My dogs and my kids; sometimes I can't tell the difference.

So I work from my home and get to spend a lot of time with both my boys and my girls (my dogs).  We have two dogs in our family.  Both are rescues and both are integral parts of our family.  Which is why we call them "the girls".

Gretchen is a black and tan mini-dox who thinks she's tough and sounds like she's tough but in reality she isn't.  Daisy is a tri-color basset hound who sounds tough but doesn't think she is tough but in reality she really is.  It's just that she has a pretty long fuse.

The other day I'm going to be gone for a few hours so I do what I normally do.  I ask the girls to get in their box (kennel) so they don't have free run in the house.  Who knows what will happen if I leave them alone in the house?

They share the same kennel.  It is extra large from a previous (much larger) dog that we had.  One dog always gets there earlier than the other and establishes position.  Waiting for the second dog.  When second dog arrives the first always has to growl to let the second know they are there and to not come "too close".  I really don't know why they growl and I don't speak dog so this is speculation.

I got to thinking the other day that even though my two girls really love each other they don't treat each other very well.  They can't lay on the same couch together.  They fight over who gets the ice cubes first and many times Gretchen has to "watch her step" around the bigger and older Daisy.  And many times Gretchen forgets to "watch her step" around the bigger and older Daisy.  Not so good things happen here.  They compete for the best spot on Mom's lap.

At the same time I know they both support each other and would do anything to protect each other.  For example, if one dog starts barking at something outside the other joins in.  They have a mutual "enemy".  One time we took both dogs to "doggie daycare".  Daisy had been there before and Gretchen had not.  Of course, all the dogs wanted to sniff the new dog and Gretchen was shaking like a leaf.  But guess who got in the way and backed at least 20 dogs down?  Several were at least 5 times Daisy's size.  I was told that Gretchen wasn't bothered the rest of the day.  I guess it is kind of the "nobody is going to mess with my sister, except for me" rule.

It's amazing to me how similar this is to my boys.  It seems when they are in close proximity... at the dinner table or both near the computer, watching TV, doing chores or sometimes in the car (that one's not so bad thankfully)... that they just get kinda crazy and some mysterious forces occur that they have to pick at each other or antagonize each other.  I don't understand it but it is soooo similar to the way the girls act.  I say this because I truly believe my boys would defend each other against common enemies at any time.  And that is really neat to see.

So, I believe I've determined the differences to be that my boys have two legs and the girls have four; the girls can be legally kenneled and the boys can't (although I can send them to their rooms); the girls don't talk back and the boys do.  Some similarities are they all like to "bark" and they all have tales or tails.

Here are pictures of my two girls napping.  On separate couches, of course!

But in the end it is neat to see their loyalty for each other and also the interaction between all four as they are all great friends.

Parenting kids who already think they know everything!

Does anyone know how to do this?

In my case I have two of those kids.  Both are many times too smart for their own good.  (After re-reading this I find that you can read the previous sentence two different way.  Both are applicable.)  I have joked in the past about the fact that I'm raising a junior law firm right in my own home.

Jeff likes to debate, negotiate, argue, dispute, fight etc.  Many times I just want him to shut up and do as he is told because I told him to.  Many times I tell him this with the wrong delivery - read between the lines here - and that only leads to a bigger discussion or - in the past more than now - a blowout.  A collision of wills.

I remember back to when I didn't have any kids yet and my older brother was pulling his hair out with his oldest daughter.  At the time, she must have been about 5 or 6.  He kept telling me that she was so strong-willed and that it was very frustrating... at least I think that was the term.

Well, I, with all of my infinite parenting wisdom, "counseled" him with these profound words.  "You know, that will will serve her well one day."  Cough, choke and snort.  I've been eating those words ever since and they don't taste the greatest and they have a long after-taste.

The fact is that it has served my niece well and I'm pretty confident that it will serve my kids well as long as they learn to temper their will when they need to.  Sometimes they do; many times they do not.  I have the same problem.

As Sam has moved on into 6th grade he has become a master of questions and many times the questions are unnecessary if he would just think about them.  That is another topic.  However, many of the questions just seem to be a way to question my authority and I want to cram them back down his throat.  I know a lot of teachers proclaim that there is no such thing as a stupid question.  They haven't lived in my house.

