Jones Family well-check
"Is Christina Ok?" a concerned friend asked Cory in secret after reading one of my recent blogs.
It's true my current writings have had a heavy tone to them, mostly because we've been dealing with some heavy stuff and writing helps me cope. Written language is the way I process. I love words. I get jazzed by an exceptionally phrased sentence or song lyric that nails exactly what I'm feeling.
Lately my feelings have been very bipolar. Depending on when you check in with me I might report back, "I love the loud chaos of my life. I love that we're not sterile and proper. I love everything about having a big family," or I might tell you what I (mostly) sarcastically mouthed to Cory across the lunch table yesterday, "I could walk away from this right now and never look back." Granted, that was my response on a Sunday. Don't ever schedule a Jones well check on a Sunday. The prognosis will never be good. Sundays around here are brutal.
But today is Monday and the birds are chirping again, the air is finally cooler outside, and I'm home by myself for the next four hours. On Mondays everyone is in school, even the homeschoolers go to co-op, so it's my one chance to eat chocolate without having to hide in a closet or be forced to share.
Monday is a good neutral day to report a more accurate Jones Family well-check:
Levi: He just turned 13 and so far my first week of parenting a teenager is going great. Only 5 more years to keep this up:) Honestly, he really is a great kid. He is cool, but not popular. He is innocent, but not naive. He's a typical entitled first born, but with a surprising sentimental side. His sense of humor is my favorite thing about him. He loves to draw comics, make stop motion videos, and play ultimate frisbee. He's a softee for his baby sister, especially when showing her off gets him attention. He's a performer and loves being the alpha in the pack. My career predictions for him: Youth minster, writer, graphic designer, stand-up comic, or history teacher.
Titus: He's in 5th grade this year and our plan was to wait until 6th to start homeschool, but everything fell into place to start him a year early. He was diagnosed with dyslexia this past spring, which motivated me to find some time to do intensive one on one intervention with him. Add that to the fact that his two best friends both moved away this summer and it became the perfect year to start homeschool. I'm struggling a bit teaching him, but he is loving it. He got a keyboard for his 10th birthday and will be starting lessons soon. He, like Levi, is a sucker for his youngest siblings as well. Everyday little miss demands, "Get on back," and he'll piggy back her all over the house. He's kept his tender heart, which is my favorite, but is also growing an explosive backbone in reaction to Levi's first born-ness. Both will suit him well in life. He's the family ramen noodle or toast chef and loudest laugher at silly animal videos. My favorite thing about him is his humility. He's a bit of a loner but only because he's comfortable with himself. My career predictions: Vet, Zoo worker, Special ed teacher or Chef.
Seth: The resident super genius of the family is rocking 3rd grade as usual. The other day at pick-up the GT teacher got Cory's attention and asked, "Are you Seth's dad?' He's a great kid." It's true. That boy is so easy to parent, except when it comes to dinner time. He's probably my pickiest eater and he won't be manipulated by dessert or threatened by starvation until breakfast...he just won't eat it if he doesn't like it. He's the kid in our family with the tightest friend group. And his friends Jacob, Amos, Nate and George are just as cool as he is. He loves doing anything Levi is doing. They often disappear in the afternoons just the two of then to "train" for American Ninja Warrior or play some kind of Japanese card trading game (Pokemon, Yugi-oh, Vanguard...I don't know, they're all the same to me.) His loves are still kinda the generic things that most boys love: legos and video games. He's a deep thinker and is perfecting his dead pan humor. He's got more nick names that anyone else in our family: Seffy, Sef, Weffs, Fluffy, Fluffs a lot, and Ding Dong to name a few. My favorite thing about him is his matter of fact confidence. Future career predictions: Basically anything he wants to be.
