The Scoop

I've posted quite a bit lately but not really about all the changes our family has gone through in our quite literal New Year.

Most of you know that Mr K started in a new kindergarten at back to school time two weeks ago, with the school's focus being the Arts Core program here, which is arts-orientated programming that emphasizes the visual and performing arts: music, art, drama and dance. I am incredibly pleased. Just a simple way to put it. Its worth the considerable drive every day to take him there to see how happy he is in that class. I am laughing to myself as I think about it, but he has been so darn brave and funny and just my Mr K the last two weeks. Every day after lunch the school plays a classical piece by some composer after telling some history about them, and the kindergartens use scarves and dance around to the music. Well my boy had NO interest in it. None. In fact, he announced that it was "girl dancing" and he wasn't doing it. This might have something to do with the fact that there are 10 girls with fluffy pink scarves floating about his classroom, and one single other boy ;)

I tried talking his ear off about it. I tried bribery.Nothing worked. I gave up.I just gave up and let his teacher deal with it. And she did. By just letting him watch the other kids and not making a big deal out of it at all and then Thursday, out of the blue, he picked up a scarf (I wonder what color haha) and hasn't looked back. In fact, we went to Goodwill and now have scarf dancing in the living room, much to his sisters amusement. But it made me feel GOOD. It made me be able to rest easy about his new school knowing that his teacher handled it so well, and had the patience to wait 2 weeks and not force him into doing anything "because the rest of the class is". And it gave him such a boost of confidence. All I hear now is Mom! I tried it and I liked it!! (which makes me want to reply " I TOLD YOU SO!") But I am just happy that he learned a life lesson in such a positive way. I can spout (and I do) all I want to him about trying new things and being brave and getting joy out of them, but he learned this one allll on his own with us adults just waiting on the sidelines silently cheering him on. And I realized that that is one life lesson that no matter who tells you what, you just have to be brave and decide tackle it yourself to get that feeling of triumph and self worth. Because HE was the one who called the shots, he learned something huge...

I digress. To sum up, I love it, Mr K (now that he has the scarf dancing down pat) tells me he loves everything about his new school, the teacher talks to me and sends home little notes daily and always has lovely things to say to Mr K, I am more comfortable knowing how she handles issues like the one that came up, he's learning new songs and starting to learn about instruments and loves library time every Friday, I love that at Friday dismissals they play Celebration by Kool and the Gang over the intercom system and when I peek in his classroom he's dancing with his class, parents are grooving and its just so positive :) Everyone just kinda dances their way out.

And now on to The Princess. She had been on the waiting list for Fun Factory at the YMCA, and they gave us a call last week and had a spot for her. So she has started going every Mon/Wed/Fri afternoon. Day 1 I had to stay, then left for about 45 minutes, she was great when I picked her up. Day 2, I left when she went to do crafts, and I guess she had a REALLY hard time. Like hard time as in when she saw me at pick up time, she burst into tears and threw herself at me. She DID have a rough sleep the night before so I think that contributed a lot. She was a very sad little girl, but I was glad that one Y girl there let her hold her hand the whole time and The Princess stuck to her like glue I guess. Day 3 was today and she did great. I stayed for circle time, then left her again at craft time and she told me she wasn't going to be sad. Just in case, I came back an hour early and sat outside reading my book (finished the other boleyn girl, thats a gooood book!) but I watched her through the glass on occasion and she was happy and playing. She came out and told me how proud she was because she listened at story time and circle time and her comet craft was for Mr K. "I'm proud of me mommy!" And I was proud of her too. Mr K always has such few transition issues, but I know that she is cut from a different cloth and definitely needs me more. I think I will be reading outside her classroom for a couple weeks yet!

But then..dum...dum...dum...my evil plan is to go and workout when she is in class. Kill two birds with one stone. My mornings consist of getting up, bunny-proofing the kitchen and gating said bunny in there, feeding ourselves, all of us crafting at the table while Scooby hops around, maybe getting dressed at 11 ish....then leaving at 12. I am SO enjoying our relaxing, stress-free mornings before school.I did the treadmill a couple times but it left no time for anything else relaxing and fun with the kids before 12. So once The Princess is settled I am going to start using the facilities there while she's in class.

I am still only casual at work, hoping that will change sometime in February, there's a position I want coming up. My house isn't any cleaner than it was when I was working my permanent position LOL but I give up. Its just never going to be clutter free. Ever. I am already concocting plans and seeds and plants and looking forward to spring, I am glad that our new year is off to such a good start for us all. Oh, and I didn't make a single resolution by the way. Not one.

I think too the kids are going to start swimming lessons right away once we get our family Y pass (discount on The Princess's class and we get lessons free with membership, its a win/win) and then that is just about busy enough for us. I have no interest in cluttering up our week anymore than it is, we seem to have reached a really lovely routine with lots of family time left over.

I have plans to redo Mr K's room in a month or so, finally get him his bunk beds and set his room up how he wants, throw out that infernal queen sized bed, this will keep the spring fever at bay for a while at least.

Annnd that's about all I can think of for now!