-John F. Kennedy
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
One Last Splash
We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.
-John F. Kennedy
-John F. Kennedy
A slightly-biased theater review (and some other stuff)
This weekend we went to see Hayley perform with her musical theater workshop in a star(fish)- studded performance of "Don't be so Shellfish". My parents went to see opening night, Andy and Ace went Saturday, and Julia and I went for the finale yesterday. It got rave reviews all across the board with everyone agreeing that the stand out performer was the sailor/mermaid/starfish/eel (Hayley was all of these characters, such range!)
Lucy also had a big moment this weekend, she went swimming in the ocean with Grandma and Grandpa. After countless beach days spent playing in the sand or sitting in a bucket, she finally decides she is a waterbaby 3 days before school starts. We plan to go for one last splash tomorrow so at least I'll get to see her enjoy the water before the summer ends.
We got our school supply shopping done tonight which was only mostly successful because I left the lists at home and was going off my (bad) memory. I forgot soap, wipes, paper protectors, and I don't think I got the correct gluesticks. I wouldn't worry so much if it wasn't Kindergarten. I feel the pressure to get everything just right so I don't owe Ace any money for therapy in future years (I've heard that a lot of people have mommy issues because she didn't get them the correct school supplies for the Very First Year). He is already mad at me because he had to get size 4 pants instead of 5 (like I'm to blame for his tiny hiney). I cut off the tags when we got home so maybe he'll forget.
We celebrated the second to last night before school starts by going to Red Robin, which even made Lucy cheer. She was so happy with us and thought we were the best family in the world but then on the car trip home we asked her to stop singing so loud and now she thinks we are lame. And she didn't stop singing, she just paused every few minutes to announce "I singing! This song! I sing it!".
I love Lucy. And Ace with his tiny hiney. And Hayley the Superstar. And Julia who didn't get much of a shout out in this post (she is still super cute).
Lucy also had a big moment this weekend, she went swimming in the ocean with Grandma and Grandpa. After countless beach days spent playing in the sand or sitting in a bucket, she finally decides she is a waterbaby 3 days before school starts. We plan to go for one last splash tomorrow so at least I'll get to see her enjoy the water before the summer ends.
We got our school supply shopping done tonight which was only mostly successful because I left the lists at home and was going off my (bad) memory. I forgot soap, wipes, paper protectors, and I don't think I got the correct gluesticks. I wouldn't worry so much if it wasn't Kindergarten. I feel the pressure to get everything just right so I don't owe Ace any money for therapy in future years (I've heard that a lot of people have mommy issues because she didn't get them the correct school supplies for the Very First Year). He is already mad at me because he had to get size 4 pants instead of 5 (like I'm to blame for his tiny hiney). I cut off the tags when we got home so maybe he'll forget.
We celebrated the second to last night before school starts by going to Red Robin, which even made Lucy cheer. She was so happy with us and thought we were the best family in the world but then on the car trip home we asked her to stop singing so loud and now she thinks we are lame. And she didn't stop singing, she just paused every few minutes to announce "I singing! This song! I sing it!".
I love Lucy. And Ace with his tiny hiney. And Hayley the Superstar. And Julia who didn't get much of a shout out in this post (she is still super cute).
Sunday, August 22, 2010
All about Ace
I keep starting and re-starting a post about Ace starting Kindergarten but I can't seem to find the right words. I write about being anxious (and I am) but then I worry that I am not getting across that I am also optimistic and excited about his bright new start. I am mostly (93% to be exact) excited about kindergarten. I know he is going to be a shining star, because he just IS. The other 7% of me is having trouble dealing with the fact that he is 5 years old because yesterday he was 5 days old and I don't really know what has happened and why time likes to screw with me this way. Also, I get anxious when I think about Ace dealing with the big world of School. If I could protect my children from ever having anyone be mean to them ever I would, and I don't care what anyone says about it being part of life and making them tough. (If there was an immunization from broken hearts, I would be the first in line.)
When Ace sees an opportunity to make a friend, he doesn't dip his toes in to test the water, he jumps right it. The other day at the beach, a little boy asked to use his shovel and Ace decided he had found a soulmate (he has about a dozen) and talked all the way home about his new friend and all the fun they had. I love this about Ace and in most cases, everyone else does to. But sometimes, just sometimes, he is rejected. Or worse, sometimes his "new friends" aren't nice to him. That is okay and I know it is part of being 5 (and 32). But I worry because Ace takes it so hard. If someone is not nice to him in return he assumes it's because HE just isn't cool enough and it makes him so sad. And if someone who he has befriended starts treating him unkindly, he has trouble speaking up for himself. At baseball practice once he found a "friend" who chased him around with a giant pixy stick and hit him in the head over and over. When I told this new "friend" to stop, Ace insisted he didn't mind. I'm terrified that Ace will walk into his kindergarten class with his heart right there on his sleeve where he always wears it and have it crushed by too much rejection.
