the second frontier

Member when I used to be a 'good' blogger? ...those were the days. i keep putting off blogging or writing little blogs in my head about all the interesting things i see in Turkey- because i know you all want to hear about that. but when i actually sit down to write i just think about the kids. so, if you want to know about turkey- you'll just have to come see for yourself. one day our stuff will get here (maybe?!!!) and we'll have the whole place set up for you. For now, you'll have to hear more about the kids.
Turkey is another world , not only in geographical terms; we're in BIG KID world now and school kid world and in this world it's harsh. We're not in the Kansas of homeschoolers-who-avoid-labels-because-we-are-all-freaks world.
There have been so many new experiences. I cringed the first time the kids were in the line up for 'picking teams' for a kickball game in the yard. Billie standing there saying "pick me!" so enthusiastically...and just hoping someone would pick her NOT LAST. How do Mom's let go? She's seven and still never had Coke (cept for one time when my mom gave her some soda at chuck e cheese with the "it's orange" excuse).
The kids still see friends as something shared between them. How can someone play with Jackson and not play with Billie and vice versa? It would defy the laws of physics. So, they all play together...with an occasional girl pointing out in an accusing tone "You're a BOY!" and then continuing along with the game. Then the birthday party invitation comes and it's only to ONE kid...sigh.
The other day Jackson made a connection with a first grade boy over a pokemon discussion at the playground. The kid came over to our place to play. They were doing hot wheels, built a ramp out of cardboard (we make everything out of cardboard now...see our easter basket photos) I've realized that if our things never do get here...we can probably recreate our whole house if we have enough cardboard...I'm working on an Armoire for our gigantic TV at the moment.
Anyhoo- a kid came over...billie was...i don't know...off somewhere at a friend's house. So, it was just he and Jackson- the littles were sleeping I think. THEN, it's quiet for a while and I peek in on them and there Jackson is with his knitting needles in hand, sitting next to the normal kid and saying "Then you wrap the yarn around THIS way". That's right. He was showing the 7 year old boy how to knit! And what's wrong with that anyway? Why was I horrified?! Why is it that my first impulse is to grab a football and hurl it at Jackson's head to distract the kid and direct them towards more gender appropriate play? Yikes! But it was fine. The kid didn't run to the balcony and yell to all the kids downstairs 'Jackson Solley can knit!' or anything.
Who would have ever guessed that when Billie, Jackson and I sat down and learned to knit almost 2 years ago....who would have guessed that i would become obsessed and jackson would stick with it?! Jackson is that way about things- once he likes something he's really focused on it. Billie likes things for 2 weeks, max.
Sloane likes things she can break and also likes getting the disapproval face from Mom and Dad, and she likes causing Jackson grief too. She would never think of upsetting Billie. Lord knows you don't want to be at the receiving end of her wrath!
Cort is totally adorable, a major eater of anything which is not baby food, and a speed demon.
back to life.