February did slow down a little. Not a lot, but a little. Well, unless you count Aaron, who spent the entire month in a frenzy as he prepared for the approaching ACDA conference here in Fort Wayne, where his choirs are performing, and for which he is the facilities chair. He was sucked away from us every single weekend this month, but still managed to make it to a few of our Mitchell Movie Nights, and to be there to snuggle Emerson and Sera when they came out of their surgeries mid-month (more on that later). We're looking forward to seeing more of him when the conference is over!
In fun news, Theo won his school Spelling Bee and had the chance to go to the city-wide Spelling Bee on February 11. It was an interesting and enriching experience for him with a whole roller-coaster of emotions along the way. At first he was thrilled. Then, when people started congratulating him a bunch at school, he became embarrassed. Then, when he discovered that winning both the city and regional Spelling Bees could lead to the National Spelling Bee with a minimum prize of $100, or up to $30,000 for the winner, he got pretty excited again. But then, when he realized exactly how long the 25-page list of words actually was, he got a bit discouraged. His studying was up and down, and a bit of procrastinating happened (striking the balance between nagging him and giving him ownership wasn't easy either). In the few days before the big Bee, he really did buckle down and study though, and could reel off a large majority of the words. We talked about staying calm, listening, repeating, asking for definitions and languages of origin, and he was well-prepared. Still, when he was actually there in front of the judges and got the word "knavery" (other words in the round included alligator and macaroni, so his word really was tougher), he froze. Despite having gone several times over that exact word the night before, he thought they said "nabary" or something like that (which would have constituted an appeal if I had realized in time that the pronounciation had thrown him), forgot to ask for a definition (which would have totally reminded him! We had gone over it the night before!), and got out in the first round. Either way, we were super-proud of him for his hard work and excited that he might have a shot next year!
The rest of our Saturdays in February were sucked up by YBall basketball games. Theo wound up with some really great coaches this year, and has learned so much in a short time. A highlight of the season was when, toward the end of a game that his team was already handily winning, his team came up with a play that centered around him! Though it took him a while to gain confidence in his shooting, he felt such a great rapport with his team and really enjoyed the chance to improve alongside them every week. It didn't hurt that they won all but their first and last games of the season and are going into the championship games at the top of their division. I wouldn't have thought that 5th and 6th graders could be so competent at learning and executing a bunch of different plays, but they are! It will be fun to see how they do. I have to say that there is probably no better place to learn to play basketball than here in Hoosier country--they know their stuff!
As for Emerson's games, he's as much fun to watch as ever. Sadly (for me at least), some of his teammates are starting to "get" the game a little better this year, since it's 1st and 2nd graders rather than preK and K. This means that some of them don't necessarily want to stop in the middle of the court to listen to one of Emerson's jokes as often. It also means less skipping down the court. Still, Emerson remains a riot to watch. For example, each game they distribute armbands to the players, and each person guards the person on the opposite team with the same color of armband. At a recent game, Emerson took this pretty seriously, and stuck right with his guy. However, when his guy wasn't sticking with him (because he was on his own side of the court and wanted to get the ball), Emerson called out "hey don't you even know which person you're supposed to be guarding?" Then, when his guy was yelling to call to a teammate for a pass, Emerson kept shushing him. I'm not sure if basketball will end up being his sport in the future, but for now, it's great entertainment for the rest of us!
The least fun part of the month showed up when we reached the scheduled dates for hernia surgeries for Emerson and Sera. The backstory is that we discovered an inguinal hernia in Emerson a couple of months ago when he experienced some swelling and pain. Aaron has been on the lookout for hernias in all our kids since they were born, since he was born with one and they are genetically linked, so we took Emerson straight to the doctor when we found it. The doctor temporarily fixed it, but told us we'd need to have it operated on, preferably sooner than later. While we worked out the options (totally missing Canadian health care in the process, since this routine procedure would have been completely covered for anyone living in Canada), we noticed a bulge in Sera's groin area as well. At Emerson's next appointment, we took her in with us and discovered hernia number two. On the plus side, we were able to schedule the surgeries at the same time, which was comforting for both the kids. On the minus side, the doctor discovered an additional hernia on Emerson while performing the first surgery, so Emerson ended up with two incisions rather than one. We're glad to have gotten it all over with at once, and we're so grateful to have wonderful friends who brought over cards and treats for the kids while they were laid up!
