First Day of School 2015

Can I just start by saying that this day was one of the hardest days of my life?  And, yes, I drove by the school twice hoping to catch a glimpse of my babies on the playground.  One reason it was so hard is because Atley started Middle School.  UGH!  The horror.  The truth of the matter is simple. My children are growing up.  They're such TRADERS.

When we moved and I realized that 6th grade would actually be in a middle school I attempted to retain Atley. As a former middle school teacher that should illustrate to everyone how terrifying middle school really is.  Fortunately, Atley is thriving in his new school.  He is making friends and getting involved in Film Club, the school musical, and student council. He even attended his first Junior High Dance last week! EEK. And since I have been such a slacker blogger lately here are some highlights of Atley's last few months. He performed in Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables last year and if I do say so myself, he was phenomenal. He is starting piano again and has huge potential if he puts in the time to practice.  One of his most amazing achievements last school year was participating in the Science Olympiad  where he placed 5th in the state in the bridge building competition.  He completed his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts and is now officially a Boy Scout.  He even went on his first over-night campout with the Scouts last week and had an amazing time. He is still obsessed with airplanes and maps but he also loves building trails on our property for his motorcycle and can be seen on most afternoons heading into the forest with a shovel and an ax to clear trees just like Paul Bunyan.

We were the least worried about Nash when we moved because he is such a people person, but he is probably struggling the most.  He is on a different baseball team full of older kids  and while they are winning lots of games he is certainly missing his best pals from McLean Little League.  It doesn't help that his beloved Baltimore Ravens are 0-3 and we just witnessed the biggest, ugliest loss in BYU Football history last weekend.  Despite all that, Nash keeps his happy attitude and makes the most of things. Last year he won the "Perfectly Polite" award at his school and his teachers referred to him as the "Mayor" because they said he essentially ran the place.  Here is a funny story.  After a baseball game last spring one of the little league officials was chatting with a few of the boys.  He asked Nash what he wanted to be when he grew up.  After the usual-football player, baseball player, basketball player responses the official said to Nash, "What if you can't play sports? What would you be then?"  Nash casually replied, "Oh, I would be a Coke dealer."  Picking my jaw up off the ground I stepped in and said, "Nash, are you kidding me?"  He responded with, "Yeah, they make tons of money."  Everyone, well all of the adults anyway, were totally stunned when he finally said, "Plus you get to drink all the Coke you want and drive that cool red Coca Cola Truck!"  Whew! Dodged a bullet there. I thought the "Mayor" might be becoming the "Drug Lord".
 He also enjoys being outside with his brother, exploring on his bike and riding his motorcycle. He has spent several nights sleeping outdoors and thinks it is amazeballs. Also, his reading ability was recently assessed and he is a little ahead of grade level. This is astonishing considering his dyslexia and can all be attributed to how very hard Nash works. He always tries his best and never gives up when the going gets tough!

Isn't it obvious how excited she was to leave me?  She never even looked back as she abandoned me forever. She doesn't miss me.  She loves school. I keep telling her it is an awful place and all she has to do is say the word and I'll never make her go back again, but she keeps insisting that it is, "sooo awesome".  Where did I go wrong with this girl? 

Yesterday, I was in Target and I saw this little girl with pigtails shopping with her momma. She was probably three with dark hair and a mouth that would not stop chattering. I lost it.  I had to go to my car and collect myself I was crying so hard. That used to be Harley and I, until she betrayed me and left me for her Kindergarten teacher.  I drank a Slurpee and ate some Chicken McNuggets in her honor.

She is such a character and is so much happier at Kindergarten than she was in preschool where she claims all the girls were from the, "DARK SIDE".  She is independent, unique and tough as nails.  Here are some recent Harley Quotes:

