Jason's Untimely Thoughts

Dear Adelaide, 

You’re awesome.  When you were born, I literally had to sit down before I’d let the nurse give you to me.  You (and the situation) took my breath away then, as you’ve done many times since.

You make me proud every day.  You have more talents and positive traits than I could possibly list.  Determination, dedication, and consideration are among the top of that list though.  I sat down that day, but I now stand and applaud you for being you.  You’re a great person, which I’ll insist on still calling kid.

If your dad writing a note on the internet for your 13th birthday isn’t a great present, well then I just don’t know what is.  Happy 13th birthday!

Jack had to write a letter in school this week about his chosen profession.  Here it is:

Download (PDF, 1005KB)

Dear Ms. Vogt,

The job I would be best at is photographer.  I would be good at this b-
ecause My mom was a photographer.  So I have the blood in me.  I have an Ipad
and a Iphone that I take a lot of pictu-
res with.  I have experience with this job
because I have taken hundreds of pictur-
es in the past.

Your freind,

Jack

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Becking family!  Here’s a Christmas Card that you may or may not be receiving in the mail soon.  As usual, at least there’s a lot of photos to distract you from the poor design!

Poem by Adelaide, written last week in school.

I finally have a scanner operational again, so here’s some selected writings from Jack’s time in first grade.

This story takes place in the basketball arena volley ball court and the football field.

One day two best friends started to play sports and ther names were Jack and Cory Jack played basketball and Cory played volleyball!  Then they met a football player names James franklin!  We faced James franklin in football he beat us BA-

D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We vserd (versed) James fraklin to a baskeball game we had some of the worlds best basketball players like Michale Jordan and Koby Brayant and we won 10000000 to 0!  and then we played against James franklin in a volleyball game we beat him good the score was 10000000011111111 to 0!

Story 2, The Tryouts.  This one is about when he tried out for Upward Basketball last year. (Also written in 1st Grade)

The tryouts

Kasasas 0 Missouri 2000

by Jack

 First me and my Dad had to go over to the plase that the baketball thing was at and ther was a long line.

I was shy of a lot of kids and then my Dad said my name then they gav me a pees of paeper.  They made me trie on some close and then they made me get masherd then they took a picture of me and we.  Sat down then they called some other kids and then

they called me.  First I went over to two cones they made me slide cone to cone it was like I was garding another kid

like I’m probably going to do when I well do when i get into a basketball game.  And then I went back to my dad and we got in the car and my dad drived home and I went to sleep the end.

Tonight was meet the teacher night at good old Grant School.  Adelaide and Jack were both fired up about finding out their teacher, seeing which friends were in their class, choosing their desks, and so on.  It was pretty much all we talked about yesterday and today, before walking up the street at 4:30.

We had a pretty solid tip on which class Jack was going to be in.  I’d shared with Adelaide that he would be in the same class she’d had for first grade, but we decided to keep it a surprise for him.  He was going to be pleased with any of the three teachers, he agreed, but he was really hoping for Mrs. Williams.  (Almost certainly because that’s who Adelaide had, although she did a wonderful service to me of watching out for him in kindergarten.)

Adelaide had decided she didn’t care at all which of the teachers she had.  She liked them both and was going to be pleased either way.   She spent much more time wondering which of her friends would be where, and whether she’d be lucky enough to again have her bestest friend in the same class.  They had met just prior to kindergarten and had been in the same class every year.   Although she did let slip that she hoped she and bestest friend would be in the same class until they were 30, she finally decided that she had four really good friends and she’d be happy with any combination.

Sometime late this afternoon she told me she hoped that two (any two) of her friends were in her class, the other two were in the other class.  She said she didn’t think it would be fair if they were all in the same class together.  I’m not sure why, thinking back, but it struck me as a very selfless sentiment.  I was proud of her thinking it through and coming to a wish that involved sharing, even if it was only sharing to her.

So this afternoon, the plan was for Jack & I to go to his room, she could run ahead to the 3rd grade rooms to choose the desk she wanted.  We made a quick stop at the lists, lucky enough that our names tend to be at the top of the alphabetical sort, so the kids just saw who their teachers were.  Both were pleased and were off to their rooms.

