Dodge Ball...

Dodge Ball...30+ years of torturing kids.

The Girl came home from school yesterday and announced the class played a game of Dodge Ball.  I tried to maintain my poker face while listening to her tale.

I can still remember the crazed look in the eyes of my male classmates as they whipped the ball at the girls and the weaklings.  That ball hurt like H*** when it slammed into you-leaving a red welt the size of Toledo.  

To be honest, I never really understood the value of the game.  What exactly is it teaching us?  It's not like, you're going to be 40 and watching a stellar match on TV one Saturday afternoon.  The only skill it could possibly offer...is compassion for your own child when they come home and tell you they were forced to play. 

I think it may be the "go to" game for PE teachers...sick of the whining kids and frustrated that Summer vacation is still many months away.

I admit, if I wasn't so traumatized by Dodge ball, and if I had five or six kids,  I may try it out as a discipline strategy for my family.  Sit back with a cocktail and watch how "Survival of the Fittest" plays out in the day to day. 

Thankfully, motherhood hasn't jaded me to that point...yet. 

Back to the girl, yes she got hurt, some boy threw the ball and hit her in the eye.  Did she tell the teacher...NO.  Did she cry...NO.  Did she curl up in the fetal position...NO.  

She just kept on playing.  Impressive!  

Career Update

After seeing a Braves game last week...

The Boy:

• A Baseball Player...a "really, really good one"
• A person who picks up trash on the beach...thanks Nick Jr (big green planet)

The Girl:

• Not happy that there are no "girl" professional baseball players 

Spring Break - Take 2

My son is on Spring Break this week.  My daughter had hers mid-March.  I'm all for spending time with my kids, but TWO spring breaks. 

I thought I could put him in this Art Camp he's been asking about but he didn't want anything to do with it.  I asked him how many days he wanted to go-one or two.  He held up two fists and said "How many is this?"  I answered, "Zero".  He responded, "That's how many days I want to go." Thinking I misunderstood, I asked him again, "How about this many?" (Holding up two fingers.) He responded by holding up his two fists again and saying "How about this Many?"  

I knew it was going to be a long week.

I had good intentions to "bond" with the Boy.  Do some fun stuff just the two of us.   We started out strong by spending an entire day at the Children's Museum.  It's interesting watching the younger child on their own.  Without the shadow of an older sibling.   He was very unsure and standoff-ish.  Even said he was ready to go after about an hour.  I fed him lunch and asked him to try a few more things.  Our trip then turned into a FIVE hour trip.

Since then, we've had a soccer game, a dentist appointment, a grocery store trip, a trip to the library.  Not very much fun.  Weather hasn't cooperated either.  This week we have had the pleasure of enjoying a pollen count of abouy ONE MILLION, two days of SNOW, Two 75 degree days and thunderstorms anticipated for tomorrow. 

I don't think he's cared one way or another, especially since he's such a home body.  But, I wasn't feeling like Mother of the Year.