Tag: chatting

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Chatting With Lexi: The Grumpus

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Guess which one is the Grumpus.

There is this wonderful Friends episode where Freddie Prinze, Jr., as a nanny, introduces these two puppet characters: Mr. Wigglemunch and the Grumpus. Mr. Wigglemunch seems to be a friendly sort who speaks in a high pitched voice and espouses knowledge. “What’s the only boat that will never sink? A friendSHIP.” While our friend the Grumpus is just as his name suggests, an eternal grump for whom nothing will ever suffice. And I’m afraid Lexi has a kinship with the Grumpus, more so lately.

Me: You’re done with your screen time for today. You’ve had more than enough.

Lexi: NO I haven’t! I’m going to watch more.

Me: No you’re not. You’re going to turn that iPad off and find something constructive to do.

Lexi: Can’t I do my educational app instead?

Me: Uh, no. You’re going to turn the iPad off.

Lexi: Well, do I get more screen time later?

Me: You’ve had enough for the day.

Lexi: BUT IT’S NOT FAIR!

Me: You know what’s really not fair? That I have to argue with you about this.

Lexi: But I’ve only had an hour today, and I’m supposed to get two.

Me: No, your limit is two hours. That doesn’t mean you need or deserve those two hours every day. You need to find other ways to stimulate your brain.

Lexi: I’m not going to do anything then.

Me: Okay. Continue reading “Chatting With Lexi: The Grumpus”

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Chatting With Lexi: Big Sister

Yesterday Lexi, Maddie and I took a walk down to the park to meet one of Lexi’s friends for a play date. It was beautiful weather and she even wore shorts, but I was conservatively dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Maddie decided she wanted to just wear sweat pants and a long-sleeved shirt, so I’m sure she was hot, but she never complained. Of course because it was Lexi’s play date she had to make sure she was little miss bossy when we ended up starting out late in order to get to the park.

Lexi: Daddy, how come we always have to wait for Maddie? It’s MY play date.

Me: Because there’s only one of me, and we can’t leave Maddie here by herself.

Lexi: What if she was asleep? Could we leave her alone then?

Me: [stunned silence]

Lexi: I’m just kidding. I know we can’t leave Maddie alone!

Me: Good, because I thought we were going to have to have a serious talk.

Lexi: More serious than this one?

Me: Definitely. She’s your little sister, and she has to go along on play dates like this one because I’m going along.

Lexi: I know. I went on one of her play dates before too.

Me: Do you get upset when Maddie has to come along?

Lexi: No. I just play with my friends anyway.

Me: You don’t try to include your sister?

Lexi: Well, she comes over and stuff, but she does her own thing.

Me: Maybe you should try to include your sister? After all, you know she loves to play with you. Continue reading “Chatting With Lexi: Big Sister”

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Chatting With Lexi: New York

new-york-skyline-in-ink-lee-ann-adendorffWe’re taking the girls to New York this fall, and from the moment my wife told Lexi that it was happening all we’ve heard around here is how much fun she’s going to have, how many sights she’s going to see, and how amazing it’s all going to be. Now, if you knew Lexi, you would know that she’s like a dog with a bone, especially when it’s something she wants, and somehow New York — the big city of dreams — has blazed like fire inside of her ever since she first heard of it.

This week we had another conversation about what she feels the trip will entail…

Lexi: I want to see the Statue of Liberty first. Do you think we’ll be able to get inside the crown?

Me: I don’t see why not, but it’s been a long time since I visited the Statue.

Lexi: Maybe you can get on your computer and find out.

Me: Now?

Lexi: Well, yeah. Oh, but I have my iPad and it’s got Safari so maybe I can find out myself.

Me: I’ll look for you.

Lexi: Great. And we have to go to the Empire State Building.

Me: You know I’m afraid of heights, right?

Lexi [with an incredulous look on her face]: What?

Me: I’m scared of heights. I don’t think I’m going to the top with you.

Lexi: YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE TOP!

