Teens Think They Know Everything

"Just because I won't let you go to an R rated movie on opening night, doesn't mean I'm the meanest mom ever."

"Yeah, it does. And when I grow up, I'm going to buy an $80 shirt too."

More Aidan Shenanigans and Graduation!

Pleading and appealing to mom's sympathies seemed to be Aidan's new trick yesterday.  He loves to get wet, and he loves to get muddy. He just doesn't love to stay in wet muddy clothes for very long.  So, at the end of a very wet, muddy day, 2 showers, and 7 clothes changes later, bed time finally arrived!  As we walked back to his room, I told him we were getting pajamas and a book so we could brush teeth and get to bed. MELTDOWN!


You would have thought the world was ending if you heard the pleas of that little boy. "But the sun is STILL shining! It's not time for bed. But I didn't even get to go to my friend's house." After a brief pause, in which he realized he did go to friends' houses, and had friends over, he got a little more specific. "My friend that's a girl, and her name starts with an "M". Why can Allie go to Maria's house and not me?"  


We managed to get teeth brushed with major dramatics in the mirror. I had to hide my laughing because I was certain he wouldn't find it very funny, but he was at the crying point where he wanted to keep crying because of the release, the emotion, and the look of it all.  He admired his open mouth wailing when he took over the brushing, and then we headed out to read. I thought he was over the "going to a friend's house", but apparently I was wrong. "How about now can I go? How about now? How about now?"  What???  When did this kid learn to beg?


So, lying in bed, I figured he could use company while Allie was showering. He asked me to "go to your bathroom and tell her to 'get clean and get out', but come right back." (That's my go-to phrase for anyone in the shower; otherwise they seem to take all day. Well, they still take an eternity, maybe I need a new catch phrase.)  I was right. He wanted company and peace and fell straight to sleep. Even before Allie came in for pajamas. 

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My happy little la-la world had a small ending as well.  Aidan just graduated from PreK this week. I didn't thing it would be a big deal, but the song they had playing with their slide show was just too sweet.  After the kids all recited the Pledge, the alphabet, counting, Spanish colors, and some fun songs they learned, they each got their certificate and told the audience what they wanted to be when they grew up. Bull Rider, Cow Roper, NFL Football player, veterinarian, and ballerina were all popular choices. Just one of those cuties wanted to be Spiderman when he grows up. Yep, that's Aidan.  He told me this in advance and I tried to ask him about some other career choices. "So, you want to help people? Do you want to be a police officer? Or a detective?"  No, he insisted. "Police men don't get to do cool moves like Spiderman."  Okay. He's totally right. And can you totally tell we live in Texas? Not only do these kids choose "Bull Rider" as their future career, they also know how to do it. One of these little guys, at 3 and 4 years old, goes out with his dad and rounds up the cattle. He knows all the official terminology and it's slightly adorable and a little amazing. 


Aidan's school career is a little up in the air right now. In Texas, children have to turn 5 before September 1 to be eligible to start Kindergarten.  Since Aidan's birthday is just before that deadline, I might normally be feeling lucky to just make the cut.  But, I have so many hesitations about starting him, and also many about having him stay in PreK for another year.  

At this point, I preregistered him for Kindergarten and also preregistered him for PreK.  In this area, many of the parents wait an extra year before starting their children in Kindergarten, especially the boys.  It's my opinion, and experience in discussions, that it isn't just that boys aren't ready. Honestly,they want them to be bigger for football.  Which really has its own set of pros and cons, more pros in this area, really, otherwise, they'll just get killed on the field, so their concern is valid.  


So, size is a slight factor, if we were looking to stay here in Andrews until Aidan is in football, which really begins next year for kids here.  haha


My main concern is that Kindergarten here is 8-3. In my opinion, the school system is set up to be a taxpayer-funded babysitting service. I think it's unfair for the teachers to have to discipline children just because the parents don't want to. I think it's really unfair to the children who don't need to be at school for 7 or 8 hours when they really aren't learning 7 or 8 hours of info.  I feel hesitant to send him to a 7 hour school day because I feel like he would get much more out of his day by NOT being in school.


As Aidan's birthday is right at the end of the cut-off, he is already one of the youngest.  There are kids who have April and May birthdays who have already waited a year, which makes Aidan 1 and 1/2 years younger than some of his fellow Kindergarteners.  I'm not sure this makes a big difference education-wise.  They will all always be on the same grade level.  My concern comes in the later years when milestones are measured by school year.  Milestones and "rites of passage" are already coming sooner and sooner and with school peers a year and a half older, there will surely be expectations at a younger age for him.  


But, if we move, which we intend to do sometime, there will be more kids who are the same age as him in the same grade if we start now, right?!  And, if he starts K at barely 5, he will graduate when he's 17 and have all summer before turning 18, where a lot of kids will already be 18. But if he starts K at 6, he will be starting his senior year at 18 already. Does that make it harder or easier, peer wise? 


See the dillema?  I'm overthinking it all and can't come to a conclussion.  


Maybe I should send him to PreK for the friendships he likes, but basically do Kindergarten homeschool, then send him to 1st grade next year, just to avoid my little 5 year old having to have a 7 hour school day. 


....and off I go to think about it and not think about it some more.

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Wanna know what Aidan was doing while I typed this?  He had a water fight with his siblings in the backyard, managing to throw some mudblobs also...in his church clothes. Then he sat down to eat dinner, which D so kindly served them, and dipped his bread in his drink, shaking it and spreading liquid around. I didn't have to clean it up. D did. :)

Carrie Underwood sings How Great Thou Art

...and some other links I thought were share-worthy. If you've checked out my Facebook lately, you've seen them already. Enjoy, again!





A Mother's Prayer For Her Daughter, by Tina Fey, in her Memoirs, Bossy Pants
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/04/tina-feys-prayer-for-her-daughter/

Onion News:
Weather Weary Nation Not Surprised By Forecast of Blood Storms
http://www.theonion.com/articles/weatherweary-nation-not-surprised-by-forecast-of-b,1859/
CIA's 'Facebook' Program

CIA's 'Facebook' Program Dramatically Cut Agency's Costs

Royal Wedding, Cinderella Style
Obviously, the photos are photoshopped for color, but it was too funny:

Wanna know what Prince Charming actually wore?




Although, the 'fascinators' were remarkably similar, and my high-school friend who lives in France said this, on the comments of this photo "Too funny! The French gossip rags already refer to B&E that way!"