Tag: School

F R I D A Y

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

.:: Forget Me Not
This week was Joe’s 2nd week of school. He has his routine down, and he has settled into his new classroom nicely. On the other hand, I had a blip this week.

While taking him to school on Monday, I realized I left his lunch at home. D’oh! No worries. I returned to the school, leaving Joe’s lunch with the gals at the front office. Later that day, while driving home from work, I realize, “ACK! I have to pick up Joe!”

Yes, on my way home from work, I drove straight home. I did not pass ‘Go’ and I did not collect my child. D’oh again! Fortunately, I realized the car was a little too quiet, and I missed the smiling “Mommy!” greeting I always receive when I pick up Joe. So, I quickly corrected my error, drove to the school, and got in the pick-up line behind all the ‘non-forgetful’ parents.

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Routines of the school year in full swing.
Staying busy now through Spring.

Time for breakfast, rise and shine.
Drop off, pick up, and get in line.

Remember what to bring with string.

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.:: Two Pounds!
So last week, I touted the fact that I lost two pounds. And, this week? Drum roll please . . . Two pounds!! Two pounds, Folks! I gained two pounds!

Apparently, you cannot celebrate a two pound weight loss by eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream two nights in a row, without gaining two pounds.

Oh well. Live, learn, and eat anyway.

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Weight, weight don’t tell me.
I want to lose thee.

But, when ice cream is near, I am weak.
And, my quest for willpower remains bleak.

I shall never be ice cream free.

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.::A Difference in Taste
First an aside: I absolutely love when Charlie asks us to turn on some music. Charlie doesn’t say ‘music’; Charlie says ‘muse-tik’. Rob and I love when he asks, “Can we here some muse-tik?”

Well, one afternoon, the boys were playing with Daddy and their friend, Joseph, in the basement. Joe asked Daddy to turn on some music, because he wanted Joseph to hear his favorite song. What is Joe’s favorite song? Corelli’s Christmas Concerto. Yes, you read that right. Joe’s favorite song is a classical music ‘song’. (When there are no lyrics is it still a song?)

I was upstairs in our bedroom, while the boys were listening to the music. I could hear Joe going on and on about how he loved it. He even asked Daddy to turn up the volume. Joe was trying to get Joseph involved by saying things like: “Don’t you like it Joseph?” “It’s a fast song.” “Oh! Here comes the best part!” And Joseph? Yeah, no. He was not interested. Joseph preferred playing with the air compressor to listening to classical music.

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Our boys love music;
Jamming to whatever they hear,
Classical through rock.

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.::Wonderful Words
And finally, the day after the Monday Meltdown, Joe said he made a surprise for me. I could only imagine the surprise Joe was going to make for a Mom that sent him to bed without supper the previous night.

Much to my surprise, Joe came running to me with a note that read, “you are the greatest mommy ever. love, joe.”

That works.

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The highs and lows.
The giggles and woes.

The ups and downs.
The smiles and frowns.

And so my love still grows.

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ForDay-Friday

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

.:The ‘My kid is home’ diet

Who knew Joe going to school and coming home at 2:30 PM Monday through Friday would do wonders for my waistline? Since Joe started school, which was Monday, I have lost two pounds. Two pounds, People! Two!

Why? Because I’ve started exercising! Yeah. Right. No, the real reason is because, I do not eat junk food in front of the kids. What I do behind my closet door is my own business. I’d rather not influence my kids with my poor eating habits. The fact that I eat behind my closet door is completely normal and will not scar the boys in any way, shape or form. (That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.) Anyway … my prime ‘snack/binge’ time typically occurs between 3pm and 5pm. However, now that I have supervision during my afternoons, the binges have ceased. Dang blast it.

Well, the binges ceased as of Tuesday. You see, Monday afternoon, Joe caught me eating chips around 4pm. He had gone to my neighbor’s house to play with her son, Joseph. I saw his departure as chance to raid the cabinet. However, about 10 minutes later he came back to the house to get something to show Joseph. I felt my face blush.

“Oh! Chips!” He said.

“You caught me.” I said surprised.

“What?” He asked. Thank goodness for the naivety of a 5yr old.

“Oh nothing.” I said.

“Can I have some?” He asked, while simultaneously reaching his hand in the bag.

He was back out the door within minutes. The coast was clear. I could commence my binge eating in peace. I think it best that Joseph come to our house and play after school. After all, I still have 8 pounds I’d like to lose.

*~*

Distracted by life may help me lose weight.
Being busy and watched, the food I abate.

No more afternoon snicky-snacks for me.
I’ve settled for a cup of decaf green tea.

Eating ice cream on weekends? Still a mandate.

*~*

.:It’s Called ‘Perspective’

“Now that my kid is in school, he no longer to take naps.”

“Really? Oh well.”

“Oh well?! Oh well?! What do you mean ‘Oh well’? You don’t understand. He is so cranky when he gets home. He drives me crazy! He’s cranky. I’m cranky. We’re all cranky. AND, I have work to do for my paid gig. I can’t be at his beck and call every time he becks and calls. This school thing sucks. Seriously. I tip my hats to all the stay at home Moms that are home and love it. I don’t love it. I’m sorry, but I don’t. And, juggling work, home chores and Mom chores is – well it sucks! Oh. And. AND. What happens during the school breaks?! How in the heck am I going to manage that AND my paid gig? Huh? Tell me that.”

“My Mom has Cancer. That sucks more.”

*~*

Sometimes it’s hard to put things into perspective.
Because the challenges we face are always subjective.

We all carry rocks in our life backpack.
And sometimes we pick what we add to the sack.

So, remember some problems are purely elective.

*~*

Let the Crying Begin

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

Dear Blogary,

I hadn’t a clue there was a shoe in the air. Yet, it seems the proverbial shoe has dropped. Remember when I said no tears were shed? Not one? Well, I have an update to my post from earlier this week.

Blogary, seems one has to adjust to this new life of school. Seems one has to adjust to this new life of working for a paid gig, while also working as Mom. This is not really news to me, Blogary. Rather, I preferred to sing ‘la la la’ loudly in my head, while moving along with my day.

As a child, when I came home from school, I either sat and watched TV, played inside or went outside to play. Interacting with my Mom wasn’t an option. Well, I could ask her to play Little People with me, but her answer would always be ‘no’. Instead, my Mom spent her time sewing, reading a book or enjoying an afternoon cigarette with a freshly made cup of coffee. (Though she has long since quit smoking, I can still picture her sitting at the counter, enjoying her afternoon ‘smoke’.)

Understand, my Mom worked. She took care of kids inside our house. She had about three kids at a time from infancy through Pre-K. She only worked during the school year. When Summer came, she’d head off to Nova Scotia with me in tow. Woo hoo! Ah, the good ol’ days. I digress.

Blogary, I am a working Mom. You know this. And, you know that prior to Joe starting school, my days were ‘easy’. I dropped the boys off at Suzann’s house in the AM before work, and I picked the boys up in the PM after work. My schedule allowed me the freedom to tackle household chores, as well as meet the needs of my paid gig.

And now? Now, my ‘flexibility’ ends at 1:30 when I am at my boss’ house and 2pm when I am home. Am I moaning and groaning needlessly? Yes, I suppose I am. Though I suspect there are others like me. Still, I’m not sure how my Mom managed to get things done, once the kids were home from school. Perhaps it just takes time. After all, my Mom had 6 kids – who knew how crazy she was with the first two.

After school child care is not an option for us, Blogary. I do not even want to think about Fall break in September. What is Fall break, you ask? It is a week where the kids are home from school. Hmmm . . . my child is home, while I am suppose to be working. Ack. Another need for adjustments. Fall camp is an option, though that takes money. Commence singing ‘La la la’ in head…

Blogary, due to the proverbial shoe dropping last night, we had cereal for supper. I wanted to run to the store and find some Ben & Jerry’s to console my wigged-out self, but refrained (successfully). And the tears shed? Yeah, those were mine, as the reality of adding another ball to my juggling act hit me. Many tears shed. Tons.

Love,
Me