Goodnight 14-year-old

Jack will wake up a 15-year-old! Gah! When did this happen?

Well, technically he will turn 15 at 4:36pm… but still! He has friends coming over tomorrow for an escape room adventure, then a hibachi dinner then X-box. Just as it should be.

Jack has had a week of midterms and a week of a head cold. Both are just about over now. Studying can wait a day and resume on Sunday night for the dreaded Algebra 2 test on Monday. 🤮 Then he’s done! Wooo! I have felt as though I’ve lived through 10-th grade again with all the study help I’ve given Jack.

I hated Algebra, loved Geometry! Jack takes after me. Right brain!

So, I am currently mourning my 14-year-old, looking forward to another stellar cake tomorrow and realizing that I have to change my blog title. Which I will do right now. I’ll share the cake tomorrow as I always do. (Rowing theme!!)

I will leave you with this little exchange from a few minutes ago. Oy! Does anyone else out there get this from their teen??

And, Goodnight everyone!

Practicing the Maths

Jack has been getting some extra math help for honors Algebra II at a place in town, a few days a week. So far so good and he’s starting to feel more confident and less stressed after each visit.

I don’t recall being that worried about math when I was in 10th grade! Maybe I was but who can remember that far back. I mean, what with the slide rules and all, there really wasn’t much to it. 😂 Right?

Jack: Oh, Mom, today at math there was this kid asking really good questions and I got to learn some more stuff from him.

me: Good! Was he in a higher grade doing more advanced math?

Jack: I don’t really know. He looked like he was 8 but had a full mustache…

me: 🤨🤨🤨

Sooo we are heading into mid-term season and Jack has been cramming, not just for math. He has Science notes that we practice and quiz on each night (man am I glad when we get to the end of those note cards), Spanish, Global Insights (which is all revolutions and coups and “Mom do you really know the difference between these??” No I do not.) And English. And Health. Sigh.

Jack just completed a cool poster project for Spanish on a cinematographer, Gabriel Figueroa. It looked amazing and he did a successful presentation. Looking for a high grade on that one!

All this studying has given me a headache each night but I’m really learning so much more about DNA and King Edward I than I ever cared to know!

Soon Jack will have his 15th birthday with some of the boys and midterms will be over and he can celebrate with another amazing cake. Rowing themed! I promise I will share.

The way he memes

Just a few of Jack’s social posts to either give you a chuckle or cause you to worry about his deteriorating sense of humor. Mostly gross, sometimes inappropriate and occasionally mom has to say “remove that post” for so many reasons. He’s still learning.

The best meme I’ve heard is the ‘No one, not a soul” and then “insert random or funny here”. Not sure how it started but it’s catchy in the weird way that most things are when they are repeated a thousand times.

Hey, in the 80’s we used to say “he’s ranking on you’ instead of “he’s making fun of you”. And for us “jouins” (pronounces Jew-ins) meant someone was cute. “He’s such a jouins!!” And don’t even ask what a snoogie was back then. Ugh!!!

Our memes consisted of “I can has cheez burger.”

Things have progressed quite a bit… right??

……/.///

Jack: No one, not a single soul. YouTube recommends the 2018 best of compilation.

Jack: Do you smell popcorn?

Everyone: (holds breath)

Sighhh…

………………….

Mom meme:

No one. Not a single soul on God’s green Earth.

Mom: I could use another pair of boots.

🤨🤨💙💙

365 Days of Awesomeness

Taking a cue from Neil Pasricha and his blog 1000 Awesome Things, which is so totally cool and funny and delightful, all the happy words. His blog launched a book deal the very next year called “The Book of Awesome”. Read it.

My blog has not received any book deals. 😦

But I’m still hopeful! This is the decade, I can feel it!!!

Anywayyyy… we’re doing this thing that I saw on Facebook that involves a jar and little slips of paper and on the slips we right one awesome thing from our day. The goal is to read these on New Year’s Eve 2021 and see how awesome our year has been.

