Why do school libraries stay closed all summer?

Thanks to our principal, another parent volunteer, our media assistant and me, ours doesn't anymore!!
Because of a cool pilot program, we got a little funding (very little) to operate a library morning each Tuesday this summer.  Some nice teachers like above did storytimes.

Kids did crafts.  (I was in charge of that)

They read books with reading buddies (Molly is above, right)

And played board games, wrote reviews of books they read.

Most importantly, they checked out books!

It is probably the easiest volunteer chairing I've ever done.  It almost planned itself, the kids who came were self selected--wanted to be there, and we never had to ask anyone to ever leave.  The parents and teachers were helpful, and I learned how to check out books on the SK system.  So--dream come true.

Are we swinging through life?

So we've been up to lots of stuff.  Roland and Lillian are playing flag football again.  Wesley isn't coaching, which is kind of a big deal to him.  I hope he can handle the loss of control.

Anthony has grown a molar, and is working on the other three simultaneously.  He is constantly climbing on to chairs and tables, and making a merry mess.  He says 'uh-oh' constantly (it applies a lot), and is working on other words.  He says the phrase 'shut the door' (which we can interpret) to the kids if they don't shut the baby gate or the garage door.

Who was Dionysus?

 

Molly was invited to attend North's Dionysus Awards night.  Their reinvigorated drama club hosted a night akin to the Tony's 'with categories for best musical number, best lead actor, etc.  We also voted online.

  'Put on a Happy Face' was nominated as best musical number, and won!  (It was adorable!)

Molly, and the little girl who was in the show with her, Ella, were both nominated for 'Best Attitude'.  In an exciting development, there was a tie!

There were four nominees, and the little girls both won.  Little statuettes and everything.  I asked the drama teacher if she'd fudged the results, and she assured me they were genuine.

I'm glad I have these pictures of them.  They were so cute together.

After dinner, and the awards, they all danced to 'Time Warp', which they often did at practices.

Some high school theater things don't change.

Molly with the lovely Ms. Bond.  I can't say enough nice things about her director of this show.

What a nice evening to share with her.

Do you ever?

Want to post all the ridiculous things that happen to you as a mother over the week, but each day's insanity pushes out the previous day's?

Today I got home from taking Roland to the bookstore.  He HAD to have the Mark of Athena, and he bought it (all 42 copies in the library system were checked out.).  That was a nightmare, as expected for any after school outing.  I even followed through on the threat not to buy Lillian the Curious George book she'd picked.

We got home, the big kids helped get the littles inside while I finished up dinner, and they stayed outside to play.  Roland comes to tell me that Lillian is down the street.  (when supervised by her older siblings, she is expected to stay in the yard)  I come out to deal with it, and she is fighting with Molly, on her bike.  She is definitely not allowed to tool around on that without asking!  So I drag her inside, to discover Molly has found a new malfeasance.  Jack took the taco sauce from the table and poured a goodly amount onto Anthony's tray.

It just doesn't stop!

What's keeping you so busy?

Yesterday my dad came and installed locks on the door to the garage and the front door.  I'd spent tons of time dragging the little guys out of the garage, and Jack could leave through the front if he wished.  I was so grateful.

This morning, during family scripture time, once all the kids and Wesley were ready for the day, Anthony came lurching in from the garage (he'd been able to get in because the older kids had been going in for their shoes and backpacks).  In horrible slow motion, we realized he was covered in cat poop.  Wesley commented:  "Now I know why monsters in movies walk the way they do.  It's after babies."

Has it been a month?

We've been trucking along.  

More soon!

What is that saying?

Adventure:  Something you'd rather be telling the story of than experiencing.

I feel like that applies to parenting, especially in the Summer.

This Summer, most days haven't been truly terrible, but each one of them has had at least one hour that I would just love to run out on, and tell the story of later, without having to get through it.

Like yesterday.  It wasn't too bad a day, but by 3:30, I'd kicked the kids out to the back yard for 'outside play time'.  Things went downhill from there.  Jack turned on the hose.  I turned it off.  Lillian and Jack played in the mud created by the hose.  I bathed them, asking Roland to take Anthony to his room and play with him.  Roland soon yelled that the baby was poopy and leaking on the floor.  I called for Molly to watch him in the tub, making sure that Anthony didn't drown while I cleaned up Roland's room.

Anthony threw up a little after being cleaned up, which I attributed to him eating soap.  It was a precursor however, of things to come.

We managed to have dinner (Wesley had to work late), and get out the door.  I left Roland behind, and instructed Lillian to not let Jack fall asleep on the way to the library.  By the time I looked back 2 minutes later, Lillian herself was asleep.  We woke her up to go inside the library.

We met a friend, and Jack soon started playing in the sensory table in the Discovery room.  He has played in this rice filled box with 'dinosaur bones' underneath a lot, so at this point he has just started throwing the rice.
I realize, we have to leave, because I cannot make him stop doing this, and when I pick up Anthony, I realize he has a fever.  (Which really explained the vomiting).

Later that, I saw my friend at church, and her baby had a fever (they'd inadvertently shared a bottle).  Nothing like spreading the joy around!