1. "Today the teacher tried to get me to put away the puppet I was playing with and I didn't want to give it back. So, I put my hand in it's mouth and I told that teacher, 'You don't want THIS puppet. It has hand and mouth disease."
2.  Last week she spent hours making a card for a boy in her class. When I asked what it was for she said it was her Wedding Card for him.  A few days later I found the card in her backpack and asked why she didn't give it to her friend.  Her reply, "The wedding is off! I asked him to marry me and he said, 'No, thanks.'"  My response, "Oh, I'm sorry honey.  Are you sad?"  Then she says, "No, I realized this would be a great story to tell my children someday.  They need to know that 5 years old is too young to marry. I made a big mistake thinking otherwise."
3. Scott and I were discussing a minor beef we were having with the Middle School principal when Harley interrupted our conversation by saying,   "I think that principal needs this..."  At this point she balled up here little fist and with her thumb extended she made a slicing motion across her throat.  "Harley!" I exclaimed, to which she responded with, "Oh, I guess be-heading is a little harsh.  Sometimes I think I am too rebellious for this family."  Yeah, she talks like that but she can't count to twenty.  For example...
4.  In Kindergarten those students who can count to 100 get a special prize and become part of the "100 CLUB."  Harley is dying to get into the 100 CLUB and we have been practicing but those darn teens always pose a problem.  Yesterday she came home from school very dejected.  She explained that she tried to get into the 100 CLUB, again, but, "that teacher noticed when I skipped the teens and went straight to twenty. Sometimes that lady puts me on the edge."  By the way that is what she calls her teacher, "THAT TEACHER"  but trust me coming from Harley that is a term of endearment. I think I gave birth to a real life Junie B. Jones.

School DAZE

My minions went back to school last week and we are already feeling over-scheduled, overly tired and pretty much OVER the excitement. I have enjoyed reading on Facebook and hearing from other mom's their reaction to the start of school. Some are super excited, some are super sad and everyone has an opinion.  Mine opinion falls somewhere in between those two sentiments. I shed plenty of tears when the boys boarded the bus and when I dropped Harley off at her first day of REAL preschool.  They are growing up. They are another year older and they think they are another year wiser too. I am also another year older and therefore they will never catch up to the wisdom of their mother.  For the first time in ten years, I have 2 hours to myself per day.  At first I thought like Harley when she said to me, "How depressing it must be to go home without anyone there to play with." I have to admit though, that part is pretty AWESOME. The house is finally getting back in working order and I am so caught up on life that I am contemplating a mini-Teen Wolf marathon this afternoon. Guilty Pleasures. THAT IS THE GOOD PART!

 What I hate about school is the 4 hours between the end of the school day and bed. There is no longer time for fun or adventure or playing. In fact, most days I feel like their is no longer time for childhood.  School forces me to become the ultimate TIGER MOM. The boys have oodles  and oodles of homework each night. Not to mention this week alone we have piano, soccer practice, two soccer games,  baseball practice, two baseball games, theater try-outs, trumpet practice, cub scouts, ballet and two back-to-school-nights where the teachers, administrators and PTA princesses make me feel like my child is not involved in nearly enough after school activities to ever become a well-rounded, successful adult. So, they throw 3 dozen more options at me and tell me how any or all of these activities are vital to my child's development. And I go home exhausted and totally confused. I need a cookie and a Diet Coke. To me back-to-school means this:  You better enjoy those 2 hours of alone time this afternoon because the rest of your day is going to be a living hell of driving, yelling, helping with homework, yelling, making dinner, yelling, driving, yelling, encouraging the practice of piano or trumpet or baseball, or soccer, yelling, driving, yelling, trying to get kids showered or bathed, yelling,reading e-mails about bad behavior, yelling, trying to get kids in bed, yelling, making lunches for the next day, crying. Hold on, I need another cookie and another Diet Coke. That is why I HATE SCHOOL! It is TOO MUCH, too much work, not enough recess, too much competition, not enough fun, too much to do, not enough down time.  Let some things go you say, don't over-schedule yourself, you say.  Go ahead and let your kid be the ONLY one who isn't proficient in three languages and can solve calculus problems in his head while dribbling a soccer ball, you say. Is this life everywhere or do I just live around a bunch of pretentious overachievers? 

BREATHE! As you can see we are still trying to find the right balance in our home.  That happy place where everyone is doing well enough in school, getting daily exercise, learning a musical instrument, developing their talents and mom isn't a raving lunatic.  

 AHH, but look how cute they are on the first day!  Atley is now a SAFETY PATROL. (Terrifying, right?) And of course Harley is running the world of miniature people. Did we ever really have a doubt?

Another First Day



First Day

And they are off!