Judah: Is getting his feet grounded in 2nd grade. He is rocking math and does his homework every night all by himself, unless it's a word problem. He was also diagnosed last year with dyslexia and ADD and I'm learning a whole new vocabulary because of it: IEP vs 504 plans, All About Reading vs Barton program, Vyvanse vs Focalin...it's alot to figure out. Judah is the one who can have me screaming and then have me belly laughing in the same five minutes. He plays the pestering little bother role well, but lately has really owned his place as a big brother. I know he would be even better at it if HIS big brothers would give him the chance to be a big brother. There is a lot of fighting for the attention of the little two in our house and he wants in on that game. He is a different kid than he was 3 years ago. He is so secure in our family that the worst thing you can do to him is make him play by himself. He has an equally insatiable hunger for food and information. His most repeated phrases are: "I'm hungry!"..."why?"...and "how?" He loves robotics, technology, and drawing. He can tolerate Silas' aggressive play better than any of the other brothers can which is a nice relief when they are paired together. My favorite thing about him are his funny facial expressions and the grin he gets when he makes us laugh. My career predictions: Engineer, Artist, or Graphic designer.
Canaan: He is our resident performer, social lite, and lover boy. Cory and I totally promote the stereotype of him being a good dancer because he's black, and he eats it up. Also, it fits. He is a REALLY good dancer. He loves being teased about his girlfriend Lilah, even thought he can't have a girlfriend till he's 16. He's an emotional kid with an easy cry that definitely has a lot to do with a controlling mother and being sandwiched between several older brothers and several high maintenance younger siblings. He is our middle child that soaks up attention like a sponge. He played soccer last year- correction- last year he ran around on a soccer field and was sometimes in the proximity of the ball while his teammates played soccer :) - but this year he wants to try out a circus gymnastics/acrobatics class that I know he will excel at. He was diagnosed with ADHD and is the poster child for medication. His teacher can always tell when he has and hasn't had his medicine. He is repeating kindergarten, which even though it was our plan all along, was really hard to do because he is so social and relationship driven. During after school pick up a few weeks back a kid from last year saw him and yelled, "You're still in kindergarten!" And I was very proud of my husband for not punching said kid in the face. I think it's going to be a good year for him though. He has the same teacher again who we absolutely love. He is taking off academically now so much, in fact, that he is often the helper in class. Being a leader all day at school is a pretty good gig when you are brother number 5 at home. My favorite thing about him is obviously his dance moves :) but also how proud he is when we are applauding him. Future career predictions: Cirque du soleil, Long distance runner (he's got the build for it), Marriage and Family counselor, or Teacher.
Silas: Oh Silas, if I was a drinker, this boy would be the reason why...except I don't drink so instead he is the reason why I write. :) He's the kind of kid who is lucky to be gorgeous. He is strong willed and smart- a terrible combination to parent. He is full of antics. Some that honestly make me laugh- like the time the school nurse caught me and asked if I had ever noticed his eye turning inward because his teacher had reported it on his screening. I told her he probably did it on purpose and when I asked him "Did you do that trick with your eyes?" he looked back at both of us cross-eyed and grinning with perfect comedic timing. And then there are the other antics that make me want to cry, not laugh, and make me question my ability as a mother. He is hyper, impulsive, aggressive and often angry...like I said he is lucky to be so cute. We are trying out different medications for him with little success so far, but I'm not giving up hope. This past weekend his teacher from last year took him to the movies on a special date because she knows we are struggling with him. He loves him some Ms B. He has never once shown her his dark side and I think it's because he can feel that she is absolutely For Him. As a mother it is an unmatched endearment you have for someone that loves your challenging kid. I don't care if she tortures kittens on the weekend. I will always love Ms B for the way she loves Silas. My favorite thing about Silas is how he forgives me when I fail him. My future career predictions: Jury is still out on this one... and no I am not trying to foreshadow his future carer as an inmate. ;)
Little Mr: Little Mr is 3 1/2 and trying on different personalities. He can be hyper and wound up or imaginative and playful depending on which brother he is copying. With me, he is what I call an "invasive snuggler" and is only satisfied when we are touching skin to skin in a hold he requests as, "Momma do tummies?" He says "dook" instead of "look" and Cory won't let me correct him. His dimples will make your heart melt. This year we pulled him out of daycare away from his sister and started him in the the Pre-K 3 program. Thanks to my teacher request we hit the jackpot again with that "puppy killer" Ms B. You know, sometimes you question your decisions as a parent and we were nervous to put him in school because he would be all by himself without any sisters or brothers attending. But Cory and I high-five each other on this one. We nailed it. He is thriving. My favorite thing about him is his assuredness in our family. He doesn't doubt for one second that his last name is actually Jones-Boy and not just Jones. Future career predictions: He is too young to tell but hopefully something where he'll have enough finances to care for his aging parents. We'll be 52 when he leaves for college.
