Things

I know I didn't mention it, but Connor played basketball for Idlewild again this year. Emerald was our coach again, and we love her, but boy did this season suck. Our team just sucked. I know it's a rec league and is not supposed to be competitive, but I have never seen a group of  kids this uncoordinated in my life. Just awful. The first half of the season, Connor (and maybe I) cried after most games, just out of frustration. But out of loyalty to our awesome coach, we stuck with it, and went to every game and all but one practice. Connor made it through with his love of basketball still intact- something we were honestly worried about there for a minute.

In related news, does anyone know a competitive basketball team that Connor could try out for?

Also there are no pictures because Chip managed to not only skip two of these hideous, painful games but also "forgot" to bring his camera to any of the ones he attended. It might have been for the best.

Chloe can read. She loves school and comes home and tells me everything that happened and everything she learned. It's wonderful, since we've spent four years having this conversation with Connor:

Us: How was school today/what did you learn today/do anything exciting today?
C: Fine.

She came home a few weeks ago telling us everything there is to know about Martin Luther King, Jr. We were like, That's great stuff Chloe! Where did you learn that? and she said, We watched a film in library. And Connor chimes in with, Oh yeah, we watch that video every year. EVERY YEAR he says. Even Chloe rolled her eyes.

So speaking of school and reading and ways my kids are different: So far in 2012 there have been at least three times when Connor had a big project due that he decided not to mention or work on for the two weeks it was assigned, choosing instead to do it all the night before, and only then because I heard about it directly from the teacher rather than from Connor. (My blood pressure went up just typing that.) That kid! His other trick this year is to forget his lunch- it's at home, it's in my car, or it made it to school it's just that the empty lunchbox didn't make it back home. Sigh.

So anyway, this weekend we went to the public library to get sources for an independent project he's working on in CLUE. (Yes, I happened to run into the CLUE teacher last week or else I would have NEVER KNOWN that these sources were due to her last Wednesday.) I'm embarassed to say that it is the first time my kids have ever been to the public library. I think it's because I've always played fast and loose with our money at the bookstore. We used to go to Borders every few weeks, and I'd always let the kids pick out a book or two. I am physically unable to say no to a request for a new book. But now there's no Borders around the corner, and so suddenly the library makes a lot of sense.

I spent a lot of time at the library as a kid, but once I hit college and the library fines started stacking up, I kind of started avoiding the place. I'm pretty sure I would have to pay a lot of money to reinstate my borrowing privileges. So we used Chip's name as the responsible party on their card applications, and everything went smoothly! They both seemed excited about the whole process, although only one of the kids was SUPER excited and came home and read all her books to us and went to school and told her teacher all about her library card and which books she checked out. But the other kid seemed pretty impressed too. We have already marked the due date on the calendar- I'll get them back on time, I promise!

Quotes:
"I'm pulling for whoever wins."
- Connor, while watching the Slam Dunk contest

"Mom, your legs look kind of. . . crinkly."
-Chloe, after seeing me in my underwear

"Mom, you're really good at knowing stuff."
-Connor, in a rare acknowledgement that I know something and he doesn't