Proud Parents and Grandparents

I am all aglow from the events of the last week.

And not just because of the heat wave which engulfs us and is sending the kids home early today (the temperature in the classrooms is up over 100F, definitely no learning going on.)

No, I'm a very proud mom after a weekend of the school play, a horse show, and the sixth-grade award ceremony.

"It's Showtime!"
And best yet, all the grandparents and their uncle Goo were here to celebrate all of these with us.

The play, oh the play.  The kids--all the kids--were marvelous in Madagascar Jr., a musical retelling of the popular animated movie.  Bud played "Rico," the kung-fu fighting, sushi-loving penguin.  I loved watching him perform, from his slides onto the middle of the stage, his quick kung-fu moves, to his singing "Sea Shanty."  I really liked how he waddled and moved his head around like a real penguin. For me, he just lit up the stage.

Sis was a police officer, appearing mostly in the first few scenes and then the end, looking intimidating in her navy blue (real) police officer shirt and hat.  She does stern well and was believable with that walkie-talkie.  But oh, we had a shock to see her in eyeliner and blush.  She became a teenager right in front of us.  Kinda surprising.  But it all totally worked in the part.  And she didn't have to dance (which she does not like to do on stage.)

I was the snack coordinator again, meaning I oversaw the procurement and distribution of water and snacks to the cast during all three shows.  It's a bit of organizational work, but not much compared to people in charge of costumes, props, choreography, etc.  And we get to go backstage, which other parents not working do not.  I saw the show twice, checking the cafeteria before and after, and during intermission, and then worked the cafeteria snacks on Saturday.  It was pretty hot the last two performances, but we had enough water and watermelon, which is their favorite.  Mama, Gommie, and Pop also helped us out--fetching coolers and ice, helping bring in snacks.

After the show on Friday, we all headed to a local diner with much of the cast, loudly celebrating while wolfing down dinner.  Everyone was exhilarated and exhausted.  Saturday night, it was me, Mama, Gommie and our Beloved Babysitter and her boyfriend.  So special that they came!  She brought the kiddos flowers and then we all went to a diner together afterwards.  We love to see her and were interested to finally meet her chef boyfriend.

After Sunday's show, there was a cast party after the last performance.  The kids signed each other's t-shirts and posters between a chicken dinner and cake.  They also got the cast cards that audience members could leave for them.  We all wrote cards for Sis and Bud, and I also wrote cards to all my Girl Scouts and a few of the other cast members.  I just wanted them to know how much I really enjoyed the show and all their hard work.  It was a nice little party, after an amazing weekend.  And I couldn't be prouder.

Ride 'em, Horse Girl
In the midst of all that, Sis had a horse show on Saturday which we did not want to miss.  Even tired, she loves to ride "her" horse, Murphy.  So, Gommie, Pop, Mama, and I spent a hot day in the field watching those beautiful beasts and their composed riders.  Sis got a first place for jumping (because she made her diagonals correctly) and three third places for Walk-Trot-Canter equitation and pleasure (her dear Murphy was being a bit stubborn.)  I can't really tell what makes for a good ride; I just like watching.  Gommie was especially interested in how the whole horse show worked--the different events, the different commands ("the class is closed," "riders reverse at the wall," posting vs. half-seat, pleasure vs equitation--I understand it all, just barely.)  But we were all a bit relieved to get out of the heat after her events were over.  Still, I love watching her ride.  Almost as much as she loves horses!

Though, the kids did manage to go swimming with Gommie and Pop after eating some SmashBurgers!  And then it was off to the next performance . . . .  

