(Editor's note: I thought I'd uploaded video, but it's only photos of the video! I'll have to add the videos this weekend!)
Easter began early in the morning with a Loewen family tradition--I hid Easter eggs around the house, inside and out, with clues in them that eventually led to their baskets! I asked the boys to come read me the clues so I could record them for the blog, and now you get to hear my doggerel!
Maceo, a few months ago, decided in the height of his Pokemon love that he wanted to have a Pokemon party at a local game store. But as party time approached, Pokelove waned and Maceo suggested a party elsewhere. Ha! We'd already rented the space, so too bad, my man!
Luckily, they have plenty of games at the game store (go figure), and the important thing was all the boys who came.
A new favorite game, Incan Treasure!
Here's the terrifying point of view of a game.
The boys playing Cahoots, which they liked.
Refueling for some final games
Mystery of the Labyrinth, which has a cool feature of a
hidden maze and metal marbles with magnets.
Maceo turned 8 on April 11th, so we had a family dinner party. We got his favorite food (Chinese dumplings) and Cassius had a hot dog. Blergh. After dinner, we sang the traditional song (We'd already received the traditional phone call from the McMurrers and been treated to their singing), and then the traditional cake. Maceo likes this marzipan flavored cake that is delicious. Cassius, though.
It take a lot of air to blow out this many candles.
Cassius doesn't like the cake, so he got a brownie.
Luckily, he likes brownies.
Post-cake lethargy.
Maceo had made a modest list of presents he would like, so we got him a skateboard and various protective pads. Immediately, we were outside practicing on the sidewalk. And immediately, Cassius informed us he'd like a skateboard, too.
In an effort to encourage Cassius to branch out and eat more things than just quesadilla, hot dogs, and turkey sandwiches, I subscribed to a kids' cooking kit that comes twice a month. The first package came, and hoo boy, was Cassius excited. I told them that there was an extra apron for Maceo, and it was a present from Cassius for Maceo. Cassius insisted we start cooking, so we made our ingredients list, and once I'd gone shopping we started making the first dish: pad thai!
Cassius adding the noodles to the hot water!
The kit comes with a tool. This time it was a whisk.
Cassius is chopping green onions. Maceo is chopping carrots.
Maceo cracks the eggs. Cassius is still chopping onions.
Juicing the limes!
Once the dish came together, Cassius had a crisis. He didn't want to eat it and he broke down into tears. Finally, he tried one noodle. And he liked it.
So, some new things happened this weekend. First, the boys were out of school for their Student-Led Conferences (the new form of Parent-teacher Conferences), so I took off Friday to take care of them. We spent about 45 minutes with both boys at the school, going over their work with them and then talking with their teachers. The highlights?
Cassius's Chinese teacher says he's the best Chinese speaker in the class.
Maceo can use Chinese dictionaries (for insight, I couldn't even understand how it was organized)!
Cassius and Maceo are reading above expected levels.
Both of them like to write and read!
We were happy overall with what we heard, and Maceo reflected on ways he can make better choices. So, that was good to hear from him. They both like school a lot, and that's the best thing for me to hear!
Waiting our turn with the teachers; reading Dog Man
There was a Book Fair at the same time as the conferences at school, so each boy was allowed to buy a book. They each chose a book from a graphic novel series called Dog Man. (Here I am adhering to Chekhov's dictum that if you show a gun on the wall in Act I, it has to fire in Act III.)
Here they are reading Dog Man aloud and recording it on Maceo's camera.
Worst. Audio. Book. Ever.
Normally on Fridays, Mom and Maurice pick up the boys at noon at school and take them to Takoma Park. But because I had them all day, we did a playdate at a friend's house, and then came home to host the Takoma Park contingent for dinner! Maurice read over 100 pages of Dog Man aloud for the boys (there's that gun going off!) both before dinner and at bedtime.
On Saturday, some other new stuff happened. Because it was the weekend, we put the new cleaning template into effect and cleaned our rooms. Once again, the boys were happy and good at it, so I feel pretty darn good about this system. It's now up to me to make it a weekly thing and keep it going.
Maceo with the still popular mop.
Cassius being careful and attentive with the big boy vacuum.
After morning clean up, Maceo went to one of his best friend's birthday party. They were supposed to go go-karting, but not all the boys were old enough. Instead, they went skydiving in a wind tunnel! Then, after the party, Maceo stuck around for his first sleepover at someone's house all by himself! Since I didn't hear anything over night, I'm going to assume it all went well.
Cassius had his friend Carter over for some play time. We went on an adventure looking for bones and antlers across the street at the Divinity School.
Entering the wilderness.
After tramping around for a while, I sat down while they whacked a fallen tree with sticks for about 30 minutes. And then climbed. And whacked some more.
I do believe Cassius has set a personal best with this height.
Another new thing? Cassius actually took part in his soccer team's game for the first time! He also scored two goals and got a big hug from his teammate Xavier.
Waiting for the field to clear. GO TEAM PURPLE
Highly structured practice drills are de rigueur, of course.
I don't think Cassius ever crossed midfield in the game...
Whew! It's a brand new day over here at the house!
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.