We are all for positivity on my house. Even the animals have a happy spring in their step. (Okay, Moca has a spring in her step ONLY if she has recently come in from a muddy walk and has a zoomie attack and tears ass around our living room which has WHITE CARPETS! PoBo will have a spring in her step only if she’s trying to get away from Moca, who will only chase PoBo and not Luna. Weird right? Well Luna will slice Moca a new one if she even tried to chase her. And Luna gets a real spring in her step when you open the cabinet containing their food. Luna will come tearing and skidding into the kitchen and twirl around your feet purring. Even if you accidentally bump the cabinet door she will be there faster than a blink.)

So yes, some of us are motivated by food. 🙂

me: Look! I started this jar and we can write down one great thing that happened to us each day. Then, at the end—

Jack: Not gonna happen.

me: Huh? No, look it’s easy, we just—

Jack: I’m already writing stuff in my own notebook.

me: Well then I’ll write my own stuff in THIS jar and read it to myself in 365 days.

(Suddenly I’m feeling less happy)

Jack: Cool.

me: Ok write one thing at least.

Jack: (takes a slip and writes something)

me: Can’t wait to read that one.

Jack: Heh heh.

Any thoughts on what he wrote? Did he call me a Boomer again though I’m clearly not a Boomer??? 😂😂😂

Sigh.

Aww remember when I had this little Dude who thought everything we did together was fun!!!???

Happy New Year – 2020!

Wow we made it. Jack finished his first full decade. 🙂 Are you all having an amazing first day of the new year? We are low key today and at home hanging out in front of our respective electronic devices haha.

Yesterday we had a fun day with Jack’s girlfriend who got to join us in an hour of escape room antics (we cracked all the codes and claimed the prize with 45 seconds to spare)… then we visited CT’s biggest tree (a sycamore naturally) and finally dined at a haunted restaurant. (Jack swears there’s a ghost up to no good near the men’s bathroom). All in a day’s fun I say!

There were many quotes of the day, some more appropriate to share than others 😂

This one cracked me up:

Jack: It’s only 7:07, why are you already crazy??

That’s my boy. We’re headed right into his birthday month. 15 years old soon! Gahhhhh! I can’t believe it … seriously. He’s not sure yet how to celebrate it. We will have to figure it out soon!! Also, I told him to pick anywhere in the world to visit for his 16th birthday. He has no clue. Sigh.

Another funny quote came from me after dinner and after dessert as the kids were goofing around in the car on the way home. Jack was loaded up on shrimp cocktail, oysters, rigatoni ala vodka, and chocolate mousse cake!

me: I think you should stop tickling Jack… he’s about to shart pasta!

Jack: Truer words have not been said. Stoooopppp tickling! Aarrrgghhh!

It was too funny. All in all it was a great last day of the decade. Anytime you can see your kids having a blast with huge smiles on their faces is a good day in my book!

How did you all celebrate the New Year??

Oh and also, yesterday was the 3 rd anniversary of the day we got Moca AND the kittens 2nd birthday! I always thought it was today… 😀😀😀

Here are my favorite pics from the day…

– Biggest tree in CT (Simsbury)

– Blue Back Square in W. Hartford

– Outside the Escape Room in Farmington

– Outside the haunted restaurant (Abigail’s in Simsbury)

How cute are they??

Way too much talking. Way too early.

Today was an “advisory” day at Jack’s high school. All that means to me is that Jack goes in at 9am rather than 7am. Sooo, I get to sleep just a wee bit longer in the morning. Not bad. But what do I do? Snooze. Just twice, but enough to put me in a little panic as I was trying to get everything done and get myself and Jack out the door on time.

You know, that easy stuff like walk the dog, feed the cats, feed the dog, scoop the kitty litter, pack Jack’s lunch, make sure he has his homework, make breakfast, make my lunch, helloooo get READY like shower and dressed omg, and then actually leave at 8:30 to drive to Jack’s school for 9am. It really takes that long even thought the school is 2 miles from here.

I woke up at 7:40. Gasp.

me: (hopping on one foot in the laundry room, putting on my boots) Hey, are you eating? What did you make?