Me: Okay, but I just won’t look down.

Lexi: That’s just silly, daddy.

Me: No sillier than you freaking out over an ant on the windowsill.

Lexi [laughing]: That’s not the same thing, daddy! Continue reading “Chatting With Lexi: New York”

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Chatting With Lexi: On Enrichment

what-to-do-when-your-bored-at-school_4My wife and I have been talking quite a bit lately about how challenging the school work has been/hasn’t been for Lexi. When she first started school it was a concern for us because she had shown aptitude for advanced processing and we wanted to make sure that school was sufficiently challenging her brain. Then, when we found out that she had ADHD we knew it would take a renewed effort to ensure that school was “tough enough” just to help her keep focus. But we’re still concerned.

When Lexi got her report card at the end of the school year that divide was still quite evident, with all of her strictly academic grades in the wonderful category while her behavioral grades are under the average. Why is that? We had a talk with her about it soon after the school year ended…

Me: So, Lexi, how come your grade in art is so low? You love art.

Lexi: I know, but I keep finishing early.

Me: And what happens when you finish early? Do you work on more art?

Lexi: No. I just go around and tell other kids how to fix theirs.

Me: You think what they’re doing is wrong?

Lexi: No. But I’m bored, and since I’m artist I wanted to help them.

Me: And what does the teacher say about that?

Lexi: She says I’m too loud and distracting others.

And therein lies the issue, in my opinion. Lexi more often than not finishes ahead of the other students, with significant time to spare, and then has to come up with things to do in order to fill her time. Most times, because she craves interaction with others, that means interrupting them while they’re trying to finish and getting in trouble for it. Simply put, she’s bored, and when Lexi’s bored she finds things to occupy herself, not all of which are good ideas.

Me: Did you stop going around and trying to help others?

Lexi: Well, yeah. I did, but then I got bored again so I started playing with the paints.

Me: Is that why you have a big spot of paint on your pants?

Lexi: Yeah. And the teacher said I wasn’t supposed to be doing that either.

Me: Did she tell you what you could do when you finished early?

Lexi: No. She just told me what I couldn’t do. Continue reading “Chatting With Lexi: On Enrichment”

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Chatting With Lexi: On Writing

tumblr_static_writing450As she gets older, Lexi has decided she wants to be more like us, not that she wants to copy us, but that she admires what we do. In an essay she wrote for school she talked about how exciting it would be to be a librarian (like her mother). Then she has been talking about getting more songs on her iPod — Bruno Mars, Ne-Yo, and other popular singers — instead of just the KidzBop songs that used to populate her musical world, which is reminiscent of me and my love of different types of music. She even keeps asking me about when we’ll be able to get out and play some tennis since she knows its an important sport to me, and she wants to have that connection with me.

While it’s exciting to watch her grow older and discover more aspects of herself that she wants to explore, it’s also a little sad that the little girl who loved her stuffed rabbit and dog so much is gone, replaced by a young lady who sounds more and more like us, but also more and more like a future version of herself every day. But I’m embracing it because that’s what should happen. In the bath last night, she showed me more of that young woman she’s growing up to be, when she chatted with me about my number one passion: writing.

Lexi: Dad, how do I get to be a writer?

Me: You just write.

Lexi: No! I mean like you. I want to write a book.

Me: That takes a lot of hard work and commitment.

Lexi: Well, not exactly like you. I mean, I want it to be for, like, a 7-year old.

Me: It still takes a lot to write any book, even one for younger kids.

Lexi: How come?

Me: Because you have to keep in mind the age group, the words they should know and ones they won’t.

Lexi: So, if I just think about words I know, it will be okay for 7-year olds?

Me: It depends on the kid, but your editor will be able to help you figure that out.

Lexi: But I want to write it this weekend. I don’t have an editor.

Me: Lex, it’s not going to go that quickly, to get a book written in a couple of days and just publish it.

Lexi: Why not? I already have a lot of good ideas. Continue reading “Chatting With Lexi: On Writing”