Ralph: Celebrating 9 1/2 years!

Celebrating 9 1/2 years . . . (10 days late!)

9 and a half . . . just over half way to 18 years old!  Whoa!  Slow down!  It's a bit scary to think of the teenage age years and high school.

Ralph is within inches of being as tall as  my shoulders.  The top of head now hits the microwave door if its open.

Clothing of choice these days is a tshirt (usually Nike or Under Armour) and a pair of shorts - soon to turn into a pair of athletic pants.

We've compromised on his hair.  Back and sides are cut shorter and I've let the top grow a bit longer than I'd like.  I think he likes it that way so he can pull on it when he gets frustrated.  He definitely has inhereited the thicker hair from Mike and I.

He hasn't lost any more teeth or had any more come in since the tooth extraction in August.  He has a bottom tooth that has fully emerged in the back behind the baby tooth that isn't really that loose. tooth

Fourth grade seems to be going just fine.  One of the highlights so far has been an owl pellet dissection.  He told/asked me to order more on Amazon?!

The fourth graders do switch rooms this year for reading and math - so far Ralph has been placed in his homeroom for both subjects.

Ralph is learning the violin this school year.  So far he does a great job of practicing with out complaining.  He does know practice is a repsonsibility of his though he does get side tracked often.

He likes logging into his school account at home and practicing his typing skills.

Fourth graders have a planner they fill out as part of their day - and (I thought) parents are supposed sign it each night giving parents some idea of what goes on during their child's day.  I turned this into his repsonsiblity.  He is supposed to take it out of backpack each day and set it on the kitchen table.   He has forgotten a few times already.  I have since found out there is no consequence for not getting it signed every day; it just needs to be signed once a week.  The last week or so he would also prefer I not check his homework - I have not given in to that request yet, especially when he leaves a line blank and doesn't answer a question.

Ralph has taken an interest in going to HyVee to pick up something on the grocery list.  It worked out fine last weekend; today's adventure didn't work out so well.  Both of the things I asked for were items that required multiple items to be purchased to get the sale price and I only wanted one of each.  Will have to remember to make sure I ask for items that are clear-cut.  Henry wanted to go also and was not allowed.  Ralph had enough forethought to take a sandwich bag with him - he brought back a cookie for Henry and himself.  So he's reached the stage where he wants to be mature enough to go to the store but yet he still wants the cookies they offer to kids.

He does do chores at home when asked but neither he nor us are that consistent in what he does and when.

He has a few dishes he likes to make in the kitchen - and by "dishes" I mean mostly desserts or treats/sweets including using a Tupperware microwave breakfast maker to make brownies and cinnamon rolls along with making a smore concotion in the microwave.

His love of reading has not waned.

He is contuing with cub scouts this year (webelos I) and basketball.  He did take a "explore rifle" class over a 4 week period at the Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center in September.  They shot bb guns - he enjoyed it.