School Days Scrapping

Last week I picked up a cute school-themed paper pad by My Mind's Eye, and it's got me in school-scrapping mode. I am really ready for school to start, not because my kids are bored and driving me crazy, but because I am bored and ready to get back into a routine. Both children have been at camp all day for weeks, and I miss them. I am at loose ends with nothing to do, and feeling a bit useless. I realize that this is a problem many moms would love to have, but I am ready for fall and back-to-school and church activities and an upcoming trip to Chicago with some wonderful friends.



These papers have wonderful texture, spot embossing, and glitter, which makes even these very simple pages look a little bit fancier, and somehow sparkly school buses are perfect for Annamarie.

Lacking her mother's neuroses

This story is actually from last weekend and I forgot to post it. Annamarie is fortunately not as stricken with anxiety at meeting scrapping celebrities as her mom is. Sandy and I made a road trip to Memories Galore in Richmond, and we took Annamarie with us. I forgot it was the weekend Donna Downey was there teaching classes, but Sandy and I were able to get an in-person peek at the projects we'll be creating when we take the classes in October. We'll be making two of Donna's GORGEOUS mini-albums and I can't wait.

Anyway, Annamarie has watched Donna's video blog posts with me many times. She knows the names of her children and their dog, and she's seen photos of me with Donna from some event or other. When we walked past the classroom at Memories Galore I whispered to her, "See that lady teaching the class? That's Donna Downey." Annamarie was very excited and wanted to chat with Donna, but I said no, she's teaching. Donna's very nice husband Bill encouraged us to go on in since the class was almost done, so Annamarie ran in and said, "I've seen you on your video. Your glasses are very tempting to me." (Such a typical Annamarie comment LOL.) Donna switched glasses with her for a moment and Annamarie exclaimed, "These are WAY too blurry." Then she told Donna that she liked her hair much better when it was "blonde on top and dark on the bottom." No filter on this child, but Donna agreed with her.

I am really excited about the projects, but I've taken classes with Donna before and they move FAST. I am the slowest scrapper in the world, so I'll just take a valium (not really) and finish my project at home if necessary. Sandy and I are taking this one and this one at Scrapdoodles in Fredricksburg.

Donna is also teaching on the Ultimate Scrapbooking Cruise in January. Maybe like everyone in our town, she will recognize me as "Annamarie's mom."

Of course it's thundering

Because it's 2:30 AM and my youngest child, who is afraid of thunder and has never been away from me for a night except at my mom's house, is currently sleeping in a cabin in the woods with her fifth grade classmates. I know she's fine; she was fine at 10:00 when Ron was shooed out of the girls' cabin so that they could get ready for bed. But it's 55 degrees and it's been raining for 12 hours and I hope I sent enough dry clothes. And why did I talk her out of taking her stuffed horse, Stacey?

Ironically, on Saturday morning I will take my other child to school and leave him there forever. Well, maybe not forever, but until he remembers that he loves us and we're not so awful and he's ready to come home for a weekend. Thomas attends a boarding school where he has been a day student up until now, and he has been begging to board because it is SO NOT FAIR that he has to miss all the fun his friends have and do you know they get to stay up until 9:15?? On school nights?!?

We said no last year but there are so many reasons why this is the right thing for our family at this time, and we pray that it is going to relieve a lot of stress all around. The school worked with us financially after we told them we just didn't have any more money to give them, which was a real blessing. We are going to sell my van, which makes both me and Ron sad because we love the van, which is very luxurious compared to our other vehicles. But it is just one year old and we hope to be able to get a good price for it. So goodbye, leather interior and heated seats and surround sound and magic dimming mirror and automatic liftgate and sonar that keeps me from hitting the sides of the garage. And hello, morning/homework/bedtime battles being someone else's problem five days a week. Thomas is sure that it's going to be a constant slumber party, and he keeps brushing off the strict schedule and chores and evening study hall. I hope he loves it as much as he believes he will, and I hope it will be a real growth experience for him.

Tomorrow...my Thursday night TV observations. I know you have been holding your breath for that.

Back to School, with trepidation

Annamarie started fifth grade on Wednesday. Fifth grade. I keep being shocked by the thought that I am the mother of two middle schoolers. Surely such a mother must be older than I am. Middle aged, even. Let's just move on, shall we? Hey! Here are a couple of photos of Annamarie on the first day of school.




