Well, it's almost "vacation" time again. To be more specific, it's time for our trip Up North. A vacation is a trip you take without your children. So, tragically, this is not going to be a vacation. I must say, however, with the completion of toilet training, this ordeal has become far more enjoyable. Now if they'd just stop puking in the car...
Y'know, I know I'm jinxing myself, but my kids are actually starting to take care of themselves. The Boy brushes his own teeth and (if he can keep his mind on the job), and he may even be taking his own shower by the end of the year. (Mostly, right now, he just wanders around the bathroom in varying stages of undress, making rude noises and enjoying the echoes.) I don't know the last time any of them pooped, but I know they're handling it because we keep running out of Kan-Doo wipes. (How did anyone live without flushable wipes? REALLY!) The Girl? Hmm. Well, The Girl can push herself on a swing. That's real progress! (The Boy can't!) She's starting to catch on to self-care stuff like putting hair bands in, but bathing, brushing, etc. are still out of her reach. Must add that to curriculum...
Ah yes, curriculum. (Must add that to spelling list....) I had started making a list of "things to learn", aka "goals" for the kids. Yesterday, I started on the "Addition The Fun Way" with The Girl and found that certain things had to be in place before I sat down with her. Hmm. Lesson preparations. Must make spreadsheet... I started a "math for The Girl" spreadsheet yesterday and it turned out really well. Not one to leave well enough alone, I tried to convert it into Microsoft Access, but no dice. Must be a trade secret...
The Social Word of the Week? COOPERATION. Cooperation means everyone helps. The Kids were tag-teaming me last night. Here's how it goes. The Boy loafs around instead of peeing/brushing/going to bed -- basically, he irritates me until I yell. Then The Girl seizes the moment of confusion and starts loudly demanding that I repeat one of her favorite phrases. Then while I'm trying to tell The Girl "no", The Boy starts shouting all of them, over and over. I tell him that it's mean, and we're trying to teach her NOT to repeat stuff over and over. As I get angrier with The Boy, the Girl screams louder. UNTIL! Bwaa-whoooom! Vesuvius!! Boy do they have my number. The Boy and I had a long talk about cooperation and helping. And I still didn't have to sing "El Coquille" for The Girl. Yay!
Then I headed for the gin bottle. JUST KIDDING! The Boy called me in two more times to say good night. He has this (not!) endearing way of whining "Mo-o-o-o-o-o-o-m!" Typically, the third time I come in there, ready to fight, he says in his most pitiful voice, "I need a hug..." This is not usually a demonstrative child, so I'm LOVING IT.
Today is the last day of his Lego camp at the museum, with his BFOP (best friend on planet). He was pretty happy the first two days, then he was a little edgy, then yesterday he got into a fight. His irrational fears are coming back, his level of agitation is up, he stopped eating breakfast -- the whole public school stress level thing. I have no idea how I'm going to break it to him that he's homeschooling this year, but I think he is. He's going to complain bitterly that he won't have any fun without his school friends. Truth be told, he spent as much time trying to kick his friends as he did playing with them, but they were a constant source of amazement to him. Like a moth to the flame he was drawn... But his nervous system just can't handle the public schools right now.
I do want to get him back into "real" school by 5th grade -- in two years -- so he can try making the transition to middle school. The synergy produced by bright kids is irreplaceable. Right now, he can't take advantage of it because of his nervous system, but the time will come when he'll want to. Hopefully, he'll be able to.
The Girl. Hmm. I worry about The Girl. I think I'm going to have to set up a trust for her long-term care. We were 37 when she was born, so she'll probably outlive us by at least as many years. Right now, I don't see her living on her own. Maybe she'll hit her stride, maybe someone will fall hopelessly in love with her and marry her, maybe -- who knows what. In the mean time, I need to help her fit in: learn to add, learn to pull information from text, learn to take care of herself, learn to be sociable, learn to learn. Oye.
But in the mean time, I have to figure out how to get everything we need for two weeks into a compact car! We're driving 8 hours, hotel overnight, driving 8 hours, brother's house for two days, driving 8 hours, cabin on the lake and in-laws for a week, driving 8 hours, BFF's beach house for three days, drive 4 hours, brother's house overnight, AutoTrain home. The lake house is gorgeous but the bathroom is tiny and cold. And usually the weather's cold, too, and THAT'S GOOD!!! No one believes us when we say it, but for us, COLD IS GOOD. Mmm... Cozy... And hopefully worth all that driving.
Next blog, remind me to tell you about THE BUDGET. Ouch. ;)
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