Monday, June 3rd. Today was the first swim team practice for Jay and Rose, from 5:30-6:30pm, and I volunteered to drive them. SWEET BREAK FROM AMBER. I hung around for half an hour at the pool, watching the practice. Jay swam in the experienced group while Rose lined up with the beginners to take her swim test. One at a time the kids got in the pool with a lifeguard and attempted to swim across the pool and back short ways. At least three kids couldn't even make it across once, and the lifeguard glided over and helped them out of the pool, where their parents waited to take them home. I was nervous for Rose, but she doggy paddled back and forth with surprising speed and confidence.
While I was standing at the fence watching the swim tests, I realized that one of the kids on the team was the daughter of the owner of one of the dogs who bit me once and terrorized me three other times. I have called the police on her at least three times, possibly four. I lost count. None of our interactions have been what I'd call amiable. I hate that it has to be like that, because I avoid confrontation like the plague! But our daughters are on the same team (in fact, they are friends), so shouldn't us moms be too? How does one even approach that type of interaction? I don't think I have an active grudge against this person (it's mostly just a wounded confusion), but I also refuse to be fake when I talk to people. Where does that leave me if I ever encounter this dog-owner in a non-dog setting? I would hope that we would both would be civil should our paths ever cross during swim season, but you'd better believe that I am going to avoid that awkward situation as devotedly as possible!
Day one of swim team, with their buddy Ian.
Tuesday, June 4th. Jay and Rose went to their second swim team practice of the season, and it seemed to agree with them. As of day two no tantrums or high maintenance-ness ensued. They were home by 6:40pm and eating dinner.
Wednesday, June 5th. Rose had activity days at a church member's house at 5pm tonight. Jay had swim team at 5:30 (Rose missed swim team for her last church activity of the school year). After we dropped Rose off, Jay and I had 20 minutes to burn before swim practice, so we went to the library (which is three blocks from the pool). I found another book to check out on my second trip to the library in one day (Amber and I went this morning), and Jay chose four books. We love our library dates!
Library date with my Jay!
Reading our new library books in the car until swim practice begins.
Thursday, June 6th. Tonight I helped Rose get her new swim cap on for the first time. It was no joke, but I was still laughing the entire ridiculous time as I stretched and squeezed her skull into the pink headgear. After my first attempt, the cap was lower on one side than the other, causing Rose's eyebrow to tug up on one side and smoosh down on the other. It was hilarious! The saga of the novice swim mom continues. I parked at the pool and went on a 60 minute run on The Hill of Sunnyside while Jay and Rose were at swim team practice, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.
The swim cap
Our vibrant, verdant valley was in top form during my run.
View of Sunnyside from The Hill.
The water tower is right on top of the hill.
Friday, June 7th. My friend Danae and I went to the temple again together today. Chantel and I decided to squeeze in one last temple trip each with our babysitting exchange before the school year ended, so I got to go twice in two weeks. It was good. It was peaceful. It was calm. I was sleepy! Somehow I managed to stay awake. Once again, Danae and I enjoyed a rambling good conversation on the drive to and from the temple.
Monday, June 10th. Four more days till school is out. It feels so long. It felt shorter last week. I am tired of this school year. Amber has pushed me to the LIMIT and beyond. I'm ready for some family fun. whine whine whine.
I made chicken pie for dinner one night. It was happy.
Tuesday, June 11th. I was rather short tempered today. I was also not very interesting to Amber, but I did type up 60 Relief Society address labels for church use. Why does it have to be one or the other: Amber or work? Amber gets so bored whenever I work! But I have to do some work! Amber followed me around today being as annoying as possible. When I sat at my desk in my room to write a Father's Day card to Dad, Amber joined me and sat in the squeaky rocker recliner, rocking it as fast and wildly as possible so it squeaked rapidly and noisily and endlessly. I thought I was going to lose my MIND.
Jay and Rose had their school swim day at the local pool today. By "swim day" they mean each grade got about an hour in the pool, plus a picnic at the park and a one mile walk from the school. It's a fun, much-anticipated school tradition. Jay was SO fried after that day--he is a true introvert that gets completely maxed out on super social days, and he teared up when he told me that they have not been having personal reading time at school this week. The boy needs his quiet time!
Rose, on the other hand, told me that "today was the best day ever!" She was exhausted too, but it manifested itself in a different way than Jay. Instead of feeling weepy and reclusive, Rose fired up to high-volume screech-shouting at ANYONE who even thought about bugging her. Amber received several earsplitting attacks, and Rose even burst out at me too. After telling her that is NOT how you talk to your mother, I told her that the only way she will be allowed to go to the high school theater department's annual kids Drama Camp next week is if she can make it through this week without any more freak-outs. (basically, if you want to go to drama camp, cut the drama!) If she can't handle normal school and swim team without being uber angry and making her family miserable, she will not be allowed to go to drama camp.
Wednesday, June 12th. The sunset is reflecting across a thin layer of clouds so the whole sky is pale peachy pink right now. It makes me miss having my bedroom above ground-- normally I prefer to retire to my own space after the kids go to bed, but I don't enjoy hanging out in my dark basement bedroom. I guess I'm not hobbit material after all. Today was another scorcher--heat wave! Jeff got overheated at cross country but thankfully stopped running before it got bad. He was slightly limp and fatigued all evening at home.
I babysat a friend's kids today for a few hours while their mom went to an appointment. Amber had a good time playing with her friends (ages 5.5 and 3) when she wasn't hitting them or bossing them around. Or throwing dirt or stealing from them. Sigh. Miss high maintenance. But, after they left around 12:30pm, Amber played relatively well for the rest of the afternoon--she didn't pester me hardly at all, which was a HUGE improvement to the normal.
Rose was HANGRY and exhausted after swim team practice tonight. She had at least twelve freak-outs and meltdowns while she was assembling a chicken sandwich for her dinner. Jeff and I are 99% sure we will not sign her up for drama camp for next week. The girl needs rest and she just gets so worked up and overtired when she has too much going on! And then the rest of us suffer her wrath when she gets into that mood.
Jay is so stalwart and even-tempered. He just handles things. He still can't resist inserting slightly sarcastic comments when Rose is melting down, though, and that sets her off even more. Tomorrow is the second to last day of school. YAY. Hurry UP!! Why do I think everything will be easier when school is out?
Thursday, June 13th. I just did possibly the worst Come Follow Me lesson of the year. Amber kept opening picture books and ignoring me. Rose faced away from me with her butt in my face. Jay at least was somewhat attentive, but he kept trying to poke Rose's protruding butt during the lesson. Every other word out of my mouth during our 5 minutes of CFM torture was reprimanding someone. When it was prayer time I had to hold Amber in a body bind because she refused to fold her arms. I am so annoyed. (Jeff was at the "highly capable parent meeting" during this disaster) I vented my irritation in a text message to Mom, and she sent me "hedgehogs of sympathy." She sends me hedgehog emojis whenever I need cheering up (we've decided that they are the cutest emoji) and it makes me smile.
The day before school got out, I had Jay and Rose fill out the end-of-school pages for their school books. Jay did it grudgingly and quickly with a dull pencil; Rose did it thoughtfully and carefully, debating which school lunch was actually the best and what was the hardest part about second grade.
Friday, June 14th was the last day of school! I was too busy celebrating to write in my journal. Adios stale school year routines, hello fun family summer time!
I drove Jeff to work on the last day of school and couldn't resist taking a "last day of school picture" of him too. Eight years of teaching: DONE.
Adios, fourth grade and second grade!
No comments:
Post a Comment