Home Again

The boys were fine when we got home.  Sure they stunk.  Most teenage boys do.  Gizmo was excited to be back with the family.  After some decompression time, we all attended to some items we had to accomplish, showers, laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Then we set aside some dedicated family time.  The boys chose to play Scattegories.  That is always a crowd-pleaser.  Highlight or lowlight of the night?  You decide.
The roll was an "L".
We all wrote our answers.  As we started the unveiling process, Caz got up to blow his nose.  It looked a little forced but nothing alarming.  Coco read his brother's answers, while Caz was out of the room.  At least until number 4 he did.  Number 4 was "Type of dance".
Demi = "Limbo"
Dad = "Lambada" (I figured the boys would have no idea)
Coco didn't have an answer.  He also refused to read his brother's answer.  He just turned red and tried to hide a grin.  Finally, I pressed him.
"Why? Is it Lap?"
Coco burst out laughing but managed a "Yes."  So clearly they both have heard the phrase.  They both knew it was something racy.  I don't think either one really knows a definition.  Oh sure, I think they get the just.  But that was end of discussion.  Ah, yes.  Family time.....

17 Years and Counting

Happy Anniversary, Demi!
     Demi and I are celebrating our 17th anniversary in Providence this year.  A simple overnight, but it will be a nice break for us all.  The boys have places to stay overnight.  So does Gizmo.  I don't think we are far away from the boys being able to stay alone for night.  But not quite yet.  And we will have to have a test run where Gizmo is cared for elsewhere.  They need to prove they can take care of themselves, before they can be responsible for the Giz.
     I have said before and will say it again, we all need a break sometimes.  We need some time to be by ourselves.  It's a healthy break.  Demi and I need some time to be a couple.  We are going to have brunch and dinner out.  We don't have a locked in itinerary.  We don't have to be anywhere at a certain time.  We can be as leisurely as we choose.  We really deserve a break.  I can't wait.

March Madness Finishing Strong

Coco had a strong finish to the week.  He recovered nicely from the miss on Monday.  He made it in for full days.  He has caught up on more missing work.  He is a bit anxious over his grades.  That is despite the conversation where Demi and I stated emphatically that his grades were not a concern for us.  We told him that we wanted him to be in school full time.  The school work would come after that.  I believe we were successful in talking him down.  He is proud of his school record.  That is a good thing.  Right now though, we have other concerns.  The grades will come.

There's Always Tomorrow

Minor set back today.  Well, I hope its minor anyway.  Coco did not make it to school today.  At least he did not make the morning sessions.  Demi got him there for the last couple of classes of the day.  It didn't help her that the bus was late.  That meant she had to be out with Caz, rather than working on Coco.  Coco needs to the attention to get him up and going in the morning.  We will look to get back on a streak tomorrow.  One day at a time, right?

A Full Week

Coco completed his first full week of school.  This is a huge miles.  Sure, there were a few doctors appointments mixed in.  There was a planned half day for a Teacher Administrative day.  Other than that, he was in every day.  Demi did a great job managing it.  He handled the scheduling.  I was able to help out on Weds and Fri, while working from home.  Demi had a well oiled machine going.  And it paid off.  Coco came home from schools with tales to tell each day.  He was having fun in class with classmates.  Something interesting happened in class each day.  It was nice to see.

Game of Kings

I took my good chessboard out today with the hopes of enticing the boys into playing a game with their old man.  It worked.  It worked better than I hoped for.  I use it as a way to get a read on each of them.  I like to see how they think.  I like to see them create and pursue a strategy.  It is sort of like poker.  I can read their expressions.  I can see the wheels turning.  Sure, the boys play Texas Hold 'em.  It's not the same as good old fashioned draw poker.  It's not the old west.  The boys play Texas Hold 'em with their friends, but it is the TV version.  They wear their shades.  Their hoodies.  Earphones.
     My plan worked.  I had really good games with both of them.  I must say that Caz and I had our Searching for Bobby Fischer moment.  I could really read into him.  I could tell from the choice of picking to go last, that he was planning on playing a defensive strategy.  He was planning to react to my moves.  I wanted to push him.  I played much more of an attacking strategy that I normally do.  I am not saying I was throwing the game.  But my main agenda was playing a game to make Caz uncomfortable.  I wanted to challenge him to make him think.  He did that and more.  I pushed the attack.  I left some holes.  I wanted to see if he would take them.  He took some.  He left others.  He really put a lot of thought into each move.  I almost wished we were playing speed chess at certain points.  But it was fun watching him check the board.  And yes, by the way, he won.

Pi Day

Happy Pi Day! 3/14/15!  This is a Coco favorite.  He really gets a kick out of it.  Kudos to his teachers for hyping it up.  Well done!