LEGO Pley Time

BR&SJ enjoying Lego Pley

BR&SJ enjoying Lego Pley

Do you have a favorite catalogue?  You know the one which you actually are happy to see taking up space in your mailbox? It’s the catalogue where you flip through EVERY PAGE AND READ EVERY DESCRIPTION! If the SATs were based on the information found in that catalogue, you would have gotten into Harvard.

Okay, so you know what I mean now? My children, consumers that they are, have a favorite catalogue. Really, they fight over who gets to look at it, and the last edition was half torn before it disappeared into the recycling bin.

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The Best Angry Birds Birthday Party. Ever.

Angry Birds Birthday Cake*Thanks to Ms. MMK for this guest post

Joy.

Complete and utter joy.

In case you are not familiar with how joy is expressed by seven- and eight-year-old boys, I will inform you.

Noise. Complete and penetrating noise.

That’s how I know that SJ’s Angry Birds’ birthday party was an absolute success. After the party was over, my ears were ringing as if a plane was directly overhead.

Worth it? You would know the answer if you had ever experienced the “SJ Thank You Hug.” Picture a young boy of significant size barreling at you until his head hits your chest. All the while, he’s smiling like he just shot the Darth Maul pig out of the air. Yeah, it was worth it.SJ and the Angry Birds Birthday Planner AKA Ms MMK

But you probably want to hear the details.

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Three Ways I Cheat on My Children’s Homework

Boys experiencing homework frustrationMaybe you thought you were done with homework when you graduated high school. Maybe you thought you were done with homework when you graduated college. Maybe you thought you were done with homework when you completed your Master’s degree.

But here’s the truth.

If you have children, you are NEVER done with homework. It’s always there.

To put my teacher hat back on, I see the value of homework. I really do. Homework can be a useful tool for an educator. Homework is a way to recognize if a student has actually grasped the information. It also allows the teacher to know if anything has to be retaught.

Makes sense, right?

However as a parent, I don’t like homework. Now, that’s not to say I don’t want my children to have homework. If there’s a true educational purpose for the homework, I am all for it.

Yet, homework can be a pain in the neck. When my boys get home from school, homework is the last thing they want to do. Seriously, I think they would agree to eat brussel sprouts (tough rap those brussel sprouts always get), clean their rooms, and have needles stuck in their arms quicker than they would agree to do homework.

Well, they have no choice.  They need to get their homework done.

Inevitably, bumps arise while the boys are doing their homework. I try to assist and encourage them to soldier on. Sometimes, it works, and sometimes, it doesn’t.  Frustration mounts. Tears are shed. Curses are spewed. And my children are upset too.

It’s around this time when I cheat on my children’s homework. You heard me: I Cheat on My Children’s Homework. And so does Ms. MMKK. Don’t judge us – I bet you’ve done it too.

Want to know how? Continue reading

Lessons Learned Coaching Little League

Little League Team

Giving instructions to the Little League team.

It was a big sports weekend. The NHL season ended with the Los Angeles Kings taking home the Stanley Cup. The NBA season ended with the San Antonio Spurs winning the championship. Martin Kaymer won the US Open of golf. The World Cup began (actually, it started Thursday).

And the championship was played in BR’s Little League. Unfortunately, our team lost last week, despite twice coming back from multiple run deficits. So ends BR’s first season of Little League and my first season as a coach.

Originally, it was not my plan to coach, but when the manager of the team, who is a friend of mine, asked me to help, I was intrigued. I asked BR about 10 times if he was okay with it. He said “Yes” each time, so I finally did also.

Over our seven game season (not exactly a grind there), I learned some things. Continue reading