Summer nights can't like these can't last forever.
I took some of the kids back to school shopping before school started. On the way down the canyon we each shared a favorite memory of summer. I remembered one day in June that was HOT. June had record heat and not one drop of rain the entire month. We went to Maverick for a brag tag and slushy. We sat under the pergola outside and ate. Then we walked to collect some more brag tags. The locations were close enough that it wasn't worth it to keep getting in a boiling car and trying to cool it down. The kids complained of being SO HOT as we walked. However, I loved it! We realized we were exactly 6 months away from Christmas and we remembered how freezing cold this past winter had been. We marveled how cold the earth can get and then how hot it can get. When we got home the AC was cranked and it felt so good to relax in a tidy house. That was the day that felt the most like summer to me.
Graham fell in love with a backpack at our first stop at TJMaxx. I told him we'd keep it in mind but kept looking. No matter where we went he always compared it to the one from TJ's. We went back at the end of the day and got it. As I pulled into the garage I saw he was plum tuckered from all the errands but he was wearing that backpack.
I got up to work around 6:30 am on the first day of school. The phone rang, which was odd. It was a recording of the High School principal, "Hi parents this is Principal Kelly. I want to give a wake up call to our Seniors so while you get them out of bed I will be singing the school fight song..." As I took the phone to Katrina I could hear him singing away. I handed her the phone, "It's principal Kelly." She had a look of confusion on her face. I listened upstairs to hear him say, "Welcome Seniors! This is going to be a terrific year at Wasatch. So brush your hair, wash your face, get dressed, put on your shoes, and we'll see soon!" It put a smile on
my face anyway.
The High Schooler's are the first to leave in the morning around 7:30. Matt likes that because the truck is small they aren't obligated to offer rides. It keeps it simple. Maybe he is speaking from experience from his own High School days.
Last year it became routine for me to come out and find a popped up piece of toast in the toaster. We pinpointed the culprit, Katrina. Not long after school started the same thing started happening. I guess Katrina puts the bread in thinking she'll have time to eat but then Mallerie cracks the whip and they have to leave. I've noticed this year both of them have started eating something
before they get ready. One morning I got up and started working at 6:30 am. First Katrina came up and made breakfast, as soon as she went downstairs, Mallerie came up. This was followed by Grayson, Ava, Graham, and Matt. As soon as they all got out the door Callie came out wondering what was for breakfast. The kitchen was nonstop for three hours.
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| These flutes were Sadie and Eliz'a growing up. At TIS they have to choose violin, flute, or chorus. Having these flutes makes it an easy choice. |
Ava and Grayson walk a ways to the bus stop each morning. Technically we are not in the boundaries but they have been given the o-kay. I feel better knowing they have a walking buddy. They are in 5th and 6th grade at Timponogos Intermediate. Ava must have painted a bleak picture for Grayson as he was not really looking forward to going there. Good for him though, he used his own mind to make his decision and he thinks it's great! Ava's BBF is in her class this year so she doesn't have any complaints either. Grayson did have trouble with his locker, but in fairness to him even the faculty had trouble with his locker. They unjammed it and it's working out nicely.
Grayson did come home soon after school started in a terribly bad mood. He is usually pretty grouchy till we get a snack in him, but this particular day the mood didn't let up. I went in the kitchen and asked about his day. He started crying. He told me that he is so tired of the girl that sits next to him, "She is SOOOOO annoying I just can't stand it," he explained. He went on to tell how bossy she is, how she will grab is work and erase stuff and tell him he is doing it wrong and that he doesn't know anything, that he is weird." With each thing he told me my blood pressure raised.
Who is this girl? He couldn't remember her name.
The nerve! My first instinct was to email his teacher this and ask for a new seating arrangement immediately. Then I took a deep breath and thought about how when I am frustrated I don't want a solution right away, rather I need to vent and be understood. I gave him mounds of sympathy and told him that does sound so frustrating. Then I asked
him if he wanted me to email his teacher. He said, "No, we will be switching desks in a week." I decided to think more about it and even sleep on it. It's hard to see one of your kids feeling picked on. The next morning I called him into my room before he left and asked if we could say a prayer. I prayed that he would be able to have a good day. I prayed about the girl and that we knew she was a daughter of heavenly father who loves her. We prayed that Grayson could be kind and things could be worked out. He seemed like he had a new energy about him as he left. As I thought about him during the day I thought of the girl and how at that age it is easy to be mean, you are still figuring things out. Her parents love her as much as I love Gray and he
can be difficult. Grayson came home from school and said he had a great day! He said was kind back to her and by the end of the day they even laughed about something together. Matt gave the advice to thank her profusely when she "helped" him. Grayson said she thought that was really weird when he said, "Thank you, I don't know how I would do this without you." The bottom line is that I am so grateful for the teachings of the Savior when it comes to parenting my kids. Otherwise the natural woman might kick in and I have a feeling that wouldn't be very pleasant. For anybody.
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| This was the first summer that Gray had enough strength to push the lawn mower. He mowed every week. I think Matt said he only mowed twice. It was great! |
Oaky, one last quick thing about Grayson. For his first book report he was assigned to CAN A CHARACTER. That meant to decorate a can like a character in your book, write slips of paper about that character, and put them in the can. He chose Klaus from A Series of Unfortunate Events. I came in one evening to see him just finishing up his can (though he had only started it five minutes before). The paper was on crooked, the face was scribbled on and very out of proportion, I said, "It looks.....good?" The next day his spirits sank as he watched student after student get up and present their report with really nice cans. They were all well done and he felt like his was too sloppy (can't you just picture being in 5th grade and knowing exactly how that would feel?) Grayson quickly changed his plans to have his character be Count Olaf who is supposed to be an ugly disguised man. For his report he explained this and told the class that he tried to make his can really UGLY. Read Ms. Prince's first comment:
Grayson got a good chuckle of of it. We all did. I may have been a bit more involved for his next book report.
Graham is full day now that he is in first grade, though his day is still split into halves. Half of the day is taught in English in Mrs. Iordachescu's class, then he goes across the hall to Senora Nichol's class and is taught in Spanish. I was geared up for it being really hard on him but he's done great. Only once did he say, "I don't really want to do the spanish thing anymore." I asked why. "Because I don't know what the teacher is saying, it's boring." He said that one kid in the class raised his hand to tell the teacher, "Um, I don't speak Spanish." That made me laugh. We are super encouraging at home and praise every new word Graham learns and now I think Graham feels pretty tough about all of it. Maybe too confident. Sometimes he makes up words (a child of my own heart). Callie asked him how he was doing and he answered, "Boncé," which doesn't mean anything at all. However, I am glad that at a young age he is learning he can do something that is new and even scary. Now when Graham has a complaint from school it's about something entirely different. The other day he said that at recess he fell off the monkey bars. He said it was because someone ate a greasy cheeseburger at lunch and then went on the monkey bars ahead of him. Matt and I had to stifle a laugh at that one.
Callie and I took advantage of the gorgeous days while the kids were in school. I took her on a bike ride out to Midway where we basked in the sunshine.
Callie in a mad dash to soak up being a baby before joining Graham at JR.
Callie joined us at back to school night to meet Mrs. Martin.
A week later Callie started Preschool. Since she will also be in the dual immersion program when she starts Kindergarten we were toying with the idea of sending her to a dual immersion preschool. We just couldn't pull the trigger though, mainly because of the cost. Then the last Friday night before school started I went to a ward picnic and got talking with a lady who will be doing her internship at JR Smith next year. She said there were three openings left for their preschool. I hadn't even considered it but it made sense. Callie would be at the same school as Graham so I could pick them up together. It is T-F the same hours as afternoon Kindergarten and is less money. Still, I wanted to go over the pro's and con's with Matt. Obviously, we decided on the JR preschool. However, Matt doesn't like to have monthly fees so he wanted to pay for it all up front.
This is where I pulled through. In July as I was driving up Provo Canyon the car in front of me ran into a divider cone and knocked it into the road. I had no choice but to drive over it and heard a loud crunch. The damage isn't super noticeable and only cosmetic. Anyhoo, the insurance check was enough to pay for Callie's preschool for the year. I do what I can.
Speaking of the van. After dropping Callie off that first day as I drove home I felt WEIRD. I have been in the van by myself oodles of times, but this was different. No one was babysitting, no one was waiting at home wondering what to eat, I was ALONE. First time in 17 years.
I didn't hate it.
As usual Wasatch High School began the year with a parade. This year they have been bumped from a 3A school to 4A. I have taken the little ones in years past to the parade but haven't gone the last few years. This year, however, I didn't want to miss it. Mallerie was carrying the school flag as class president and Katrina was riding on the FBLA float as president.
First I watched them pass by on Main St so I could video it. Then I drove to JR Smith to watch with the little kids.
I remember when we first moved to Heber and I was driving down Main Street with my brother Cade as we passed the old High School. Cade read aloud, "Home of the WASPS...ouch," he said. I accepted, "My kids will one day be Wasps." That day is today and you know what, they don't hate it.
Instead they have embraced high school. Mallerie always impresses me with her drive to get up at 6:30 during the summer to run with the cross country team. It paid off:
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| Mallerie ran Varsity enough times to Letter in Cross Country this year. |
At the awards banquet she was voted by her team members as the
Most Inspirational. I was so proud. I should say proud
of her, which I was but I think my proud was bordering on pride. I need to work on that.
Katrina was sworn in as FBLA president much like Mallerie was for Student Government except she had to give a speech.
One of the kids on FBLA is the son of our State Representative. Afterwards Matt was talking to him. I really wanted to get a picture of Matt and I with Katrina. Matt was talking to the representative when I suggested a photo. The Representative automatically got in the photo thinking I meant I wanted a photo of he and Katrina. Oh well, it would have been too awkward to say anything at that point ;) He must get lots of requests?
As far as jobs go Mallerie is still working at Heber Valley Railroad. Katrina's gig at the Creamery was a summer gig so she has mainly been nannying. However, another job seemed to fall in her lap and so she took it. She buys sushi at Smith's a lot and has become friends with the guy who rolls the sushi. He asked if she wanted a job, she did so she interviewed. I was at Smith's that afternoon when the little kids pointed out, "There's Katrina!" I saw her sitting at Starbucks talking to the Asian sushi roller. Later when we were at self check-out Katrina came up excitedly and told me about her new job as the sushi sampler girl.
You know when you are really excited about something and you want to run into someone you know so you can tell them about it? I was glad that I was the first one she saw and said a prayer of thanks about that.
I say a lot of prayers of thanks that I get to be the mother to these busy wonderful children.
