William Tell Overture

Here is Wm knocking out a duet of the William Tell Overture (better known as "that song from Loony Toons"):


I am headed to IKEA tomorrow morning with a friend and I am PUMPED. I have also been declared germ-free, so I can go visit my post-surgery, post-infection amigo this weekend, too! Steve has some big soccer game planned with his buds. Wm has loafing and gaming with his friends on his agenda. It should be a fun weekend!! And, FINALLY, cooler!!! Maybe next weekend we can actually go pick some apples!

Random

The app for Blogger is not supported in iOS11 and now it's annoying to deal with. So I'm torn. It's very handy to do the blog because I have won a lot of arguments based on details I put up here (for example, Steve claimed Schroeder was 3, but he is 4. I proved it via the blog post from when we got him!) But, also, I'm lazy and this is now difficult. Maybe I'll just do fewer. We'll see. But, I'm annoyed. Blogger, you suck.

Here are some random things I have enjoyed this week:

Flip's nap: I can never get enough of his spotty belly

What a weirdo

The horrified look Flip gives me when I sing him love songs

Wm looking old with his new haircut

Wm says he has been inducted into the "Cheese Squad" at school. I guess it's just a group of friends who have code names that are all cheeses. Wm is Mozzarella. They sit together at lunch every day and talk about stuff. I asked him if they talk about cheese and he said no. I asked if he had to take a test about cheese to get in (or if there was some kind of gang initiation that involved cheese). Again, no. So I asked wtf cheese has to do with anything and he goes, "I have no idea. But String Cheese is out of the Squad." Maybe he was lactose intolerant? String is out and Mozzarella is in. Such is life.

Hot!

This weekend was HOT. It felt like mid-July. I am now reeeeal excited about fall!

Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit and we had a great time! We went to Wm's most favorite restaurant for dinner and he was thrilled with life! And Flip made a new friend:

 

We took a little walk, that turned out to be quite the trudge in 90 degree heat. Flip's black coat makes him superheat in the sun, too!  I think it's going to cool off this week, thank god.

Wm and Flip love to go to the playground together. Flip gets a trip to the park almost every night. When there are other dogs there, we are ignored while he runs around like a maniac. But, when there aren't, he and Wm do all the fun things together!

Wm has another virtual day today. When I left for work, he was sitting there in his underwear and Hugh Hefner robe. He's living the life!  He was a wild and crazy guy this weekend. Wm loves when we have company and runs around like a loon. Then, he exhausts himself. So, the virtual day is good timing - he doesn't even have to get dressed!!

Tall

Wm is doing a project on dwarfism for his Genetics class. While we were driving home, we were talking about height and genes.
Me: It will be interesting to see how things play out for you, genetically. You could turn out like me and be on the short side - the way you are now.
Wm: I would like that!
Me: Or, the doctor did say she thinks you'll be a slow, long grower. So you could end up being taller like your dad!
Wm: UGH. No.
Me: You don't want to be tall?
Wm: No!
Me: Why not?
Wm: Being tall is gross. I want to be super short forever!

Here is Wm playing the song Mimi walked down the aisle to: 'Tis a Gift to Be Simple:

Famous

Wm has figured prominently in the weekly newsletter for his Genetics class! In one, he's tiny, so I drew an arrow pointing at him:

In another, he's bigger and, again, giving his thumbs up:

He's still knocking out middle school and has an A in all his classes! We were going to go volunteer at school this weekend directing cars and taking money, but then Wm got all sick. Maybe next weekend!! (Metro's main source of fundraising is selling spots in their parking lot on OSU game days. There are no candy bars, no cheese or sausage, no read-a-thons - it's just parking!) So, if you need somewhere to park for an OSU game - park at Metro!!!

Weekend Warrior

Steve worked all weekend, Wm got a nasty cold, and I...I was a goddamn warrior! Since I was pretty much trapped at home alone with a sick kid, I got all the chores done!! I even polished the leather seats in my car!

Saturday was Flip's first birthday. Happy birthday, Flippers!!

The old man keeping an eye on the neighborhood in his favorite spot

One of my fun weekend actives was making bread. I made cinnamon loaf and a sea salt loaf. Wm LOVED the cinnamon loaf. He said it was the best thing I ever baked. He goes, "THIS IS A 10 OUT OF 10!!"