As is always the case when there's a little extra breathing room in a month, I think we're about due for some updates on family life and how each member of our little clan is doing. Right now in our lives many things are good and some could use a bit of improvement. On the good side, there's our mealscape. Over the last several months I have gotten pretty adept at creating healthy menus for our family. Though we've retreated from some of the fancier breakfasts we indulged in more frequently last year (omelettes, french toast, english muffins with eggs) in favor of more oatmeal and occasional cereal with bananas, we've made up for it with a wide variety of delicious and healthful dinners. I've always been a weekly rotation kind of girl on the meal-front, but over the past six months or so, I've changed it up a bit. Rather than a (more or less) specific meal-plan, I've divided the week into categories: Monday-salad, Tuesday-soup, Wednesday-fish, Thursday-crock pot, Friday-pizza or smoothie night, Saturday-(hopefully) something simple for the kids/date with Aaron, Sunday-crock pot again. I've tried to avoid many repeats, and the results have been lots of fun! Some favorites have been black bean and chickpea salad with peppers, broccoli salad with grapes and mandarin oranges, pumpkin soup, curried cauliflower soup, Thai seafood soup, sweet potato beet soup, asparagus soup with lemon and parmesan, salmon with mango salsa, fish and vegetables in foil wraps, eggplant and squash moussaka, butternut gnocchi with wilted greens--so many delicious meals, surprisingly little meat, and healthy kids with a wide-ranging palate. Addy tends to be the most cautious to try new things, but even at her worst I suspect she has far more adventurous taste-buds than many of her friends. We've all been surprised to discover new things we enjoy (and some children have been surprised to discover new things they don't enjoy at all--but surprises are still good, right?). Good food can be a joy!
On the minus side, there is almost always somebody running through the living room or jumping on a couch (all somebodies know this is against the rules), hardly anyone remembers to clear their dishes after meals, and Saturday chores sometimes take all day and require ten checks before they get done. Also, Aaron's schedule is so twisted around right now that we mostly only see him when he is heading in for a nap after staying up most of the night, or when he wakes up from a a post-rehearsal nap not long before the kids head to bed, and between various guest conducting gigs surgery post-ops, and sicknesses, we haven't been to church together all month long. Luckily, I continue being perfect, never losing my temper, and cooking the fabulous meals listed above (lies! Except for the meals--I really do those and totally deserve the congratulations you're giving me in your head right now!) Ah well, it's a good thing we're not perfect yet, or we'd miss out on all the fun of progressing!
Regarding the adventures of the Mitchell clan, why does it still amaze me every day how different these four children of ours are?
Theo is busy with school, about which he is alternately obsessive and completely non-chalant. Some days he works hard at his school work, determined to make top grades, while others he camps out listening to the radio in his room for hours and tells me "I'm not really a schoolwork kind of guy, I'm more like a video-game-playing kind of guy." This is especially rich in light of the fact that we . . . do not actually own any video games. In my increasing anxiety about turning him over to the middle school next year, where I am worried that his lingering habits of disorganization and procrastination will land him in a precarious situation, I have started discussing with the middle school the possibility of home-schooling him part-time next year. Starting middle school was hands-down my own hardest academic transition, and left some lingering issues with me for a few years afterward. Given that Theo will be starting a full year earlier than I did, and that his particular struggles are precisely the ones that are likely to leave him academically and socially vulnerable (he is
way too concerned about how important popularity may be next year), I thought this might be a solution that would ease the transition a bit, not to mention giving me a little last one-on-one time with my wonderful oldest child. I can't say he's completely on-board with me on this, but it feels like the right decision and ultimately I think he'll appreciate avoiding a 7:30 am start time for one more year. He's made some real progress over the last few months in keeping his cool in stressful situations, showing respect for his parents, and working things out in responsible way when he has problems. Though he has some lingering bad habits formed through past impulsive behaviors, he is truly starting to take the responsibility he has for himself more seriously, and to work to replace those bad habits with good ones. One area where he has made
so much progress over the last year, is in keeping his room and belongings tidy. It wasn't long ago that he had not one but two (the second one created by packing his clothing into fewer drawers) "treasure drawers" filled with every special thing he ever came into contact with. Every few months we would have to battle with him to enforce the rule that he couldn't keep more in the drawers than would actually fit. It has taken time, energy, and don't underestimate the influence of a couple of episodes of
Hoarders, but though he
does try to slip out the door without making his bed many mornings, overall he lives in a state of organization that I can live with, and in which he can find the things he needs. Though I
do wish he could learn that dress clothes go on hangers, socks go in dirty clothes baskets, and the end of your bed is not usually the best place to store homework at night. Love that kid!
