5 for Friday

1.

My 5 year old son started Kindergarten this year. We have worked on letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. While I didn't really push hard on these he had a pretty good grasp on the basics. I had noticed, however, that he had started getting certain colors mixed up. At first I thought he was being silly or maybe he didn't know how to classify a certain shade (ex: light green might look yellow). My mom said one of my brothers was the same way. He seemed to forget colors when he started school. I also have 2 uncles who are colorblind so I was aware of the possibility.

I mentioned this to the doctor at my son's school physical. She suggested going online and showing him some colorblind test pictures. I kept forgetting. It wasn't really a priority since there isn't much you can do about colorblindness. The problem is that he is starting to get mixed up on his coloring pages at school. He seems frustrated at times.

One reason I didn't make more effort on the tests is that I wasn't sure he knew his numbers well enough. I thought if he couldn't get the number he might just be confused by what he saw. This week I took my older son to the doctor for allergies. While we were waiting I saw a medical journal that talked about colorblind testing for children. It showed one picture with shapes instead of numbers. I decided to check online for similar tests. I found a few but I liked this one. As you read through the explanation below the picture, you will see that only a person with red-green color deficiency can see the cow and the fox and they can't see the bear.

I asked my son to show me the animals. Sure enough, he pointed out a cow, a fox, a rabbit and a squirrel. I asked if he could see the bear, He said, "No, it's not a bear it's a fox!" I even pointed to the bear. Again he yelled at me and said "Not there! Here!" and pointed to the fox.

I guess that settles it. I am not sure if I need to get a formal diagnosis from a doctor. I might have his eyes checked just for good measure. I am admittedly a little sad. I found a lot of information online about this.  The most interesting is that colorblind people often like yellow. This has been his favorite color for a long time. In fact I have never known a person to be so attached to a color!

2.

My oldest son has been really defiant and rebellious lately. I know some of this is because his father is overseas. I can sometimes see him weighing his options "What will she do if I ____?" It is very frustrating for both of us. I am sure some of this is the dreaded "teenage angst". I had hoped he would be older before he got so moody!



3.

My 20 month old is getting moody, too. He is usually very sweet and good natured. Now, he is throwing some serious tantrums! He's biting people and hitting.

The other day he was having a doozy. I could not calm him down. On a whim, I asked if he missed Daddy. He wailed "DADA!!!!" and buried his head in my chest. It was so pitiful!

Before my husband left, we took pictures of him with each of the children. I bought some plastic frames so each child could have their own photo of themselves with Daddy. I had not given the baby his picture yet. I didn't think he would notice much. That morning, as he was weeping in dispare, I asked one of the other kids to bring me the picture. He hugged it and snuggled up to me. Every minute or so he would look at it, then hug it again. I was so surprised! I guess I shouldn't have been. He is kind of a Daddy's boy and was really starting to get attached when Daddy went away. I have realized that I need to be more aware of my little guy and his feelings.

4.

I like to listen to books on CD when I do housework, especially big jobs like I have been doing this

week.  I went to the library and checked out My Lucky Life In And Out Of Show Business: A Memoir by Dick Van Dyke. Overall, I enjoyed it. It was read by Mr. Van Dyke himself. He has a very positive attitude. I was more disappointed than I expected to learn that he left his wife for another woman after many years of marriage. Although he didn't regret his choices, I saw that aspect of his story as a cautionary tale for all married couples. I couldn't help but wonder how differently things might have been if his wife had been more supportive of his interests. I am not blaming her but the reasons seemed so common and so easily preventable.

5.

I have been trying to nag less and trust my kids more. I have not yelled or gripped about the half finished chores for several days. I also have not been making up the difference as I normally do. I have allowed them to see that happens when they don't do their jobs.

It isn't going well. The house looks like a pigsty! (Relatively speaking) What has been most frustrating is that the kids don't get it. They complain a little and make half-hearted efforts but they have done very little.

Along the same lines, I have been slowly cleaning out closets, drawers, and toy boxes. I have moved most of the toys and books into hiding. Some will be going away for good. I have again been stunned to find their rooms still messy!

This is all part of plan to change the way things work around our home. I need a plan that works for me, personally. I have been given several suggestions but I refuse to spend my day following the childrenw ith a notebook to keep track of who does what and how many minutes they get to play a game or watch TV. I just don't have it in me. I have been paying more attention to our habits and natural abilities and I am working on a system that I think will work. Wish me luck!