Lunch

In accordance with my rabid dislike of cooking and food preparation, I thoroughly despise packing school lunches.  Trying to come up with a balanced meal and healthy snack every day that is both portable and edible is not my idea of a good time.  Throw in a picky kid (I don't know where he gets it...ahem), and packing tomorrow's lunches can suck the joy right out of my evening. 

After two years of packing school lunches for Mr. Picky Andrew, I have learned to run certain items by him before tossing them into the lunch bag unless I want to find out they were tossed into the trash at school.  So last week as I was packing lunch for the boys, I was doing my usual preventative questioning as I went: 

"Andrew, peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey? Granola bar or graham crackers?"

Andrew gave his specifications to the nth degree, as usual.

"Adam, sandwich or ravioli?  Peaches or applesauce?  Do you want green peppers for your snack? Chocolate milk or Capri Sun?"

Finally Adam looked up at me, heaved a great sigh, and said, "Geez, Mom, I don't care.  Just pack somethin'."

Wow, lunch packing just got easier by half.  Thanks, Adam!

Libby the Philanthropist

All the kids at preschool were asked to bring in a gently used book to donate on Friday.  When I told Libby about this, her immediate response was, "Not one of my books!"

After I spent a moment basking in the glow of that proud, proud parenting moment, I explained to Libby that we were going to share a book with a child who didn't have any books.  As I spoke, I could almost see a light bulb turning on in her brain.  She said, "I know!" and ran off.  Phew!  I haven't raised a completely selfish monster, I thought to myself. 

A minute later, Libby walked down the stairs carrying a whole stack...of Andrew's books.  "We can give them Andrew's books!"

It is so easy to be generous with other people's stuff.

The Hedgehog Returns...Minus a Tooth

It's been a big month for Adam!  In addition to starting kindergarten, he lost his first tooth!  I caught a glimpse of something white in his mouth one night; and upon closer inspection, I found his new "adult" tooth growing in quickly behind the baby tooth he had not yet lost.  Within a few days, the baby tooth was ready to come out.  It's actually a little difficult to tell that Adam even has a missing tooth since the new one is practically all the way in already!  Adam was so excited that the tooth fairy visited that he came in to tell us...at 5:30 am.

In other Adam-related news...THE HEDGEHOG HAS RETURNED!

Project Runway

Our fashion designer Libby is modeling her own entry in tonight's runway show.  For this challenge to make a ready-to-wear item using only craft supplies, Libby has created an A-line asymmetrical skirt made of drawing paper and tape.  We think the hand-drawn marker design on the back gives it a more expensive custom look.

Libby has completed the look by using the Piper Lime accessory wall thoughtfully with watermelon boots and a polka-dotted hairbow.

Way to make it work, Libby!

The Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten

Somehow it is time for Adam to start kindergarten.  He is ready to go, reflective backpack straps and all! 

(I love this picture with all my heart.)

I really can't believe he is old enough to be in this classroom.

And I won't lie...I was awake the entire night before Adam started kindergarten worrying praying.

But when we walked into the classroom, his teacher gave him a big hug.  And I felt much better.

...And much better still when Adam came home.  He wouldn't tell me a thing about his day.  He didn't learn how to read.  But there was no note from the principal demanding explanations or reparations pinned to his shirt. 

Success.

Andrew's Village

We have a really great school in our area. People apply for admission by the hundreds, and the school has to hold an annual lottery to determine fairly who will be able to attend. For three years we have entered Andrew's name into the lottery. For three years, no success. For three years we have prayed fervently, unceasingly, that one day our children would be able to go to this school.

Last spring, Andrew's name was higher on the waiting list than it's ever been, but that didn't mean much (we thought). He still wasn't "in." Another disappointment. Until Friday, when we received a very extremely WILDLY unexpected phone call. School had started over a week ago, but there were some children who didn't show. Were we still interested in having Andrew attend the school?

Um, let me think abou----YES!!!!!!!!

I did not come up for breath all weekend. We had two and a half days to get Andrew ready to start school on Monday. It was tax-free weekend here, and I had purposely planned NOT to go out because it. is. a. zoo. But there I was, with all the other raging crazies lovely, well-mannered people frantically buying school supplies, uniforms, and shoes. I mean, I went to Target. I went to the mall. I went to Walmart. On tax-free weekend. That's how much we wanted this school for Andrew.