And the Award Goes to  . . . .
It was a very hot night in the school auditorium, where I had been since Thursday (for the final dress rehearsal, I chaperoned with Gommie), but we were all happy to gather in our hot-weather finest for the celebration of the kids leaving elementary school.  I guess you could call it graduation or commencement, but they don't.  Sis wore her dress pants and white gauzy shirt, Bud was in a light blue Oxford--basic dress up clothes for them both (like for chorus or orchestra.)  We took a lot of pictures, in many combinations, getting a few great ones with grandparents and many of their school friends.  We didn't quite know what to expect from the ceremony, didn't really know what awards there were.  It started with a basic presentation of certificates for their involvement in the play, chorus, art, orchestra, etc., all of which were just passed out in an envelope.  We did know about the Presidential Awards, which the kids hoped to earn--the Gold award was for a 3.5 GPA and over 60 on various STAR tests.  I thought they qualified, but we didn't know until they were both called--the second set of twins to earn the Presidential Gold Award that night (the other set, in their class, also has two moms!)   They just beamed with pride and I was sniffly.  (I laughed that we should switch their last names so they could be called earlier in the round up!)  Then the Character Education Awards.  Someone had told Sis they thought she should get one--and she did!  Wow!  And then Bud won a prestigious Citizenship Award named after a local detective, that came with $100 (all the kids oohed and aahed)!  (He got it with another young lady, one of our friends and a former Girl Scout.)  Wow again!  So proud of them--academics and character!!!  Proud of all of our kids, especially their gifted-and-talented classmates and my Girl Scouts (current and former.)  It really was fun to celebrate them.  Which we did with more cake in the cafeteria, more pictures all over, and then a trip to the local ice cream shop with a bunch of their classmates.  I got a hot fudge sundae because I was proud of Mama and me, too.  Ma had even said we were good parents, which was a wonderful first.  My folks say it a lot, but it means so much each time; I was really glad that my dad made the trip, which was a last-minute decision.   And I'm glad they were all able to be with us, surrounding the kiddos with love and support during this exciting time.

And so now, they'll be home early because of the heat.  Gommie and Pop are off to who-knows-where, but we'll see them later.  The kids are essentially done with class--tomorrow is their 6th-grade picnic and then they have two half-days (hope the heat dismissal doesn't change that.)  Then they really are done!  Middle Schoolers!

It's all bittersweet.  I love their teachers and the supportive environment of the school.  They've had good times here and grown and learned so much.  I have, too.  But just as we moved from home to preschool, preschool to half-day kindergarten, half-day to full day, the small elementary school to the upper grades at the larger elementary school, we'll all be okay moving to middle school.  And I think, after a bit, we'll all be good, thanks to the love and support of family and community.

LI Adventure

It was an extremely busy weekend.  After Friday night at Sis's gymnastics performance--yay, Sis, on floor routine and trampoline!!!--we had family pictures with Ma, Gong, and Goo taken on Saturday to commemorate Goo's graduation from medical school.

And on Sunday morning, we headed to Long Island for that graduation, taking the ferry across for the first time.  We started our visit with a trip to Old Bethpage Village Restoration, which Mama fondly remembers from her third-grade field trip--there were stick candies and birch beer!!  And this time she shared those with our kiddos!  I loved wandering amid the old buildings including inns, general stores, and farmhouses, especially with the purple irises and bluebells.  Mama loved the newborn lambs, who "baa"-ed at us repeatedly.  Sis practiced her hoop skills and got pretty good. Bud liked the stick candy, of course.

   

Sis hones her hoop skills.

That evening, we met up with the family for a celebratory dinner at famed NY steakhouse, Peter Luger's.  It was quite the meal:  steak (of course, but I can't recall which kinds), a nice filet of sole for me, creamed spinach, German potatoes, iceberg wedge with blue cheese, Caesar salad, tomatoes and onions with their special tangy tomato sauce, and then cheesecake, apple strudel, key lime pie, and a hot fudge sundae with tons of "schlag," or whipped cream, for dessert.  I also had a too-strong "German" coffee with kirsch.  Mercy, that was a big meal.  

We worked off dinner with putt-putt golf!!  The kids had never played and the rest of us hadn't played in years.  And what a course it was, somewhere near Westbury, with animatronic pirates and other special effects set pieces.  We had the course to ourselves (who else plays putt putt at 7 pm on a Sunday night??) and had a jolly time.  Everybody even got a hole in one each!  Though, there were lots of holes where the players just missed as the ball spun around the cup or where they were several shots above par.  That's when we teased Goo that he'd need to practice his golf game now that he was a doctor.  As we played (well, I watched), there was a beautiful sunset over the Sound.

Monday morning was the graduation ceremony, good enough as those things go, best because it was Goo's med school graduation.  Yep, he's Dr. Goo now!  We are all very proud of him, especially because of the challenges and his persistence.  We picked up some flowers for Ma and Gong after the ceremony but before the reception; Sis even chose the peony that graced the center.

And then we played more putt putt!  This was a classic course, complete with windmill and lighthouse.  And just as much fun as the night before.

We took the late ferry home, after picking up picnic supplies, including sandwich makings, grapes, chips, cookies, and then grabbing yet more food at the dock--chowder from the Steamroom Seafood and ice cream and fudge from the Frigate.  It was a beautiful, though very windy, evening, with a stunning sunset behind some isolated storm clouds.  A great end to a great weekend.

Congratulations!

Several of our little friends graduated from preschool this evening.

