First Days

Last week Emmett and Charlotte went back to school.  This year Emmett is in grade 4, Charlotte is in grade 2.  Charlotte started in a  new school this fall, as I took her out of French Immersion andenrolled her in her big brother's school. Charlotte is not missing her long bus ride at all and seems to be settling nicely in her new school.  I am not missing the parking nightmare at her old school and trying to juggle two school schedules!  Matthew started Kindergarten there today and handled drop-off like an old pro.

Here is the obligatory First Day of School in the Front Yard picture

Here's another one

Charlotte takes her Big Sister duties very seriously (when it suits her).

Settling in.

Summer is over??

The end of August went by in a flurry of activity.  Emmett and I went to summer camp.  It was his first summer at this camp, and once I did a little math the director and I realized that I had been going to this camp for the better part of 15 years.

There are no pictures of Emmett doing camp things since I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to stalk him with my camera as no other moms got to stalk their kids at camp.  He did really well and barring a few shy waves in the dining hall and our evening visits to get his bedtime meds, the only time I really talked to him was when I wandered down to the archery field to watch the Golden Arrow competition.  I scored major points with his cabin mates as I speak fluent Skyrim and Plants vs Zombies. (at first I didn't want to contribute to the video game talk with my game that involves killing mystical creatures with battle axes and other medieval weapons, but the boys were already talking about Call of Duty and Halo so I figured their parents were OK with a certain level of video game violence.)

I came home quite ill since most of the campers coughed on me at one point in the week or another, but thanks to Richard and my respite worker, I was able to relax and do very little but cough on the couch for a couple of days when I got home.

I had some special patients in my cabin this week: 

This is Ruby, the camp Director's dog. She was first in the water for polar bear swim every morning!

This is Ginger, another camp dog. She wanted to make sure I was OK after a fire work was set off after campfire one night. She stayed the whole night in my cabin, just to be safe.

We had a special visitor at camp!

I had plenty of human patients as well, but I don't feel right about posting pictures of other people's children on my blog without their permission, so suffice to say I saw my fair share of bloody toes and runny noses (and one puker) and leave it at that.

Summer Days

Summer is here.  We are playing outside.

File Under:

Some Day He Will Thank Me For This

Yesterday Matthew pulled Charlotte's tutu on over his PJs and danced merrily around the house while spinning her pink Barbie umbrella like a jaunty parisol.

I did not take a picture and post it online to humliate him in the future.

Do I get some sort of prize for that??

Nine

Nine years ago I had no idea what I was getting into.  Nine years ago we started on a journey, he and I.   He started teaching me lessons. He started by teaching me to throw out the self-help books and trust my instincts.  He taught me how to be a mom, but not just any mom, a mom for HIM.  No one could be Emmett's mom but me.  No one but me could handle the curveballs life has thrown us.  No one but me could figure out who to bring into our circle to help us and who to politely (or not-so politely) ignore.  No one but me cheers harder or is more proud of how far we have come together.  No one knows the struggles we face better than I do.

You are my smart, handsome and special little man and I am so glad you chose me to be your mom.
Happy Birthday, Big Guy.

Caught on camera.

I caught the tallest and shortest members of my family goofing around on the deck today.  Aren't they cute?

Birthday Girl

1 Cake + 18 Cupcakes + 2 Parties = 1 very lucky, newly-minted 7 year old. (Last week.  Oops)

Happy Birthday, my Charlotte!  Try to stay a little girl just a wee bit longer, please?

Through their eyes.

 I did this interview two years ago. In honour of Mother's Day coming up, I thought I would ask the kids the same questions to see how the answers have changed.  If you look back, you will see that Emmett has not changed much,  but Charlotte has.  Matthew has never been interviewed before.
It is fun (and also rather illuminating) to see how your kids view you.  If you do the interview and blog it, please let me know in the comments so I can read yours!

Here are the previous installments: 

Enjoy!

Emmett, age 8, Charlotte age 7, Matthew age 4

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Emmett--You always say "Hello" to me in the morning?
Charlotte--Charlotte do not suck your thumb.
Matthew--Go!

