A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 273

30/September/2015, Day 273.  Wednesday.

Oh man, was Grump tired today!  He had lots and lots and lots of trouble sleeping last night, and by the time he finally did fall asleep, the kids had him up again by waking up for some bizarre reason at 5:00 am!

A Tired Grump

But the rest of us were just fine!

A Happy Dodong!

Dinner was veggies, (which Sweetie and Lola had picked from the garden yesterday), and rice, and it was yummy!

Veggies from our garden before begin prepared for dinner

Well, I guess that is all for today, as Grump really needs to get some sleep.  Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 272

29/September/2015, Day 272.  Tuesday.

Sweetie was VERY GRUMPY this evening, so we didn't get a chance to post our daily entry on time.  (It's Wednesday night as I am writing this.)

I suppose the exciting event of the day was that Grump's boss took everyone in his group to Loco's for lunch, and bought lunch for everybody.  Free lunch!  Woo hoo!!

Other than that ...... well, it's kinda hard to do a whole lot when Sweetie is grumpy, because, "if Mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy!"

Sweetie spent a lot of time in the evening playing Candy Crush Saga.  Oftentimes she had "help".

Sweetie at the computer with Dodong

Kuya and Dodong "helping" Sweetie

Kuya is learning to add, but he is still at the "counting fingers" stage.

Kuya computing 2 + 3 on his fingers

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 271

28/September/2015, Day 271.  Monday.

For a rainy Monday, the day actually wasn't too bad.  Grump survived work okay, and Kuya did well at his piano lessons again.

The bummer of the day occurred when Sweetie tried going to a lawyer to get our Trust and Will documents notarized.  She wound up check with two different lawyers, and both would not notarize a document they did not write.  Which, after all, isn't unexpected behavior coming from a lawyer.


Lawyer joke:

Man addressing a lawyer:  "Sir, do you happen to know what time it is?"

Lawyer:  "I'm sorry, but I am not authorized to answer that question at the moment."

Lawyers!  UGH!!!


Anyway, outside of our struggles with legal crap, the day went fine.  Kuya's loose tooth finally came out!

Kuya's First Baby Tooth to Come Out

It is in an envelope addressed to the Tooth Fairy under his pillow.  We'll see if the Tooth Fairy comes and gets it tongiht!

Dodong has taken a liking to "bonking" Grump's big nose!

Bonking Grump's big nose

Gee That's Fun!

Not to be outdone, (jealousy?), Kuya had to "bonk" Grump's nose too.

Kuya Bonking Grump's Big Nose

Fortunately I believe that Grump's nose is big enough to absorb all this "bonking" and be none worse for the wear.

Sweetie is beginning to get excited, so I suppose it is time to get  ready for bed.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 270

27/September/2015, Day 270.  Sunday.

It was a confusing day!  Even Mother Nature was confused, as it neither rained nor was clear, but rather just sorta misted all day long.

We were all awake early enough to get off to a good start.  Sweetie made some French toast using the fancy-dancy expensive bread we bought last weekend, but only Grump and Dodong were interested in eating any of it.  By the time it rolled around to leave for church, Kuya and Sweetie were, "very hungry!", so we had to stop at McDonald's on the way to buy them some breakfast.  (Lola is tough!  She doesn't have to eat if she doesn't want to!)

We thought that we were invited for lunch after church, but apparently were confused.  So we hurried back home, (we were all, "very hungry!" again, even Lola now), so Sweetie could quickly make some rice, then Grump and Sweetie went out again to pick up some chicken wings, (Asian zest flavor!), and a cheeseburger for Kuya.

After we were done with lunch Grump had no sooner settled in for his afternoon lay-about, than Sweetie got a text.  It appears we were now invited to a late lunch, which after some brief bickering Sweetie convinced Grump we should all go to.  So ..... we climbed back into the car, and drove all the way across town and half-way to the next town so we could meet up with all the other filipinos having a very late lunch.  (Which, in true filipino style, we were late for anyway!)

Late lunch / early dinner was yummy.  Kuya played with the other kids, Dodong waddled about precariously, Sweetie and Lola chattered away in Bisaya and Tagalog with their friends, and Grump vegged out on the couch and watched TV.

