Peter's International Day Picnic and the Last Day of School

Catching up post #10.

All at once and at long last, we came to the last week of school.  In my classes we sang a lot of karaoke and had dance parties to fill the time.  The 8th graders were already done, except for attending their last school Mass on Wednesday and their graduation brunch after.  I don't know what most of the kids were getting up to in their classes, but from kindergarten, at least, it was hardly anything academic.

A.J.'s preschool class was already done, but she'd missed her last week due to those maybe-chicken pox.  I don't think she cared or even realized.  It wasn't that she hadn't made any friends in the class, but, it had been an odd year in general.  I was frankly happy to put that experience behind us and start her some place fresh again next year.

On Tuesday, Peter had a half day so that all the kids could gather with their families at the park for a picnic.  They'd spent the last few weeks talking about everybody's heritage and so to make this escape from school seem academic we were all supposed to bring some sort of international food that represented our heritage.  

I can't stand that sort of thing.  My dad is Slovak.  My mom is a combination of German, Saxon, and English, maybe more.  My husband is mostly Irish and German, with a fair amount of other stuff mixed in.  So what does that make our kids?  AMERICAN.  I mean, I supposed I cold have made something heavy with saurkraut and sausage since that seems to cover most of the German/Saxon/Slovak sides, but please, find me a kindergartner who is going to eat that AT A PICNIC no less.

I made Buckeyes.  (The peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate.)  Matt and I are from Ohio and that is abut as far into our "roots" as I care to think about most of the time.

Anyway.

So we gathered at the playground.  Me, my three kids, and about 50 other families.  It was what it was.  The kids ate, about as well as I could hope (mostly junk) while I tried to keep track of them all and ensured they were behaving.  

Peter had fun.

And so did the girls.  A.J. is only a year younger than his brother and his classmates so she fit right in.  Most of the kids knew her anyway.

Lucy just followed suit.  There was a whole bunch of those kinder girls who were determined to take care of the "baby."  I think they thought she was living doll.  They led her around.  They fussed over her.  Lucy tolerated it, but only because she was getting to play with them as part of the deal.

A.J. seemed jealous that so many other people had a hold of HER little sister.

Peter, was just Peter.

On Thursday, it was the last day of school.  

It was only a half day, so after I dropped Peter off I went to Target with the girls.  Some where in there Lucy escaped the shopping cart and I lost her.  She was "missing" for all of about 2 minutes before my friend, who just happened to come along as I noticed she'd climbed out of the cart and run off, found her one section over, in the baby aisle sitting on the potties.  

If you're wondering, I bought her the potty chair.  She's better at using the actual toilet, but.... whatever.

By the time we were done shopping, there was only about an hour left until Peter was going to be done for the day.  I took the girls with me and went back to turn in my keys.  Then I went to wander around, say a few more goodbyes and see if I could find my boy.

The kids were all basically out in the playground and courtyard signing yearbooks.  I got swarmed by dozens of kids and then half of them decided it would be fun to get A.J.'s signature as well.  She of course, thought this was the best thing ever.

Eventually I did make it to Peter.  He was at the lunch tables with his class signing yearbooks.  I wondered if his last day was making him sad.  He said it was, and he kept drawing sad faces when he wrote his name in people's books, but otherwise he seemed fine.

That was really it.

In another half hour I'd gone and gotten out car and we were picking him up and it was over.  He was done with Kindergarten.

*sigh*

I still had the 8th grade graduation the following evening, where I had to conduct them in their song, but I was basically done too.  I wasn't a teacher anymore... again.

Christmas Programs and School Fun

Lest it seem like all we did during the month of December was A.J.'s Dance and Nutcracker stuff, let me assure you that this was not the case.  Matt did whatever it is Matt does at work, with the sole exception of preparing to take the week of Christmas off.

We also attended my scool staff party and one for Matt and all the Navy Supply Corps people in the area.  The Nanny has been getting lots of overtime pay, but BOY is nice to have her to rely on and not be scrambling to find childcare.  (This may actually be the single most amazing benefit of going back to work this year.)