2. What makes mom happy?
Emmett--When I'm nice to you.
Charlotte--Not sucking my thumb.
Matthew.  Pee and poop on the potty.

3. What makes mom sad?
Emmett--If I lie to you about cleaning up my room.
Charlotte--When Matthew hurts you.
Matthew-Fighting you.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Emmett--Well, you have nice jokes.
Charlotte--Funny jokes.
Matthew--Me laugh.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Emmett--Ok, I have no idea.
Charlotte--You liked dolls.
Matthew--You were a little baby when you were little.

6. How old is your mom?
Emmett--I don't know how old you are.
Charlotte--80?
Matthew--You are Big years old.

7. How tall is your mom?
Emmett--I don't know.
Charlotte--I don't know.
Matthew--Um, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Emmett--Now it's playing Skyrim.
Charlotte--Go shopping with your friends.
Matthew--work on the computer.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Emmett--Play with Matthew. And that is kind of obvious to me, isn't it?
Charlotte--Play with Matthew.
Matthew--Boring stuff.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Emmett--To make video games.
Charlotte-Will sing famous songs.
Matthew--Work on the computer again.  Every day you do.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Emmett-Playing video games.
Charlotte-You are really good at exercising.
Matthew--Eating and working and going on the computer to do work.  That's what you are good at.


12. What is your mom not very good at?
Emmett--I don't know.
Charlotte--You are not very good at doing cartwheels with your glasses on.
Matthew--Nothing.

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Emmett--Clean the house.
Charlotte--Taking care of your kids.
Matthew--I don't know.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Emmett--I don't know.
Charlotte--Mushrooms.
Matthew-Breakfast and lunch and dessert.

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Emmett--I forgot.
Charlotte--That you say "Good job" for me doing something.
Matthew--Climbing a tree

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Emmett--Maybe I can draw you in one! (and he did!)
Charlotte--You would be like Candice (from Phineas and Ferb)
Matthew-- An evil guy.

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Emmett--When Dad and Matthew are gone we went shopping.
Charlotte--we go shopping.
Matthew--We love to hug each other.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Emmett--I don't know.
Charlotte--We both have the same skin.
Matthew--We are not the same.  You are a girl.s

19. How are you and your mom different?
Emmett--Same answer as the other one.
Charlotte--I have blonde hair and you don't.
Matthew--No!

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Emmett--You are happy at me.
Charlotte--Because I am your daughter.
Matthew--No.  I'm not coming in.

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Emmett--I don't know.
Charlotte--To the store?
Matthew--I'm not talking to you.  

This is Emmett's depiction of me in a dungeon, getting ready to fight bad guys.

My boys

Emmett and Matthew have a pretty great relationship when they aren't trying to kill each other.  Today was a fine example of a big brother helping a little brother with his bike on the way to the park.  My heart grew three sizes watching Emmett being so kind and patient with Matthew today.

Oh, and just so you know, Charlotte is not forgotten about.  She was half a block ahead with her Dad helping her out.  She would also like to share this picture of a butterfly she took in our back yard today:

We're all in this together.

Today was Back to School Shoe Shopping Day.  A day I dread every year.  This year was extra fun since two weeks of fun and sun at Grandma's caused Emmett and Charlotte to both grow out of their shoes while away from home.  I had to buy them two pairs each.

We got to the mall bright and early to avoid the crowds.  We found both pairs of Emmett's shoes and one pair for Charlotte at one store, and then had to go looking at another store for one more pair for her.  (She is blessed with my very narrow heels so shoe shopping is turning in to a quite an ordeal for her, poor girl.)  On the way to the second shoe store we had to walk past a terrible store.  A horrible store.  The worst kind of store you can imagine.  A toy store.  Matthew bee-lined into the store and buried himself in the Thomas Train section.  I let him shop for a moment while I chatted with the sales associate (a friend of mine from Guides) while I mentally prepared myself for the melt down that would occur when I removed him from the premises for more shoe shopping.  As predicted, the melt down was spectacular. 

