It's been a while since I've taken a day "just" to be a mom.

Today was truly a gift. 

It started getting hot.  I had requests for the pool, and thought "why not?"
Another hour later, we had found swimwear and towels,
sunscreen was applied, amidst a few protesting howls.
Into van, to Merriam we go.
There my kids were truly the show.

The first pool trip of summer is like meeting an old friend after a long trip.  We test the waters, see what we remember...but eventually you just take a dip.
Our oldest son showed me he could use the high dive.  After that he was all smiles and high fives.
The next two asked to dive low, but I made them swim across the pool for me before I'd let them go.
Princess D was indignant at first, that I made her stay close until her strokes were rehearsed.
Slides and splashes we had aplenty.
Then the inevitable happened.  Their stomachs were empty.

Now we're back home and crashed out content.
Should we go back on Thursday?  They smiled their assent.

We're moving, before the end of this month....really.

Well.  We haven't moved yet.  A lot  of our boxes/totes have though.  The powers that be decided the floor needed another coat of finish.  That coat of finish was applied yesterday, so we should be able to walk on the floors later this week.  That doesn't mean we can move yet though.  It just means our new furniture can.  That's right, this weekend we'll be assembling desks/beds, moving chairs and maybe a couch...but not ourselves.
Because well, steps to the porches would be good.  
So would a sink in the downstairs bathroom, and grates over the vents so they don't look like GI Joe slides.  And the shed isn't there yet.  So there's not a home for our kids bikes,scooters, and balls or our yard tools and gas can.  We still may beat the shed, but we're paying for this house through the end of the month, so it can still store some of our stuff for a week or two while it gets sorted out.
The younger kids are ready to move.  They've seen the swing set.  They've played on the swing set.  Complete w/ climbing wall, lookout point, glider, and picnic table, it's a kids dream.  All it needs is a steering wheel...but hey it came with one.  They'll put it on. 
The older kids are ready to move too.  Both the oldest boys are seeing the end of their roommate days...and looking forward to a little more space and privacy, and maybe even having a friend spend the night now and then.
We've been ready to move.  Saying goodbye to this house and it's issues and welcoming an easier to take care of, better maintained home from the architectural time period we prefer.   Also, it will be nice to be done moving.
I told Mr. M we should have another baby.  After all, we've had one per residence after our first year of marriage so far...but he didn't go for it.  Really, barring miracles it won't happen.  It's okay though.  We're entering a new phase.  Within a year or two, all our kids will be in school and that big, beautiful house will be quiet from eight to three.  Lower maintenance home, lower maintenance kids.  A new age of independence for all of us.

Here comes the rain again

Drip.  Drip. Drip.  I'm keeping an eye on a leak in our ceiling at the base of our stairway, which is on an interior wall, thinking about the things I have to be grateful for in this storm.
I've been stress crying a bit lately, but I'm grateful for that storm too.
I'm grateful Si Guy had a great birthday.
I'm grateful my kids are in a school where I can be involved. 
I'm grateful my church includes preschoolers in VBS.
I'm grateful my daughter has the opportunity to attend day camp at a fabulous facility with fishing, horses, a zip line, and more.
I'm very, very, grateful that we will be in our forever home next week.
That means I'll never have to sit and watch my ceiling drip, drip, drip, again.

I don't know what I'd do without a computer.

The internet is our lifeline.  It's my connection to other adults during the day.  It has a dictionary.  It has encyclopedias.  It has free video games. 
And my duh moment for the day, it has free board games.
I can't believe I never thought of printing off board games.  When I think of the money I've wasted on "memory" cards and Candyland it makes me shudder.
As I'm typing this, my two preschoolers are playing a shape based candyland type game w/ a rocket as the goal.  We have plenty of stray markers and dice for them to use, since I didn't feel like scrounging supplies to build the spinner.
When they get bored with that, I have alphabet kites printed out for them to match.
It seems that no matter how "experienced" I get at this parenting preschoolers game there's always something new for me to learn.

shameless chilcare vent for therapy purposes.

Dear childwatch employee:

Si Guy used the bathroom before entering your area today.  I am sorry I forgot to check to make sure he had pulled his underwear all the way up.  Unlike your implications, he was wearing them & they have stayed there over 2 hours by themselves now, so they fit just fine. 
Thank you for bringing it to my attention the elastic had issues on his pants.  They didn't fall during the half hour we were roaming around school before we came to see you. Believe me, the school nurse would have had 0 qualms talking to me if they did.    I did take them out of circulation once we got home.  Apparently you've had issues with that pair of pants before.  We had not.  Neither had the nursery at church, the school staff at the elementary, etc.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
However, if you don't want irate parents when bringing issues to their attention, I suggest you talk to them, not at them: and treat them like an adult, not a naughty school child.  Your coworker who took your place understands that.
Working somewhere a long time is not a reason to treat your patrons poorly. 
"Saying, I've had 10 issues and no one else complained." doesn't matter. 
Even one person complaining brings you up to 10%.   And for every person that complains, there are several who just vote with their feet.
The question is how many of those people even bothered to come back?
I may have to start skipping Tai Chi every other Monday if this attitude from you comes around again. 

I've had a busy kid week.  (Read my blog below if you don't believe me.)  Besides what's down there we had a picnic on Saturday and VBS planning and AWANA awards on Sunday.  Did I mention I'm responsible for the entire preschool/nursery department for VBS?  I didn't get the job from a lack of experience.  I'm also a program staff member for Girl Scout day camp this year.  I have to pass a KBI check for that.  I'm not some negligent monster, despite what you implied from your cold behavior.  I am a slightly overwhelmed and overscheduled mother of six children, trying to meet the needs of each one. 

We're also supposed to be moving at the end of this week, so I'm a little preoccupied.   Usually when I change out clothes for the season I do have them try most of their things on for a fit check.  Because of the impending move, I did not have time for that this year.   So again, thanks for pointing out those pants were a 3 not a 4.  It's been dealt with.

P-A-R-T-Y!

This week has been a partying kind of week. 
Wednesday was Si Guys 4th birthday.  (I'll write his sapfest blog this weekend.)  Thanks to his friend Z we had a great time.  Four year olds are simple creatures.  They don't need "events" for a birthday to be great.  Lunch at a McD's playground was awesome.  Going to Monkey Business afterwards was even more awesome.  He and Z spent almost two hours climbing, swinging on ropes, shooting hoops, bouncing in bounce houses, and going through an inflatable obstacle course.  When they needed a break, they built things with giant foam blocks and crawled through tunnels. After his playdate he came home to make a chocolate cake, eat frozen pizza for dinner and go to church. 
He adored his presents.  Both I & E1 bought him books at the book fair at school.  He got a tonka truck w/ towed motorcycles from us.  (Courtesy of 90% clearance.)   His grandparents gave him a flower monkey so his other monkey now has a friend.  A pretty perfect day overall.
Fast forward to yesterday.  Yesterday was the 6th grade party at Rushton.  A lot of the events in grade school are geared towards younger kids.  Sometimes, they're even recruited to help with the younger kids.  Yesterday was all about them.  They walked to the bowling alley and bowled in their socks.  I really wish I was there to see them slip sliding away, but I was back at the school, helping set up the lunch.  We had a hot dog and hamburger & bag of chipsavailable for each child, a fruit tray, a veggie tray, and three kinds of dessert.  The food was demolished, but all the kids were full.  Then after stuffing them we had 2 inflatables for them to play on.  It was raining, so they were in the gym.  The giant slide was fantastic!  I went down in 3 times, but only once in front of the kids.   Thanks to R's mom, there will be a photo on Facebook for proof.  Mr P. was at the bottom giving kids "style" points.  No one scored under a 9.5.  Yes, he was recruited by the kids to go down it too.  We all had a great time, but it left me wondering how many more parties will there be where my son wants me to be there?
Today is the K-5 party.  My younger kids are sooo excited....but it's raining.  So we'll be a little cramped, in the gym, cafeteria, maybe under the overhang in front.  They won't care.  It's a party that's a whole half day.  This one I'm not "needed" to help, but am welcome to attend and hang out.
Then tomorrow, we're supposed to have a picnic...but unless this rain lets up, I think we'll have to cancel. I won't make a final call until this evening.   Maybe God knows I need a break.  This is, afterall, just the warmup for the big events ahead, moving, VBS, and day camp.

The end of school swirls ahead

May is a busy month for lots of people.  Graduations, field days, end of school, etc.
For us it marks the end of I's term as an elementary student.  This week is his last full week as a sixth grader, and as a sign that he's getting older, he's freaking out about an end of year project.  Personally, I feel this project did not have specific enough parameters for a child his age, but as his mother I can't tell him that.  It would just frustrate him more.  So instead I listen to him vent, and drop everything to take him to the library as needed.
On top of this project he also has a fairly extensive writing assignment that we spent over an hour doing background research for last night.  He spent an additional hour putting the bones of that assignment together.
Yes folks, my son spent about four hours on homework yesterday...and he's only in 6th grade.  I'm not outraged...because well, the library trip he could have made last weekend when I'd offered the first time.  And he had all this weekend to do the other assignment, but he had other plans.  So last night he just learned the lesson of scheduling.  Hopefully his intro course to homework management taught him enough to save him a few all nighters later when the stakes are higher.

My house is 90 degrees.

Thus why we grilled tonight and will crock or salad it tomorrow.
Also why me and the tweedles spent most of the day in nice shady parks.
This morning we went to Nall Park to kick it old school.  Old school like concrete tunnels, swings, and the only local merry-go-round that hasn't been removed.  
That merry-go-round is a nostalgia thing I love sharing with my kids.  There are so many ways to look at the world spinning on one of those things.  You can stand facing in, looking across.   You can sit in the middle looking out, but not feeling the pull as much.  You can lay down and look up and watch the trees & clouds spin.  You can turn sideways and watch where you are going or where you have been.  There are so many different views of the same space from a merry-go-round.  It's a great lesson in perspective, and empathizing with different points of view.
The concrete tunnels are great too.  We went over, and under, and slid down them sideways.  It's a great hiding place in the cool, damp undersides.  It's also a great choo-choo train riding on top.  Sometimes it's good to kick it old school.