Just carry me upstairs right now.  We started school today and overall it was a good day.  But starting new curriculum, adjusting to Mini’s new schedule, and trying to make the first day fun and exciting meant it was a looong and tiring day.

And it’s summer for pity’s sake.  Who’s idea was this again?

Yeah, I know.  It was mine.  But I have good reasons for starting early.  I like the gradual approach with Max and I like the occasional Let’s-Ditch-School-Today approach with Max, and I like the Entire-Month-of-December-off approach with Max, too.

So, in order to get to do all that, I figured it is best to start in July.  And here we are.

We did have a good start and there were no complaints. Max was very excited to be called a First Grader and we did a memorable thing to get things started. We had a Clue Hunt, his most favorite thing in the world.

These are the clues he had to find around the house which told him some of the things he’ll be learning about in 1st Grade.  I limited the clues to 7 of them in case he got bored of the game.  Also, I got lazy.  It’s hard work to think of clues that aren’t too easy but he can still read some of the words.  One of the last clues was “I am a book.  God is the author.  What am I?”  He was like, “okay.  That was boring.  Next please.”

But one of the clues was super cool.  It was about quicksand and I had bought this neat little make-your-own-quicksand science kit at the curriculum fair that he has been asking us to do.  I told him that today was the day for it and he was stoked.

More on quicksand later.

Max loved the Clue Hunt and all the fanfare and said things like “what’s in this bad baby?” when he’d open a new envelope.  A chocolate donut with sprinkles gave him a little extra pep in his step.

After we read all the clues he got dressed and I tried to direct Mini toward various toys.  All she was interested in was what Max was doing, though.  Here we go…

A couple of major Mini-interruptions and two hours later we were done with our four subjects (we’ll usually do five but we skipped math today).  Still, this is longer than we spent in kindergarten and I wonder how he’ll do.  We bounced around from the kitchen to the living room to outside on the deck so that helps.

We ended school with the quicksand experiment.  I have to say, I wasn’t really wanting to deal with all the mess but it was pretty cool.  And right up Max’s alley with the hands-on stuff.  He talked about it all day.  In fact, check out the first entry of his own blog. He was so happy to get his own blog.  Who knows what fun we’ll be having with that this year!

1.  School is back in session starting Monday.  Ahhh.  I was so excited to go to Wal-mart and check out the Back to School aisle – the folders, binders, beautiful, colorful, vibrant markers – but all they had were stacks of unopened cardboard boxes on a crate.  How can this same store be up and ready for Christmas by Labor Day but not have notebooks and crayons displayed by the time I decide to start school in July?  What is wrong with this world??

2.  My eye is feeling great.  I started using a night-time ointment on the inside of my eyelid instead of eye drops which makes a big difference. Do you realize how many eye drops and ointments there are in the drug store?  I’m using GenTeal PM and it’s like ten million dollars but the doctor recommended it.  Plus, he suggested that I try to get out of the habit of suddenly opening my eyes when I wake up in the morning so I bought myself a siesta mask at Rite Aid.  Oh, it’s a beauty.

The mask is really for my brain.  When I wake up out of my nightly coma, the first thing I am thoughtful about is how I am completely in the dark but oh yeah, I’m wearing a mask, that explains it.  That, in turn, reminds me to move my eyeball from left to right before opening my eyes, preventing another scratch.  I’ve had many fleeting scratches over the past few months in addition to the three biggies, possibly because of the combination of dry eye and a sudden hello of my eyeball to the light of day.  So now I’m anxious.  GAH, did I just share all that with you?  The question isn’t what’s wrong with this world, it’s What is wrong with ME?  Plus, do I overuse the comma or what?

3.  Mike is going to Prague, the capital of Czech Republic, on a missions trip at the end of this month.  He is leading a group of students and adults to go over there and serve at a Young Life camp, helping them as they get some practice speaking English and being real examples for the love of Christ.  We’ve been praying hard for this trip.  It just “happened” that a nice size group of students wanted to go – Mike didn’t go to them and do the asking.  The Lord put it on their hearts and ISN’T THAT AWESOME?  I’m anticipating some great stories of how God will use each of them.  This trip has the potential of being a huge milestone in their personal life story.  Pray with us! The trip is July 29-Aug 9.