With Sam, I have to wonder.

My kids are likely more intelligent than I am but when it comes to how smart they are... that's another story.

Perfect Pitch; Less than Perfect Practice

Sam is amazing.

I was just doing my daily Wii Fit workout.  I know... pretty strenuous but at least it's better than nothing and indoors!  Anyway, it has the catchy tunes that it plays while you're doing the various exercises and all of the sudden Sam comes down and starts playing along with the songs on his viola.  He had never tried to play them before but was basically playing the tunes and sometimes a little extra solo stuff, too.  It cracked me up.  He has a hard time opening up his practice book but he can play what he hears.

Then he grabs his saxophone and proceeds to do the same thing to a different song played during a different exercise.  We had fun and it was amazing as he could just play them off the top of his head.  Had never seen music for these songs or even tried them before.  Because he could hear them he could play them.  It was that simple.

I'm a sports fan and played a lot of sports when I was a kid.  I've always heard the phrase that you play as good as you practice.  Well, Sam flies in the face of that saying.  He's not a good practicer but continues to progress.  One thing we try to do is expose him to a lot of music through YouTube, CDs from the library and live events.  Our church also has great music every Sunday morning and I can just see Sam soaking up the songs and their various parts.  Pretty amazing.

One time, Anne went to an exhibit that basically had different types of glass that were set up to make different pitches.  He really enjoyed this and even got a chance to talk with the person in charge of the exhibit.  He tested Sam on the pitches and Sam was able to identify the pitches perfectly each time.  He basically has perfect pitch!  What an incredible gift!

Now if I could just get him to practice more and perhaps do his homework AND hand it in on time.  He also doesn't do a great job on his daily work - particularly in math but then finished the last semester with a perfect 100% on his final.

Sometimes I just have to shake my head... and my Wii remote.

Jeff has come sooooo far... Part 2

OK... so I told you about the struggles we've had with Jeff over the years.  It's hard to believe it's been over 10 years since he first stepped into kindergarten.

Now as a second semester sophomore in high school.  I would have never guessed he could have come this far.  The second time I pulled him out of public school to home school him was early on in the 6th grade.  After researching and trying many alternative treatments we found NAET (www.naet.com) to work for Jeffrey.  Through a consistent and long-term procedure his body became more tolerant of foods but during this process we found out he had issues with gluten, casein, and eggs in his foods.  Basically everything he was eating contained one or more of these items and his body couldn't process them and use them.

Throw in the low quality of most foods that we (as a society) eat these days with preservatives, artificial colors and whatever else they put in them and these intolerances were giving Jeff an allergic reaction that manifested itself in the inability to concentrate, follow authority, control his temper among other things.

It took two years but by the time he went back into public school because I was unable to continue homeschooling him due to my own health reasons he was a different kid.  The teachers who knew him before couldn't believe it was the same kid.  You see our focus was more about the source of Jeff's problems rather than the symptoms.  Seems like this would work in a lot of situations but that's another story or two or three.

By getting to the source of Jeff's problems he was now able to control his temper - he used to be a terrible loser at anything - and follow authority at school.  When he was younger he didn't have many friends at school or in the neighborhood and he couldn't even tell you the name of many kids in his classes.  Now he talks about friends all the time and seems to be making more all the time.  He'll never be a social butterfly and that's OK but his social skills have improved tremendously.  He prefers to call himself a nerd.

As far as social skills there is room for improvement.  As far as following authority at home there is room for improvement.  As far as treating his little brother better there is room for improvement.  But from where he was to where he is now is a tremendous improvement for which I am very thankful.  As far as grades they are good but he is still underachieving. We're working on that with organization and study skills.

He hasn't had any issues with teachers or other students since he went back into school and that's been over two years ago.  I can comfortably answer my phone now if it is the high school.

Jeff has come sooooo far! Part 1

I am so incredibly proud of my son, Jeff.

I mentioned in previous posts that Jeff has had some issues over the years.  That is a pretty big understatement.

You would think that because he is a genius that he would flourish in school.  That school would be a breeze.  That he would cruise through without even trying.  Well, if school was just reading, writing and math - I always wondered where they got the three R's - than he would.  When you have the ability to learn things the first time you're exposed to them and it takes the rest of us say... 7 times... it can get pretty boring having to wait.

You see our schools are set up to teach toward the middle of the pack.  This makes sense.  They have limited time and they have limited resources.  This even works when you have a "good, smart kid" like our Sam who pretty much rolls with the punches.  Jeff, has never been on of those "good, smart kids".  For most of his school career I would say he was one of the "pain in my butt, smart kids".  I have seen it put in an official study to the term of "at risk smart kids".  I think our jails and prisons are full of them.

We couldn't figure out why Jeff couldn't follow authority or get along with others in school.  Many told us he was just "bored".  While I do believe that part of this is true he was just unable to "play the game" of school.  We tried medication... won't ever do that again.  We tried positive and negative reinforcement.  Nope.  We tried counseling.  The therapist said she wasn't getting anywhere with him and he was pretty much dictating the sessions.  We tried more counseling.  Tested for Asperger's.  Borderline but negative.  Part of these test batteries were IQ tests which Jeff has maxed out one half or the other.

We worked with the Belin Blank Center of The University of Iowa and had testing done there.  They recommended - among other things - acceleration and telescoping of the school curriculum.  Our school districts scoffed.  I even home-schooled Jeff not once, but two different times, because in middle school they threatened to put him in juvenile court if he had more problems.  He was suspended twice during the first few months of sixth grade.  Once for upsetting a chess game because he was losing.  While I don't condone this behavior... suspension?  Come on.

It got to the point where I was wary of answering the phone because the school was calling me daily and most of the time it was about how bad my kid was with the insinuation of how bad we were at parenting.  We put Jeff in the special education department for behavior reasons but still had a lot of issues.  We were extremely frustrated.  I had resigned to the fact that maybe he wouldn't ever get better and maybe he would not be able to live on his own.  Ever.  Very humbling.

We had to start looking at things we hadn't tried before and fortunately we found it.  Jeff was allergic (intolerant) to everything he was eating and when we changed his diet things started to change.

Stick around and read tomorrow's post for more...

Hug your kids a little tighter...

I received word today that my friend's son who had been battling with cancer issues for the past four years passed away.  He was only 8 I believe.  As his dad put it so rightly, "he went to be with Jesus today".

This news has caused me to stop and reflect, shed a lot of tears and think about how blessed I am to have two great kids.  I wonder if I tell them that enough and I think the answer is "no".  This has got to change.  One of my favorite sayings about parenting is "make it apparent you're a parent".  I believe it is my saying as I don't recall reading it or hearing it elsewhere.

To me this has always meant to let my kids know when they do wrong and also to let them know when they do right.  I'm pretty good at the second one but not so good at the first.  Oh, I let them know but it's how I do it.  I'm need to change my tactics and do it with love.

Right now I just want to just grab my kids and give them a hug and let them know how much I love them no matter what their faults, mistakes, lies, deceptions, etc.  But I have to wait until they get home from school.

Can I recommend you do the same today?  Don't wait as we aren't guaranteed tomorrow as this news today has made abundantly clear.

Prayers to you my friend.

Rest in peace my little friend.

Listening or Hearing?

I struggle with this...

I just looked up the definitions on Dictionary.com becuz I find that I am constantly lecturing my boys about the difference between the two.  I'm not sure that I'm right so this is more of an opinion post.

My boys have excellent vocabularies and are experts in the fine art of manipulation of words.  We get into some deep, interesting conversations sometimes.  Many times deeper than they should be but that is one of the challenges of having two "deep readers".  See earlier posts...

So... here is just one dad's opinion.  I want listeners rather than just hearers and here is why?

Hearing means that an audible sound was picked up by the ear drum and recorded by the brain.  Something was heard like, "Jeff, the dishes need to be done."  Listening, however, means that something was heard and recorded by the brain AND that it was acted upon.  Carried out.  Followed through.  Completed.  Not forgotten.

Go back to my statement above.  The usual response is "Yeah, Dad" and then I would like to think that I was heard so it will get done.  My boys would like to think that because they responded in some way I will go away and they can go back to what they were doing and all is good.

I guess in writing this the difference is becoming more clear.  It's all in the response and the intent.  Listening will have a positive intent leading to a positive response while hearing doesn't.

