Some Lines

M: Is there such a thing a neutralist? I think I am one. Sometimes I look on the bright side but sometimes I jump to conclusions.

J: I think in Africa they are unlucky because they do not have a lot of food or stuff but the kids there are not bratty at all.

V to a classmate with a party hat on (at her bday): There is a party on your head!

M: I feel bad for you mamá that deal with bratty kids at school and then come home and you are with more bratty kids.

J when Netflix kept getting stuck: This is really breaking my nerds.

Recent

V to A as they sat in their high chairs (aka prison) eating dessert:

V: Show me your angry face. (she does)
V: Show me your sad face (she does)
V: Show me your monster face (she does)

A to me: What's your name again?
Me: mamá
A, squinting her naughty squint to J: What's your name again?

Me to A: Te divertiste en BT?
A: No.
Me: Por qué?
A: Because I am a bad boy.

Me to A: you are hurting V.
A: Oh, well.

New Ones

M: If authors were honest and put some of the bad things people said about their books on the back, you could know if a book was really good

Me to J: You might be punished.
J: Yeah, well, I will punish you.

J: I miss being little but I like being big. I wish we could be both.

J: I want to give some of my money (he is donating his piggy bank) to Singapore; to the kids who get caned.

J on the police using weapons: Cobs are not bad guys.

M: Papi used to be Fit Frank and now he is Loosey Joe.

M: It's normal that your belly is floppy after all the babies.

J: I do not want to be super skinny or normal like papi, I want some muscles.

V, all the time: Mamá- Are you angry? Are you joking?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIMES TWO!

happy happy 32 and 33 to my two favorite world travelers. so glad you got to celebrate it in Italia! hope to be with you on the next one. xoxoxoo

Roses & Thorns

My sister likes to do this exercise a lot so I thought I would frame my day in these terms.

Rose: J performing (quietly) confidently on the bongos with our head of school in chapel.She sang (great voice!) a song by Odetta and played the banjo while he drummed away. Last night he told me how excited he was and asked me if it was a one time performance or if he was in the band because in the band would be awesome!

Thorn: M getting her palatal expander and being UNABLE to turn the motherfuckin' "key". So she is uncomfortable and I am inept and no matter what I could not do it. I have watched YouTube videos and I am convinced that my device is defective. Tomorrow I will request the help of my engineer neighbors. It does not help that fine motor skills, coordination, and spatial intelligence are all not my fortes.

Rose: A new (adorable) first grader whispering tome in the hallway as I took her back to her classroom: Thank you for teaching me Spanish (I almost cried).

Thorn: Wrestling an orthodontic instrument and putting MoJo to bed to then be knocked out by the smell of SHIT in the kids's room. Ay ay ay. When will A be really potty trained?

Rose: V telling me he "loves me too much."

Voilá

J: Can we donate some of my toys? To poor kids, not bratty ones.

J: I am lucky my parents are rich so that is why I am going to give my money to the poor.

V to me: You are a good boy mamá.

V: I will get in big trouble? Or in tiny tiny trouble?

J, trying to throw his notebook away: I lost my talent. I cannot draw anymore.

J: When I grow up, do you think I will be like (tío) D or how I am now?

J on his new teacher: She is stressed out because she is having a baby.

M on her new teacher who seems less strict than expected: She isn't hardening. She isn's messing around but she is not that strict.

M on J's teacher: You need to do stellar behavior now at the beginning of the year.

V as I walked out the door with eyeliner on: Mamá, are you a princess?

J: I do ask for a lot of stuff don't I?

V, the morning after a rough bedtime: I am done with my time out.

DAY 1

MoJo loved their first day! When I asked them to share high/lowlights, neither one had anything negative to say about the day. I saw J at lunch (11:30am) and he asked me if we were going home soon. I guess he needs to build up some endurance. I also learned that he asked M to do his homework and that she obliged (we clearly had to redo it). Here are some lines from his first night of homework. He had to complete the sentences:

The things I like are...family, friends, toys
The things I do not like are...bossy people (he specified that he did not mean me), zucchini
I am good at...creating sounds, making rhythms
I wish I could... help poor people.

I am pooped. AleVit was up (she crying and he night terrors screaming??) on and off for two hours and I need to sleep.

BLAH

It is true I have been lax in posting. The film blog has not been touched in months! Depressing. I am happy to be going back to school on Monday. I am not so happy that F is about to leave for the week. There are so many logistics for this first week and the whole schedule is messed up. The BT days are wrong, the tutoring is messed up, it is all disheveled. J is a complaining machine. Both kids looked happy after their orientations however. AleVit is IMPOSSIBLE to put to sleep and A continues to not poop or to wait until the second I put on her diaper. No progress. V is fully trained.
Some lines from the last few days:

J: I just want to be a normal man like papi. He does not have to do piano or karate.

J: I only want two things: to be healthy and to move in with my friends when I am done with school to Brooklyn or something. That is my wish. Make that three wishes. I also want to be happy and strong.