School Daze

I said I wanted this weekend to be laid back. I wanted to get everything that needed done for back to school done, I wanted to sleep and relax. What do you think the chances are that happened? If you guessed between slim and none, you win!

Friday afternoon was PDQs end of skating camp show. Boobah was a complete PITA, running all over the place, I finally got her to sit still and was watching PDQ skate when the woman 3 rows down tells me that PDQ is kicking her repeatedly. I put PDQ on my lap and the woman says she was fine--obviously not if you had to tell me about her 30 seconds ago. I left wanting nothing more than to climb into the cave and climb out on Monday morning.

Friday night Esmerelda hosted her second annual back to school BBQ and backyard sleep out. I have to admit that by the time 5PM on Friday rolled around it was really the last thing I wanted to do. I knew once I got there it would be fun and it was. I definitely perked up with the good food and good friends. The acupuncture must be doing something because I even tolerated the difficult people rather easily (not always something I do well--or at all!). It wasn't a particularly restful night, we got up, had fabulous pancakes and bacon, cleaned up and came home.

Gman worked on Saturday so I mowed the lawn--yes, I did man chores! It was really hot but I enjoy doing it every once in awhile, especially since I only did the mowing, no trimming or weed whacking (I am such an uncoordinated wuss I can't get the weed thing started). I did laundry and tried to take a nap. Soon enough it was time to head to our last trip to the community outdoor pool. Then dinner with Es and the boys to help eat up the leftovers. Then I ran off to stamp camp. Somewhere in there I realized I hadn't been to the grocery store and school started today--I knew that yesterday at the mega mart would be something I couldn't. So at 11PM on Saturday night I did the grocery shopping. Other than many half empty shelves it was far more pleasant than any other time I've been in there. So after the activity all day I should have been able to sleep--right? WRONG. It was 3 attempts and 4:30 AM before I finally managed to doze off into dreamland. Needless to say getting out of bed yesterday was a chore.

Sunday morning it was church with a great substitute pastor. Then home to get ready for the afternoon activities--pool and birthday parties! They were both fun but I was dragging, big time. We got to spend time with our former neighbors who have spent the last year in England while she works on a degree in Victorian Literature. It was nice to catch up with them.

By the time we got home I was toast. Gman, thankfully, went running to get chicken wire to finish the trellis for my fall pea crop. I spent time in the basement trying to find a crib sheet for Boobah to take to school for her cot. I also had to sharpen a dozen pencils, find a picture of our whole family and put it in a frame, get a decent picture of Boobah for a school project and make sure everyone's bags and lunches were packed for this morning. I went to bed exhausted and thankfully slept.

Check out Gman's pictures of the first day of school here.

Despite my absent mindedness, she passed!

Gman sent me an e-mail this morning confirming our evening plans--he would pick up the girls and take them to the ice rink for PDQs ice skating lesson. Great plan, if Mom had remembered to bring along her skating bag. Instead I dispatched him to the house to pick up the bag and I volunteered to pick up the girls at the babysitter and bring them to the rink to make up for miscue this morning. I was packed up and ready to go at 4:27 this afternoon. The phone rang, one point led into another and finally I told him I had to go for ice skating and I was off. 4:37, 5:00 lessons, pick up two kids who are never ready, crap. Call Gman, where are you honey? The rink. Okay, I'll be there ASAP just wait for me out front and we'll do the exchange. PDQ was totally inappropriately dressed for ice skating in a summer dress and no socks. There were dirty socks in the daycare bag but Gman gets BIG bonus points for throwing tights in the ice skating bag. I let out PDQ at the curb and Gman sat through her lesson. Boobah and I headed home to cook dinner.

PDQ came flying through the front door, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy look! The coveted Basic 4 badge gripped in her hand like $100 bill. Her cheeks were glowing and she threw her arms around me. How could you not be thrilled for her? I wish I could summons that much excitement for anything! I was happy for her, proud of her accomplishment and so glad to have finally gotten through this level--I think it was the fifth time! The instructor had told me before that the younger kids usually take several tries to pass this level because of the difficulty of the moves and the need to do them really well before progressing. Sometimes I wonder at all the things PDQ has to learn to do with her body in quick succession and how little she still is. The difference between the older girls and the 5-6 year olds is apparent the first time they try to get their legs to cross over or spin around. Stubby legs have a much harder time complying. Here's to you my darling girl for your positive attitude, your genuine joy, and your constant smile.

I asked her if she still wanted to take a break until skating camp this summer and she gave me the thumbs up. I had a moment of selfishness hoping that her success wasn't going to push her into the next session of lessons. She'll continue the next 5 weeks of soccer and then we are "off" activities until swim lesson time this summer. We can certainly all use the break!