I lingered just a bit to see if Adelaide’s luck was holding up with bestest friend, to discover they’d be separated for the first time.  Sad, but not terribly surprising.  A quick glance didn’t show me many more familiar names, but I had to run to catch up to Jack.  While Adelaide went on upstairs, I went to Jack’s classroom and helped him get settled.  Adelaide’s bestest was in their with her brother, who was going to sit next to Jack.  Another friend came along soon enough on the other side, and he was pleased pleased.

I started to pick up hints that Adelaide might not be as pleased in her class, so left Jack there and ran to look at the list again.  I went upstairs, worried about what state of mind she’d be in, to find her happily searching for the perfect desk location.  I helped her put away her things a bit, then asked if she’d looked at the class list.  We walked over there and I watched her crumble as she discovered that none of the four she’d hoped for were in her class.  The poor kid was heartbroken.

She spent the next hour trying to put away her things, trying not to talk to anyone (even her friends), and trying not to cry.  She was only successful at the first two of those things.  We talked a lot, her new teacher and her old teacher both talked to her, and she does have friends in the class.  In all, it will be an opportunity for her to expand, but that’s not a very fun explanation to try to give.

Her spirits have started to pick up, after dinner she was no longer saying she didn’t want to go to school anymore, and she seems to have accepted the situation — at least for tonight.  She’s still heartbroken, but was almost looking forward to going again by bedtime.  I still feel bad for the kid.  I try to not let the kids say “it’s not fair” as that simply doesn’t matter very often.  But damn it was hard for me to not walk to school later tonight (or early in the morning) and see if we couldn’t do something to make her a touch happier.  And on that point, it’s clear why they do Meet the Teacher night as late as possible before school starts.

Maybe the overarching point is that it doesn’t matter nearly as much where you sit or what you do, but that you do it with your friends.  But really the overarching point is that I just feel bad for her, wish I could do something to help, and hope she is happy with it by tomorrow morning.

** and she really does have friends in her class, just not the four she hangs out with the most.

Every year, as part of Partners In Education, Grant Elementary students’ artwork is selected for the “Hall of Fame.”  About 20 pieces are displayed first in the gallery at Boone County National Bank (Grant’s Partner In Education).  After about a month, the artworks is moved to Grant where it will hang in various places around the building for years to come.  At the “unveiling” each student stands in front of their artwork and talks a bit about it.  All in all, a cool thing.  Below are a couple of photos of Adelaide and “Baton Twirler” and from the event.

Five years ago, many friends and family combined to contribute time and money to finish a flower garden or three that Sarah had started, as a surprise for her while she recovered from the surprise surgery / diagnosis (which was five years ago today).  As Spring also finally arrives around this time each year, I try to make sure it looks decent again.  It’s all in thanks for those that donated at the time, in honor of Sarah still, in order to allow me some time reflecting on everything, and an excuse to be outside during these nice days.  Below are a few pictures of that (imagine everything more fully bloomed, better manicured, and with some real grass growing).  Contrary to a few rumors, none of it is meant to make the house more presentable because we’re selling it (we’re not).

Weird Panorama

Finally, Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and grandmothers, but especially to all those in my life.  With the present making at school and the various plans everyone discusses, it’s a day/week that I worry about the kids quite a bit.  That worry is mostly pointless, as they continue to do well.  (But what better way to honor their mother than to worry about them.)

Our Christmas cards are going out in today’s mail, so look for yours soon.  Unless I don’t have your address or don’t like you.  Pics of the cards are below, can click to see larger versions.  The text follows as well.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!

Happy Christmas, Merry New Year, and Holiday Joy from Adelaide, Jack, and Jason!  If you missed last year’s card from us, perhaps it is because we didn’t send any.  If you didn’t miss last year’s card from us, feel free to stop reading now, before the yearly recap.

Jack Thayer is 5 and now a school kid, going to kindergarten at Grant Elementary, which he likes very much.  His classmates are mostly boys, so he is able to find lots of willing participants in games, sports, and mischief.  He routinely gets all check marks on his weekly report sheet, with a “check-minus” for the allows others to finish their work category.  Seems he is a bit of a talker and joke-maker, a trend which has carried over from preschool.

