Somewhere along the way in my back to school journey, I read somewhere from some teacher that he likes to ask his kids three questions each night at dinner. One, what is one thing that you learned today? Two, who is one person that you helped today? Three, what was your favorite things about your day?
I thought how hard can it be? I can ask questions. I think I've mentioned before that we try really hard to have family dinner at our house. I have friends who eat at 5p or 6p whether their husbands are home or not and then, if not, he will just eat when he gets home. Or friends who feed the kids first and then eat with their husband after the kids go to bed. It sort of makes sense when your husband gets home late and you have little kids, but we've never done it that way. We've always put a big emphasis on the family dinner and made an effort to make it happen. Which is why we used to eat at 7:30p instead if 6p, but can adjust that a little better now that Charlie works from home (when he isn't traveling anyway).
I'm getting off topic. So, we've always asked the kids how their day was and to tell us what happened, but I thought I would try these new questions for a bit. Let me tell you, asking kids about their day is like pulling teeth. What did you like best about today? What? Your lunch. Nope, doesn't count. Recess? Try again. They really don't get that we want to hear about their day.
Today I asked Sarah what she learned, and she said they learned about rocks. Period. Okay, better answer than I've gotten from her in the past week or so. Then when I was putting her to bed she said, "Mommy, did you know that clay is the smallest form that rocks come in?" Um, no, I didn't know that. Where did you hear that? I learned it at school today. So why didn't you tell me that when I asked at dinner? UGH. I told her nicely that was something she should have told me at dinner and that's why I ask those questions. OOOOHHH.
So, it's a work in progress. Yesterday Amanda said she helped by picking up the crayons and markers. Today when I asked who she helped she said nobody because it wasn't her turn to pick up the crayons and markers today. They are slowly getting it. Hopefully by the end of the year it will be conversation material. Otherwise, maybe book material, lol.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Sometimes He Surprises Me
Now that we've been in school for a week the excitement and newness has worn off. Last week the kids were pretty gung ho and willing to wake up and get dressed, eat and get to school with plenty of time to spare. We had so much time that I was going to write a post (in fact I thought I did) about how fabulous the mornings were and that I got so much done now waking up at 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. and how the girls had so much time to dress and eat and even play in the morning. Nothing but time.
That wonderful honeymoon period has already worn off. On Monday morning Andy walked grumpily into the kitchen and informed me he was tired of waking up at 6 a.m. No duh, dude, who do you think is getting up with you? Only about 150 more days to go this year and then it's even more permanent when he is actually a full time student at the middle school and he will have to get up even earlier when he goes to high school. Ugh. All he does is read on his iPad in the morning while I'm hanging out with him, can't he just do it all by himself?
Another thing I forgot about was how tired Sarah gets when she is at school all day and how cranky she is when she gets home from school. Watch out. She's fine as long as I don't make her do anything on her to do list, like homework or taking her vitamins or feeding her fish, but when I do ask that's when all the screaming starts. From both of us. I really didn't need to yell at the kids very much this summer but within the last few days it's all coming back to me. Part of it is the kids and part of it is the fact that now I am getting up earlier but I am not going to bed any earlier. I am working on it but old habits die hard.
So we were all a little unhappy on Monday evening and Charlie was on a trip for work and I really didn't want to put the girls to bed and Andy knew it. All three of the kids were actually playing nicely together for once and Andy came up to me after I had told the girls a few times it was time for bed with no action and said, "I'll take care of this one." He got the girls upstairs, got them in their pajamas with teeth brushed and was reading to them when I finally walked into the room to make sure I didn't need to do anything before kissing everyone goodnight. The girls were actually mad at me for coming in too early and spoiling the surprise because they wanted to be in bed and all tucked in before I came in the room. That almost started another battle but instead I just left them alone to complete their plan.
Andy is a very mature kid, but sometimes he acts very much like an eleven year old boy. Silly and goofy and self centered and loud and just plain weird. I'll get frustrated with him, and then see some of his classmates and how immature they are and realize how lucky I am, even on his worst days. He's starting to hit puberty which is a whole other animal, but in the end he is a great kid. And every once in a while he pulls something like this to show me just how much he really loves me.
That wonderful honeymoon period has already worn off. On Monday morning Andy walked grumpily into the kitchen and informed me he was tired of waking up at 6 a.m. No duh, dude, who do you think is getting up with you? Only about 150 more days to go this year and then it's even more permanent when he is actually a full time student at the middle school and he will have to get up even earlier when he goes to high school. Ugh. All he does is read on his iPad in the morning while I'm hanging out with him, can't he just do it all by himself?
Another thing I forgot about was how tired Sarah gets when she is at school all day and how cranky she is when she gets home from school. Watch out. She's fine as long as I don't make her do anything on her to do list, like homework or taking her vitamins or feeding her fish, but when I do ask that's when all the screaming starts. From both of us. I really didn't need to yell at the kids very much this summer but within the last few days it's all coming back to me. Part of it is the kids and part of it is the fact that now I am getting up earlier but I am not going to bed any earlier. I am working on it but old habits die hard.
So we were all a little unhappy on Monday evening and Charlie was on a trip for work and I really didn't want to put the girls to bed and Andy knew it. All three of the kids were actually playing nicely together for once and Andy came up to me after I had told the girls a few times it was time for bed with no action and said, "I'll take care of this one." He got the girls upstairs, got them in their pajamas with teeth brushed and was reading to them when I finally walked into the room to make sure I didn't need to do anything before kissing everyone goodnight. The girls were actually mad at me for coming in too early and spoiling the surprise because they wanted to be in bed and all tucked in before I came in the room. That almost started another battle but instead I just left them alone to complete their plan.
Andy is a very mature kid, but sometimes he acts very much like an eleven year old boy. Silly and goofy and self centered and loud and just plain weird. I'll get frustrated with him, and then see some of his classmates and how immature they are and realize how lucky I am, even on his worst days. He's starting to hit puberty which is a whole other animal, but in the end he is a great kid. And every once in a while he pulls something like this to show me just how much he really loves me.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Kid Quote of the Day
"Unicorn."
-Amanda, at her well visit today when the doctor asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. The doctor acknowledged that it was a great answer as we need more unicorns in the world.
-Amanda, at her well visit today when the doctor asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. The doctor acknowledged that it was a great answer as we need more unicorns in the world.
And So It Begins
When we first found out that Andy was going to split his morning between the middle school and elementary school I thought it was going to be difficult. He has to wake up at 6 a.m. now to get showered and eat breakfast and get out the door to catch the bus on time. So I need to wake up at 6 a.m. to make sure that he gets up. He's a pretty early riser so the chances of him sleeping in are pretty slim, but still I need to be the responsible parent and make sure he's moving in the morning. Another reminder that parenthood is overrated.
What I didn't realize when I was pondering how I was going to get up any earlier than I already did, was what a blessing that extra hour is. He leaves around 6:45a. The girls wake up, also on their own, around 7a. Which means I have a few moments to gather my wits, get lunches started and be ready for the girls. Since I am functional at 7a instead of trying to wake up and then getting out of bed by 7:30a, I can spend extra time picking out clothes and shoes with Amanda and even doing the girls' hair. This morning I french braided both sides of Amanda's hair because I had nothing but time.
With Andy out of the house the instigator is gone and the girls can chat and play and there is no one to pick on them because he is bored. We really do have all the time in the world and it makes the morning run so much smoother.
What I forgot about was how tired and cranky the kids are after school, mainly Sarah, and how homework is back in our lives. Sarah had a tiny assignment today that took her over an hour to do. All she had to do was pick five things from around the house that described her (the assignment was called "In a Nutshell") and would be used for creative writing assignments for the next few weeks. It was like she had no clue what she was all about and what things were important to her. By the end of that assignment we had a coming to Jesus that I would not be helping her with her homework this year if this is how it was going to go. I am not going to sit by her side and try to get her to concentrate and cajole her into doing her homework. This after just the first day people. What am I going to say to her a month from now?
On the plus side, both kids love their teachers and are excited to be back at school. That's what I really care about, that they are enjoying themselves and in the correct mindset to learn, which they appear to be. Here's hoping it stays that way!
What I didn't realize when I was pondering how I was going to get up any earlier than I already did, was what a blessing that extra hour is. He leaves around 6:45a. The girls wake up, also on their own, around 7a. Which means I have a few moments to gather my wits, get lunches started and be ready for the girls. Since I am functional at 7a instead of trying to wake up and then getting out of bed by 7:30a, I can spend extra time picking out clothes and shoes with Amanda and even doing the girls' hair. This morning I french braided both sides of Amanda's hair because I had nothing but time.
With Andy out of the house the instigator is gone and the girls can chat and play and there is no one to pick on them because he is bored. We really do have all the time in the world and it makes the morning run so much smoother.
What I forgot about was how tired and cranky the kids are after school, mainly Sarah, and how homework is back in our lives. Sarah had a tiny assignment today that took her over an hour to do. All she had to do was pick five things from around the house that described her (the assignment was called "In a Nutshell") and would be used for creative writing assignments for the next few weeks. It was like she had no clue what she was all about and what things were important to her. By the end of that assignment we had a coming to Jesus that I would not be helping her with her homework this year if this is how it was going to go. I am not going to sit by her side and try to get her to concentrate and cajole her into doing her homework. This after just the first day people. What am I going to say to her a month from now?
On the plus side, both kids love their teachers and are excited to be back at school. That's what I really care about, that they are enjoying themselves and in the correct mindset to learn, which they appear to be. Here's hoping it stays that way!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Kid Quote of the Day
"Selfish and selfless all at the same time."
-Andy, watching me fill out the volunteer sheet for Sarah's class and after much consideration circling bi-weekly instead of weekly for the frequency with which I would like to volunteer. Such a profound statement and so incredibly accurate from my 11 year old boy.
-Andy, watching me fill out the volunteer sheet for Sarah's class and after much consideration circling bi-weekly instead of weekly for the frequency with which I would like to volunteer. Such a profound statement and so incredibly accurate from my 11 year old boy.
And So It Ends
We came home from a fantastic week in Destin on Saturday. Not only was it fantastic, it was one of our best. Well, one of our best with the kids. I still sort of remember, because my memory is for shit now, how much fun we had when we went before we had kids and we stayed up late and slept in and only thought about ourselves. Now that was a great vacation.
But alas, now we have children and the focus isn't on us anymore. Or not as much as we'd like anyway. The guys still find time to get away and golf and the ladies go to the spa and shopping so it's not totally about the kids. This year was amazing because my kids were so independent. Amanda was a champ in the pool and I didn't even have to get in with her most of the time. She swam all over the place like a demon and there was only one time she looked like she needed help and that's when she was upset and crying about a game they were playing not because she was about to drown. She LOVED the pool and would ask to go in everyday and would have rather spent the whole week in the pool instead of going to the beach but we made them do that several days as well. They would go to the beach and then come back to the pool and they were all so tired every night it was wonderful. This was the first year that I can remember that Charlie wasn't upset as we drove to the airport that he didn't get to do everything he wanted to do. This year we attacked our schedule and made the best of every single day and played tennis more than once (unheard of) and even sent the adults without the kids so they could play real tennis (even more unheard of) that by Thursday we couldn't think of anything we still "had to do". It was awesome.
Saturday we got up and took a short flight from Pensacola to Houston and then got on another short flight from Houston to Denver and were supposed to be home by 3p. But that second short flight turned into a very long flight when we had to circle Denver for an hour or so and then got diverted to Colorado Springs and spend 2+ hours on the ground due to a ground stop (where they won't let any planes take off or land) in Denver that was a result of concerns about wind sheer. So instead of landing in Denver at 3p we landed at 9p. We discussed getting off the plane and renting a car and driving home and figuring out our luggage later, except that our car seats were under the plane. Foiled again. Did I mention that was Amanda's 5th birthday and according to her the "worst birthday ever". I think she'll forget about it when we go on her birthday trip to Disney World in a few weeks.
Sunday was spent making up for Amanda's missed birthday, trying to shake off the traveling funk from the day before and unpacking and doing a tiny bit of laundry. Of course now it's Tuesday and it still looks like we are unpacking by the back door.
Monday started with a bang as it was meet the teacher for Andy and Sarah and Andy's first day of math at the middle school. He's been doing advanced math since third grade and it finally caught up with him where his school can't offer the grade level of math he needs so he gets up butt early and takes the bus to the middle school for math and then we have to drive him back to the elementary school for his regular school day. The middle school started on Monday but the elementary school doesn't start until tomorrow so for the past two days he's woken up to go to math and then come home. Weird, but a nice way to ease back into school.
Today was Amanda's first day of her English preschool, the Spanish preschool doesn't start until after Labor Day, and tonight was Andy's 6th grade orientation. All that to say the last couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity and meetings and getting ready for school. Thankfully tomorrow they actually get to go and our scheduled life of predictability will return. It may not sound good to you, but it sounds like heaven to me. I even volunteered to help out at school again this year even though last year almost drove me over the edge. I like to help, but it really cramps my style.