By the time we got home from this late lunch / early dinner it was already evening.  Grump tried to earn a little bit on Clickworker, but as has been the case recently wasn't too successful.  (Is Clickworker in a slump?)  Soon it was time to start getting ready for bed ....

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 269

26/September/2015, Day 269.  Saturday.

Although Kuya and Dodong were up VERY EARLY for a Saturday, (6:00 am - Yuck!), Old Grump managed to sleep in until 8:30 am.  Which, although it allowed him to catch up on some sleep, didn't make him too popular with Sweetie, who was left dealing with the boys.

In the morning Grump weeded and mulched around the roses up front, then after quick lunch we went to the Riverside Mall to walk around.  Unfortunately, it's not as much fun to go shopping when, per our latest spending agreement, we aren't supposed to buy anything.  We did bend the rules a bit, and bought Sweetie a nice swimsuit, (separate top and bottom), for $14.00.  But other than that we adhered to our agreement.  (Darn!)

Dinner was kinda boring, being rice, ramen noodles, and egg.  Such is life when you're trying to save money to pay down debt.  :-(

Since Sweetie is very tired, we're gonna try to go to bed early tonight.  Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 268

25/September/2015, Day 268.  Friday.

Kuya survived another day of being out of school, (he starts again - hopefully! - on October 5th), and Old Grump survived another day of work.

The new tenants signed the lease for our condo in Columbia, SC, and paid prorated rent for the month.  They also expressed interest in possibly buying it, which got Grump and Sweetie excited.  But not too excited, as attempts to sell the condo have fizzled out before.

Then Grump got very frustrated with Sweetie.  What happened was that Kuya's old school sent us an email invoice, as if Kuya was still enrolled there.  Combine that with the fact that we have yet to receive a refund check from them, and Grump became very concerned that they were either screwed up again, (likely), or trying to cheat us, (unlikely).  But when he asked Sweetie to drive over to the school to get this straightened out, for some unknown reason she was reluctant to do so.  WHY she wouldn't IMMEDIATELY drive the two or three miles down the street to ask the folks at the school, in person, just exactly what the heck is going on was something he just couldn't comprehend.  After all, we are talking about a very large sum of money here, (around $7,000.00!), and we are very tight on funds at the moment.  If Grump wasn't at work, and 20 or so miles away, he would have driven over to the school himself!

So Grump hollered and fussed at Sweetie, and she eventually did in fact go to the school to clarify what is going on.  Upon which we learned that now, due to some goofy bureaucracy, our refund check won't be issued until next Friday, October 2d, after 2:00 pm.

Sweetie plans on being there in person at 1:55 pm, to get the check!

Later in the evening we had Bible study.  Sweetie dragged a very tired, (and grumpy!), Old Grump along.  The lesson dealt with some chapters from James dealing with the need to PRACTICE your religion, as well as studying it.

Sweetie enjoyed Bible Study

Grump survived it

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a LIfe / Day 267

24/September/2015, Day 267.  Thursday.

It was rainy today, and kinda chilly.  Old Grump and Dodong did not go for a stroll around the neighborhood after work on account of the cruddy weather.

Something amusing did happen at work today.  Someone posted the following nearby the microwave ovens on the floor where Grump works:

No Fish!

I guess somebody really doesn't like fish!  (What the heck do they mean by "ratchet"?)

In an effort to improve their finances, Grump and Sweetie agreed to some new spending, (or non-spending!), habits.  You can read more about that at our finance blog here: http://www.owlsandcuckoos.blogspot.com/2015/09/stupid-persistant-debt.html .

Other than that, not a whole heck of lot happened today, and Sweetie is yelling for everyone to come get ready for bed, so I suppose this entry will have to come to sudden close.

Goodnight all.

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 266

23/September/2015, Day 266.  Wednesday.

Grump came home from work right after lunch today.  He had been feeling queasy all morning, and so when after lunch he told a coworker he felt like he might barf, his team lead told him to, "Go home!"  Of course, once home he felt a bit better, and never did vomit.  But he is definitely still under the weather, as he didn't eat much for dinner.

Sweetie had a bittersweet day.  She picked up some books Kuya had ordered from his old school, which until Kuya's new school starts will still stir up some sore memories.

