My Kid Is Turning Into His Parents

Last year we discovered that our son needed glasses.  We'd had no idea there was a problem, but he complained of headaches.  I took him to the pediatrician with the expectations that it would be allergies, but Zane failed the vision screening.   He didn't even make it past the second line!  Off to the pediatric ophthalmologist we went, and soon Zane had his first pair of glasses. 

He did not like them, of course.  No kid does.  But once he realized that he could actually SEE the board in the classroom, I think he figured out that he needed them.  His grades started coming up.  And he started reading better.  So much better, in fact, that he started reading all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. By himself.  I didn't actually think that he was reading, because the books have tons of pictures, and he is eight.  But he passed an AR test, so he had indeed read the book. 

And it's not just that he wants to read.  He also wants to carry ALL of his books around with him at all times.  I've noticed that his backpack has been astonishingly heavy on several occasions, and I've had to limit him to a single book.  Zane will comply, but then he will come home with seven or eight large tomes acquired from his school library.  It hit me one day that I used to behave similarly as a kid.  I still hoard books. I used to carry around a book or two, just in case I ended up in a line somewhere with nothing to do.  These days I have my phone to distract me, along with the Kindle App. 

Zane has also become proficient in technology with his tablet.  He spends an inordinate amount of time on his tablet, watching movies, playing games, etc.  My son sees me on my laptop often, but he also sees his father on HIS tablet, playing games, watching videos, and reading.  Lately Zane doesn't want to do much running about or playing; he wants to sit on the couch and play on his tablet or read a book. 

Just like his mom and dad. 

I don't want my son to be an introverted couch potato like his parents.  I want him to continue to be an extroverted, active boy.  This means that I will have to start modeling the appropriate behavior. I'm still recovering from surgery(that open wound is healing soooooo slowly!), but I can walk.  I really have no excuse, except that I'm feeling a little lazy right now, at the end of the school year. 

But once school is out, Zane and I are going to have an active summer.  We'll get up early and walk the dog, when it's cooler outside.  We'll go downtown and check out the Alamo and the different museums in town.  We'll go exploring.  We have passes to SeaWorld, so we can spend time there, as well.

Goodness--after all that activity, I may need a nap.  Or two.   And better walking shoes!

Eager to Read

My son is in the process of learning to read.  During the school year, the teacher sent home two books every day, and Zane read them to us.  Larry and I were required to verify that Zane had read the books by signing a slip of paper for our son to take to school. Then he took a test on the books he read.  It's the Accelerated Reader program; the students earn points for the books they read and at the end of the year they can trade them in for fabulous trips and prizes.  It doesn't actually lead to improved achievement scores, but it does encourage reading, so I'm okay with that.  Anything that he wants to read, I am enthusiastically supporting.

Because Zane has caught the reading bug.

Where once he was happy just to look at the pictures or ask me to read to him, now he is trying to read the words on the page.  He is even trying to read over my shoulder when I've got my kindle, and I love that.  I'm a voracious reader, and I love the idea of passing that habit down to my son.  Reading seems to be a dying art in this part of the world, even thought it continues to be a vital part of an education. 

But perhaps my child is a bit too eager? While cleaning out his backpack, I found this. He decided not to wait for me to fill out his AR slip so he could take the test.  He attempted to fill out his name and everything.  And he even signed my name for me, too!

Current Read

I am a voracious reader.  Any time I can spare to read, that's what I am doing.  The greatest thing about a book is that you can read it pretty much anywhere, as long as you're not operating heavy machinery.  I have the Kindle app on my phone, and I read while I am waiting in line, sitting in doctor's offices, etc., just to get my fix. 

Currently I am reading John Sandford's latest novel, "Field of Prey", starring one of the better literary detectives, Lucas Davenport, out to solve yet another mystery from the great state of Minnesota.  Apparently this particular state is a seething cesspool of criminal activity, and it is up to Davenport to put the criminals where they belong, which is usually dead, because it's more dramatic that way. 

I love Sandford's style of writing.  The pace is quick, with events and clues happening at a rapid enough pace to keep the reader interested. For the sake of the story, Sandford doesn't keeps us waiting for pages and pages, but cuts to the chase and moves the action along quickly.   There isn't a great deal of introspection by the characters; Davenport knows who he is and he accepts that, even if he doesn't always like it.  In this edition, however, Davenport is contemplating retirement.  He's been on the job for awhile, and there are other things he would like to do. 