Wm was real grump yesterday. Here is a conversation we had that is representative of how the day went...

Me: [sweetly] Wm, do you want a piece of cinnamon bread?

Wm: [crabbily] What?

Me: Do you want a piece of cinnamon bread?

Wm: I CAN'T HEAR YOU AND IT HURTS TO SCREAM!

Me: Well, you just screamed at me, soooo...

Wm:  DO NOT TALK TO ME!

However, today, he feels better (he can't breathe out of his nose, but his throat is feeling better, and that was his main complaint). And he's been super nice in that way that people are once they start to feel human again after being sick. Today's conversations went more like...

Me: Do you have homework due tomorrow?

Wm: Yes, I have a big thing due in Short Stories.

Me: OK, well, you will need to start that after lunch to make sure you have time to do it. No procrastinating! 

Wm: OK, no problem.

Then...he DID. And it's done and submitted already. 

In more good news, Steve's back is much better! He has been doing all the back exercises he's supposed to do (miracle!) and he feels pretty good. Which was excellent since he had a long weekend with that tournament. 

Buns of steel

And today I had a major success with The Hell Hound. It was his monthly bath time, which is usually a whole ordeal. But, he was starting to smell very "dog-like." And, thus, so was our house.  So, I put a little calming lavender oil in the bathtub and Wm stood by the tub and just fed him one nugget of dog food after another...and Flip was AWESOME. He just stood there the whole time and didn't try to escape or shake himself off all over us! (Last time, he slipped in his escape attempt and fell hard on his back!) Then, I gave him a frozen kong to distract him and scrubbed the floors and couch and washed everything I could get my hands on and now everything is fresh and clean!! (Although, Flip just farted and now it smells anything but fresh and clean.) After his whole ordeal Flip needed  to relax:

Wm even had a great plan for getting him out of the tub slowly and nicely. He dotted food pellets onto the towel and then left a small pile at the end. So, Flip got out of the tub calmly and happily and ate his way to the end of the towel while I dried him (instead of tearing around like a maniac). By the time he was done, he was pretty dry and my bathroom was not destroyed! Wm comes in pretty handy sometimes!!

Hobbled

Today is Wm's first virtual day at school. Basically, he gets to sit at home in his pajamas and attend his classes online. They do practice virtual days a few times a year because there is no such thing as a snow/calamity day at Metro! If you can't get to school, it's automatically a virtual day. So this is his first practice. He is excited!! They have virtual classrooms with webcams and speakers and he can click a button to "raise his hand." It's all very cool!

Steve, however, is not having a good time. He threw is back out at work yesterday because he is an old, old man. He went to Urgent Care and has muscle relaxers and super Advil, but he's still hobbling around, all pathetic-like. He made me laugh last night, though!
Steve: [gets up verrrrrry gingerly from couch and hisses]
Me: So we're still doing this back thing? It's stale, Steve.
Steve: I'm in a lot of pain!
Me: You're a big grump.
Steve: Omg! When you are in pain, you are a pill and a half!

Pill and a half, he said!! HAHA! Steve...still zinging 'em out when he's hobbled. He also didn't care for when I told him this wouldn't have happened if he strengthened his core up. But, my most favorite part is how his story changes based on whatever I'm nagging him about at that time. When he first called to tell me about it, I started telling him that he should not be lifting heavy things. He goes, "it wasn't even heavy!! It was like a chair!" So, later, when I saw him all crippled, I told him that if lifting a chair can do that to him, we better figure out what's going on with him because something ain't right. His response? "It was a super heavy wooden bench!" Basically, Steve is Donald Trump. I have no idea what he even lifted at this point. But, he's a sad sack, I'll tell you that! I made him tacos yesterday, so he was slightly appeased. If there's one thing Steve loves...it's tacos!

Check out Flippers sleeping next to me and snoring/twitching. Turn your volume all the way up to hear his little piglet snores!

Hocking Hills

There's lots of pictures, so fasten your seat belt!!

