Summer of Fun

I hope that some day Leif looks back and relishes his first real summer outside of full time school/care. To this point Leif's summers have beeen about the same as his winters, work and playtime at his Montessori school. This year, things have been different...

There was robot racing...

And even some robot Sumo wrestling in August.

I wish *I* would have had a summer of camps!

He has learned a lot of lessons though throughout the summer...

• like the necessity of keeping track of ones things... (one wallet lost, goggles lost...)
  


• and that while it is good to be generous, that buying other people food results in first not having money for lunch, and second offense resulted in it coming out of his money and then tears.
  


• that nothing comes for free. That when the concession stand at the club asks for his name after ordering a Super Nachos, a drink, a snocone, a smoothie and a push up, that it goes to mom and dad's account.
  


• that mom and dad DO find out everything.
  


• that it is possible to get tired of all the fun things after awhile.

Ah well. A new world awaits him (and us) a week from today when I put my baby boy on the school bus.

And I will resist in following the bus to the school to make sure everything goes ok.

Hello August

This summer is flying. I am sure I say this every single summer, but this summer I really, really mean it.

So many things change, yet so many stay the same. Leif still has "threaky" things that happen to him and Skadi still bonks her "twohead".

We are into the last few weeks before school starts. We went school supply shopping and if I can make things difficult, I do. So they specify a "pink pearl" eraser but a "tub of sanitizer wipes"? Umm help? And why the two boxes of 24 ct Crayolas? Why not one of the bigger boxes?

Leif has a week of Robot Camp and then two last weeks of Adventure Camp and then blammo. First grade in public school.

I am the one freaked out.

Part of the reason we pulled Leif out a bit early from his Montessori school was to give him a bit more confidence before the big switch to public school. This summer has certainly done that more so than AB or I ever expected. Leif has done extremely well this summer in his variety of activities. But as the summer winds down, he is ready for a bit of calm. He has declared he is tired of field trips and just wants to sit down and watch a movie.

Up until this past week Leif has been overly thrilled with Adeventure Camp and no worries on our part. Until this week. This past week we have had a set of firsts for him. Both that resulted in calls to the Adventure Camp he is enrolled in. First blistering sunburn. By the time I was seven I had a handful of these and while it sucked to be in the pain, it was just kind of something that happened once or twice a year. Not so in 2011. The counselor DID apply sunscreen, I do believe her and Leif says she did. But for some reason it just didn’t work and his poor shoulders are blistered and peeling. The counselor felt horrible about it. The rest of this week we became proactive with the use of sunscreen AND a rash guard.

And the second issue was bullying. Severe in that the other child is being removed from Adventure Camp. I wouldn’t have known about it as Leif rarely talks about his day even with proding (except to tell us about his successes at poison ball or dodgeball), but the other night I went in to dig out a rash guard from his dresser well after he was supposed to be asleep. Instead of sleeping he was in bed sobbing.

Leif talked fairly easily with me about the situation, an older “mean” boy had told him that if he didn’t bring in some of his Star Wars legos guys for him that he was going to make up something to tell on him and he would have to go to Roberta’s office. Leif is a pretty by the rules kid, the thought of “going to Roberta’s” filled him with fear and tears and he didn’t know what to do. After I got him calmed down and reassured him that no, he was not taking in his Star Wars guys to the boy and that *I* would be talking to Roberta, he fell quickly asleep. It was an easy conversation with Roberta where she informed me that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back with this boy and that they do not tolerate bullying at all. Still it has taken a bit to convince Leif to go back to Adventure Club. He is afraid. And this makes me sad. A break for Robot camp next week is exactly what he needs. Then the week after he will go back to Adventure Camp, but with one of his best friends in the world with him.

And I do have to admit that as a mom of a daughter who tends to be on the edge of being a troublemaker and who has walked a line with getting booted from daycare and preschool, I do feel for the other parents of the child. I no longer believe, like I did when Leif was young, that “if the parents just did X, Y or Z, the problem would be solved”.

Skadi has been doing a bit better though. The summer started out rough with her being confined to the corner for work time. Apparently this has worked though and while I was fearing her being in the corner all year, she is being moved out and to a desk. She declared to me a few weeks ago, “I finally know what I am supposed to be doing every day!” We have only been telling her to do her works and quit bothering others for weeks, it finally sank in. Whew.

AB and I are doing fine. Our jobs are “ehh”. It is a tough time working where I work. I have my time covered through the end of the fiscal year, but after that it gets a bit sketchy. I have a list of four projects and normally four projects would have me thrilled – except that each one will only cover about 10-15% of my time. I have a bit of stretching to do to get to my newly declared 85% time. Monday through Thursday I will leave at 3pm. Then Fridays I will work a longer day since AB is off on Fridays. I am looking forward to testing this routine out as long as I can pick up a few other things to successfully cover my time fully.

AB is fine with his job, though not thrilled. I am wondering if both of us have a case of “the grass is always greener”. We are debating the merits of seeing what else is out there… in one instance there has to be something better, in the next we realize how good we have it here.

I am really looking forward to my August goals. Actually, let’s just make it August-September goals. August is looking so busy, but I do want to get started.

New flooring for the downstairs! We have nasty carpet in the dining room, office and living room. Hardwood here we come. Of course this is mostly AB’s job once I select the perfect shades of not only flooring, but paint!

Yes, back to paint color selections!

I actually think I have a good handle on what I want this time around based off my recent success with the small bathroom off the foyer.

My biggest issue is going to be scraping the time together for this. We have two busy weekends coming up, followed by a camping trip, then the weekend before school, followed by Labor Day camping trip and then soccer swings up again.

So there it is. A catch up post, goals and what’s to come for this late summer.

Wasn't it just yesterday?

I know, it is so cliche. But yes, it feels like just yesterday I brought my oldest home from the hospital and now he is off wandering the streets and making his own purchases!

We could have left Leif in his school for the summer this year and moved him to public school in the fall. And it was awfully tempting. But his teacher discouraged us from this a bit and I agreed with her. Leif has always been pretty tentative about doing anything on his own.

Compare to me at 5 when I was going across the street to the park by myself, while my mom stayed home with my napping little sister. And it wasn't too long after that I was walking the three blocks to Mini Mart with a dollar in my hand to buy candy. When Leif even sees kids out doing things on his own he is worried for them.

Making the big leap to public school and riding the bus (without me)? We decided he needed a change of scenery and an opportunity to gain some self confidence to prepare for this.

I signed him up for three science camps at the local branch University as well as Adventure Club at our health club.

In two days of Adventure Camp I think he has grown amazingly.

This morning he didn't really want me to leave him there, stating, "mom, you would have lots of fun with us all day!" I know I would, I told him, but I need to go to work.

Then he hit the door of the Kid's Club Fitness Room and a few kids yelled his name and the word "dodgeball" was uttered and he was off. No time even for a kiss goodbye.

I waited anxiously all day to hear how his day went. It consisted of games and also on the schedule was a field trip to a local grocery store.

I have had to learn a lot too. I have had to trust that he will eat his lunch (fail today), get sunscreen on, knows how to use his inhaler (or at least get help) if he needs it, not lose his swimsuit, towel, goggles, etc. Then there is the whole thing with money. The girl who registered him told me that it is probably good to send him with a few bucks so that when they go on field trips that the kids can buy snacks or drinks.

The whole concept of my son having pocket money is a new one for both of us. On vacations, this hasn't been hugely successful, but probably more because AB and I haven't embraced it fully. Even when he wants to spend his money we have him hand us the money and order it online or pay for it ourselves. Leif is funny with money, he loves to have it, doesn't really want to spend it.

So today I suppose it shouldn't surprise me when he came home with treats that "he" purchased at the grocery store on the field trip, but still had his $4. He presented me with a receipt, so I was a little concerned until he finally owned up to the fact that his good friend spotted him the dollar. He frowned when I explained that he didn't need to accept money from his friend, he had his own for that purpose.

"But she wanted me to have it," he tried to convince me. (And I am not sure that I don't believe him.)

"You WILL be repaying her the dollar," I instructed much to his dismay.

A milestone of sorts... my son's first trip to the grocery store without me, with money in hand and the ability to buy whatever he wanted. (I am not sure how far "whatever" extended...)

He came home proudly holding two bags of caramels. "Look mom! TWO for $1!" he prided himself on. He also told me they were chocolate... he is in for a surprise.

He also came home talking about "Chef Boyardee".

I used to love Spaghetti-O's when I was growing up. But call me a snob... we haven't gone to that yet.

Tomorrow he is going to "Rollerena" for roller skating and I have pretty nearly given him permission to play air hockey the whole time and not skate in order to save his neck (and butt, and head, and knees, and elbows). I have taken him a few times with little success.

Last night I asked him what his favorite thing was, "dodgeball" was his quick reply. But thye do random sports (tennis, wallyball, swimming, etc., at the club) as well. I asked him tonight if he would rather go back to his Montessori school and I have never heard him scream "NO!" more vigorously. "We get to play fun games ALL day long!" And when I asked him how his day was it wasn't just a shrug - he uttered the word, "GREAT!"

Next week they are taking them to the library, a Dust Devils baseball game, the movie theater and to a gymnastics gym for play.

I am thinking maybe I should take him up on the offer to join him. First, before he gets the idea that he doesn't need me and second, because it sounds like a whole lot of fun!