We're still trying to find an easier way to get the trust and will documents recently prepared for us signed, other than going down in person to Jacksonville.  Why it is so hard to get a will or trust notarized in central Georgia is a mystery to us.

So how was your "Hump Day?"

For those of you who can't get enough of that camel, here's an extended remix:

.... and of course we can't forget when the camel goes to the movies!

All right, I think that enough of that!  Goodnight all.

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 265

22/September/2015, Day 265.  Tuesday.

The GREAT weather we've been having since last Friday finally came to an end.  It poured and poured a hard rain all morning, and it was even somewhat overcast this evening.

Life goes on despite the rain.  Grump survived going to work for another day, and Kuya survived NOT going to school for another day.  (He doesn't start his new school until October 5th.)  Lola and Sweetie also survived having two young boys cooped up inside while it rained, which is truly amazing.

But the exciting event of the day was the camote, (sweet potato), harvest.  Protected from the STUPID deer by Liquid Fence, (which I recommend all of you get if you're having deer problems), our sweet potatoes have been growing luxuriously this year.  Several of the vines recently flowered, which according to our resident farming expert, (Lola), means that their roots are ready to be harvested.  So in the late afternoon, when the rain finally subsided a bit, Lola and Kuya went outside to check on the camote tubers.

This is some of what they found:

Camote tubers from our garden

Besides the several small and medium sized tubers, we got two large purple fleshed tubers, and one large white fleshed tuber.  Sweetie quickly cut up and pan fried one of the large tubers. Yummy, yummy, yum, yum!!

Our yummy evening snack

Besides being tasty, camotes are supposed to be very good for you.  So this is much appreciated snack.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 264

21/September/2015, Day 264.  Monday.

The highlight of the day was that Kuya had an EXCELLENT piano lesson.  Hooray for Kuya!

The cruddy news of the day was that Old Grump got fussed at again at work, and the situation for which he got fussed at looks like it's going to explode into a BIG FRIGGIN' DEAL going all the way up to the VP level.  Yuck .....

Grump really, really wishes he could just quit his job, but there is no way we can survive without it.  What concerns us is that he may get *downsized* or something, and then what?  What will we live on?

Maybe, (ha!), we can just buckle down for the next few months and pay off a big ol' clump of our debt?  Is that possible?

So pray for Grump, that he keeps a cool head and doesn't do anything rash at work.

Not a happy Monday for us, but considering the trials other folk have to go through, we consider ourselves blessed.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 263

20/September/2015, Day 263.  Sunday.

After all the walking yesterday, today we were tired, especially Grump.  We didn't even bother to get up early and go to church!  Grump took a nap right after lunch, then Mama Sue brought her two grandkids over for a visit, Kuya's friend Big B, and his little sister Cammie.  Mama Sue even treated us all to donuts!

Early in the day Dodong and Lola played a little baseball in the kitchen:

Swing Dodong, swing!

Cammie and Dodong took a nap on top of Mama Sue:

How comfortable!

Dodong did a little reading:

Dodong reading the "Barnyard Dance" book

Cammie, Dodong, and Mama Sue

It was a quiet day, but it felt good to take a break before the start of another work week.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 262

19/September/2015, Day 262.  Saturday.

Today we woke up "early-ish", (I'd like to say "early", but Old Grump had trouble getting out of bed), and drove over to Callaway Gardens.  We had a great time there!  Here are a few pics of our adventure.

We gathered in the kitchen to get a quick breakfast before leaving.

Kuya and Dodong eating breakfast

Sweetie and Lola posing in the kitchen

Grump has managed to develop high blood pressure.  To help him, Sweetie has been making herbal teas for him to drink which are supposed to help keep your blood pressure under control.

Making Grump Lemon Grass and Ginger tea

After a 90 minute drive we arrived at the gardens.  Hooray!

Kuya, Lola, Sweetie, and Dodong getting ready to go walking in the gradens

Even Old Grump is ready to walk!

Scenic view in the gardens

First we got lunch at the cafe in the discovery center .........

Lola, Kuya, Dodong, and Sweetie having a snack.

...... then we set off walking!

Grump and Kuya crossing the bridge .....

..... followed by Lola

First stop was the Day Butterfly Center, where for the entire month of September the beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly is featured.  But first, some tree climbing was required!

Lola and Kuya climbing.  Butterfly Center in background.

The Butterfly Center is filled with gorgeous butterflies that display brilliant blue as they fly.  Grump tried and tried to capture several of the butterflies in flight, but his photos are a poor substitute for actually seeing the butterflies in person.

Blue Morpho butterflies

More Blue Morpho butterflies

From the Butterfly Center we made the long walk to the Sibley Horticultural Center.  It's a pleasant, mostly shaded walk along a paved trail, (great for a stroller!), through a scenic hardwood forest.  The Horticultural Center itself is a neato place for any plant lover to hang out and admire the flowers and greenery.

Kuya had his doubts about what you may come across in the Horticultural center.

Suspicious Kuya

You may just encounter an Old Grump!

Harumpf!

There are nice little kiddie sized benches and tables in some of corners of the conservatory.

Kuya on a kid sized bench

Of course, some folks refuse to admit they are no longer kids!

Kuya and Grump at the kiddie table

Get outta there Grump, you're too big!

One of the cool plants in the conservatory was this pineapple.

A Pineapple

Kuya met a G.T. yellowjacket.

Hi There!

Sweetie was sweet and beautiful!

Sweetie amongst the plants

Not all our time was spent walking ....

Taking a break, relaxing on a swing

After we were done walking, we decided to drive down the road to Pine Mountain, and see what was there.  We were hoping we could find a place to get a snack, and lo and behold, we found "The Bakery and Cafe at Rose Cottage".

Where we had a snack.  (Yes, that is Grump in the reflection!)

It was quite a pleasant surprise!  We got there too late for lunch, and too early for dinner, but Grump and Sweetie did have some of their corn chowder, and it was super yummy!  Kuya slurped down a chocolate mousse all by himself, and Lola had a croissant.

We also bought some loaves of artisan bread.  Now watch out!  While very delicious, the bread ain't cheap!  If you aren't willing to spend $5.00+ per loaf, you'll probably want to stick to the mass produced stuff you can buy at the grocery store.

We got home in the early evening, and after our long walk and drive just enjoyed relaxing.  Later, as it began to get dark, Grump got an irresistible pyro urge, and using the portable fire pit that we had retrieved from someone's trash last week, built a little fire.

Our first fire in our "found" fire pit

Unfortunately we didn't have any decent wood laying about, so Grump used some boards from the broken fence in our backyard.  As that wood is treated with God-only-knows-what, it's not the healthiest thing to burn, and you certainly don't want to inhale the smoke.  But at least we built our first "backyard bonfire".

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 261

18/September/2015, Day 261.  Friday.

It's really tough being a one paycheck family.  Grump was whining about this to a coworker today, and she told him that she stayed home when her children were young, and it was the best thing she ever did.  She encouraged him to "hang in there" for his kids and his wife, because a mother being home with her young children is irreplaceable.

Well, I guess that put Grump in his place!  He called Sweetie, apologized for complaining about her not getting a job, and assured her that as long as they are able she will stay home with the kids, at least until Dodong starts school.

As luck would have it, this all occurred on top of a frustrating work day for Grump.  The whole day was spent tweedling around with one ridiculously complicated task of data research and repair after another, yet by the time he left, (45 minutes late), nothing of consequence had been accomplished.  A bothersome task that he has been rid of for a couple months came back with a vengeance, and two others popped up to accompany it.  Aaahhhh!!

Once Grump finally got home we drove to Warner Robins so Sweetie could buy some food at the filipino store there.  Our cupboards were nearly bare, so she bought lots and lots and lots of stuff, doing some pretty severe damage, ($150.00!!), to our budget in the process.  After that we ate dinner at the superb Monsoon restaurant.  That meal cost us a little more than $50.00.  Add all these "little" expenses on top of what we just paid for Kuya's new school, ($1,000.00+ !!), and you can see why we are back in the rut of having money troubles.

The good news is that SUPPOSEDLY the new tenants for our condo finally got all their approvals complete.  They should be moving in September 24th.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 260

17/September/2015, Day 260.  Thursday.

Oh my ...... Sweetie wants to go to bed NOW, so this has to be a very quick entry.

