At the Fair

We arrive, all in one piece. Which is pretty good for us this year.


Watching the hog judging with Dad.


Looking out for Wilbur. The boys really enjoyed watching the pigs being judged. We actually watched two and the start of a third category in pig judging.


Hooray for the fair! I have a picture of my Dad and his Mom in this very same little cut-out.


Andy liked the rabbits.


Joey loved them, too. They're soft.


There was some unusual livestock, a few different breeds than we usually see- totally awesome.


We got to watch some sheep shearing, and there were plenty to pet this year.


Joey liked the 4-H projects, too.


Andy dreams of winning his own ribbons someday. And owning a bunny.


Joey and Andy both liked the alpacas. The alpacas were not too sure if the feeling was mutual, but Joey did get to touch one.


Time to get on the midway! Rides first, then games. But Mom doesn't do so well in taking pictures of playing games.


Joey on his Crazy Bus ride, one of his favorites.


Andy is still small enough to go on some of the kid rides, like the pony cart.


Joey went on the bumper cars, but got "stuck in traffic."


He liked the jalopies mostly because he could just sit and ride.


Andy liked them, too!

Aftershocks: Follow-up

The boys are very excited that they are not going to school tomorrow. It is a half-day, so I am going to pull them both and go adventuring at the St. Mary's County Fair instead. Happy happy boys.

In talking to Andy, we do have a teasing issue at school, a child who was in his class last year. Fortunately, the child is not in his class, but apparently he sees him enough for it to be a problem. But I armed him. The child is calling Andy a silly name Andy doesn't like, so I told him to say he wasn't that name, and to say he was one he likes, even if it is silly. And if he kid insists on teasing him, informing the child he doesn't like that name and is going to go play with someone else, and turn his back firmly on the child. Andy's got enough to worry about, he should be spending his time with nice kids, not mean ones. I think Andy caught on.

No tears getting on the school bus today.

Joey is a little more complicated. He is saying he is all alone at school, that he has no friends. He relented and said there was a little girl who was friends with D, and that she was nice. But then it was right back to "its just me and Ms. A and Ms. C and Ms. W." The isolation is something I see a lot more with Joey, and it is all the more poignant because he loves people so- he wants to socialize. Also, I remember that feeling. It haunted me through most of my school years, and is likely to become a self-fullfilling idea. You can't force kids to socialize, and Joey is really running into roadblocks in initiating social contact. The anxiety about school isn't helping that.

Want to know why appropriate placement and service, including ESY, is so vital? Come look at my Joey.

Aftershocks and Mysteries

Joey melted down yesterday morning because it was 38 degrees when he woke up and checked the weather. He bolted from the bus stop, running down the street with me hot on his heels, and him yelling, "Help! Help!" I'm actually interested to know why none of the neighbors who were giving me odd looks did not call the police, as they weren't folks we actually know. But, deep breath, they didn't, and I got him on the bus.

Is this just reverberations from summer? Or is there more going on at school? Or is there some need not being met here?

Today was Day Three of Andy bursting into tears upon the announced approach of his bus. He says he wants to stay home with Mom and watch TV. And I see we have a wet bed this morning, also three in a row.

Is this reverberations from trying to cope with Joey? Is there something going on at school? Is there a problem on the bus? Is there something he needs at home?

I stood in my livingroom a minute after I got them on the bus. I cleaned it up Thursday. It is already an explosion of Zhu Zhu pets, Star Wars figures. sundry detritus and pizza boxes, with my tubs of fabric stuck in the middle. School papers are scattered over the little table next to my chair. Wrappers from strawberry juice bars are on the floor. I can see the diningroom needs to be vacuumed, and is also a den of toys, used spiral notebooks, crayons, and unplayed games.

I was looking at card games in the store last night, after the boys were in bed while I was grocery shopping. There was one with dinosaurs. I looked hard at it. When I was six and eight, I loved games. Board games, card games, I was up early playing them by myself I loved them so. My boys don't play games. I try now and again. Joey liked Chutes and Ladders and Hi Ho Cherry-o for a while, but taking turns is a real challenge. Complicated rules and gameplay is another challenge. Instructions we find simple enough are a real hurdle for these guys. Maybe its time to have a family game night.

Monday! GAH!

So of course we're running behind, while I am having major cramps. I didn't go to the grocery yesterday because I had enough stuff to get us through one more day... but I came down o the kitchen to find the cats out of food and the bread had molded. As I raced around putting peanut butter crackers together, Joey's bus arrived... five minutes early. So this morning, we learned the value of five minutes.

Then Andy decided he wanted to stay home today, because none of his friends are in his class and he hates school and he wants to play outside with Mommy all day. I put him on the bus in tears.

The good news is that I should have some excellent photos next week- Friday is Fair Day! Yay, St. Mary's County Fair! Provided none of us are sick...

Gah!