Written by One hundred eighty. That is roughly the number of days dedicated to the school year. Those days are spread out over several months, and the year-round school schedule we follow helps distribute the load across the seasons. Still, that is almost half of the year spent within the walls of a school, and outside the immediate influence and oversight of parents… I take a step back and try to think of it in terms of actual time spent. The school hours associated with those days come to about 1,170 for Jaden and Dillon; 1,260 for Logan. Even at first glance, it seems to me like a lot of hours. When I consider the time I spend away at work during those same 180 days, I figure I get to spend about 270 hours with the kids (If I don’t travel). I add another 600 hrs if I include 12 hours per day on the weekends. I’m still losing ground. READ MORE »
Posts tagged Dillon
Just a little farther
When I was around 4 years old, I convinced a couple of my friends to join me in eating a few berries from the plants that grew on the grounds of our pre-school. We would pass the orange/yellowish berries on the way to and from recess most days, and also on the walk to the main center where we awaited parent pick up. I rationalized that they must be safe to eat. These looked like berries a forest creature would love, so why not give them a try, right? I believe my official position was something like, “well, bears eat ‘em” (Hey, they bought this argument too, so…). We hesitated initially… then the, “You first. No YOU first. No you. You. How many?” exchange ensued. READ MORE »
We hunt the moon
It started with Logan as curious sessions about the nighttime sky… there’s the moon… stars twinkle… planets shine. Both of us getting lost in the impossibility of counting those glimmering objects and embracing the beauty of the tapestry above us. Those were some of our earlier bonding moments. The practice gained a little formality with Jaden and Dillon. We would venture out before bed time to wave goodnight to the moon, and point out the constellations and planets we could observe from our driveway. If the moon was not visible, we would check all sides of the house to seek it out. As they got older, we would begin to speculate why the moon might not be visible on a particular night. READ MORE »
98 degrees of separation
We inched into the parking lot…my head on a swivel… eyes constantly searching for the white gleam of a reverse light, or the tell-tale signals of a parent approaching his or her vehicle in preparations to leave – the hurried walk, head down or glancing at a timepiece; the jingling of the keys; the bewildered stare, mouth agape, searching for the sedan in the sea of SUVs. The parking lot was crowded. Like the mall on Christmas eve crowded (maybe not in THIS economy, but like it used to be). Crowds of parents and students and siblings poured in from across the streets as many were turned away and were forced to park in the adjacent neighborhoods. I inched further along. Jaden and Dillon were nattily dressed in their 1st Day of 1st Grade clothes, and Ethan was in his favorite little brother attire: Small Paul Monkey print T-shirt and cargo shorts. A mini-van inched back. Victory! READ MORE »
These little lights of mine…
Kendra and I had a homework assignment from Jaden’s and Dillon’s new teacher due on the first day of school. We needed to write a letter to the teacher about each of their talents and characteristics. We had done similar assignments before with Logan, and may even have done something like this for them last year or in Pre-School. But somehow this one bothered me… as they get older, I grow increasingly concerned about people taking shortcuts in learning who they are. Any action I perceive as someone trying to compartmentalize them is immediately met by me with resistance…slowly approaching mild hostility. I understand that they are identical, and that it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other solely on appearance. But after spending any time with them, and making an effort to know either of them, it becomes apparent almost immediately who each is based on mannerisms or expressions, even posture! Each definitely has his own light… READ MORE »
