May Day...May Day...

It's almost the end of May and I am drowning.  Please help me!!!
I promised a post about camp, Madonna, sports, thumbsucking, shopping and the bathroom.  Ta-da...there you go!  {kidding}

It seems like now that I am on here, all of that is old news and I've got a million other things to write about.  Okay, let's see.  Andrew went to Camp Miniwanca with 3 fifth grade classes at the end of April. {yeah, end of April}  I chaperoned Caleb's trip last year and was lucky enough to go again this year.  We had beautiful weather and lots  of fun.  I must admit I was distracted for most of the trip.  A special friend had a horrible tragedy happen to her family and I was preoccupied with it all.

The 2nd annual birthdya bash was also in April.  It was a little later than planned, but scheduling conflicts kept it from happening.  This year we voted on best costume...for Madonna of course!  My friend Kirsten won.  She was the "prettiest" Madonna.  We did the whole bring-a-$20-gift-to-exchange thing and I wound up with a gorgeous necklace and earrings set from Posh, compliments of Molly.  {thank you}  I really need to come up with a little something to change it up a bit.  Maybe I'll take out my island/snack bar by next year's shindig and mix it up tons.  Who knows?

Sports.  I wonder what that was about?  Probably just an update in the sports world.  As of today, baseball is in full swing.  It's pretty time consuming but I have found that I really enjoy it.  I've dreaded the thought of it for so long {thoughts of t-ball} that I never really gave it a chance.  A Blast!!!  I also enjoy seeing my friends twice a week guaranteed.  The big downfall is playing against friends.  It's tough for Caleb, who is a wear-emotions-on-the-sleeve kind of guy.  I love that about him, but he is his worst critic.  {yes, keith, I've heard those words a time or two from you about both him and myself...but I didn't steal your words...we agree on this}  Caleb also had his first AYBT tournament this past weekend.  I was totally busy Saturday with two other soccer games and a birthday party so Keith drove to Holland for the last game and I stayed home.  Except I wasn't home.  Just one of those things.  Kyle, Caleb and I headed that way Sunday morning.  I told Caleb I must love him tons since it was already in the 70s and I was heading to an indoor, all day tournament in a van with NO air instead of heading to the pool. ♥ 

I missed Andrew's first tournament game.  I was told he was a running machine.  Two more tournaments before the finals.  I'll be missing one again tomorrow.  Campground calls.  Seriously, we had this planned before I ever knew about a game.  No goal yet, but it ain't over til it's over.  He's having a blast and that's all that matters.

Kyle plays one more game next weekend.  He's such a great player.  He wants to play t-ball next year.  I think it's because of Caleb.  Except, I really don't know.  He goes back and forth between the boys with his hero worshipping.  Just the other day, he was quoted as saying, "He {Andrew} wins the trophy for the best man in the world."  Caleb acted bummed and asked what the reason was and Kyle replied, "He lets me be in his videos.  And I like his cleats.  'Nuff said.  Truthfully, I think Kyle will be bored with t-ball.  He has no idea how slooooooooow it is and how much down time he''ll have.

Real quick.  I did an awful thing recently.  At my wit's end, I offered a bribe to my youngest son.  I asked him what it would take for him to stop sucking his thumb.  Two words.  Cell Phone.  Um, okay, No.  Nice try, 4 year old.  Instead, he settled on a DS.  One hundred thirty dollars.  Right.  In the end, I offered cash to Caleb to sell his to Kyle.  What a deal.  I purchased a new skin for the contraption and we were good as gold.  He had 17 days to give up his habit.  As in he had to be thumbsucking free for 17 days.  Gramma Stratton camw home from Arizona and we were counting down the days until Kyle could spend the night.  He had to go until the day before in order to get the DS.  He did sooo good.  Until the DS.

The bathroom saga will have to wait.  It certainly isn't going to finish itself any time soon.

Hung with the girls the other night...into the morning. {to the tune of getting home at 3:30 am!}  Wouldn't trade my sleep-deprived Sunday for anything.  Love them dearly.

To K Or Not To K...

That, my dear, is the question.

In the spring of 2002 I was faced with a similar sort of agony.  Caleb was turning 5 in July and Montague School told me {not the actual building} that Caleb would be enrolling in their Young-5 program.  Yes, he has a summer birthday but, mind you, I went to school when it was called D-K, or Developmental Kindergarten.  Um, no thanks.  Being that I was going through all of that for the first time, I was clearly clueless.  I moved to WHitehall in June and could not wait for the school office to open in August so I could shout out that Caleb would be enrolling in kindergarten at Whitehall in the fall.