Litte Miss: The biggest surprise of my life is having a girl. But if I have to share the throne with someone else, I'm glad it's her. A few weeks back we were talking about rearranging bedrooms and told the boys that because she's the only girl she would always get her own room even when they have to bunk up 3 and 4 to a room. That's when she announced, "Ha ha. I'm the girl." We didn't even realize she was following our conversation! She is sweet except when she's sassy and gentle except when she's bossy. At daycare pick up she likes to announce "I didn't bite my friends!" and poor Gia gets blamed for everything that happens at school. She will demand that the boys "Look at my pretty hair!" But when she's angry she will whip that bow out of her hair and throw it to the ground faster than you can blink, and then quickly follow it by taking off her shoes and chucking them to the floor as well. (Cory does a fantastic impression of this.) My favorite thing about her is the joy she brings to our whole family. I have no clue what her career will be. She 's still so young at only 2 1/2. Truly, the last thing I wanted to do was raise another toddler, but she is good for us. She is so good for us. She can swing the mood of the whole house with a quirky dance, one of her infamous cackles, or by commanding "blankie" and looking up at us with her two fingers stuck in her mouth waiting for someone to obey her order. In short, she's just what we needed and we didn't even know it.
It's true my current writings have had a heavy tone to them, mostly because we've been dealing with some heavy stuff and writing helps me cope. Written language is the way I process. I love words. I get jazzed by an exceptionally phrased sentence or song lyric that nails exactly what I'm feeling.
Lately my feelings have been very bipolar. Depending on when you check in with me I might report back, "I love the loud chaos of my life. I love that we're not sterile and proper. I love everything about having a big family," or I might tell you what I (mostly) sarcastically mouthed to Cory across the lunch table yesterday, "I could walk away from this right now and never look back." Granted, that was my response on a Sunday. Don't ever schedule a Jones well check on a Sunday. The prognosis will never be good. Sundays around here are brutal.
But today is Monday and the birds are chirping again, the air is finally cooler outside, and I'm home by myself for the next four hours. On Mondays everyone is in school, even the homeschoolers go to co-op, so it's my one chance to eat chocolate without having to hide in a closet or be forced to share.
Monday is a good neutral day to report a more accurate Jones Family well-check:
Levi: He just turned 13 and so far my first week of parenting a teenager is going great. Only 5 more years to keep this up:) Honestly, he really is a great kid. He is cool, but not popular. He is innocent, but not naive. He's a typical entitled first born, but with a surprising sentimental side. His sense of humor is my favorite thing about him. He loves to draw comics, make stop motion videos, and play ultimate frisbee. He's a softee for his baby sister, especially when showing her off gets him attention. He's a performer and loves being the alpha in the pack. My career predictions for him: Youth minster, writer, graphic designer, stand-up comic, or history teacher.
