Back To School

Oh hi there!  Yes, once again, I have been a bit lazy with the writing.  Sorry.  I was trying to squeeze everything into the last week of summer vacation.  But here I am again!  Back to a schedule, back to reality, back to school!  Yes, yesterday was the day I have been longing for/dreading for five years now.  The day I send ALL my girls to school.  Including my baby, Georgia.  

I know what you all are waiting to hear-how much did I cry.  Well, as it turned out not that much the day of.  This was for a few reasons.  The first is that of my three girls, Georgia was by far the most nervous and apprehensive about going to school.  I'm not sure why this was.  Perhaps because she's the youngest.  Or perhaps I said too many times how much I was going to miss her when she went to kindergarten.  Oops.  Therefore, I couldn't really break down in front of her, since she was already having a hard time herself.  It was a crazy morning anyway, so I didn't really have time to think about it to much until she was sitting on the rug in her kindergarten class with a look that said, "I really don't think I want to stay here".  I swallowed the lump in my throat, put my big girl pants on, and assured her that she was going to have a fantastic time.  She already knew the room, since it was the same one Lana was in last year, and she already knew a couple kids in her class, thanks to pre-school and mommy and me.  She nodded her head and tried her best to be brave.  Then I hightailed it out of there before I completely broke down.  

After we left I had a small teary moment, but I didn't feel I could completely lose it, because I was in charge of the Boo-hoo/woo-hoo breakfast we hold in the library for all kinder parents.  It is something I started the year after Sonya started school.  It's a way for the kindergarten parents to know they're not alone for feeling sad, or in some cases happy, about their little ones going off to school.  And it's a way for the PTA members to chat up some new blood!  Since I was the one putting it together, I didn't feel coming in hysterically crying would be the best idea.  Even if I was also a kindergarten parent.  

When the breakfast was over, I went home and my friend Carey met me there with a bottle of champagne.  But it was totally okay for us to drink it at 9:30 in the morning, because we mixed it with orange juice.  Mimosas do not count as drinking to early because they have OJ!  Everyone knows that!  She helped me drown my sadness in a couple mimosas and some girl gossip. (Thank you again Carey!)  We had a great time and will probably make it a yearly tradition.  Although next year I think I need to eat more for breakfast.  In all my craziness of the morning, I didn't eat quite enough and two mimosas did me in quickly.  Let's just say I had to walk to pick up Georgia at 11:30.  

Probably the biggest reason why I didn't cry to much yesterday though, was because I was kinda cried out about it from the night before.  My mom sent me a lovely email, which every time I read it now I cry again.  So thanks for that mom!  I hope she doesn't mind but I wanted to share it with you all.  It applies mostly to me, but also for others of you out there sending your last (or even your first) baby off to school.  Hold on tightly to those baby/toddler years.  They go by more quickly than I would have liked, even though at the time they seemed to be taking forever.  They weren't.  I really can't believe I'm at this point in my life.  It seemed like such a far off destination three even two years ago, yet here I am.  
Thank you mom for sending this to me and for always being there when I needed to vent about being sick of having babies/toddlers.  I didn't really believe you when you said how fast it would go, but I believe you now.  Now I will hold on tightly to every moment I have with them until my knuckles are white.  Even the moments when I want to tear my hair out.  Thank you for being such an inspiration.  I love you.  

Dear Kristi,

                Whether you are reading this tonight or tomorrow, I wanted you to know that my thoughts are with you as you send your baby off to school. I know that you will meet this day with mixed emotions.  when you were up to your hips in diapers this was a day you could not see in your future and now it is your present. I reminded you many times to enjoy each day because they would pass quickly, and so they have. I am very proud of the mommy that you are . I am awed by the job you have done.  You have worked hard raising the girls to this point but fear not, your job is faaarrrrr from over! Tomorrow when you return home to an empty house take the opportunity to “Poop in Peace.” I have a feeling it will be bittersweet,” Pooping In Peace … at last, sigh, sniffle”.  I still remember the day I sent Megan off to Kindergarten.  Thankfully she lightened the mood by taking herself to the bus stop (in front of our house) 3 hours before the bus for afternoon K came, because she was convinced that I was going to make her miss the bus since you and Beth were long gone. I love you with all of my heart and I will feel each tear, that you shed tomorrow, in my heart. After all I am still your mommy and my job never ends, nor does my love for you. Can’t wait to hear your first day stories. I bet I’ll have a few of my ownJ I love you.

                                                                                Mom

4th grader

1st grader

Kindergartener!

My three adorable school age girls.  Goodbye baby/toddler/preschoolers. :(

"Can I leave yet?"
She might have been a wee bit nervous.  This was the best "smile" I could get.

Just a quick footnote-I did indeed get to "poop in peace" yesterday, probably for the first time in 8 1/2 years.  Good luck to the rest of you about to send your babies off to school for the year.  For those of you still at home with wee ones, you will be here before you know it.  I promise.  

Kindergarten Homework

Lana has homework every week.  Yes, even in Kindergarten they get homework.  It's nothing to difficult.  They practice writing words they've learned that week or tracing and writing their letters.  It's mostly just a review for them, but it doesn't keep Lana from whining about having to do it EVERY week.  Sonya always loved doing homework and even now doesn't mind it so much.  Lana is not that kid.  The next thirteen years are going to be a blast!  

A couple weeks ago, as part of her homework, her teacher suggested they create a small sentence with the word they practiced writing.  She encouraged the parents to allow the kids to sound out words and spell them the way they hear them, even if it isn't the correct spelling.  This is how they learn to read and write, and eventually spell correctly.  I always make Lana think of the sentence on her own, even though that is often met with groans from her.  In the end she will do it, but she's NOT happy about it.

One day she was working on writing the word "me".  She got to the part where she has to write a sentence. She moaned about it for a minute then said, 

"I know!  How about I write, "That is me."

"That is a great sentence, Lana," I told her.  So she proceeded to write what she heard.

A while later I took her homework to look over it and make sure everything looked okay.  Then I saw the sentence:

If you noticed I erased a word she originally wrote.  It said "Tha tit is me."  Later I had her add the 't' at the end of 'Tha' after I got rid of the word 'tit'.    I know Mrs. Lombardo wants us to let the kids sound things out and spell it themselves, but I guess I felt completely leaving the word 'tit' in my daughter's homework would not be the best parental move.  Yes, I laughed at this for a good five minutes and even though I erased most of it, I left just a enough behind to give her teacher a good chuckle as well.  This is the kind of thing that makes the groaning about the homework just a bit more bearable.  

Today-Kindergarten Award, Tomorrow-The Pulitzer

Last weekend Andy and I got a letter in the mail addressed to us from Sonya's school. Immediately my mind went to something bad. I don't know why I do that. I didn't even think something bad, like Sonya did something wrong, but something more like we have to move her out of this school. Stupid, I know. It's my crazies. Anyway-it was not something bad at all, as I discovered when I opened it, but something really great. It read:

"Congratulations! You're child had been selected by his/her teacher to receive a STAR STUDENT AWARD for January, 2010."

MY CHILD! And just for the record THEY capitalized "STAR STUDENT AWARD". I did not add that part.

I was so proud of my little Sonya STAR STUDENT that I teared up for a minute. The letter instructed us not to tell our child, because it was a surprise and the award would be handed out at an assembly the following Friday at 10:45 am. This was just for the Kindergarten class award ceremony. Thank goodness, because I was pretty sure my other two were not going to sit to see the whole school receive awards.

I showed the letter to Andy who didn't tear up like I did, but was impressed nonetheless. Sonya was to get an award in one of four categories, but they didn't tell us which one. This was like the Oscars! Was she going to be able to give a speech? Just how heavy would that award be?? Would Hannah Montana be there hosting? I was so excited for Friday to come. I think the part about her not knowing was what excited me most.

Friday morning, I reminded Andy not to slip up and tell Sonya he'd see her later as he dropped her off at school. He had taken the morning off of work to come to the assembly. We all got ready and I took Georgia to gymnastics. When I got back we headed over to school. We got there on time before the kids started filing into their seats. The first couple classes came in and they were looking around. Some of the kids noticed their parents and waved. Then we saw Sonya's class and she was about halfway in the line of kids. We eventually caught her eye and she was excited to see us, smiled, waved and went to sit with her friends. She didn't even seem to question why we were there. Then one of the teachers got up and started talking about why we were there and how each class had some exceptional students. She explained what awards they would be receiving and the the fun freebies to go along with. Like a certificate indicating their award, a necklace, a pencil and my personal favorite, a kids eat free coupon to Hometown Buffet! Now for those of you who don't know what Hometown Buffet is, let's just say buffet is in the title, so does more need to be said? There is no other place outside of Vegas I would want to go to a buffet, with the exception of a wedding, but that's different. Still, it was part of the award, so maybe I'll suck it up and go to lunch there one day.

After she told us all of this, she started calling the students receiving the awards by class. Sonya's was the first class to be recognized, and her name was the second to be called. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. When the teacher called out Sonya's name, she jumped up from her seat with an audible GASP, with her mouth wide open, and her hands covering it, reminiscent of every Miss America winner I've seen. I once again, teared up. She climbed over her classmates to get to the aisle and walk up to the stage. The teacher handed her the award, and she took her place on the bleachers next to the little boy in her class. She held her certificate and beamed proudly looking over at us, as we proudly beamed back at her. It was one of those moments as a parent when you think, "Damn, I AM doing SOMETHING right!"

For me, the best part was what she got the award for. We know she's a smart kid and she could have gotten it for one of the other awards, like "Outstanding Achievement" or "Enormous Effort", and it wouldn't have been surprising. Instead she won the award for, "Positive Peace Builder". It means exactly the way it sounds. She's the kid who tries to help the other kids out. She's the one being nice to everyone, even if they aren't the smartest or the prettiest. She's the one trying to help others out of fights and other such situations. Now that's not to say she doesn't have her share of not being the kindest all the time, I'm sure. Trust me, she's not so into the Peace Building at home with her sisters. However, the fact that she's like that with her classmates at school, show what a great heart she has. I am so happy and proud to be raising a daughter that has such a capacity for kindness and, well, peace. Lord knows we need more of those kind of people in the world.

After the ceremony, we waited the ten minutes outside until her class let out. I had planned to take her to In-N-Out for cheeseburgers and french fries to celebrate. It's her favorite food and place to eat of all time. When she got out, Andy and I talked about about how proud we were of her and she told us how surprised she was. She proved how much she deserves the award when we asked her about her friends and what they thought. She said,

"Well, Lourdes was a little upset she didn't get an award and get to go up there too. I told her, don't worry Lourdes, next time you and Gwen will get an award and I'll be sitting with the other kids cheering for you. "

Like I said, we must be doing SOMETHING right.