4.  I got a speeding ticket mailed to me.  41 in a 30.  Stinks.

5.  I’m secretly planning a trip to Disney World but Max doesn’t know this yet.  We’re going the week after Thanksgiving (which is, you might recall, the same time frame as Mike’s birthday, our anniversary, and my birthday.  Also known as the GREATEST WEEK OF THE YEAR.)  I’m having so much fun and driving Mike crazy with details.  I’ll wait to tell you more about it when the time gets closer since it’s still nearly 5 whole months away.  You’re welcome.  Right now we’re thinking of a fun way to tell Max and trying to decide when to tell him.  Any creative ideas?

My, that was a wordy list.  Hope you have a good weekend!

He’s getting bigger, taller, more mature.  He’s staying up later, reading himself to sleep, and writing his own wish list for his birthday which is in exactly 68 days.  He wants to be a big kid, ride with Dad in his truck, and assert his independence from the back seat of Mommy’s minivan any chance he can get.

When we drive separately to a friend’s house because we were coming from different places, we always transfer his booster seat so he can go home with Dad.  It’s a state requirement for any child 8 and under to use it and we only have one.  So either Mike or I grab the seat and make the switch from the van to the truck.

The other day Mike was still inside and Max was waiting for him to unlock the door of the truck.  As I was putting things in the van he said, “Go ahead, Mom.  I can wait by myself.  See you at home.  Bye.”

He seemed so grown up.  But of course I couldn’t just leave him.  He’s still my baby and I’m still his mommy and leaving him on a curb to wait 5 minutes is too significant of a milestone for this ordinary day in July.  So I got in the front seat and thought about how fast the years are flying and how the next thing I’ll know 10 years will have passed and he’ll be driving home by himself.

Nooo, where did the years go?  How do I possibly stop time from going this fast?  I want to press pause and enjoy the everyday moments I have with him while he’s 6 years old.  6 years old has been awesome. I love this age; he hugs me dozens of times every day and wants to have conversations about Bionicles and Lego Power Miners.

Then I got a grip and with a sigh of relief, I looked in the mirror and saw him walking away carrying his booster seat.  We still have some time.

I’m fascinated with watching Mini play with dolls.  She has just begun to hug them and kiss them lightly on the head and cradle them in her tiny toddler arms.  She doesn’t have a play stroller but she improvises and pushes them around the house in a little blue chair.  She stops, walks around the chair to gently touch, move, or give them their bottle.  I watch in amazement over how God gave her this inborn desire to nurture.

I’m equally fascinated with watching Mini show natural athleticism and coordination at such a young age.  Since I am the very definition of Not Athletic and Not Coordinated, I am in awe over how she goes after a bouncing ball and not watch it go by (like someone I know).  She loves any kind of ball and can pick one up, aim, and throw it clear across the room.

I’m proud that my girl is developing both of these traits and it’s fun to watch and see where her main interests will be in childhood: dolls or sports.  For right now, it amuses me to see the two go together.  Baby Doll, on the other hand, wishes she would only work on her pitching arm with a ball.

Okay, me too.  But it’s still kinda funny.

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Max and I drove to the airport to be there when Pops & Nana arrived with Mini tonight.  I just couldn’t wait for them to drive her home, I had to be there at the first chance possible.  I brought balloons, too.  How funny is that?

I really missed my little girl!  But the weekend here with Max was fun and we did things that we normally wouldn’t be able to do.  Like stay at the pool for hours in the afternoons, go to the movies, and run out for quick errands in record-time, i.e. Dairy Queen.  Max liked most of the outings I had planned and tolerated the rest.  The put-off-forever visit to the Social Security Administration wasn’t as much fun but I was not going to pass up the opportunity to get that done toddler-free.

I also cleaned without interruption.  Plus, for six days I didn’t have to do any of this kind of sweeping.

