School days have started here. I was not sure what to anticipate as last year it took two weeks of dragging Eliza to school before she started to like it. Mornings filled with crying, throwing up, and lots of anxiety. This year, I was ready for school to start. . the past week or two have been filled with a lot of sibling fights, hitting and too much yelling. . .I was hoping that this was a sign that it was just time for school to start and that we were ready for a change in our routine.
For once, this time I was right - wow - what a difference a year makes. This year she is up at 6:30 a.m. - gets dressed, eats, and is ready to start out the door to the bus at 7:15 a.m. What a wonderful relief it is!! She comes home excited and chatty about all the wonderful things her school days are filled with. She likes her teacher and teacher's aide, and has learned that they are not mean, despite her fears. She is playing on the playground at recess with many different children and eating her lunch. I am amazed, excited and so very proud of the girl she has become. She loves the bus ride home too, and is thrilled to be sitting with Gage. . . .which makes me laugh, sometimes a little nervously as I think of her being so excited over a boy, an older boy to boot!
The evening can be more challenging, but I chalk that up to tiredness, and a clingy little brother. Our evenings are busy too - she has a half hour "down" time, watching Arthur on PBS. Then, we are off to the barn to help with the calves, bedding, watering, and feeding the new ones their bottles. Then it's back home for dinner, baths, homework and a few minutes of TV before bed at 8:00 a.m. We always pick out her clothes the night before school, which leads to my one disappointment. . . .I still can't get her to wear a dress or a skirt to school. But, I have learned to pick my battles and I just "grieve" silently about the fact that I can't dress her up in little girly dresses anymore!
At home, we are somehow as busy as ever. Eric has adjusted well to having Sissy at school this year. What a steamy, hot week it has been. The temps have been in the 90s this week. Eric tells us that it is "sweaty" out. He has enjoyed a couple rides with Daddy in the "Whopper Chopper" at lunchtime when I deliver lunch to the field during the busy season of getting the corn in.
My grandma gave me a tomato strainer to crush my tomatoes for sauce. Eric started getting it out of the box, got the instructions out, and after looking at the pictures, could figure out how to put it together. I love his mechanical mind!! Yesterday, we canned another 10 quarts of spaghetti sauce, and Eric was ready to help me crank the tomatoes through the strainer.
Today is Friday, so as much as I love the scheduled routine of school-time, I do look forward to the weekends too - sleeping in, free time, and just having the kids together for a couple days. Maybe this weekend we can find grapes to make into grape juice . . .gotta keep my canning craze going!
Oh Robin! You don't know how true your words are! I could always tell the date without a calendar by the way my girls acted at summer's end~ School starting is a GOOD thing. It gives everyone back their routine. I NEED routines to stay sane and ungrumpy:) I too grieved the days I could no longer talk our girls into frilly but to each his own and they both look pretty fabulous now! I enjoy your words. What a great writer!
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