Mi Familia

My sister K told me that she was going to start reading my blog so she could find out what's going on with us. I guess that means I should probably post something about the family, huh? There hasn't been much going on, but I'll do my best. If you only come here to read my scribblings or find out if I'm still exercising, then feel free to stop reading now :-).

School: We haven't gotten final report cards yet, but I'm sure that all the kids will be promoted. There was a bit of a dip in grades during the second reporting period, but I instated a "no TV" rule for school nights that helped a lot. I tried for a "no friends" rule on school nights as well, but they only have one little girl who comes over and from what I've seen she doesn't have any other friends on the street. I didn't have the heart to tell her to stay away.

Our school year ends on 09 Jun. We don't have any special plans. ABM has Tuesdays and Wednesdays off on his current schedule, so I am hoping he will take the opportunity to do a few small activities with the kids while I am at work. There are several cheap options here in this area that the kids would love. Most kids probably go bowling or play Putt-Putt as a regular weekend activity, but my kids don't so it will be a treat for them.

Work: ABM hates his job and I don't blame him. Having worked in a call center environment before, I remember the stress and the headaches. Dealing with angry or thick-headed customers is only half the problem. In my opinion, dealing with unrealistic demands from the supervisors is worse. He's not going to look seriously for another job unless he is forced; he dislikes job hunting as much as I do, although he won't admit it.

As for me, I have learned to tolerate my job. The job itself isn't that bad. The work is boring but I entertain myself with music and podcasts. The fact that I have to be there at all is what I have trouble accepting. I tell myself time and again that it is selfish of me to think I should be able to stay at home when so many other women have to work to keep their families afloat. Somehow, it doesn't help. To stop myself from wallowing in unwarranted self-pity, I have shifted my focus to what the money is doing for our family. If Allen and I can learn to be more efficient with our funds, then perhaps I won't resent working so much.

Kids:

--DJ is my little man and he is taking that to heart. Lately, he has been announcing to the house that he is the man. I think he is trying to assert himself in this houseful of women. He will say things like, "I am a boy so I should be doing this." I wonder if another kid teased him about being too girly or if he is just trying to figure out what being a boy means to him.

Other than trying to be the man, DJ has been doing a lot of reading. I suspect he was doing it to earn enough AR points for a CD player. Hopefully, I can get to continue to read over the summer just for the fun of it.

--C2 is my quiet sweetheart. At least she is until someone steals her turn on the computer! She and DJ have an equal passion for computer and console games. C2 can get to the end boss or final puzzle on a game quicker than anyone in the house. The games designed for kids are almost no challenge for her. She's also good at board and card games; she catches on to rules quicker than the other kids. Whenever I get worrisome notes from school about her not being on grade-level, I just think back to some of the games she's beaten. The intelligence is in there; we've just got to figure out how to get her to apply it to schoolwork.

C2 is starting to get teased about her weight. Mostly it seems to be coming from her sister, but she may be getting teased at school, too. She looks fine to me, but we all know that I have blinders on when it comes to weight. The whole family could use less food and more exercise. Changing the habits of the entire household should keep C2 from feeling singled out.

--C1 is my little bean pole. She is shaped just like her Aunt N was at that age, just straight up and down. Ever since they had the nutrition class at school, she has been focused on weight and healthy foods. Of course, that doesn't stop her from eating cookies! If someone told me that one of my kids was going to have an eating disorder, I'd put money on her.

--Where do I start with M? She is basically a good kid, but I feel like I am banging my head against a wall when it comes to getting her to do housework. I know now that I should have started sooner in training her to help around the house; the three younger kids barely whine about chores as long as they see that everyone else is working, too. M is a different story. Unless I am standing over her and pointing out every thing she has to do, she won't do anything. Please tell me it is just the age!

That's enough of an update for now. I told you nothing much goes on around here!