So that's it, our summer is over. It was great, I only had those two days at the very end where I thought I might have to commit myself and otherwise it was thoroughly enjoyable. Okay, not thoroughly, but manageable. Let's see where this next school year takes us!
But alas, now we have children and the focus isn't on us anymore. Or not as much as we'd like anyway. The guys still find time to get away and golf and the ladies go to the spa and shopping so it's not totally about the kids. This year was amazing because my kids were so independent. Amanda was a champ in the pool and I didn't even have to get in with her most of the time. She swam all over the place like a demon and there was only one time she looked like she needed help and that's when she was upset and crying about a game they were playing not because she was about to drown. She LOVED the pool and would ask to go in everyday and would have rather spent the whole week in the pool instead of going to the beach but we made them do that several days as well. They would go to the beach and then come back to the pool and they were all so tired every night it was wonderful. This was the first year that I can remember that Charlie wasn't upset as we drove to the airport that he didn't get to do everything he wanted to do. This year we attacked our schedule and made the best of every single day and played tennis more than once (unheard of) and even sent the adults without the kids so they could play real tennis (even more unheard of) that by Thursday we couldn't think of anything we still "had to do". It was awesome.
Saturday we got up and took a short flight from Pensacola to Houston and then got on another short flight from Houston to Denver and were supposed to be home by 3p. But that second short flight turned into a very long flight when we had to circle Denver for an hour or so and then got diverted to Colorado Springs and spend 2+ hours on the ground due to a ground stop (where they won't let any planes take off or land) in Denver that was a result of concerns about wind sheer. So instead of landing in Denver at 3p we landed at 9p. We discussed getting off the plane and renting a car and driving home and figuring out our luggage later, except that our car seats were under the plane. Foiled again. Did I mention that was Amanda's 5th birthday and according to her the "worst birthday ever". I think she'll forget about it when we go on her birthday trip to Disney World in a few weeks.
Sunday was spent making up for Amanda's missed birthday, trying to shake off the traveling funk from the day before and unpacking and doing a tiny bit of laundry. Of course now it's Tuesday and it still looks like we are unpacking by the back door.
Monday started with a bang as it was meet the teacher for Andy and Sarah and Andy's first day of math at the middle school. He's been doing advanced math since third grade and it finally caught up with him where his school can't offer the grade level of math he needs so he gets up butt early and takes the bus to the middle school for math and then we have to drive him back to the elementary school for his regular school day. The middle school started on Monday but the elementary school doesn't start until tomorrow so for the past two days he's woken up to go to math and then come home. Weird, but a nice way to ease back into school.
Today was Amanda's first day of her English preschool, the Spanish preschool doesn't start until after Labor Day, and tonight was Andy's 6th grade orientation. All that to say the last couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity and meetings and getting ready for school. Thankfully tomorrow they actually get to go and our scheduled life of predictability will return. It may not sound good to you, but it sounds like heaven to me. I even volunteered to help out at school again this year even though last year almost drove me over the edge. I like to help, but it really cramps my style.
So that's it, our summer is over. It was great, I only had those two days at the very end where I thought I might have to commit myself and otherwise it was thoroughly enjoyable. Okay, not thoroughly, but manageable. Let's see where this next school year takes us!
Friday, August 1, 2014
Our Last Hurrah!
I find myself sitting here just finished packing for our last trip of the summer. Well, our last trip until school starts. We will also be taking a quick trip to Miami for Labor Day Weekend and then I am taking Amanda to Disney World for her 5th birthday, but this is it as far as summer is concerned. The funny thing is that I've been 95% packed since Wednesday. I never do that. Ever. Usually Charlie and I start packing around 9p the night before a trip and then we are up until some crazy hour getting the last few things in. This time all I did was unpack the suitcase from the last trip, which was mostly full of clean clothes since I've gotten into the habit of doing all my wash before I leave when I stay with friends and family so that isn't the first thing I have to do when I get home. I picked out a few different things and had the girls fill in the outfits that we still needed, and then I did the same thing with Andy, washing all his clothes from camp and then packing them before he ever got a chance to put them away.
The last two weeks have been a blur. I can't even believe we've been home from New Jersey that long. We had a fabulous visit with April and Renee, which I of course knew we would, that went by way too fast. I cannot explain to you how much I love spending time with them. I can be myself with them, no holds barred even though I am a guest in someone's home, and I know no matter what they will love me and stand up for me and defend me and take care of me. They may make fun of my shopping habits, but they love me all the same and would be there for me in a second. I have absolutely no doubts. Friends like these are few and far between and I will be hard pressed to find more like them the rest of my life. Thankfully my husband totally understands and loves them almost as much as I do so that we can keep this pattern going. Next year I swear he is going to come with us.
