I just paid my son's crew fees. For those of you who don't know, it's several hundreds of dollars, not counting the extra clothing, travel expenses, etc. We are, most definitely, a middle-class family, owning a house (home ownership is overrated. We'd rather rent a condo), cars (again, I'm wondering if leasing is a better option), and being able to pay for our clothing (even if it does come from a thrift shop occasionally), utilities and food without government assistance. Besides those claims to fame, we have to be very careful with where the rest of it goes. We are not a family of 4 ~ double that. Our output could easily exceed our income if we were not careful. Crew is not a 'wow, that's steep' kind of expense for us. It's a 'let's start planning, because we'll have crew fees in a few months' frame of mind.
I'm not begrudging the kid his crew fees. Being a part of this team, a 6-day a week, 3 hour a day commitment, has done wonders for increasing his maturity level and reducing the shenanigan-type behaviors. The coach, though young, seems to have a genuine heart for these boys, and a desire to see them succeed. For this reason, crew fees = bargain of the century, to me.
Row on, Buddy, Row on!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Stay off the sidewalks!
After one previously unsuccessful attempt, the luck o' the Irish was with Alex today. When he pushed his chair back and smiled, I knew he'd made it to 30 correct questions without missing more than 6. It really does pay to actually read that little booklet they hand out. Consider this your warning; stay off the sidewalks and keep your children indoors. Almost 16-year-old-boy is at the wheel.
Thinking it was good enough to stop behind the car at the stop sign, and not actually again when it was your turn at the intersection was probably his only major mistake, but he has a lead foot. My dad would say 'just like his mama', but I quit driving that fast years ago when I strapped my first baby-bucket car seat into the middle rear of my Caymen Green Topaz.
That car seat held the most precious being I'd ever had the privilege of knowing so far, and he was all mine ~ all six pounds of him. The thought of driving him around, that there might be a teenage boy driving along and not paying attention, who might cause harm to one of the brown peach-fuzzy hairs on his head, made me stay home. A lot. Now he IS a teenage boy who I hope and pray will be paying full attention as we learn that *each* car has to stop at the stop sign, not just the one in front. How did we get here already? I can still remember wondering how I would ever be able to allow him out of my sight, deciding that it really wasn't so weird to be a 40 year old man living with your mama (as long as it was Alex), and that public schools were probably overrated and homeschooling him would be a much better idea.
If you ever thought you might want to talk to God a lot more often, I would highly suggest giving a huge part of your heart to a kid like Alex. He's been stitched, stapled, steri-stripped, glued, slung and casted back together more times than I care to list. Climbing up bookshelves, running headlong into things (was the kid running with his eyes closed?!), dancing jigs in the bathtub, rolling from a couch into the corner of a coffee table (at the age of 7, years ~ not months), flying from speeding bikes, stepping on rusty nails, jumping down a flight of stairs, and slamming his hand into car doors; these are just the highlights.
Now...he's going to be driving alone soon. I'll blink again, and he'll be driving alone ~ off to college.
Thinking it was good enough to stop behind the car at the stop sign, and not actually again when it was your turn at the intersection was probably his only major mistake, but he has a lead foot. My dad would say 'just like his mama', but I quit driving that fast years ago when I strapped my first baby-bucket car seat into the middle rear of my Caymen Green Topaz.
That car seat held the most precious being I'd ever had the privilege of knowing so far, and he was all mine ~ all six pounds of him. The thought of driving him around, that there might be a teenage boy driving along and not paying attention, who might cause harm to one of the brown peach-fuzzy hairs on his head, made me stay home. A lot. Now he IS a teenage boy who I hope and pray will be paying full attention as we learn that *each* car has to stop at the stop sign, not just the one in front. How did we get here already? I can still remember wondering how I would ever be able to allow him out of my sight, deciding that it really wasn't so weird to be a 40 year old man living with your mama (as long as it was Alex), and that public schools were probably overrated and homeschooling him would be a much better idea.
If you ever thought you might want to talk to God a lot more often, I would highly suggest giving a huge part of your heart to a kid like Alex. He's been stitched, stapled, steri-stripped, glued, slung and casted back together more times than I care to list. Climbing up bookshelves, running headlong into things (was the kid running with his eyes closed?!), dancing jigs in the bathtub, rolling from a couch into the corner of a coffee table (at the age of 7, years ~ not months), flying from speeding bikes, stepping on rusty nails, jumping down a flight of stairs, and slamming his hand into car doors; these are just the highlights.
