Those of you who know Meg won't be much surprised that she has a bit of an Achievement Complex. She loves to have a list - she will unfailingly get it all done, with a grin. (But she HAS to have the list, written down. She needs to see the items get checked off or she won't do them.)
She is remarkably mature for 9, in my opinion. Now and then, when James is gone, I will start to run over to the store or post office and then suddenly realize that I can't leave her alone to babysit the two younger ones. Actually, I think I probably could, which is why I so often forget.... (But, NO, Dad, if you are reading this, I haven't left her alone and I won't. This year. Whatever she thinks.)
Monday night, she was excited that I had bought the groceries for one of her favorite meals, Chicken Caesar Salad. She announced after school that she wanted to make dinner. By that, she mean it. She is an Achiever, remember. She will accomplish anything she sets her mind to, but she wants it done in a manner that leaves no doubt as to where the accolades should go.
But, I wasn't complaining. I had some paperwork to finish up after a difficult day with Helen, so I went up to my office and left her to it. When I checked back in an hour, she reported with a smile, "Mom, I washed the dishes, wiped the counters, and swept the floor. I have washed and dried all of the lettuce and am just about to chop it for the salad. Will you supervise me at the stove soon so I can cook the chicken?" Boy, a few more days like that and I will feel guilty not putting her on the family payroll.
Dinner was very good, by the way.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
James is still here with us
I am feeling guilty that I publish all the time about Helen, and often about John, and now I have Meg's poem up, and I never say "Boo!" about James. Perhaps that is the way of a 12-year-old boy - no news is good news. He is not overly talkative about school or life, but seems to be really enjoying his school year and friends here. He has a friend whom he regularly walks or bikes home with; friends with whom he goes out to lunch every Wednesday on the early release day, and he went to the Middle School dance last Friday night. We were not too surprised that he didn't really want us to chaperon the dance.
He is growing into a very independent, and largely responsible, young man. He takes care of himself and his school work and schedule. He does not yet remember to clean his bathroom on his own, but does passably well at the job, without too much grumbling, when reminded. He is also a big help with many other chores - my best sweeper and tidier in the kitchen, and he always joins in to help fold a basket of laundry if he sees me at work on it.
He will watch the younger kids for me as needed, though he definitely doesn't want to be involved with potty or diaper issues. If asked, he will take John outside for roughhousing without complaint, or get Helen into pajamas.
And finally, he is just a very nice young man. Good thing I am not biased.
He is growing into a very independent, and largely responsible, young man. He takes care of himself and his school work and schedule. He does not yet remember to clean his bathroom on his own, but does passably well at the job, without too much grumbling, when reminded. He is also a big help with many other chores - my best sweeper and tidier in the kitchen, and he always joins in to help fold a basket of laundry if he sees me at work on it.
He will watch the younger kids for me as needed, though he definitely doesn't want to be involved with potty or diaper issues. If asked, he will take John outside for roughhousing without complaint, or get Helen into pajamas.
And finally, he is just a very nice young man. Good thing I am not biased.
Meg, the Poetess
Meg has really been enjoying writing this year, too. We feel fortunate that she was assigned a teacher who loves literature as much as she does and who keeps up with her voracious reading. In December the class did a poetry unit and it tickled Meg's fancy to write similes and metaphors. She picked her favorite poem to "publish" with her artwork for the school walls.
I think that the italic font may be hard to read in the scan, so just in case, here it is again. I have elected to keep authenticity, and thus have not copy edited her poem for grammar, punctuation, etc.
A Poem For A Winter's Night
Where are the birds that come and go so freely in the summer months?
For bird song is the carol of the woods.
Where are the bright cheery flowers from spring?
The season where Christ saved us all.
Where are the brilliant crunches and colors of fall.
and that nice cheery wind that whisks the leaves away?
Instead of this biting cold one.
What is this gray sky, bare branches, and boring white blanketed ground?
Where are they? What is this?" I say
But I know it's Winter.
I hope for the ruby's of Fall.
I long for the petals of Spring.
I need the late black nights of summer.
But where are they?
What is this empty land only the songs of a few birds
And the crunch of snow and ice?
But it is kind of pretty how the ground sparkles
And wind and snow slowly yet swiftly drift through the trees to the ground.
So I guess I'll just appreciate it while I can
And look forward to the seasons, even winter.