By the way, Mini had herself a great time down in Arkansas.  She did pretty well on the plane and slept through the night just fine.  She got spoiled with attention, love, and half the Gerber snack aisle.  I was so relaxed and knew she was in good hands.  Every time I called, I heard her happily talking in the background. It was always, “NANA!  NANA!”  I didn’t dare talk to her on the phone to prevent myself from bursting into tears her from feeling separation anxiety.  It could go either way at this age.

She and I had a nice catch-up time tonight in her rocking chair while she was in a blissfully half-asleep cuddly state.  It was cut short because Mike wanted a turn.  No fair.  Who does he think he is anyway?

But tomorrow while he’s at work it’s just me and my kids.  And two bags of leftover yogurt melts.  The break was good, but I’m refreshed and ready to get back to normal life.

Except for some Tostitos and a cookie or two, this was his dinner.

There was way too much fun to be had.  Eating was the last thing on his mind.

When you have your best buddy and your best girl beside you on a tire swing, what else matters?

Today I picked up a copy of People Magazine, with Chace Crawford on its cover.  Chace is the new Kevin Bacon in the re-make of Footloose.  Kevin Bacon played Jack Swigert in Apollo 13.  I saw Apollo 13 exactly 14 years ago today.  My friend, Mike, sat next to me at the theatre.  365 days later Mike sat next to me on a grassy field* in front of a fireworks show and asked me to marry him.

I love July 3rd.

*bonus: that field is now inhabited by a lovely Chick-fil-A.

1. Scratched cornea again.  Let’s have a collective ‘cross the internet sigh.  SIGH.  It was the other eye this time.  Due to dry eye.  Trying new drops and fish oil tablets.  Any and all other advice is welcome.  Because, OUCH, it hurt like you would not believe.  I planned my funeral again including the slide show.

2.  I am going to be fine.

3.  Max is at Vacation Bible School and he’s loving every minute of it.

4.  Mini was picked up by her Pops and Nana Posse this morning and whisked off to BWI Airport where she will get to board a plane to Arkansas for 6 glorious days of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and watermelon.  Add a few cows mooing in the pasture too and it’s almost too much fun for a toddler to take!

5.  Max gets to be the center of attention here at home.  Something tells me he’s going to love that!

6.  The hardwood floors got mopped.  It took me a month to do it, but I finally mopped the entire floor this morning, moving furniture out of the way and everything.  Vision is a little blurry but if you ask me, the sheen is incredible

7.  Have a wonderful 4th of July.  Do not take your eye health for granted.  Sign your child up for a week of VBS.  Make sure you marry someone who has cool parents.  This has been a public service announcement.

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We ventured out to pick blueberries today at our local orchard.  The heat and humidity made today’s trip a short one, but it was still lots of fun.

After a little research, I noticed something.  I’m wearing the same shirt that I wore blueberry picking two years ago.

That’s what fashion experts call a consistent look!

Last night Max swam two races in his first meet for the Mini Team (6 and under) and received a 1st place ribbon for a 25 meter kickboard race

Max was in the middle lane competing against two girls (super fast competitive girls, of course!)  Watching the Mini Team’s races are comedies in slow motion.  I love how they look at each other the whole time. Max pulled out early on for the clear lead but then he started looking back at his competition.  Uh-huh, he got a little cocky.  Then he’d look over to Mike and me with this huge goofy grin on his face knowing he was going to take this race home and build a Lego set out of it.  But lo and behold, Super Fast Girl #1 closed in and the crowd went wild.  America loves to cheer for the underdog.  However, my boy kicked it into gear and won the race.

He got out of the pool.  Eventually.  And we enjoyed the moment of seeing Max beam with pride and self confidence about his accomplishment.

Then the 25 meter Freestyle Race happened.

5th place.

The reaction was epic.  You would have thought he was bleeding out and needed medical attention.  But it was only a brief, highly public, flashback to the terrible two’s.

The ride home was one big teachable moment.  We talked about what really matters in a competition, how to be a good sport when you win or lose, and then we used our favorite family word: do-over.

The next meet is on Saturday morning.  I’m approaching it with a measure of fear and trembling.  25 meters to be exact.