Which Would You Choose? A Math Lesson From Rose

Oooo, you should choose the second one.  Because that's a way lots more money.  Patrick thinks they are the same, but he doesn't know that more zeroes means more dollars.  See, but now I am in first grade and so I know that.

Weston Red Barn Field Trip!

We had a great time at Weston Red Barn in Weston, Missouri.  We arrived just after 2 pm, when the school tours are wrapping up and free admission hours begin.

We picked apples at the orchard.  There were a large number of bees around, but they never stung us.  They seemed very content to hop about the apple trees and didn't bother us at all.  If you're still and quiet in the middle of the orchard, you can hear the hum of their hive.  So bring an epi-pen if need be... but I don't think you'll need it.

There are several different sorts of animals about including rabbits, cows and a tiny mini-pony.  He's pictured here.  I would be surprised if he measures much taller than three feet.

There's also a pumpkin patch and a hay ride, but we'd expended a fair bit of energy looking around and ferrying little buckets of apples to fill our bag at the gift shop.  It was hot today!

The apples are quite good, but they're not as perfect and polished-looking as the shiny ones you see at the store.  They're much duller and have small dings and things like that.  But they're good.  They taste just like the air smells near the trees, just a little sweet and like fall.

It's Hammer-Time.

Unrelated photo of my grandfather.

As you may remember, Pony Boy had a problem calling our house for a while.  I've been suspicious of him bullying Emperor ever since they became "friends."  Emperor is plenty smart, but he doesn't always catch the social cues.

It seems the calls would happen for a while and then suddenly stop.  Every few months, Emperor would be the target again.  I know it's Pony Boy and one other kid with a different voice.  But we never knew who.

Lately the calls have escalated in their disrespect and the level of crudeness displayed.  You know, I try to give a lot of leeway to children because that's what they are.  They make mistakes.  I kept telling them that this was really not in their best interest to continue doing this.

Yesterday, we got a couple of very disgusting phone calls.  One happened when I answered the phone and apparently?  Someone else was calling in at the same time and leaving a horrid message on the machine.  They are very crude gay sex, masturbation and drug-related phone calls.  Screaming phone calls.  It was just too much at that point.

Unfortunately, we found out our local police would do nothing unless I handed them the suspect's name and phone number.  And even then, they're juveniles so good luck with that.  It was very disheartening to hear.  What the policewoman said was that often, the best thing to do is to involve the school's "resource officer."

Well, I'm mighty disinclined to involve the police in school when it concerns an after-school problem, but the point was made that the kids all go to school together, so... at least they can be made aware of the situation.

Sigh.  So I went to see Officer "Hammer-Time" at the school first thing in the morning at a friend's suggestion.  (Yes, I have to have a nickname for everyone, ok?)  He is a very nice person and took my tip about Pony Boy.  He called the kid in to "chat," and of course kids are all overwhelmed by the badge, spill everything, and now the cops/school know who did this.  It was him and some kid I will call Twig Boy.  If you knew their names?  You'd say the nicknames fit. 

Anywayyy.

BETTER than anything I could have asked for? Is the fact that it turns out this happened on the school bus. Which means the bullying counts as taking place "on school grounds." Which means school consequences, sports team consequences, and home consequences are gonna happen. The triad.

Just imagine getting that phone call, and learning your kid has just bullied a disabled child.  For months.  And wouldn't stop when his parents asked him to.  Wouldn't want to be those kids this weekend. 

Iowa Open

Ok, so Rose lost every game.  But she had a great time in the Rated Beginner section.  Emperor played in the Reserve section.  We got to see plenty of players we don't normally run across.  Still sorting the laundry from our trip.  :)

Is it Bullying if it Doesn't Bother You?

In one of his classes,  Emperor had only a couple friends because "the rest of the people are jerks and say nasty things to me." After clarifying a bit, I told him he was being bullied and that when it happens again, he should tell a teacher.

"What?  I'm not being bullied.  I'm not going to let them bully me.  They're just jerks."

I talked with him (ok, lectured) about how he shouldn't have to deal with that sort of hostile environment and so on.  Emperor countered that he was there to learn about (subject) and he's just not going to let these other kids keep him from that.  So there is no bullying going on because he's refusing to be bullied. 

Here I had kept him away from physical education last year because his twisted legs would prevent him from running well.  I know he is going to be mocked.  Emperor has been insisting - for some time - that it is not his problem if other people don't like him.  He would like to take PE, please.

So I have signed him up for PE this year.  I do hate sending him where he's going to be teased, but Emperor genuinely wants to go.  Emperor thinks I do not understand.  He cannot be bullied, he says, if it doesn't bother him.

Chess Camp!

Emperor has just returned from the Anatoly Karpov International School of Chess, where he's attended camp with GM Var Akobian.  He had such a great time.

The camp is held in Lindsborg, Kansas, which was settled by Swedes.  Want to see police and fire signs in Swedish?  Your town.  It's also populated with lots of horses like this.  They're called "Dala Horses."

The town is called "Little Sweden" and there are Swedish craft shops, Swedish restaurants, and the local high school team is called... The Swedes. 

Emperor really wants to move here.  If I have to leave the big city, I want a house like this one.

Would You Swim with Wild Crocodiles?

 

The fun part is reading the comments that say this is his life, he's an American, he has rights, leave him alone. Really? He's leading a boatload of tourists who wouldn't be able to rescue him or operate the boat (let alone figure out how to get back to dock) if trouble happened.