After the first week of school, I am finding that one-on-one time with a two year old is much easier/more fun than when the house is full. We have had some pretty happy days together while everyone else is at school. We are best buddies when it's just me and her, but the minute the rest of the family comes home, Amber reverts to her usual role as my arch nemesis and supreme crayon-sneaker. The girl has bits of crayon squirreled away all over the house, and she produces them at unexpected intervals, scribbling wildly all over our rented walls. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Don't even get me started on her affinity for my spice cabinet. Suffice it to say that one on one time has been AMAZING for both of us, because she has a hard time slipping away from me when my attention is not divided. That means fewer disastrous messes and a happier Amby. And a happy Amby equals a happy Shaina.
In a few days I am going to start babysitting a friend's two little girls for 4-5 hours per day, so mine and Amber's companionable duo dynamic will change again. I think Amber will be happy to have kids to play with. I only hope that she doesn't show them her secret stashes of crayons!
As for the family as a whole, our slack summer habits are firming up into school-shape, with varying levels of enthusiasm across the board. Sensitive, cautious Jay is having the hardest time adjusting to his new school and our new situation in general. His sharp mind is easily bored with schoolwork anyways, and being new at school has compounded his already flagging educational enthusiasm. Jay still likes learning, but he just doesn't love the way they do it at school and his default is "I don't want to go." Hopefully we can figure out how to get school off of Jay's blacklist this year!
Rose is already joyfully settling into her new first grade class. After less than a week at school she could recite all but one of the kids' names in her class. Ever the social butterfly, she just drinks in every aspect of school and tells me all about it in minute detail when I ask the right questions (which I confess sometimes I am hesitant to do, since the girl can be maddeningly long-winded). Her teacher sent a progress report on the first Friday of school last week with a note that said "Wow! Rose is full of knowledge! I am so happy to have her in class."
Even though Jeff is starting year seven of teaching French at Sunnyside High School, he still has two notable new things going on. At the beginning of the summer, he was hired as the head high school cross country coach and is busy whipping his 37 athletes into shape. He loves coaching and is excited about building a strong distance running program in Sunnyside. I am resigning myself to the fact that having an amazing husband means I can't keep his awesomeness to myself. He leaves around 6:30am and gets home around 6pm.
In classroom news, our state recently passed new education laws that allow teachers to add endorsements by taking the PRAXIS test. Finally! Up until last month, teachers in Washington state had to have a bachelor's degree or greater in every single subject they taught. Jeff's BA is in Philosophy/History and his MA is for teaching history. During his master's program, Walla Walla University told him that it was "very unlikely" that he would be able to become a French teacher in Washington, so he went the quicker history route. While job hunting seven years ago, Jeff took the French PRAXIS to broaden his scope (and French was his original dream), and we started looking for jobs outside of WA. But Sunnyside ended up hiring him to teach French and we stayed in this grand state.
For the past six years, Jeff has been required by state law to show progress towards a degree in French (bachelor or further) to maintain his certification, which has been a huge drain on resources (time, money, and mental health). After six years of uncertainty about how on earth Jeff could get a French degree when the nearest university offering a program is 4 hours away, (and online courses are soul-sucking drudgery that happen only during coaching hours) WA finally got with the program this year and decided to accept the PRAXIS. Five years of college, one year of job hunting, and six years of teaching French later, Monsieur Blanc the certified history teacher who's never taught history is finally, officially a certified French teacher in WA. With that 12+ years of stress/study/wait time for his official certification, Jeff could basically be a doctor! Haha, it feels good--a burden lifted.
As for me, sometimes I wonder if I am a "certified mom" or just a crazy person, but in general things are going alright in my little sphere. I'm starting to wonder if I'll even be able to run the half marathon next month because the wildfire smoke is so thick we have surpassed the red alert air quality levels and moved up to purple-danger-zone. I'm not running in that! The school district has banned all outdoor recesses and sports practices for the week. That's good enough for me!
Back to SCHOOL: Here's the run-down of our school preparations.
