Making the chaos worthwhile

Sometimes, we have glimmers that remind us why we had two of them. And an argument for not overscheduling. You need to have time to make pizza.


It doesn't look like much, but there was a pizza kitchen in our front yard this weekend, and two busy pizza chefs, gathering sauce and "spicy stuff" and cheese and pepperoni from the nearby plants and trees and my weed bucket. There was cooperation and planning and a good time was had by all.

Bitty Girl's Combo




The Boy's Wood or Veggie options

Gulp.Gulp.

That's me trying to swallow the huge lump in my throat.

Watching The Boy run down the path ahead of me, playing "Jump," (his game where you have to jump over everything in your path like leaves or sticks or bird poop) and turning back to check if I'm jumping.

I'm looking at this boy ahead of me, with these long almost-gangly legs, the beginnings of broadening shoulders and a skinny frame just like his daddy, with his ears sticking out from his baseball hat and his tanned neck and I can't believe it's here.

We just went to a kindergarten orientation meeting, where they asked him to count and cut and write some letters and did a vision and hearing screening. (For inquiring minds, he passed the vision and hearing, says he knew all the letters, and they stopped his counting at 100, although he could have gone on all day!) But back up - KINDERGARTEN.
I was in a school library, talking with the principal and filling out some huge health information form that asked me for details about my pregnancy, his birth, and developmental milestones, asked me to describe him in three words, tell them his hobbies, interests, if he had any talents?

TALENTS? What??

Like that he's a champion swimmer or speaks three languages or can juggle while riding a unicycle?

I wrote that he can count way past 100, tell jokes, and hit a ball out of our yard.

It's fine that they're gathering information about kindergarteners. I understand they want an idea of who will be walking in on September 2. But I was literally sweating while I filled out the form. Asking me to dig into the memory files back to 2002 was dangerous, because all the while I had to keep my happy brave face on for him, put up with his nervous, slightly annoying behavior while we waited. And I had to do it without sniffling or crying or collapsing into a heap, screaming, "Where did my baby go?!!!??"

On the way out, we stopped at the school playground where he proceeded to swing across the monkey bars. These weren't any new fancy "build your self-esteem, child of the 21st century" monkey bars, these were OLD SCHOOL. It's the older part of the playground, serious metal, high up, and looooong. And he did it. About 10 times. With the callouses to prove it.

Take that, monkey bars. Kindergarten, watch out!

Actually.....

That's Bitty Girl's new term.

"That's my cracker, actually."
"Actually, my dolly goes here."
"I want some i-fream (ice cream) actually."

She uses it with this funny little finger point with her head cocked to the side. Hysterical. And sometimes she gets the context right too.

Last night we had dinner with my grandma, in the dining room of her retirement place. We always create a stir since most of the people light up like 200-watt bulb when they see kids. And all the ladies nod in appreciation when we introduce her--they like the good old-fashioned name.

Bitty Girl sat in a big girl booster chair like she was on the royal throne, barking orders at us through dinner. When the server came to take our order, she grabbed a menu and really seemed to read it, pointing her little finger and running it over the letters. She responded emphatically "RICE please!" when asked for her side dish choices and "PINK I-FREAM" for dessert order. She had to hold her OWN chocolate milk and get the ice out of her water glass BY SELF!

Next morning when she told Daddy on the phone about her dinner, here's what she said she ate. Jellies (jelly beans), chocolate raisins, i-fream and brownies. I had to throw in that she ate some ham and a breadstick with a pound of butter, clam chowder, sunflower seeds and croutons from the salad bar, and a little fruit. No wonder she stayed up chatting to herself in her bed for an hour before she fell asleep. She was flying on a sugar high, actually!


And on Sunday, when she was digging in Papa's garden and I tried to take her picture, she ACTUALLY held up her finger (see below) and said, "No pictures, Mama. Busy digging!"
Hmmmph.

How could I forget?

The newest addition - our new nephew Brady! My sister had her baby boy on July 12, and we had to wait almost 5 agonizing days until they decided on a name other than Baby Brother!
And Maggie still calls him Baby Brother!




Notice how she holds him - he's definitely HER baby!
I'm going to visit on Saturday, with just my mom. Guilty for leaving Pat home with the kids, but delighted to think of all the Maggie and Baby hogging I'll be able to do! Will bring back more pictures!

Lame, I know

I cannot get myself together to post enough..
But to keep current, here's a lame jumble of pictures to explain our last few weeks.

We went to Coeur d'Alene for the 4th of July, kids had fun (in spite of one barfing flu), visited family, and ate too many hot dogs..
Swimming in the COLD lake


Kayak rides with Daddy




Looking alternately cute and mischievous






Kids have been playing in the blow up pool on hot days


We did the Bite of Seattle, complete with chicken-on-a-stick

and the Seattle Center fountain

Good clean fun

Or not so clean, in their case.

Guess who taught his little sister how to make mud pies?

And please do not say "Shaun Cassidy." I know her hair looks terrible. She had a top ponytail for her nap, and then took it out, leaving Shaggy Doo behind.

She has never had more fun in her life.

Notice the blurry hands and the complete concentration. She was deeply involved in a physics lesson, entitled "Velocity and Distance Mud Travels Based on Speed of Hand Waving"

Maybe next time I'll send her outside in grubby shorts and something other than a white onesie and her best butterfly jeans. God Bless OxiClean.

We actually hosed them down on the deck before heading upstairs for a bath. See "mud sleeve" on her right arm..

Well, you asked...

Today The Boy and I were finishing his end-of-the-year thank you cards for his preschool teachers. I asked him what he liked most about each teacher, what was his favorite part about the year, etc.
Today he wanted to add a card for a third teacher in his afternoon class, one who's only there for a couple of hours during the lunchtime hour when the class has more kids. I think she's young and part-time, and we've heard stories about how she thumb wrestles with the kids and plays in the gym.

So I asked him what he wanted to write in the card to her, and here's what he said - verbatim.

"Thank you for playing games with us in the gym and not just standing around like S. and R. (the head teacher and assistant teacher) always do."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. When we stopped laughing, I said, "How about I just write thanks for playing with us in the gym?" And then I explained that this teacher just comes for a couple of hours, and the other teachers are responsible for all the planning and cleaning up and supervision in the classroom and the gym, etc. Standing around - ha!

In one ear and out the other. The way to a preschooler's heart is through the gym.

What I have avoided writing about tonight is that tomorrow is his LAST DAY OF PRESCHOOL.
I am not prepared. What if I cry saying goodbye to the teachers?
I know he's nervous thinking about it too, but more with the realization that the first day of kindergarten is really coming. Today he asked me if I was scared on my first day of kindergarten. I said yes. (Mom and Grandma, you are FORBIDDEN to tell him how I was completely hysterical and the teacher had to take me out in the hall!)

A big milestone. To mark the occasion, he got his stitches out today.

Doesn't the big floating "Wizard of Oz" head look happy? Better picture coming soon.