After waiting for close to six months, I finally got the call a couple of days ago that The Boy got into the school we were hoping for. I went to tour the school with the kids at the beginning of the year and it was one of those things where it just clicks. The building isn’t gorgeous. The classrooms aren’t perfect. And the neighborhood where it is located is not anywhere I would choose to live. But the school counselor knows every single student’s name and something important about their lives. All of the teachers invited us into their classrooms, pausing their lesson for a moment to introduce themselves. The teacher to student ratio is pretty low given what he had last year in kindergarten. They have gym, art, music and Spanish classes every single day. There is a section in the student handbook that specifically asks parents to not schedule appointments or any other out of school time during the daily allotted literacy time. Kids are evaluated every quarter and encouraged to learn where they are; constantly pushing their limits while respecting their current level of knowledge.
It was just one of those things that clicks. I knew I had found the right place for The Boy to learn and continue to look forward to going to school every day.
The only drawback is that to make up for all of the daily extra classes in addition to the core academic curriculum, they start school earlier than other districts. Like in two weeks early. Normally this would have me jumping for joy, but he just finished summer school. So that means he only really gets two weeks of summer vacation before he is thrust into school for real. This is a school that does not mess around and they will be expecting his best every day.
I know he can do it. It just means that I have to cram a whole summer’s worth of fun into the next two weeks. Which is hopefully going to include some time down at Nana and Papa’s house; I need a summer vacation too after all.
We have to play hard so he can work hard.
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
7/16/09
6/7/09
People's Fair
Today is my mom’s birthday – Happy Birthday Mom!! She came to spend the weekend with us and we went to the People’s Fair in Denver today. It’s sort of a tradition for us as it always falls the first weekend in June so is always close to our birthdays. We’ve been going to the fair for as long as I can remember. Ever since it was small enough to be contained by Civic Center Park with room to spare. Now they close off a huge chunk of downtown around the park and it takes an entire day to go through all the booths, investigate all the food and check out all the music.
It is prime people watching fun. Although I do have to admit that it’s more fun when we can go sans children. There is a ton of stuff for the kids to do and see, but the sheer volume of people alone makes for a nerve wracking day just making sure I know where they are all the time. Plus my kids are just not all that fond of shopping. Especially for the things that I really like to shop for, like jewelry and clothes and art. I often find new (to me) artists that blow my mind. But it’s just really hard to peruse over expensive bobbles or canvases when you’re trying to keep your kiddos from pawing the merchandise. But with or without kids, it’s a beginning of summer tradition that I always look forward to.
And when I found a necklace that I absolutely fell in love with (and whose price tag made me squint my eyes in pain) that I went ahead and got (despite the miserly guilt voice ranting in my head) I did my best to talk my mom into going back for the necklace that had made her light up. It’s her birthday after all! But then the sky opened up again and we were getting drenched and she decided that no necklace was worth braving hail and down pour twice in one day.
Even with the deluge, it was a lovely day and as always, it I hope my mom had a lovely birthday!
It is prime people watching fun. Although I do have to admit that it’s more fun when we can go sans children. There is a ton of stuff for the kids to do and see, but the sheer volume of people alone makes for a nerve wracking day just making sure I know where they are all the time. Plus my kids are just not all that fond of shopping. Especially for the things that I really like to shop for, like jewelry and clothes and art. I often find new (to me) artists that blow my mind. But it’s just really hard to peruse over expensive bobbles or canvases when you’re trying to keep your kiddos from pawing the merchandise. But with or without kids, it’s a beginning of summer tradition that I always look forward to.
And when I found a necklace that I absolutely fell in love with (and whose price tag made me squint my eyes in pain) that I went ahead and got (despite the miserly guilt voice ranting in my head) I did my best to talk my mom into going back for the necklace that had made her light up. It’s her birthday after all! But then the sky opened up again and we were getting drenched and she decided that no necklace was worth braving hail and down pour twice in one day.
Even with the deluge, it was a lovely day and as always, it I hope my mom had a lovely birthday!
5/16/09
In Search of Sassy Sandals
So here’s the thing about my Mojo Boots. I can’t wear them in the summer. Ack!!! I’ve been finding myself wishing for rainy or chilly days so that I can still wear them. But we are in full swing spring here, so their days are limited.
One would think that this would be just the excuse I need to go shoe shopping. But there are two problems with that. The first is that while I typically love to go shoe shopping, I really detest shopping for sandals. Like so much else about my body that has changed since having babies, my feet have widened. So it’s almost impossible for me to find cute, sassy, strappy sandals that are even remotely comfortable. And even though I’m willing to wear shoes for a short time that aren’t Birkenstock level of comfort, I do need to be able to actually stand up and walk in them without crying.
