January to date

Patrick is taking snowboarding lessons. He started two weeks ago, and is enjoying it. The instructor is the guy who sits next to me at work. After the first lesson he walked around for two days saying 'Ow', 'ow'. Apparently he fell on his butt quite a bit. The next session went much better, although April was not happy because on one run he 'caught air'. I didn't take him up last Sunday because of the rain and snow.

 

I usually run into people I know from the kids' school. Most of them ask where Rachel is. She had some skiing lessons a couple of years ago, but feels embarrassed that she isn't as good as her friends. A friend's of April daughter offered to teach her away from all her classmates, and she jumped at it. I hope she can gain some confidence.

 

It's been a busy month. Patrick is on the basketball team, and they have games and practice twice a week. April is not happy with the coach. Patrick has had about a minute of playing time in the three games played so far. He's not as good as the 'fab five', as April called them, but she thinks he should have some playing time each game. He doesn't care, but she feels it's not worth our time to get him to practices and games only to watch him sit there.

 

The schedule for the week this month has been: Monday April goes to class, and I run Thomas to soccer practice and then Patrick to basketball practice. Tuesday April runs Patrick to a basketball game, and then I pick him up, get him something to eat (Sizzler has been the choice), and then go to scouts while April goes to class. Wednesday April does homework and I take Thomas to scouts. Rachel has managed to upset him on at least two Wednesdays so that he hides in his room and we miss it. Thursday April takes Patrick to his basketball game, and then goes to class. Friday has been a down evening, although this coming Friday is Thomas's Pinewood Derby. Saturday is spent at the 12^th street indoor soccer with games for Patrick and Thomas. Sunday I run Patrick to Snowbasin for snowboard lessons. And repeat.

 

This last Saturday Patrick had a game at 8:30 AM playing a girls team. Both this team and his are at the top of the league. It was a close match, but the girls won 5-3. The coach was upset about playing a girls team. The girls knocked the boys around (include Patrick getting pushed over twice), but none of the girls were even pushed aside. It's a double standard, but at least the boys had a competitive game and they did make some mistakes.

 

Thomas's game was at 10 AM. His team lost again, but did score three. I see the same sort of mistakes in his team as in Patrick's. No girls on the other team, though.

 

Patrick had his Pinewood Derby after Thomas's game. He drew the design on the wood, and I cut it, polished the axles and wheels, lined them up, glued more weight on, put the graphite on, and he swiped the sandpaper over the car a few times. He thought about painting it Saturday morning. He was pretty pleased when it came in first or second every race. After the race he went to a neighbors birthday party.

 

Rachel went with April to the hospital to work on her science project. She was pretty happy by the response, and seems to be having some fun with it. It was not what April wanted, but she is the one doing it, so I think it's good.

 

We got the van back last week. The insurance company agreed the transmission problem was due to their repairs, but the transmission place was surprised that most of the issues have gone away. They say they will pay for further repairs if we have problems in the future. I'd like that in writing, though.

 

End of Entry