...don't day the S word in front of Josie....
... because then you have to share.
Once she's decided the shower is for her, there is no dissuading her.
I Do Now
1 week ago
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The Second First Day
Finally, Mazie was able to start kindergarten. Waiting that extra day was really a trial for her. This morning, she rolled out of bed excited to put on her new uniforms and let me fix her hair (a rarity). Yesterday we made a new set of white flowers for her hair to match her white polos. She was so proud of her cute jumpers, and I'm proud of myself that I found a website that sold them for $7.00 instead of paying three times that at Land's End.
I managed to convince Ethan to step into the picture, too. Yesterday he wore a black polo. They are allowed black, white, gray and maroon. Today he settled for white-- maybe because it was supposed to be in the upper nineties, and black is dang hot.
The exciting wait for the bus...
OH, there it is, again!
She was so glad to get on that bus and go to school that she wouldn't even pause for a picture. See her running for the door!
I have to admit, I've been waiting a full year for this day. If I could have, I would have sent her to school last year. She was so ready. (I'm sad that she missed out on having Mr. Hayes in Big Timber. Nathan keeps threatening to take us back if he doesn't start liking his job.) Still, watching that bus drive away, I'll admit I was a little sad. I didn't feel any pangs of regret with my boys. Maybe it's different because she's a girl, or maybe it was the bus. It's not quite the same as handing the kid off in person to a teacher.
I managed to convince Ethan to step into the picture, too. Yesterday he wore a black polo. They are allowed black, white, gray and maroon. Today he settled for white-- maybe because it was supposed to be in the upper nineties, and black is dang hot.
The exciting wait for the bus...OH, there it is, again!She was so glad to get on that bus and go to school that she wouldn't even pause for a picture. See her running for the door!I have to admit, I've been waiting a full year for this day. If I could have, I would have sent her to school last year. She was so ready. (I'm sad that she missed out on having Mr. Hayes in Big Timber. Nathan keeps threatening to take us back if he doesn't start liking his job.) Still, watching that bus drive away, I'll admit I was a little sad. I didn't feel any pangs of regret with my boys. Maybe it's different because she's a girl, or maybe it was the bus. It's not quite the same as handing the kid off in person to a teacher. However, she had a great first day. She loved school, and she told me she made new friends, although having her cousin Emma in class is the BEST!
Kelly asked why Dylan was home schooled but not the other kids, so I'll answer that question publicly in case anyone else is wondering.
Dylan's cousin Hyrum has been in this district since kindergarten. He had great kindergarten, first and second grade teachers who recognized that he was above grade level and tried to challenge him. That stopped in at the end of second grade. He has been bored at school for a year and begging to home school. Dylan came out of a gifted and talented program in Montana. They have nothing like that here. They have a sort-of advanced reading thing, but that's it. I didn't think it was fair to dump Dylan, a high-achieving child, into a low achieving district and have him be bored and develop a bad attitude about school. And anyway, there was still Hyrum with the same problem. Home schooling was the natural option. My goal is to have Dylan back into public school by middle school, but in a different district, even if I have to drive him an hour to a real city.
Mazie and Ethan were placed with those great kindergarten and second grade teachers that we knew would give them a challenging year. Ethan will struggle if he stays in next year. He is also a gifted student. He wants to home school, but I couldn't deal with it, and I knew his teacher from when I worked in district, so I told him he had to stay at least until January. He'll love her by then and won't want me, I'm pretty sure. Mazie's teacher is our primary president and she's awesome. No worries there. Mazie will be reading by the time she leaves kindergarten.
I had this realization last year. Your child's elementary education all boils down to this: it is as good as his/her current classroom teacher.
On another note, when I went into the open house, Ethan's teacher recognized me and said, "Oh, I bet you know one of the other second grade teachers." She took me over to her classroom. This teacher saw me and jumped up to give me a hug. Yes, I knew her. I taught her. She was in my "survivor" class. I wasn't surprised to see her as a teacher. She'll be great. She's already in her third year teaching second grade.
Another of my students is in her first year teaching high school. It gave me a little bit of satisfaction. I may not be teaching anymore, but my students are.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The Newest Adventure
Today was an odd first day of school. Only one of my school-aged children actually went to school. You can't see his uniform polo shirt because he's wearing a sweatshirt. 
I drove him to the road on the four-wheeler to wait for that newest adventure...
Here is Ethan with his three cousins. They're all watching and waiting... Ahh, yes there it is!
