August Rush(ed)

I will try to keep this post as brief as possible. August was pretty calm. It started out with a "Princess Retreat" that only I got to attend (Anabelle wasn't quite old enough). Matt had to work while I was gone, so that meant Grandma Jill got to come out and spend a few days with the kids and go to all the yummy food places that Matt loves. I had a great time with my mom, sisters, sisters-in-law, and nieces learning about our divine nature and how special and important we are. It did feel a little weird with no one to watch over, but I didn't complain. I am pretty sure the kids had a blast at home with Grandma Jill and I know Matt loved getting to go to Zuppas and Bajios.

The next week we house/dog sat for my brother. We loved having TV and Netflix at our command. I was reminded why we don't have either one of those at our house, because it would be on 24/7 and nothing would get done. We are easily television junkies. Oh, Matt and I had our 7 year Anniversary while we were there, but we didn't really make a big fuss this year. We didn't really do anything, except watch "Soul Surfer" with my sister-in-law's sister and her family, who stopped by to crash for the night. It was a little weird. Watching "Soul Surfer" was more than we had planned to do though, so win win. Also, my brother's neighborhood has a pool and we went a few times while we were there. Beckett was a swimming fiend! He hated to get out. Anabelle has usually been the one to be in the water constantly and Beckett would just sit on the steps and firmly tell us he was very happy where he was. But not anymore. Now I really wish I had enrolled him in swim lessons.

After that we had a nice break which we used to get ready for Matt's last year of school (confetti and fireworks are going off as I type this) and Beckett's very first. Huh? I hadn't thought about that. That is kind of poetic...or ironic...or coincidence...or whatever the correct English term is for that kind of thing. It was really weird to go school shopping for the first time. I kept thinking, "No, that isn't cool enough." It is kindergarten for pete's sake. Next year, we might have to really worry about it. But kindergarten? Seriously? I can be such a weirdo sometimes.

The first day of school was Aug. 29, and it was a pretty calm morning, even exciting.

There wasn't any difficulty in getting Beckett to school, we were on time (there was the big shocker), and I didn't cry. I was mostly worried about how Beckett was going to handle it. He did so much better than I thought he would. They had the children line up outside and then follow their teacher into the school. I had to walk with Beckett into the school because he would go if I didn't, and then another mother and I had to quickly leave the room and shut the door because a melt down was beginning for both of our kids. I am pretty sure that was the hardest part.

When I stepped outside, I noticed all of the parents were still there. So I asked what was going on, and they said the children would be coming outside again to practice lining up and go in one more time. I knew that if Beckett saw me, that would be the end and he would not go back in. So, I hid around the corner of the school watching. I stuck around for like an hour and a half, waiting for his class to come out. I felt kind of like a creeper peeking around the side of the school, waiting, but I really wanted to see how he was doing. As I was there, a friend of ours, Ken, walked up to me. I was shocked to see him there because doesn't have kids and he doesn't live in the area. So I asked him why he was there and he said that he was subbing for the playground monitor. How awesome is that?! I had an inside spy to keep tabs on Beckett for me. I decided I could leave and have Ken watch out for my little guy for me. Ken ended up being there the whole first week. It was so nice to have updates each day of how Beckett was doing.

When I picked him up at the end of the day,

Beckett was happy as could be. He had a great 1st day. When we got home, I looked in his backpack, and there was his lunch I sent with him. Luckily there is a program at school where no child goes hungry, so he had school lunch, but I realized that I didn't tell him to get his lunchbox out of his bag for lunch. I thought his teacher would say something, or maybe she did, but Beckett didn't know that meant for him to go get his lunchbox. He understood it on the 3rd day, but I think I had to mention something to his teacher. There hasn't been a problem since. I am finding that I need to be a lot more specific in my directions and give more directions than I think I need to. Things that I think the other kids understand quickly, like giving their folder to the teacher, I think he doesn't get. I find his homework still in his backpack when he gets home. We are both learning.

Anabelle had her 1st day of preschool on Aug. 31. She was very excited to go because she had earned it by getting potty trained. I was excited too because I would get 2 whole hours all to myself. The first day didn't go quite like I had planned it to go though. I had agreed to watch a friend's little girl, Paige (the one that got Belle potty trained), on Thursday of that week. Anabelle's first day was a Wednesday. The morning of her first day, Paige's mom called me and told me that she had made a mistake and wondered if I could watch her that day. I said yes, but she would be really bored with only me to play with. They dropped Paige off, and I finished getting Anabelle ready for school.

I had such a hard time getting pictures of her. She was acting all embarrassed in front of her friend. I could almost hear her saying, "Oh Mom, you are embarrassing me! Stop taking my picture! This is so not cool in front of my friend, Mom." Such a teenager! But I finally got her to smile, the last picture. Paige and I dropped her off and went back to my house to play. This little girl is seriously an adult trapped in a toddler's body. She wanted to play "Grandma", which is where one of us pretended to be a grandma and then we died and the other person had to take care of the body. It was actually kind of relaxing but creepy. When it was my turn, I just laid there with my eyes closed and she would gently move my arm or leg. She would also say nice things about me, like "I'm going to miss you." This girl will make a wonderful funeral home directer some day.

After Paige left, I picked up Anabelle from preschool. She loved it, as I knew she would. This girl is made for social settings. She is also picking stuff up so fast. I can't believe it! She is one smart cookie. The funny thing is, she has a hard time with me dropping her off at preschool and nursery. I don't know why. She has a fun time while she is there and I know she wants to go, at least to preschool. I don't get it. Go figure.

There is August in a nutshell.