Jack: Cereal.

me: Can you please fill the dog’s water bowl and put away your lunch from yesterday? How can we make your lunch with the lunch bag full of old stuff?

Jack: Grunt.

me: (shrugging on the giant winter jacket and putting on Moca’s harness). I’m going to take Moca out, probably be gone 15-20 minutes. Okay? Can you pull out everything for your lunch please?

Jack: Grunt.

me: Okay?

Jack: Okay. Sigh.

me: Oh, and make sure to set your reminders to bring your sax home and turn in your form. You’re gonna forget.

(Moca is doing a bit of a dance as she waits to go outside)

Jack: Okay Mom.

me: (halfway out the door) Make sure you recycle that box, and do NOT leave a plastic bag on the counter with cereal crumbs in it. What do you think the kitties will do? Suffocate, that’s what.

Jack: I thought you were taking Moca out? (he goes back to crunching on his cereal)

me: (almost made it out but I pop my head back in for ONE more thing) If you could just get Moca’s food out too, that would be a BIG help… and – – – –

Jack: Mom, waaaaayyyyy too much talking for this early in the morning.

me: Gahhh! (Moca dragged me down the stairs to the garage in one big lunge. I think she agrees with Jack)

Quiz me the way I tell you to quiz me…

me: How am I supposed to help you study if I can’t read your notes?

Jack: I can read them just fine.

me: The printing is so tiny and all the words run together, plus I’m not able to see writing that smudgy and dark…

Jack: Well, I’ll type up my notes and then it will help me review them, and then you can use that to quiz me.

me: Deal.

Jack: (later) Ok, here are the notes… just quiz me on this stuff.

me: Okay, what is it called when something passes through a membrane.

Jack: Don’t quiz me like that. I don’t know what I wrote.

me: Huh? Well, then what are the two kinds of transport?

Jack: Just read them like questions and don’t assume I know what’s under each bullet!

me: Ummm… Well then… What are the 5 bullet points under Active Transport?

Jack: Aarrrghhh! I don’t know. I didn’t memorize what’s under each thing!

me: How exactly am I quizzing you then? Sheesh.

Jack: It’s easy, just read what I wrote and phrase it in the form of a question. Don’t use “blank”, just use “what”.

me: Okayyyy… WHAT are the two kinds of transport?

Jack: Active and Passive.

me: Dude, it’s the exact same question from two minutes ago.

Jack: Well when you ask me the way I say to ask me, then I know what you’re talking about.

me: Sigh.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise. And other random comments :)

Today we volunteered at Al’s Angels. They help families in need throughout CT. We helped box up food for holiday meals. It really felt good to lend a hand. So, needless to say, our day was busy!! (started at 5am…gasp!)

These are some things that you might have heard from us today…if you hung around long enough, or cared to listen…in no particular order.

Jack: I’m taking a Union break.

me: Pause this while I get much needed crackers.

Jack: (after I asked what game he was playing) Just Cause 3. I wasn’t playing, just hovering around in my wing-suit.

me: (talking to friend’s mom) Did you skate today? Ohhh…can you do a triple camel toe, or whatever that’s called?

Jack: I want melted ham goodness.

me: Heat the egg but don’t let it explode.

Jack: No my bed’s not made. I tore it apart looking for my phone.

---

This was when I was trying to help Jack study his science…

me: What pages should I test you on?

Jack: Just quiz me on these notes.

me: Um… I can’t read this writing Jack, it’s so tiny and messy. Does this say “plague”?

Jack No it doesn’t say plague! Arghh!! If you won’t help me study then how am I supposed to study!??

me: Sigh.

 

 

Back to the grind

With the first big holiday over, we are back to the sort of normal routine until Christmas break.

Jack is back at rowing, but indoors in a gym, school is going full force (despite a snow day and delay due to ice), and I’m back at work juggling multiple scenarios involving dental marketing, furry creatures and hormonal teens! Good times!

I’m worsting this post as I hurtle down the tracks on a train headed to NYC. We have a dental trade show going on and I’m working the aisles to drive traffic to our booth.