I finally managed to slip into Addy's classroom for the first time this year--yay! I always mean to be such a better school-involved mom than I actually end up being (when I go back in a couple of weeks I'm going to do a music presentation for the third grade classes, which should be fun and should assuage a little of my mommy-guilt on this subject, haha). Since our school doesn't do parent/teacher conferences in the spring, it was great to have a chance to chat with Mrs. K about how Addy is doing. Because she is doing great! Addy is such a responsible girl, consistent in having me sign her assignment book, making sure her homework and reading get done daily, and keeping her notebooks and desk organized, and her teacher clearly appreciates these qualities about her. But my favorite thing her teacher said was that Addy always avoids the drama. She said that this year and class in particular have been rife with girl-drama--this girl being mean to that girl who doesn't like this person's clothing who is embarrassed about this or that. It sort of breaks my heart that there is already some of that happening in third grade, but I was so happy to hear Mrs. K say that Addy and maybe one other girl she can think of are the only two who
never come up in those conversations. She said Addy is nice and kind to everyone, and pretty much everyone likes being around her. I agree! My own personal favorite about Addy, though, is that she's right at the age where all the other girls are starting to think this boy or that boy is cute. Though I've dug a name or two out of Addy, she really, genuinely is not that interested in boys, or specifically in
a boy. When pressed (even by friends), her quick response is that "there are a lot of fish in the sea," which I
love. She's not at all concerned by the fashion issues that I hear other girls talking about either, and she is fundamentally just exactly what a
little girl her age should be. She is imaginative, artistic, creative, funny, loving, gentle, and full of authentic joy. One thing I love is that Sera is starting to realize how lucky she is to have a big sister like Addy, and I love seeing her eyes light up as she looks up to a sister who is just so wonderful. I see their relationship blossoming into a friendship that will last their whole lives. Addy is awesome!
Emerson still has a gaping hole in his mouth. I can feel his two front teeth about ready to break through, but they've been like that for a month or more now without actually coming in. The effort required for him to take bites of crunchy food is amusing, but bite he does, because food is his favorite hobby. At school, he gets crazy scores on all his standardized tests and says he really wants to try this "alpha" program they have here for gifted students (I hate that term because it implies a lack of giftedness in other children which I think is completely wrong--I would rather call them "memorific" or "brainal-retentive" or something), as one of his good friends is doing it, and he does thirst for challenges. We're still not quite sure if we want to try it or not, but we do appreciate his love of education. In other news, though he remains a little sweetie who is full of snuggles and smiles, Emerson has also reached the lovely age of seven.
Boy seven. Which, as you may know, is characterized primarily by the discovery of body noises. Body noises at maximum volume. Usually accomanied by some lovely fragrance. Alas, I somehow thought we could avoid this. The one redeeming quality is that these lovely sounds and smells have just as quickly become "gross" to Theo (who was making them with gusto himself only months ago). Funny boys. Though I hear regular complaints from both of them about having to share a room, I
love that Emerson shares a room with Theo. Functionally he is my spy, often on purpose, sometimes not. I get a pretty good read on what Theo listens to on the radio based off what Emerson trots around the house singing
(lots of
I'm Sexy and I Know it, unfortunately)
, and the granola bars and string cheeses that Theo snitches don't remain secrets very long when a highly food-aware brother is on the prowl. I am determined that in the long-term these two smart, funny brothers who spend far too much time squabbling at present, will become best friends and brilliant allies. Oh! And I almost forgot to mention that Emerson has finally learned how to "pump" on the swings. Never mind that Sera has been adept since last summer and that Addy earned that skill-set at the tender age of two, Emerson could
not get that coordination down for the longest time. So a couple of months back I jokingly told his friend Ethnee, who is in his school and church classes with him, that I wanted to hire her as Emerson's pumping tutor at school. Well, voila! Now he can pump with the best of them.
