The Appearance of Landon's Conscience

Subtitle: ...and the not so surprising disappearance of my patience. I'll get to Landon's conscience in a minute. First let's talk about this picture on the right that I discovered on my desk at school upon returning from lunch one day this week. Yes, that's what you think it is. What else could it be? Now if this would've appeared on my desk, say two years ago, I would've held it up (with my thumb on the poop) and said in my sweetest first grade teacher voice, "Boys and girls, who drew me the lovely picture of the lion?" And then when one of them said, "Oh I did, Mrs. Kutscher," I would've later quietly and discreetly pulled them aside and talked to them in a sugar coated voice about how it was inappropriate to draw animals POOPING at school. When it happened this week, I thought, "what the?" showed it to a few of my colleagues, and shoved it in my bag. I didn't even try to figure out who had done it. Mostly because if I could sum up in a drawing how the past month has gone at school, it most definitely would involve some kind of excrement. It's possible that God himself put this drawing on my desk...in efforts to lighten my mood. There's a preview for Finding Nemo that's on our Monster's Inc. DVD where Marlin (Nemo's Dad) yells: "Could I please be eaten by a bigger fish?! I would voluntarily go on a hook!" I've been looking for my hook this week. Instead I got a picture of lion pooping. Sigh. Okay, that's the end of my rant.

So as my patience disappear into oblivion, Landon is developing a conscience. I've noticed lately that as soon as Landon does something that he's not supposed to (makes a mess, breaks something, whatever) he feels the need to tell on himself. If I'm around when it happens, he searches for Chad to tell him about it. If Chad's there, it's the first thing I hear about when I come back. Evidently there was an incident at school this week which involved him swatting a Lego gun out of another student's hands because he didn't want to be shot at. (a valid request I believe)...30 minutes after his teacher corrected his behavior, Landon apologized to her with tears in his eyes. Chad and I are happy to know the kid has a conscience. There is however, a fine line between having a conscience and not wanting to get in trouble and letting other kids push you around because you don't want to stand up for yourself in fear that you're going to get in trouble. You read me here? This parenting gig is DIFFICULT.

Landon brought home a class book this week with a page from each student. Here he is with the book. I'm putting on his page, too. So proud of his coloring in the lines! His fine motor is really improving. He's writing his name totally independently and it's looking pretty decent for being 4. I'm really relieved he's interested in doing these kind of things now. Last year, he wasn't there yet.

Here are the boys one morning taking in some Nick Jr. before leaving for the day. If I could petition the programmers at Nick Jr, I would. I know this doesn't effect 98% of the world, but since they rearranged their programming schedule, we have to listen to the Fresh Beat Band every morning at 7:00 instead of watching some cute little animated program like Pinky Dinky Doo. The Fresh Beat Band is a little too fresh (and annoying) to start my morning off. Their stinkin songs get stuck in my head and they're stuck there all day. Darn you, fresh beats. Darn you all to eck....as Landon would say.

I think I'm gonna wrap this up before I sound even more like a crabby, pesismistic, party-pooper. The tone here is a little grouch-esque. All I can say is, COME ON SPRING. I need some help here!! Cue the sunshine and warmer temps and get rid of all this BLESSED SNOW! I need some fresh air, some chicken off the grill, and a summer vacation!