Sweetie picked up the required vaccination forms from Kuya's doctor today, and then this evening we filled out the paperwork for his new school.  (Which will cost us $1,000!!  GAG!!!)  Tomorrow she'll take the paperwork to the school, then Kuya should be all set to resume learning when classes start up again in October.

When he got home from work, Grump went for a walk with Dodong, (who was in the stroller).  This was so that Sweetie and Kuya could practice on the piano without Dodong interrupting.  He LOVES to bang on the keyboard whenever Kuya tries to play.

Okay ...... Sweetie's about to run out of patience and blow a gasket now.  Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 259

16/September/2015, Day 259.  Wednesday.

Well, about the best thing I can say about today is that it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday.  Other than that ......

Sweetie did go and get the paperwork we need to fill out for Kuya's new school.  Sweetie and Grump are still sad that Tattnall didn't work out, and both of them are a bit soured on middle Georgia right now, to be honest.  But hopefully things will improve in the near future for all of us.

Thank God Lola is here!  I'm not sure what we would do without her right now, as every day Dodong becomes more and more adventurous, and without a doubt we would not have the beautiful gardens we had this year.

So I guess you could say we're still pulling out of that funk we got into last week.  Hopefully by this weekend we'll all be feeling better.

Goodnight all.

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 258

15/September/2015, Day 258.  Tuesday.

As luck would have it, my tummy hurt most of the night last night and, once again, I did not get enough sleep.  I am VERY TIRED now, so this post will be mostly pics.

Kuya studying arithmetic at home, (whilst wearing
sunglasses!) 

Kuya and Dodong continue to play well together.

Kuya and Dodong laying on the floor together,
watching TV

The plants around our house look beautiful now that Lola has been tending to them.

The planting around our front door.  (Fat Grump in
the background.)

Well, that's all for today.  Dodong is crying, Sweetie is yelling, and I better get downstairs before all Heck breaks loose.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 257

14/September/2015, Day 257.  Monday.

Well, it's over.  Kuya is officially withdrawn from Tattnall.

We expected a bit more resistance from the Tattnall staff, but they were nice and polite.  The amount of a refund to expect was patiently explained to us, and we were told the check should arrive in two weeks.  (Another "check in the mail"!)

Once all this was finalized, and we were driving home, Grump and Sweetie almost cried.  Tattnall has been a "bright spot" for us here in central Georgia, and it just breaks our hearts that it didn't work out for Kuya.  We hope and pray that the Montessori school works out, but we are a bit concerned with its nontraditional classroom structure.  We'll just have to keep a very close eye on him, and be prepared to switch schools again if necessary.

Later in the day we tried to get the estate papers from the lawyer notarized and signed, but we couldn't find any place that would notarize and witness a trust document.  Our bank sent us to the county courthouse, where we were sent to yet another bank, who in turn suggested another alternative .... a funeral parlor!  I'm not sure what to do now; I guess we'll have to wait until we visit Grandma and Grandpa in Florida again, and get the documents signed there.

In the early evening Kuya found a baby rabbit hiding in our garage.  Although we should have strangled the little rodent, since it will probably ravage our beans next year, we all felt bad for the little critter.  Grump scooped it up in a box, and released it in the woods behind our house.  Good luck little bunny!

Then after dinner, Kuya added the final touches to a mostly bummer of a day by vomiting up his dinner all over the kitchen floor.  He had awoken us all very early this morning, (for the second day in a row - GRR!!), claiming to be "very hungry".  Since he couldn't hold down his food tonight he'll probably awaken us yet again tomorrow morning.  Ugh!

I suppose we should all go to bed early tonight, in preparation for an early morning.  Goodnight all!  

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 256

13/September/2015, Day 256.  Sunday.

The day started early ..... too early!  Kuya woke up Grump at 5:00 am, saying he was hungry.  (No wonder - Kuya did NOT eat his dinner last night.)  Grump snarled, and told him to go back to bed.  He did, at least until 6:30 am, at which point he was once again proclaiming his hunger to everyone in the bedroom, only louder this time, waking up Dodong in the process.

So much for sleeping in late on the weekend!

