Thursday, October 14, 2010

There Is An Entry

“This is hard,” Tommy grumbled, hunched over his homework paper.

I peeked over his shoulder. The homework was about the different uses for ‘there’, ‘their,’ and ‘they’re.’

“Oh,” I said. “It’s okay, even grown adults struggle with that.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously, if you go on Facebook, grown adults don’t use the words right and it takes all of Mommy’s strength not to mock them profusely. I know my grammar isn’t the best but really, one should know the different uses of ‘there’, ‘their,’ and ‘they’re,’” I rambled.

“You won’t let me on Facebook,” Tommy complained.

“That’s because you’re eight. Now. Let’s figure this homework out,” I said, settling beside him. “So okay, an example for they’re. It means they are. So....Mommy wonders why Billy Ray Cyrus allows his daughter to forgo her pants in her music videos when she’s under 18. THEY’RE a strange family. Do you understand?”

Tommy stared at me with saucer eyes.

“And here’s an example for their. Mommy wishes more of your friends would use THEIR manners. Get it?”

Tommy looked down at his paper. “So they’re means they are.”

“Yes!” I shouted, elated. He understood!

“There are my Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. You better not eat them,” I finished.

“What?” Tommy scowled.

“I just gave you an example for the final there. And that sentence is true, by the way. Never eat my Peanut Butter Cups. Trust me, I need them more than you do. Now. Can you give examples back to me?”

Tommy bit his lip. “There is your mustache,” he said, pointing to my upper lip.

“Excuse me, I don’t think so,” I fumed, my fingers immediately going above my lip. Actually, crap, when was the last time I waxed? Since Tom has been gone, I haven’t quite kept up. Sometimes being a part of a hairy family isn’t always fun. It’s not like Burt Reynolds up there but if you’re standing close enough to me, you’ll definitely see some major fuzz-age.

Tommy giggled. “I’m kidding,” but I think he just said it to make me feel better.

“So an example for t-h-e-i-r?” I continued.

“Girls look pretty in their skirts,” Tommy finished.

“Right! But...yes, that’s right but, we don’t gape at girls. Okay?” Gosh, eight years old and he was already going girl crazy.

“The final they’re means they are, right?” Tommy questions. He chewed on the top of his pencil. He’s constantly biting off his erasers. It’s disgusting.

“Yup.”

“Ummm....I like Nintendo DS games, they’re cool and I hope Santa brings me a lot of them or else I’ll be sad,” Tommy said triumphantly.

Note to self: buy DS games for Christmas.

“Exactly. You get it!” I said excitedly. You have to understand that schoolwork doesn’t always come easy to Tommy. We’ve sat doing homework for HOURS before and a lot of times we wind up in tears. Especially if it’s math, because I’m not the best at describing it seeing as I think it’s the Devil’s Work.

“There is a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup that I’m going to eat,” Tommy taunted.

“Son, we don’t joke about matters like that.”

58 comments:

  1. yay!! He seems to be doing very well and YOU are a great teacher and so patient! Congrats on the victory with Tommy =)

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  2. I am currently engaging in a battle of wills with Sean over his homework right now. He is hiding under blankets and repeating I hate school. Not awesome. I could really use some Reese's peanut butter cups.

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  3. I am totally with you on the use of "there", "their" and "they're". It seems that only a very small percentage of the population knows how to use these words correctly.

    Here's another pet peeve, grown adults using the word "lurve"? for "love". What is that? It is NOT a word and seriously how old are you, 8? AS you can see I feel very strongly about this :)

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  4. Hahaha those are the best examples I've ever heard of when teaching the difference in those 3. It drives me insane when people mess those up!

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  5. Oh, that drives me NUTS on facebook too! People are always, always mixing up those three on fb. And I feel your pain on the mustache comment. My boys love to say things like, "That is a HUGE zit on your face"! or "Why do your arms jiggle like that?" Ugghh!

    Sounds like Tommy is grasping this thing pretty well for an 8 year old...impressive!

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  6. I get excited every time you have a new post!! Today was another fabulous example! I too can't stand the misusage if their, there, and they're by adults on fb! Tommy is a great kid and I told my gf's about the cock thing at dinner and we were cracking up. 2 of them have little boys and are wondering when that conversation will happen for them!!

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  7. Sounds like a night of homework at our house... complete with the Reeses! I love the examples you guys gave.

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  8. I liked this post. They're some good examples, and their cleverness will stick there in Tommy's brain and help him avoid embarrassing Facebook statuses in the future. :)

    Also, I wish homework went this smoothly with Colin. Only in Kindergarten and it's already like pulling teeth to get him to do anything. Ugh!

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  9. Nice! It totally drives me crazy when my Facebook friend use terrible grammar and totally spell words wrong.

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  10. This is hilarious! Sometimes kids just need examples that don't bore them to tears. Good job, Teach!

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  11. He didn't touch them, did he? Tell me no. My kids wouldn't dare.

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  12. I think there needs to be a test for folks who want to blog. If they're not able to tell their its from their it's, there should be a remedial blogger class for them to attend before hitting they're allowed to hit the big time.

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  13. Nice work. For your next challenge, could you tackle the epidemic "your" and "you're" problem?!

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  14. Excellent!! Now if you could just teach a few adults I know......

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  15. Awesome job. He is ahead of many of me eleventh graders!!

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  16. Thank you for helping him leanr a skill that most adults just don't have.

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  17. So, he did well and didn't get a Reese's

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  18. I laughed so freakin' hard at math being the Devil's work! LoL!

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  19. Isn't bad grammar the worst?

    Makes me wanna scream!

    Yay to Tommy for gettin' it!

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  20. I love it when kids just get it! I'm glad homework wasn't a nightmear last night!

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  21. Hahaha... you should be very proud of him. Sometimes I have to think about it for a minute before I figure out which one to use. But, I'm more of a math gal than grammar.

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  22. hahaha - It amazes me how many grown people misuse the "their" "they're" and "there" along with "your" and "you're". My latest pet peeve is when people say:

    "I seen the grapes at the store were on sale"

    My eyes widen and I swear I start to go hulk on their rear ends.

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  23. haha! Awesome! your son is a smart kid! it's true, so many people get their, they're and there 's confused. and i totally agree with you MATH IS OF THE DEVIL!!!!!!

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  24. You are right! Most adults dont get it either so that is a big thing for him to understand!

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  25. i think i can remember myself having a hard time with that lesson... but he caught on really well.. smart kid!!

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  26. Hi!

    I always enjoy your posts!!!

    Susan

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  27. Helping kids with home work can be so eye opening can't it. ;)

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  28. Very nice. I guard my Reese's also. :-D

    Funny one can determine how long my husband has been gone by the size brush hog needed to mow down the trees on my legs. Feel your pain there...Kids can be brutally honest.

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  29. Good job mom! I don't share reece's either. All MINE!

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  30. He learned that quicker than most adults! Good job, Tommy.

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  31. Yay! It sounds like he deserves a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup after that!

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  32. You make homework fun, even if he didn't get a Reece's Peanut Butter cup!

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  33. C'mon, Tommy earned a Reese's for getting his homework so well, doncha think?

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  34. I can't wait until I have kids to point out my mustache. Ah, the honesty of children.

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  35. English and Reese Cups... The Reese Cup didn't stand a chance... I would have eaten a whole bag before I was able clearly explain they're, there, their

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  36. yay! He got it!! I hate homework.

    But I love peanut butter cups.. Mmmm!

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  37. All in all, sounds like a successful night of homework! Maybe you should give this lesson on facebook!

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  38. That is my biggest pet peeve about Facebook...especially when I see people I went to college with use them incorrectly. Hello, you went to college. Seems Tommy is smarter than many adults that are on Facebook! :) Awesome!

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  39. You have done the world a huge favor by teaching him this. That is one of my pet peeves also!

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  40. You should be an English teacher, we also consider chocolate to be sacred and maths to be the devil's work.

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  41. There are my peanut m&ms, please don not touch them.

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  42. Love how you brought it all to life for him with concrete usage examples! I'm also tickled that you don't have a mustache!

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  43. He caught on quickly! Most adults don't.

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  44. Ok I haven't laughed like this on a blog post in a long time. You're (spelled correctly!) really funny!!

    I HATE when people can't spell you're, your and their, they're, there. Pet peeve. However, I'm sure I've even messed it up once in awhile so I can't harass anyone :( boo. But I really, really want to.

    GREAT BLOG!

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  45. Sooo many adults have issues with the their/there/they're thing. It's crazy but it makes me glad my mom drilled grammar into me as a child!

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  46. I like that you taught him about grammar, not to touch your Reese's cups and not to stare at girls in skirts all in one fell swoop.

    That is efficient parenting.

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  47. Those are tough ones and it sounds like he nailed them. Yay for Tommy! And good job, Mom!

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  48. girls and skirts! after the last post that one is funny too.

    There is no way that their going to get your peanut butter cups unless they're glutten for punishment.

    YOU GO GIRL!

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  49. oops i missed "fingers are"...shouldn't be watching scooby doo while typing

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  50. Being an English Major and working in the legal field for years it drives me CRAZY for people to use poor grammar. I'm glad to see how quickly Tommy caught on. :o)

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  51. Great job Tommy! And I love how he was getting you about the Reese's cups!

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  52. Great job Tommy! And I love how he was getting you about the Reese's cups!

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  53. Please, please, please teach him the difference between "site" and "sight"....

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  54. You're hilarious. I laughed out loud at the "There is your mustache" example.

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  55. Math IS evil. I'm glad other people recognize this! Please defend him from the evil of math. O_O

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