skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Well, Saturday was a busy day.
And it's setting us up for a busy summer. First stop was the sports store in town, to buy Sonwun the mandatory equipment for his journey through his first season with the Thompson Junior Soccer Association. Cleats, shin pads and soccer socks are all apparently necessary for a four-year-old. All righty then.
Next stop was the pool. Signed the boy up for more swimming lessons. He's still a Salamander but we are confident that he will be, at the very least, a Sunfish by the end of the season. Who knows, maybe he's even Crocodile material. Only time will tell.
Final stop was the school, where I picked up registration forms for Kindergarten. A few surprises here.
First off, at this school, Kindergarten is an all-day thing. When I attended, it was a half-day thing and, apparently, it's a half-day thing at most schools here in Thompson. But the school in our neighbourhood, is part of a "pilot project" that I assume is designed to see if teachers can squeeze another half-day's pay out of the system.
For Sonwun, I don't foresee any problems with this. He loves preschool and I'm sure he's gonna love the big K as well.
Now, the application form. Interesting piece of paper. Clearly, it's been designed to attempt to cover all of the parental/guardianship colours in the ever-growing rainbow of child rearing fun.
I'm not going to get into all of the questions, but I'm, I don't know, perplexed, saddened I guess, that this reality is so clearly reflected in a Kindergarten registration form. Not saying it shouldn't be. Just saying that things like:
"In care of Child and Family Services— Yes No" is sad to see. Sad because apparently it is sufficiently prevalent to warrant inclusion on the Kindergarten entry form.
Anyhoo, in addition to the paperwork for Neomom and me to fill out, there is The School District of Mystery Lake Readiness Package for Kindergarten. That's for Sonwun to fill out.
It includes counting exercises, colour recognition, letter recognition, social development suggestions and exercises designed to teach him to write letters and put them together while writing his name.
And while I think that's great and all, I kinda thought that was what Kindergarten was for. I mean, you're getting him every day, all day, for a school year. And it's Kindergarten. If I teach him all of these things, what are YOU going to teach him? Calculus?
I know, I know. Wait and see. Don't jump to conclusions. But I guess I worry about him being bored with school. I was and it was reflected in my grades and general attitude I suppose.
As he begins his educational career, I want him to have fun, I want him to be challenged and rise to that challenge. I want him to learn and enjoy learning. I want him to play sports, to win, to lose— all that good stuff.
Okay, getting ahead of myself. For now, we're gonna crack The School District of Mystery Lake Readiness Package for Kindergarten and we're gonna count teddy bears, help the bunny find the carrot and match the two gorillas.
Have a great day.
Yesterday, I mentioned the neighbourhood in which I grew up. I fondly remembered the fact that all the kids played together, up and down the street, without fear. The moms were watching.
Well, be careful what you wish for.
It seems our backyard is becoming THE place to hang out in the 'hood. And I'm not that fond of it.
Last night, for example, there were five kids here. Sonwun (4), Sontoo (2), B.A. (7) and two girls, both 8. Don't know the girls' names. Around these parts, it seems, these kids wander the neighbourhood and have no fear of entering someone else's backyard and playing with the toys.
And you know, given the state of the public playgrounds, I guess I can understand. There are fewer broken whiskey bottles in my backyard, and less drug paraphernalia laying around. (I try to stay on top of these things).
But I guess it's the age of these kids that concerns me. I mean, I don't think they're here to play with a four-year-old. I think they're here for the toys. And, apparently, to open my garage door and go through the contents to see if there are any toys I forgot to put out in the yard. That makes me uncomfortable.
This began a few weeks ago when B.A. and his friend, C.K., showed up out of the blue, wanting to play with Sonwun. Now, C.K. is at least the same age as Sonwun, so that wasn't a factor. However, it really concerned me that a four-year-old was wandering the neighbourhood by himself.
I asked around and discovered that he's been doing that for more than a year. Yes, he was wandering the street, unaccompanied, at the age of three, in the violent crime capital of Canada. That really bothers me.
One of the eight-year-old girls that showed up yesterday told Neomom that her mom had gone to a birthday party and felt the need to share that there would be "drinking" at the party. The fact that she pointed this out really bothers me. Why did she?
I want to be happy that Sonwun has kids to play with. I want to be happy that they are coming to my house to do it. That way, after all, I can keep an eye on him.
But I'm not.
Seven-year-olds and eight-year-olds are really good at manipulating and dominating four-year-olds. I don't like that.
And I don't like baby sitting the children of people I don't know. Aside from the fact that I'm not getting paid, I am concerned about what could happen if one of them fell of the swing, or fell off my deck. The world is becoming more and more litigious and I don't want to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit.
This is a new phase in my dad development, and I'm just not sure how to handle it yet. Do I ban the older kids? Do I try to contact the parents? Not sure I want to do that. Not sure I want a relationship with them, because given what I have heard and seen, I don't want to have to deal with an invitation for Sonwun to go play in their yard. Not gonna happen.
And you know, the final thing that bothers me is that I'm feeling a little like the "grumpy dad" of the neighbourhood and, worse, like a bit of a snob. I really hate both titles.
But the bottom line is that I'm looking out for my boys. I don't want either one wandering anywhere out of my sight just yet. Yes, the time will come, but it just ain't here yet. And I'm fine with that. Especially considering where we live right now.
