Full Speed Ahead

Whewww.  We hit the floor running.

School started for Lina and my mom came to visit.  It was a week full of getting up early, some playing, and figuring out our new routine.

Lydia, for whatever reason, has been a real stinker to my mom the last two visits.  It's actually quite awful.  This visit was so nice and Lydia didn't have "stink face" once- other than her normal little quirks here and there.  Grammy came with a suitcase full of crafts and Lydia enjoyed doing most of them.  Thanks for the visit, Mom.  I enjoyed the helping hand and your company.

Lydia started school also.  They call it 4 Day 4s.  She goes M-Th from 9-12.  While Monday was met with tears and no excitment to go, Tuesday was better.  Thursday morning she said, "I have to go AGAIN?"  She was plum tired (to no fault of her if she would just stay in her bed all night and just sleep- this waking up between 2-4AM is wearing her and I OUT).  Friday we went and played at our favorite splash pad....all by ourselves.  Today she slept till  after 9AM and is still in her jammies here at 1:00.

Lydia finding her name.  Her class is dinosaurs.  She is not sold on that yet- kind of hoping for more of a ladybug or something.  : )

Lydia will take dance on Saturday mornings this year.  Her little friend, Leah, will also.  That will be fun.  I am not thrilled with Saturday morning out and about, but it was the only class that worked for our schedule. 

Lina is doing well.  This week they did some fun penguin activities after reading "Three Cheers for Tacky" including a black and white snack day and a mismatched/tacky dress day.  Here is long legged Lina all mismatched.

I have always believed after being a teacher and seeing kids so exhausted from all the activities they were doing that when I had kids and they started activities- it was one activity per season- of course with special circumstances (like a shorter trial season activity or Scouts) we would see how it goes.  Last year we did nothing after school except for piano and choir.  Wellllll this year will be different.  Lina has expressed on more than, oh let's say 100, occasions that she would like to try gymnastics ("because I was born in Russia- I am pretty good at it"- lol).  So we are doing that on Tuesdays with open gym on Friday nights (that we'll do if we have no other pressing plans although after last night I am pretty committed to getting her there- it was impressive and she LOVED it and slept for 13 hours!!!)  Monday and Thursday afternoons  (for :40) through October she'll swim on the "WP Pirates in Training" team.  Her PE teacher is the coach and she is fabulous.  There are only a handful of kids so it's nice swim instruction if anything.  Lina enjoys it.  Wednesday nights we'll be at church.  Lina has choir and then I am leading a Bible study and the girls can go to the kids club where they do a lesson and activity.  Then every other Monday afternoon is Brownies.  I am only helping with the cookie hoopla.

So it's busy, but good.  I just need to be a dinner planner and prepare ahead.  Once 3:00 comes we are out and running.  Sweet Lila is always in the car.  I hate it for her.  But we play all morning and Friday we just chill out.

Last week and this week will be full of some PTA committments I made.  Merchandise has become my "baby".  It just takes time and while people try to help- miscommunication happens and now I get to tell people they can't have a certain shirt, etc.  Oh well. 

Bob is good.  His truck is still hanging on.  He is looking for a "new" Tahoe and has a possible lead so maybe this week.  He is real busy at work which is nice.....money wise, but wearing him out.