But first, there is a mystery to solve!  An abandon cistern was discovered by some teens on a midnight romp, and inside are bodies.  Lots of bodies.  Where did they come from?  Who put them there?  Finding the answers ends up involving actual police work--knocking on doors, interviewing the usual suspects, and waiting for lab results.  But Davenport is intuitive about his detecting, and he is on the case.

The very best thing about Sandford's books involve dialogue.  Davenport is sarcastic, and that tone comes through loud and clear.  However, the people around him are right there with him.  The snappy comebacks are realistic; we have all had similar types of conversations at least a few times.  Sandford uses the every day language of real people to fill in his characters, and they step off the page as people you might know, or might want to know.  I certainly would feel safe with a guy like Davenport on the police force. 

If you like mysteries, if you like interesting characters, then John Sandford is a great author to read on a rainy day.  Or any other sort of day. 




4)Something you're reading.

No Butt-Prints on the Couch, and other Random

Everyone is talking all about the NSA snooping operation.   It's terrible, it's horrible, it's awful!  Except...I remember twelve years ago, when The Patriot Act was first brought up, and the people who raised some alarm bells were shouted down, because it was all to protect us from the terrorists.  The law passed, and twelve years later, some idiot who should have never been allowed access to any data(seriously--don't they do some sort of psychological evaluation on these people before they let them into the secret room?) carries off a laptop to Hong Kong and the whole country is up in arms.  This Snowden character isn't a hero; he's a terrorist.  He performed an action designed to terrorize a country in order to get whatever it is he wants.  We elect our government for the express purpose of making decisions for us, and it wasn't that guy's job to reveal those secrets, as far as I'm concerned. He needs to just shut up and quit going on and on about the government trying to kill him.  The government has better things to do.  I have nothing to hide, and if the NSA wants to be bored to tears, they are welcome to read my texts, emails, and listen in on my phone calls.  Nothing to see there!

Our family has been parked in front of the television for every single NBA Finals game.  Larry assigned us places, because we were in those spots the first time the Spurs won, and what if THAT was the reason they won?  Zane jokingly said that he was going to root for the Heat, and Larry told Zane that if he did that, he was sleeping out in the backyard.  The man is that serious about his Spurs!  Sunday night I was hollering just as loud as he was for Manu Ginobili.  I don't know why I like him, but I sure love it when he gets going.  He's very energetic, so it's likely that I'm just envious.  I used to get envious of their muscles and low body fat, but then I realized that being in shape is part of their job.  They have to work out like that, or they don't play as well, and then they don't play at all. Once I looked at the situation from that angle, I didn't envy those biceps so much.  Plus, I think that I'd look pretty silly with Tony Parker's biceps. 

The other day, Zane told us that we are not allowed to leave butt-prints on the couch.  I just stared at him.  Where the heck did he get that from?  It's going to bother me until I figure it out.  Larry and I can generally trace the comments that Zane makes back to a specific show or a game or a movie, but we are currently stumped.  It's times like this that I wish I could do that Vulcan Mind Meld thing with my son, so I could just pull out that information.  I hate waiting. 

I've been a reading fool lately. I get into these grooves, and I just read everything in sight, one right after the other.  I've read the latest John Sandford book, and I've read a ton of Amanda Quick, and I've been making my way through a book called Badass: Ultimate Deathmatch.  That last book is about some of history's greatest duels, battles, etc. Not what you'd expect me to read, but it's history, and I loves me some history!   Today the latest Neil Gaiman book comes out, and I'm looking forward to reading that, too. 

Only THREE more days of work and then I am FREE for the summer!  I sort of feel like a kid during the last week of school--I can barely sit still!  Do you remember how you felt when you were a kid, anxiously waiting for that last bell to ring so you could run home and begin the summer?  It's like that.  I have all sorts of plans for us, including a trip to...SeaWorld.  Zane wants to meet Shamu, and I can't wait for him to see the Sharks!  I'd like to go to a Great Wolf Lodge, but those rooms are crazy--expensive.  300$ a night for a room with children is too much--we could spend almost a week on the beach for that.  So I'm waiting for a more reasonable price, like 150$.  Seriously--$300+ for a room, not including the 42 extra charges and taxes they add on.  For that much, I want an in-room masseuse, a free steak dinner, and a cabana boy at my side with a palm fan, just in case I get sweaty.

I was a Bad Mom yesterday.  I came home after working ten hours, and I decided that I didn't need to go to soccer practice with Larry and Zane.  Larry is perfectly capable of taking care of our child, after all, and I wanted to just veg.  Besides, I've discussed how the other soccer moms treat me.  After a long day of work, who needs that?  I get enough poor treatment during my day, thank you!  Zane has his very first soccer tournament this weekend, and I hope that he does well. 


