School Open House

Well, the first week of school has come and gone.  My oldest has gone from the "I absolutely LOVE IT" to "I HATE school!!!!"  My little perfectionist had a run in with a teacher....  oh...  Now, this is the girl who has always got on the honor roll (except that one quarter) and tries her best to get assignments in on time and tries to be helpful and what not.  All her teachers past have told us anyway that they have enjoyed their time with her and we hadn't had a problem.... until now....  Pumpkin claims she turned in her homework; the teacher says she has no record of it.  Therefore, she had to do it over.  She was NOT impressed because she SWEARS that the teacher has it.  So the teacher said what a serious matter this was and how on open house she was sure to talk to us about it.  Sigh.....  of course, tonight I don't even think she would have brought it up if we hadn't said anything.  Scare tactics don't affect Pumpkin like they may others.  Unfortunately she internalizes them.  As she's in Jr. high, she's gonna have this teacher for the next three years.  I sure hope things will turn around for her and this woman.  Time will tell (and maybe a lot of visits to the school)....  

And....  "The keys to success in the third grade are organization and independence..."  Oh hell.  The twins are doomed...  they can't keep ANYTHING organized...  no matter what I put into place for them.  And independence?  They can't even get dressed with out 3-5 reminders of what they are supposed to be doing.  Have I babied them too much?  I didn't think so. Plus my MiL has worked with them with keeping things neat, my husband gives them reminders (although he's really one to talk; you couldn't even walk through his room without stepping on all sorts of stuff even in high school!)... Nothing seems to work!  

I wonder if it's partly do to age.  Many others of their class are a solid 8 going on 9.  Monkey and Parrot only just turned 8 this past weekend.  I think that even a few months can make a difference.  I wish so much now that I had kept them back from school all together.  September is a hard birthday month to try and figure out if kids are ready for school or not.  Can't turn back time now though with would haves, should haves.  I'm going to make note cards or something to try and help them remember stuff and start giving them different tasks that can somehow build their attention span/independence skill.  

For the most part though, the youngest have felt that they've had a great first week.  My elder daughter...  well...  it's up and down.  I'm wondering if hormones are wrecking havoc on her system....  Poor sweetie if it is...  I understand that completely!!!!!  I'm cautious, Chris is optimistic.  I'm a worry wart of what may happen; he throws caution to the wind and says we'll deal with what comes up when it comes up.  I'm so jealous of that point of view because believe me; I've tried to adopt it, too but I just can't give myself over to it.  

Okay then...  enough ranting.  


Today I rearranged the living room.  We are getting a pellet stove by the end of the month and we have to do some work to the living room before we get it.  We know where we want it and we are going to put a small tiled platform down and carry the tiles up the wall part way before having some decorative tile border the whole thing topping it off with a shelf on top.  In stead of a few spots of tile in the design, we are considering using our collected seaglass and pottery to fill the space and really make the look our own.  I'm not sure yet.  In some ways I want to go artsy with it, but then again....  there's something to be said for the traditional look as well.  Finding just the right tile for the job and at just the right price may be a challenge.  The tile job is mine and Chris's birthday present to each other.  I sure hope that it will look as good when it is finished as it does in my head.  I may go online and try to find a photo or drawing or something of ideas similar to what I want just to have that visual.

Life is busy and hectic and just plain crazy.  I've been having a hard time catching my breath.  Even now trying to type this I feel like I'm going at top speed.  Thoughts are zinging here and there.  The to do list is on overload.  Well???  so what else is new, right???  :)  I know when winter rears it's ugly head things will begin to slow down.  I just hope at this point that I have enough energy to get there!!!!!