I do worry, I am anxious about sending him off to school. But when Ace started preschool I lost a lot of sleep worrying that he may be a trouble maker and he was amazing. This past year he was called the mayor of his class and his teacher raved about him every day. He always surprises me. He overcomes obstacles (real or imagined) every day. That is why, tenderhearted as he may be, I know in my heart that he is going to be nothing but a rockstar in Kindergarten.
Rock on, Ace.
(Ace, obviously not too concerned about Kindergarten. Julia, giving him props)
When Ace sees an opportunity to make a friend, he doesn't dip his toes in to test the water, he jumps right it. The other day at the beach, a little boy asked to use his shovel and Ace decided he had found a soulmate (he has about a dozen) and talked all the way home about his new friend and all the fun they had. I love this about Ace and in most cases, everyone else does to. But sometimes, just sometimes, he is rejected. Or worse, sometimes his "new friends" aren't nice to him. That is okay and I know it is part of being 5 (and 32). But I worry because Ace takes it so hard. If someone is not nice to him in return he assumes it's because HE just isn't cool enough and it makes him so sad. And if someone who he has befriended starts treating him unkindly, he has trouble speaking up for himself. At baseball practice once he found a "friend" who chased him around with a giant pixy stick and hit him in the head over and over. When I told this new "friend" to stop, Ace insisted he didn't mind. I'm terrified that Ace will walk into his kindergarten class with his heart right there on his sleeve where he always wears it and have it crushed by too much rejection.
I do worry, I am anxious about sending him off to school. But when Ace started preschool I lost a lot of sleep worrying that he may be a trouble maker and he was amazing. This past year he was called the mayor of his class and his teacher raved about him every day. He always surprises me. He overcomes obstacles (real or imagined) every day. That is why, tenderhearted as he may be, I know in my heart that he is going to be nothing but a rockstar in Kindergarten.
Rock on, Ace.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Big Girl with Big News
Julia now, at the age of 3.7 years, sleeps IN. HER. OWN. BED. Big news, no? Yes.
I am all for co-sleeping if everyone involved is actually sleeping but in our case Julia was really the only one getting any zzzz's. I was clinging to a a few inches of mattress while trying to ignore the occasional toe digging into my back or not-so-occasional 3 year old diaper butt in my face and Andy gave up altogether and would sleep most nights on the couch. Even Lucy didn't like sharing the bed with Julia the Octopus and would nurse and then decide it would just be more fun to start the day (at 3:02 am).
I feel silly for allowing this to go on so long and throwing my hands up and declaring that there was no way to get her in her own bed. Because, as it turns out, there is a rather simple way to get her in her own bed. It's called a nightlight.
Andy asked her the other night when she would sleep in her own bed and she said. "Um, maybe when I'm four. Or five. Or eight.". So we suggested maybe she should sleep in her bed now, since school starts soon and she'll need lots of sleep to get up for school. Andy asked her why she didn't like her bed and she said it was too dark. I have tried the nightlight approach before. In fact, there are 2 nightlights in her room. One that plugs into the wall and one that projects pictures onto the ceiling. But it turns out Julia wanted her own nightlight that she could control. Andy put a taplight on the underside of Hayley's bunk, so Julia can turn it on and off. She loves it. I love having my bed back. Andy loves not sleeping on the couch. The battery industry loves the fact that every few nights we have to change the double A's in the taplight because she leaves that sucker on ALL night long. Oh well, I'm still so proud of my Big Girl.
I am all for co-sleeping if everyone involved is actually sleeping but in our case Julia was really the only one getting any zzzz's. I was clinging to a a few inches of mattress while trying to ignore the occasional toe digging into my back or not-so-occasional 3 year old diaper butt in my face and Andy gave up altogether and would sleep most nights on the couch. Even Lucy didn't like sharing the bed with Julia the Octopus and would nurse and then decide it would just be more fun to start the day (at 3:02 am).
I feel silly for allowing this to go on so long and throwing my hands up and declaring that there was no way to get her in her own bed. Because, as it turns out, there is a rather simple way to get her in her own bed. It's called a nightlight.
Andy asked her the other night when she would sleep in her own bed and she said. "Um, maybe when I'm four. Or five. Or eight.". So we suggested maybe she should sleep in her bed now, since school starts soon and she'll need lots of sleep to get up for school. Andy asked her why she didn't like her bed and she said it was too dark. I have tried the nightlight approach before. In fact, there are 2 nightlights in her room. One that plugs into the wall and one that projects pictures onto the ceiling. But it turns out Julia wanted her own nightlight that she could control. Andy put a taplight on the underside of Hayley's bunk, so Julia can turn it on and off. She loves it. I love having my bed back. Andy loves not sleeping on the couch. The battery industry loves the fact that every few nights we have to change the double A's in the taplight because she leaves that sucker on ALL night long. Oh well, I'm still so proud of my Big Girl.