The school bus! My kids have never lived where they had to ride one. Now they're "farm kids" and the bus is a must! Ethan stopped to pose right before stepping on. The batteries in my camera died right before the bus pulled up to our driveway. I switched the camera off and on again, and managed to squeeze one more photo out of the batteries. And look, there I am in shadow-- the dorky mom with the camera! (Did I mention that the bus arrives promptly at 7 a.m.? I used to wake up at 7:30 in Big Timber, and still have the boys to school by 8:15.)
Kindergarten starts tomorrow, so Mazie will have her first bus adventure then. Meanwhile, back at the house, Dylan and his cousin embarked on their first home school year.
Books everywhere! It took me awhile to get us organized and going, but they were great, and loved being done with school by noon.
Of course, while my back was turned.....
Josie took up climbing on the couch.
And, jumping off. I was so relieved when Dylan was done with his school work and could go outside to play. The first words I said were, "Take Josie with you!"
Stay tuned tomorrow for another first day of school.
I drove him to the road on the four-wheeler to wait for that newest adventure...
Here is Ethan with his three cousins. They're all watching and waiting... Ahh, yes there it is!
The school bus! My kids have never lived where they had to ride one. Now they're "farm kids" and the bus is a must! Ethan stopped to pose right before stepping on. The batteries in my camera died right before the bus pulled up to our driveway. I switched the camera off and on again, and managed to squeeze one more photo out of the batteries. And look, there I am in shadow-- the dorky mom with the camera! (Did I mention that the bus arrives promptly at 7 a.m.? I used to wake up at 7:30 in Big Timber, and still have the boys to school by 8:15.)Kindergarten starts tomorrow, so Mazie will have her first bus adventure then. Meanwhile, back at the house, Dylan and his cousin embarked on their first home school year.
Books everywhere! It took me awhile to get us organized and going, but they were great, and loved being done with school by noon.
Of course, while my back was turned.....
Josie took up climbing on the couch.
And, jumping off. I was so relieved when Dylan was done with his school work and could go outside to play. The first words I said were, "Take Josie with you!" Stay tuned tomorrow for another first day of school.
Monday, August 17, 2009
What Tooth Fairy?
I am the worst tooth fairy in the world. Losing a tooth at my house usually turns out like this:
Child loses a tooth and is ecstatic to receive a visit and $$$ from the tooth fairy.
Child may lose the tooth before bedtime and have to leave a note instead of the tooth, but no matter. This tooth fairy doesn't take the teeth. She's always let the kids keep them as souvenirs. (Gross ones, mind you. Once Josie came out of Dylan's room chewing on what I thought was a rock. When she spit it into my hand, I realized it was one of his ousted molars. GROSS!!!)
Child goes to bed.
Parent goes to bed.
Child runs into parents' room first thing in the morning crying, "The tooth fairy didn't come!"
Parent thinks, "OH, crumb. I forgot-- again." Parent says, "Go back and look around. I'll come and help you."
Child leaves and parent digs through purse to find quarters, which she hides in her palm. She then goes to the child's room and makes a great show of searching the blankets, meanwhile dropping the quarters into the mess. Child exclaims, "I heard something!"
Ta-da! "Oh," parent says, "I guess the tooth fairy came after all."
I can't wait until they no longer believe in the tooth fairy.
Child loses a tooth and is ecstatic to receive a visit and $$$ from the tooth fairy.
Child may lose the tooth before bedtime and have to leave a note instead of the tooth, but no matter. This tooth fairy doesn't take the teeth. She's always let the kids keep them as souvenirs. (Gross ones, mind you. Once Josie came out of Dylan's room chewing on what I thought was a rock. When she spit it into my hand, I realized it was one of his ousted molars. GROSS!!!)
Child goes to bed.
Parent goes to bed.
Child runs into parents' room first thing in the morning crying, "The tooth fairy didn't come!"
Parent thinks, "OH, crumb. I forgot-- again." Parent says, "Go back and look around. I'll come and help you."
Child leaves and parent digs through purse to find quarters, which she hides in her palm. She then goes to the child's room and makes a great show of searching the blankets, meanwhile dropping the quarters into the mess. Child exclaims, "I heard something!"
Ta-da! "Oh," parent says, "I guess the tooth fairy came after all."
I can't wait until they no longer believe in the tooth fairy.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Eye Rolling Please!!!
Have you had a good eye-rolling and snicker of disbelief this morning? If not, click here.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Still In Love with Summer
Last year when tharker posted this post on fall, I read it with mixed feelings. I had been dreading fall. No, actually, I'd been dreading winter. I was reveling in the summer days and sad that they were coming to an end.
