Started off the day by baking coffee cake. Seriously yum.
Kylee made this bowl out of perler beads.
I prepped some meals for the rest of the week and also dug into some deep cleaning tasks. I finished and ordered the kids 2014 photo books. Kylee played at a friend's house and Kase took a good nap. It had all the makings of a great day.
One thing has been weighing on my mind however.
Kael.
I love a lot of things about him being nine.
The texts I get from him after I've tucked him in. "Mom, I'm starving up here!"
His independence. "Mom I can fill my own plate (at Godfathers). I'm nine, you know!"
How he set the table the other night without being asked. "Mom, I heard you say you were going to set the table soon so I just did it for you."
How he has a vast knowledge and interest in sports statistics. "Hey Mom, did you know....???" To which I usually have to reply, "Nope. I had no idea."
How he can school me in chess. Every.single.time. I beat him once, by accident. "Hey Mom, do you realize you could get my king if you move this?" Umm...nope. Hadn't realized that at all.
How he can play with Kase like no one else can. He is a lifesaver among the hectic after school hours around here. "Hey Mom, can Kase just come up to my room and play with me for awhile?"
There are, however, a few challenges. Talking with friends, I'm realizing that some of these things are typical "pre-tween" (is that a thing?) behavior.
His sense of entitlement. "It's my iPad so I should be able to play it when I want."
His affinity for messiness. "My friend has candy wrappers all over his floor. And clothes. You can't even see his floor actually. I'd like my room to be like that."
His disregard for most manners. Maybe that one's just a boy thing.
But far and away, the most challenging thing is something I can't even sum up with one word. Agreeableness maybe? I did just check to make sure that's a real word. It is. And turns out it's one of the Big Five personality traits. Who knew?
I struggle with Kael when I ask him to do something and I'm met with either a "why" or an explanation of why he shouldn't have to or maybe he justoutright ignored didn't hear me. I find myself saying over and over again, "When I ask you to do something, just say OK then do it!" Don't argue it, don't debate it, just do it.
I have also been working on how to get him to speak respectful words in a respectful tone to both myself and Kent. He often just says whatever he is thinking (a trait most likely inherited from yours truly) and it comes out sounding awfully harsh or just plain rude.
The rocky middle school years are not far away and I'm trying to lay some groundwork before we get there. I found myself telling him today that this is the first time I've ever parented a nine year old boy so I'm still learning a lot, too. I know this too, shall pass, but in the meantime, you better believe I'm brushing up on my chess skills and sports stats.
How he has a vast knowledge and interest in sports statistics. "Hey Mom, did you know....???" To which I usually have to reply, "Nope. I had no idea."
How he can school me in chess. Every.single.time. I beat him once, by accident. "Hey Mom, do you realize you could get my king if you move this?" Umm...nope. Hadn't realized that at all.
How he can play with Kase like no one else can. He is a lifesaver among the hectic after school hours around here. "Hey Mom, can Kase just come up to my room and play with me for awhile?"
There are, however, a few challenges. Talking with friends, I'm realizing that some of these things are typical "pre-tween" (is that a thing?) behavior.
His sense of entitlement. "It's my iPad so I should be able to play it when I want."
His affinity for messiness. "My friend has candy wrappers all over his floor. And clothes. You can't even see his floor actually. I'd like my room to be like that."
His disregard for most manners. Maybe that one's just a boy thing.
But far and away, the most challenging thing is something I can't even sum up with one word. Agreeableness maybe? I did just check to make sure that's a real word. It is. And turns out it's one of the Big Five personality traits. Who knew?
I struggle with Kael when I ask him to do something and I'm met with either a "why" or an explanation of why he shouldn't have to or maybe he just
I have also been working on how to get him to speak respectful words in a respectful tone to both myself and Kent. He often just says whatever he is thinking (a trait most likely inherited from yours truly) and it comes out sounding awfully harsh or just plain rude.
The rocky middle school years are not far away and I'm trying to lay some groundwork before we get there. I found myself telling him today that this is the first time I've ever parented a nine year old boy so I'm still learning a lot, too. I know this too, shall pass, but in the meantime, you better believe I'm brushing up on my chess skills and sports stats.
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