The melt down did not end in the shoe store, and was added to by a chorus of "I'm tired.  I need to rest.  I'm hungry." from Emmett as Charlotte tried on shoes.  Matthew's melt down got louder when I told him we would not be buying the Thomas umbrella he found in the shoe store that he decided to carry around.  My blood pressure rose ever higher.

While my kids were blocking the aisles at the shoe store a brave customer walked over to us.  She looked at me sympathetically.  She said to me "Back to school shoe shopping really sucks, doesn't it? Kids hate trying on shoes."  She even had a Thomas sticker in her purse that she gave screaming Matthew.  (She is another resident of the Island of Sodor.  If you don't know where that is, then you don't have a kid who is mad for Thomas in your house)

This conversation could have gone very differently.  There could have been dirty looks at my crying kids.  There could have been comments about my lousy parenting in hushed tones to her shopping companion.  She could have come up to me with tactless advice I am glad she took the high road.  We all need random strangers to help us out when we are deep in the trenches. I need to remember to be that random stranger more often.

We really are all in this together.

Hi Honey, I'm Home!

A couple of days ago I returned from my annual trip to The Lake to work as the First Aid Officer at a summer camp.  I love this camp.  I love going.  This year I patched together enough help that I could leave the kids with their Dad and a few Grandparents and go ALONE.  I know!  What a concept!

Now, I wasn't really alone as I had to watch over the staff and campers, but I had my own cabin, and my own time to do whatever I wanted.  I read.  I knit. I watched cheesy movies.  I went swimming with a lovely black Lab and her sweet owner. I sang the same campfire songs that I have sung for decades.

The dark circles that are always under my eyes disappeared, even after a couple of 16 hour days of tending to the various and sundry illnesses and injuries that happen at a summer camp.  The tension that is always lingering between my shoulder blades and in my forehead almost disappeared.  I feel refreshed and restored.

Of course, all good things have to come to an end, and my re-entry into the real world is not coming without some speed bumps.  I still have a bit of unpacking to do.  Laundry.  I brought home the bulk of it as my mom loves me and always sends the kids she looks after home with clean things, but now that we are all home the daily laundry added to my camp laundry has set me back a bit.  When all of the kids are trying to make up for my absence for a week by all clambering for my attention I feel the tension in my shoulders creeping back in and I have a "Marge Simpson" moment.

It was sooooo worth it.

Matthew's first movie.

Yesterday we decided to take the whole family to the movies.  We chose Cars 2 because Matthew loves Lightening McQueen so much.

As we stood in line to get our tickets and popcorn, Matthew spotted the theatre's arcade.  He then totally forgot why we were at the theatre and I had to drag him crying off of a video game so we could get to our seats.

He gobbled up his candy and popcorn during the previews in between holding his hands over his ears.  He asked to go to the bathroom during the Toy Story short before the movie started so I missed the ending, which made me sad.  Matthew then decided that running up and down the corridor to the bathroom was much more fun than sitting still and watching a movie, so he asked me one more time a little later, and then Richard took him a THIRD time after that.  When he asked a fourth time, Richard left me with Emmett and Charlotte and he took Matthew to run a quick errand.  When the movie was over we found them in the theatre arcade.

The movie itself was OK.  Not Pixar's best.  I didn't feel the heart and soul like I usually do.  Emmett loved the action sequences and I saw him bobbing excitedly up and down in his seat through them.  Charlotte actually curled up and fell asleep in her seat through the middle of the movie.

My favourite part was Tokyo.  The Pixar-fied city was luminous and beautiful.  The rest of the movie just felt like it was rather lazily written and patched together. I am glad we didn't pay extra to see it in 3D.

Randomness

Summer Holidays has begun.

To celebrate, I added a dash of colour to my hair.

I also reached a new low in my level of klutziness this week.  I reached over to steal a delicious nacho off of Richard's plate and somehow scratched my throat on a sharp corner.  It hurts a lot.  I am having a hard time swallowing things.  Richard really doesn't like it when I steal his nachos.  Karma is a bitch.

Tune in tomorrow when I tell a story about Matthew's first trip to the movies.