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!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!
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!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Momentous Moments
I am home ALONE for at least an hour.
I know this doesn't sound like much, but as a mother of 5 kids, it's actually a little slice of heaven!
I know this doesn't sound like much, but as a mother of 5 kids, it's actually a little slice of heaven!
Friday, August 17, 2007
The Occasional Rewards of Parenting
Although it's not easy to see, it is important to note that Evan is surrounded by Rebi and Ellie's friends (does he have the life, or what?!?) and is freshly showered, clad in new clothes, with his teeth brushed. Need I say more? :)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A list of things I love
Friends who tell me about great shoe discounts
Ocean air (but not necessarily the water, although that is another post entirely!)
Clean sheets (Dave, just in case you're reading this, that was a hint)
Entertaining textbooks that my kids love
Which magically brings me to the "Life of Fred" math series.
So, at some point, someone realized that math can be fun. I know it sounds crazy, but it's absolutely true. This author decided to write a series of stories which have math integrated into them. At the end of each chapter of the story, he gives math problems for the kids (or parents, as the case may be) to solve on their own.
To give you an idea of how great it is, yesterday (less than a week before they are forced to go back to school), when I told Tyler to grab a book for a car trip, he chose "The Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra." And, he was quite engaged and happy, until the car sickness kicked in from reading.
I'm also quite pleased to note that Beginning Algebra is all review for me so far. :)
Ocean air (but not necessarily the water, although that is another post entirely!)
Clean sheets (Dave, just in case you're reading this, that was a hint)
Entertaining textbooks that my kids love
Which magically brings me to the "Life of Fred" math series.
So, at some point, someone realized that math can be fun. I know it sounds crazy, but it's absolutely true. This author decided to write a series of stories which have math integrated into them. At the end of each chapter of the story, he gives math problems for the kids (or parents, as the case may be) to solve on their own.
To give you an idea of how great it is, yesterday (less than a week before they are forced to go back to school), when I told Tyler to grab a book for a car trip, he chose "The Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra." And, he was quite engaged and happy, until the car sickness kicked in from reading.
I'm also quite pleased to note that Beginning Algebra is all review for me so far. :)
Monday, August 13, 2007
A list of things I dislike
Brussel Sprouts
Drivers who cannot manage a 4-way stop correctly
Loud cell phone talkers
Random inappropriate content in otherwise lovely movies
Shoe shopping for 5 kids.
It's actually number one on the hatred list at the moment. If I had to choose between shoe shopping with a child or eating Brussel Sprouts tomorrow, I would choose those foul stinky somewhat slimy things in a heartbeat.
So far this year, we have gone to 6 (or more) different stores and spent more hours than I care to keep track of. Every year it's the same old story. One pair is too small, the 1/2 size up is too big, the color they want is out of stock, the pair they like are $60+ (and I'm not spending that much on rapidly growing feet), the style they like has too high of a heel, or not enough cushion and structure for constant PE use. I think they place bets on which child can make me cry first.
As of today though, 3 of them have tennis shoes, and there are only 2 left to shop for. Of course, then we start over with the casual and dress shoes.
Drivers who cannot manage a 4-way stop correctly
Loud cell phone talkers
Random inappropriate content in otherwise lovely movies
Shoe shopping for 5 kids.
It's actually number one on the hatred list at the moment. If I had to choose between shoe shopping with a child or eating Brussel Sprouts tomorrow, I would choose those foul stinky somewhat slimy things in a heartbeat.
So far this year, we have gone to 6 (or more) different stores and spent more hours than I care to keep track of. Every year it's the same old story. One pair is too small, the 1/2 size up is too big, the color they want is out of stock, the pair they like are $60+ (and I'm not spending that much on rapidly growing feet), the style they like has too high of a heel, or not enough cushion and structure for constant PE use. I think they place bets on which child can make me cry first.
As of today though, 3 of them have tennis shoes, and there are only 2 left to shop for. Of course, then we start over with the casual and dress shoes.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Perseid meteor shower
We tried to go watch the meteors tonight. I have fond but faint memories of a warm summer night full of shooting stars when I was little. Silly me to think the kids might also enjoy this. After 15 minutes, Evan was using the high pitched voice he gets when he's out of control (can anyone explain that to me? It's like a piercing whistle driving straight through my brain) and at the 30 minute mark, Nate managed to throw dirt in Dave's eyes. We did see several bright shooting stars, but not nearly as many- or as quietly- as I would have liked.
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