Now...he's going to be driving alone soon. I'll blink again, and he'll be driving alone ~ off to college.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Things You Learn When Your Dad Answers Your Mom's Cell Phone
I'm still laughing....
I quote:
~ Your mom is down there at the far (fire) department, shaking her ass with that floozie and all those fat women. (She's taking a Zumba class).
~ The never-ending fence building (he owns 200+ acres) has commenced after a long winter's break. No, I don't need any help. Since I started building fence, it helps me stay out of trouble. It's like therapy. I haven't been to a bar or a whorehouse since I started again! (He's the most devout of Catholic worshipers I've ever met in my life)
~ Crew costs WHAT??!! I hope to everything holy they are giving him a gold-lined boat to row in!
~ I don't know why I don't buy a new tractor, they just don't make them like the MFer I've got any more. Some new gaskets and a coat of paint is all she needs. (Massey Ferguson, not the other MF word)
~ I'm sure glad you decided to let Jon hang around. He's a good guy. I'm glad he didn't take me serious when I said I'd kill him. He didn't think I meant it, right?
~ You be safe, Baby, and drive smart. I want to see you when I come down to watch Alex row in one of those damn gold-plated boats.
::sigh:: I'm homesick.
Prejudice is Alive and Well
Maybe I'm oblivious, but I don't see a lot of prejudicial behaviors in public, except for one sector: Teenage boys. I've been out without my own, and watched store owners and patrons, pedestrians and other general-public-types take closer looks, become 'alert' , and raise eyebrows in a "I've got my eye on you" kind of way. They are being pre-judged based on age/gender.
Now, granted, this particular group of humans does have its downfalls. They are, every one of them, experiencing surging hormones along with the infamous frontal lobe regression. Some have driven their parents to the brink of insanity, and then left the house to see whom they could deliver there next. Some were never taught to respect other people and their possessions. Some have been hurt beyond anything we are capable of comprehending, and don't have what it takes to control their outlashes at a society that failed them.
But, in the grand scheme, most of them are good boys. I've spent hours at cross-country meets, crew meets, field trips all over the MOV and beyond, volunteering in classrooms, with smaller groups of them in my attic, in my kitchen, and my back yard. There's really only one that I've banned from the house, and that was because he had had way more than three strikes, and seemed to show no remorse for breaking rule after rule after rule. (and I'm not talking about small infractions. This kid was out for destruction of anything my family held in esteem or guarded as holy, and laughed like a demon when he accomplished it). All in all, these are good kids. They are bigger, smellier, louder and roudier than the cute little boys you once dressed in baby blue and cooed over, but they are the same being, and, inside, still want to be smiled at and loved.
The next time a teenage boy walks into a place of business, passes you on the sidewalk or rides his bike past your lawn, give him a smile and a wave...it might be the first one he's had all day. Remember, your adorable little tykes are going to grow into these awkward, finding-myself creatures one day. How do you want people to respond to them?
Now, granted, this particular group of humans does have its downfalls. They are, every one of them, experiencing surging hormones along with the infamous frontal lobe regression. Some have driven their parents to the brink of insanity, and then left the house to see whom they could deliver there next. Some were never taught to respect other people and their possessions. Some have been hurt beyond anything we are capable of comprehending, and don't have what it takes to control their outlashes at a society that failed them.
But, in the grand scheme, most of them are good boys. I've spent hours at cross-country meets, crew meets, field trips all over the MOV and beyond, volunteering in classrooms, with smaller groups of them in my attic, in my kitchen, and my back yard. There's really only one that I've banned from the house, and that was because he had had way more than three strikes, and seemed to show no remorse for breaking rule after rule after rule. (and I'm not talking about small infractions. This kid was out for destruction of anything my family held in esteem or guarded as holy, and laughed like a demon when he accomplished it). All in all, these are good kids. They are bigger, smellier, louder and roudier than the cute little boys you once dressed in baby blue and cooed over, but they are the same being, and, inside, still want to be smiled at and loved.
The next time a teenage boy walks into a place of business, passes you on the sidewalk or rides his bike past your lawn, give him a smile and a wave...it might be the first one he's had all day. Remember, your adorable little tykes are going to grow into these awkward, finding-myself creatures one day. How do you want people to respond to them?
Monday, March 14, 2011
*IF* I had been on Facebook at all...
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon is *really* looking forward to being sundressed and flip-flopped. C'mon, sun, shine harder!
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon is really getting tired of hearing people say 'WINNING' all the time.
