How?

Yesterday, William decided he wanted to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels. He practiced for about an hour and tonight we had this:

Husbands are helpers

Sometime this summer I ventured to Costco with all three kids. These kids of trips are all about business. Get in, get out, get home ASAP. With a newborn, 3 and 5 year old, I am always moments away from disaster. You know that disaster with 3 screaming kids and spilled milk all over aisle 6.

On the way out, Gemma was starting to fuss and I was hurrying to get everything unloaded so we could finally get home. A super sweet Costco employee, a teenaged boy of about 17, stopped and helped me load the rest of my groceries before taking my cart and putting it away for me*.

I thanked him profusely and he waved away my thanks with his hand.

With the groceries loaded, I turned to the task of buckling up my children. William chose that moment to loudly ask: "Mama? Is that man your husband?"

The look on that teenagers face was priceless and he burst out laughing while he walked away shaking his head.

While he was still within earshot, I replied loudly, "no, he isn't my husband! He is just someone who was nice enough to help your Mama when she needed it most."

After all three kids were buckled and the doors were shut, William piped up once again "it is probably a good thing you didn't kiss him to say thank you. Because he isn't your husband."

Yep. Good thing.

* I always park as close as I can to the cart corral. I know I'm not supposed to, but I don't care. Life being a little easier right now is worth a few dings in the car.**

** John probably disagrees with this. John does not shop solo with three kids either. I win.

Sent from my iPhone

States

William and Amelia are interested in the states of the US. Lately, they have used state-shaped puzzle pieces as action figures with personalities and the ability to talk. We overheard this today:

"It is awfully hard to walk with this upper peninsula on my head!" (Michigan)

"My peninsula is beautiful" (Florida)

On a side note: In a tragic accident Oklahoma broke its panhandle.

End of School week 1

Well, we survived.  We survived the first week of school.

I haven't written much this week because I don't know how to feel.  My baby is going to kindergarten out there at a school.  It has been easy because William is SO ready for this.  He is SO excited and SO proud, and we are too.

But, it has been hard.  Some of this is colored by my own negative experience on a school bus and my own anxiety about getting this critical first year of my child's education "exactly right".  I am a control freak.  A control freak that cares deeply about education; so much so that I made it my career path.  This week has been exhausting for me with worry about getting it just right for my special boy.  Doing enough, but not too much.  Giving help, but not too much help.  Walking the line and leaving so much to the unknown is very uncomfortable for me.

Knowing how much to say is also weighing heavily.  William deserves to have this be a little more private.  His teacher, school and school district also deserve for everything to not be public.  Weighing and judging this new line in our lives is taking some adjustment.

I have a feeling both William and I will be learning a great deal this year.

On the lighter side, I have made some resolutions for this school year (my progress thus far in parenthesis)

1. Do not wear my pajamas to the afternoon bus stop pick up in the afternoon (so far so good)
2. Do not complain/vent/argue/discuss issues regarding school while William is awake or in earshot.  He deserves to not have his experiences colored by my judgement of the situation. (working on this one)
3. Do not wear my pajamas to the morning bus stop at least until October 1 (so far so good)
4. Chocolate milk in a lunch box on Fridays.  Everyone deserves a treat after a long week! (done!)
5. Set aside at least 5 minutes for William alone when he gets off the bus to hear about his day. (we got it in this week)

10 weeks old

Gemma is 10 weeks old! She is getting so big! And fun!

William's First Day of School

William just before starting his first day of Kindergarten.

A blur

These are two pictures of our last day of summer! William starts kindergarten tomorrow (today!) and I won't talk about how very overwhelmed I am by this whole transition to school age kid thing. No, today was about finally scoring the right pair of school shoes (thank you Facebook friends!), meeting friends at chuck e cheese for lunch and games and ending the day with a trip to DQ for a little treat. Goodbye summer, take your hot weather with you.

Hello 2012-2014 school year!