Category Archives: Raising Kids

You Know It’s Summer When …

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1. Your kids and their friends are making s’mores in your backyard (with real wire hangers, of course — old school).

2. You come downstairs to random children “sleeping over” on your family room floor.

3. Clutter starts to consist of towels, flip-flops, and tubes of sunscreen.

4. There is sand underneath your desk-chair wheels.

5. Your fridge is filled with watermelon, frozen grapes, and cherries.

6. You hardly ever have to wash socks.

7. You don’t think to eat dinner until 8 p.m., when it finally gets dark.

8. The sound of baseball is drifts through the house from the TV all weekend.

9. Even though you still have to go to work, mornings are relaxed and peaceful as you tip-toe past sleeping teenagers.

10. Sunday morning breakfasts include sausage outside on the grill.

What are your favorite signs of summer?

 

Writing Kids …

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Ricky for KBGA Radio

All my kids are writing these days, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

Rene has tiptoed into the realm of fiction with a great short story and some beautiful poetry. (She uses “beats” so naturally, and her sentences have gorgeous variety.) Nate just wrote a really funny, clever “commercial” that he had to film in his class — he took on the whole writing aspect for his entire group, plus did the reading as the narrator, and was thrilled to get applause from his fellow seventh graders! And Ricky’s been sending me his articles for his journalism classes, and they’re terrific. (Great, natural use of quotes, as well as lyrical sentences.) Ricky’s also been reading news and sports on his college radio station, so I get to tune in every-other Tuesday and hear his articles live and hear him banter the news. (So fun!)

The trick was — all these years — I couldn’t ever actually suggest they get into writing of any kind. (Because then it would’ve been a rebellious kind of Mommmm, no!) And I still have to bite my tongue all the time and try not to suggest it too much.

But when they discover it on their own … then … yes!!! … they get to experience the magic I always did.

Have you ever wanted to push your kids into talents or professions, but simply had to control yourself?

Art Auditions

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Rene auditioned for Orange County’s High School of the Arts today. She scored two auditions  — one for the Fine Arts Conservatory, and another (later in Feb) for TV/Motion Picture Conservatory.

 I was so proud of her as I saw her trudging toward the high-rise city school, toting her huge portfolio at her side, with all her paintings and sketches in it. It’s hard to put your work out there when you’re in a creative field — hard to be judged, especially when you’re young. (You create a thicker skin as you get older, but still it’s hard.)

And her odds at this school are slim, since she’s coming in so late to the four-year program (she’d be coming in as a junior). There has to be a spot open, and there’s no telling if there will be or not.

But … she trudged along anyway, that huge portfolio at her side, looking pretty determined about walking into her first art audition.

Even if she doesn’t get in, I’m really proud of her for trying.

That girl’s got grit. …

Ricky’s Home!

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He flew in Saturday morning, and the whole family went to pick him up at Long Beach airport, which is a tiny, time-warpish airport with only four small terminals, where you can sit at umbrella-shaded formica picnic tables and eat danishes while your loved one comes out at the one small baggage claim and can spot you right away. It’s an awesome little airport. Rene, Nate and I fed the birds until Chris came around the corner with Ricky, who was still wearing his flannel shirt and coat and “looking all Montana-ish,” according to Nathan.

He also looked a little tired — he had been up for 26 hours (because he’d finished his last final 26 hours ago, and then spent the afternoon packing and watching the last playoff game for his college team, but was afraid his friends, and his ride to the airport, would not wake up in time for the 4;30 a.m. trek). But he still managed to share a few stories and details before doing these five important things he’d been dying to do:

1. Driving in his car again.

2. Visiting the girl he missed most.

3. Visiting his group of friends from high school, who all got together that night.

4. Taking a nap on our couch.

5. Eating an In-N-Out burger.

Then it was off to our Sanchez family Christmas party a few hours later, where he got to have his uncle’s gumbo again and answer tons of questions from his uncles, nino, nina, cousins, etc.

(I think he caught up on some sleep Sunday morning.)

It’s good to have him home. It’ll be a fun five weeks. …

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