Amish Country

We were going to go to the Apple Butter Festival at Roscoe Village yesterday, but, at the last minute, Steve wanted to check out Amish Country in Sugar Creek. It looked like it was only about 20 mins away from Roscoe Village and he thought we could double our fun and hit both! However, it turned out to be about 45 minutes from Roscoe Village on some crazy curvy country roads. By the time we got there, Wm was super sick to his stomach. Luckily, we met Grandma and Grandpa at a restaurant and once he was fed and sitting still, he felt much better!

We went in some cute little shops and saw the world's biggest cuckoo clock. Unfortunately, it was a super cold day and so we were all a bit chilly. Steve has a tournament coming up, so he had to work today so we couldn't go - even though it's going to be 68! Next year...I swear. 

The picture lights up! 

A better one that is clearer. Wm and I loved 'em!

The cuckoo clock

Swiss livin'!

Maybe because it was cold or maybe because we aren't Amish Country people, but there wasn't much to see and we (especially Wm) got bored fairly quickly. There are only so many quaint stores you can drag Wm into before the wheels fall off. So we decided to head to Roscoe Village and hit up the festival! But, because it was so far out of their way, Grandma and Grandpa headed home. Then, after the curvy roads, Wm felt terrible and said he didn't want to go anymore. And we were all cold. It was nearly 4pm. And we were still over an hour from home. So we just came on home. Not as much fun as we had hoped when we headed out, but still a successful day! I told Steve that next year, tournament or no, we are going to go on  warm day!!!

Today, we are laying low. I'm seasoning cast iron skillets and making scones. Wm wants to head to the park (and since it's 68, we can!) And I can finally shower after Steve sealed the grout! Steve asked yesterday if we were going to go the park in the morning and Wm goes, "We can't! We have to go to the grocery store. I am LIST MANAGER, Pop." Very important job!

School Pic

Wm's school pictures are in!! And look how giant Wm looks. Wowza. I was not prepared for Old Man River up in here! Here is The Big 5th Grade Dude:

Fifth grade

Since this is Wm's last elementary school school pic, here is a flash back to his first! He's come a long way, baby!

Kindergarten

He had a lot more meat on his bones back then. And I actually used a scanner to upload pics. Weird. Times...they are a-changin'.

Wm went to Biztown at school today. All the kids have jobs and checking accounts and debit cards and they work and earn money and can buy things. Wm was assigned "attorney." He was really excited, but came home suuuuuper pissed because they messed up his assignment and he couldn't solve "the riddle." I'm not exactly sure why lawyers have to solve riddles, but apparently it was a thing. And, also, his letter to the editor of the Biztown Journal was not published. So he's furious. To appease him, we are checking out the new restaurant in The Ville, Bare Burger, and letting Wm get a shake! Then we are returning home to snuggle and watch Lord of the Rings (while I watch Black Mirror on the iPad since LOTR is the literal worst). 

Girl Rising

Wm and I watched a documentary called Girl Rising tonight. If you have Amazon Prime, it was really good and comes with Wm's seal of approval. It completely blew his little mind. It was about girls being raised in poverty and not being educated - and the difference an eduction can make. Wm was glued to the screen. (Steve declared it "depressing" and went over to play on his phone.)

Note: if you have Netflix, I also highly recommend Miss Representation. Steve did watch that one. And it blew HIS little mind. ;-)

And now I have to go tuck in Wm. Who may or may not be brain damaged. He had his violin lesson tonight. But walked home from school without his violin. So I sent him back to get it. Then we left for his violin lesson once it was in hand. When we got there, I said, "where are you music books?" Wm: "Oh...at home." KILLING MEEEEEEE.

Lazy Cat

Steve has continually insisted that there is "just something" about Hillary Clinton that he doesn't like. I told him I thought that "something" was called a vagina, but then he just got all defensive.  So this led to a dinnertime conversation about implicit bias. I told Wm there is an online quiz they developed at Harvard that can tell you if you have any implicit biases and he really wanted to take it because he thought he was free and clear of any bias. He was VERY upset to discover he had some implicit biases. But, he had no implicit gender bias! Then Wm demanded that Steve take the quiz since he had been adamant about his complete lack of gender bias at dinner. And guess what? Steve had a STRONG gender bias. BOOM. And also...sigh. This is a time when it's not fun to be right! Of course, Steve claims it's all bunk. But, regardless, it was a good conversation with Wm! And, also, good that he has the opportunity to discover and confront his tiny implicit biases! I told him everyone has them and it's important to know about them so you can make sure to overcome them and not let them become part of your behavior. After he saw some kids laughing at and mocking a disabled kid and just watched in horror, we've also been working on "silence equals consent." Meanwhile he has no problem confronting the kids who tried to take his ball when he was playing four square. Priorities.

