Patrick's Elementary Graduation

Juliana posing with a big bar of real chocolate...

 

This chocolate is real...5 pounds of milk chocolate given to my husband by his employer's daughter...She knows how chocoholic my husband is...and my stepdaughter is as bad...

Another night spent reminding our children to do their chores

Next week is winter break. Patrick asks if he can invite 5 friends for a sleepover. I was ok with 3 max. My husband was not.

Why?

Well, as he said, it feels like almost every weekend we have friends sleep over. We parents no longer feel we get the break we deserve. What with all the worries of what to feed these kids, how to make them behave within normal limits, how to ensure they don't end up with lacerations or amputations, and how to keep OUR HOUSE intact, we also want our kids to be responsible enough to maintain the house at a presentable state. Anytime. All the time.

They were given chores to do. But they do them sporadically. Only when we do the same thing we did at suppertime tonight.

They were given a checklist. Which worked only 2-3 days and the list became an invisible piece of paper posted on the fridge door.

They were offered weekly allowance. Not my idea, but my husband's. He was hoping they would be more motivated to do their chores. (I felt it was like paying them for contributing to the family work, which, in my opinion, should not be the case. After all, we buy their food and clothes, I cook for them, we provide them with a roof over their heads. It is but reasonable for them to give something in return. Oh, and they have their own computers (thanks to my husband for that!).

It used to be that winter was their favorite season because they "love snowboarding." This year, their snowboards remained unused, and my older son had the lame excuse of having the orientation such that his left foot is in front, or that there are not enough kids to play with and actually have fun.

I am so sick and tired of being a parent...at least, that's how I feel tonight.

So God help us!

Patrick's first basketball game

Madison vs Athens, held at Athens Elementary gym. Patrick (24)was late for signing up to the team, and there were games he already missed. Huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din. So here he is, somewhat adding a morale boost to the team.



He seemed to be the largest player in his team. He is quite good, but there is still room for improvement, which will come as he plays more games. This was a one-hour game, and he made a two-point shot in the above video, and a one-point (foul) shot in the below video.



The Madison team pratically slaughtered the Athens team, but hey, it was just a game, something for the kids to develop agility, have fun, develop hand-eye coordination, balance, and of course, the values of team work and sportsmanship.

Tie-Dyed Bandana

Ben made this. The process of tie-dyeing was taught in school towards the end of the school year.

I do not know the details, though, but the design that came out was pretty!

Ben's Baseball Team Earned Trophies

Here's Ben with his trophy. Their team, American Legion, won 9 out of XX games. Aside from this trophy (each player got one), they received a souvenir (soft) baseball, a set of photos (free), and had a banquet of pizza.

Ben was quite smug about his achievement.

And I am so proud, of course, although this one was a team effort.

I have witnessed him to be a good batter and fielder, although there were times when I could say he was not in the mood.

I am glad he was, at least, into organized sports. It gave him reason to move. 

Ben's first baseball game

Finally, the boys, especially Ben who is quite thin (very much like me when I was his age), had taken interest in sports (I, as a child, always was moving -- climbing trees, running, walking, biking).

He had his first game last Wednesday. His confidence was showing, and he could hit the ball very well!!!

It was a fun game to watch, what with the small boys who looked like all they could manage was swing the bat, let alone hit the ball.

Tags: baseball, kids

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Patrick's first hard-earned money

Patrick has been talking about wanting an X-box, and we would always say that PC is enough for the purpose of playing computer games. Then I told him, maybe he should look for a summer job (like babysitting) to save enough money to buy what he wants. (I remember a time when I was in high school and I wanted to buy Reebok rubber shoes which was P1000 then, compared to local P300, I offered to my mother to do all household chores save for laundry until we could find a new maid. It was summer then, and my Nanay agreed. I had my rubber shoes the next school time.) When he has that much money to buy X-box, then it will be up to him to use that money for whatever he wants. And I think the experience will teach him financial responsibility.

It so happened that my FIL wanted to hire someone to help him pile wood that he split this spring for next winter. He was planning to hire another, but MIL suggested he ask Patrick first if he would like to do the job.

Patrick was excited. (I am sure it was more appealing to him than babysitting.)

And so, here is the picture of his income the first day he did the job at a rate of $10/hr:

He earned a total of $60 for three days' work. He was so proud of himself, and my in-laws were so satisfied with the way he handled the job. He did not save it to buy an X-box. He bought another game to add to his collection, and a PC controller (amounting to $48 in all).

AND I AM SO PROUD OF MY SON.

Tags: Parenting, children, child-rearing

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After Christmas, the kids had fun trying out their new snowboards, which we gave as Christmas gifts to the two boys (I have a pair of skates for Babe).

More photos of them sliding down our steep driveway near the garage.

And more...(that's my shadow).

And more...

having fun!...

Patrick sliding down backwards...