Boy, not much has changed.  Or maybe it has.  Kyle, having a fall birthday, is slated for Young-5s.  At least in my mind.  Or so I thought.  I kow that it can be a tough crowd to convince since Whitehall only has one such class. {2, if you count am and pm...one teacher.}  I know peeps keep multiplyin' so my odds are against me.  But he's sooo young.  And a boy.  I spoke with my principal earlier and he just said if I'm not happy with the testing turnout, we'll talk again.  And again if necessary.  Good.  Great.  Done.

I heard last week that the teacher who has taught this class since at least since 1979 is retiring.  Does this change my feelings?  Maybe.  I don't know.  Another teacher will certainly be qualified, but this one teacher has been the only teacher for over 30 years!!  Some may say moving on is a blessing but she has been an amazing teacher.

I met with the principal again today to go over Kyle's testing scores.  He said normally a child really either fits into the kindergarten catagory or the young 5 catagory.  Not Kyle.  He was somewhere in the middle.  Academically, he is a shoe-in for K.  Socially, not so much.  He's young.  He acts it in so many ways.  Sure, you may not guess it on the soccer field.  Or while playing {sports} with the big boys and their friends.  But put him a group of kids his own age and he plays around them.  Not with them.  He tells me he's shy.  Shy.  And he really is.  Outside of his comfort zone.  Keith and I differ on this subject.  He is Kyle's biggest fan.  To be fair to him, I think he'd understand it more if we had children all around the same age.  It is great that he can hold his own with and gets along so well with older kids, but...he's still four.  And young.

The principal said I can think about this.  I asked about research on the subject and his experience with it at our school.  He said most kids adapt.  He'll learn to be more social whether he goes the younger route or the older route.  Kristin was a youngin'.  Always to young for the things her friends were old enough to do.  Boys are worse off.  But school isn't the way it was.  Yes, it is more fast paced, which can be a negative, but academically kids are being put everywhere and they learn to adapt and grow in their weaker areas.  No, Kyle will not drive when his friends are.  Me?  I think it'll save gas money. {keeping it light}  No, he won't be dating when his friends are.  Me?  I'll get to turn another year older before the possibility of "grand" living. {keeping it light, remember?}  I know there are bigger issues.  Do they have to be?  I know I sound so wishy-washy.  It's exactly where I'm at right now.  The ball's in my court.

Oh, I forgot to mention that when I arrived at the office in '02 to do my shouting out, I found out Caleb was already enrolled in kindergarten.  Huh?  All of a sudden I freaked out that I was ruining him academically and spilled my heart out over the fact that Montague put him in young 5s.  Room was made for him, no questions asked, and that was that.  Did I make the right decision then?  I don't know.  Caleb is super intelligent.  Would he have been just intelligent if he had gone to kindergarten?  Caleb had no social skills concerning other kids.  No siblings.  No cousins.  No neighbors.  No daycare friends.  Only adults.  I remember crying so many times over not being able to relate to him.  He was like a wallflower.  I couldn't comprehend it.  Look at him now.  But back then...how do I know he learned his socialness from the younger set?  How do I know he didn't just adapt to his surroundings and how do I know he wouldn't have done the same thing in kindergarten???????

Do we ever know the right answers?  Ever?  I can tell you that having a #3 behind Kyle's name has given me NO benefits!  'Shoulda had a spring chick.  Then I would have all the answers.

My Day, Your Day, Her Day...

I am totally going out of order.  Priorities.

Yesterday was, of course, Mother's Day.  We held our annual luncheon, but without all our moms this year.  K's gramma turned 90 this year and the family celebrated in Indiana yesterday in her honor.  Our family stayed home to celebrate with my sister, my mom and Jimmy's mom.  From go I headed outside to get my camera and saw this...and knew the party had officially started.

We had a nice little lunch, followed by my mom's yummy dessert.  Short and sweet.  Before everyone left, we took the annual Mother's Day photo. {youuu-gly!} As my husband lovingly referred to us, the basketball player and the other two...{we were NOT sitting, people.  I guess we are just that short.}

Kyle made me a flowerpot at daycare.  He also made me a card at school.

Andrew drew me a nice portrait.  I'm feeling a little green, though, considering I look like the offspring of Fiona and Shrek.

Things were a little rushed yesterday, between church, the party, work on the roof and basketball practice.  The boys and I were able to get pictures at bedtime.  This isn't the best one, but it's my favorite.  A little chaotic and all over the place.  My life.  And how I like it. ♥