August
Signs continue to pop up all over that Summer is, indeed, coming to an end. Swim lessons ended (with a carnival, fun, fun fun), letters arrived with school supply lists and teacher assignments, the air conditoner is no longer running on high day and night. In fact, today we shut it off and opened the doors, allowing cool air to come in, bringing along thoughts of Fall. I do love Fall, but I'm not quite ready to let go of this summer just yet. I'm savoring a few more nights of listening to the kids playing long after dinnertime in the yard. I'm leaving our beach bag packed and ready hanging by the door for a few more weeks before it is pushed aside to make room for backpacks and lunchboxes. I'm leaving the mattress on the floor for the kids to collapse on for an afternoon nap. I'm not letting go, not yet.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Pictures!
Only one month left of summer vacation and I want to officially recant all my statements regarding the "summertime slump". Because overall, this summer has been so spectacular that I wish I had never complained about the moments that were spectacularly awful.
Swimming lessons are wrapping up and watching Ace do this:
brings me more joy than I can say. I spend so much time in wonder about how big he is this summer that it is refreshing to see his little body in the big, big ocean and remember that yes, he is still a little boy.
Hayley started musical theater dance workshop today. It is the summer camp best suited for my girl that turns everything into a grand performance. I think it will be a perfect wrap up for the end of summer.
I paid Julia's tuition today to guarantee her spot in the 3 day preschool program in September. She asks me at least 4 mornings a week if she is going to school so I think she is ready for a step up from the 2 day program. Plus, her BFF is in that class and she would not forgive me for separating them. Julia's special day was Saturday and we went to see Toy Story 3. I loved that movie, I think it is the best one I have seen all summer. Then we went shopping and she picked out a new dress. It was hot pink and denim and $7.99 and I had to steal it from her while she slept to wash it. She woke me up at 6am to accuse me of taking it and demand I go get it out of the dryer.
Lucy is living up to (one of her) nicknames this week: Scrappy Lu. She is itching to pick a fight with someone so she usually aims her scrappiness at me. Too bad I've got her number and I just put her in her crib. Too too bad she has my number and she starts pretending she sees a bug. She is sincerely scared of bugs and although most of the time she is faking, I'm always scared that it is the one time she really does see a bug and I don't want her flipping out so I go check on her and she stands up says "oh, no bug" and offers me one her precious hugs. So I get her out of the crib and she goes back to being scrappy. I love, love, love Lucy, she makes me laugh so hard and so much. (ps: she tried to get scrappy with Grandma last week and she swung out to whack her in the head but she missed and fell out of her chair. Grandma felt bad for her but I thought it was hilarious-but only because she was only embarrassed, not hurt).
Friday we have company coming from New Jersey, Ace is thrilled because there are 2 boys close in age to him so he can do boy stuff (legos? burping contests?).
Oh, and YIPPEE! I got a camera. It's not super fancy so don't expect fancy photos, but at least I can prove that this spectacular summer did happen and wasn't all just a dream that I had during one of my marathon summer siestas. I got it in a hurry Saturday so Andy could document the Big's first trip to a monster truck rally, they had a blast!
Swimming lessons are wrapping up and watching Ace do this:
brings me more joy than I can say. I spend so much time in wonder about how big he is this summer that it is refreshing to see his little body in the big, big ocean and remember that yes, he is still a little boy.
Hayley started musical theater dance workshop today. It is the summer camp best suited for my girl that turns everything into a grand performance. I think it will be a perfect wrap up for the end of summer.
I paid Julia's tuition today to guarantee her spot in the 3 day preschool program in September. She asks me at least 4 mornings a week if she is going to school so I think she is ready for a step up from the 2 day program. Plus, her BFF is in that class and she would not forgive me for separating them. Julia's special day was Saturday and we went to see Toy Story 3. I loved that movie, I think it is the best one I have seen all summer. Then we went shopping and she picked out a new dress. It was hot pink and denim and $7.99 and I had to steal it from her while she slept to wash it. She woke me up at 6am to accuse me of taking it and demand I go get it out of the dryer.
Lucy is living up to (one of her) nicknames this week: Scrappy Lu. She is itching to pick a fight with someone so she usually aims her scrappiness at me. Too bad I've got her number and I just put her in her crib. Too too bad she has my number and she starts pretending she sees a bug. She is sincerely scared of bugs and although most of the time she is faking, I'm always scared that it is the one time she really does see a bug and I don't want her flipping out so I go check on her and she stands up says "oh, no bug" and offers me one her precious hugs. So I get her out of the crib and she goes back to being scrappy. I love, love, love Lucy, she makes me laugh so hard and so much. (ps: she tried to get scrappy with Grandma last week and she swung out to whack her in the head but she missed and fell out of her chair. Grandma felt bad for her but I thought it was hilarious-but only because she was only embarrassed, not hurt).
Friday we have company coming from New Jersey, Ace is thrilled because there are 2 boys close in age to him so he can do boy stuff (legos? burping contests?).
Oh, and YIPPEE! I got a camera. It's not super fancy so don't expect fancy photos, but at least I can prove that this spectacular summer did happen and wasn't all just a dream that I had during one of my marathon summer siestas. I got it in a hurry Saturday so Andy could document the Big's first trip to a monster truck rally, they had a blast!
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