When the winters are so very cold and last sooooo long, those days of sunshine are a sheer joy-- when the sunshine finally turns warm, and the wind finally stops blowing, and you can shed the long sleeves and the boots and be outside again. I used to look out my windows all winter long and wish for the greenness of the grass and the freedom to wander outdoors without bearing down against the howling wind. I came to cherish the feel of grass under my feet and the wonderful freedom of parking my car in the shade and not driving it except to church on Sunday. We lived in the middle of town, and we walked to the park and the library. The kids rode their bicycles to swimming lessons, and we dragged our red Radio Flier wagon to the grocery store when we needed milk. We took family bike rides around town (no worries about traffic there). My friend Michelle and I would hang out at the pool with our kids in the hot afternoons when our husbands were at work.
So, this spring I wondered if summer had lost its magic for me. I'm no longer living in the middle of town, and I'm 600 miles from Michelle and the pool where we hung out. I have to drive everywhere I go, and the days are hot, not the mild summer heat of the mountains. I wondered, "Would I still love summer?"
Recently, when it was over a hundred degrees for nearly two weeks straight, I was having doubts, but this week the temperatures have cooled. It's been in the eighties and nineties. Some days there is a nice breeze. We can be outside without roasting, and I realized that here or there, I'm still a summer girl. There are so many things I love about summer.
I love the flowers, especially roses.
I love the hum of the lawnmower and the boys eager to earn some cash.
I love dirty faces...
... and beautiful sunsets...
...swimming suits and the smell of sunblock and sweat on little bodies.
I love the splashes and squeals of summer games.
I love playing in the grass, and in this case....
... making a new friend.
I love fourth of July gatherings....
(the girls modeling their 4th of July dresses that I made this year)
... and the traditional flag cake...
I love sunglasses and cold drinks, hanging out in the shade, and family snapshots.
This is the better picture of both of us, but I have to include the next one because the sun was hitting just right on Nathan's short hair, and he'd want me to be sure you all know...
... that he still has hair. :)
But, the joys of summer this year have been a reminder of the way we grew up. These are some loves of summer that I missed while we were away...
I love picking strawberries and making jam...
... sleeping on the trampoline... (if they had done that in Montana, they would have been sucked dry by the mosquitoes)
... working outside with Dad...
... irrigation circles...
... and the smell of freshly cut hay. 
(Yes, I love that smell. Whenever we'd drive home in the summer and smell freshly cut alfalfa, it made me homesick. Now it's right in our front yard.)
Here is what I missed the most when we were in Montana....
... a garden! We were able to grow peppers and tomatoes one year, but we didn't have much room, and had a very short growing season. Here, the zucchini grow like Jumunji, and we can replant half-way through the summer and still get a harvest. We would never have been able to grow melons or pumpkins in Big Timber.
While I miss Michelle, and I miss the pool. I miss my house and I miss the quiet little town, there is a part of me that has always belonged here. The best thing about summer here is...
... it lasts a lot longer!!!
When the winters are so very cold and last sooooo long, those days of sunshine are a sheer joy-- when the sunshine finally turns warm, and the wind finally stops blowing, and you can shed the long sleeves and the boots and be outside again. I used to look out my windows all winter long and wish for the greenness of the grass and the freedom to wander outdoors without bearing down against the howling wind. I came to cherish the feel of grass under my feet and the wonderful freedom of parking my car in the shade and not driving it except to church on Sunday. We lived in the middle of town, and we walked to the park and the library. The kids rode their bicycles to swimming lessons, and we dragged our red Radio Flier wagon to the grocery store when we needed milk. We took family bike rides around town (no worries about traffic there). My friend Michelle and I would hang out at the pool with our kids in the hot afternoons when our husbands were at work.
So, this spring I wondered if summer had lost its magic for me. I'm no longer living in the middle of town, and I'm 600 miles from Michelle and the pool where we hung out. I have to drive everywhere I go, and the days are hot, not the mild summer heat of the mountains. I wondered, "Would I still love summer?"
Recently, when it was over a hundred degrees for nearly two weeks straight, I was having doubts, but this week the temperatures have cooled. It's been in the eighties and nineties. Some days there is a nice breeze. We can be outside without roasting, and I realized that here or there, I'm still a summer girl. There are so many things I love about summer.
I love the flowers, especially roses.
I love the hum of the lawnmower and the boys eager to earn some cash.
I love dirty faces...
