Another week slipped into history. Here are some odds and sods.
The boys are officially home for the summer. They all did well. Kit picked up at the end of the year, Tio finished with a full year of honor roll, and Doc moves on to grade one where they expect results. Next year will be a big step for all 3. 2 go on to new schools and the third will have to show results.
I think I have figured out a way to get the boys to do chores. We're going to have a summer long "chorathalon". They'll earn points for good work, give each other points for bad work and winner earns a prize before school starts. The first event: Dish-Pong. The first player 'serves' by doing the night's dishes. If they are done to the umpire's satisfaction (that'd be me), then the pong goes to the other player who does dishes the following night. If a player misses a ball by screwing up the job or arguing about it, then their opponent gets a point and they have to serve again the following night by doing dishes again. This pong could stay all summer in one person's court (giving them a point each time) if they continue to serve badly. Once they've sent the pong successfully back to the other player, it's their turn to do a good job to get it out of their court. Lest someone decide they've lost too much and give up - the bigger the point spread at the end of the summer, the bigger the prize for the winner. So far they've joined in the spirit of it. Next up: the 30 foot trash throw and the summer readathon.
Tish came down with another cold that she picked up at work and still had to go in because they were short staffed. It's been a week and she finally has a couple of days off to recover. For the past few months she has been mulling over a really interesting book concept. It's a non fiction idea so I've been helping her conceptualize how to present sample chapters and cover letter. The great thing about non fiction is you don't have to write the whole thing in advance the way you do with a novel.
Tio told me when he's really bored he counts to a thousand. I had a hard time visualizing being that bored. So did Buddy. The next day when I said Tio had to stay in and do extra work because of getting bad behavior marks at school, Buddy says ' I guess he won't have to count tonight.'
It's father's day today and I took the younger 2 boys to the local beach. I guess I didn't get the day off but it was a nice afternoon. Speaking of fathers... my dad was a nice man but had a quick temper. He had several expressions that he used to get us off our can and doing what we were told. "Wait til your father gets home" was a real threat in our young lives. He'd say things like "quit screwing with the dog and get to work!" or "You're for the jumps if you don't hop to it." He had some more humorous ones, too. In fact, last Wednesday, after misbehaving before bedtime and thinking better of it, Doc squeaked out nervously on his way down to bed, "Am I for the Jing Jang Jollies?" I guess I channel my old man more than I think. He'd say: "I'll give you more than the Jing Jang Jollies!"
Last week Sugar took me out for a father's day dinner at a very nice restaurant. We both agreed that we love being waited on while we enjoy a good meal. We like to take our time through supper rather than just treat the place as a simple food ingestery. In fact, if I won the lottery (as everyone says to imagine being incredibly wealthy), I'd go every night for supper at a favorite local spot. They'd know I was coming, know what I like and have great suggestions and my favorite bev ready after I arrive. I'd pay at the top of the month instead of daily and have the chef stock special recipes just for me and mine. *Sigh* I suppose I should start buying lottery tickets....
What else? Tio's baseball team won the local series and plays the rival series for the championship this Friday. Oh yeah, I got Tio mowing the lawn, thinking he's old enough to handle the sizable tractor mower. Next thing I know, he's chasing Kit down the lawn on a bicycle with it. I guess maturity doesn't come with age - only wrinkles.
Sometimes, it's hard to know which spins faster - the world or my head.