Titus: He's in 5th grade this year and our plan was to wait until 6th to start homeschool, but everything fell into place to start him a year early. He was diagnosed with dyslexia this past spring, which motivated me to find some time to do intensive one on one intervention with him. Add that to the fact that his two best friends both moved away this summer and it became the perfect year to start homeschool. I'm struggling a bit teaching him, but he is loving it. He got a keyboard for his 10th birthday and will be starting lessons soon. He, like Levi, is a sucker for his youngest siblings as well. Everyday little miss demands, "Get on back," and he'll piggy back her all over the house. He's kept his tender heart, which is my favorite, but is also growing an explosive backbone in reaction to Levi's first born-ness. Both will suit him well in life. He's the family ramen noodle or toast chef and loudest laugher at silly animal videos. My favorite thing about him is his humility. He's a bit of a loner but only because he's comfortable with himself. My career predictions: Vet, Zoo worker, Special ed teacher or Chef.
Seth: The resident super genius of the family is rocking 3rd grade as usual. The other day at pick-up the GT teacher got Cory's attention and asked, "Are you Seth's dad?' He's a great kid." It's true. That boy is so easy to parent, except when it comes to dinner time. He's probably my pickiest eater and he won't be manipulated by dessert or threatened by starvation until breakfast...he just won't eat it if he doesn't like it. He's the kid in our family with the tightest friend group. And his friends Jacob, Amos, Nate and George are just as cool as he is. He loves doing anything Levi is doing. They often disappear in the afternoons just the two of then to "train" for American Ninja Warrior or play some kind of Japanese card trading game (Pokemon, Yugi-oh, Vanguard...I don't know, they're all the same to me.) His loves are still kinda the generic things that most boys love: legos and video games. He's a deep thinker and is perfecting his dead pan humor. He's got more nick names that anyone else in our family: Seffy, Sef, Weffs, Fluffy, Fluffs a lot, and Ding Dong to name a few. My favorite thing about him is his matter of fact confidence. Future career predictions: Basically anything he wants to be.
Judah: Is getting his feet grounded in 2nd grade. He is rocking math and does his homework every night all by himself, unless it's a word problem. He was also diagnosed last year with dyslexia and ADD and I'm learning a whole new vocabulary because of it: IEP vs 504 plans, All About Reading vs Barton program, Vyvanse vs Focalin...it's alot to figure out. Judah is the one who can have me screaming and then have me belly laughing in the same five minutes. He plays the pestering little bother role well, but lately has really owned his place as a big brother. I know he would be even better at it if HIS big brothers would give him the chance to be a big brother. There is a lot of fighting for the attention of the little two in our house and he wants in on that game. He is a different kid than he was 3 years ago. He is so secure in our family that the worst thing you can do to him is make him play by himself. He has an equally insatiable hunger for food and information. His most repeated phrases are: "I'm hungry!"..."why?"...and "how?" He loves robotics, technology, and drawing. He can tolerate Silas' aggressive play better than any of the other brothers can which is a nice relief when they are paired together. My favorite thing about him are his funny facial expressions and the grin he gets when he makes us laugh. My career predictions: Engineer, Artist, or Graphic designer.
Canaan: He is our resident performer, social lite, and lover boy. Cory and I totally promote the stereotype of him being a good dancer because he's black, and he eats it up. Also, it fits. He is a REALLY good dancer. He loves being teased about his girlfriend Lilah, even thought he can't have a girlfriend till he's 16. He's an emotional kid with an easy cry that definitely has a lot to do with a controlling mother and being sandwiched between several older brothers and several high maintenance younger siblings. He is our middle child that soaks up attention like a sponge. He played soccer last year- correction- last year he ran around on a soccer field and was sometimes in the proximity of the ball while his teammates played soccer :) - but this year he wants to try out a circus gymnastics/acrobatics class that I know he will excel at. He was diagnosed with ADHD and is the poster child for medication. His teacher can always tell when he has and hasn't had his medicine. He is repeating kindergarten, which even though it was our plan all along, was really hard to do because he is so social and relationship driven. During after school pick up a few weeks back a kid from last year saw him and yelled, "You're still in kindergarten!" And I was very proud of my husband for not punching said kid in the face. I think it's going to be a good year for him though. He has the same teacher again who we absolutely love. He is taking off academically now so much, in fact, that he is often the helper in class. Being a leader all day at school is a pretty good gig when you are brother number 5 at home. My favorite thing about him is obviously his dance moves :) but also how proud he is when we are applauding him. Future career predictions: Cirque du soleil, Long distance runner (he's got the build for it), Marriage and Family counselor, or Teacher.
