May 2016 Recap

While this May was a lot less stressful than last May, there's a reason this month is still considered the "New December."  David was gone the entire first week, which of course makes things tough.   Not only do I pull double-parent duty, but it always takes creativity to keep up with my workouts when he travels since he's not home for me to go early in the mornings.  Still, I managed to squeeze them all in, which probably helped with my mental health and stability a good bit. ;)  Later that week, the kids and I met my Dad and stepmom for dinner one night and his parents came over another night to help break up the witching hours of 4-6pm a little bit.  

Luke's preschool's Mother's Day Tea was that week as well, which is just the most darling thing.  He was so excited to have me there and to show me all of his crafts he made for me.  The teachers had filled in one of those little questionnaires with the kids' answers and the results are always so comical.  He'd confidently responded to the age question by saying that I was 40 years old ("If I'm four, that means she's four-TY!") but he redeemed himself when they asked when Mommy was the prettiest and he answered "now."  

David came home that Friday just in time for me to have my annual day off on the Saturday before Mother's Day.  I did my brick workout early and then went up to the outlets and moseyed around my favorite stores.  I left there and went by Target to buy a new book and then found a quiet scenic spot at a little park that overlooked Lake Lanier.  I read and catnapped for about an hour and a half before packing up and hitting a new eclectic local store that had everything from jewelry to kitchen tables.  I went through the entire place twice (I think that's my favorite part of days like that...just being able to take my sweet time) and then headed home a little early.  On the drive home, I realized that since Luke started preschool this year and therefore I have weekly quiet time to myself, my need for an entire day like that isn't quite as strong as it has been in years past.  That evening, David and the kids took me out to Ippolito's for dinner and it was delicious.  The next day on Mother's Day, we went to church and then had a picnic and short hike near the Buford Dam.  David grilled out for us that night and we enjoyed our newly finished/painted deck.  I kept recalling how I'd spent last year's Mother's Day weekend in bed with a stomach bug and was especially grateful that this year's festivities went as planned!

By week two of the month, all of the end of school year preparations were in full swing.  I was busy drafting letters about teachers' gifts and parties and attempting to field questions from parents that I was only scarcely less scatter-brained than.  (If I can take the time to organize this, please take the time to read it, people!)

Unfortunately, the first grade teachers also thought that May was a perfect time to have the students do their largest project of the year:  Making 25 homemade items and creating a step-by-step how-to guide to orally present to the class.  They would earn fake dollars for good behavior and then spend them at the market day on the last day of school.  After giving Audrey multiple project choices, she picked homemade soap and bookmarks.  We made the bug/butterfly-shaped soap in one afternoon and then bagged it and added personalized stickers later.  For the bookmarks, she did 3-4 each day over the course of several days and then I laminated them for her.  She knocked out the guide in two sittings, complete with illustrations.  Even though the teachers treated this as their homework and didn't assign anything else for the month, I calculated that we still spent at least three hours not including shopping time on everything compared to the 20-30 minutes of homework she has per week.  (So 180 min. vs the usual 90 min.  In the midst of May madness.  No thank you!)  Regardless, she did a great job and everything turned out well.  She sold out in the first few minutes of their Beach Blanket Bizarre! 

I got to go up to Kara's for a visit the third week.  I was just stunned at how well she was doing and probably drove her nuts telling her so.  To my great relief, her youngest was very happy to see me.  I was worried he would associate me with being away from his mommy since I saw him a few times while he was staying down here with Kara's sister.  Turns out that I'd apparently moved up a few notches in his book and he couldn't wait to show me and tell me everything, which made me so happy.  We ran a few errands (not only was she walking, she was driving!) with her youngest and then picked up her middle child and ate lunch out.  We caught up during their rest time and then walked down to the bus stop later that afternoon to get her oldest.  We played and caught up all afternoon and then I headed out around dinner time.  Though I always hate when we have to end our visits,  it was the best feeling to get to wave goodbye to her on her driveway surrounded by her family instead of in a hospital bed.  

Later that week, Audrey had her Field Day rescheduled due to rain.  Unfortunately, the new date coincided with Luke's last day of school.  Though he wasn't having a party, I still had to deliver the teachers' gifts plus the 16 bags I'd stuffed (each students sends in 16 items such as sidewalk chalk or bubbles and then they're dispersed in beach buckets or bags and sent home as "school's out" treats.)  I prayed that morning that God would just help me enjoy the day and soak up their separate milestones as best I could despite the franticness of attempting to be in two places at once.  

In Luke's class, we gave the teachers' the presents, took some pictures, and I handed them notes I'd written expressing my deep appreciation for them.  I couldn't believe our "Mrs. Alyson" days were over!  I was extremely grateful that we still had one more year of him there in the safer bubble of a church preschool program.  I hugged the teachers tightly and dashed over to Audrey's Field Day.  She was having a pretty good time and tried just about everything in the gym portion of the centers rotation.  The weather was very nice and cool compared to last year's event.  We made our way over to the field for tug-of-war and I laughed as several boys from the class huddled up to "talk strategy."  Her class won one out of three matches and then we walked inside to hand out popsicles.  While her teacher got them started on a writing assignment, I quickly decorated the door with a camping theme in preparation for her end-of-year party.  I finished just in time to go pick up Luke from his last day of three year preschool.  Just like when they had their Christmas parties on the same day, it was a bit crazy and frazzled, but I knew that without a doubt I would be longing for those hectic days in the not-so-distant future

The next day I took Luke in to Audrey's class with me to finish having the kids sign a photo mat and so I could put up a few party decorations.  He ate a picnic lunch in Audrey's seat while the kids were at their lunchtime and I hurried to tie large camping signs and a banner to the ceiling.  We finished just in time and headed home, where I began to load and double-check all my gear for the next day's triathlon.  I wrote in great detail about all of that here, so I'll skip the recap on it except to say that it was really, really awesome.  