- Meg VanAntwerp
I think that the italic font may be hard to read in the scan, so just in case, here it is again. I have elected to keep authenticity, and thus have not copy edited her poem for grammar, punctuation, etc.
A Poem For A Winter's Night
Where are the birds that come and go so freely in the summer months?
For bird song is the carol of the woods.
Where are the bright cheery flowers from spring?
The season where Christ saved us all.
Where are the brilliant crunches and colors of fall.
and that nice cheery wind that whisks the leaves away?
Instead of this biting cold one.
What is this gray sky, bare branches, and boring white blanketed ground?
Where are they? What is this?" I say
But I know it's Winter.
I hope for the ruby's of Fall.
I long for the petals of Spring.
I need the late black nights of summer.
But where are they?
What is this empty land only the songs of a few birds
And the crunch of snow and ice?
But it is kind of pretty how the ground sparkles
And wind and snow slowly yet swiftly drift through the trees to the ground.
So I guess I'll just appreciate it while I can
And look forward to the seasons, even winter.
- Meg VanAntwerp
John's writing again...
John really seems to enjoy writing stories. It is fun to see, given that he has been a somewhat reluctant reader. Well, that is probably not really the right way to describe it. John loves to be read to, any story from a board book of Helen's to the Harry Potter stories that Jeremy is reading to him now at bedtime. And, if I can get his attention from any other activity, he actually seems to like reading himself, pretty well. He is leaps and bounds ahead of where he was last fall, and can cruise through simple books pretty easily.
But still, he has a strange love-hate relationship with reading. I think it may actually be that he is an extreme perfectionist, and has an achievement/competition complex. Thus, he hates to try reading, because it makes him feel inadequate ("losing" some competition) because he senses that he doesn't read as well as others (like his older siblings). For over a year now, he has pretended to read thick chapter books whenever anyone tries to get him to read. Last summer, he would sit on the couch, flipping the pages, then excitedly reporting in every few minutes what page number he was now on. (It made him grin and gloat to "read" faster than his siblings, cruising along at an average pace of a chapter every 3 minutes. It might have been funny except that he seemed to actually believe, himself, that he was reading.
In any case, reading is coming quickly to him, at last. But the writing curriculum in his classroom seems top-notch, and that same optimistic confidence that he used to "read" chapter books last year is now being delightedly fed by the books that he his writing in school.
He gets to choose his own topics and plan out his books, and the students work on them over a stretch of time. Thus, when I do (occasionally) get a report about school other than recess, it is always John giving me a sly, cheeky grin and saying, "I am working on a new book." He never tells what it is about, but he always promises that I will love it. And you know what? I do!
Here is the latest book he brought home. I have, again, included some interpretation and translation of the photo images. And for the record, yes, John really, really wishes that we had a dog.
But still, he has a strange love-hate relationship with reading. I think it may actually be that he is an extreme perfectionist, and has an achievement/competition complex. Thus, he hates to try reading, because it makes him feel inadequate ("losing" some competition) because he senses that he doesn't read as well as others (like his older siblings). For over a year now, he has pretended to read thick chapter books whenever anyone tries to get him to read. Last summer, he would sit on the couch, flipping the pages, then excitedly reporting in every few minutes what page number he was now on. (It made him grin and gloat to "read" faster than his siblings, cruising along at an average pace of a chapter every 3 minutes. It might have been funny except that he seemed to actually believe, himself, that he was reading.
In any case, reading is coming quickly to him, at last. But the writing curriculum in his classroom seems top-notch, and that same optimistic confidence that he used to "read" chapter books last year is now being delightedly fed by the books that he his writing in school.
He gets to choose his own topics and plan out his books, and the students work on them over a stretch of time. Thus, when I do (occasionally) get a report about school other than recess, it is always John giving me a sly, cheeky grin and saying, "I am working on a new book." He never tells what it is about, but he always promises that I will love it. And you know what? I do!