Silas: Oh Silas, if I was a drinker, this boy would be the reason why...except I don't drink so instead he is the reason why I write. :) He's the kind of kid who is lucky to be gorgeous. He is strong willed and smart- a terrible combination to parent. He is full of antics. Some that honestly make me laugh- like the time the school nurse caught me and asked if I had ever noticed his eye turning inward because his teacher had reported it on his screening. I told her he probably did it on purpose and when I asked him "Did you do that trick with your eyes?" he looked back at both of us cross-eyed and grinning with perfect comedic timing. And then there are the other antics that make me want to cry, not laugh, and make me question my ability as a mother. He is hyper, impulsive, aggressive and often angry...like I said he is lucky to be so cute. We are trying out different medications for him with little success so far, but I'm not giving up hope. This past weekend his teacher from last year took him to the movies on a special date because she knows we are struggling with him. He loves him some Ms B. He has never once shown her his dark side and I think it's because he can feel that she is absolutely For Him. As a mother it is an unmatched endearment you have for someone that loves your challenging kid. I don't care if she tortures kittens on the weekend. I will always love Ms B for the way she loves Silas. My favorite thing about Silas is how he forgives me when I fail him. My future career predictions: Jury is still out on this one... and no I am not trying to foreshadow his future carer as an inmate. ;)
Little Mr: Little Mr is 3 1/2 and trying on different personalities. He can be hyper and wound up or imaginative and playful depending on which brother he is copying. With me, he is what I call an "invasive snuggler" and is only satisfied when we are touching skin to skin in a hold he requests as, "Momma do tummies?" He says "dook" instead of "look" and Cory won't let me correct him. His dimples will make your heart melt. This year we pulled him out of daycare away from his sister and started him in the the Pre-K 3 program. Thanks to my teacher request we hit the jackpot again with that "puppy killer" Ms B. You know, sometimes you question your decisions as a parent and we were nervous to put him in school because he would be all by himself without any sisters or brothers attending. But Cory and I high-five each other on this one. We nailed it. He is thriving. My favorite thing about him is his assuredness in our family. He doesn't doubt for one second that his last name is actually Jones-Boy and not just Jones. Future career predictions: He is too young to tell but hopefully something where he'll have enough finances to care for his aging parents. We'll be 52 when he leaves for college.
Litte Miss: The biggest surprise of my life is having a girl. But if I have to share the throne with someone else, I'm glad it's her. A few weeks back we were talking about rearranging bedrooms and told the boys that because she's the only girl she would always get her own room even when they have to bunk up 3 and 4 to a room. That's when she announced, "Ha ha. I'm the girl." We didn't even realize she was following our conversation! She is sweet except when she's sassy and gentle except when she's bossy. At daycare pick up she likes to announce "I didn't bite my friends!" and poor Gia gets blamed for everything that happens at school. She will demand that the boys "Look at my pretty hair!" But when she's angry she will whip that bow out of her hair and throw it to the ground faster than you can blink, and then quickly follow it by taking off her shoes and chucking them to the floor as well. (Cory does a fantastic impression of this.) My favorite thing about her is the joy she brings to our whole family. I have no clue what her career will be. She 's still so young at only 2 1/2. Truly, the last thing I wanted to do was raise another toddler, but she is good for us. She is so good for us. She can swing the mood of the whole house with a quirky dance, one of her infamous cackles, or by commanding "blankie" and looking up at us with her two fingers stuck in her mouth waiting for someone to obey her order. In short, she's just what we needed and we didn't even know it.
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1:53 PM
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