Emily at Northwest

Emily joined my Summer Enrichment group this summer.  She participated in all the technical projects and some of the readers' theatre work.  She also went with us on our last two field trips:  Nelson Atkins and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.  I took both Sam and Emily back to see all of both museums on Friday.  I was surprised by how attentive both kids were.  We had a really great time.  Both of them are very curious and interested in new things.  I truly enjoy my summers with them.  I hope next year we get more time together.  As it looks right now, we will get about 25 days together before I go back for a retreat at the end of July.  I am keeping myself open to the needs of the many new teachers at NW this year, but at the same time I do not want to forget that my babies are going to a new school, a public school for the first time.  They will be my priority this year.   They were my first assignment from God, and I can't forget that.  It would seem that would be impossible to forget, but when you have 80+ kids counting on you, it is easy to make excuses for reassigning priorities.  As the father says in Cheaper By the Dozen,  if I fail raising my kids, nothing else will matter much. 

Last Week of Summer School..Not Uneventful

We were visiting grandma and grandpa last Saturday.  My cousin was visiting with his three sons.  The boys were having a great time, until Sam slipped and smacked his knee on a rock.  I wouldn't have known about it so quickly except a crying Emily came running up saying that "there's a lot of blood."  I didn't even hear anything from Sam because it took him a bit to let it absorb before he lost his mind.  The process was stressful for his overactive imagination, but he toughed it out and thought the stitches looked cool in the end.  

Summer Baseball

This weekend Sam played a couple baseball and and celebrated the season with some of his team mates.  This is a pic of Sam and his friend Zach during basketball season.  Sam will be changing schools this year, and I know he will miss his friend Zach.  On a side note, Sam also got five stitches on his knee from an accident while playing at his grandma's house.

We Continue to Grow Weary

Weariness is still the theme of the summer school portion of our summer break.  I practically dragged the kids to Ashley's his morning, both so tired they just wanted to go back to sleep.  Later in the day Sam actually fish hooked our little friend Connor (finger inside of one cheek) because the two were arguing and Connor was doing some pushing.  They haven't been getting a long anyway, but that was crazy even for Sam.  After I picked them up, they had dental appointments.  We went straight there from Ashley's to Dr. Dyer's office.  Sam fell asleep immediately in the car.  He then slept in the waiting room while Emily had her cleaning.  When it was his turn he wouldn't wake up.  We put him in the chair and he slept through his cleaning.  He finally woke when the dentist was doing his check up.  To top it off, our child who would like off of sugar if allowed, had no cavities.   Poor Emily did not fair so well. After the dentist we went to dinner with Ash, Keisa and Mike at the Godfathers.  Sam, Em and Ashley played a little Monopoly pinball. We are now so tired, that we are lounging and watching documentary on a survivor of the holocaust.  Long day, but we got a lot done.  I am looking forward to July so I can have that month to catch up and my
kids can relax before they start the process of making friends in a new school.

The Extras

The last couple days I have been reading this book.  It has been on my pile of "wanna read" books, but I got motivated because I saw the movie on the shelf at the video store.  I try to get a book read before I see the "based on" movie.  I like to form my own mental pics and create my own emotional attachment to plot and characters.  I sat on the porch today on a beautiful breezy day and finished the book with lots of tears.  Something about the end hit me hard even though I expected it.  I like what I read in a book about the mistakes teachers make while teaching literature.  The author stated that books are rehearsals for life.  As we read a book we are not only reading about the actions of characters, but it is a mental reheasal for how we might handle the same situations.  In this book, the father is raising his amazing son during the worst of what we could imagine in an apolcalypic world.  Throughout their journey the child never loses his desire to maintain goodness and kindness in a world without it.  As a parent,  I couldn't help but ask myself what I would do as the parent making some of the choices that needed to be made.    
      One thing I am trying to do with my summer, in addition to the things that need to be done, is to take the time to enjoy some me time and take care of myself a little.  This is not intended to be as selfish as it sounds, but I often read articles that talk about  how even the most passionate teachers get burnt out because they never truly take time off.   I don't want to be that person, but I struggle to take time off.  I am always thinking of the next thing I can get done either for school or for my family.  The reality is that if I don't take a breath, I am afraid I will lose my enjoyment of both of those things.  So I am trying to work in those things I love to do.  I had fogotten how much I love my bike, and recently I have missed riding more than ususal.  Some of that may be guilt for not riding more when I promised to ride with my sister in the MS150 again after a three year break.   I went out tonight.  It was hard in the 90 degree weather and my heart rate monitor was constantly singing about me going over the high end of my range, but I did get a good workout.  I am ready to get back at it more regularly.  Walking doesn't get your ready for a bike.  I just need to get my butt on that bike each day.  At 40, I think exercise is a necessary part of me keeping up with all the things I want to do.  I am reminding myself that this is important for me so I can stay valuable for all the people I love.

Sickness in the Summer

It has finally occured to all of us that the main reason we are having such a hard time dragging ourselves through a day is that we all have similar flu like symptoms (that passed to our friend, Kreisa) that include a sour throat, acheness in and around the head and serious fatigue.  Yesterday I could barely drive home with my eyes open.  Today, I fell asleep in the car in the driveway while listing to the end of a chapter of a book we're listening to.  One more day this week and we are off onto a crazy weekend with father's day, four birthdays, a baseball game, and a baby shower.  Those weekends drive me crazy.

On a brighter note,  the Summer Enrichment experience has been positive.  I think the kids really are learning and using their 21st century skills.  I am trying to constantly expose them to new tech-based learning experiences so they can be leaders of these activities in the fall.  As an extra bonus for me, I am also going to have them design and construct the bulletin boards for the beginning of the year.  One less thing for me to get done during that crazy time.  Sam and Em start school the same day I do, so I can not take them to their first day of public school.  I can't explain how sad that makes me.  I know they will be fine, but I want to SEE them be fine.  Since only 11 of the teaching staff has been retained, I know that the expectations of leadership will be exaggerated as we try to redefine/restructure this first year.  I still plan to ride in the MS 150.  I also plan to leave for 2-3 days so I can go on a cruise with the family during thanksgiving.  Overall, I am just hoping my desire to make my family a priority will fit into an increased need for me to seriously lead my grade level team.  I think the first IMPORTANT step is to just take some time OFF.  Read , relax, and recover.  Yes, that is the most important first step.

We have been pretty tired and run down this week.  It makes no sense given that we had a three day weekend and minimal physical excersion.  Monday we could barely get our heads out of bed. We intended to come right home and rest, but we went to the books store after school and found this frustrating puzzle of the world.  Today, Emily seems to be sick, maybe the flu.  As if Monday morning wasn't challenging enough, we decided to get up early and go to Bob Evans for breakfast with our free coupons from the "Blue Crew"(2nd pic) It was a good effort, but the breakfast probably didn't warrant it.   When I picked Sam from Ashley's,

where it seems he is being a pain, he wanted to go home and watch Edward Scissorhands. I hope we will all take a nap soon.  Sam has a 6:00 game.  His season has been short on W's, but it is the first year for many and I think they are improving.  It is stressful for parents to watch the guys battle through every game.  I hope they are having fun.  They would probably be okay with most of the boys if they could just practice together and never play a game.

    
This weekend we have 3 birthdays and a baby shower.   Who knows what that will mean for the spoiled summer vacationers in the house.