We congratulate them and their parents and wish them a great summer before starting kindergarten. I hope you'll love your new school as much as you love the old one.

(It's hard to believe it's been a year since then for us.)

A Graduation Luau

"I'm on my way home

to the middle of the sea.

There''s an island lullaby

that is calling out to me

I'm on my way home,

my Pacific paradise.

Blue water cools my face

and the mountains touch the sky."

--Imagination Movers, from the song in "Trouble in Paradise"

I might be on a ranch kick, but the kids are all Hawaii 5-0.

See, the Imagination Movers have a new episode, "Trouble in Paradise," in which the character Nina needs a traditional Hawaiian skill to perform at her "tutu's" (grandmother's) birthday. After drumming and surfing, she chooses a hula dance. The kids are under her "island lullaby." Bud had me transcribe the words to the song's chorus, along with a few pictures, so that he could dance the hula too.

And so when it came time today to decide on a theme for Babysitter's graduation party with us, they chose "to celebrate Hawaiian style!" We bought leis, floral plates and tablecloth, bright napkins, and the best thing, a lit singing palm tree! They went crazy cleaning and then decorating the house, pulling out their ukelele and bongo drums (okay, not Hawaiian, but similar to the ones in the show). They even made a poster with a palm tree on an island and dolphins in the water, "Time to have a Graduation Luau!" We had Zinger Punch, a recipe Sis loved from Aunt Banana at the bay (though, it occurred to me afterwards that we should have had Gommie's virgin pina coladas with Coco Lopez coconut milk and pineapple juice blended with ice!), and brownie sundaes.

Babysitter arrived early, which was perfect because the kids were bursting out of their skins, and Bud did his hula dance for her, while Sis jumped around giggling. We then all got our leis and sat around the table listening to the palm tree while Babysitter looked at her Texas soap (a souvenir from our trip), two bracelets the kids made today, and our card. We then dug into the brownie sundaes, the first real food we'd all had since breakfast because we were too busy and excited to have snack or lunch. Babysitter told us all about graduation and then her orientation at college--she has grown up so much since she was an eighth grader, obviously; she really is an amazing young woman--or just "woman," I guess, without the young--and has been so good to the kids, who love her dearly, we'll be so sad to see her go away in two months.

But today we celebrated, "Hawaiian style," because we're so proud of her!

Shaka, Babysitter!

-=-=-=-=-=

Zinger Punch

1-2 liter bottle of Sprite

2 Red Zinger Celestial Seasonings tea bags

(optional: pineapple rings, separated and frozen; sherbet would be good too)

Steep tea bags in bottle of Sprite until the soda turns pink (I'd say you need at least 30+ minutes to get minimum flavor; I imagine you can steep it overnight in the fridge, so it's chilled. If you're in a rush, though, steep at room temperature and then chill with frozen pineapple/sherbet). Serve with garnishes of your choice.

Aunt Banana

Omegas and Alphas

It was a week of endings and beginnings over here, with both the end of preschool and the beginning of our connection to kindergarten. Which means high emotions for everyone.

Except the kids don't seem to get it. We left school on Friday, trying to keep the last day of preschool low-key, even though Mama was with us for drop-off and pick-up, and the kids went home . . . . to make things for their friends for when they said goodbye later! We tried to gently remind them that they'd said goodbye--which they seemed to realize at the time because they did actually say goodbye to teachers and friends--and marked the uniqueness of the day by having COOKIES for snack--but, well, they're not quite 5 and maybe didn't have the full grasp of the situation.

We let it drop. Mainly because each time we thought about it, we got choked up. Yes, we. Mama, who is not a freestyle crier like I am, did get teary as the kids hugged their teachers goodbye. Of course, as you know, I'd started at the beginning of the week but really did go to boo-hooing when I saw the preschool daily updates which I keep on our chalkboard so Mama could see them when she got home. And it hit me--more than packing their last snack, or writing their last note for this school--that we wouldn't be getting anymore of those photocopied summaries of the day's events. All of which I've kept for two years. Such wonderful things there--visits from firefighters, the zoo, the seaport, the Tooth Fairy, and parents with interests in deep-sea fishing, puppets, Chinese New Year; special birthday celebrations for each child; releasing butterflies and growing beans and harvesting pumpkins; hosting Thanksgiving lunch and Mother's Day tea; plus the "ordinary miracles" of paint and playdough, dress-up and blocks, songs and books, magnets and magnifying glasses, the Pledge and the weather.