So, we did the beach and Renee's husband Mark was so wonderful to take the girls into the freezing cold ocean and play with them. I'm not sure what game they had going on but when he left early in the week to go back to work they hugged and said, "good-bye wolfie". Total bonding. We went bowling and swimming and to the Pinball Museum where I scored the high score on Frogger. I would have done better if I wasn't keeping one eye out for Amanda the whole time. Next year we need to go without the kids. We also made it to Beach Plum, the most amazing ice cream place around. Also, Renee and April introduced me to this crazy card game called Mille Bournes that they played as kids, but not together because they didn't know each other then. We got slightly obsessed with it but really had a great time playing after the kids went to bed. And to top the week off we went to Camden one night for a Bruno Mars concert. I'm not the hugest Bruno fan, but I do like his music so it was a lot of fun.
After we got home Sarah started horse back camp which she loved and two of the instructors told me that she had great form and they were really impressed. That's a good thing because her past and future therapists have both said that horse back riding would be great therapy for her. So hopefully I can get in gear and set up some lessons for this fall. I also got myself back to the gym with my new trainer who's sole goal is to hurt me. It's kind of a strange thing to pay someone to make your life miserable, but hopefully in the end it will be worth it. Right now I'm still trying to decide.
So yes, two weeks have flown by and tomorrow we leave for Destin. Best family vacation ever with wonderful friends. We get back next Saturday and then Andy starts school Monday, Amanda starts Tuesday and Sarah starts Wednesday. I would say that the summer hasn't been long enough and I wish that we had just a few more weeks, but that would be a lie. I almost lost it yesterday and realized that I only had to get through today and then a nice vacation and then they would be back to school. Then we can get back on schedule and my life will still be crazy but a more controlled, metered out crazy.
It's been a fantastic summer, but why ruin a good thing?
The last two weeks have been a blur. I can't even believe we've been home from New Jersey that long. We had a fabulous visit with April and Renee, which I of course knew we would, that went by way too fast. I cannot explain to you how much I love spending time with them. I can be myself with them, no holds barred even though I am a guest in someone's home, and I know no matter what they will love me and stand up for me and defend me and take care of me. They may make fun of my shopping habits, but they love me all the same and would be there for me in a second. I have absolutely no doubts. Friends like these are few and far between and I will be hard pressed to find more like them the rest of my life. Thankfully my husband totally understands and loves them almost as much as I do so that we can keep this pattern going. Next year I swear he is going to come with us.
So, we did the beach and Renee's husband Mark was so wonderful to take the girls into the freezing cold ocean and play with them. I'm not sure what game they had going on but when he left early in the week to go back to work they hugged and said, "good-bye wolfie". Total bonding. We went bowling and swimming and to the Pinball Museum where I scored the high score on Frogger. I would have done better if I wasn't keeping one eye out for Amanda the whole time. Next year we need to go without the kids. We also made it to Beach Plum, the most amazing ice cream place around. Also, Renee and April introduced me to this crazy card game called Mille Bournes that they played as kids, but not together because they didn't know each other then. We got slightly obsessed with it but really had a great time playing after the kids went to bed. And to top the week off we went to Camden one night for a Bruno Mars concert. I'm not the hugest Bruno fan, but I do like his music so it was a lot of fun.
After we got home Sarah started horse back camp which she loved and two of the instructors told me that she had great form and they were really impressed. That's a good thing because her past and future therapists have both said that horse back riding would be great therapy for her. So hopefully I can get in gear and set up some lessons for this fall. I also got myself back to the gym with my new trainer who's sole goal is to hurt me. It's kind of a strange thing to pay someone to make your life miserable, but hopefully in the end it will be worth it. Right now I'm still trying to decide.
So yes, two weeks have flown by and tomorrow we leave for Destin. Best family vacation ever with wonderful friends. We get back next Saturday and then Andy starts school Monday, Amanda starts Tuesday and Sarah starts Wednesday. I would say that the summer hasn't been long enough and I wish that we had just a few more weeks, but that would be a lie. I almost lost it yesterday and realized that I only had to get through today and then a nice vacation and then they would be back to school. Then we can get back on schedule and my life will still be crazy but a more controlled, metered out crazy.
It's been a fantastic summer, but why ruin a good thing?
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