Hmmmmm... I need to make sure I'm a good listener back to my kids and setting the right example.  There are times when my kids get on their run-on sentences or topics that I respond with a (hypothetical) "Yeah, Son" just so they stop or let me go back to what I was doing.

Guilty.

Selective Hearing in an Eye Doctor's Office

So we went to the eye doctor today to get both the boys' eyes examined.

Sam has worn glasses since he was two and, in fact, has to wear bifocals.  Last time Jeff was examined he had a borderline prescription and we bought glasses only to either lose or break them shortly thereafter.  The eye doc said it was marginal whether or not he needed them so we went without.

The good news is that Sam's eyes have gotten better and Jeff's really haven't deteriorated in any way.  In fact, they were still marginal and therefore we elected not to get him prescription glasses.  Instead, we got him reading glasses.  Due to his voracious appetite for reading the Dr. said it couldn't hurt and might relieve some of the stress on his eyes.  Jeff said it would "enhance his image as a geek (or maybe it was nerd)".  We went to Target after the appointment and bought three pairs for twelve bucks.

Now, if we could get the hearing checked.  A classic took place today at the eye doc.  Sam was first to have his eyes tested on the three machines - pictures, measurements, and glaucoma - I hate this one where they "poof" the air into your eye.  Well, Sam didn't like it that much either.  He didn't know the first shot was coming and after that wasn't too willing to accept the second.  He finally did and it was time for Jeff.  I "suggested" to Sam that it would be polite to not mention the air "poofs" to Jeffrey as it would be better for him not to know so he wouldn't tense up.  Just trying to think ahead.

Well, Sam didn't hear me so I mentioned it again a little louder.  At the same time the door was being opened and - you guessed it - Jeff was right there wondering what I was saying about him.  He could hear me through the door yet Sam was right in front of me and didn't hear a thing.  Suffice to say my good intentions were all I had.

Jeff got through the tests just fine but it never ceases to amaze me how when you want your kids to hear you they don't and when you don't want them to hear you they do.  I "might" be to blame here as I've been guilty of looking like I don't listen when my wife is talking to me only to repeat everything she said to me when asked.  It really ticks her off!

Any suggestions on how you get your kids to listen at the right time would be appreciated.

Powerful Combination

OK... so I've mentioned about Sam's music abilities and Jeff's writing abilities.

Individually, they are pretty awesome - dad bragging, here.  However, I was fortunate enough to see what happens when you put the two together and, well, lets just say it made me cry.

Jeff was caught goofing off (can't remember why although I'm fairly certain it had something to do with the computer and it's irrelevant here) and we had a little "intervention" meeting between his high school pastor, myself and Jeff.  The pastor and I challenged Jeff to use his skills to glorify God and gave him the assignment to write a poem because he is such an incredible writer.

Well, Jeff resisted.  He was supposed to have his poem done by the next time his small group at church got together and because he didn't the whole group joined in to encourage him. (Thanks guys!)  They were all to write a poem and share it at the next week's meeting.  Jeff still drug his feet but the day before he told me he had his poem done but I couldn't read it.

He went to group and they all read their poems.  When he came back he told me that the other guys clapped after he read his poem.  He let me read it.  I didn't clap.  Instead I bawled.  I found myself so angry with him over this ordeal that I wanted to stay angry and God had different plans.  I wanted to wring his neck but instead I gave him a hug.  I read it over and over and over.

I shared the poem with Sam and suggested that it would make a great song.  He sat down and plunked around on his keyboard.  Things were starting to come together.  I walked away and about an hour later or so Sam called me back.  He played the song for me again and it blew me away.  Crying again... I'm kind of a wimp.  I was so incredibly amazed at what had transpired throughout this whole situation.  Out of bad came good.

Enough of my rambling... I'll let you decide for yourself.  Here is a video of Sam performing the song at a recital last year.  Jeff added the graphics of his poem in over the video.  I hope you enjoy!

The Write Thing to Do

So I mentioned in my last post about our "challenges" with the computer.  But the truth is my kids would not be able to excel like they do without it.

Sam has basically self-taught himself how to use the music software, GarageBand, and without that it would take a lot longer to compose and create.

Jeff was downloading programs and loading them on my computer when he was like 3 years old.  They figure it out so fast and it's tough to keep ahead of them.