Of course, the most important component was only hinted at in the notes: the fabulous, dedicated teachers, who every day didn't just put up with 14 preschoolers but encouraged, guided, supported, and inspired them. And then told me funny or endearing stories about it all at pick-up time. There was the gardener, who would get the children to help her water the school's plants and send them home with growing seeds and spider plant clippings; it was she who Bud sought out almost everyday to create works of art and she who came up with ingenious solutions to his creative problems (like how to make paper plate masks stay on his head--all 13 of them!). There was the artist, who organized and oversaw all the fun activities in the art kitchen, the first place Sis would head almost every morning; this was also the teacher, as I understand it, who read with them everyday. There was the musician, who played all the school's songs on the piano and who sang with them often; I think she is also the one . Lastly, there was Madam Director, whom I cannot easily compress into a few short sentences, and so I will just say that she was their favorite. Even today Sis asked if I could contact her and invite her over to play and I was to tell her that Sis would bake her a chocolate cake (a mutual love of theirs).

But they haven't just been the kids' teachers; they've been mine, too. It's like being born-again academically--I've just started over again in preschool with a clean slate and have to learn my role and follow the rules and figure it all out. Not just parenting a child in school (when do you send hats and gloves? was my healthy snack healthy enough? how many visits are too many?) and being part of a school community (learning all the kids' names, trying to help out on the parents committee, participating in fundraisers), but even just parenting a child in general (like, what should I do about anger? or, how do you handle monsters at night?). And so they answered all sorts of questions, gave suggestions, encouraged, and praised. (And overlooked my parenting shortcomings: unwashed hair, uncut fingernails, breakfast in the car, forgotten mittens, stained t-shirts, backwards clothes, shoes on the wrong feet). I feel like it was my school, in a way, as much as it was Sis and Bud's. There are a few things I wish I'd done better (namely, gotten to know the other parents better and figured out what to do with all the art that comes home), but I guess I can work on that next year.

Sigh, next year. In kindergarten. In a big school that isn't going to send home a daily update. In a school where the ratio is 1:20 not 1:3ish. In a big school where there will be no one to help open snack containers or read notes. Or to tell me what's going on everyday when I show up. That's not to say we don't like our new school (yes, "our": I'm a SAHM, folks, their school is my school--I'll be volunteering there in some capacity for the next 7 years. And I'm probably more of a helicopter parent than I choose to admit). In fact it is our first choice. And visitation last week went well. The principal and staff were enthusiastic; the orientation flowed smoothly, even when the kids left us to go play and hear a story (we sent them in the same group; no sense creating agita in advance--you can't practice being separated). There was a lot of talk about standards and goals and assessments, about reading and homework journals and skipping recess, that all sounded way too much like No Child Left Behind. And not at all like the fun I had in kindergarten. But then kindergarten is the new first grade and the stress is on phonemic awareness and such. Yes, I did learn a lot of buzz words--"responsive classroom" discipline, "tier 3 words," "Pillars of Learning," yada yada yada (thanks for keying me in, Mama Teacher! I'm going to need you next year). Not at all as much fun as art and music and P.E., which of course they'll also have each week (during "specials"). (And I did have a minor panic about their being "behind" in writing in upper and lower case letters, much less that they aren't close to reading. But isn't that why they're going to kindergarten?) We ended the visit by introducing ourselves to everyone (yes, I'm the suck-up parent. It worked for 20+ years in school, why stop now??? And is it really sucking up if I'm sincere?) and buying some spirit gear to get them excited about their new school. We took one picture by the school sign and left.

The kids spoke exuberantly for awhile about the blocks and the story and the drawings they made, and then Bud became upset. "I didn't make any new friends," he worried. "I won't know anyone at my new school." And all Sis could add was "it's bigger than I thought it would be." Reassurances went nowhere. And I'm sure I sounded overly perky about it as I tried hard to assuage (that's a tier 3 word there, folks) their fears. I guess we're going to need this summer to break the bonds with the old school and to prepare to form new ones with the new school. All of us.

But we'd still love to have you come over for chocolate cake, Madam Director.

Happy Graduation, All!

From my own kiddos to their beloved Babysitter (from high school) and Uncle (his MS), there are lots of graduates this year. And so I post a link to what I thought was a great summary of great commencement speeches: Lisa Belkin's Motherlode. Reading through the various speeches makes me want to write my own commemorative letter to the kiddos, on this their first academic milestone (or second, if you count starting preschool). So, perhaps over the next few days, I'll compose my own version of "Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." (And then I have been thinking of "Everything I, the Parent, Learned in Preschool!")

Until then, read, enjoy, and celebrate!

WHOOPEE!!!!

Before

Regular school day. Gifts for teachers. Grandparents arrive! Haircuts. Lunch. Swimming. Squirting. Playing dinosaur chase. Baths and hairwashing. Favorite pink dress. Pants and white shirt. Dinner. Requisite tension and breakdown (me). Traditional Chinese gift of gold--necklaces from Thailand. Pictures. And more pictures.

During

There was pomp and circumstance. And "Pomp and Circumstance." The Pledge of Allegiance and "God Bless America." And even more singing, including "the silliest song in the world" and "You've got a Friend in Me." Diplomas. Hugs and kisses. Flowers and thank yous. Tears and tissues. Family, friends, teachers. Video cameras. Photographs.

After

Posing for pictures together. And with teachers. Silhouettes to take home. Graduation plates and napkins. Punch. Strawberries and watermelon. Flower petit fours. Carrots and dip. And Whoopie Pies . . . .

Happy Graduation, Sis and Bud!

-=-=-=-=-=-

Classic Chocolate Whoopie

1 2/3 cup flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Position rack in center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together buttter, shortening, and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.

Add half the flour mixture and half of the milk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/2 cup milk and beat until completely combined.

Using a spoon, drop about 1 tablespoon batter onto one of the prepared cookie sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2" apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each or until the pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 48 two-inch cakes

Chocolate Buttercream

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the confectioner's sugar, cocoa, and butter, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and beat on high until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Vanilla Whoopie

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1//2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespooons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position rack in center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, powder, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, shortening, and both sugars on low speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup, combine the milk, soda, and vinegar. Add the milk mixture to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the vanilla nad beat on medium for about 2 minutes until completely combined.

Using a spoon, drop about 1 tablespoon batter onto one of the prepared cookie sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2" apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each or until the cakes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Classic Marshmallow

1 1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff (or other marshmallow cream)

1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

(plus 1/4-1/3 cup strawberry jam, optional)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Marshmallow Fluff and the vegetable shortening, starting on low and incresaing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more. Mix in jam.

Let's Get the Party Started

Yes, picture me dancing to Pink.

(And yes, I really was listening to it a bit ago. Then Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" (unedited!). It's my no-kids-in-the-house/loud-music-dance-a-thon! Now "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Yes, my tastes are outdated and decidedly popular).

For today is GRADUATION! And we're all ready.

Especially after this last week, I'm so happy to be able to celebrate this transition, this new beginning, this milestone.

I'm not sure when preschool graduation became a big deal. I don't remember it at all--Gommie, did I "graduate?" While we're marking the occasion with Ma and Gong, dinner out, and probably ice cream, there are no new clothes or gifts. Though, there will be tears, no doubt.

Which is okay, because the kids have been prepared. Apparently, one of the teachers pretended to be an hysterically weeping mom, "Oh, my baby! You're so big! I'm so proud! I love you!" kiss-kiss-hug-hug-sob. The other teachers told them that moms will cry, not because they're sad but because they are happy and proud. And weird. That's the word. Silly. So, my kids have been asking if I'm going to cry--yes--and if it's a sad cry (like for the death of our cat Morgan or when Gommie goes home) or a happy cry. It's happy, of course, though maybe a bit sad, but there's no sense confusing them. I think they think I'm a bit touched, already--does that explain why they don't listen sometimes? Maybe.

Anyway, we spent yesterday afternoon making desserts for the reception after the ceremony--chocolate-chocolate and vanilla-strawberry cream Whoopie pies, my first and successful attempt (mmm, they taste like inside-out cake. Thanks for the tips, Mama Teacher!)--Sis was so helpful and enjoyed licking the bowl first (once that's done, she's done). Bud was in the basement, "changing his square," which means rotating out the big toyscape he's set up (dinosaurs or knights right now; a square because they each have a specifically demarcated space). They also painted cardstock bookmarks, splatter-style, to put in the books we got for each teacher. This morning, Sis helped me bag them and choose color-coordinated tissue paper.

We delivered those today so as not to get caught in the hubbub of the last day (and maybe to downsize THE LAST DAY somewhat). They were so proud and happy to deliver their presents, having chosen the books themselves (chocolate, gardening, music, and art for each of the subjects they associate with those particular teachers), though I did enclose the gift receipt in the cards that made me cry to write. The teachers oohed and aahed, which was sweet, and so I left them at school, to run errands, come home to clean, to rest, to blog.

And all that's left to do is enjoy the day.

And cry.

The happy cry.