Where You Are...

Today I experienced pure hell. The churning in the stomach and a welling fire in my chest accompanied by tragic longing to be somewhere but unable to get to that place fast enough. I forgot to pick Mason up from school. Absolute agony. I remember sitting down at the computer to work on something for parent preschool that starts next week. The clock read 12:58. I logged it in the lump of jello in my head that I have one hour before I have to pick Mason up. Next thing I know Adelin and Everett are up. I was downstairs fixing them a snack when the phone rang. The caller ID blazed with the name Principal. I answered an unaccustomed "I forgot to pick up my son!" The voice on the other end seconded my assessment. The world trickled along at a lazy pace. I urged the car forward desperate to reach my son. I felt like I was driving through sludge; a force of nothingness trying to keep me from him. Once I parked I ran to the office devouring him in my arms. We sat wrapped in each other crying. Him asking why and me offering my only defense that I was so sorry.

Sugar and Spice and Bugs

Adelin is probably the most interesting and curious child of the three. Everett is the jokester while Mason is the fun loving socialite. Little Adelin is the only girl stuck between two rambunctious boys yet I think it has worked to her advantage. When she was a baby she was extremely shy. No one could hold her except I, not even dad. Somehow being best friends with her outgoing brother has helped her transition into a preschooler who is gregarious and independent.

Adelin is a tough. She is not someone you want to cross. However, in the next breath she is nurturing and cuddly as a cat. What makes me laugh the most is her feminine persona. She is all girl from frilly dresses to the color pink, but; at the same time she hates anyone to touch her hair which ultimately ends in a death match trying to get her to comb it. She is disinterested in bows and ponytails but loves make up, nail polish, bugs and purses. She is the little girl who at a play date chased all the other little girls dressed up in their finest princess gowns with a snake sss-ing at them. And most recently referred to her fluffy pink bath robe as her "karate robe". She is quite the character who fits nicely in our quirky home.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

Today I walked into the kitchen to find the two little ones engaged in a water and ice jubilee. It was almost like the time they fluttered around the kitchen shaking a large bottle of gold glitter. Only water is much easier to clean up. I just laughed it off. The floor needed to be mopped anyway.

What Do You Say To That!

Kids have this uncanny way of knowing just how to pull at our heart strings. Tonight an hour past bedtime Mason is still awake. I was more upset about his screaming fest than the hour. After a short lecture about the time and the long day ahead of him and how tired he must be I caved in, sang him a song and held his hand while he drifted off to sleep. Between heavy breaths he tells me he is happy now. What do you say to that?

Uncertainties

Today has been a hard day. I am dealing with the uncertainties of my first kid is going to kindergarten part of my life. We went to take a walk around the school and meet his teacher. I have to tell you I feel worse now than I did before. It is like I want to yank him out of school and home school him. My fanciful self dreams about how much fun we would have going on field trips and learning while we play.

This year with the budget cuts all kindergarten classes have changed to full day instead of half day. I don't really see how it helps save money. It is not so much a problem as I went to all day kindergarten when I was a kid. Thing is, we had naps, recess and centers. Not today or at least not where we live. So I ask what are you going to be doing for 6 hours? The children will have two 15 minute recess periods. The play kitchen is reserved for Friday's only and centers consist of 4 medium sized boxes of legos and one large wagon of wooden blocks. In my day daily centers consisted of a large kitchen area, blocks, a reading area and science area. We took naps and had a decent 45 minutes of playground time. My worse fear is Mason hates school. Boys failure in school has been a growing concern in the Unites States for at least the last decade. Psychologists and politicians are aware of the bias in the educational system yet nothing has been done to stave off the adverse effects the current model has on boys. Programs such as No Child Left Behind that require teachers to teach to the test rather than the kid only contributes to the problem.
Our little boys are not made to sit and listen or work on worksheets for hours at a time. They need hands on learning. They need to be able to explore, run and play.

We need a school of thought that accepts individuality rather than curses those who do not conform. Less drugs and government involvement and more teaching. I used to beat myself up because my kids have spunk and can think outside the box. They may not sit quietly for hours on end but they are happy and they are creative. I'd rather be subject to that than have three little robots.

I Never Want To Grow Up

Mason's response to becoming an adult. He always wants to be a kid because he loves to have fun.

Expressive Words

When asked "what do you plan on making with your marshmallows?" Adelin said, "delicious apple pie with juicy berries!"