First, last night, Wm went to Mimi and Guy's while Steve and I celebrated our anniversary. Everyone had a grand time! Here is Wm with Guy's accordion, clearly loving life:

I though it was kinda funny that Wm joined the Coloring Club in the first place. And, his first drawing is hilariously awesome. Wm is definitely one of a kind! Here is Wm's first piece of artwork from Coloring Club (make sure the budding masculinity is not too much for you):

Cutest

We woke up and saw that today was going to be a GORGEOUS day and decided to take Flip to Hocking Hills for his first serious hike. Flip LOVED it!! I told Steve I think he is an Adventure Dog and they could be adventuring buddies! He loved hopping up the rocks and climbing all around. His little muscle body was built to do that stuff.  He was so tired, he actually slept on the car ride home instead of stuffing his giant head out the window the whole time!
Wm even said it was more fun that staring at a screen all day! BIG win. Here are some pics we took on our mini adventure:

Got on the floor to stretch. Didn't work out as planned.

At the cave

Steve's eyes are closed, but I dug the light!

On a trail

Hiking Buddies

Wm scaling a boulder while I panic behind him

Mission: Accomplished!!

Excited

I have been super impressed with Wm so far this school year. He has really grown and matured! He has visited his teacher's office hours with questions, reached outside of his comfort zone to initiate friendships, is joining student organizations, and is learning so much!! The Metro model is also really impressive. Wm took a Math quiz and got a B. But, at Metro, he's not done. He has to remediate that test because he missed some. What that means is: he goes over the quiz, sees which questions he missed, and then, he figures out how to do those problems. Then, a week later, he retakes the test (just the problems he missed). He keeps that up until he has mastered the materials and gets an A. There will be no gaps in his knowledge because he "passed." For instance, he  missed 2 questions on the quiz. Both were about rational vs. irrational numbers. So, Wm knew he didn't fully understand that concept. He went to his Math teacher's office hours and now knows it backward and forward after a bit of one-on-one help. Soon, he'll retake the quiz - and likely get a 100! In a "regular" school, a B is great and he'd be done and move on. But, he'd also be moving on never having truly understood rational/irrational numbers. Now, instead of not know that concept - it's probably the one he knows best!! It's a shame every school doesn't do this!


Flip has knocked out all his training. Except when excited. He knows what he's supposed to do, but his enthusiasm is no match for good behavior!! I took a video of him trying to do "place" when Steve gets home from work (one of Flip's most exciting times of day!) You can see the inner turmoil as he wants to race all around and jump/lick all over Steve, but he also wants to obey the command. You can see which wins out:



And, lastly a SUPER happy 18th anniversary to the Best Husband Ever!!

Recital

Monday was a big day for Wm and Flip! Wm had his first violin recital - and he did GREAT!! We were super proud of him! His violin teacher gave him a certificate and engraved trophy for finishing Suzuki Book 1. Go Wm!!

Wm with his teacher and certificate/trophy

I took a video of Gavotte, his recital finale:


And Flip officially graduated from Doggie Training! He and Steve were exhausted:

Graduate

Long Weekend!

Wm was off on Friday for a Muslim holiday and I left at work at lunch time and worked from home. Steve even left work at 2:30 to get a jump on the long weekend! It has been unseasonably cold the last few days. While I was working, Flip and I snuggled on the couch. We started like this:

One hour later:

Then, Wm came down and posed Flip like he was watching TV. Flip was happy to comply:

Then, since it was cold and rainy, we decided to order pizza and snuggle up and watch a movie. Wm has been BEGGING to watch The Matrix. But, it's rated R and I don't remember much about it. So, I did some online sleuthing and read about every single thing that could possibly be "inappropriate." It was mostly "sci-fi violence and language." I'm not OK with real life violence, but there isn't even any blood in the Matrix, really. Just lots of crazy Matrix-world Kung Fu-like fighting. I figured Wm can handle that. So I allowed it. And Wm was INTO IT. Look at his face!

Blowing his mind

I was hardly home on Saturday since I was running around town with various amigos, but the The Boys had all sorts of exciting adventures.

Today, it's finally warm and sunny again, so we have a hike planned. (I have my new shoes, but Steve is unimpressed and says they are "cheap" - but I don't want to spend a lot of sneaks since I walk through them in 6 months! Steve says I have to check with him before buying my next pair, because he can get a deal on nice ones. Steve has the sneaker hook-up!) And, tomorrow is Wm's violin recital! Then, back to the rat race for all of us!

And, to close, here is Flip trying his hardest to look sad and cute while we eat lunch: