Tired 6th Grader

I think August is feeling the effect of having to wake up at 7:00 each morning. He has his own alarm, which really has saved our relationship, and takes a shower every day. Poor kid has somehow received his father's ability to take super long showers and has to set an additional alarm in the bathroom so he knows when his 10 minutes are up.

This morning I couldn't help but notice that he was dragging a bit more than usual. Last night we picked Trey up from the airport and didn't get home until 10:00pm. I think the kids now understand why we keep their bedtime between 8 and 9.

Speaking of Trey, he spend the weekend in LA so he could see a few shows and came home so sick! He's got that body ache and headache and he just wants to sleep. We're keeping him away from everybody so that it doesn't make it's way through the family.

The kids and I all got our flu shots the other day...well, I got my flu shot and the kids cried and generally threw a fit until the nurse happily suggested that they get the nasal mist. August has always had a hard time with shots, but Hazel? She's been so brave every time...except this time.
But I'm hoping having had the immunizations, we'll be set for a healthy winter.

Hootenanny 2010

Wake Up by The Arcade Fire
Featuring
Uncle Justin on Bass
August on Guitar
Trey on Drums
Hazel Lead Vocals
Jen Backup Vocals

In My Head

I've been living in my head a lot these last few months. Thoughts about the kids future are always on my mind.
Today was the last day of school. This has been an exciting day for us in the past but today was a sad day for us all. August was not happy when I picked him up on the playground...just another bad day to end a bad year. Friends were not friendly. Things ended on a sour note for him.
Hazel was melancholy as well. Hugging her teacher tightly and hoping to see her again. I took the kids to a park where we were told folks were getting together to celebrate...but it was just us and two other families. The kids had hoped to see more of their classmates.
As we drove home, Hazel started slumping in the back seat while August buried his nose in my iPhone.
August put his book bag away for the last time this school year and Hazel put on some comfy clothes before collapsing on the couch in the living room.
The TV is on right now and they have both turned off their brains. I just read an email from August's teacher that informed me that they will not be able to put him in the classroom that we need him to be in...It's a struggle for me to see the good in this situation.
I keep reminding myself that I had similar feelings of anxiety when I left the JCC. I worked there for 3 years and just couldn't do it any longer. It was a huge change, I went from working full time to...not working full time. And things worked out perfectly.
Change is so scary for me. I like to know what's going to happen at every turn. The way things are right now, we'll have the kids registered at 2 schools. We don't want to pull the kids from their current school until we know 100% that August won't be in the right room but we have to go ahead and enroll them at the new school so that we know they'll have a place to go...
It's going to be a difficult summer full of waiting and worrying for me while I pretend to be excited for the change so that the kids have a positive outlook on the whole event.

4th Grade Camp

Oh brother! August is ending his 4th grade experience which means that it's time for the class trip. My lovely son requested that I go along with him as a chaperon...yes, I am a certified teacher, but I really, really don't like field trips...and this field trip lasts 3 long days. 3 days people! Well be driving down the coast to Longview, then Astoria, OR to Fort Clatsop, OR and on to Illwaco, WA/Cape Disappointment State Park. We'll be staying one night in a hotel and the other joyful night will be in a Yurt. If you're anything like me, you'll have no idea what a Yurt is...here's a description from the Oregon Parks and Rec website: It´s round (16´ in diameter), filled with comfy furniture, and pointy on top. Yurts … a quickly-growing national phenomenon that broke in to the public camping scene right here in Oregon. The good thing is that there will be beds to sleep on...so it should all be OK.
I'm going to bring my camera and hope to catch some good shots of the boy doing some fun outdoorsy type activities...and maybe a shot of the Yurt too.
I'll be out of touch till Saturday! Wish me luck!!

Lunch Envy

August: Hey mom, I was wondering...well...a lot of the kids in my class...well the kids I sit with at lunch...they bring stuff like, you know, big blocks of caramel or candy bars or potato chips...I was wondering if you could pack something SWEET or at least something that TASTES GOOD sometime when you pack my lunch.

Me: Rant, rant, rant about cavities and healthy food and dentist bills and holes in teeth and brushing your teeth with sugarpaste instead of toothpaste....

August: Eyes glossing over...tuning out...laughing at the idea of sugarpaste...


Note: I send him to school with a lunch meat sandwich, a piece of fruit, a granola bar and corn chips. It's not like I'm packing broccoli and spinach for pete's sake....

Thursday

So to give Hazel a little credit, she did wake up at 1 in the morning saying that her head was hurting so I gave her some Tylenol and she went back to sleep. But I was still surprised by the phone call from the school nurse suggesting that I come and pick Hazel up at 10:30 this morning.
I told the school that I'd be there as quick as I could but that I was in Edmonds and it may take a while, then Tank and I regretfully left the amazing dog beach and raced home.
When I arrived, Hazel was sitting on that bed thing that every school nurse office has, she didn't even notice me when I came in the room. We loaded in the car and started driving to Whole Foods to get her some soup.
During the drive we had this conversation:

Me- "OK, Haze, when we get home you can eat your soup and then you're going to go to bed."
H- "WHAT?! That's not right! I'm not even tired! I never fall asleep when I'm sick! Can't I at LEAST lay down on the couch?"
Me- "Nope. You've got to go to bed so that your body can get better. Did you think it would be fun to come home sick?"
H- "YES!!! I thought I could lay on the couch and watch TV cause that ALWAYS makes me feel better!"
Me- "Sorry baby, that is not resting, that's watching TV. Today is a school day, no TV, you know that."
H- "BUT I'M SICK!"
Me- "I know...that's why you're going to go to bed after the soup."
H- "This is TOTALLY not fair!"

So, she's eaten her soup and had a glass of water and is currently in her room. I'm sure she's not in bed, but she's quiet and she's not in front of the TV...success!

****Hazel has been asleep for about an hour now! I ended up going into her room to lay down with her, she resisted and talked....a lot...but was snoring within a half hour. TRUE SUCCESS!!****

10 on 10

8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 am
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm