I had the honor of brushing Brenia’s teeth tonight, rather than her daddy, because I am “the nicerest” and “also the bestest.”
I rule!
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I Win!
What the hell kind of crappy Mommy blog am I running around here? School started 3 days ago, and have any of you seen first day of school pics? Nope. I’m too focused on the fact that my house now has a floor and a ceiling.
Stacia is in 3rd grade this year, and I am already highly impressed with her new teacher. About 2 weeks before school started, she received a letter in the mail from her teacher introducing herself and including pictures of the classroom. At the ice cream social a week before school began, her teacher was there and new every kid by face. (Someone studied the yearbook!) The room was ready, supplies were laid out, seating arrangements were already marked so the kids could get a good feel for how 3rd grade would start.
Third grade is a big deal—she’s now in the top half of her school. In only 2 years, she’ll be moving on to bigger and better things at the intermediate school. Third grade is so big, in fact, that she is now too mature for first day of school pictures. I was forced to stay up on the shadowy porch lest other kids see the embarrassment of having a mom with a camera. She’s got about 9 more years to get over it. I will have a first day of school picture every year until she graduates. And then I am sure I will follow her to college and take plenty of cheesy pictures there, too. She has her grandma to thank for that.
Thus, I present to you the first day of school pictures I was allowed to take (and 1 more she didn’t see me sneak in!)
Only 7 days until the big yellow bus arrives to separate my children for several hours each day. I can’t decide if I’m excited or sad to see the summer go. On the one hand, I am so sick and tired of the fighting, whining, tattling and general siblingness. On the other, in just a few short weeks I will be sick to death of packing lunches, supervising homework, feeling guilty as I place volunteer requests into the recycle bin, and driving to and from just about everywhere. It’s a trade off, I suppose. A competition of which list gives me the largest headache. The delicate balancing act of parenthood.
Heard from my 3-year-old behind me as I bent to pickup something the girls left on the floor:
Mommy, your butt is sticking out… “I like big butts and I cannot lie. You other butts can’t deny.”
Maybe I should rethink the nightly candy bar with my bubble bath.
Summer is a rough time around here. My kids are very into their routines and thrive on structure. When things change, it typically takes a couple weeks to iron out the rough patches and get into a new routine. So when school ends, it takes about half the summer to get settled and then we spend the rest of the summer preparing for school. Summer seems to drag on with no rhyme or reason, days blend into days, and I’m left with restless kids running in and out of my house all day long.
My solution this year was to schedule the summer a bit. It gives it more structure & routine and reminds me to actually get out there and do stuff with the girls instead of just hanging around the house counting down the days until school begins again. On Tuesdays, we head to Regal Cinemas for the free family film festival. On Thursdays we hit a local park—we are so blessed to live in an area with 2 great park systems.
On Wednesdays or Fridays we go to the library, depending on which day has the most exciting activity schedule. Last week was Jungle John and his Care of Magical Creatures. The girls saw a dragon, an owl, and a the big hit of the day—a tarantula. Our library sponsors great specials all summer, plus the girls have each earned the first prize level in the summer reading program already.
The idea seems to be helping. They are having fun summer experiences even though we have no vacation plans. Plus, I am keeping them busy enough to warrant an afternoon nap most days—which, as we all know, results in quiet time for Mommy. Now if only I could use that time to get caught up enough on my scrapbooks to records our summer fun activities.