Violin Recital

Today Isaac and Ashton had a Violin Recital.

Affirmations

Being a parent can be hard. It seems no matter how hard you try, there is always something you could be doing better.

Tonight Ashton and I were making sentences with his sight word cards. I would pick a word, he shouted out the next word he wanted and we would look for it. Slowly, we built a room full of sentences. "We went to get soup." "Look over there." "It is big."

After a while I set out the word "Mom." Without a second to think he blurted out "Love."

I guess I must be doing something right.

Lesson of the week.

I realized something this week.

Negative reinforcement comes when children interfere with our world. Positive reinforcement comes when we venture into our children's world.

Maybe I need to restructure my time.

School and friends.

Ashton: Mom, if I didn't go to school, could I still play with my friends?
Me: You mean, if you stopped going to school, would you still be allowed to see your friends there?
Ashton: Ya.
Me: Well, yes. Are you thinking about dropping out?
Ashton: Yes.
Me: Well, you would still be able to see your friends. But if you didn't go to school you wouldn't have met them and there are a lot of other friends you wouldn't ever meet. Besides, do you want to learn how to read?
Ashton: Ya.
Me: Do you want to learn how to do math?
Ashton: Ya, but I already am a good scientist.
Me: Scientist?
Ashton: I mean, artist.
Me: That's true, but even artists go to school. They go to school and practice a lot. That's how you become a true artist.
Ashton: Oh. OK. But I'm a really good artist already.
Me: Yes you are. Now go to sleep.

Accessorizing!!!

My little 11 month old loves to drape things around her neck and cruise around with it for the day. This is her new necklace/scarf/accessory thing she found this morning.

OH, and if you notice the cut on her forehead... her brother was nice enough to open the front door for her while she was leaning against it. He was just paying it forward though, because that's exactly how he loosened up his front tooth a couple of years ago.

Groundings.

Me: Ashton, we are going to have dinner at my boss's house, so I need you to be good.
Ashton: OK
Me: I'm serious, Ashton. If you throw a tantrum, we may need to ground you for life.
Ashton sits up suddenly.
Ashton (in a very serious voice): For life?
Me: Well, probably not for life, but maybe for a week or two. Does that sound OK?
Ashton: Good.
Aukai: But Ashton, the better thing would be to not throw any tantrum, then you don't have to be grounded.
Ashton: OK
Me: And Ashton, what should your punishment be if you throw a tantrum like the one you threw in Target the other day?
Ashton: Grounding for life? (If there is any question, this would really be a fair punishment.)
Me: Well, maybe not for life. Maybe just until college. Does that sound good?
Ashton: Yeah.
A few minutes later:
Ashton: Isaac, you need to get ready because we are going to one of Mommy's MASTERS' house for dinner.

Onions

Isaac: "Mom, are we in the North or the South?"

Me: "Well, I think we are technically in the North, but we are right on the border. During the Civil War many families fought against each other because some sided with the North and others from the South."

*Isaac shows me the cover of his book, Civil War on Sunday . . . one of the Magic Treehouse series.

Isaac: "Oh, so we were the "Onion" soldiers."

Me: "The Onion soldiers?"

Isaac: "Yeah." He points to the word, "Union." "Uhn-ion soldiers."

Me: "Actually, that is pronounced, 'Union,' but that would be awesome if that we were really called the Onions."

Isaac: "Yeah, it would be."