We've got a routine going now with the boys. On Fridays, Mom and Maurice pick the boys up from school and bring them to their house. The wild card is if Maceo wants to stay at school to play with friends, which he has wanted to do lately. Cash, though, is happy to have some single child time.
The boys working on a puzzle.
Saturday marked the first day of the soccer season. Cassius was supposed to go to Grandpa's and go see the kite festival, but in a harbinger of the day's Cassius mood, he refused to cooperate. Rather than foist an angry tantrum thrower on Dad, I brought him along to soccer with Mace and me. Maceo had the first game of the day, at Shepherd School where I used to have soccer practices when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade. All the other kids on the team are classmates and friends of his, so I was hopeful that he'd take part this time. And he did!
Pregame discussion and strategy session.
Action shot of goalie Maceo!
Postgame snacks and juice boxes.
Cassius and Carter playing throughout the game.
After the game, which Maceo's team won 14-0, we went home for some lunch. Cassius gradually got more and more tired and cranky, but he agreed to go to his soccer game. When we got there, he felt more and more trepidation until finally, he just refused to play. So, we left. Once we were in the car, Cassius felt compelled to explain that he thought practice was going to be at his school, not some other school, so that's why he didn't take part.
Someone is not in a soccer mood.
We got home and both boys went off to quiet time. Maceo listened to his A to Z Mysteries and Cassius...well, when I went to his room to let him out, here is what I found.
Spring Break has meant that I am a frequent sight at the boys' school! On Wednesday, I was a chaperone for a kindergarten trip to the National Zoo. I was put in charge of three kids: Tulani, Carter, and Cassius. We had a fun time on the bus ride over, and all the kids were cutely (and acutely) excited about every aspect of the ride. Once there, my clan and I joined up with my friend Melissa and her clan of kids and we made our way down to Amazonia to see the fish feeding.
The pack in transit.
Monkeying around...Sorry. Apeing around.
Amazonia fish tank
Photo Credit: Cassius Manolakos-Loewen
Outside of the Amazonia exhibit, we stopped for lunch.
Tulani, Blake, Cassius, and Carter.
At some points, it's true, attention was not entirely focussed on animals.
Oliver and Cassius peering at a meerkat.
Searching for ferrets in their dens.
The end of the trip, awaiting the busses.
So, that day was tiring enough. On Thursday, I went to Yu Ying in the morning to get Maceo and take him to his 8 year old checkup! (Yikes! That's right! He's 8 in a few weeks!) He now weighs 74 pounds and is 54 inches tall. (That's 93rd and 95th percentile for you college admissions people out there!) After dropping him off, having lunch, going to the library to get Maceo's Dog Man book he'd asked to have put on reserve, and going to the store, I headed back up to Yu Ying to be Mystery Reader! We read two books--One Morning in Maine by Robert McClosky and All Aboard the Dinotrain by Deb Lund. Both were pretty popular, and then Cassius was chosen as the place holder hander outer. His job? Choose those kids sitting crisscross applesauce to give a placeholder stick to so the kid could go choose a book to read and check out.
He took his responsibilities very seriously.
Whew! It was a busy two days, and I seriously have no idea how elementary school teachers manage!
On Saturday, the boys and I went downtown to explore the Hirshhorn again. We had gone to see the Pulse exhibit in November, but today we went to take part in the Maker Lab where kids are able to explore sound by making various things. We left the house early to use a gift certificate at Starbucks down near the museum. I let Cassius put in the order and pay for it, though of course, the cashier didn't quite get his name right (or did she, Bridget?)
"Oh, Cashi? OH CASHI!"
We had great conversations while eating our poundcake and croissant before we headed over to the museum. Both boys like looking around and discussing the things they see, and more and more, by reading, they are able to figure things out or ask new questions.
(Edited to make Cassius look even crazier.)
At the Hirshhorn, we were the first ones to the Lego table, and we spent quite a bit of time making instruments with Legos
Mr. Super Absorbed.
I feel like this picture kind of sums up the boys' personalities.
before heading up the escalator to the Pulse exhibit.
By placing their hands on pulse readers, the boys were able to create light patterns in water or on the wall.
Afterwards, the boys practiced their favorite visual joke.
AHHHHHHHHH! They got Maceo!!!!!!
We also explored the Sculpture Garden a little bit.
On Sunday, Maceo went with his friend Dean to check out Camp Letts where the two of them are going this summer for a few days of overnight camp. Cassius came home to have a playdate with Dean's little sister SadieRae. She is a "real girl", as you might surmise from her outfit. But she kept insisting he come outside to play, and whenever she'd ask me for something, I'd send her Cassius's way.
Oooo, Cassius, you're sooo strong!
By the late afternoon, Cassius was wiped out by all the chivalry, and he fell asleep on me in bed.
Maceo came home tired, too, and they both slept for 12 hours that night.
Maceo has been studying the body, and here is a little English/Mandarin primer for you. (In the background, you might hear Cassius yelling the Mandarin word for eyes!)
We found ourselves Saturday morning with several choices. Maceo suggested going to Udvar Hazy, the air and space museum out near Dulles Airport. Cassius suggested staying in the house all day and playing games. I suggested going on a bike ride on the Anacostia River, and by the grace of God, they both wanted to do that! We drove over to Prince George's County to the site of the Battle of 1812, and got on our bikes and on the trail. We rode along the river for a while, past the National Arboretum and past Kenilworth Gardens, all with Cassius leading the way. Soon, it was snack time, and we had fun eating and doing slow motion boxing matches.
When we got back to the parking lot, a freight train was slowly going past, so the boys ran up to check it out, just as the horn hooted. Someone came scampering right back.
Kate picked the boys up that afternoon, and I came to join the boys on Sunday afternoon where I found the kids both jumping around on a trampoline (I could hear them a block away) and riding an electric motorbike. Cassius tried it, fell, and was not interested in trying again.
Since it was St. Patrick's Day, our friend Shelby prepared, of course, corned beef tacos. I'm not quite sure what they do on Cinco de Mayo.
Finally, at school, Maceo has been studying the body, and here is a Maceo-sized diagram of the innards. The knowledge came in handy this weekend! During our bike ride, we saw at least 3 shrews on the trail who had been killed by passing cyclists. One shew had sadly been "popped" open by the force of the tires. It gave Maceo a chance to see intestines for real. He first thought they were worms, but we checked them out more closely and he was able to identify them both in English and Mandarin. We also brought a shrew home to add to our Natural History Museum.
Saturday, we had a playdate/dinner planned with some friends, but the flu intervened. Not at our house, thank the Heavens, but at our friends'. Luckily, Grandma Sue and Grampa were still planning on coming to dinner, so we roasted a chicken and some vegetables and got our card games ready! We played a new game called Cockroach Poker (McMurrers, better get your poker faces ready!) It's a game that calls for bluffing and Cassius is disturbingly good at it.
Maceo played Legos while waiting to play Sleeping Queens.
Then we played Sleeping Queens, a game we chronicled earlier this year. Cassius and Grampa probably enjoy this game the most, but we all had fun, and Grandma Sue learned to play for the first time.
On Sunday, the first day of daylight savings, we were actually able to get out of the house on time and over to Mamy and Maurice's to go see a play in Bethesda called Anatole: Mouse Magnifique. It was very enjoyable for all ages. We all, for different reasons, especially enjoyed the "mousenary" group called Alpha Strike Force who were supposed to help bell the cheese factory cat.
Quelle bonne piece (of cheese)!
We'll have to keep an eye out for the book at the library.
Pre-show construction
I'm not sure why every theater doesn't have such things in the lobby!
Mr. Persistent spent the most time building ramps and courses.
We got home and had a lovely quiet time, though someone snuck out 10 minutes early for some snuggles.
Hint: it was Cassius.
After quiet time, two buddies (Carter and Parker) were dropped off and the boys had the best playdate ever. They went down to the stop sign at the corner and tried to sell origami to passers-by. Biggest sale? 50 cents to Alex, Carter's and Parker's father.
This week, Cassius and his classmates invited friends and family to come to a publishing party of their writing. This is the second one of the year. Unfortunately, I couldn't go, but I sent my representatives Pat and Maurice instead. Here is their photographic report.
The hordes of Horse children at the party discuss their art.
The proud author.
The public was allowed to comment on the books. Here is one adoring fan.
"So, the Pokemon leitmotif really just encapsulates late capitalism's yearning for a return to the the mid century zeitgeist of Cheever and Salinger."
The only downside according to Maurice was a book release party without wine. I bet there was plenty of whining, though.
1) One boy picks my chore,
2) the second boy picks his own chore,
3) and the first boy gets the last pick.
I stole this strategy from my childhood when my dad would try to mitigate sibling arguments about which chore to do/restaurant to go to/activity to do/etc. And it seems to work! Instead of doing big rooms, this weekend we were doing bathrooms. Once again, Cassius chose the biggest room for himself, and this time, he first got to choose my task. Cassius told me to do the smallest bathroom, the powder room on the first floor. Maceo chose to clean the boys' bathroom (the medium sized bathroom), and Cassius got the master bath! (Once again, more floor to mop!)
At first, Maceo was quite sluggish and whiney. But soon, with the addition of music ("Despacito" is the current fave), and a little lecture about how working with a bad attitude not only makes one feel bad, but it also ensures low quality work, we were all having a good time and getting stuff clean!
Washing baseboards!
Scrubbing toilets!!!!!!
Getting the tub clean!!!!!!!!!!!
WIPING DOWN THE SINK!!!!!
Once again, we had a pretty good time, and I was so appreciative of the boys' efforts and spirits! They really can be good boys some of the time!
