Summertime

The last two weeks of school flew.  Like a blur.  Like so much going on that I thought of trying to write it all down and it just gave me tired head.  So here I am, finally writing it down a few days after everything is over and we are already into our first week of spring break.

The weekend before school got out we took a fun trip to Dallas for a party that some friends of our have talked about throwing for about 20 years.  Pretty since we met them.  We got to catch up with so many people at the party and the day before, it was almost as if we hadn't moved.  Except, well...

We got delayed out of Dallas and the kids didn't get to bed until after midnight which wasn't that big of a deal because it was the last week of school and everybody knows that not much happens the last week of school, except that Monday was Field Day.  Yippee!  So we sent our overtired older two to school to run around and do crazy stunts and I brought the overtired younger one to watch.  Luckily Sarah was in the morning and Andy was in the afternoon so I could watch each one and not have the share my time (lucky for them but a long day for mom and baby sister), except the clouds and lightning rolled in while Andy's class was in their second event.  They sent everybody inside, started a movie and even though the sun came out about 30 minutes later they never finished Field Day.  Kind of a bummer when it's your last one.

The rest of the week was field trips and park visits and Outdoor Ed for Andy, and a stomach virus for Sarah that kept her from fun and school and made my last few days of freedom not so free.  I took the two girls to Target the day before school got out and they were crazy.  Amanda actually said to Sarah, "We're supposed to be annoying, stick to the program", which did not give me warm and fuzzies for how the summer is going to go.  I think in nine weeks I am really going to enjoy sending her to Kindergarten.

Andy had Continuation (for some reason they don't call it Graduation, probably because they are just continuing to 7th grade at the middle school) on Thursday morning, but as soon as they called his name and he "crossed the stage" they pulled me out to get Sarah because her stomach hurt again.  So I missed the Clap Out that they do for the 6th grades where all the kids in the school line up outside the classrooms and the 6th graders parade around the whole school while all the kids clap for them.  The 6th grade parents get to stand and clap in the main hallway which is the last place they go before they leave the building.  Supposedly it's super cool, I guess I'll have to wait another three years to see it.

After Continuation Andy had about 10 kids come over for a Summer Kick-Off Party.  We had food, cake, a bounce house, water balloons and a pinata.  It seemed like everybody enjoyed themselves, I know Andy had a good time.  Then a few hours later I invited a bunch of my mom friends and their kids to stop by and get a few bounces in a finish all the cake and food the older kids didn't eat.  It worked out quite well and we were all exhausted by the end of the day.

A great way to end the school year and to start the summer.  Hopefully the fun continues!

The Firsts of the Lasts

Amanda had two, yes two, preschool graduations this week.  At the same time Andy had his last day of math at the middle school.  He still has two more weeks of elementary school, but his foray into the middle school is over for the year.  One part of me is freaking out that we only have six years left with Andy and he's been in school for more years than he has remaining (at home anyway, he plans to go to college and then grad school so he has lots of school left).  The other part of me is incredulous that we still have thirteen years with Amanda and her school journey really hasn't even begun.  I'm sure it will seem to go just as quickly, but right now it seems like forever until she will graduate.  So many mixed emotions.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the week:

 Andy's last day of math.  He left that umbrella at the middle school so technically it wasn't his last day of math because he has to go back and pick it up.

Amanda's last day of preschool.  This is the only one I have with her eyes open.  She was being extra goofy that morning.

Amanda's first graduation.

Doesn't everybody use their "diploma" as a telescope?

Amanda's second graduation.

Kindergarten Here We Come

Today was Kindergarten roundup for Amanda.  Andy and Sarah never did Kindergarten roundup because they did Kindergarten at the same school where they had preschool, which was a tiny Spanish school, and then went straight to first grade.  I think I was more excited than she was.  I suppose every once in a while you get to do a first with your third child.

It was basically a tour of the school which she didn't care about because she has been in the school multiple times, and then they got to check out the two Kindergarten classrooms.  She wanted to spend the entire time in the classrooms which was fine by me.  One of them is like an ADHD over the top room with decorations hanging from the ceiling and stuff everywhere, and the other one has a bearded dragon.  She is so torn, lol.  The best part is that I have heard wonderful things about both of the teachers so she is going to have a fabulous year no matter which teacher she gets.

To cement the fact that this really happening, tomorrow is her last day of pre-k, they are actually having a "graduation", at one of her schools and Friday is the last day at the other.  Then I will be with her 24/7 until the second week in August.  For some reason I put Andy and Sarah in a few camps this summer but neglected to do the same for Amanda.  I asked her about one or two but she kept saying no and I was too tapped out to deal with it.  So by the beginning of August I will be really anxious for school to start.