The following Monday was Audrey's class party and it went well.  We had five centers set up:  painting sun catchers, campfire bingo, Let's Go Fishing game, sticker scene/worksheets, and paracord compass bracelet assembly (David and I prepped them for the party by completing about half of each bracelet and it was still very difficult for most of the kids.  I do not recommend them, but since the teacher bought them for us to use I felt obligated!)  After the students cycled through all five stations, we fed them a hotdog lunch in the classroom.  We presented the teacher with her gift (a monogrammed beach tote bag full of goodies and gift cards) and a framed picture of the class with their signatures on the photo mat.  We cleaned up party decor while the kids finished lunch.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I loaded up the van and drove home.  My first year as double room mom was finished!  I'd survived!  It may not have always (read: ever) looked like a Pinterest-quality job, but hopefully the teachers felt supported and appreciated and the kids made some good memories.  

Audrey had her last day of school that Wednesday and when she let out, we met up with neighbors and had treats from the Kona Ice truck that the neighborhood reserved.  Summer had officially begun!  Many of the kids had squirt guns (mostly from their parents who squirted them as they got off the bus!) and were spraying each other mercilessly.  After avoiding it for awhile, Audrey asked me if she could get wet in her regular clothes.  I told her to go for it and she had a ball running around with the kids and getting soaked.  I still get surprised at things like that when I realize just how much she's come out of her shell.  A year ago there would've been no way she'd have wanted to participate at all! We walked home, dried off, and had a special mid-week pajama pizza picnic party and watched a movie to celebrate the end of the school year.

That Friday was David's birthday.  I feel badly for the guy because he's always robbed on Father's Day since it falls right around Audrey's birthday and now, since the kids have started school and May means crazy end of year stuff, his birthday gets moved to the back burner as well.  He's a trooper about it though.  We took him out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and gave him a pretty pitiful gift of a shirt, a hamburger press, and some grill seasoning made locally since he's really into grilling these days.  (Some years are easier than others to come up with a great idea...this year was not a good one.)  Thankfully he'd taken the day off to play golf, so at least he enjoyed that.  The kids and I had gone strawberry picking that day, so I made a gluten-free strawberry cake for them, his mom had made a regular strawberry cake for him, and we celebrated with those.  It was a low-key celebration, but hopefully made him feel as loved as he is.

The next day I did a brick workout and then we sent the kids off to his parents' house for an overnight.  We loaded down his dad's truck with bags of cedar chips and came home to do a few hours of yard work.  After showers and naps, we continued his birthday celebration with the restaurant and movie of his choice.  We ended up at a local BBQ spot that was delicious and then saw the new Captain America film.  The whole thing was nearly ruined for me as I couldn't take my eyes off the little four or five year old girl in front of us.  I'm really working on becoming a less judgmental person, but SERIOUSLY?!  There is no excuse for that.  Anyway, the movie was okay, but I was disappointed that the Avengers turned on each other.  I told David that I didn't like that part and that they should've named it something that made that clear.  I actually suggested "civil war."  He just looked at me and blinked, then gestured toward the enormous movie sign that read "Captain America:  Civil War."  We died laughing.  I had to have known that somewhere in my subconscious.  We came home and binged our new favorite show "Longmire" on Netflix.  

The next morning we drove out to pick up the kids at his parents' house and enjoyed a nice boat ride and picnic with them.  The kids are getting more and more used to the boat and I think this will be the summer we attempt some tubing with them.  The water was still a little too cold for any playtime in it that day, but there is still plenty of summer and subsequent heat left.  We went home for some rest time and spent the rest of the long weekend in some pattern of hikes, picnics, and vegging out.  

We ended the month with Luke beginning swim lessons.  He did a great job and was a lot less fearful than last year.  He had a male coach this year, which probably pushed him to be a little braver than he would've otherwise been.  He did feel the need to attempt to negotiate everything ("Well, how about you stand at that black line and I'll swim to you there?") but that got better as the week (and my warnings to stop it) went on. 

We also had our first family photo session in over two years at the end of the month.  My, how much easier that has gotten since the kids have gotten older!  No one griped, even though it was pretty warm out.  Audrey was practically modeling!  They turned out great and I'll be posting them on FB pretty soon.  

So that was May.  Other highlights include the completion of the deck makeover (we'd had to let the wood dry out on the newly-built extension for six weeks before having it stained) and getting the concrete patio underneath painted.  I was thankful to have both of those wrapped up.  There were also a few friends' birthday parties, a PTA Board meeting, and an All Pro Dads thrown in there.  It was busy as always, but it just makes the relaxed pace of summertime all the sweeter when it finally arrives. 

I'll close with two of my favorite quotes from Luke this month:

 - "Mommy, is today my twoth swim lesson?" (Meaning "second".)

 - "Mommy!  You are NOT going to believe how much hair is growing on my legs now!"  (He is seriously so proud of that.  It's hilarious!)

Happy Summer, Y'all!