Ready For Fall

It seems like Summer has been never ending this year.  Even though the temps have dropped a bit, the humidity is still ridiculous.

As are some of our parents at school.   The last couple weeks have just been plain awful.  We planned our annual Grandparents Breakfast after much debate and with much hesitation.  This event is huge and tends to spiral out of control no matter how thorough we are.

In years past we've instated an RSVP program.  With over 400 people attending, we have to.  Shopping for this event is a headache and without a head court is nigh on impossible.  We had 426 people RSVP by the cut off date.   One of our board members got a great idea of issuing tickets that way those who had RSVPd would get priority admission.  Anyone without a ticket would have to wait.

Then people lost their minds.

"Can I add one person to my list?"   "My mom's plans changed so can she & my dad and our 3 kids attend?"    "I never got a form"  "My form was lost"   "I turned in my form but the teacher can't find it"

All of this for some coffee, juice, fruit & a pastry of some sort.  

One grandparent texted me on FB.  Seeing as how I was busy in Book Fair that day, it took me a couple hours to reply to her.  I let her know that unfortunately the tickets had gone home and her option was to split the kids with the grandparents or to wait with the non-ticketed group.

72 year old women shouldn't behave this way, but she didn't like my reply so she texted a teacher who is a mutual friend.  This teacher told her she had no control over the event but to try contacting me.  She then emailed our PTO address which I received around 7 that night.

She got an answer but didn't like it so tried to get someone to give her the answer she wanted.   It didn't work.

She then replied to my email saying her 8 year old granddaughter told her that kids didn't need tickets so she was okay adding the additional grandparent.    I let her know that her 8 year old was indeed wrong.    She countered with "of course I wouldn't believe her."

But you did.

And, how many grandparents do these kids have anyway?   Some kids were showing up with 6 or more people.  Maybe 2 grandparents on dad's side, 2 on mom's & what?  Great grandparents???

Anyway..

I was tucked away in the library where people were happy to spend money on books for their darling grandkids.  Feedback on the breakfast was good.

My volunteers in the gym were insulted, griped at and other nasty things.   Parents who came in to take pictures couldn't be bothered to pitch in and help.

People can always find the time to criticize but when it's time to help they scatter like roaches.

I've enjoyed my time helping at SuperAwesomeSchool but I have to admit, I'm feeling very let down this year.   And it's trickling over to my home life.   I'm sure it's my perception but there are people (No! Not Hunter!!) who should be in my corner but it seems like I'm a burden to them.   If I don't initiate contact there's a problem.  If I'm around them, it seems like they're doing me a favor by spending time with me and my family.

Sorry for the whiny vent.  I'm trying to get out of this funk because it's just NOT like me.  I need to accept that not all of our parents are going to step up.  I need to accept that they are going to criticize and then pretend to be nice to my face.  I need to accept that people give what they can in relationships and that I can't control that----it's them who will have regrets in the end.  Not me.

*sigh*

The Final Countdown

So, summer vacation was wonderful.  We went to Longboat Key for a week as you know.  Contemplated moving to Sarasota only to be reminded that one of the reasons why we're looking to leave Columbus (besides being near family) is that we both miss winter.  And really, winter in Sarasota?  Not much.

We drove up North and spent time with Hunter's family before going to see mine.  Our time in Virginia was great---very relaxed, no stress and we enjoyed visiting with his nephew and his family who were visiting from out of town.  His sister also does a Friday Family Night dinner which was so fun.  They were celebrating his other nephew's dinner.  Sunshine was beyond thrilled to see her little cousin H & his new baby sister O.  The best part was getting to hold O.   She told O's mom that she would do better with her as opposed to the time she dropped Hunter's brother's son.  In her defense, she was only 4.  She also loved going to see Poplar Forest.

We enjoyed beautiful weather & a lovely time in VT.  Dinner on the lake with friends, boat rides at sunset, lots of day trips (Ft. Ticonderoga & Saratoga) with my mom.  We were about an hour away from home when I realized I'd left our passports behind so no Canada trip.  This time.  I have to remember to bring them from now on!

We spent the last couple weeks enjoying the pool before school started.

So, Sunshine is a 5th grader at SuperAwesomeSchool.  While part of me is excited that she's in her final year, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sad as well.  We've had a great experience at SuperAwesomeSchool.  She had a rough couple days when she first started but it's hard to start mid-year.  She's adapted beautifully & truly has thrived.

She and her friends were the first crew to start off on the morning announcements.  Another area where she has thrived!  Most kids love being the announcers and Sunshine is no different but she truly loved being the director!  And got high praise from SuperBookatarian for her work.

The first full week there was a monkey wrench thrown in.  Sunshine was with her BFF Haylee in Mrs. T's class.  We requested Mrs. T & while the girls were bummed that their 2 other pals were in Mr. W's class, at least they were together.

Long story short, there was a schedule conflict for several students needing extra help so 7 kids from Mrs. T's were pulled & exchanged with 7 kids from Mr. W's class.

The tears in the hallway, people!!  I thought Sunshine & Haylee were going to hit the ground crying.  It was awful.  The principal told them "but you're together with E & P again!"  Didn't matter.  They wouldn't be in Mrs. T's homeroom.

Things got easier over the weekend & I'm proud to say they have both adapted beautifully.  Somehow I knew they would.    Mr. W. told me his only problem was that the 4 girls wanted to sit together.  But if he let them, he'd have to let 4 boys who are known troublemakers sit together.  Apparently both groups were allowed to change desks.  Guess whose desks haven't been moved  #Sweetgirls

I'm a week out from my final 3 book fair.  I have a co-chair this year so that will be a good thing.  She's got great ideas, is a hard worker & is very creative.  And her OCD is on par with mine.  I feel good about her taking over when I'm gone.

Sunshine is back taking ballet & goes 3x a week.  We're still trying ot adjust to the schedule but she is loving it.  And I love hearing her say all these French terms as she practices.

Lovin' Summer

Is there nothing better than summer vacation?  I don't care if you're a kid or a grown up---summer vacation rocks.

Once we hit an  age where Sunshine started sleeping in on weekends life changed for us.  There was no worry about "what if she wakes up at 6 am?" Most days she's asleep until at least 8.  If not later.     Let me tell you, if I can sleep from 11:30 until 8 am, I'm a happy girl.

Summer is a time away from volunteering.  I love doing what I do at school and I count my blessings that I am able to stay home.  But, everyone needs down time.  This is mine.

We've settled into a wonderful non-schedule of days now that our trip to Florida and VBS are over.  We get up when we're ready, eat breakfast in a lazy fashion and plan our day as necessary.  This week has been pool week.  The first summer we were in our house we joined a neighboring subdivision's pool.  Five years later finds us enjoying the pool as much as ever and Hunter on the board of the pool.  "Voluntold" he calls it.
But, it's our home away from home.  There's rarely a day that friends aren't there.  I keep Hunter's old Nook in the pool bag so that I have something to read (my Kindle Fire HD isn't great for outdoor reading).  The water has been wonderfully refreshing in the summer heat.

Tonight we're having a relaxing evening---laundry is going, I made stuffed peppers (sausage, quinoa, onions, toma tomatoes & gouda) for dinner and we're watching a movie.  Tomorrow is more pool time.

Oh summer. . .how I love you!

Vacation Hangover

Two thumbs up after para sailing

Toes in the sand. . . 

I don't know what's worse. . .the waiting for vacation to come or after you get home and it's over.

I have such a bad vacation hangover right now, it's not funny.   We spent last week on Longboat Key.  A wonderful, wonderful week.  So wonderful in fact, that we started discussing the option of moving there instead of to VA.

In addition to the usual beach vacation type things, Sunshine and Hunter went para sailing over the Gulf of Mexico.  I got some great pics of them up 500 feet but sadly didn't get to see any dolphins while we were out on the boat.  We did see some while we were on Coquina Beach.  And Hunter & Sunshine were a few feet away from a manatee while they were swimming at the beach near our condo.  Me?  I had gotten out of the water & was sitting on the beach.  You know, so I could snap the picture!

We love the Anna Maria Island/Longboat Key/ Sarasota area----very little crime, the cost of living isn't horrible, great lifestyle and really just heaven.  But, living there would leave us even further away from family.  Which is the point of us moving from GA to VA.   Closer to Hunter's family and close enough to mine that going up for a long weekend would be feasible.

The other thing that deters us is that we both really miss winter. We miss having 4 real seasons.  It's something we don't have here and certainly something that we wouldn't have in FL.

Maybe one day my need for snow, woolen hand knits and chilly weather will lessen and we'll be on the beach.

I'm not holding my breath either but it could happen!

#4thGradeLikeABoss

Color us super proud of Sunshine!  Her 4th grade awards ceremony was today and she racked up!  She received Principal's List (highest academic honors plus good conduct), STEM Club (science, technology, engineering & math), Broadcasting Club (the school's morning announcements which are student run.  They write them, direct, run camera, produce & announce.  Sunshine has LOVED this!), Music Award (she really wanted this one for some reason!) & was the top AR point earner for 4th grade (#1 out of 100).  AR is a reading program where the kids read a book and then take a test online for the book.  They receive a certain number of points based on the reading level of the book.  There is also a word count for the book.  Sunshine read over 1.5 million words this school year.  The look on her face when our Super Bookatarian called out her name was priceless!  

This folder is really heavy!

Sunshine & our Super Bookatarian.  I don't know who was more proud of Sunshine---me or Kristine!

These girls?  The sweetest.  Three of them (Sunshine & the 2 in blue) have been together since 1st & 2nd grade.  They are all such great girls---smart as can be, kind hearted, fun, funny, responsible, considerate---the kind of kids you look at & think "wow!"  

And that one in the jean jacket?  She is ours!  

 #luckytobehermom

Mother's Day 2014

Happy Mother's Day, blogworld!  Whether you're a biological mom, adoptive mom, step mom, or  mom to 4 legged creatures, I hope you have a wonderful day.

These 2?  They've taught me more about motherhood than I could ever imagine and are loved more than they will probably ever know.

The Week That Was

You know how sometimes you have one of those days that leaves you throwing your hands up in the air and declaring that you want a "do over"?  For me, it's been one of those weeks.

It technically started the day after the PTO meeting.  I came home Book Fair and felt the need to have a rest.  It's not uncommon after a busy day.  The rest of our weekend was pretty uneventful and we launched into last week.

Monday started out like any day that I'd be spending at school.  Sunshine and I headed out to school.  She was back on the announcements after a week of being the camera girl, I picked up the teacher sign up sheet from the lounge, joked with some of the 4th grade teachers about how it must be book fair as I wasn't feeling well.

I went downhill pretty fast and by 10:00 was calling for reinforcements.  My new co-chair, Amanda, gladly came in, gave me some recommendations for a tea that was sure to help me and then sent me packing.   I ran by Winn Dixie to pick up some tea and a couple other things and headed home.  If I willingly went to Winn Dixie, you know I'm not feeling well.  Remember the Prosciutto Incident of '07??  Right.

I got home and immediately got in bed.  I spent the rest of the day there with my fever going up and up.  And coughing and coughing.

Monday night/Tuesday morning we were under the threat of the bad storms that hit the Mid-west the day prior.  So, at 5 am on Tuesday, our tornado warning siren went off.  Sunshine and I moved into the hallway (the only part of our house that is truly interior) and huddled with the dogs while Hunter puttered around the house driving me crazy with worry.

While no tornadoes hit our area, they did hit about 20 miles away from us.  Scary, scary stuff.  We lost part of our 30 foot Bradford pear tree in our back yard.  The funny thing was that we didn't hear it fall during the storm.  Luckily, it wasn't a lightning strike as I first thought---there was a section of it that had rotted.  Hopefully we don't lose the rest of the tree.  One of our friends came over to help Hunter get it off our fence and the top part out of our neighbor's yard.

Sunshine went to school so Hunter dragged me and my 102 degree fever having self to the ER on post.  A flu swab, chest x-ray and much listening of the lungs later it was decided that I had pneumonia and I was sent away with a z-pack, afrin and robitussin with codeine.  Purple drank/sizzurp jokes aside, I felt horrible.  Again, I got back into bed and didn't come out until dinner.  At least I think I got up for dinner.  Yes, I'm pretty sure I did.

I felt slightly better on Wednesday when my fever broke and was able to spend most of the day on the couch rather than in bed.  Same with Thursday. Friday, I finally left the house.  If you know me well, you know that I just don't do housebound well.  At all.

I'm still coughing a bit and am still incredibly tired but am feeling better.  It's hard for me to be so go-go-go-go all the time and to find myself being so limited.

So, that is why last week was so rough.   I'm lucky that my super sweet hubby has been so wonderful about helping me--getting up with Sunshine, getting her lunch ready, getting her to and from school, handling meals, etc.

The little ray of sunshine in my week?  My Sunshine in her Drama Kids Spring Performance.

Their play was called Storyland Idol and she played the part of Paula Paparazzi who was one of the judges.  We are SO proud of her performance.  She loved dancing on the chair.

And our PTO kids!  The boys were in the Upper Primary class (3-5th) with Sunshine and the little girl was in the k-2nd play.  They've all been friends since Kindergarten/1st grade and are just all around great kids.  They put in long hours at school with us and never complain.  The one in the pink?  She has my & Hunter's hearts.