Initially, I didn’t have time or energy yet to write a full report on the last two three weeks, but I revised this the next day to cover the high (and low) lights. Suffice it to say, busy had been the operative word non-stop until December 20. And the next day I spent trying to get caught up on chores and such, and playing with the kids a bit, and doing a few online tasks I had been letting go. Except for this one. I have so many things to share! More tomorrow later, on this same post page… post begun 21 December 2007
continued on 22 December 2007And here I am again…Let me see… we started this month with a concert for one child on a Thursday. It was lovely, and I tried to post some audio files, but that didn’t work. Still trying to find a way to convert them from the format my little camera takes them in to MP3 so folks can hear snippets.That day was St. Nicholas day, the day our family has always given the children “gifts from Santa.” Because they are so grown up now, we decided to get only a few small items this year — books mostly; and a Wii. What a commotion we had that morning… but of course no time in the evening to do much with it. No matter, the weekend was close at hand…The following weekend was filled with a rehearsal Saturday morning, and a concert Sunday evening (both boys). I didn’t get to attend the concert, sitting on the gym bleachers on the Thursday threw my back out and I was laid up a couple days. Not to worry, it gave me a chance to rest before the coming week. And of course, in between the rehearsal and the concert, the children (and we — of course!) checked out this video game system.
Here is the trombone at the Sunday concert — the trumpeter was on the other side of the group so Tom didn’t get a chance to get a pic of him:
A bit of background: for over 15 years, I have resisted getting any sort of gaming system in our home. I didn’t want the controllers that are notorious for repetitive stress injuries. I didn’t want the distraction of something so mind- and time-consuming. I didn’t want the hassles of telling children to put the game down and go outside. I did finally bend a when the kids were little, and allowed first educational (but fun) games on the computer; then as they were older, just fun computer games. But I held firm to the no-gaming-system line because I wanted limited time for the games.
And then, about a year ago, I began to hear good things about the Wii. I saw pictures of people getting up and moving with this new system. I heard that there were many fun, non-violent games to play on it. And I decided to check it out. I wrote more about it on the stidmama LiveJournal page. Let’s abbreviate: I liked what I learned, and I knew the kids would enjoy it. So about three months before St. Nicholas day, we plotted and started looking at websites and ads for sales. Two months before, we ordered a system online (figuring that gave us some extra time in case it arrived damaged).
And then, for a few weeks, I sat on the biggest secret I had kept since I hid the fact from Tom that my parents were getting him a TiVo for Christmas a couple years ago… If you know me, you know what an effort that was!!!!
And sure enough, the kids were delighted. And so are we. After all these years, they are mature enough — and enjoy enough non-tech things — that they don’t overdo the games. An hour here or there, and they are happy and go off to read books, practice music or play with their animals.
So — that was the first week of the month. And yes — that was the week I wrote about the rain…
The second week of the month, I spent Monday morning in First Grade (now up to 28 children, happy, busy, good children — but too many for this level and age) and in the afternoon I went to a physical therapy appointment; Tuesday mostly at home — what a treat. Wednesday morning First Grade and in the afternoon Helping with a 6th grade social studies class — testing on geography knowledge; Thursday morning binding cookbooks for the one kid’s Heritage Night — and the evening I went to Heritage Night while Tom took the other kid to his school concert. Friday was First Grade in the morning, shopping in the afternoon and home to recover…
Saturday and Sunday, I can’t recall too much — was I sleeping for much of it? perhaps… except for the Birthday Boy’s celebration on Sunday. Well, celebration might be too great a word. Observance, perhaps. Another year older, another year cooler. Here he is, enjoying some of the loot, a new T-shirt and the much-desired “Star Wars Vault”:
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I helped in the First Grade again. Monday and Tuesday were “Sneaker Science” again, with a different set of first graders. Another big class, but not too bad. Perhaps the newness of the teachers helped. So did having FIVE adults in the room Monday and FOUR Tuesday…
Wednesday was the boys’ first day off of school. Instead of sleeping in, they managed to get up and come in with me to help their grandmother (insert very proud mama look here). The children were so proud and happy to have them come in again. The boys helped with projects, snacks, projects, snacks, getting to and from places (it was the day of the winter program, of course), snacks and projects. They carried supplies and materials to their grandmother’s car in the intervals, so she wouldn’t have to lug them herself. I took one of them home just after lunch (he wasn’t feeling well) and the other stayed the full day (insert another proud mama look).
Here is Stidgmere, enjoying a quiet moment with one of the children in her class. Toward the bottom of the picture you can see how many things the children were working on!
Thursday, early enough that we really didn’t get to sleep in, I took the older boy to the orthodontist for a check-up. He was seen a half an hour after his appointment was supposed to be. It threw the rest of the day into hyperdrive. BECAUSE we also had to get some groceries (three stores), deposit gift money (two banks) and we needed his father there for one banking transaction so the kid could open a new account and have both of us as signatories on it, get gasoline and the mail… about the time I dropped the kid off at home it was time for me to turn around and head back to the doctor for myself (minor thing). Between the appointment and picking up various medicines for various people in the family at the pharmacy… it was five o’clock before I started for home. Yes. I got caught in the traffic. I fell asleep at 8:30 that night.
So yesterday (are you still with me?) I slept in. All the way to 7, just in time to bid Tom goodbye for the day. And I stayed INSIDE all day. Except to step on the back porch to throw the strawberry (dog’s new toy) every 60 minutes or so. By the end of the day, the dishes were done, the bathroom was clean(er), the laundry was done and folded and away, my office was less cluttered (thanks to the kid who spent two hours working on sorting out what was mine and what was other peoples’), the kids had spent some time reviewing math, dinner was ready and I had played a prodigious amount of video games with the kids.
Today — aside from letting the dogs out at 7 and feeding them, I slept until 9! it felt wonderful… A quick trip into town to buy a few new shirts and pants for the kid who grows about an inch a month (now wearing a man’s size “small”) and get the mail, and I am home again… catching up on my writing!
Hoping for a repeat tomorrow.
Meantime, to make this a truly long post, here is a picture of me, wearing a scarf made by “jesdraggon” — a fellow babbler and needle-worker. Isn’t it lovely!
You can see how long it is — I wrapped it twice around my neck and it still is well past my waist!