The second problem is that I’m actually pretty sure that I won’t be able to find any sandals that will measure up to the Mojo Boots. Because sandals just carry a different kind of attitude with them. An open, sexier kind of feel. And that’s not necessarily something I’m entirely comfortable with as of yet.
The Mojo Boots make me feel powerful and badass. Sandals tend to make me feel a bit more exposed. And I guess that if I can find that perfect pair of sandals that they too will rise to the level of appreciation and acclaim that the Mojo Boots have. I have to give sandals a chance I suppose.
Mostly what this all boils down to is embracing summer. And I’ve always rebelled against summer. Because of the heat and the change in wardrobe and, well, the heat.
Summer means the baring of suntanned skin, the trickle of sweat running down my back. The tank tops and the shorter skirts and capris. Running through the sprinklers or playing in the pool with the kiddos. Embracing summer is a bit of a risk for me. Because it means embracing my own inner sexiness. And it’s time I suppose. Now I just have to find those Sassy Sandals.
One would think that this would be just the excuse I need to go shoe shopping. But there are two problems with that. The first is that while I typically love to go shoe shopping, I really detest shopping for sandals. Like so much else about my body that has changed since having babies, my feet have widened. So it’s almost impossible for me to find cute, sassy, strappy sandals that are even remotely comfortable. And even though I’m willing to wear shoes for a short time that aren’t Birkenstock level of comfort, I do need to be able to actually stand up and walk in them without crying.
The second problem is that I’m actually pretty sure that I won’t be able to find any sandals that will measure up to the Mojo Boots. Because sandals just carry a different kind of attitude with them. An open, sexier kind of feel. And that’s not necessarily something I’m entirely comfortable with as of yet.
The Mojo Boots make me feel powerful and badass. Sandals tend to make me feel a bit more exposed. And I guess that if I can find that perfect pair of sandals that they too will rise to the level of appreciation and acclaim that the Mojo Boots have. I have to give sandals a chance I suppose.
Mostly what this all boils down to is embracing summer. And I’ve always rebelled against summer. Because of the heat and the change in wardrobe and, well, the heat.
Summer means the baring of suntanned skin, the trickle of sweat running down my back. The tank tops and the shorter skirts and capris. Running through the sprinklers or playing in the pool with the kiddos. Embracing summer is a bit of a risk for me. Because it means embracing my own inner sexiness. And it’s time I suppose. Now I just have to find those Sassy Sandals.
5/7/09
Summer is on its Way
It’s the second week of May and I have a sun burn. How crazy is that?!? After almost a week of rain and/or snow depending on the random whimsy of the weather gods, the sun is shining and it’s bloody hot. I’ve been so happy to see the sun, that I’ve been unabashedly sitting in it. Yesterday on the deck while catching up with my mom and then watching The Boy’s last soccer game. Today when I met up with a couple of friends for a play date. We took the kids to the park to let them run off all the pent up energy and I sat and chatted with girlfriends. And it was lovely. But now here I am sitting on the couch and my back is very, very hot and the headache that I’ve had for the past four days is pounding with a newly revived and heat induced fervor and I am officially sunburned for the first time for 2009.
And even though I’ve actually enjoyed being slowly baked the past couple of days, I’m so not ready for this kind of heat every day. I’m not ready for air conditioning. I’m not ready to sit on the edge of my bed every morning staring blankly at my closet cursing summer clothes under my breath. I’m not ready to exist with a constant, and unattractive, sheen gleaming from every inch of exposed skin due to constant sweating. I’m not ready for summer!
This is a yearly thing for me. And it usually coexists with either my first sunburn or my first heat related migraine. This year it happens to follow on the heels of both. I love the surge of heat after the cold and rain and snow of winter and early spring. But after, say, oh two or three days? I’m totally over it. And I would willingly retreat back into rain and cold and snow. For, oh, say, two or three months. Then I’d take a couple of days of heat and then right back to the cold. Perfect.
But instead, summer is coming. We’ll put the pool back up soon. And I’ll buy this summer’s bottle of sunscreen.
And even though I’ve actually enjoyed being slowly baked the past couple of days, I’m so not ready for this kind of heat every day. I’m not ready for air conditioning. I’m not ready to sit on the edge of my bed every morning staring blankly at my closet cursing summer clothes under my breath. I’m not ready to exist with a constant, and unattractive, sheen gleaming from every inch of exposed skin due to constant sweating. I’m not ready for summer!
This is a yearly thing for me. And it usually coexists with either my first sunburn or my first heat related migraine. This year it happens to follow on the heels of both. I love the surge of heat after the cold and rain and snow of winter and early spring. But after, say, oh two or three days? I’m totally over it. And I would willingly retreat back into rain and cold and snow. For, oh, say, two or three months. Then I’d take a couple of days of heat and then right back to the cold. Perfect.
But instead, summer is coming. We’ll put the pool back up soon. And I’ll buy this summer’s bottle of sunscreen.