What I learned...so far

Kieran's in Montessori, so he's being spoken to in french all day.
Then at home he's often getting bombarded by talking trains, talking rabbits, talking construction equipment, hispanic kids and a trouble making monkey.
And then withdrawal from getting banned from tee-dee.

But when he's good, and it's quite often, he's very good. He cleans up his table, he washes dishes, sets his table, gets his food, basically he does all the things little people do. Which is everything that big people do but on a smaller scale and much slower pace.



We forget that they are capable of so much and in trying to be the 'good' parents, we do everything for them. And then wonder why later why they don't do this or do that. Wonder is a polite way of putting it. It's usually more like complaining and frustration and yelling stuff like - "I do everything", "why are you so lazy". Well...you see it comes from training. Training the little people that someone else will pick up the clothes, someone else will do this, do that. Hmmm...I see said the grasshopper.

Parents just have to look in the mirror to figure out why their kids are the way they are. They learned it from that person staring back at you in the mirror. So don't get mad at the kids. And don't get mad at yourself. Don't get mad at anyone. Getting mad is a waste of everyone's time. Just fix it. Simple yet difficult to actually do. Which is why very few people do it and instead point fingers. Quit doing that.

So today...as we were getting ready for school. I forget how this came about, but he starts counting in french.
un
deux
trois
quatre
...

dix neuf.
...
I went huh. [me amazed]

He tells me what he's doing. He's counting in french. He counted up to 20.
huh....wow. [me amazed, me happy, me proud, me hugs my kid]
He spends a lot of time with Costanza, one of the french speaking teaching assistants.
He says she knows a lot of french words.
She's often told me in french (she's not allowed to speak anglais) that she has no problems with Kieran. Two thumbs up.
I was thinking...man. How come he's not like this at home.

This morning at school. Kieran asked me if I smelled something, that's cuz he tooted in the cloak room. No one was in there except for him and I was at the door (parents aren't allowed in the cloakroom).
I asked Kieran if he toots in class. He said he does, sometimes. Around Costanza. And what does she do. I asked.

She holds her nose and makes a funny face and says stuff in french. [Kieran laughs]

After 4 months, of asking him:
Do you like school? No.
What did you learn today? Noffing.
What did you do today? I donno.

He finally told mama.
I like school.

cool beans.

My Favourite Christmas gift

Can you guess what it is?

The Cup - Who's number 1

Antonio is letting them know, Dick & Hong were "number 1" this year. He wasn't too happy about the change in rules and the best of 5 series. We won the first game handily and everything looked good for a win. It looked like our luck was changing.



But the 'number 1' team started to click and lines were firing. They were scoring at will. We were losing games by 5 goals.
We were frustrated, and it took us 2 blowout games before we regrouped and figured it out how to shut down their top line.


We were now in Game 4 and pushing for a fifth and deciding Game to determine who was going to be the 2008 Champs.
Things didn't look good, we were down 2-0 early, but fought back in the first and second period to keep it close and make a game of it at 2-1. Late in the 3rd period, down by 1 with 2 minutes to go. Hong was hogging the puck in his own end as usual thinking the game was over - doing his best Sean Avery. We rushed him and hit his player hard. The puck was loose. We scooped it up.
Antonio jammed the net and scored.
The tide seemed to turn. They were scared.

We went into OT and nothing was decided.
With this new shortened format after OT there was a shootout.
Hey there's no shootouts in the Stanley Cup?
This was a shortened version, cause Derrick and Donna had to go home.
This is what happens when you have kids and have been married for 15 years. You're no longer the boss.

Anyways, back to the game - the first shooters on either side didn't score. It was a Hong controlled Sidney Crosby player that scored a fluke goal from just in front of the blue line. What the? Who scores in a shootout from the blue line?
It's like putting salt on a canker sore.


2008 XBOX NHL 2K7 Champions
Dick & Hong

Click Antonio's behind and his stretched pocket with the wallet in it for more photos

Cause that's what he thinks of your Cup win this year. He put his ass-terisk * on this Cup win.

Congrats Kim and Hong on the house and the engagement!
Great lasagne, it was the highlight of the night. Too bad Tresa couldn't make it. She was happy I didn't bring home the cup.

Happy New Year 2009

Man was I tired. At about 11:30pm I was almost lights out.
If it weren't for Tresa waking me up, I would have missed the ball being dropped.
And then the firecrackers were lit.

Those weren't firecrackers, it was Kieran popping the bubble wrap.
That was his favourite gift of christmas.

Look for the good in 2009.
Go Canadian World Juniors!