Go visit Miss Stacy, because she is the awesome!

The A-List: Summer Reading, Part Two

The coolest thing about owning a Kindle is that I can order up samples of books for free.  This lets me get a "taste" of what the book is about before I plop down the cash.  If I don't like what I read, then I can just delete the sample and move along. One way I have been using the samples offered is to help me remember which books that I do want to read, even if I don't have time to read them right now.  I used to have good intentions, and would tell myself that I would come back to buy a particular book.  Then that promise would completely leave my head the second that I left the bookstore.  My Kindle has taken care of that little memory problem for me. 

More of what I've read this summer falls below.  I am on a mission this summer, to get lost in as many books as I can, so I have something to think about when I'm back at work and "too busy".  I know--you're never too busy to read--adding work to the mix seems to limit the free time that I enjoy each summer, especially since Zane will be starting Pre-K at a new school.  (Okay, so I'm reading more so I don't have to think about that, too.)

1.  Stolen Prey   Lucas Davenport is one of the great detectives, in my opinion.  He's practical with a little dash of idealism thrown in there.  He's smart and was able to get rich writing video game scenarios.  He's a hero, except when he's not.  I've read all of the "Prey" books, and they never fail to thrill me. These are great beach reads!  John Sandford bases most of his tales in Minnesota and the surrounding states; I had no idea that such a sleepy sounding part of the world was such a seething hotbed of intrigue.  This particular adventure involves the Mexican drug trade and a mugging.  I love the comfortable dialogue that seems to flow between the characters.  There always seems to be a witty comeback or a sarcastic remark that fits so well that you can just picture these characters actually having those conversations.  Nothing sounds forced or just inserted for a laugh.  I admire that in a writer, and I sure do enjoy it.

Source: amazon.com via Tina on Pinterest

2.  Reading in the Brain  I always have to complete some continuing education credits during the summer, and this book is one of my classes.  (The other 42 hours have been all about autism, in case you're curious.)  The act of reading fascinates me.  It is an extremely complex act that many of us end up able to do automatically.  In a lot of ways we seem to start learning to read the second we are born!  This book is all about the "brainy" side of reading, what parts of the brain are active, and what is actually happening.  It's probably not something that is in the least bit exciting to anyone not interested in education, but I would recommend this to anyone who has a child who is struggling with reading.  If nothing else, it might offer a bit of perspective.

3.  The Darkest Seduction  So sue me, I'm a bit of a romantic.  This book is part of the Lords of the Underworld Series by Gena Showalter.  The premise is that when Pandora's Box was opened by soldiers of Zeus who were jealous of Pandora, Zeus punished them by placing one of the demons imprisoned in the box into each soldier. Each book is the story of a different man and his demon.  This current story has Paris, the Keeper of Promiscuity, and his attempts to reunite with his True Love, who just so happens to have been stuck with the demon Wrath.   The paranormal parts of the book do not detract in the least from the love story.  I like that the heroines in Showalter's books are not fragile flowers who are helpless until the hero rescues them.  These women are downright feisty.  Good beach read.

Source: amazon.com via Tina on Pinterest

4.  Lover Reborn  J.R.Ward's series involves vampires.  Not the sparkly kind.  The Warrior kind, with the big burly chests and lots of leather.  Lots and lots of leather.  These vampires are a separate race from humans.  They don't like to feed off of humans, either, although they will if they have to.  There's an entire aristocracy in the vampire world, and they are guarded by the Black Dagger Brotherhood, which are the big burly guys who wear the leather.  The vamps in this universe mate for life, when they find the One.  Except that the protagonist of Lover Reborn is recovering from the death of his "One".  He doesn't want to let his dead wife go, and clings to her memory so fiercely that he is preventing her from entering heaven.  It's up to an angel to help him let go and move on to a new life, and new love.  It's a love story from a little different angle, I think.  Still a love story!

5.  It's Not You, It's the Dishes  I am in the middle of this book now.  I picked this up because of my undying hatred of doing the dishes.  I do most of the cooking in our house, and in my mind, that means that my husband should be taking care of the clean up.  Except that he doesn't.  It's not that he thinks that cleaning is women's work.  He probably just gets distracted by something and forgets about it.  He's not really different from most guys, who likely don't think about doing dishes until the last fork is pulled from the drawer or all the coffee cups are dirty.  I find myself getting resentful about it, however.  The people who wrote this book decided to look at marriage from a different angle--economics.  Which intrigued me.  If I look at my marriage from the point of view of an economist on such concepts as a 50/50 division of labor, then I'm less likely to feel emotional about any issues that crop up.   I'm learning something new, and I'm getting a new perspective on marriage. 

