The Growing Season

I went to the kiddos' school today for their Whole School Meeting (WSM) because Sis and her friends were singing Cookie Monster's version of "Call Me Maybe" a.k.a. "Share it Maybe" in front of everyone. They did a wonderful job, especially with enunciating the lyrics.  Quite a tickle!

At some point in the program of "shares," the principal had the second grade stand up so everyone could wish them luck as they head to their new school next year, here at their last WSM.

Last.

It was my last official visit to their school, unless I make an unscheduled visit with brownies or something (and brownies have been requested by more than one of the teachers and staff!)

I am so sad.  I love this school.  The teachers supported us as we all got acclimated to school and had questions about routines, curriculum, pedagogic theory, whatever.  They have been nothing if not completely supportive, if not even blase, about the whole lesbian-parents thing, even though we were the first (or so I'm told.)  They loved our kids and liked us.  You probably recall that the transition into daily, albeit half-day kindergarten just three years ago was rough.  I herniated a disk about a month beforehand.  Was it the stress?  Probably not entirely given my physical anomalies from birth.

Still, I see the stress even now.

As they are acting more and more like older kids everyday.  There is more sass.  More attitude.  Not quite eye-rolling, but almost.  More complaining.  Fewer hugs.  Fewer requests to play.  Less interest in bedtime stories.  Things have been a little tense.

It doesn't help that I'm peri-menopausal, officially.  I know people say it's worse to go through menopause when you have teenagers--and I imagine they are right, but this is no picnic either.  And depending on how long it lasts, they might be tweens when I'm done.

We knew eventually that they would be less devoted to us, more separated, even more embarrassed.  And all things considered, they developed sass later than many (I have friends who complained about it in kindergarten!).  Still, I can totally see that they are closer to 10 than they are to 5 and the difference is powerful.  (Even if they sang a Cookie Monster song.)  The fact that they are going to the "big school" (and it is bigger, more than twice as many kids and staff) only serves to underscore the changes.

And so it took all my efforts not to sob during the WSM today.

Because I do want them to grow up and grow independent.

And I really don't want to herniate another disk.

Because that was harder than kindergarten.

A Beautiful Day

It's a beautiful New England spring day and perfect for our school picnic.  Even though they actually call it a barbecue, it's more of a weenie roast, with hot dogs, pasta salad, carrot sticks, watermelon, and the like.  The kids liked the hot dogs; Mama and I munched on cookies I'd brought from the bakery.  We also gave their wonderful teacher a box of cookies (and I got a big platter of them to give all of Sis's gymnastics teachers tomorrow at her recital.)  And, this being a modern suburban picnic, I had a coffee, specifically an "iced grande decaf soy mocha," aka grown-up chocolate milk.    We relaxed on the blankets, talked to the families near us, and then watched the kiddos run around the ball field.  Hard to believe we won't be at this school next year, with its math and multicultural nights, pajama reading event and BBQ picnic.  I know the next school will be equally wonderful, but I'm nostalgic already.  Just like I was when we left our wonderful preschool.   Great teachers, great community, great learning, great support.  We're very lucky to have our village to raise our children.

The Wimpy Kid Appreciation Society

There is a new obsession in Sis and Bud's second-grade class:  The Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  At the book fair last week, many of the kids flocked to the Wimpy Kid section and pondered which book to buy.  Sis and Bud came home with two each, one of which was an activity book.  The kids have created a club, The Wimpy Kid Appreciation Society, through which they exchange books with each other (which is much more sensible than always buying them--Sis and Bud can finish one in a day or so.  And there are several of them.)    And now Sis has loaned me The Diary of a Wimpy Kid:  Third Wheel to read so that I can understand it all.

For the uninitiated, which was me until a few days ago, this series by Jeff Kinney tells the experiences of a middle-school kid, Greg Heffley, through his own words and pictures as written in a diary his mom gave him.    But as he notes in the first book, this isn't "Dear Diary" stuff.  I'm trying not to worry that the protagonist is more than a couple of years older than Sis and Bud and that his experiences are not the carefully-curated stories that Sis and Bud have read elsewhere.  So I'm reading it.  It's like a grown-up Junie B. Jones--not perfect childhood, but real childhood with real language, events, and feelings.  Like when Greg's older brother Rodrick sees porn (well, a bikini-clad woman on a motorcycle) and his mother freaks out.  It hasn't happened here.  Yet.  But it will.   (Right, Shelley?!)  And I imagine I'll be a lot like his mom, making him apologize to all women.

And so, I'm reading it in bits.  And maybe I'll even become an adjunct member of the Society.  Frankly, I'm glad the kids still want to include me.

A Budding Greek Scholar

Bud came home from school earlier this week saying he was learning Greek!

Imagine my surprise that this was in the second-grade curriculum.

He went on to explain that he was doing the "older student" level on Lexia, the school's computerized reading program and it was teaching him Greek root words:  tech, psych, tele, bio, chrono, and so forth.

Rarely getting the opportunity to put my eight college semesters of ancient Greek to use these days, I whipped out a pen and paper to show him how the Greeks wrote those words.  A mini-Greek lesson ensued, as I wrote those words in Greek, and both of their names, then changed the first lines of the Iliad in the original and ended with my favorite quote:

tis de bios; ti de terpnon;

ater cruses Afrodiths.

What is life?  What is love?  Without golden Aphrodite . . . .

I was rusty, but they didn't know.  And we all had fun.

First Day of Second Grade!

The kiddos are off to second grade . . . all by themselves!  They got on the bus this morning (with Sis's very good bunny-loving friend S), not wanting me to drive them or meet them.  So grown up--in their Perry the Platypus backpacks with Pokemon zipper pulls!  :)

They have the same wonderful teacher and same classmates (plus a few additions) because they are looping, which means summer has been more of a break from a routine that starts all over again today.  So, they're neither anxious about a new teacher and routine nor overly excited about starting.  It's like spring break was 70 days long.

Wishing you all a good beginning of the school year, whether it started today on Monday or next Tuesday (or weeks earlier in Texas), or starts at home, whether you are a teacher, reading consultant, or substitute!