... and beautiful sunsets...
...swimming suits and the smell of sunblock and sweat on little bodies.
I love the splashes and squeals of summer games.
I love playing in the grass, and in this case....
... making a new friend.I love fourth of July gatherings....
(the girls modeling their 4th of July dresses that I made this year)... and the traditional flag cake...
I love sunglasses and cold drinks, hanging out in the shade, and family snapshots.
This is the better picture of both of us, but I have to include the next one because the sun was hitting just right on Nathan's short hair, and he'd want me to be sure you all know...
... that he still has hair. :)But, the joys of summer this year have been a reminder of the way we grew up. These are some loves of summer that I missed while we were away...
I love picking strawberries and making jam...
... sleeping on the trampoline... (if they had done that in Montana, they would have been sucked dry by the mosquitoes)
... working outside with Dad...
... irrigation circles...
... and the smell of freshly cut hay. 
(Yes, I love that smell. Whenever we'd drive home in the summer and smell freshly cut alfalfa, it made me homesick. Now it's right in our front yard.)Here is what I missed the most when we were in Montana....
... a garden! We were able to grow peppers and tomatoes one year, but we didn't have much room, and had a very short growing season. Here, the zucchini grow like Jumunji, and we can replant half-way through the summer and still get a harvest. We would never have been able to grow melons or pumpkins in Big Timber. While I miss Michelle, and I miss the pool. I miss my house and I miss the quiet little town, there is a part of me that has always belonged here. The best thing about summer here is...
... it lasts a lot longer!!!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thinking about Posting
I've been thinking about posting for several days. I just haven't had the time to sit down and write the posts. There are so many things going on, and summer is just disappearing. I cannot believe the kids are headed back to school so soon. I haven't even finished shopping for school supplies, and don't get me started about school clothes-- uniforms. SOOOOO boring. For the first time, I have a girl in school, and we can't enjoy a day shopping for clothes. It's been a bummer for me, and I haven't even broached the subject with her. It's a good thing she can't see into my mind's eye at the possibilities we could have enjoyed. To spare her any heartache, I shopped for her uniforms online, and I have to say, I found some killer deals. $7.00 for jumpers and $4.75 for polo shirts. That's pretty hard to beat.
We've been trying to find a weekend that we could go visit our house in Montana, but those summer weekends are disappearing, too. Nathan has finally been offered weekend overtime, and he's taking it at all costs. We so much need the extra money. Today, however, he did steal away with his brother for a four-wheeler ride. As he gave me his laundry list of things that he needed to do here, I just nodded and said, "Have fun riding." The guy so much needs a break, and Paul is running out of free weekends before their new child arrives, so it was now or never.
This is such a change for me. I usually WAY under-schedule my summers. I'm not used to crowds and other people's stuff making demands on my time. Summer is usually full of lazy days and evenings working in the yard. Being homeless for 8 weeks of the summer was part of the problem. I couldn't really plan my own summer because I was at the mercy of two other families. Now that we finally have our own space, I'm ready to put on the breaks and take some time for us in these last few weeks. I know I need it, and my kids need it, too.
We've been trying to find a weekend that we could go visit our house in Montana, but those summer weekends are disappearing, too. Nathan has finally been offered weekend overtime, and he's taking it at all costs. We so much need the extra money. Today, however, he did steal away with his brother for a four-wheeler ride. As he gave me his laundry list of things that he needed to do here, I just nodded and said, "Have fun riding." The guy so much needs a break, and Paul is running out of free weekends before their new child arrives, so it was now or never.
This is such a change for me. I usually WAY under-schedule my summers. I'm not used to crowds and other people's stuff making demands on my time. Summer is usually full of lazy days and evenings working in the yard. Being homeless for 8 weeks of the summer was part of the problem. I couldn't really plan my own summer because I was at the mercy of two other families. Now that we finally have our own space, I'm ready to put on the breaks and take some time for us in these last few weeks. I know I need it, and my kids need it, too.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Little Monet
At the recent family reunion, Grandma set up painting on the tables. After the older kids abandoned the posts, Josie went and did some painting. I saw her through the window, sitting out there all alone, painting. I sent Mazie to check on her. Mazie disappeared and never returned. Later my nephew came in and said Josie had paint all over her. I was in the middle of chopping veggies for salsa, so I sent a reluctant Nathan out to check on her. Luckily, he took the camera.
Look what our little artist painted...
Oh, how she loves making messes!
Look what our little artist painted...
Oh, how she loves making messes!
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