A Life Lesson from THomas

Thomas: "Momma, I've learned a life lesson."
Momma: "Oh. What's that?"
Thomas: "So far, the one life lesson that I've learned is this: 'Never expect anything.'"

Paperclips and Vocabulary

"Momma, I'm extremely fond of bending paperclips." (T)
"Why are smiling like you are laughing?"

"Well, it's just the words you used. You didn't just say, I like to bend paperclips." (M)

"Oh. That's because I've decided I am going to start using more of the vocabulary that I see in the books I read." (T)

Conversation with Thomas on the walk home from school.
Thomas, age 9

High Five!

(Elsie) Hey! Don't slap me!
(Thomas) I wasn't slapping you. I was high-fiving you.
(Momma)Where were you high-fiving her?
(Thomas) On her leg.

Loud

"I like loud. It is my happy place."

Thomas, age 9

I'm stubborn and I know it

This morning, Seth, Jonathan, Thomas and I (Jane Anne) talked about the time change. Jonathan and Seth had been up for a while. I was still sipping coffee trying to wake up and Thomas had just come downstairs. (David is sick and was still sleeping. Elsie was also still asleep.)

We began discussing who in the family is a "morning person" or a "night person."

It is clear-
Seth is a morning person.
Jane Anne is a night person.
Jonathan is a night person.
David is a morning person.
It is too early to tell about Elsie.

Thomas gets in bed and falls asleep fast and hard. Waking up can be a very slow process.

This morning Thomas was unusually chatty. Seth mentioned that he falls asleep quickly and surmised, "Maybe, Thomas is a morning person."

Jane Anne: "You carry him downstairs sometimes because it is so hard to get him to wake up. And, he sometimes he doesn't wake up when you bring him downstairs."

Thomas: "I don't think I am a morning person or a night person. I am just a person.
I am a stubborn person."

Calling Momma from Paradise

Seth was talking to his mom, Mimi, on the phone.

I said to Thomas:
"You see how Daddy called his Momma. When you are grown you need to call your momma sometimes."

Thomas said:

"I will... as long as I can get a good connection from Hawaii."

Haircuts

On Saturday, the boys got haircuts.

Jonathan
"Why did you choose this haircut?"
"I don't have to brush it and it is so short, I won't have to get another haircut for a while."

David
"Why did you choose this haircut?"
"Um, well... I like it. I did decide to get it a little shorter this time."

Thomas
"Why did you choose this haircut?"
"It's my style!"

[laughter]

Nonsense

Thomas and David accidentally collided. It was a serious head-butt that brought both boys to tears. 

After the tears stopped flowing, I tried lighthearted humor to make them smile.

Momma: "Did it knock some sense into you?"

Thomas: "No. It knocked nonsense into me!"

Turning Seven

Thomas is seven.
He insists that he was 6 on April 20th. He was "turning seven" on April 21 (his birthday) and he is seven today. He says he wasn't actually seven until midnight on his birthday.
We can't convince him otherwise.

Sigh

(Thomas) Momma, do you know what sighs the most?

(Momma) No... what?

(Thomas) A girl who likes a boy.

The Owen Boys Rock

We are extremely proud of how our boys are doing in school this year.

This quarter-

Jonathan was one of 2 kids in his class to get straight A's.

He also had perfect attendance.

David received a character award for his class. (Two are chosen from each class during each quarter.) His teacher said that he is a great teacher, always willing to help other students. He does amazing work on classwork, especially his projects.

He also had perfect attendance.

Thomas received a character award for his class. His teacher said that he is a great friend in class and that he is always the first to help clean up, even when the mess isn't his responsibility. He is a hard worker and is excelling in reading.

We are super proud of our boys.

Funny Things Kids Say: Taste Bugs and Artificial Sponsers

The other night at dinner, Thomas said, "I think my taste bugs are changing."

We all laughed lightheartedly and told him that he meant taste "buds" not taste "bugs."

Jonathan piped in with, "No, it's buds. Like, Bud Light, the artificial sponsor of the super bowl."

Thomas laughed and said he had always thought it was taste bugs.

We laughed and explained artificial verses official.

Overheard at Our House: Honesty

I was sitting in one room and Thomas and Elisabeth were in another room playing with toys. They were not playing well together and Elisabeth was getting more upset by the minute.

Momma: "Thomas, STOP."
Thomas: "Stop what? I don't know what I am doing."
Momma: "You are frustrating your sister."
Thomas: "Oh... I am doing lots of other bad things, too."

David and Thomas Basketball, Game 1

David and Thomas had their first basketball game today. The first game of the season. Their first game ever.

Their age group is K-2nd. Their team name is The Pack.

It was precious.
It was exciting.
They had a blast.


Thomas throwing in the ball.

The boys cheering on their team when they were sitting out a quarter.

David playing defense.

The final score. The Pack wins with 6 points. David scored 2 of the points.

Game high points:
David scored.
Thomas ran over to Momma at halftime and said, "I like basketball. I love it!"

David and Thomas after the game. What athletes!

Overheard at Bathtime

"Momma, I like being creative but I do not like taking baths."

Thomas, age 6

Oh no you won't!

I walked in the bathroom this afternoon to see my Sonicare toothbrush vibrating on the counter. Beside the counter, Thomas was taking off his shirt.

Me: "What are you doing?"

Thomas: "I'm going to use that to massage my arm pits."

Bad to the Bone

Thomas got a mohawk on Tuesday. He says it is his "Bad-to-the-bone" haircut.


Today after school I asked him if anyone said anything about his hair or if they were all used to it by now. He said, there were still some people that hadn't seen him.

Then he said, "Well, there was this one girl that said a bad word when she saw my hair."

I said, "What did she say? It's okay, you can say it right now."

Meekly, Thomas said, "Holy Moly."


Five is such a fun age.

Question of the Day

Question of the Day:

"Why is it okay to say, 'head butt' but not okay to call someone a 'butt head'?"

Thomas, age 5

November Student of the Month

Thomas was chosen as the November student of the month for his class.


His award was for "his eagerness to learn. He is respectful and responsible."

Here is Thomas getting his picture taken after receiving his award:


It was extra special to receive the award when Gran and Daddo were in town.

His First School Fight

I jokingly asked Thomas if he got in trouble today. And, he said, "I almost did."

Surprised, I asked him to tell me more.

He said that he was fighting with another boy and then his teacher told him to stop.

I asked, "Were you play fighting or were you fighting because you were mad."

He said, "I wasn't playing. I was fighting."

Apparently, the other boy hit Thomas first. So, Thomas elbowed him back. Then, the boy hit him. So, naturally, Thomas hit him again. And, then Thomas poked the kid in the back of the neck. The kicker is, I am not sure if the poking happened before or after his teacher told him to stop.


A couple of side notes: I feel sort of guilty for saying, "His first school fight," as if I am expecting more. I also think I should feel guilty for joking about him getting in trouble. Although, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to talk to him about hitting at school.

Lastly, this boy has my heart. He is the toughest, tender-hearted kid I know.

Oh, and that other boy told on him. Can you believe it?