Jack had his first gym session last night. Needless to say he was sore today. He kinda was in a negative mood and I tried to pull him out of it.

me: Anything exciting going on at school today?

Jack: I have a math test.

me: Hmmm I don’t remember you studying last night.

Jack: I did a review packet, it’s fine.

me: But did you do the whole thing?

Jack: No, just the parts I didn’t know. I didn’t have to do the parts I know.

me: You should still review those parts, it can’t hurt.

Jack: Math sucks.

me: I know but you have to pass it so you just have to do your best.

Jack: I got a 71 on my science test.

me: The one you didn’t study for.

Jack: I thought I knew it.

me: You have to study, it can only help you, it won’t hurt.

Jack: You’re putting me in a bad mood.

me: I don’t mean to.

Jack: Then don’t talk about school on the way to school.

me: There’s this football player, Mike Vick, and he abuses dogs like in dog fights?

Jack: I don’t need to hear this!

me: Yeah I guess you’re right. Either way he’s a jerk.

Jack: I hate school.

me: Well let’s turn your attitude around.

Jack: Not possible. I’m gonna have a bad day.

me: You can make yourself have a great day!

Jack: I can’t.

me: If you tell yourself “I can” you will start to believe it. If you only say I can’t, then that’s what you’ll believe.

Jack: Not true.

me: Remember positIve thinking? The last time you really tried, you got 100’s on your tests. You’re an amazing boy and student.

Jack: All moms have to say that.

me: Only when it’s true. I’m not going to lie to you. You are amazing and when you put your mind to it, you can do anything.

(We pulled up to the school drop off, and I really hoped that I helped turn his mood around)

me: Have a great day!

Jack: You too.

☺️☺️☺️

Not sure if Jack will keep himself positively motivated but all I can do is keep trying!

Here’s a text exchange we had (in photos) when I saw an Instagram post that kinda looked like Jack… Lol, virtual restraining order.

😂😂😂😂

Still here! Still saying sh*t! Band Jam!

My gosh a month can fly by, eh? I remember writing every day at one point years ago and then at least once a week. Sigh….. things are changing, Jack is getting older, I’m getting older (aka better) 😂 and things have been getting in the way of me blogging. Well, like life, for instance.

I spend more time working I guess… though you’d think now that Jack is older and spends so much time alone or with friends, I’d have more time to write! I can’t tell you how many nights recently I’ve thought about blogging and chose an extra half hour of sleep instead.

It’s a kind of crazy routine… and this is withOUT the rowing practice each day which starts up again next week! Oy! Work, school, pets, chores, homework, shopping, travel, etc…

But also, as I’ve mentioned, there isn’t a whole lot of CONTENT these days. I mean, I hear jack and his friends talking but can barely understand what they’re saying, never mind transcribe it into a coherent blog post.

Take yesterday for example. We went to a band jam where Jack’s friend’s band was competing. We took Jack’s friend A plus Jack’s friend’s friend B with us. Here is the gist of the conversation 😂😂😂

Jack: (holding his phone out to friend A) Look, look, what it looks like when when Rickert is in charge.

Friend A: Dude, he was the worst.

Friend B: I heard he’s totally in charge now.

Jack: Ya, that’s insane.

Friend A: (holding out his phone) No one, literally no one, not a soul and then …. (insane laughter) Everyine looks at his phone and whatever meme is currently on it.

Friend B: (Giggling and laughing at everything they say)

Jack: (holds out his phone) Look the bus with flaming wheels. (They all laugh)

Friend A: Still giggling. So did you hear about so and so who likes whatsername? She was like whatever and then she was fighting with her so we were like calm down and be friends so then they sorta got along but not really and then she liked him and now they’re dating but SHE didn’t realize that (hahahahaha), etc…//

I mean, I have no clue what they’re even saying or laughing at so how can I construct a blog post out of that sh*t??? 😱😱😱

Oy!

Hopefully I’ll have more to write about over the break! Stay tuned!