I was all excited about not having to pay for school again until Andy went to college, but Colorado is stupid and backwards and only provides half day Kindergarten and you have to pay for full day.  Annoying, but we weren't going to let that stop us.  She goes to school 21 hours a week this year, how could we lower that to 15 next year?  Plus, she would go crazy if she was home that long everyday.  Oh yeah, so would I.

It's strange because both of my nephews and a niece are all graduating this year.  Our siblings and their kids are just finishing their journey and we are so behind and just starting (April, you are even farther behind!).  But that's okay, we are going to enjoy our bubbly, spirited mama's girl as much as we can and enjoy the years to come.

Picture of the Day

It's very rare that I get a picture of them together, especially hugging and smiling.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

Today is Sarah's 9th birthday.  Nine.  It only makes sense since Andy turned 12 in February, but it just goes so amazingly fast.  She is turning into such an amazing person and is becoming more reasonable and understanding and funny and empathetic and apologetic and worldly everyday.  She is also such a beautiful person inside and out and a wonderful friend.  There are still things about her that drive me crazy, but I don't think that will ever change.

A few weeks ago we were in the bathroom at the airport and she pointed at a Tampax machine and asked me what it was.  I used to say that it was something for women but she didn't need to know about it for a long time and she would learn then.  This time I told her that I would tell her later and it was something she needed to know about, but the airport wasn't exactly the right place.  I can't believe I'm at that point where I need to tell my sweet, little, princess loving girl about the birds and the bees and her changing body.  Hopefully she is will be a little behind her friends, but it is going to come sooner than later.

In the meantime I will enjoy the sweet little girl I have and enjoy the time we still have before she doesn't want anything to do with us anymore!

Happy Mother's Day

When Charlie and I first got married, we made an agreement that we would each take care of our own mothers for Mother's Day and their birthdays.  It's not that I didn't want to get his mom presents, it's that I wanted him to get his mom presents.  I wanted him to think about it and put care into it and not just pass it off and add it to the list of things that I take care of in our family and relationship.  His mom deserves a loving gift from her baby boy.  So almost 15 years later  I wonder if that was always the best decision and whether or not it put me in the hot seat every once in awhile, but still stick to my guns that she deserves to be recognized by him.

In the same respect, when it comes to gifts for me I don't get much from Charlie.  He says that he hates May because it's Mother's Day and Sarah's birthday and my birthday (as well as a crazy month for the kids at school because of all the end of the year activities that we need to go to), but he really only has to worry about my birthday.  Since I'm not his mom he sees no reason to get a gift for me.  I understand that and don't have a problem with it because what he does do is help the kids if they need to get something for me.  If they wanted to make me breakfast in bed he would be right there showing them how to do it or if they wanted to get me a present he would take them to the store.  He makes it happen for them and honestly that is a gift in itself.  It's also a gift for the kids, although they don't really know it, because what is better for a child than knowing how much their Daddy loves their Mommy?

This year I got the best gift for Mother's Day.  I got to fly to California for the weekend and meet up with my friends, April and John, and run a 10k and half marathon and go to Disneyland.  I got to spend my Mother's Day away from my kids rejuvenating and doing something for me so that I will be better at doing things for them.  My kids get to see that I am a person too and sometimes get to do things that are just for me.  And occasionally those things are healthy and good for me and will, hopefully, help me live a much longer life.

I got home this evening after they all went to bed, so tomorrow they get to give me my presents.  How did I get so lucky?

Let's Talk Lunch

When we lived in Texas, the kids were not allowed to share food at school due to food allergies.  This is not the case where we live now.  Yesterday morning I found some Goldfish chocolate samoas, which are basically chocolate fish cookies with mini marshmallows mixed it.  If you though Goldfish crackers were remotely healthy, these definitely do not fall in that category.

As I was unpacking Andy's lunchbox last night we had the following conversation:

Me:  Did you enjoy the Goldfish crackers?

Andy:  Yes, but I didn't eat that many.  My friends ate most of them.

Me:  The same friends that always eat your lunch?  The ones who's mothers don't pack them anything good to eat?

Andy:  This is the exact conversation Aunt Mary Ann had with Allie this weekend!

Andy quoting Mary Ann:  Do I need to pack more food for your friends?

Andy quoting Allie:  Mom, no!


We're 1000 miles apart from each other and we are having the same conversation with our kids who are two years apart.  I have an idea about what we'll still be talking about two years from now.