Peter attended school as he usually does and managed to have a whole slew of pretty crappy days behavior wise.  I swear, as soon as school becomes a teeny bit about fun rather than more academic endeavors, even in kindergarten where on the very best days the use of the word "academic" is a bit of stretch, that child looses his mind and start causing trouble.  Nothing major thankfully this month.... just a lot of really really dumb minor things.  

The other resounding theory about his behavior (one that I don't really buy into) is that he was feeding off his mother's stress. Because of course, for me at work, everything basically all month long, was about final preparations for the school's two Christmas Programs.

I started teaching the music at the end of September.  Everything should have been easy and fine. Except of course, the first time you do anything (particularly when you're trying to carry on a tradition for ALL the parents of a school that has been going on for years and years) it's silly and stressful because of the logistics mostly.  Also, because my middle schoolers are, well, middle schoolers.  

The end.

Haha.

No really, in the end, both programs went well.  Peter's program (for grades K-3) was wonderful.  I couldn't have been prouder, even if the 1st graders actually HAD managed to stay with the music and also if Peter hadn't spent the vast majority of his own time on stage staring over his shoulder and one of the first grade girls behind him.

The rehearsals for the older kid's program brought a whole other level of drama, but in the end, even their show went well enough.  Not perfect either mind you, but nothing ever is.

My one real regret is that my final dress rehearsal with the older students was at the exact same time as A.J.'s little Preschool Holiday program.  Thankfully, Matt was able to go and he recorded all her songs.  Here they are:

I'm not happy I missed it.  I mean, they didn't make too big a deal out of it, but I still hated missing it. The videos are cute, but.... still.

Anyway, back in my life with other people's children.... our dress rehearsal went well enough, at least as good as I was expecting based on my experience with the kids in class, even though I'm fairly certain the principal went and had a talk with several of the middle schoolers about the importance of making their best effort for the real performance that evening.

The biggest problem, actually, wound up being the sickness that was going around and how I must have had 30 kids fall sick the day of the show and wind up missing.  Also, the fact that both myself and the other music teacher were ill ourselves and both of us probably really would have rather fallen asleep under some heavy blankets some where rather than do the show.  But that wasn't really an option, so we went on with things because, well, we had no choice.

Peter and I after his program.

My  programs were on Monday and Thursday evening, and school on Friday was a half day, a non uniform day and basically a Christmas fun day.  In my classes I pulled up a bunch of Christmas songs on karaoke and we just had a fun holiday sing along dance party.

Peter, and his kindergarten friends made "Gingerbread Houses."

Loose on the term gingerbread though, as they were made from graham crackers.  

In any case, when the bell rang and our Christmas Vacation was officially up us, I picked Peter up and the two of us celebrated with a joyful selfie.

With the exception of the 8th grade graduation song in the spring, my life is so so so much less stressful at work from this point on in the school year.  :)

Halloween fun at School for Peter (and Mommy)

At long last, Friday morning and Halloween Day itself arrived.  

Because honestly, this October might seriously have been the longest month of my entire life.  I'd gotten the kids costumes taken care of set aside early, like when it was still September, but after that, aside from putting out a few decorations around the house mid-month when I returned from Chicago, I hadn't given the Holiday itself much thought until the actual week of, when suddenly everything I'd put off all month (pumpkin wise) needed to be taken care of the the kids wanted nothing more on Earth than to wear their costumes.

Especially Peter.  He had to endure A.J. wearing hers to dance and to school before him and he was just bursting to be able to show off his.

That child had been begging to be Captain America since the previous Halloween when one of buddies at school at been the super hero and Peter had been quite envious of the other boy's costume.

Not to worry, I'd hit up the Disney store (just as soon as their costumes had gone on sale for 30% off at the end of September ) for the best possible Captain America costume I could find (for a reasonable price.)

Friday morning he was up extra early and ate his breakfast extra fast so that he could get dressed at long last.  And I put my own costume on.... which really I have only because I am running the Avenger's themed Half Marathon up at Disney in a couple weeks, and I thought it was kind of cute that I semi-coordinate with my son..... and we got some pictures on the porch before school

Captain America Peter

Captain America Peter and Iron Mom.  

