or in my kids’ case, hanging in there…pay a little more attention to the Math, kiddo. K’s B’s could be A’s….S is doing fine, even an A in Social Studies!

Baby C has graduated from just learning her first few tentative independent steps to running headlong into the world. The boys are so old now, I almost forgot how incredible this phase is. The dynamism of first independence on her face, the bonks to match…and three new teeth!

K is now wearing adult-sized clothes…but he still doesn’t want to shop for them.

My vegetable gardens are planted! That is quite a singular accomplishment: mine. I’ll admit I had help from K and Honey in moving by wheel barrow the two year old dirt pile from the side of the house into my three plots. I ran six loads. To grow: Plot #1: sweet peppers, 3 types tomatoes, sugar snap peas, pole beans and okra. The okra is from my own seeds; in front in pots: chives, basil and thyme. Plot #2 carrots, spinach, blue lake beans, beets, and potatoes, at front in the herb department: oregano and lavender. Plot #3 cantaloupe, watermelon, butternut squash, yellow straight-neck squash, zucchini and cucumbers. I’m really hoping I treated the soil well, as organically as I can at this point, to yield enough produce that I won’t have to buy any during the growing season. And it tastes better when you grow it yourself anyway. Gardening reminds me of growing up in my father’s vegetable patches. I'm a little Peter Rabbit, a little Mr. MacGregor. I still prefer to stand at the garden and bite into tangy fragrant freshly picked sun-warm tomatoes or early morning peas right off the vine.

S finished his Virginia History ABC Book. That was a huge project, and he accomplished it largely independently. But he still needs to color it. I’m most proud of him this week. He reached his purple belt in Taekwondo. That’s up through white, yellow, orange, and green belts since September. Who knew the kid had it in him? Not me! Wonderful surprise.

K has put together a band with his friends. He is the lead singer-songwriter. They have the drums, guitar, and keyboard positions filled. Now he wants to take bass lessons. Ok, kid. Just buy us a bigger house when you’re a rock star!

My mother-in-law clocked in 13,500 lbs in her workout regime on Friday, and that was after her usual pool workout!

I asked Honey if he had anything in particular he was proud of accomplishing this week, and my guess from the half-dazed grunt from the hulk on the guest bed: that he survived another week in the 9-6 routine.

Lucy, the little escape artist dog would like to acknowledge her multiple darts underfoot or through legs, out the front door to zip around through the neighborhood, tongue joyously lolling a foot behind her as K chased her down, inducing asthma attacks. It must be spring. We really should set up an obstacle course out back and start training her for the nationals…

I almost forgot to mention that on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons, S got off the bus and did not scream-whine-beg for videogame time. Instead he politely asked if I was going to watch Oprah upstairs, when I declined, he asked politely if it was a repeat, and when I said no, he asked if that was an appropriate way to behave instead of screaming for what he wanted. He accepted more than one no. He accepted he wasn't going to get what he wanted immediately, and he did so very politely. He waited so patiently, that even long after Oprah was over, and K returned from hanging out, he allowed K to play his videogame first. In categorizing accomplishments into big and small, this fell into the enormous category. He's come a long way in 10.75 years.

As for writing, I started the blog, I kept it up everyday, and I managed a little writing in my manuscript. Plan D: this week I finish those last two razzafrackin scenes.