Here is the latest book he brought home. I have, again, included some interpretation and translation of the photo images. And for the record, yes, John really, really wishes that we had a dog.
 |
| "How to Chrane a Dog" (Throughout this book, he seems to be getting his consonant blends mixed up. So CHR = TR and this title is actually "How to Train a Dog") |
 |
| Frst get a Dog. get a Dog at the pet stor or the anumul seltr. (First get a dog. Get a dog at the pet store or the animal shelter.) |
 |
| 2. Thro a Ball (2. Throw a ball.) |
 |
| 3. He Well get it (3. He will get it.) |
 |
| Promis Him a cret (Promise him a treat.) |
 |
| He will Bing it Back (He will bring it back.) |
 |
| Say Lay Down iF He Dus Not Lay Down Prois Him a cret and the He will Lay Down (Say, "Lay down." If he does not lay down, promise him a treat and then he will lay down.) |
Friday, January 17, 2014
John is Writing
John is still a fairly reluctant reader, but he shows a lot of interest in books. Jeremy has read through the first 3 Harry Potter books to him at bedtime, and he will lay still for an hour or more to listen. (Yes, really, this is John I am talking about.) I have seen great progress in his reading and decoding skills, as well as his reading confidence, which is fun. Also fun to see is how his writing ideas are developing. He brought this planning paper home a few weeks ago.
I will translate, since the scan doesn't pick up the pencil completely, and his spelling is still a bit creative.
1. The blocks remind me of: The epir stst bilding (The Empire State Building)
Feeling Word: Tul (Tall)
2. This bear reminds me of: My babey sistr becuse she is kyout lik a tete bear (My baby sister because she is cute like a teddy bear)
Feeling Word: keyout (cute)
3. This playground reminds me of: a time I went to grat wulf loj a jiint whatr prk (a time I went to Great Wolf Lodge, a giant water park)
Feeling Word: wet
4. These fireworks remind me of: The foth of Juliy (The Fourth of July)
Feeling Words: LOWD (loud)
Friday, January 10, 2014
"Mommy, I had to change."
Not surprisingly, I find much of my life is occupied by laundry these days. There are 6 of us wearing clothes and using sheets and towels, after all. One of us is potty training and one of us is a bedwetter, which leads to substantial additional spikes in the throughput. But now, I have really met my match. Helen has discovered fashion.
She has very definite opinions about what she needs to wear. I know all of the kids went through this at some point, but by my (admittedly failing) memory, she has it the worst. First, she chooses her own clothes in the morning. There is no telling what she will fancy, day-to-day. This is only annoying in that it means I can't save time for the morning by laying out her clothes the night before - it would be pointless. So, inconvenience aside, I really try to let her wear anything, within reason for the weather. (No, you DO have to wear long pants to school when it is below freezing outside.) But what really gets the laundry going is that she feels the need to change. Frequently.
When she arrives home from school, she disappears immediately after her snack. It gets really quiet for about 10 minutes, and then she emerges, wearing today's "Big Reveal." The details belong to Helen, though I can give you some likely hints. It will involve tights or shorts on the bottom, and a tank top or leotard on top. Not necessarily in the combination you might expect. Dresses or skirts are always a hit. Or, just a swimsuit. Swimsuits are very popular.
The runway hit of the day usually lasts about 1-2 hours, after which she will cycle through as many additional items of clothing as she can get her hands on. Of course, I try to snag the cast-offs and return them to the drawers, but ... well, she is two. It doesn't take her long to spill food, or smear snot, or roll in dust bunnies. So, not too many cast-offs are really fit to go back in the drawer. And, she is working quickly against me. She loves to hide the removed clothing in the dirty clothes hampers.
So, what can I do for now except grin and enjoy it? This, too, shall pass.
She has very definite opinions about what she needs to wear. I know all of the kids went through this at some point, but by my (admittedly failing) memory, she has it the worst. First, she chooses her own clothes in the morning. There is no telling what she will fancy, day-to-day. This is only annoying in that it means I can't save time for the morning by laying out her clothes the night before - it would be pointless. So, inconvenience aside, I really try to let her wear anything, within reason for the weather. (No, you DO have to wear long pants to school when it is below freezing outside.) But what really gets the laundry going is that she feels the need to change. Frequently.
When she arrives home from school, she disappears immediately after her snack. It gets really quiet for about 10 minutes, and then she emerges, wearing today's "Big Reveal." The details belong to Helen, though I can give you some likely hints. It will involve tights or shorts on the bottom, and a tank top or leotard on top. Not necessarily in the combination you might expect. Dresses or skirts are always a hit. Or, just a swimsuit. Swimsuits are very popular.
 |
| "Mommy, I had to change! Today's selection - white tights and a white tank top. |
The runway hit of the day usually lasts about 1-2 hours, after which she will cycle through as many additional items of clothing as she can get her hands on. Of course, I try to snag the cast-offs and return them to the drawers, but ... well, she is two. It doesn't take her long to spill food, or smear snot, or roll in dust bunnies. So, not too many cast-offs are really fit to go back in the drawer. And, she is working quickly against me. She loves to hide the removed clothing in the dirty clothes hampers.