Source: amazon.com via Tina on Pinterest

Okay, got any other books I should be reading? 

The Perfect Reading Chair

The very best place to read is a chair.

Not just any chair, however.

A person would not be able to read comfortably sitting in a 14th century replica of King Patooie the 221st's throne, for instance. Nor would it be a good idea to try to read anything while sitting on a chair made out of nails or porcupine hide, unless you like that sort of thing. No, it takes a very special chair for the ultimate reading experience.

When we were all children and learning to read, we were wide-eyed and adventurous with our reading material. Therefore, the perfect reading chair must be so very large that it makes an adult feel small, like a child. The kind of chair where a person can curl up in a ball, or dangle their swinging legs over the edge while they read. A chair that was made to sometimes share with a friend so a book can be read together.

A very BIG chair, in other words.

One of my greatest disappointments as a child was reading Where The Red Fern Grows and not having the right chair to soothe me. A desk chair just doesn't have the same feel. Some stories, such as To Kill A Mockingbird or Lord of the Flies, might also reveal parts of ourselves that are secret, hidden away from even our own eyes. At that point, a hug might be very reassuring. This perfect reading chair should be overstuffed, enveloping the reader in a soft, comforting embrace.

The perfect reading chair must not be a dull color. It is supposed to be special, unusual, and unique.

Beige is not worthy.

White won't cut it.

Black is definitely out.

An iridescent blue the color of a waterfall?

A green the color of dragon's scales?

A purple that is an exact match to a rare Amazonian carnivorous butterfly? Perfect. My favorite would be the purple, just because I like the idea of a carnivorous butterfly.

Nothing ruins a reading experience quite so suddenly as the rapid disintegration of a chair leg. This perfect reading chair must have the sturdiness to carry the reader forward on their journey of exploration and discovery. It should be able to withstand rocketships blasting off, cattle stampedes through the living room, and broadsword-flailing Beserkers charging the shore.

When our imaginations are fired up, ready to pull us into the pages of the book we are reading, our efforts may be extinguished if all we have around us are walls. The perfect reading chair would be situated next to a big window, which is a natural imaginary doorway and an easily identifiable beacon to bring us home again. There should be a lamp next to the chair, so we can continue reading even after darkness chases the daylight away. And finally, there should be a little table next to the chair, where the reader might place a glass of water or other libation, for traipsing through the desert with Lawrence of Arabia leaves one with a powerful thirst.

A BIG, comfy, purple, sturdy, chair is the very most perfect place to read.

I have yet to actually see such a wondrous chair in my life, but I am sure that it exists. I see it in my dreams often. I know that one day it will find me. It may even be stalking me now, waiting to leap out of the purple sage in my yard and pounce on me when the next box from Amazon arrives at the door.

Really?

Really. I couldn't think of a clever sentence that starts with an R. Sorry. It's all Q's fault.

Okay, okay. I just needed some time to think a bit. And I've spent the entire day thinking and writing about reading. That starts with an R, so I'm good. I should at least get a few points for THINKING about the letter R, anyway. Wait--we aren't getting points for this? There's no grade? Crap.

Anyway, sometimes when I am testing a child, things don't add up. Most of your learning disabled kids, for example, will show weaknesses in working memory or retrieving what they've learned. I can see a direct connection between a weakness in retrieving information and math skills. Simple, and relatively easy to work on. Today I looked at some numbers for a student, and there were no weaknesses in memory. Instead, this child showed weakness in visual processing.

When one learns to read, we initially learn the sounds of things and we learn to put the sounds together to form words. Great. But it's not efficient to sound out every single word we are reading--it would take weeks just to get through The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. So the brain memorizes a picture of the word, and stores it away. That way, when reading is going on, the brain can "skip" those words it knows and focus on what the text is saying. Without this system, a child is stuck sounding out the same words over and over, no matter how many times they see them over the course of a lifetime. And that sight based system? Requires visual processing. To be a successful reader requires not only an auditory component, but a visual one.

I figured out the connection, and I am mentally patting myself on the back for spending the time to research all of this. Yay me. Now I know how to help this student, and that makes me very happy.

Dipthong

I was working on a report the other day and I was describing errors that a student made on a reading test, when I suddenly decided that saying the word "dipthong" aloud sounded vaguely naughty. Before I knew it, I was having a little gigglefest at my desk. It was a nice little break, even if I did feel a little like either Beavis or Butthead, which ever one of those did all the giggling.