Friday, August 24, 2007

Quote of the Day

Nate is in 1st Grade. He's been in school 5 days and has already gotten at least 7 warnings. This does not surprise us. In fact, I'm impressed that I haven't been called in for a parent teacher conference yet.

Today, I went to pick Nate up after school, and it was clear that his teacher felt like she needed to tell me something. After some small talk, she said to me, "He sure came with a little extra personality, didn't he?"

What a nice way to say he's giving her a run for her money, eh? I just hope she's up to the task!

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

Feel free to start laughing now.

Evan and I were in Sam's Club yesterday, looking for a few more things to keep him occupied. We passed the DVD's, and there it was, shining out at me from the stacks of other (likely more worthy) shows. I immediately went into a dream state reliving my massive crush on Buck (I was 7, gimme a break!) and for $17, I picked up a little slice of nostalgia.

The kids are currently watching the episodes and having complete heart attacks over the set, costumes, horrible acting and hysterical technology. I am still fondly reminiscing my blissful and idyllic childhood, complete with popcorn. At one point, Buck busts into disco, and I laughed so hard, I wept.

Excuse me while I go listen to some Cindy Lauper and feel really really old!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

For those of you who wonder

Several people have emailed me asking if I could hire someone and lead a life of leisure, I have to answer truthfully. Boy, do I wish! I was thinking through my list of requirements for a housewife, and there were certainly a few things I missed.
In reality though, I think the next 6 months, in between the chaos of the children, I will be putting lots of hours into fixing more of the things that are still wrong with the company Dave co-owns. I took the summer off while they did some reorganization, and I am now far behind the original goals we set out.
Sadly, my goal of sitting on the couch with a stack of books is still a few years (and a pipe dream or two) away!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Wanted: One Housewife

Needed 6:30 am Monday- 3 pm on Friday. This is a weekly position. I will be available on the weekends.
Duties include (but are not limited to):
  • Rolling children out of bed,
  • Making a healthy and filling breakfast,
  • Cleaning up after that breakfast,
  • Packing lunches,
  • Signing notes, homework folders and other school papers as needed,
  • Finding socks and shoes.
  • Finding socks and shoes again when children wander off with them and leave them lying around.
  • Overseeing the brushing and flossing children's teeth
  • Reminding children to practice piano
  • Driving children to school with socks and shoes on and lunches in their bags. Homework should also be included.
Duties during school:
  • Grocery shopping
  • Bathrooms
  • Laundry
  • Dishes
  • More Laundry
  • Vacuuming
  • Paying bills
  • More laundry
  • Collecting items kids will need for after school activites, such as piano and gymnastics
  • More stupid freaking never-ending laundry
Duties after school:
  • Pick up children from school
  • Pester Children to practice the piano
  • Help run the candy stand
  • Attend all school and sports meetings (including those held in two different places on the same night at the same time).
  • Help children get homework finished and back in their bags while cooking dinner
  • Finish laundry (Ha ha ha ha. . .as if that is ever possible)
  • Oversee children as they do their chores
  • Try not to burn dinner (eating out is not allowed, as that would be cheating)
  • Remind children to bathe
  • Brush and floss their teeth
  • Clean up after dinner
  • Force Children to practice piano or suffer dire consequences
  • Pick up clutter left on the floor
  • Help children settle into bed, complete with bedtime ritual.

Pay is minimal and dependent on experience.
Bonus given for driving children to and from their activities without forgetting anyone or being late.

Monday, August 20, 2007

First day Pics, for 3

With the glasses, feeling pretty smart.

4th grade and 1st grade. And they even went willingly this morning!

Not wanting her photo taken. After all, she is a 6th grader now!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

'Twas the night before school

For three children, school starts tomorrow.
Rebi starts 9th grade next week, and Evan is staying home this year, so blissfully I only have 3 to get out the door tomorrow morning.

However, of those three, one has repacked her bag no less than 4 times. She is concerned about her PE clothes (which she won't need for a week or more), her pens and pencils (which are sharpened and in their own cases, separated by color), worried that she has enough lunch, grilling her older siblings on "middle school etiquette", and otherwise obsessing as I think most of her friends are in their own homes.

Another packed his bag with various and sundry: pencils, crayons, scissors, glue sticks. . .all of the necessities for first grade, then nearly threw a fit when I wouldn't let him take the book on Beginning Algebra since 1) it's heavy and 2) I think that doesn't send the right message straight out of the gate. I also was horrible enough to look in his "extremely secret lunch box and no one can see what's in it before lunch time tomorrow". He was furious, but it's fortunate I did since he packed a juice box which has been sitting in the cabinet for a few weeks with a hole in it. Prime conditions for fermentation, and ferment it had. That also doesn't send the right first impression, in my book! He wanted to take his backpack to bed with him, but I managed to convince him to leave it by his new clothes.

The fourth grader is the most confusing though. He was absolutely paralyzed by the choice between going to public school or staying home with 2 of his siblings. When we went to see who his teacher was, he burst into agonized tears, complete with shakes and shudders, even though he knows and likes her. I was resigned to home school him as well (a little panicked since the ADHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHD child may already be too much for me to handle), but when I told him I would email our facilitator and get him registered, he cried even harder. I finally made the decision for him, telling him that after one month of public school, if he hated it, we would bring him home. (I'm pretty sure he will love it, so keep your fingers crossed!) Tonight, Dave gave them all blessings and when he asked Ty if there was anything he was worried about (remember, we've been in ulcer mode all summer over this school year), Ty said, "Nope. I'm not worried about anything, Dad!"

Umm. . .excuse me? So the tears and the anxiety and the tantrums all summer were about WHAT exactly? I think I'm more amused than I am annoyed, but it's such a close tie I may need to re-examine my feelings in the matter.

And, as a portent of things to come, it's Sunday night and I have no bread for their lunches tomorrow. This kind of thing happens all year, so I guess I should get over my current feelings of defeat and head to the store.

Happy School for those of you that are also back!