He's so happy.

I hovered extra long in the morning to get some pictures of Peter with his class.  Here they are lining up for morning Flag Salute and prayer.

At recess, the room moms set up a whole Halloween themed snack.  

It was the last day of the marking period so the kids had an early release day.  They all thought it was for trick or treat, which was convenient, but completely not the case.  The kids all had kind of a fun, relaxed morning and then the whole entire school gathered for about a half hour in the Holy Family Center to sing some Halloween karaoke songs.  

Afterwards, the kids in the younger grades all went back to their half of campus to parade around and show off their outfits.

Our priests.  Lol.  They were on a Mission for "Gawd."  I love that they have sense of humor.

The P.E. Teacher and his son.  Nice job coordinating as well.

The kindergartners were the first to parade through, so Peter was easy to find as they wove through the classes and marched across the playground blacktop.

It makes me so happy that our school still lets the kids do this.  It's such a fun tradition.  

I love Halloween and not because of the grown up parties and haunted houses or any of that.  I never did any of that.  Halloween for me is about the kids and this silly innocent fun of dressing up.  I love it and I can't wait to see why my kids want to dress up as every year.  

We're Still Here.... and getting all nostalgic

So... it's been a couple weeks.

I feel like we're finally starting to adjust to our new schedule.

And by that, honestly, I mean ME.

Peter is at school "all day" Monday through Friday.

It's been a rough transition for him.  He is fine academically, if not a little bored.  Obviously, because it's Kinder and the "work" isn't exactly challenging yet.  He's also fine socially.  He's getting along with all the other kids as well as any of them do at this age.  But he's had a hard time behaving himself.  I actually think he's just been kind of testing the teachers, to see what he can get away with. The answer, if you're wondering, is nothing.  They aren't going to let him get away with ANYTHING.  And that's good, but it's been tough.  I think he gets tired in the afternoon and sometimes just forgets and then he does dumb stuff too.

Anyway, this week he's done MUCH better.  I'm hoping to hear about another good day when I pick him up this afternoon.

I am at work Monday, Wednesday and Friday, "all day."  A.J. and Lucy stay home with our new(ish) Nanny, Emily.  Peter is just across the parking lot from me.  I can see his class's windows when I look out my own windows.  His class also has me for music on Fridays.

My job is fine.  Good even.  It's just a lot.  A LOT.  The span of teaching 5 to 14 year olds all in the same day three times a week sometimes feels a bit like maneuvering an obstacle course.  I enjoy it, of course, but it's exhausting.  Most days I fall asleep on the couch shortly after the kids go to bed.  I think Matt thinks I am ridiculous.  But the thing is, even at work, I am still worrying about the kids.  I try to check on and encourage Peter whenever he is at recess or lunch.  (He claims he misses us while he is in class.)  I also hear from the Nanny throughout the day via text if anything is interesting at home.  Once it was A.J. being sick (Hand Foot and Mouth) another time it was Lucy. The Nanny is perfectly trustworthy and capable, but she still tries to keep me informed of what's going on and I really appreciate that.  However, the pull of being so needed in two totally different directions is hard for me.

I honestly don't know how full time working mothers do it.

Also, my marathon training is winding down.  Just about 3 more weeks to go.  Last weekend was our longest run.  I wound up doing about 21 miles.  But my watch ran out of batteries and it was honestly the hottest weekend of the year, so I walked a lot of the last 3-4 miles.  I think once that is over, I might start to get at least some of my energy back.

I am off Tuesdays and Thursdays, but A.J. goes to school in the morning, I drop her off right after Peter.  Lucy and I usually end up running around doing errands while she is at school. We pick A.J. up at 11, and then have a couple hours together to relax until we have to be back to get Peter at 2:30. Because it's fun to drive back and forth to the same place 3 times a day.