Also, this cracked me up: Steve decided to sweep while Schroeder took a nap. He was not bothered. He woke up, and watched Steve disdainfully for a minute, then just went back to sleep. He's a weird cat.

30 second later

Swing Kid

Wm and I had Friday off together. We had a blast. We lazed around in the morning, I took him out to lunch, then we went to the park and played.

And, Wm FINALLY figured out how to pump a swing all by himself - with no help! It only took him 10 years. Steve was in despair. But, while Wm is pretty far ahead in the old noggin, he's way behind in anything that involves coordination or the use of his tiny, awkward body. So, I'm calling it a win! I figured he's never get it. So this was a great surprise! Now Wm wants to spend HOURS at the park swinging. And he chatters the whole time. So I have taken to just laying on the bench, sunning myself like a walrus, and listening to Wm chitty chat away. It's actually very relaxing.

Since it looks like we may have a couple good middle school options for Wm that don't require that we move, we've been thinking about what we could do to make this house perfect for us, long term. We've had a couple plumbers out to give us estimates on putting a half bath in the basement. And we've been looking at the kitchen and bathroom - both of which have been "updated," but no one has really done a tear-out and re-do (it's been superficial, like painting the old cabinets) in the last 75 years. Wm heard us discussing it and freaked out. He goes, "I'm OK with whatever in the bathroom, but not the kitchen! I love our house just how it is! We worked SO HARD on the kitchen!" We? WE? So I told him I didn't remember HIM working hard in the kitchen. I remember Steve laying a new floor and putting up a new backsplash, and I remember priming and painting all those cabinets. But I don't recall Wm doing anything. He's still grumpy about it and has declared that all our ideas are "ugly" and we should leave things as they are. Which is actually a great sentiment (he appreciates things as they are!) But...still. I want more storage/counter space and a walk-in shower. Soooo...he's about to be out-voted.

Hats!

This is one of those weekends where I look forward to going back to work on Monday to relax! We repaired the front steps (Steve cemented over uneven bits and fixed all the cracks). Then, Wm and I primed and painted them - which is not easy on uneven cement steps!! Wm was a champ and did all the rolling. I followed him with the brush and did detail work. We just finished the last coat and they look great!

Also, yesterday, we took Wm to the Halloween store to get his costume. He is going as Kylo Ren. But, we had more fun playing with hats.

Abe Lincoln

King William

Wizard

Wm has learned how to play a modified version of Amazing Grace. Even though it's not the official (and more complicated) version, I think he sounds pretty good! And he occasionally lets me sing along.

Steve is very happy. He has been able to spend nearly the whole weekend clanking around in the basement. He tore down a wall and cleaned up his work room. We also took him out for waffles yesterday. So he's a happy camper!

Wm wants to watch the debate tonight and is all jazzed. But, it's on past his bedtime. And this is the first time in history that the debates may include the word "pussy." So I'm not 100% sure I'll allow it. Maybe I'll just tell him Trump loves grabbing cats. He's just a really big cat person. (I have not been able to keep from Wm that something is going on, but all he's been able to glean so far is that Trump said something extremely sexist and upsetting. Sooner or later, he's going to figure out what he said. And then I am going to have to explain to my kid what a "pussy" is. Greeeeeat. An election first. The flip side is that this is making for some great SNL. Alec Baldwin is NAILING it.)

Thwarted.

Steve has thwarted me again. Wm is very sad about soccer and doesn't want to play because the coaches yell at the kids and he doesn't like it. Which is TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE. Who likes to be yelled at? And Wm is playing co-ed rec league soccer. These are not kids who are going to get college scholarships. These are the awkward, bespectacled kids like Wm. It's supposed to be fun. Who care if they win or lose? Yet these coaches are screaming like it's the Super Bowl and millions of dollars are on the line.

So...what is a person to do? Well, I think a person talks to the coach and says, "Cool out, bro. Your kid sucks. My kid sucks. All the kids suck. Let them run around chasing the ball for an hour and then we can all go home, secure in the fact that we are good parents who forced our kids into an active, outdoor activity. Leave the yelling to the parents of kids in expensive club soccer. Maybe it will pay off for them and they'll get a partial scholarship to a crappy school one day. BECAUSE THIS SOCCER AND NO ONE CARES." However, Steve disagrees. He said I'm not allowed to say that (or anything).

I offered to send a polite email the rec league director and kindly ask that they tell their coaches to chill out and stop yelling. Again, thwarted. Apparently Steve is fine with the yelling and said it would be "weird" of me to complain. I played all kinds of sports as a kid. I was never yelled at like this. I mean, a coach may call out, "Get it!" or "Look alive!" or "Eyes on the ball!" But it never felt punitive or mean. Basically, I've decided, it's men. All my coaches were women. Men freak out about sports in an unhealthy way and I don't like it. Neither does Wm. He's sensitive. He's  Renaissance Man.