Day 106

Wednesday December 1, 2010

Christmas in the Fredeen house officially started!! I guess it already had (all the ornament shopping and all) but we have officially started blasting the Christmas music and this evening we went to the Westmont Christmas Celebration with our dear friends the Becchios. This was the perfect start to what is surely going to be the most wonderful and blessed Christmas ever! With our Starbucks hot chocolate (and peppermint mocha for mama) in tow, we visited Santa, ate snicker doodle cookies, and watched the gigantic tree be lit up. It was also a bit chilly (by Santa Barbara standards) so it actually felt like Winter (or at least a Santa Barbara Winter :)....we are so spoiled!)

After the Westmont Celebration, we went home and had dinner before tutoring started. Once I got the kids fed, I quickly called Mario to find out what had happened the night before (more specifically, why Teddy had been crying). Mario explained that once they had entered Teddy's bedroom, that Teddy had started crying, saying that I was the meanest mom in the world and that he couldn't believe that I'd embarrass him like this, that Mario was his buddy and now he was embarrassed. Mario then saved the day and then some! He explained to Teddy that I wasn't being mean or trying to embarrass him, but trying to be helpful. He added that I had told him (Mario) about my conversation with Miss Checchio (Teddy's teacher) and how Teddy was doing well but needed extra practice with his math facts and reading. Mario added that the idea of him (Mario) tutoring Teddy wasn't actually mama's idea but his; that he had told me that he loved hanging out with his buddy Teddy and would do anything to spend more time with him because they had so much fun together and since he is a teacher and tutor for kids anyway that it made perfect sense that he be one of his tutors, that way he (Mario) got to see him (Teddy) and have fun not just once a week (when they played basketball) but several days a week. Plus, with him tutoring now they'd get to wrestle-fight more. Well....Teddy bought it hook, line and sinker!!! Thank God!!! Mario said that at this point, Teddy stopped crying (that the crying had only last a few minutes). In addition, Mario explained that he wasn't going to teach him anything new and hard, that they were just going to practice what he was learning at school. That he (Teddy) was awesome and that he and Erik (the other tutor) were just going to help him be super-awesome, that all he (Mario) was going to do was teach Teddy to think super fast, that when you're a big dude (like Mario...:)...too funny!) you want to be think fast and that just like they practice basketball so they can play fast and they were going to practice math facts and reading so that he could be a fast thinker!

Bottom line, Teddy was sold and that is all that matters! I thanked Mario and called Erik to update him. Erik was up tomorrow and I wanted to coordinate so that both the guys were prepared to handle my little man :) I understand that Teddy feels overwhelmed and ganged up on, but he is an incredibly smart boy that has slipped and as his family it's our responsibility to support him. I am so thankful to have such incredible friends who are willing to help my boy!!

Tutoring went great! In fact it went so well that after an hour and 10 minutes (tutoring is only suppose to last an hour) I went in to check on the guys. I quietly asked Mario why he was having Teddy work so long and he explained that Teddy kept wanting to go on (REALLY!!! Too much!!!). Of course, he wanted to keep on going. Now that he felt good (a least better) about tutoring, his competitive streak was kicking in and he wanted to prove to Mario that he could handle it! Sweet little guy!!

Today was a good day....a great start to the Christmas season! Nina was feeling well, Teddy was coping, and we were all together.