A.J. is doing very well at school this year.  She has, of course, already did an entire year of preschool so she knows what to do, even if she is in a new school.  She's one of the oldest in her class and her teachers find her to be perfectly behaved (which let's face it, is a bit of a switch for her after last year and also a far cry from how Peter was at this same point when he was in that class.)  They also tell me how silly and random and amusing she is nearly ALL the time (She really does say the darndest things.)  She is constantly wowing them with her smarts too.

Today she was apparently informing the teachers of her knowledge of color mixing.  They were supposed to be painting something with blue.  She asked if she could have red too.  They told her no, today they were just using blue and she informed them that if she could please have some red she could mix it with the blue to make purple.  And she would much rather have been painting in purple.

*sigh*

That's my A.J.

I worry that she is so smart that it actually makes her somewhat antisocial.  She definitely has a hard time relating to some of the younger kids in her class who are still crying for the moms each morning.  A.J. could care less when I go.  And actually, she doesn't seem to care much whether she has anybody to play with at school.

I've heard from both the Nanny and Matt that she complains about missing Peter when he is at school. I think she'd much prefer actually to be with the 4 year olds this year (which makes sense since those are the aged kids she was with last year) or better yet, to be in kinder sitting and learning right along side her brother.  She'd probably do just fine if only they'd let her.  In any case, she is where she is because of the age cut offs and there are NO exceptions.  But, she asked me today if she could have a play date with another one of the girls from her class.  This particular girl has a kinder aged sister as well, who I believe is in Peter's class.  She's older for their group as well.  In any case, if they are playing together I will absolutely encourage it.  I'm so happy when she finds a friend without her brother's help, which is usually the case.  I mean, usually she just tags on to the friendships of her brother.  That is a valid way to go I guess, in some cases, but she does need to be able to find friends without him too.

A.J. also now has 3 classes a week at the dance studio.  She dances one evening and on Saturday mornings. She has also added a beginning Acro class another evening.  She is supposed to be stretching and learning to tumble.  So far she can do a back bend and the ugliest cartwheels I've ever seen.  Not to be mean, but her little legs and feet, that ought to point up toward the sky while she goes over, usually just wind up straight out, at a 90 degree angle to her body.  But whatever, she technically is doing the move.  And she's only 3 so I should't nitpick.  I think she's working on forward and backward rolls as well, and maybe hand stands.  In any case, she LOVES it and she is constantly upside down in my house and attempting to tumble off my furniture.

So there you go.

Peter, if you're wondering, isn't doing any activities right now.  They have Fall Baseball, but not for t-ball and his age group.  I looked into soccer, but I missed the cut off for our local league and it seemed silly to add something else to the schedule right now that would involve a lot of extra driving. We have enough new stuff going on right now anyway.

Lucy, in her own right, is up to lots of things new too.  She walks almost all the time now, although whenever she does it, she resembles and odd mixture of a zombie and an exceptionally drunk person.  I finally had to run out last week and find her some good baby early walking shoes (Robeez) because she constantly wants to walk around outdoors and in shopping malls and things were it's actually kind of gross to have her going bare foot.

She seems to be okay, most of the time with the transition to me working.  She does cry when I leave, but the Nanny has started bringing her own baby around Lucy's same age so now she has a playmate during the day.  Matt and I both agree it is silly to have the Nanny hand over almost her entire paycheck to childcare when she can just as easily bring her son with her and our babies can play together.

She still doesn't make a lot of noise most of the time.  She has a few words, I guess, but they are rare.  She will occasionally mock conversational sounds with her nonsense of baby babble, and also will pretend to read books aloud while babbling nonsense, so I guess her words are developing, even if she is really rather stingy with her talking.  There is, generally quite a lot of talking around here (mostly me and Peter) so maybe she just doesn't much feel the need to add to the roar of our already loud household.



Anyway, most of the time, these last few weeks, I just find myself wondering how we got here.

Kindergarten?  Already?  Wasn't I just starting out on this parenting journey?

I look at Peter and there is such a disconnect.  I still see that perfect little round face with puffy pink cheeks, tiny pursed lips, a perfect button nose and dark blue piercing eyes beneath that perfect little head of hair that he had the first first time I saw him and held him in my arms.

