Summer Kick Off!

Bonne  Fête Canada!  We participated in the Canada Day parade with our French classmates once again this year.  The sun was shining and the kids had a blast handing out treats along the parade route.  I figure as long as my girls want to participate in this event I'll keep helping out...because really, balloons and paper signs are my talents!

These first days of summer vacation are always the best!  Everyone is riding the high from the end of school celebrations and this mom is in her happy place, looking straight ahead at 67 days of glorious summer days with blank agenda pages.  

Let's start with Main Street days and good friends.

When I was a kid, the fair rides were always set up in the ball field next to where we lived.  I could see the ferris wheel making its rounds from our living room window.  I would watch and listen to the carnival sounds drifting in though our open window and my excitement and anticipation would build and I could hardly wait until someone would take me to the show.  

As an adult I said to my mom, "the fair used to be so much better years ago when I was a kid".  She cleared up my error in judgment basically by saying that the fair rides have never been any different. The only thing that has changed is my perspective.  You would never believe that my girls have been to Disneyland by the their enthusiasm for these rides.  They love them!  It is because of their enthusiasm that I push aside my adult perspective and my concerns over whether or not all the bolts got tightened on these contraptions by the questionable carnies the night before and hop in next to Lexi on the ferris wheel to enjoy the ride.

On the coldest winter days we dream about summer.  We dream about perfect lake days and the warm summer sun on our faces.  And here we are bringing the dreams to life.  With open arms we welcome late nights and lazy jammie mornings, campfires and smores, friends and family, sunscreen and bug spray, barbeques and slushie drinks, coffee on the deck, books for pleasure and all the other good things that summer has to offer.

Summer on people!

Favorite Day

June 30th has been my favorite day of the year for the past 15 years.  I'm always telling my girls how lucky they are that they don't have to go to day care or have babysitters or go to camp all summer. Those lucky ducks get to spend the whole summer with their mama.  Just before that last school bell rings and the girls run off to collect their report cards and say au revoir to their teachers, I make them pose for a picture with me.  

The end of the school year is filled with all kinds of emotions.  The girls received some recognition awards at the year end assembly and I was there with my proud mama flag waving as usual.  Of course, like most moms, I'm proud of my girls even without an award.  I'm proud because school is hard.  It's hard for little bodies that weren't designed to be still, to sit all day.  It's hard for little minds full of curiosity to stay quiet.  It's hard to be motivated everyday to meet other peoples goals and expectations.  It's hard to navigate constant social interaction, to tolerate and accept hundreds of personalities, block out distractions and stay focused on the task, constantly trying to make the right choice and doing it all with a positive attitude.  All this and being expected to learn.  So yes, I'm proud and humbled at all the things these little people are capable of. 

There is a huge sense of relief and excitement that comes at the end of June.  All our formal activities and commitments are wrapped up.  I don't have to pack lunches.  We all get to read whatever books we want to!  We get to stay up late and sleep in!  We have the whole summer in front of us.

June was a good month.  It had Father's Day and my birthday to celebrate.  I'm so glad that Facebook cares about me and my memories because whenever one of those memories pops up in my newsfeed I get the warm fuzzies.

Yes, June was a good month but now its time to get this summer thing started!  Woot Woot!

Proud Mama

So many things have been happening these past couple of weeks I'm not sure how to write it all into one cohesive post.  If I had to choose just one word to describe the going ons, it would be proud. 

Last weekend our little family participated in our first ever organized running event.  It made me so happy to be there all together.  I've dabbled in running for many years.  Mostly just for exercise and to keep active.  I don't set a lot of goals for running.  Basically I run when I feel like it, as fast as I feel like and for as long as I feel like on any particular day. Some days I feel good and have a great run and some days I feel like I have lead feet.  However it goes, I just tell myself that any run is better than no run.

So when a committee I belong to decided to organize a family fun run for our community we all decided to sign up. Callie and her friends decided that they wanted to try to run the 5k race.  A few weeks before the official run, and before I actually signed Callie up, we took the girls out for a couple of practices. Mostly just to ensure that they understood how far 5k was and to get them familiar with the route.  After a couple of trial runs, Callie was confident that she wanted to do the 5k.

When I registered Callie for the run, she got a little pep talk.  Something like, "Ok, on the day of the run, you're going to kinda be on your own.  Mom, dad, and grandma are all running too but we're not going to run with you or wait for you.  You and your friends will have to encourage each other and just do your best. There will be lots of people on the trail so you don't have to be scared.  Run as much as you can.  Walk when you need to. And have fun."

She was all good with this pep talk but sometimes I'm never sure what will actually happen until the moment is upon us. I always say that showing up is the hardest part of life.  I'm a firm believer in participation ribbons for showing up because it's like saying "way to go, you tried".  Imagine what the world would be like if everybody just showed up and tried.

Well sister showed up and tried and ran and completed her first organized 5k race at the age of 9. I wish that I could have been at the finish line to cheer her on and wave my proud mama freak flag but I was somewhere between k6 and k7 of my 10k run.  But her dad and grandma were there to receive her and take pictures and wave the freak flag for me.