Adelaide is now in second grade, in the land of (just a few) trailers at Grant.  She was glad to again have good friends in her class, but with only two classes in her grade, seems likely that will always be the case.  She is a creative, funny girl of strong opinions.

Both kids enjoyed basketball and soccer camps at Columbia College and we had a great trip to Colorado during the summer.  Our Spring Break trip to Disney (cruise & theme parks) will be long-remembered, as will numerous smaller trips to places near and far.  Adelaide is still dancing at CPAC (tap and jazz) while Jack is in favor of all sports, but not playing any organized sports yet.

Jason is still gainfully employed at Miller’s Professional Imaging / Mpix.com.  Feel the quality of this paper.  Look at the stunning prints.  Now go laugh at our competitors’ weak attempts (or not, really, a lot of those places do a fine job too, but come on, we have “Mizzou” billboards, and you can order at home in your underwear).  He again attended a ridiculous number of Mizzou events and helped host a growing number of fans at Mizzou tailgates.  And again enjoyed a lovely football season.

We’re lucky to have close friends and close family, both located nearby and in locations scattered around the country and the world.  Thank you for being part of that group, we hope 2011 is the best year yet.

Adelaide’s birthday party weekend went well.  She had a small party with three friends (and Jack) on Friday afternoon.  Although acting cool with that idea, evidently she had some concern that a small party would also mean minimal presents.  Fortunately, she also received gifts Saturday at the tailgate and then again Sunday at the separate party for family.  In all, she made out like a bandit.  A strange bandit, probably wearing pink, that really liked American Girl, but still, a bandit.  Pictures of it all are here.

One of her gifts was an iPod touch, which through the wonders of modern technology also allows her to send/receive e-mails and text messages (and evidently making phone calls too, soon).  A big hit.  I was a little worried that it would make her a zombie, watching videos and playing games all the time, but the texting aspect thus far has been educational.  She’s been going like crazy, relatively speaking, but needs help spelling the words, etc.  It’s been all good.  The texting is free (to us) but has a crazy number, so if you happen to get a random text from area code 515, it’s probably her.  I’m not giving out her email address wildly, but you’re probably able to guess it if you try hard.

In other news, I’ll be blogging semi-regularly on the Columbia Daily Tribune website starting soon.  They’re starting a section called “Family Life” and I’ll be filling the role of single dad.  It’s a classic case of not what you know, but who you know and what they can ask you to do for free.  With the minimal guidance I’ve received (read: slightly more than none), my early expectations are for it to be strikingly similar to some of what I’d typically post here.

I’ve felt rather odd about the whole thing, since being asked to do it, to the point of pretending like I might say no.  It’s one thing to post my random spewings here, where generally only people that know me might read.  It seems different to write for an official audience of some sort.  The Columbia Daily Tribune masthead is intimidating, don’t you know.

Also, I have a strange guilty sensation.  I know people that are paid by the Tribune to write.  By and large, they’re excellent writers.   I don’t want to pretend to be them, or have my virtual reputation enhanced by associating with them.  Or more importantly, I don’t want my real reputation to cause them difficulties.  Beyond all that, knowing the state of the newspaper industry, I wonder if they shouldn’t just give those guys a raise rather than investing any resources in showing me how to post a blog on their website?

I guess I can rest easy with the knowledge that it wasn’t that big of a deal, probably took 5 minutes total to show me, they’d likely be insulted with that trivial raise anyway.  But that doesn’t mean I’m staying in the hotels they make those guys stay in on football road trips.

Adelaide, Jack, and Payton are each at Cougar Basketball Academy at Columbia College this week, which has been quite fun.  Every year I worked over there, I’d make a point to stop by and watch this camp, because it was so fun(ny).  Was especially easy the few years my office was in the gym.  Exceptionally funnier when you know the kids out there, though.  Watching Jack dribble around like crazy with his tongue sticking out made me smile bigger than anything in recent memory.  Similarly, watching Adelaide be hesitant, then completely get into it was great.  Or trying to catch up to Payton running around.  Good stuff.

Here are some pics.