Curriculum Night at McKemy

First hour: I was nervous. I didn't know anybody.

2nd hour: A parent asked a question and I recognized her voice. I turned around and sure enough, I knew her. Kyra and her son played together when they were about 3 years old. Small world.

3rd hour: Recognized a different parent (Lisa) from 2nd hour and discovered that it was both of our kid's first year at McKemy.

4th hour: Can't stand the teacher. She made good cookies but the 10 minutes I spent in there was about 9 minutes too long.

5th hour: Lunch. Joined the PTSA.

6th hour: Science. Saw Lisa again. That's 3 classes our children share, and they have the next 2 together as well. We walk to 7th and 8th period together and discover:

• we both went to THS
• both are learly of sending our kids there
• both feel like traitors if we send them to McClintock
• we live about 3 blocks from each other

7th hour: While exchanging phone numbers with Lisa, we got shushed by the parent that I knew from 2nd hour. Odd. The teacher explains that the 2nd quarter they will be reading The Outsiders. Hello?! That was only my favorite book of all time as a youth! The teacher explained that she didn't like reading as a child until she read this book. She read it over and over and then all the S.E. Hinton novels. Hello again! That is my life story, right there sista! I told her so.

8th hour: Volunteered to edit papers at home for the teacher. She loves me. She's also the one that gave the kids extra homework this evening because they complained about the 4 sentence homework they had. Awesome. I love her too!

Kyra's been happy the past few days and things have been going smoother. I've had my doubts, like any parent does when helping their child adjust to a new place, but it all came together tonight. I sat on Kyra's bed all giddy and silly telling her about the friend that I made. She laughed at me but was smiling the whole time. It's going to be OK. We're gonna make it.

Q: If a baby takes a step while his mother isn't looking, did it happen?

A: Not a chance.

Payton has been standing for a very long time now. He cruises like it's no body's business. He's started reaching and testing his limits to get from one item of furniture to the next, or to a leg or hand or whatever. But he just won't take a step. Don't listen to Bill. Or Tasha. Or Kyra. It didn't happen because I didn't see it. He just likes to stand and then he dives at me. I believe he has lead feet and can't pick them up.

Well, if it did happen it must have been because of his haircut. Bill buzzed his head Monday and I imagine it was his hair that was weighing him down. Now, free from the fluff in his eyes, he could see where he was going clearly...
But on Tuesday he didn't take another step. So, the verdict is still out. The verdict on his walking, that is. The verdict on the haircut is that he's a charmer with or without hair! (plus also, it's just fun to rub!)

PT "Eating" an Apple

I sent Bill this picture on his phone and told him to look at the mess is son was making.The following text conversation ensued:

Bill: messy Payton...did you yell at him? no
H: I can't use that word with him!
Bill: u cant say no?
H: only to you :p
Bill: ouch
H: I think PT just ate dog food...
Bill: is he barking? or just scooting across the floor wiping his butt?
H: the later.


Well, whatever. Payton just left little apple deposits all across the living room floor.

Relishing The Moment

Sometimes you just have to take a moment or two and relish the moment of calm peace and love that you feel without any grand events that made it happen. The nice weekend that wasn't super eventful with grand plans, just a few nice escapes. The kind of weekend that, although nothing huge got accomplished, just worked out for the good. You need to remember that you love your kids no matter what and that they can be good when not pushed too hard or stressed too much.

Yesterday was kind of a scattered day with people going a few different directions, Bill cooking dinner, and Tasha being left behind to watch Payton as Kyra and I went off to a boutique. At the end of the day, when all went well, I offered up the last of the ice cream. All the kids were showered and there sat Payton, on top of the table, going back and forth between sisters, licking their ice cream cones. He happily flapped his arms as he leaned from one cone to the next as Kyra and Tasha giggled and debated whose ice cream he liked better. Bill came into the kitchen and we just stood there admiring them. They're good kids. They are cute and lovable and love each other. You can't tell it all the time, but at that moment it was obvious.

Payton was also particularly cute today. I don't know if it was his jumbo sized button down shirt he had to wear or his scraggly hair that needs to be cut somehow, but I was just in love with this boy and kissing on him all day. He's been pretty mellow all weekend and maybe someone pointing that out to me helped as well. Is it possible that I have a low-maintenance child after all these years of drama? Who knows, only time will tell. He seems to be getting another tooth or two since he's been a little cranky, nursing all the time, and a boogie nose, but somehow, at this moment, that's OK with me. His little spirit is calling out for love and comfort and I'm able to give it freely.

We all gathered in the living room this evening and watched That Thing You Do. Bill and I love that show and figured it was family friendly and full of music. The girls sat through it all and I even got to play Tasha's leg like a guitar. My brother used to do that to me all the time and I thought it was hilarious. I'm sure she'll say something to Thomas the next time we see him. It was a good night. A mellow night. We even had a 5 minute scripture study before the movie. And Tasha got Payton laughing so hard that he fell over. Three times. It was hilarious.

I guess it's just been a family time weekend and it was unplanned. If we had planned it I'm sure things would have gone haywire and been a mess. You can't plan times like these, you just have to appreciate them. Seize the moment and cherish it in your heart. It might never be duplicated, but the feeling of love will always be there as a memory. Thank you, sweet family, for a wonderful few days.

WW: WooHoo!!! First Day of School!

Who Wouldn't Love Lunchtime With These Babies?!

All wrapped up and ready to go eat. The place mat has 2 pockets inside to hold utensils and napkins. The ties are attached and keep things together when not in use.

Tasha's choice of fabrics. She really has good taste.

This is the set for the mom who asked quite innocently at the parent meeting/open house, "what if sewing that just isn't going to happen at my house?" I smiled at her and said I'd help her out, she wrote down my email address from the class list, and within 24 hours the project was completed.

And finally, for the mom I knew had been out of town the Saturday we made these babies. I asked if her daughter was set and she said she was just going to use one from the previous kids. I mentioned that I was making one for someone else and she piped up with, "I'd gladly trade you dinner for sewing!" To which I promptly replied, "I'd gladly take dinner for sewing!" Win, win for everyone involved.

Ugh. What If I'm Really Just Not a Morning Person?

"Early to rise and early to bed..."


BLAH! Makes me want to puke. Or at least stay up late eating ding dongs and chips and salsa and watching scary movies so I'm sure to have nightmares, thus rendering me useless come dawn. I thought some of this attitude would change when I became a mother and had responsibilities. So far, four responsibilities later, no change. It's nearly 11pm at night and I'm just now getting around to opening a school letter that apparently came last week some time. Why would I open it in the daylight hours? All the chattering, hungry, filthy responsibilities are running around at my feet and in my face. I can't get anything done or concentrate with all that jibber-jabber going on.


In my welcome letter the teacher writes, and I quote:


"Your child's educational experience begins upon waking...Try to make your child's waking, readying, and travel to school as pleasant, consistent, and rhythmical as possible, for a child who is awakened gently, has a consistent and timely morning ritual of washing, dressing, etc, and who receives a warm, nourishing protein-filled breakfast, is a child who is ready to begin a day of learning."


See now, if I had read that last sentence in the morning it would have made no sense to me at all. It makes perfect sense to me right now but that doesn't mean I can do it. Well, I could do it if I could start the morning off at 11pm at night. OK, I realize I'm coming off as joking about all this, but I really am sincere. I've tried to be a morning person but it's just not in me. I've met morning people, and it just doesn't rub off. I've even had a stint of a couple of months where I woke up at 5am every day and I tell ya, still not a morning person. I'm perfectly capable of doing stuff and thinking and whatnot, but please don't ask me to interact with people in a "pleasant, consistent and rhythmical" manner. When I was teenager I actually told (maybe screamed) my mom, "can I PLEASE just have a shower before you bombard me with questions?!"


The letter goes on, assuming that you have had a peaceful morning ritual in your home and not the draggingherbuttoutofbedandeatingoatmealinthecarwhileputtingonhershoes experience that is more typical of last year, and says:


"Sometimes travel makes it difficult to sustain the peacefulness of a morning ritual. Please make every effort to let your child's travel to school be as hassle free as possible. Young children especially, need not be exposed to audio book tapes, electronic hand-held games, news, music or inappropriate conversation while traveling to school. parents are encouraged to discuss their expectations with any carpool drivers in order to reach a common understanding."


Double ugh. Tell me now: how am I supposed to drive to school with out some head thumpin' music to drown out the children's inappropriate conversations? Huh? Huh? Answer me this question please! I'm trying very hard to figure out if I'm turning onto Priest or 48th street, I can't redirect conversation amongst elementary school children. If they want to talk poop and pee or Pokemon then that is their business. I can't maintain a coherent thought in my own head, much less come up with appropriate 6 and 7 year old conversation over the whines of 9 month old. Music I tell ya, music is my saving grace. Sorry carpool buddy, this is the way we roll.

So, I'll try with all my might to entertain these values. But, at the end of the morning, I'm going to be happy if Tasha made it to school dressed, 2 unmatched socks, unkempt hair, and a few spoonfuls of oatmeal that she ate while singing, "I am a rock star, I got my rock boots, and I don't need you tonight." It's alright. School will go on and learning will commence.