Sweetie decided that since we were all awake anyway, we may as well go to Panera for breakfast, which we did.  Both Kuya and Dodong were ravenous, and gobbled up their food, while Lola was pleased that she could get a cup of coffee.

After breakfast we headed off to church, during which Grump did his best not to fall asleep.  Back home after church, Sweetie attended a birthday party "with the ladies" for one of her friends, while the rest of us ate leftovers.  (Grump, ever obstinate, insisted on going to Taco Bell.)  After lunch Grump cut the grass in the midday sun, turning into "Boiled Shrimp Man" in the process!

"Normal" skin on the left; "Boiled Shrimp" skin on
the right.

It's not even that hot out anymore!  I guess Grump's pasty white skin just can't take the slightest hint of sunshine.

After Sweetie got back from the birthday party, we went ..... <take a guess> ........ to the Riverside Mall, of course!  Sweetie bought a few things while we were there, (at a heavy discount!), then we drove over to the local Vietnamese restaurant, where we planned on having a quick dinner.  But -- alas! -- they were closed!  So we went next door to the Longhorn Steakhouse where we had a great, but admittedly more expensive, dinner.

Now it's late, and we should all be sleeping.  I don't know if Grump or Sweetie will get much sleep tonight, since tomorrow they will be going to Tattnall to transfer Kuya out of that school.  Wish them luck, particularly with respect to getting their money back!

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 255

12/September/2015, Day 255.  Saturday.

It's been several days since the "shock of the 8th", but to be honest Grump and Sweetie are still upset about it.  Yeah, progress has been made: Kuya was accepted into the local Montessori school, and Grump scheduled Monday off so we can go cancel his enrollment at Tattnall, (and hopefully get some of his tuition back!), but honestly we won't really be settled down until Kuya starts at his new school, which unfortunately isn't until October 5th.

I just mention this in case our recent posts seem more tense or negative than normal.

It was a rainy Saturday, so we spent a good part of the morning just putzing around doing plenty of nothing.  The boys helped Grump with his computer work:

Kuya and Dodong helping Grump get things done on the PC

After lunch Grump and Sweetie went to the gym to work out a bit.  It was the first time for BOTH of them to set foot in Planet Fitness this month!  They both got on the treadmills, and walked a mile.  (Yep - only 1 mile!  Sad, huh?)

Sweetie outside Planet Fitness

In the late afternoon we drove over to the Riverside Mall to do some shopping.  Sweetie got some bargains at Gap and Belk, then we came home and had takeout from the wonderful Mandarin restaurant for dinner.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 254

11/September/2015, Day 254.  Friday.

Poor Grump!  Sweetie dragged him off to Bible study again tonight.  Now he is even more tired and grumpy than normal.

Kuya was back at Tattnall for what may be his last day there, as he was accepted into the Montessori school via a phone call this morning.  We still need to fill out some paperwork we won't receive until next week, and classes there don't start up again until October 5th.  Regardless, Kuya's time at Tattnall is now limited.

Our condo back in Columbia hasn't been officially rented yet.  Some folks have shown interest, but we are waiting for their employment verification to clear before letting them lease it.  If this rental agreement comes to fruition, it will be a HUGE help to us, as when the condo is vacant we lose $600.00 a month in rental income.

No other news at the moment, which is a good thing, I suppose.  Hopefully we won't have any more "surprises" regarding Kuya's, (or Dodong's) education.

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 253

10/September/2015, Day 253.  Thursday.

Today was a big day for Kuya!  He attended the "other school" for the day, where he is being evaluated for placement.  We hope we can get him enrolled there quickly, so we can take him out of Tattnall sooner rather than later.

This school excitement has taken a toll of Grump and Sweetie, both of whom are very tired at the moment.  In fact, it's probably best if we just cut this entry short and go to bed!

Oh ..... by the way, Sweetie made Chicken Adobo for dinner tonight.  She hadn't made adobo in a long, long time, and let me tell you something: it was delicious!

Dodong and Lola are doing fine too.  (I don't want to neglect them!)

Goodnight all!!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 252

09/September/2015, Day 252.  Wednesday.

With disappointing thoughts of Kuya's school still on our mind, we decided that the best thing to do would be for Grump to take, (another!), early-and-long lunch, and go sign Kuya up at the public school right down the road.  After all, if he is going to be treated like a public school student, then why pay private school tuition?