Jeff is also an incredible writer.  Because of his extensive reading his vocabulary is "out there" and his spelling is remarkable.  He is a member of The Davidson Institute as a Young Scholar and they have been providing some guidance for us as to how to get Jeff published.  He loves fiction and has an incredible imagination... sometimes too incredible.

Check out www.davidsongifted.org for more information.  The resources for the Young Scholar program are free if you qualify.  I don't think we've tapped into their full resources yet but that is more because of Jeff's stubbornness than anything else.  Our contact there along with Jeff's English Honors teach in high school are convinced he could write a book that would be published if he put the effort in.  Sometimes I feel like that's a big IF.  He can write so smoothly on the first pass it's not even funny.

Check out his blog at www.jeffreypackard.blogspot.com and start on the January 8, 2011 post.  It's titled, "Tomorrow" and he has several posts along that fictional storyline since then.  I've seen him take only about 10 minutes to complete a post and it will blow you away in it's detail and complexity.  I hope you like it.  My cousin used to work for Sony Pictures and joked that he can't wait to see the movie.

But the challenge becomes encouraging Jeff to write and use his gifts in place of wasting time doing video games and other screen time.  We argue about this often.  Some of the imaginative role playing scenarios he's developed could easily be transformed into fictional blockbusters.  I'm just trying to show him that moderation is the best way to go and screen time should not be the first priority.

I used to play a ton of video games but I also kept up on my homework and had a social life - sometimes that was a bad thing.  Basically, the whole situation is complex.  I feel like we're in the middle of some sort of story.  Some times its a horror story and other times its adventure.  Many times it's just one big mystery on how to raise my kids but I'm thankful they're mine and I'm going to do the best that I can and see where the next chapter leads!

Catch 22 - The Computer

I love the computer and I hate the computer.

How's that for an opening line.  If I didn't have the computer I wouldn't be able to write in this blog for you to read or I wouldn't be able to do my job as efficiently as I can do.  I certainly wouldn't be able to create new graphics or logos for my customers as I can't draw anything with my hands.  I write my orders on the computer and look up things on the computer that a few years back I'd have more paperwork and catalogs than I could stand.  How could we live without e-mail in this day and age.

My son, Sam, wouldn't be able to easily and quickly create the music he creates and the boys would be having to run to the library all the time for researching their school projects instead of just "googling" it on the internet.

So what I'm saying is there are a ton of good things to use the computer for AND there are a ton of bad things.  

My kids totally struggle with video game and role playing addiction.  This has been a sore subject in our house for many years.  If I let them, my boys would spend all 24/7/365 on the internet playing games.  I don't.  They think I'm ridiculous and too controlling and I want to smash the computers some times.  I won't because I paid for them.  We need computers and that's the catch.  Many people don't see them as an addiction becuz... well you don't have to have a beer to complete your homework but you do have to have a computer.

Computers are fast becoming necessary and are too easily accessible.  Screen time is a "right" that my boys feel they are entitled to but I fail to find it in the constitution or Bible anywhere.  Thus, conflict arises... and arises often.

They show signs of starting to get it.  Jeff just shared a video with me today from YouTube titled Life in a Nutshell.  I think this is showing he can laugh at his problem.  But it's serious.  I read a book that said internet addiction is the fastest growing health concern in South Korea and China.  Leading to a sedentary lifestyle and very poor social skills among other things.  Check out this link if you are concerned about your kids "screen time" habits - Video Games and Your Kids - by Cash and McDaniel.  They also have a checklist that you can review to determine if you, or your kids, have a serious problem.

My kids have lied and cheated to deceive me and we even snuck up on the house when we left the boys home alone running some errands to find they had gotten around our online security "systems" and were closely monitoring (no pun intended) for our return.

My boys are working on a "contract" form of agreement so that we can have a little more peace about the subject.  It may have some merit.  I'd love to hear from any of you regarding this subject about how you are coping with it.

Middle School Musician

Wow... what to write about now.  I made a list of possible topics and it keeps on growing.  I am truly blessed to have such fascinating kids.  I hope and pray that you feel the same way about yours.