1. One week before school began, we spent a family night setting goals for the school year. Each one of us set an academic goal and a spiritual goal. I was pleased with what the kids thought up, and I'm loving how they are taking ownership of their goals and working on them already. For example, Rose decided that she wants to "say better prayers." She has the habit of rushing through the shortest prayer possible and not even pronouncing all of the words in the prayer so it's unintelligible. Ever since she set her goal, she has been doing a much better job of remembering to slow down and think while she prays. It is a warm, full feeling to see my sweet spirited stubborn daughter work to pray more carefully. Happy-glowy-heart. [FYI my spiritual goal is to not complain about my calling in Cub Scouts. There, I've said it. Now I have to live it]
2. Five days before school began, I gave Jay his back to school haircut and Rose got a Walmart haircut. At Walmart, each kid also picked out an outfit for the first day of school. I hate Walmart on principle, but now that we live six minutes away from one, I have been bowing to the convenience more and more. Sigh.
Amber looked on in fascination.
Jay reading under his fresh back to school hair. I was relieved and pleased that I managed to cut it ok.
The nice salon lady gave all three kids Dum-Dum lollipops.
3. Five days before school started, we went to meet your teacher night at the kids' new school. It was good to explore the hallways, talk to the kids' teachers, and check out the playgrounds. Outlook Elementary is located four miles from our house, out under the wide open sky in the country. There are gorgeous sweeping views from the playground and I fell a little bit more in love with this area after a half hour sunset stroll around the playground.
Jay and Rose are both ready to "climb to new heights" this school year.
They strike random awesome poses spontaneously and I adore them more every time, even if I was going for a normal smile by their school sign.
Work with what you've got.
4. Three days before school started, I created a daily chore list (Monday: dust, Tuesday: clean bathroom, Wednesday: fold laundry, Thursday: vacuum) and a morning routine rhyme to coach the kids through what needs to be done around school. Jay is old enough to be responsible on his own mostly, but Rose is a wild card in the morning. I never know if she's going to balk and freak out for half an hour or just do her jobs. The rhymes help her remember what to do on her own, because she's way happier and more willing to get ready when I'm not nagging her. So far it's working relatively well.
Last year's rhyme was: "Clothes, teeth, hair. Piano, shoes, prayer. Don't forget your underwear!" This year, I attempted to add another stanza for the other stuff: "Dishes, eat, make bed. Homework, story read," but it isn't as catchy or silly as the original, or in the right order, so naturally the beds go unmade more often than not. There are worse things.
"Story read:" I have such good memories of story time with my mom, and I want to read chapter books aloud to my kids every day. That's the ideal. But the reality is that by bedtime everyone is too tired, cranky, and crazy (myself included) so it has not been happening. I decided to try reading story in the morning before school instead, as an extra motivator to get everyone ready in time. So far so good. We started On the Banks of Plum Creek months ago, then re-started this summer and are FINALLY almost halfway through. It will happen...
5. One day before school began, we had a family night (during dinner) focused on safety. We discussed Jay's Cub Scout Youth Protection booklet since he has to do it for some badge anyways, and it was a good refresher for the kids. Even though I hate thinking about all of the bad things that could happen to my babies while they're out of my sight, and I hate even explaining what bad things could happen to them, it is necessary in this world. We did our best not to scare them, just prepare them. Parenting bigger kids is big.
6. After dinner that night before day one, Jeff gave the kids father's blessings. I love that tradition. I love the privilege of listening my own kids receive a blessing from their worthy father. The father's blessings were a good antidote to the scary safety talk. Even Amber wanted a blessing, and Jeff gave her a sweet age-appropriate 60-second one. Small moments like father's back to school blessings are the glue that holds us together: a moment of peace and perspective right before the big busy plunge of another school year.
DAY ONE: We felt all prepped and ready for school by the big first day on August 29th. The kids got up and did their morning routine in plenty of time. We read two chapters of On the Banks of Plum Creek and drove to school, arriving 25 minutes early in our excitement. At Jay's and Rose's request, I walked them in to their classrooms, Amber trailing in our wake wearing with her zebra backpack. Rose settled in confidently, opened her fresh box of crayons, and started coloring her all about me page. It did not seem to be the thing for moms to enter the classroom to drop their big third graders off, so I stood at the door to watch Jay swallow his nerves and walk into the unknown. He was so nervous! But he survived just fine and already has friends, even if he still claims to dislike school.
Jay laid out his clothes for the first day of school. I was surprised that my messy kid took the time to get his clothes out. He thinks black clothes are cool, like a ninja, so he picked out a black t-shirt at Walmart for his special outfit. I love seeing what kids choose.
[day one got off to a milky start...AMBY!]
Dishwasher chores
Piano practice. They are getting so good at dutifully practicing their allotted times. Jay has to practice for 25 minutes per day this year, and Rose is up to 15 minutes.
