First day back to school. Bittersweet. Hard on the mommies, no? At least this wuss, it is.
Hate to see my little people go back, I had such a great summer hanging out with them. Most days I genuinely enjoyed their company, the amazing people they are becoming. Other days I came close to breaking out the Festivus Pole, they made me so crazy.
I also hate to see them go back because as I walked out of their classrooms this morning, I could see the clock jump a year or four ahead. Each day gets them closer to middle school, proms, drivers ed, college.
Right now I have a little bit of control left. Sooner than not, I won't. I can still help with school work, activities, projects. I can intervene a bit when necessary if friendships encounter turbulence. I can remind them of their manners, the Golden Rule, their P's and Q's as my dad would say.
I also love to see them go back to school. For one thingI don't have to listen to anyone whine or argue for 6-7 hours. Nice.
More importantly, they are able to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, learn something new everyday, branch out on their own a bit. I keep reminding myself that these guys are only on loan to me. My job is to just give them the space to figure out who they are meant to be. Not tie them to my Festivus pole forever.
Today they came home tired but happy. GoGo encountered a mean girl who commented on her glasses and of course my girl nipped that in the bud IMMEDIATELY. She starts a Tai Kwon Do class this weekend so this chick should be prepared.
D needs time to process the new teacher, kids, etc. He made a few new friends and saw all of his old ones. And learned a rhyme that he and his friends this afternoon found hilarious.
D: Listen to this! It's so funny!
Friends: What? (giggling)
D: Chinese, Japanese (tugging his eyes respectively), Dirty Knees, Look at THESE! (tugging his shirt respectively)
All: Rolling on the Floor with The Giggles
Oh yes. We are the pc household around these parts.
And yes, these are the days.
I Can See the Beach From Here
While we were at the beach, GoGo asked to redo her bedroom in a "beach theme". I said sure...what did she have in mind? ORANGE paint, Mommy! Um, yeah. No.
So instead we did a few beachy items and some new bedding and she was a happy girl.
It's not a private cottage in Bali but it will do for a 6 year old.
And then Gogo got some rockin' purple glasses and she can really spot the sea shells now, Mom!
And this has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but I love my dining room in the early a.m. The natural light that comes in is so pretty. Getting' my Martha on pretty early, today.
Walks With Purpose got her hairs cut last week and her little bob is too much. She looks so much older and she likes to look at herself in the mirror and tell me she "got cut". As she brushes her teeth.
We met the big kids' teachers yesterday - all very good.
I had a moment of sheer terror last week though.
It appeared as though GoGo had no assigned teacher (4 DAYS BEFORE SCHOOL) and that Walks With Purpose had no preschool to attend.
That equation? Equals Madness for the Mama.
Alas, GoGo DOES have a teacher...a new and very nice one. And some good buddies in there with her so all is right with the world again.
And Walks With Purpose does indeed have a preschool to attend...with her neighbor buddy.
And Mommy is thankful and happy.
D's teacher seems nice and one of his best buddies from 1st grade sits right next to him.
In desks, not at tables anymore. Growing up.
Today is our last day of summer break.
I hate to see it end for many reasons...mostly because even though my little people have driven me crazy this summer on a few occasions, I will miss waking up with them and eating leisurely breakfasts, hanging at the pool, road trippin', impromptu playdates, staying up late to catch lighting bugs.
Now we will have early morning schedules, afternoon activities, homework, early bedtimes. With that will come learning new things, meeting new friends and growing up.
Ready for Fall!
Hills and Valleys
We hit the hills of NC this weekend with the little people. A road trip with the whole fam damily.
Ostensibly it was to be a reunion lunch for Mommy and an old friend, but turned into so much more than just a get-together at Hot Dog World.
My kids got to visit a real gymnastics gym-not the pony and princess kind. The real deal-no AC, lots of equipment that was unidentifiable to the untrained eye (mine) and jackpot...a huge runway with springs that launched my little people into a sea of smelly foam chunks. They were in absolute heaven.
We then took them gem mining in a torrential thunderstorm. I forgot what thunder sounds like at higher elevations. Loud. They had a ball, though. Each came home with a glass jar full of precious finds-huge nuggets of emeralds and sapphires. Probably nothing I can cash in to pay for college but they think they are rich beyond measure. And of course, they are.
Today I took my older ones to Carowinds (Six Flags, for my STL reader). I had promised them a trip at the beginning of the summer and they did not forget! So why can't they remember to turn off lights, put their shoes away or come home on time?
Observations:
1. I may as well have taped tens and twentys all over my person and just walked around the park, letting thebirds of prey vendors rip me off. My, how pricey things are. $64 on food and games and what did we consume? Funnel cake (a first for my kids so TOTALLY worth it), Dippin' Dots, Icees, fresh squeezed lemonade and 2 games so each could win a stuffed animal (which they did). Not anything from the food pyramid, but fun.
2. No one in our party of 3 wanted to ride the "big" roller coasters. We are all cut from a similar cloth where that is concerned, apparently. We rode a few and did all the water ones that were open. But the ones called the HURLER and INTIMIDATOR, we passed on by. I thought maybe Gogo would want to try some but thankfully, she didn't. I remember getting car sick riding 20 minutes to the mall when I was a kid so something where you appear to be strapped in my your neck didn't really appeal to my stomach.
3. Speaking of Gogo, that girl can SCREAM. Oh my word. I sat by her on one and I swear to Pete I was hearing challenged when we exited. She could be taped for a horror film, that one and her screams.
4. At one point I looked back at D, who wanted to ride by himself, and he was the color of a spilled bottle of White-Out, his mouth forming a perfect "O".
I silently prayed he wasn't about to spray the backs of Gogo and I before we touched back to Earth. Nothing a little Icee couldn't cure 5 minutes later.
We were hot and tired at the end but we had a great time - Agent P hung out with a new sitter and she apparently loved her. Woke up from her nap talking about her which is a good sign.
All in all, a good day.
Ostensibly it was to be a reunion lunch for Mommy and an old friend, but turned into so much more than just a get-together at Hot Dog World.
My kids got to visit a real gymnastics gym-not the pony and princess kind. The real deal-no AC, lots of equipment that was unidentifiable to the untrained eye (mine) and jackpot...a huge runway with springs that launched my little people into a sea of smelly foam chunks. They were in absolute heaven.
We then took them gem mining in a torrential thunderstorm. I forgot what thunder sounds like at higher elevations. Loud. They had a ball, though. Each came home with a glass jar full of precious finds-huge nuggets of emeralds and sapphires. Probably nothing I can cash in to pay for college but they think they are rich beyond measure. And of course, they are.
Today I took my older ones to Carowinds (Six Flags, for my STL reader). I had promised them a trip at the beginning of the summer and they did not forget! So why can't they remember to turn off lights, put their shoes away or come home on time?
Observations:
1. I may as well have taped tens and twentys all over my person and just walked around the park, letting the
2. No one in our party of 3 wanted to ride the "big" roller coasters. We are all cut from a similar cloth where that is concerned, apparently. We rode a few and did all the water ones that were open. But the ones called the HURLER and INTIMIDATOR, we passed on by. I thought maybe Gogo would want to try some but thankfully, she didn't. I remember getting car sick riding 20 minutes to the mall when I was a kid so something where you appear to be strapped in my your neck didn't really appeal to my stomach.
3. Speaking of Gogo, that girl can SCREAM. Oh my word. I sat by her on one and I swear to Pete I was hearing challenged when we exited. She could be taped for a horror film, that one and her screams.
4. At one point I looked back at D, who wanted to ride by himself, and he was the color of a spilled bottle of White-Out, his mouth forming a perfect "O".
I silently prayed he wasn't about to spray the backs of Gogo and I before we touched back to Earth. Nothing a little Icee couldn't cure 5 minutes later.
We were hot and tired at the end but we had a great time - Agent P hung out with a new sitter and she apparently loved her. Woke up from her nap talking about her which is a good sign.
All in all, a good day.
Kickin' it Old School
This week my kids and I have done the following:
1. Cleaned the house together while listening to Fleetwood Mac on the ipod. My two oldest Windexed windows, mirrors and one time, the dining room table. My youngest applied the feather duster to anything unable to escape her. We had the music cranked, coffee on, a huge bacon/egg breakfast going. It was actually a lot of fun. It also reminded me of being a little kid and sitting on my mom's bed with her, attempting to fold clothes while watching Donahue. Same vibe, all good stuff.
2. We have done multiple sets of flash cards. Math, sight words, Mickey Mouse color ones forAgent P Walks with Purpose. I am feeling guilty for all of our late nights at cookouts, pool dates and general summertime laziness and so I, like many others, am attempting to cram 10 weeks of reading and math worksheets into 10 days. But, it brings back memories of being a kid and having to do them at school.
3. We have played in water. Our pool, the hose, large buckets filled to the brim. Today I let them take turns shooting each other with water guns, the hose, and finally just tossing buckets of water on any unlucky schmo. I didn't even apply sunscreen (we were in the shade most of the time and it was 10:30am). Had it really been Old School though, I would have applied a tan enhancer with an SPF of 4 or less.
4. We have snuggled in our jammies, watching Scooby Doo. The old ones, not the new ones where Velma is really annoying. We ate popcorn, drank grape koolaid and only got dressed before Daddy came home.
5. We enjoyed McDonald's hot fudge sundaes. In the car. Radio up.
6. Tomorrow we mine for gold. Really. AND it's free. Now THAT is Old School.
1. Cleaned the house together while listening to Fleetwood Mac on the ipod. My two oldest Windexed windows, mirrors and one time, the dining room table. My youngest applied the feather duster to anything unable to escape her. We had the music cranked, coffee on, a huge bacon/egg breakfast going. It was actually a lot of fun. It also reminded me of being a little kid and sitting on my mom's bed with her, attempting to fold clothes while watching Donahue. Same vibe, all good stuff.
2. We have done multiple sets of flash cards. Math, sight words, Mickey Mouse color ones for
3. We have played in water. Our pool, the hose, large buckets filled to the brim. Today I let them take turns shooting each other with water guns, the hose, and finally just tossing buckets of water on any unlucky schmo. I didn't even apply sunscreen (we were in the shade most of the time and it was 10:30am). Had it really been Old School though, I would have applied a tan enhancer with an SPF of 4 or less.
4. We have snuggled in our jammies, watching Scooby Doo. The old ones, not the new ones where Velma is really annoying. We ate popcorn, drank grape koolaid and only got dressed before Daddy came home.
5. We enjoyed McDonald's hot fudge sundaes. In the car. Radio up.
6. Tomorrow we mine for gold. Really. AND it's free. Now THAT is Old School.
Too Good to Forget
On our recent road trip, none of my kids ate particularly well.
Finally, on the way home, GoGo decided to eat All of her nuggets, All of her fries and All of her drink. She informs me of this. D informs her - "You are going to turn into a fat, Angry Bird if you keep eating like that."
D has been telling me his ear hurts - I assume it's maybe swimmers ear because we have spent an insane amount of time in pools. I have given him drops, Motrin, extra vitamins. Whatever works.
Today, GoGo asks him if he wants to go to our pool. He looks at her as if she has lost her mind and points to his ear with a "Can't, remember? Got the Swimmer Ear!" You would think he's terminal and no, I have no idea where he gets that from.
In the car on the way home from Atlanta, I guess Agent P had just had enough of the bickering from D and GoGo. In her best big girl voice she says - "Dommie, stttoooppp. 'K?" Love her.
Speaking of Agent P, my friend gave her a new name. Walks With Purpose.
I have Indian blood, so this counts.
She has this very authoritative swagger with a bit of arm swinging, as if every step is one closer to accomplishing an Imperative Mission.
GoGo was looking at her Barbie coloring book and intended to tell us she "liked her boots" but instead told us she "liked her boobs". If it is possible to die from laughter, I surely came close.
Love these guys.
Finally, on the way home, GoGo decided to eat All of her nuggets, All of her fries and All of her drink. She informs me of this. D informs her - "You are going to turn into a fat, Angry Bird if you keep eating like that."
D has been telling me his ear hurts - I assume it's maybe swimmers ear because we have spent an insane amount of time in pools. I have given him drops, Motrin, extra vitamins. Whatever works.
Today, GoGo asks him if he wants to go to our pool. He looks at her as if she has lost her mind and points to his ear with a "Can't, remember? Got the Swimmer Ear!" You would think he's terminal and no, I have no idea where he gets that from.
In the car on the way home from Atlanta, I guess Agent P had just had enough of the bickering from D and GoGo. In her best big girl voice she says - "Dommie, stttoooppp. 'K?" Love her.
Speaking of Agent P, my friend gave her a new name. Walks With Purpose.
I have Indian blood, so this counts.
She has this very authoritative swagger with a bit of arm swinging, as if every step is one closer to accomplishing an Imperative Mission.
GoGo was looking at her Barbie coloring book and intended to tell us she "liked her boots" but instead told us she "liked her boobs". If it is possible to die from laughter, I surely came close.
Love these guys.
Catch Up
It feels like we've had a really busy couple of weeks but in reality it was a lot of pool time, playdates and one awesome road trip. And a wee bit of work for Mommy thrown in.
I hit the road with my little people last week and we enjoyed the sights of Atlanta with very dear friends.
Between us we had 6 kids - they paired off rather well and had an absolute party for 4 days.
I so wish we could see these guys more often - they are a great example for my kids of what true friendship is. And for Mommy.
We hit the Georgia Aquarium and it was WAY COOL. My kids could reach out and touch this guy and the little hammerhead shark.
I hit the road with my little people last week and we enjoyed the sights of Atlanta with very dear friends.
Between us we had 6 kids - they paired off rather well and had an absolute party for 4 days.
I so wish we could see these guys more often - they are a great example for my kids of what true friendship is. And for Mommy.
We hit the Georgia Aquarium and it was WAY COOL. My kids could reach out and touch this guy and the little hammerhead shark.
They could not, however, reach out and touch this guy.
How do they get such mammoth creatures in the tank???
Enjoying the Splashground at Centennial Park.
Even Naked Baby enjoyed the pool.
I love road trips. I love having the music up, taking in all you see on the road, people watching and knowing I am together with my little people, safe in our car.
Even with MULTIPLE games of Angry Birds, fighting over which music to turn up, dirty diapers and spilt drinks. It's all good when you are on the road.
Now we catch up on sleep, purchase school supplies and just veg out by the pool for the next 3 weeks as we await the start of another school year. Where did the summer go? What the hell were we doing the last 8 weeks? I don't know. Beach, pool, a few road trips, playdates, sleepovers, farmers market, cookouts, friends.
We're fortunate enough to leave friends in Atlanta and come home to an afternoon of hanging with friends in the n'bhood. Love where we live.
And since I was on the road yesterday and unable to celebrate it - we WILL be acknowledging International Beer Day as I missed it yesterday.
Got to stay caught up on all the Good Times.
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