..special week..

This week is Margot's special week at school.

She came home on Friday with a poster to complete, and a twinkle in her eyes. She wanted to complete the poster Right. That. Instant. She couldn't contain the excitement about being the center of attention at school for the whole week, and had been waiting for this week all year.

On the poster she had to include her name, some pictures, her age, favorite food, favorite color, and favorite activity. Filling these out, I was surprised at the decisive nature of her responses.

Name:  Margot Scot Dhyanchand

Age:   5

Favorite food:  Lasagna

Favorite color:  Orange, but later it will be something different, like Silver (she likes all colors)

Favorite activity:  coloring

This little girl of ours is both outgoing (at home) and shy (outside of home). She is dramatic and playful, knowing when to take the lead and when to hang back. She wants nothing more than to do everything her brother and sister do. She plays football with Isaac, she plays dolls with Evy. She has a love of shoes and accessories that has been with her since birth...truly, the first thing she has ever noticed on someone new is their shoes and purse. She adores music and I love to see her sing along to songs in the car for no other reason than the expressions on her face. A whirlwind of emotion, is our little Margot.

We poured over old pictures, trying to pick out the perfect ones for her poster.

"Mommy, I want a picture of you kissing me and Daddy kissing me," she stated with authority.

Done, and done.

I cannot believe that this little peanut is going into kindergarten next year. I remember all too well --  the early morning "shift changes" that Rich and I used to have with her...Rich taking the night until about 2 or 3am, then me taking over until morning. How she used to scoot like a pirate across the floor, with one elbow and one hand, and at 10 months (!) how she started walking. Her belly laughs as Isaac and Evy used to fawn all over her, and her shrieks when it got to be too much. This little girl who used to become a nightmare during the witching hour, and remembering the exact moment when I was able to prepare dinner with no crying toddler at my feet.

This little girl is quite the blessing, and I thought I'd share some of these memories with you.

 Happy special week, Margot.

**The pictures of Margot as a wee babe and Margot at her current age were taken by GoochToo Photo. A fantastically talented friend of mine, Renee, who has such a great eye and a wonderful way with children. If you're in the Chicago area, I highly recommend her.**

..busy as bees..

On any given day, there is tremendous activity in our house. I'm not so different from most people with kids similar in age to mine, I'm certain.

We have acclimated to our new small town quite well. I have enjoyed becoming a part of the community, as have our children.

Since moving here, we have enjoyed all manner of activities, and I thought I'd share with you what we have busied ourselves with in the last couple of months.

:: Little Arrows -  Isaac participated in an introduction to basketball program through the elementary school. It was a Saturday activity, where he learned the basics of basketball. The highlight of the program was a half-time show at a varsity girls' basketball game, where all the participants displayed the skills they had learned. It was even set to music, which made it all the better.

:: Pinocchio -  Evy auditioned and was cast in a production of 'Pinocchio.' The Missoula Children's Theater came to our little town in late January. In the course of one week, they cast and produced 'Pinocchio,' with costumes, sets, and everything. Evy was a ballerina toy, and enjoyed being onstage with her friends. They did two performances at the end of the 6 days, and it was quite an impressive accomplishment. Evy did not, however, care for sitting backstage for the entire one-hour production.

:: Family Skate Night -  Family skate night amounted to rollerskating in the gym. It was tremendous fun, although I had some difficulty avoiding the kids who frequently fell. I also learned that I have a real difficult time skating clockwise. Who knew? The physical education classes at their school had all been doing rollerskating, and this served as their culmination event. I felt badly for Rich, whose monstrous feet barely fit into the largest size skate they had. Somewhat fortuitously, Margot didn't care for the skating, so instead he kept her company and chatted with some neighbors, while the rest of us enjoyed whizzing around the gym on 4 wheels.

:: Sock Hop - The build-up to this event was pretty exciting. Girls talking about what their poodle skirt looked like, pleas for help from the parents, and numerous save the date flyers and invitations coming home in folders. Initially, Isaac was disinterested in attending. Dancing is not his thing. Evy and Margot didn't feel strongly one way or another, and I was willing to skip it only because it would've been our 4th night out that week. I thought better of it, however, and we went. It ended up being great fun for the kids, and tolerable for the adults. I'm not one to jump in and start cutting a rug with a bunch of elementary kids. I'm the wallflower that likes to watch from the sidelines. Unless it's rollerskating, of course - but even then I refuse to limbo. There was hula-hooping, poodle skirts galore, a picture booth, dinner, and much fun had by all. I'm so glad that we made the decision to go.

:: Dinners with New Friends - Evy has made the astute observation that we have been having "a lot of customers" lately. By customers, she means dinner guests. One thing the distance kept us from for the last 3 years (as a family), was having people over for meals on a regular basis. We enjoy sharing meals with others. We both enjoy cooking, and my kids enjoy having playmates. Since we've moved, we have dinner with friends at least twice a week, and lately, more often. We've made a point to invite over some people that we've wanted to break bread with, in an effort to get to know our community and the community that Rich is a part of at the university. It has been hard being away from family back in Illinois, and even friends. What makes our move all the sweeter, however, is the friends that we've made (and continue to make) since we've been here. It's reassurance to me that we picked the right place to settle. One could not ask for better customers.

:: Valentine's Tea/Classroom helper - I have the privilege of working in Margot's class for a short period of time once a week. I have been going in regularly for the last few months now, helping with centers in her classroom. We have done all sorts of neat activities, and the kids in her classroom are all familiar with who I am, which is a nice feeling for this former teacher. On Valentine's day, Margot's class had a special tea party where we made cards, friendship bracelets, read stories, ate a snack, and listened to and sang along with some songs. I will always feel fortunate to be able to share these kinds of moments with my kids, and hang onto the memory of them when my presence in school will be viewed as a threat instead of a treat.

:: Snow days - Ugh-this winter. We have spent far too many days home from school. It has been a brutally cold winter with piles of snow. In our move, things climate-wise have changed insignificantly. But this winter has chewed us up and spit us out. Right when you have a mild and sunny day -- BAM! -- Old Man Winter brings you a snowstorm the next. There is a little bit of rain falling and -- KA-POW! -- Old Man Winter drops the temperatures to negative 500 degrees and now the roads are sheets of ice. Not fun. At last count, we have had 7 snow/cold days. I have tried to make the best of them -- but even the novelty of them has worn off for the kids and all I'm left with is a bunch of whining about how they miss their friends or their teachers or their science experiment they were going to do in school that day. I've done the best I can to make up for what they are missing, and sometimes we're fine and enjoy our day together, and other times we all go to our separate corners.

Soon, spring will come and we'll be enjoying a whole host of new activities. I might actually get to start biking all over town instead of putting the car in to a lower gear just to get up the damn driveway. *Sigh* 

..tell me a story..

I love reading. I don't do as much of it anymore as I try to manage this chaotic household of mine. Or perhaps, more accurately, I am reading, it's just that the books are more utilitarian, or well beneath my reading level. I don't mind this at all, however, as I know someday this whirlwind of raising children will quickly die down.

My very favorite books are those created by these children of mine that are responsible for littering my bathtub with cups and teapots, and leaving their books and crayons underfoot. I came across this one just yesterday. It was written last year by Evy, when she was in kindergarten. I tucked it away in a special place, and just happened upon it. (special place, indeed)

I adore the simplicity of the story, and the sweet accompanying illustrations. She is meticulous, the child that pays attention to every small detail. And this story is a perfect example of that. That, and I treasure the invented spellings... I cannot lie.

The world, as viewed by a 5 year old.

The End.

..back to school..

And so begins another school year. Can you believe it? I can't. This week we had the first day of school for the older two...3rd and 1st grades. The littlest will start her first year of preschool in a week or so, although she is almost a full year older than her siblings when they entered the same grade (so it goes for a November birthday). It will be a busy year, indeed.

One of the biggest stresses, for me, is packing my kid's lunch. It is not uncommon for me to open the lunchbox at the end of the day and find a lunch barely touched. I realize that within the allotted 10-15 minutes of their lunch hour, they may struggle to finish the entire lunch. More often than not, however, I feel as though they are just disinterested in the contents of the lunchbox itself.

This year, I am attempting to make them responsible for their lunch. They will have the task of putting  together their own lunch for the day. In addition, I will take the opportunity to talk to them about what constitutes a well-balanced meal. Left unchecked, these children would choose a piece of bread and a handful of chocolate chips for lunch. *sigh*  Thus, my lunch chart was born.

I took white boards that we had laying around, and I created different magnets of possible lunch choices. I did this using cardstock, double-stick tape, scrapbooking scissors, laminating sheets, and self-stick magnets I had lying around the house. Is it terribly obvious that I am a former teacher?? In creating the choices, I broke down the food groups as follows: protein, vegetable, fruit, and grain. To me, that constitutes a well-balanced lunch. I opt out of the "sweet," simply because that will be the only thing eaten (and I speak from experience, here).
 

The choices are color coded, so that the kids can recognize when they have a balanced lunch. Proteins are red, vegetables are green, fruits are yellow, and grains are blue. Some choices are mixes, but the colors reflect that. Their task is to choose a combination of available items so that they have one of each color, at least. My hope is that by giving them the freedom to choose what is inside their lunchbox, there will be an increase in the likelihood they eat a bigger portion of it. My preschooler is also getting in on the fun, even though she will eat lunch at home.

After their choices are made, it will be up for approval from the parent. When approval is given, then we'll get down to the business of making the lunch. Ideally, the lunch will be made the night before, but there are certain items that are best made the morning of. Either way, having this responsibility fall squarely on the shoulders of the kids will be a big relief for this Momma. I'm sure there are roadblocks to be faced as the school year progresses. I am hopeful that by arming them with a certain amount of autonomy , and the knowledge of how to best nourish their bodies, much less time will be spent eating the leftover lunch after school.

A girl can dream, anyway.

..the conference..

Has it really been over a month? My how time flies. The last month has been filled with sickness, end of year paperwork, catching up, impromptu travel, and much higher than normal outside temps. In short, there have been numerous other things to occupy my attention than sitting at the computer...which in the end is a good thing, I suppose.

(springtime in our front yard)

This past week, my husband and I celebrated our birthdays. We share the very same day as our birthday, and it has it's benefits, to be sure. There is no forgetting and there is not much pomp and circumstance surrounding the day for either of us. Keeping it low-key is what we like, and if anything out of the ordinary is done, it's usually on a small scale (like on our 40th birthdays). It is a frightful reminder, however, that I am and always will be, one year older than my love. But I can get over that pretty quickly.

This year, my gift came somewhat unexpectedly. We had a conference scheduled for Miss E the day before our big day. We were exhausted that day, having gotten up in the wee hours of the morning to travel home from a last-minute family gathering. I think we both consumed a fair amount of caffeine that day, but no amount would jolt us up out of the funk we were in. It didn't help that our 3 kids were well-rested and restless from having had to sit in small, confined spaces for the better part of 5 hours. So we dragged ourselves into the school, all kids in tow, to hear what the teacher had to say.

(springtime in our backyard)

The conference started out the traditional way, "..she's performing at this level, here are some work samples, she's on target for 1st grade, blah, blah, blah..." We didn't have any major concerns, as she is a good worker and seems to be progressing well. My only concern is with how she gets along with other kids. At home, Miss E likes to be in control of a situation. She has a perfectionist streak in her and if things are not done to her liking, she can be shrill and demanding. If she is not the leader, she can very well slip into her own little world and ignore everything around her. She has a grand imagination and is fascinating to listen to. At the beginning of the year, she had a difficult transition to kindergarten because she didn't know quite how to acclimate to a class that was double in size to her preschool class. She was known to spend recess time all by herself, and had some difficulty in making new friends. It was less of a concern to me now, but I was still curious. So I asked.

(Nest built under our deck, virtually overnight)

The teacher's response is what caught me completely off-guard. She sighed and said, "I wish that everyone was as patient and kind to other classmates as Miss E is." She went on to explain that in her classroom, there is an autistic child and a couple of other children with special needs. It is my little drill sergeant that they listen to. She approaches each of them fearlessly, with a gentleness that allows them to seamlessly become a part of the class. Miss E sets the example that these children, despite their differences, hold a place in the classroom that is just as significant as everyone else's. She insist they be treated with the same amount of respect, kindness, and attention, doing so through her own actions. And she's only 5.

(Miss E enjoying the water, Christmas 2011)

It was a proud parent moment, to be sure. Both my husband and I were touched. Sometimes, you focus on the academic side of things too much. And for two parents who both have worked as educators, the focus is even more intense. The praises that were sung about my daughter were a reality check. I am proud of her intellectual growth, but I am even more proud that this little girl we're raising, can be an example to us all. That tolerance of those that are different from us, in any way, can make this world a kinder, gentler place.

A special birthday present, indeed.

..the tickling chair..

Behold, the tickle chair.

My son has an "Invention Convention" at his school this week. This was probably the first big project he has brought home to build. He is in 2nd grade, and I'm sure many more will be assigned through the years. Having been a teacher that has assigned my share of big projects, I am now on the receiving end of these projects, and it is tough stuff.

He brought the assignment home a couple of weeks ago, and had a myriad of ideas. Super sonic speed-maker, housecleaning robot, vacuum that sucks up toys and puts them away -- and the list goes on. He is a fabulous idea person, but not so good as the follow-the-project-through-to-the-bitter-end person. Needless to say, there have been many evenings of banging my head against the wall trying to get him to do the easiest of tasks. One such example includes the night that we made the ticklers out of chenille stems and foam pieces. After twisting 2 stems together, his fingers hurt. *Sigh*

I think the highlight of the week was when he wanted to paint his chair. I was certain he would choose the path of least resistance and paint the chair one color. But he instead opted for the rainbow. His sisters were thrilled. As Miss E exclaimed in sheer delight, "It will have colors for both girls and boys!"
 

But then came the reality of painting the rainbow. His 5 year old sister (Miss E) was correcting him as he slopped on the paint haphazardly. "You have big globs of paint here and there is a big gap right here! How can you be so sloppy?!" Can you tell my 5 year old is a perfectionist? But better she yell at him than I. I was too busy washing brushes anyway.

So the tickle chair is completed. An experience I won't soon forget, and hopefully, we all learned a little something along the way. I am very proud of his accomplishment, and equally as proud of his Mommy and Daddy, who only lost their cool a couple of times. Now if only this tickle chair was for real....