So, what can I do for now except grin and enjoy it? This, too, shall pass.
 |
| We are also very excited to be wearing Curious George underwear. Who wouldn't be? |
Grandpa Tom's visit, Part 2 (Senior citizen?)
Boy, Dad is suddenly a confirmed senior citizen. First, he took the senior fare on the train without protest. Then today, he told me what he most wanted to do was drive around the countryside in search of crumbling grave markers in search of obscure genealogy. Does that sound like an old retired guy, or what?
Actually, even I was surprised when all the kids said they would like to do that, too. (Based on their behavior on the trip, they liked the idea of it better than the actual trip, but a stop at Dunkin Donuts improved their attitudes a bit.)
So, we got the kids after school let out at 12:35 (early release day) and drove an hour up to Rowley, MA, where our good ancestors, brothers Joseph and Maximilian Jewett, set up home in 1639 (after a trip from Bradford, England to Salem, MA the year before). Dad found a town clerk in Rowley (population of about 6,000) who was both knowledgeable and talkative. We saw the grave marker in the town burial ground, although it was a memorial erected in 1912. The clerk explained that the first markers were wooden and are now long gone, so the earliest marker remaining is from the 1690s, once the colonists started using stone.
The clerk also provided a copy of the original town map, showing the plots for each settler. We drove to the two Jewett homesteads, side-by-side and a short distance off the Town Green. The plots are looking a bit decrepit, now. I wondered if one of the houses was the original building, 400 years old. Perhaps just in need of a bit more maintenance.
I enjoyed the drive - it was a pretty little town just north of Ipswich (where we had come to the beach in August without every realizing how close we were to the family seat). We drove through the salt marshes of Rowley, whence cometh the "good salt hay" (according to the town clerk) once sold in Boston's Haymarket Square. We actually passed a working tractor pulling a large load of that hay even today.
Actually, even I was surprised when all the kids said they would like to do that, too. (Based on their behavior on the trip, they liked the idea of it better than the actual trip, but a stop at Dunkin Donuts improved their attitudes a bit.)
So, we got the kids after school let out at 12:35 (early release day) and drove an hour up to Rowley, MA, where our good ancestors, brothers Joseph and Maximilian Jewett, set up home in 1639 (after a trip from Bradford, England to Salem, MA the year before). Dad found a town clerk in Rowley (population of about 6,000) who was both knowledgeable and talkative. We saw the grave marker in the town burial ground, although it was a memorial erected in 1912. The clerk explained that the first markers were wooden and are now long gone, so the earliest marker remaining is from the 1690s, once the colonists started using stone.
The clerk also provided a copy of the original town map, showing the plots for each settler. We drove to the two Jewett homesteads, side-by-side and a short distance off the Town Green. The plots are looking a bit decrepit, now. I wondered if one of the houses was the original building, 400 years old. Perhaps just in need of a bit more maintenance.
I enjoyed the drive - it was a pretty little town just north of Ipswich (where we had come to the beach in August without every realizing how close we were to the family seat). We drove through the salt marshes of Rowley, whence cometh the "good salt hay" (according to the town clerk) once sold in Boston's Haymarket Square. We actually passed a working tractor pulling a large load of that hay even today.
 |
| The kids posed for this photo a bit grudgingly. Perhaps in 50 years they will be glad to have it. |
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| "Near this spot, their graves unmarked, lie buried Maximilian and Joseph Jewett sons of Edward and Mary (Taylow) Jewett of Bradford England They came over in 1638 in the company led by Rev. Ezekiel Rogers which settled the town of Rowley in the spring of 1639. 1607 - Maximilian Jewett - 1684 Deacon of the church forty five years Selectman, Moderator of Town Meetings Representative in the General Court twenty years 1609 - Joseph Jewett - 1660-61 A distinguished merchant served the town on important committees Representative in the General Court five years Erected by the Jewett Family of America A.D. 1912" |
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