But then each morning I help him button up his school uniform polo shirt and tuck it carefully and neatly into his little uniform shorts and he suddenly looks so big to me.  So tall and mature and practically grown already.  Then he comes home covered in dirt, looking all dishelved and hands me a behavior notice and my heart breaks.  Was this too soon?  Should we have waited?  Why is this so hard for him?

Or is this just the transition for him?  Change has never been easy for him.

Each morning a leave him with the other kindergartners gathering at the lunch tables on the playground to wait for their teacher.  I marvel at how big he is, I pray that he'll have a good day and I make myself walk away.  But then sometimes I catch a glimpse of him mixed in with the larger whole group of his school's student body.  I see him at church.  He looks tiny sitting next to his 4th grade buddy.  He sits quietly and traces his finger along a page of music during communion while the adults and older kids go to take the Eucahrist.  He's trying so hard to be good.  He is so little to my eyes again.

This morning I peaked out as I often do, from the preschool playground where I wait with A.J. until her teacher's open the door to begin their day.  The Elementary aged students have their morning Flag salute and prayer out on their playground:

They all come out in their classes and stand in long lines for the daily ceremony.  Peter is tiny again. One of the tallest in his class, despite his younger age for his year, but easy to spot with his distinct hair and tall skinny form.  He looks like a baby though.  All the kindergartners do.  SO YOUNG and small and scared and clueless.  Trying SO HARD to be bigger and more like the older kids already and completely failing at it.  The grade 1-3 kids look like college kids compared to these babies.  They all sing.  They say a prayer.  Most of the kinder kids stare off at the sky instead.  

The ceremony ends.  His teacher tells everybody to turn around in line and get ready to head back into class to get their learning day started.  Peter wiggles for no reason at all.  He marches a weird sort of high step rather than just walks as they start to go in. He's smiling happily and appears to be singing or chanting something to himself, even though I'm sure he's supposed to be quiet. My heart melts.  He's such a weirdo.  

He's my little weirdo.

So tall and yet, so so little.

*sigh*

I turn around.  Lucy, in my arms is wildly trying to escape.  I put her down and she waddle walks across the preschool play yard and seats herself proudly in one of the little chairs at one of their tables.  About 47 kids, mostly squealing little girls, surround her to dote on how cute she is.  Lucy accepts the admiration and praise with a smile and marvels at how big she is too.  Clearly she sees herself as one of them already.

*siiiiigh*

I look around for A.J.  Last I saw her, she was on the swings with her little friend but there are other kids there now so she most have moved on.  I scan the area and spot her.  She's just come out from behind the table where Lucy is sitting surrounded with a couple of giant rubber dinosaurs in her hands.  One appears to be some sort of ferocious, sharp toothed T-Rex.  The other is a brontosaurus type (or whatever they're calling those long necked one these days.)  A.J. stops walking to put the mouth of one around the neck of the other.  She growls quietly for the mean one and starts on her way again at a half run, off to the sand box.  She jumps in with her dinos and sits down to play quietly.  By herself again.  I wonder seriously if they are even allowed to be in the sandbox that early in the morning.  I consider going to her to hug and kiss her goodbye.  I look for her teachers but they are all involved with other concerned parents, mostly trying to pry their desperate children off of their legs.  This is only the 5th class for the 3 year olds after all.

I go collect Lucy.  No reason to hang out.

A.J. is fine.  No reason to linger.  Things to do.

I make myself leave.  Lucy holds onto my finger and wobbly-walks with my all the way back across the playground towards our car.

I don't look back.  They don't need me to.  But I do hold on tighter than necessarily to the baby's chubby hand while he walk.




This is all going to be over before I even know it.

I went to Target after because we needed diapers for Lucy and food for the dogs  I also looked for Halloween shirts for the kids but nothing impressed me for the older two and the stuff they had for little ones was all for babies way littler still than Lucy.  I did find a couple of cute Halloween beanie hats that fit Lucy.  I bought her one like a jack-o-lantern and another that looks like candy corn.

This is my last Halloween with a baby after all....