Speaking of body noises, let's kick of this next paragraph with what may turn out to be my favorite Sera story ever. So. One Sunday we go to church. I notice as we're about to sit down (late as usual) that Sera has a deeply concerned, sad look on her face. So as we're sitting down, I take her on my lap and ask her what's wrong. She turns her head to whisper in my ear, then shakes her head
no. So I ask again, what's wrong, you can tell me, it's okay. She shakes her sad little head
no, and a see tiny tears pricking in her hazel eyes. I'm getting legitimately concerned here, so I take her out into the hall to find out what is going on. She bursts into tears. I gather her in my arms and beg her to tell me what can possibly be the matter so I can help her. She keeps leaning in to tell me, then backing away. I ask her if she's embarrassed? Did she do something wrong and doesn't want to tell me? Did someone hurt her? She won't answer and is completely inconsolable. A couple of times she says "do you really want me to tell you?" but then she can't go through with it. By this point I'm starting to wonder if she's been abused or something horrible. Finally I take her into a classroom and close the door and promise her up and down that no matter what it is, she can tell me, and I won't be mad and I will help her. It takes at least ten more minutes from there, but finally,
finally she relents. I take her on my lap again, and she asks again "do you really want to know?" I tell her that
yes I
really do want to know. She leans in and whispers into my ear (we're in an empty classroom with nobody outside the door): "I farted nine times today." When she sees me break into a smile and start to laugh, she decides to come
all the way clean and leans in again. "Actually ten," she ponies up. Oh Sera!! I could hardly stop laughing all day! After that incident, she figured that owning her body's squeaks and toots was better than fretting over them, so she started telling me
everything. She'll come find me even when I'm in another room to let me know "I had a burp, but I said excuse me," or "I tooted two times in the bathroom." I have told her repeatedly that it's really not necessary to tell me
all of her private business, but apparently she finds it therapeutic. Speaking of which, she takes whispering pretty seriously these days. While I do appreciate the volume level, particularly as compared with her rather frequent shouting, she has started whispering just about everything to me. We'll be alone in the house, and still she feels compelled to pull my ear to her mouth and whisper things to me
very quietly. Better yet is when she whispers them to me in the middle of a noisy basketball game or by a crowded pool--she makes me feel like I'm losing my hearing! She's having fun and learning a lot in Joy School these days, and especially has enjoyed the Joy of Interest and Curiousity which we're doing now. She asks me all kinds of questions, like why we put gas in a car and how plants help us breathe, and I love it! I'm trying to make more time to read with her, because I haven't been awesome at that--there are so many cool things to learn from books. Her favorite shoes right now are her "spark pinklies."
Though February ended up not being the most romantic month ever--besides Aaron being glued to his work, I was
so so sick on Valentine's Day, though I forced myself to make it through my piano classes anyway--we still managed one fun little afternoon getaway. As Aaron was headed away for the third Sunday in a row, this time to Indianapolis for a Brazilian arts get-together from which he's hoping to gain some international conducting opportunities, I got up early and lined up babysitters/friends to watch our kids and hauled myself down with him. It wasn't much in a month that was completely overcrowded, but even so, sitting beside him eating feijoada (
fantastic Brazilian black beans dish) and remembering our trip to Rio a few years ago, all while listening to Brazilian music and seeing a Brazilian dance performance by some foreign exchange students, was pretty much the highlight of the month for me.
Alrighty then! I'm not sure how this "short" blog post got so long! But even if nobody else ever manages to trrudge through the whole thing, I'm still glad all these stories and vignettes are here for at least for me to remember! I hope you, too, had either a very wonderful or a very busy February. Because both kinds are good in their own special ways!