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon visited the Small Business Administration today, and walked out with a handful of information, and signed up for some free classes. The exploration has begun.
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon has a freshly bathed and brushed Shih Tzu.
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon and Jon should have given up the *same* thing for Lent. If I have a glass of wine with dinner, he retaliates by updating his status on Facebook.
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon is REALLY enjoying the Beth Moore study of David. Really.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
5 year old seatmate
As I settled in with a good magazine in the charter bus on its way to a kid's retreat, I felt someone staring at me. When I saw the most adorable, blue-eyed five year old's face looking at mine, I didn't imagine I'd get much reading accomplished, as I asked if she would like to sit beside me, and she pushed past into the window seat.
You learn interesting things when a five year old becomes your seatmate. Her favorite topic of discussion was her phlegm dilema ~ too much of it. She took great delight in describing each detail of how it felt when it came up her throat, the taste of it in her mouth, the color, the voluminous amount that she managed to cough out last night and the cause: having a piece of her mother's birthday cake. Apparently, she needs to be on a gluten-free diet.
The pleasure was also mine of being introduced to 'Cutie', who happened to be a stuffed kitten along for the trip. Cutie loved to lick people, and demonstrated this several times. I was rewarded by being shown all of Cutie's tricks, including some dance moves and yoga positions. Just when you thought there wasn't anything more, you discovered that the cat wasn't an ordinary one. Oh no! This cat could TALK, and talk it did. When Little Miss Seatmate wasn't talking, Cutie was.
I had the pants beaten off of me in tic-tac-toe, and learned the names of each of LMS's immediate and extended family. I was shown the special lunch packed just for her (smart girl! the bagged lunch I was rewarded with later that day was dismal at best. Thank God it contained Oreos and an apple, or I would have starved), and allowed the privilege of carrying her jacket. Once we got there, I learned that I had not only shared a seat, but earned myself a close companion for the day. She never left my side, and was usually on my lap or hip.
At the end of the day, on the way home, she fell asleep on my shoulder. As much as my ear were ringing from the incessant chatter, I missed it. My own little girl is almost a teenager, and not nearly as enthralled with my attention as this little one was today...but she used to be. She used to release so many words from her little mouth that I could almost see them weaving through the air. Sometimes, she would ask; Am I talking too much, Mommy? I hope I always said 'no'.
You learn interesting things when a five year old becomes your seatmate. Her favorite topic of discussion was her phlegm dilema ~ too much of it. She took great delight in describing each detail of how it felt when it came up her throat, the taste of it in her mouth, the color, the voluminous amount that she managed to cough out last night and the cause: having a piece of her mother's birthday cake. Apparently, she needs to be on a gluten-free diet.
The pleasure was also mine of being introduced to 'Cutie', who happened to be a stuffed kitten along for the trip. Cutie loved to lick people, and demonstrated this several times. I was rewarded by being shown all of Cutie's tricks, including some dance moves and yoga positions. Just when you thought there wasn't anything more, you discovered that the cat wasn't an ordinary one. Oh no! This cat could TALK, and talk it did. When Little Miss Seatmate wasn't talking, Cutie was.
I had the pants beaten off of me in tic-tac-toe, and learned the names of each of LMS's immediate and extended family. I was shown the special lunch packed just for her (smart girl! the bagged lunch I was rewarded with later that day was dismal at best. Thank God it contained Oreos and an apple, or I would have starved), and allowed the privilege of carrying her jacket. Once we got there, I learned that I had not only shared a seat, but earned myself a close companion for the day. She never left my side, and was usually on my lap or hip.
At the end of the day, on the way home, she fell asleep on my shoulder. As much as my ear were ringing from the incessant chatter, I missed it. My own little girl is almost a teenager, and not nearly as enthralled with my attention as this little one was today...but she used to be. She used to release so many words from her little mouth that I could almost see them weaving through the air. Sometimes, she would ask; Am I talking too much, Mommy? I hope I always said 'no'.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Day 3 of No Facebook.
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon doesn't come home with the run-of-the-mill library books. Among our new and exciting titles are: Learn to speak Spanish, Civil War Spies, United States Government for kids: The Presidency and Patriotism. At least we aren't reading Spongebob and Barnacle Boy.
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon could think of many more fun ways to blow a thousand bucks than paying property tax.
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon is beginning to hope her house has some bouyancy....
Crysta Venettozzi Bourdon is happy that her dear friends are actually texting their Facebook statuses to her phone. It's kind of pathetic, but it's also awesome.
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