In all the excitement and happiness and frantic filling out of endless paperwork, there was one tiny fly in the ointment. Andrew. For some reason, he was not happy to hear that summer's over! a month early! and that he has to go to a new school! and make new friends! and, oh, by the way...he gets to wear church clothes (uniforms) to school every day! including a belt!

There were many, many tears. And my heart broke for him. Really. I understand. I've been in his shoes. We moved a lot when I was young, and I attended six different elementary schools. Ultimately, though, all my stories and empathy could only go so far -- Andrew had to do this himself.

Sort of.

Andrew's little "village" of people who love him and who come alongside us to raise him stepped in in a big way. Our phone has rung non-stop for three days with grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and neighbors calling to check on him and offer him encouragement. People have come out of the woodwork to help in ways big and small.

So...

Thank you to our small group, who rejoiced with us and prayed for Andrew.

Thank you to our parents, who have called Andrew to encourage him.

Thank you to the aunts and uncles who have offered bribes tangible incentives to Andrew out of the kindness of your hearts and your desire to take away Andrew's sadness.

Thank you to our neighbor, who graciously kept Adam and Libby at 7:30 in the morning so I could take Andrew to school for the first day without the hyena circus in attendance.

Thank you to everyone who has called or e mailed. Forgive us if we haven't called you back. It's been a little nuts.

Of course, Andrew doesn't really understand all this...well, the bribes...he got the bribes. Even so, this is what he looked like his first morning of school:

So sad.

Thank you most of all for praying. I know some of you were praying for his teacher, for his friends, for his fears...I don't know what all everyone prayed for, but here's how Andrew came home at the end of his first day:

It wasn't so bad!

Welcome to second grade, Andrew. You've got a lot of people pulling for you!

Polite as a Princess: The Sequel *New with Captions*

One of Libby's favorite new books (and mine!) is a little picture book called Polite as a Princess. It features various Disney princesses in little scenes showcasing good manners: "Snow White always waits patiently for her turn...Cinderella always covers her mouth if she coughs or sneezes...etc., etc." It is so cute and well done. Libby totally takes it to heart, so it is really helpful to talk about being "polite as a princess" in daily situations.

However, the author of the book left out a few key lessons about manners. So I humbly submit Polite as a Princess: The Sequel for little girls everywhere:

Page 1
Jasmine never refers to her rear end in public. She would never shout "I'm shaking my booty like a chicken!" in Target the bazaar.

Page 2
Nor would she loudly whisper it when her mommy told her that wasn't very polite and begged her to stop.

Page 3
Snow White patiently waits while her mommy is on the phone. She would never interrupt a phone call to a doctor/therapist/business associate of her daddy's/*name any professional* unless one of the dwarfs was bleeding or on fire.

Page 4

Cinderella *always* at least tries to go to the potty before leaving the house. Cinderella knows that public potties are filthy and disgusting and that they completely skeeve her mommy almost to the point of panic attacks.

Page 5

Ariel believes her mommy the first time when her mommy tells her she has no idea who that strange man riding a lawnmower by the side of the highway is. No, Ariel, Mommy doesn't know why he's riding a lawnmower. Sorry, Ariel, Mommy really doesn't know his name. Ariel, Mommy is trying to drive here. No, Ariel, Mommy can't look! We don't want to get into an accident! FINE, ARIEL, THE MAN'S NAME IS BOB! BOB, OK?

Ahem.

Page 6

Sleeping Beauty loves bedtime and goes immediately to sleep when her mommy and daddy turn out her light. After asking for and receiving one cup of water once she's in bed (which Sleeping Beauty and her parents all know she's not really thirsty for in the first place and is just using as a stall tactic), she would never dream of asking for another. Or another. Or another after that. Sleeping Beauty is intuitively aware that she is overtired and her mommy and daddy are D-O-N-E by about 7:30 every evening and is careful not to press her family's buttons once she's been put to bed for the night.

I think this book has the potential to do really well in the marketplace.