Still don't know exactly what to do about all this. But for now, I guess I'll just own the grumpy dad and snob titles. 'Cause grumpy dad, is first and foremost a dad. And, in spite of what others think about that title, and what it means, I've got to go with what I believe it means.
Have a great Sunday! And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my own.
Well, that didn't go as planned . . .
As I mentioned yesterday, with my back yard finally a more child-friendly environment, I invited four moms and their kids over for a "playdate."
I think I've mentioned before that this is a new concept for me. Growing up, we had a ton of kids in the neighbourhood. We played outside from sun-up to sun-down. My parents never had to worry, as every parent in the 'hood was watching us all and knew who to call if we started bleeding beyond what was considered acceptable.
No one EVER had to arrange a "date" on which to play. Every day was a playdate.
But I digress.
Here in Thompson, I know no one except the moms at playgroup. Playgroup was cancelled this week. Hence, the playdate invitation.
Of the four invitees, three didn't make it and the fourth sent her kids with her husband, who happened to have the day off.
You know, I'm thinking I'm just not one of the girls.
Sure, in retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that I'd chosen some great prizes for the wet t-shirt contest. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that I was baking my "special" brownies. And maybe the other moms just weren't that interested in the fact that I'd finally completed my International Porn collection.
Oh well, live and learn.
Okay, I know my mom and mother-in-law read this occasionally, so I should probably also point out that I'M KIDDING!
Once I get my hands on the German classic, Das Booty, then my collection will be complete.
Again, kidding, relax mom . . . But as for the playdate, the bottom line is, there's a nasty stomach flu going around Thompson right now, and it pretty much wiped out the potential playdate participants. Alas, there's probably at least another month or two of less-than-freezing weather up here, so we'll just have to do it another day.
I still had a good time with the other dad, watching the kids play and enjoying a coffee for an hour or so.
Anyhoo, the weekend's here. Unfortunately, Neomom is working, so the boys and I will just have to find ways to amuse ourselves. Sonwun is anxious to get out to the stores today to find a "love card" for Mother's Day. We'll see what he'd like to get her for a present. The last time I let him choose, he bought her mom a beach ball and a sticker book.
Ticked me off a little. That's what I was going to get her.
Have yourselves a great weekend! And hug your mom if you can!
Happy Friday!
So, the deck is complete. Well, to be more accurate, the decking part of the deck is complete. Still need to add stairs and railings. But I like what I've done so far.
And, yesterday morning, it being a balmy -8C outside, with no wind, I enjoyed a coffee on my handiwork. Loved it!
In addition to the deck, I feel I earned some extra dad points yesterday. Climbed about 20' up into a tree (okay, the first 10 I used the ladder) and hung a rope. Now, in most other places, it would be easy to find something to hang on that rope so that Sonwun could swing. I was thinking one of those disk thingies. A tire? No. He'd clock himself, or Sontoo, in the head with it. Guaranteed.
So, off I went to the local Canadian Tire and Walmart, as these are really the only places here in hell that might sell such an item. And yet, neither one did. So I searched and searched. And then I saw it. An eight-inch lawnmower wheel. With a half-inch hole for the axle. I used half-inch rope. A match made in heaven.
So I bought it, attached it, and the boy didn't leave the swing all day. And it was a fight to get him to come in for lunch, supper and bedtime. Yay! We also picked up a small play structure/slide combo for Sontoo. He seems to love that as well.
Anyhoo, with these backyard improvements in place, today I've invited a few of the moms from playgroup over. Playgroup was cancelled this week and I'm sure we're all a little starved for adult interaction. And I'm sure the kids would like some folks their own age to swing with, run around with and throw sand at. Good times all around.
This is my first time playing host for a "playdate," so I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Other than that, the weather is supposed to be getting nicer in the next four or five days, which should allow me to get my railings and stairs installed to complete the deck. Looking forward to it.
Have a Great Weekend!
Well, Happy Monday!
It's 5 a.m. and I've been up for an hour now. Anxious I guess.
The Deck: Still working on it. Neomom had the weekend off, according to her schedule. So, on Saturday morning, in spite of the below-zero temperatures, high wind and snow, I went to work. I just have to take advantage of Neomom's days off if I want to make any serious progress.
And it was a good day. I dressed for the weather and spent all day outside. I managed to finish the frame and get a fair bit of decking in place. My body protested, but the hot shower at the end of the day made it all worthwhile. And, I figured, if I put in the same amount of work Sunday, I could be enjoying my coffee on the deck Monday morning. Even if I had to wear a snowsuit, dammit, I was gonna do it.
Sunday morning, at 7 a.m., Neomom got the call. And she was off to Churchill . . . FOR THIS . . . most likely for a couple of days. The best laid plans . . .
But, in spite of this little fly in the ointment, I did manage to get a couple of hours in while the boys napped. Coffee on the deck will have to wait. Grrrr.
Anyhoo, it's -5C this morning with a forecast high of 5C. The rest of the week looks equally chilly. I will have to do my best to finish the deck, a little at a time, when the boys sleep. Next weekend, the temperatures are looking a little nicer. Hopefully, by then, I can enjoy my coffee on the deck.
Have a great week.
P.S. This one seems a tad disjointed. Tired. Don't sleep well when Neomom is away.