Mother Rose packed Jay's school supplies into his backpack for him.
Rose was so excited about school! She counted down every day for the week leading up to the first day, making it sound like Christmas was coming. I love her zest for life!
The hustle and bustle in our front room.
This girl has FOCUS.
I had a major success on Rose's hairstyle of choice: an Elsa braid. Her hair wasn't even wet! She was pleased and felt beautiful in her new blue dress and fancy hair for her first day of school.
That focus gets things DONE.
I love profile pictures.
First grade and third grade. It's an odd year.
Bring on the school year!
After a good productive stretch, our zucchini plant got sick and gave up the ghost. It died right along with summer, and Rose noticed on her way to the car on the first day of school.
Ready to go
First grade Rose.
Jay tried his best to smile before bearding the lion in its den.
Amber looked so small and lonely while we walked out of the school. She wanted to hang her backpack next to Rose's in the first grade closet and stay at school. I narrowly avoided a scene getting her out of the school. Then Amber was in awe of the big Beep Beep that was parked by the curb. She said "let's go in!" I told her maybe another day--the bus was busy.
Amber asked about Jay and Rose a few times, but when she had my attention, she was content to play, show off, and exude as much two-year-old joy as possible.
It is the most natural thing in the world to wax nostalgic on the first day of school and take 100 pictures of the youngest child playing all carefree and happy.
How does that little body contain so much energy and personality? I think it curls her hair.
Our playroom has so many satisfying kid-sized nooks and crannies.
This girl and her curls!
Dancing with her Wub monkey.
I loved our morning together, re-connecting and playing. No battles, power struggles, time-outs, or disasters--just quality together time.
That afternoon, Amber and I went on a walk. My "professional/academic" goal was to "walk the Amber" every day, aka give her good roaming energy-burning activities. That doesn't sound like much of a goal, but I'm trying to be more intentional with my parenting and that includes figuring out how to be the mom Jay needs, the mom Rose needs, and the mom Amber needs. Those are three vastly different moms that I have to keep figuring out how to be, so it takes daily thought and effort! This 100 degree walk along the canal road to our favorite little creek fit the bill on day one.
Amber remembers the time we all sat in this tree together and she asks to go up it every time we visit the creek.
She early lost her pink Crocs in the mud--I had to rescue both Amber and her shoes.
Amber is that little speck running down the hill on the left side of the dusty road. She loves to run and run FAST.
Jay and Rose ride the school bus home now! This is the first time we've lived far enough away from the school for the bus. I still drive them to school in the mornings so we have more time together, but they ride the bus home. The first day of school it was 100 degrees and they were melting on the bus! Now Amber and I try to have otter pops ready for them when they get home, to cool off.
They were so red-cheeked and limp when they got off of that hot hot bus. When I asked them how their first day of school was, Rose said "GREAT!" and Jay said "long!" Rose agreed with Jay and said "LONG!" too after brief consideration.
Talking about the school day. Rose regaled us with an hour-by-hour account of the activities of the day. Not exactly what she thought about the activities or what they did during the activities, but "first we had reading time. Then we did specialist and recess..." It was a long list with a surprising lack of details, if that makes any sense. Cute Rose. She added some details later. Jay was excited to meet a friend from our old ward who has the same birthday as him at recess. Yay!
Since this post is already approaching Charles Dickens style length, I'm embracing it and rewarding you stalwart few who've made it this far with another long string of happy Amby-Mommy time pictures, taken during our special time while the big kids were at school last week:
A plastic picnic with Rody, the blue pony. Amber carefully prepared and arranged the food and crowned me for the meal.
Stroller running, testing my tender tendons. They are doing ok, as long as I run on flat smooth surfaces for less than an hour.
Swinging time in the sunshine--I can hardly believe that this was only four days ago. The wildfire smoke is choking us right now!
Amber wanted a turn to push me on the swing and take pictures of me. And her cute little crossed ankles in the grass.
We found a praying mantis in the grass. Amber nearly chopped it in half with a stick while admiring it, so I lifted the creepy-eyed fellow onto a bush out of her reach.
By Friday Amber and I had the bus stop routine down and were waiting with cold otter pops at the end of the driveway when the bus arrived with Jay and Rose.
Piano lessons started last week. Cub Scout meetings start tomorrow. My babysitting job starts on Thursday. The first cross country meet is next weekend (wildfire permitting). I am ready to leave the what-if and planning phase and move into the ACTION phase. We are doing this!
