From: EC92@AOL.COM
Date: Thu Feb 17 2000 - 10:06:35 CST
1. I have son #2 in a cast. Left Wrist. Hairline, but on a growth plate. That
makes three Petrik's since Jambo '97 (yes, Mrs. P. broke hers while I was in
Virginia) with broken left wrists and cuts out this weekend's sledding
campout in Michigan (in the dunes, whether there's snow or not. Trust me, you
can sled).
2. I was offered a new job, but as soon as my wife looked at it I caught it
last night. Turns out the company makes money from selling several different
lines, one of which is lingerie (and their ads aren't as risque as the ones
that come from Victoria's Secret, where Mrs. P. gets some of her favorite
things....) that provides about 20% of the income for the company. I got
lectures going as far as "I don't know you anymore..." and further.
Reply off the list, please, but is that something that should limit me in a
job search as a Scouter? Or just a personal problem within the family? I had
no idea going in since they had no web site (part of the responsibilities) or
other stuff laying around to give me a hint, I knew them as a company where I
get jewelry at a very good price in .925 silver and that they wanted to build
a site to sell that, the lingerie, other things, and be an affiliate with a
few other companies to try to offset the costs a bit.
Outside of the lingerie part and Mrs. P, it was fine. Great, in fact.
3. For those following the continuing saga of Chris we have these
developments:
a. He was so much smoother after the dietary changes, however not enough for
the educators. Enough for me, I actually could get him to sit still for
photos. We finally got to a different doctor who is part of our health plan
and they put him through a three-hour observation in a room of toys, mom, and
three female doctors watching him and playing with him and he thought it was
the greatest thing in the world.
b. They gave us a pill -- name starts with an 'a', can't remember anything
more except its danged hard to get in the amount they prescribed at any local
pharmacy -- and told us to get an additional blood test (micro techniques, I
remember Aunt B...) and also told us to start it on a weekend so it'd build
up in his bloodstream and the teachers wouldn't have to put up with what was,
in essence, a long-running, powerful, high. He helped me (HE *HELPED* ME!)
move another 30 wheelbarrows of wood chips in the yard and wore me out on
Saturday (and we finally found where the tree stump met the dirt on one
side). He is now trying to play games on the computer, which he wouldn't sit
still for previously, someone else had to play while he jumped around and
screamed and hollered and had a great time. The new iMac DV came with a game
called Bugdom that he loves since he's the bug and he moves around, and he
actually plays it. Plays it? He's on the danged "High Scores" list, but
someone has to type in his name for him.
c. When we were in Indianapolis for BSA between Christmas and New Years we
had doughnuts every morning and his "no sugar diet" could wait a week. We got
back and I bought another box one morning. He walked up to it, hit it on the
end with his hand, then hit his chest, in what the family realizes is "Can I
have one of whatever's in there?" His mother told him there were doughnuts
and he could have one and he stood up straight and said "Chocolate?"
Which will probably be the rallying cry from here to Katy and back north
again as soon as I post this, yelled by every female Scouter who's following
the story. And probably more than half the males.
By the way, with all the estimates in and three years of hearing (and Chris'
post-surgery, post two ear infections hearing is as good as mine after
spending 8 years sitting next to a drummer in a jazz band, we sat in the test
booth together and we both couldn't hear and did hear the same things) his
learning has been brought from being a newborn to a two-year-old. We're just
a shade short of his real age of 5.
He's a Tiger Cub in two years. Anyone want to put odds on what a handful
he'll be for his unit? Even with dad there every meeting? Do you understand
that, barring some deep learning experiences, he'll be running at about the
growth of a 3.5 year old and he'll be 7 and in a school (some type of school,
details are still sketchy) trying to fit in? Look back at your families and
remember kids with a three year gap in age and imagine that happening with a
kid who is already big and stronger than his mother in a lot of ways at 5....
Those are some of your "problem kids" in your units. Imagine what its like
for the parents and the youth. Mrs. P is upset because there just is no way I
can leave him with a sitter of any sort and get her away from the house for a
while. Son #2, up until now, has been an aggravating factor in life, we'll
see what happens now that he can type with one hand. And #4 thinks he's a
know it all at 3 (which puts him at a higher age of learning than his big
brother if you would like the experience some time. Kinda like making Wally
the Beav and vice versa every day and having to cope with it).
Tom Petrik