But before Grump came home Sweetie asked if they could check the Montessori school nearby.  Grump agreed, and so over lunch Grump and Sweetie met with the head of the Montessori school here, and toured an active class.

Now Montessori is weird!  The students are free to roam about a large room, and to figure out how, using whatever tools and resources they have at their disposal, they will best finish their assignments.  But the good thing for Kuya is that each student can progress at his or her own pace.  Being the youngest in his class at Tattnall, but also being one of the top kids in his Kindergarten class, (although from his 1st grade teachers comments, namely that, "His work is very much behind that of other children his age", you would never guess it), he is kinda stuck in a situation where he may not be emotionally ready for 1st grade, but would be bored to be back in Kindergarten.  Hopefully a Montessori education can be tailored to fit his needs better than a traditional classroom education.

Anyway ..... Sweetie and Kuya are going to the Montessori school tomorrow, and Kuya will spend the day there.  Tomorrow evening we will decide whether Kuya will transfer to the Montessori school, stay at Tattnall, (doubtful!), or maybe we'll come up with some third option.

It will be an exciting day!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 251

08/September/2015, Day 251.  Tuesday.

I suppose I ought to just go ahead and dive straight into it: Grump and Sweetie went to parent-teacher conference with Kuya's teacher today, and Kuya is NOT doing well in school so far this year.

We don't know what the problem is, because Kuya was a start student last year.  But this year is very different!  He has flunked multiple spelling tests, and his teacher says he is often distracted or daydreaming during class.  It's as if he just doesn't care about school anymore.

He may just not be emotionally mature enough for first grade yet.  He certainly has the intellect; he proved that last year.  But his inability to concentrate on tasks the teacher gives him, and really to listen to her at all, is not promising.

He seems permanently distracted.  On one of his spelling tests he spelled the word "win" as "Wiiiiinng", with each "i" decreasing in size, and "pig" was spelled "poog"!

To be fair to Kuya, there may be some issues between him and his teacher.  But such is life, and it would be invaluable for him to learn how to get along, or at least coexist, with a person whose personality is a bad match for his.  Easier said than done, I know.  (Grump is almost 60 years old now, and he has yet to learn how to do this!)

The recommendation has been given to us to have Kuya placed back in Kindergarten for the year.  Sweetie is adamantly opposed to this, and Grump isn't too keen on it either, because he is afraid Kuya may be bored going through Kindergarten again.

So what to do?  Sweetie is of the opinion we should pull him out of his school and place him somewhere else.  That doesn't perturb Grump too much, because we are paying a ton of money for this private school, and if it ain't working, we should stop throwing our money away on it.  But then the question becomes where should Kuya be sent to school?

Any suggestions?

Goodnight all!

A Day in a Year in a Life / Day 250

07/September/2015, Day 250.  Monday.

Today was "Labor Day" in the United States, which is a holiday.  So Grump didn't go to work, and Kuya didn't go to school.

We woke up early-ish, (7:30 am or so), and after a quick breakfast drove out to Lake Juliette, specifically the public use area.  To be honest, unless you have a small boat and plan on fishing, or want to camp on the shoreline, there isn't much to do here.  We admired the scenery, then drove home.

After a quick donut stop, (Dunkin' Donuts, of course!), we were home for awhile.  We lay about, shopped a bit, bickered a lot, then finally in the late afternoon went to attend Kuya's piano lesson.

Kuya being taught to play the piano, while Sweetie watches.
Lola in the foreground.

Dodong wanted to learn how to play the piano too!

After the lessons were over, we decided to go out to eat.  Now since available money is a challenge at the moment, (isn't it always?), we bypassed "fine dining" and went to a very good family restaurant, Cheddars.  (Technically, "Cheddar's Casual Cafe", I believe, if things like that interest you.)  We had a very good meal for a reasonable cost, so we all left happy, especially Grump.

Kuya is ready for dinner!

Dodong is ready for dinner!

...... and poor Grump is overwhelmed!

Sweetie and Grump being sweet after a good, relaxing meal.

Goodnight all!  If you must go back to your job after a three day weekend tomorrow, may your return to work be as stressless as possible.