I've mentioned previously that Sam, my 11-year old, is a very accomplished musician and composer.  I'm fortunate to get a front row seat when he is creating (although now he completes the song with headphones on).  I am usually one of the first to hear his new creations.

I've always encouraged him to "tell a story" and "create emotion" with his music and there is no doubt in my mind that he does that.  His music (right now) is instrumental only - except he did collaborate with big bro Jeff who wrote a poem that Sam composed around - which encourages the listener to come up with their own images as they listen.

One of my favorite things is when Sam comes to me with a completed project and then asks me to listen and ask, "What do you see?".  It's awesome!  Usually, he and I will listen a few times and visualize together and then that will lead to the name of the song.  I'm honored he asks for my opinion.

Recently, Sam was interviewed by a local TV news channel and they did a great job with it.  It is the current feature video on his YouTube channel.  Here's the interview video.  Sam created his own name - SoundWave Studios - and is also primarily responsible for the graphics to his videos.  He scours the internet looking for the right picture, etc. and works hard to time them just right to "tell the story" as best he can with the resources he has.  He does a great job.  I've seen other blogs that have songs playing when you read them.  Maybe I'll get that figured out soon.

YouTube has been an interesting experience as Sam's music has been viewed in 38 of the 50 states and 58 different countries if you include "unknown region".  I wonder where that is?  I didn't think the internet had an "unknown region".

One thing I find unique is that Sam has the ability to start with a solo and then arrange/enhance it with other instruments OR he can start with an arrangement and "sift it down" to just a beautiful solo.  He has a total of 28 videos as of today but more are always in the works.

Our hope is that one day he'll create a CD and we'll sell it to raise funds for charity of some sort.  Sam knows he's been given a gift and he wants to use that gift to give back.

What gifts do your kids have that can be used to give back?

Big Feet, Cryptozoology & Common Sense

I mentioned earlier that we went shoe shopping last week.  We decided to try something new and spend more on shoes than we have in the past and hope they don't wear out as fast... we shall see.

I had Jeff's feet measured and found out that his feet are now bigger than mine.  At 15 he's into a size 12 shoe. That's kind of hard to accept at first.  Being the dad I've always been used to being the biggest and although I still outweigh him and and taller I don't think that will last for long.  Pretty humbling.  At least he can't wear my shoes any more.  Clothes are another issue.

Sam is poised for a growth spurt being 11 and his feet are growing, too.  He has routinely measured taller than Jeff at the same age on our family ruler but will likely be thinner as his frame doesn't seem to be as "stout" as Jeff's.  Amazing how similar they are and yet how different.  My ego will really take a hit when he grows bigger than me.

I mention this story about big feet because it reminded me of a period when Jeff and then Sam was in to cryptozoology.  Never heard of it??  Neither has spell check.  According to Wikipedia, Cryptozoology (from Greek κρυπτός, kryptos, "hidden" + zoology; literally, "study of hidden animals") refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven.  For example, Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, Mothman and El Chubacabra to name a few.  Jeff (then Sam) became fascinated with the subject and in particular Mothman seemed to capture his attention.  Jeff at one time wanted to be a Cryptozoologist.  Imagine the looks he got when he was asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  I guess it rivaled one of his other aspirations of being a paleontological entomologist for uniqueness.  At least these are two attainable goals as my mom reminds me often that I wanted to be giraffe when I grew up... don't ask!


There were times when he would see glowing red lights and was certain that Mothman was going to come for him because Mothman has glowing red eyes.  Poor kid.  Even though he read and knew that Mothman supposedly lived in the hill country of West Virginia he couldn't get it out of his head that he just might be outside our window.  Remembering everything he reads can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on what he reads.  He also passes along information to little brother, Sam, and together their imagination can take over.


I remember a couple other instances where Jeff read about lion's being man-eaters and he didn't want to go outside and about jelly-fish and their potentially deadly sting so he didn't want to stand in the standing water in the shower.  Sometimes the intelligence gets in the way of common sense.


I'd be curious to know what some of your kids quirks are.  Please share.

Loving to Read

I'm really excited to have this template for our blog.  It couldn't be more appropriate.  My household is "littered with literature".  OK, I realize it's not trash.  It's just that I find books everywhere.  Here are just some of the places I find books...