 

As for Lexi, she was signed up to run the 1k but instead chose to volunteer her services helping out at a water station and cheering on the runners.  She handed me water at k2 and I saw her again at k8. Her little cheers were all the encouragement I needed to keep going.

*****
This year Callie sang with her school choir.  Every Thursday she packed her lunch and met at noon in the music room at school.  Their grand finale was the performance of Pirates the Musical. Callie didn't have an acting part as those were reserved for the older grades but sister got a taste of what being part of a production is like.

She was nervous about performing on stage but was comforted by the fact that she wasn't up there alone.  And all us parents gush and gush and wave our flags and smile and clap with pride because we know the time and effort and commitment that goes into a school play and how hard it is to sing and dance on stage for an audience.  Imagine the last time you sang and danced on stage for an audience. Sober as a judge.  Oh, you haven't done that lately? That's what I thought.  Would you be brave enough to show up?  Showing up and trying is all it takes to get the proud mama flag waving. Participation ribbons for everyone!

*****

Let's take a moment to talk about piano lessons.  After watching her big sister for the past two years, it was little sisters turn to join the ranks of piano playing.  If you were to ask Lexi if she likes playing piano she would probably smile and say, "no, not really".   But yet, she happily goes to her lessons, tries her best, doesn't give up and does her practices with little complaint.  

When it came time for her first formal piano recital, little sister pretty much said, "I got this."  She waltzed into the church, chatted up with her friends, played her composition and her Bridges song and took her bow like she's been doing this her whole life.  Maybe her confidence comes from knowing what to expect since she's watched her sister at this gig over the years or maybe it's just they way she's made.  Either way, she always amazes me.

Now, if you ask Callie if she likes playing piano she'll likely emphatically tell you, "NO, I hate it. Mom makes me do it and doesn't care that I hate it and it ruins my life."  She complains about going to lessons and fights and argues about every practice.  Of course I question everyday if "the gift of music" is worth the constant battle.  I've turned to the all knowing Google to find out whether I should persevere and hold out for the day that she thanks me or if I am truly ruining her life by forcing her to take lessons and she'll resent me for the rest of her life.  The problem with asking Google is that it will give you whatever answer you're looking for.

In my Google searching I did learn a few things about piano players.  I learned a lot about what's going on in the brain when playing an instrument.  I learned that the piano is the only instrument that uses all ten fingers independent of each other and I learned that most kids don't want to practice but most adult are thankful for having music lessons.  Sometimes I sit down at the piano and try to play some of  what Callie is learning.  And guess what?  It's hard!  It's hard to play one had smooth and quiet while playing the other hand jumpy and loud and never mind actually hitting the right keys.  I can appreciate that it is no easy task.

Going into this years recital, Callie said, "this is the first time I'm not feeling nervous".  She played her composition and her song Jazz Blast.  She played the bells and sang along with all the other students.  She is a talented piano player.  She enjoyed the recital.  And interestingly enough, she has played the piano more in the last week now that she doesn't "have" to  than she has in months.  Go figure.  I don't know if making her continue with piano lessons is the right thing or not.  But when I see the little sparks of joy it seems to make it all worth it.

Showing up. Being brave enough to try.  What more could a mama ask for?
Very proud.

Shortened and Revised

Hmmmph.  I had a whole blog post written here. I left and came back to my computer and all my hard typed words have disappeared.  Now I'm tired and a little annoyed that my words were swallowed up by the internet monster who sits back and laughs at those of us who don't save our work.

So now you get the shortened and revised version.

1.  Since my camera has been broken, I haven't been taking as many pictures as I once did but that doesn't mean I wasn't aware of the trees doing their "bursting" thing earlier this month. I love this time of year.  Everything's coming alive.  Even the worms.  But I don't love the worms.  

2.  Some of our activities have wrapped up giving us a little free time to hang in the back yard. The trees may have burst with luscious greenery but unfortunately, there's no hope for our lawn. I guess the bright side is there's nothing to mow!

3.  A few photos from a while back...  little sister's dance class has wrapped up for the year.  She was the E in CHEER as she danced and shook her pom poms to Cheerleader. I'm always so impressed with how brave she is to perform in front of so many people.  As soon as her recital was over she announced that she can't wait to dance again next year.

4.  Gymnastics has also wrapped up.  My girls love this sport.  They are so strong and flexible.  My body hurts just watching them.

5. And now we're putting in some time at the soccer field.  Callie decided she didn't want to play this year so it's little sister's time to shine.  She's getting better at every game.  She is the most polite player I've ever seen.  Every time the ball comes to her she yells, "thank you"!

Callie might not be playing soccer this year but she comes to every game with her homemade sign and cheers for her sister's team.   Tomorrow is June 1st and that means we're rolling downhill towards summer vaycay!  The hill is steep and we'll be rolling fast.  Lots of great things happening.  Good thing the days are getting longer.  We've got lots to accomplish in the next 30 days.  And the first thing on my list is sleep.  Good Night.