Proud Mama Geek

Marty is laying on the couch, in his underwear, one hand petting our cat, reading War of the Worlds. My geeky little Mommy heart is so proud!

Social Security, Third Time's the Charm, Right?

Here we go again.  Third try since 2005 to get Social Security Disability for Ellie.  It took me four hours to fill out all of the online forms.  FOUR HOURS.  I'm exhausted!

Rumble in the Flower Patch

Marty came home today bragging about his (one-sided) first fight.

Apparently three 2nd Graders have been entertaining themselves by tearing up a dandelion patch. Marty, the eco-warrior, took offense to this. He, Ashlyn, and Ryder (the shortest, roundest boy in Marty's class) banded together and told the bigger kids to stop, they were hurting nature. Ashlyn had a ball in her hands, which "Mr. Green Money" (the boy had on a shirt with money and the words "I should get paid to be this awesome") took and used to hit Ryder in the eye. Marty shielded Ashyln and the bigger boy used the ball to hit Marty in the stomach. He then punched Marty in the stomach twice. He grabbed Marty by the throat and choked him "really hard." Marty was very proud that he didn't cry.

At dismissal, the same boy grabbed Marty and said that he and his friends were going to "beat [Marty] up tomorrow at the corner."

I asked Marty if he fought back, and he said he didn't even think about hitting back. He was too surprised to be hit in the first place. We talked about fighting not being the answer, and I expressed how much more important he was than a dandelion patch. He said, "Picking nature is against school rules, and we have to defend the school rules." He is insistent that he must "defend nature," which apparently consists of as many 1st Graders as he can gather forming a human shield (i.e. punching bag) between the sacred yellow blossoms and the evil destructors from the 2nd Grade.

If he were hurt, I would be upset. Since he's not hurt, I can be tongue-in-cheek. This is the boy who didn't want to check out the wrestling club because "don't they know they could hurt each other?" He is also the same boy who separated two roughhousing Webelos twice his size because he thought they were fighting. And here he is, ready to sacrifice himself for a patch of dandelions.

My boy, my joy.  Looks like it's time for martial arts.

Musings

I can't sleep. My Muse is prodding me. She also wants wine coolers and cigarettes, of which I have neither. The stories want out, but I can't seem to give in. I'm fighting the urge, which has become increasingly rare. I don't know why.

Ellie AWESOMENESS

Marty has been pretending to be a cat tonight, "Angry Kitten," his alter-ego who can hiss his disapproval without getting in trouble for being disrespectful. Angry kitten was hissing about bedtime.

When I went across the hall to tuck Ellie in, she smiled at me, stretched, and made a lazy, drawn out "Mrrrowww." She was a cat! She was pretending! She wasn't copying - Marty was hissing and growling, not meowing. She was pretend-playing!

Also, I asked her if she wanted "Mommy stay, or Mommy out?" She answered, "Mommy in here." She didn't echo! She used independent words from her own personal vocabulary!

So awesome!