- the car
- the bathroom
- the stairs
- the dining room table
- under the couch
- in the couch
- on the floor
- under the bed
- on the bedside table.

I remember when my kids were younger that the schools encouraged the students to read 20 minutes each day.  Well, I have a hard time keeping my kids under 20 hours a day (slight exaggeration - emphasis on slight).  Actually, I wish I would read more but I seem to enjoy movies and sports more.

My boys will many times be reading multiple books at one time.  I'm not sure how they can keep up with that.  When I do read I have trouble following one story.  Jeff and I went to the bookmobile last night to drop off two full bags of books we were returning and picked up about 20 of the same author that he reserved.  It seemed like the shocks of the bookmobile were relieved when we left.  I'm thinking he'll go through the pile in a couple weeks.

Now, Anne (Mom) has a Kindle she got for Christmas and so that seems to be the latest fascination.  She had a 276-page book for Sam to read and he cranked through it in just a couple days - less than a week for sure.  Jeff reads at about 125 to 150 pages per hour and was at (or around) 100 per hour when he was in kindergarten.  He was a little bored with the basic reading they tried to teach and had a hard time coping.

But that is another story...

Introductions

Welcome.

I'm glad you could join us!  I've dabbled in blogging before but never been very serious about it.  I hope to change that with this new venture because it is about one of my favorite and challenging subjects... my kids and how to parent them.  It's a new year (2012) and a new project.  Great timing don't you think?

Before we go any further I want to let you know that I checked the spelling of the plural for genius and believe I have it right.  This is for all you who like to find other people's errors.  I'm sure you'll find others here but I wanted to start off on the right track.  LOL

A short introduction is in order... you'll get to know my family more and more as we go along.  My wife, Anne, and I are the proud parents of two boys.  Jeff is currently 15 and Sam is 11.  It's hard to believe they're that old and big (just bought new shoes for both of them yesterday) and as it is always said, "they grow up so fast".

Anne and I are "pretty average" and seem to have hit the "genetic jackpot" when it comes to our kids.  I was informed of this by a nephew of mine a few months back. It cracked me up.  Our sons are anything but average, however.

Short introductions are below.  You'll get to know them better with more entries.

Jeff has an IQ that has never been able to be truly measured but it has been officially determined to be in the top .1% of all children.  He has a voracious appetite for reading that is unparalleled - except for maybe his mother and brother.  He seemed to read when he was an infant because of his love for books and we did everything we did to foster this love.  Grandma Linda always bought him books for birthdays and Christmas presents and he seemed to devour them and retain the information of non-fiction books the first time they were read and he used to read many of his fiction books over and over.  Poor Harry Potter books have their covers worn out.  Currently in high school, Jeff seems to have a love for languages, history, computers and video games and is an excellent writer and an incredible vocabulary.  He always has the right answer... just ask him... and loves to debate and argue his point(s).  His personality is pretty aggressive and he is an handsome blue-eyed and blond haired young man.

Sam also is intellectually gifted and won his elementary school Math Olympiad despite the fact he only took four of the five tests.  We have not had his IQ officially tested but it is obviously very high.  He also loves to read - like his brother - and many times reads the same book over and over again.  We have some worn out books around our house.  Sam is also very good in visual arts and excels in all his classes in school including art and gym classes.  Then there is music.  This is where Sam is set apart from the rest.  Sam has had piano lessons since he was 6 and progressed at a very fast pace.  He wrote his first one line song when he was six and the complexity and intricacy of those songs just continues to blossom.  He has his own YouTube channel and was just featured in a nice news story on our local station.  He uses his keyboard and GarageBand to create both solo work and group arrangements that are special and we hope to create a CD soon to sell and raise funds for charity.  More details will follow...  Sam also plays the viola and saxophone quite well even though he doesn't practice much!

That's a quick introduction and hopefully enough to have you sign up and come back often as well as share your stories and comments.  I want to leave you with this... no kid is any better than any other kid.  They are all gifted in some way because of who made them.  Sometimes it's obvious to spot and sometimes you have to look harder but I know it is there.

One final comment...even though my kids seem to be really intelligent and have some obvious gifts it doesn't mean they are full of common sense.  Over the years they have both fallen down the stairs while reading a book and walking around the house.

Again, welcome to my family.  Looking forward to getting to know you better.