Lucy's First Birthday

So, grab your tissues everyone (or at least know that I sure did) because last Wednesday my baby Lucy was a year old.

O.M.G.

I can hardly believe it.

I mean, as parents we constantly find ourselves marveling at how fast the time goes and how big our kids are all-of-a-sudden, but for real... with this third child.  I can't even.  I mean, I have plenty of memories and pictures form the last year.  I know that it happened.  I know that the time past and my sweet tiny swaddled newborn has grown to roll over and sit up, then crawl and stand and even walk.  

But even though I remember it all, and I know it's been a year, I can't actually wrap my mind around how fast it went.  

Maybe it was because he was first, or because for the first time in actual years, when we had just had him I was home and Matt had a relaxed schedule, but with him seemed to move quickly too of course, but that first year of his life dragged on an on.

Hm.  Also, come to think of it, maybe that first "year" with him, in my mind is actually much more.  I think I kind of lump everything with him prior to the arrival of A.J. as his first year.  In reality, that was a full 17 months (less one day) so maybe hat's WHY it seems his "first year" went on for so long.  

We were in that happy go lucky new baby/first child bubble and it was just.... magical.

Once the second one and then the third came along, even though it was amazing, everything has basically been kind of crazed and confusing ever since.  

Anyway....

So we had our official family celebration at Disneyland last weekend, but regardless, when her actual birthday rolled around, I was a mess.

I'd known for weeks ahead of time I would have to work on her special day.  I'd known it was going to be my first day with students.  These two in combination, swirled in with just general beginning of the school year stress and sleep deprivation, had me a big, fat mess.

(I kept finding myself in tears.)

(Mommy guilt it the worst.)

(Because, honestly.  Lucy didn't care.  She spent the day at home with her sister and the nanny and had a grand old time of it.  She didn't care that I was at work.  That was only me.)

In any case, that morning I wiped away my tears before work in time to snuggle my littlest one and give her a bottle.  Then I presented her with the little birthday crown and sash that I'd picked up the day before so she could feel important for the rest of the day.

The nanny came and Peter and I left for school.  The girls had a great day.  Peter did not have such a great day.  I spent my hours trying to convince Middle School students that I still had a few bits of coolness left in me and when the final bell rang, I got home as quickly as I possibly could.  Man.  I had no idea I'd miss being with my kids so much on one of their birthdays until it happened. 

When Matt got home, he ordered a pizza so we could do dinner and cake early, before A.J.'s dance class and then we decided to let Lucy have her presents. 

The birthday girl The Nanny pulled out the fancy dress for the special day.  

So, we got out her gifts.  We skipped wrapping them, because I didn't have time, and she doesn't care anyway.

So first up was this Little People Disneyland play set.  Matt's parents got it for her.

Matt and I also got her a little Klip Klop Pony Set (Belle's cottage) since she is kind of obsessed with A.J.'s Klip Klop castle set.  

She was thrilled.  We could barely pull the little figurines out for her fast enough.

While she played with the figures, Matt pulled everything else out of the boxes and put stuff together.

Goodness just look at her happy smile.  

Peter and A.J. were suck cute and excited for their sister.  (Ad to play with her new toys for with her.)

After all that fun, Matt took his boots and socks off to relax for a minute before dinner.  Lucy tried to put his (stinky) socks on her own little feet.  It was so random but adorable.

Shortly there after, the pizzas arrived and we had dinner.  

And once we'd all had our fill of pizza, it was time for birthday cake!

She was so excited.  

Obviously after we sang I kind of blew out her candle for her.  

Not that we could get a cute picture of her and I were we both looked at the camera at the same time.... 

Silly party siblings.

Then it was time to cut the cake.

Lucy got the first piece.  She wasn't sure were to begin actually.  It was long though, before she figured it out. 

I really tried to get her to share with me....

But she didn't go for it.  

My gosh.  That's a lot of pictures isn't it?

Oh well.

There can almost never be too many baby vs. cake pictures.  They're my favorite.

Anyway, so it seemed like Lucy had a good birthday.

I love her so much.  I can't wait to see what the next year of her little life brings.  :)