I am filled with mixed emotions as I look at those pictures and send her off to school. I am so proud of how hard she works and how far she has come, but she is still so far behind and likely always will be. I am painfully aware that next year she will enter middle school, a scary place to send even well-adjusted, typically developing children. Annamarie is just beginning to realize that she is different, and just gaining awareness of the fact that many of the kids aren't very nice to her. She is sweet and funny and so interested in other people, but she doesn't have a clue how to have a normal conversation. It just doesn't come naturally to her like it does to most people, and it's an incredibly difficult skill to teach someone. It's sad and often funny to have to make rules before any social event. "Do not ask for anyone's jewelry. Do not touch anyone's artificial limbs (this actually applies to two people at the dog park). Do not hug strangers. Do not ask people if they have been arrested, grounded, or had a c-section. If you have asked a question and gotten an answer, it is not necessary to ask that question again. The only exception is, 'How are you?' and only ask that once each time you see the person." Sounds silly, but this is my life.

We are blessed by a number of adults who are very patient with Annamarie's incessant questions and who accept and love her just as she is, but she has never had a friend her own age. At ten, my joyful, loving, sassy little girl has never once been invited to a birthday party or to play at another child's house. Her peculiar interests (law enforcement, childbirth, anything medical-related) don't lend themselves well to conversing with girls her age who are into Hannah Montana and Webkinz. Her behavior is often just weird, to be honest, and my heart breaks for her because she wants so much to be liked. I have a terrible time finding a balance between loving her as she is and trying to help her fit in without hurting her feelings or making her feel bad about herself.

So it's not hard to imagine how I am struggling with the thought of sending this precious child to middle school. She is naive and trusting, and I am not. I know very well that the developmentally disabled are among the most often abused. How, then, will I keep her safe? How will I equip her to keep herself safe? She loves Jesus and she has a strong sense of right and wrong. But soon she will be a teenager, and I suspect that her desire to be accepted will only get stronger.

I am a big believer in the notion that God puts people into our paths when we need them, and these days I feel like I'm stumbling over all the people He's putting in my path. (Hang on a minute...this does relate to the school thing eventually.) Several months ago we met an awesome family at the pool where A & I swim in the winter. The kids were really sweet to Annamarie, and we have become friends with them. They kept mentioning a wonderful home Bible study group they attend, and invited us back in July. You know me: "ACK! Strangers! Social situation! I can't. Very busy. Might be sick that day." But God wanted me there, and we went, and I and my family are still there nearly two months later. Being with this group of Christian families every week is an amazing breath of fresh air. We sing and pray and eat and study the Word and I feel vaguely like I am cheating on my home church but I don't think you can have too much worship in your week. Thomas (!!!) and Annamarie love going there and hanging out with a gaggle of really nice kids of all ages. It is just exactly what I have been needing; fellowship and support and Jesus, and I am just SO GRATEFUL.

Now for the part about how this relates to Annamarie and school. Most of the families in the home group also homeschool. They are part of a co-op that meets weekly and includes about 400 students. Homeschooling is not something I have ever wanted to do. It scares the heck out of me, I fear I am not organized and driven enough, and if I am going to be completely honest, I cherish my alone time when the kids are at school. We have considered private school for Annamarie, but there isn't one in our area that has special education resources appropriate for her. So the options are to throw her into public middle school and pray for the best, or to homeschool.

I have not made a decision yet. I'm going to spend the next few months buying denim jumpers and flashcards researching and praying about it, and maybe you could pray too, if you are so inclined. Thomas is still on break until September 15, and will be at the same private school he attended last year. Seventh grade! Almost 13! How does this happen?

Weekend photo recap

Here I am again, sitting here catching up on my blog reading at 1:04 am, and I have to take Annamarie to the orthodontist in 7 hours. Can you hear that flapping sound? It is the $4000 or so that is about to fly out of our dilapidated little money market account and into the orthodontist's.

Anyway, we had a very nice weekend at my mom & dad's house. I believe they were truly surprised by the anniversary gathering. The three non-family couples who were there might as well be family...they have been friends with my parents my whole life and every one of them is just Good People.

On Sunday we went to church with Mom and Dad, at the church where I was baptized, grew up, and got married. Being there is a very bittersweet experience for me. The sanctuary is only about a quarter full these days, and so many of the people I loved best have either moved on or passed on. Still, my children are amazed that they are hugged and patted by so many strangers who seem to know them, and who feel like they do because they have known me for 42 years and have followed our lives through my parents since I moved away.

We kidnapped my brother's adorable son, Ford, for the afternoon, and I ate him up. Well, I could have, but instead we stuffed him full of delicious and messy treats, including ice cream:

and Oreos:

Ford is 21 months old and he is such a little person now. I spent hours asking him random questions just to hear him answer, "Ummmm, yes." The kids love playing with him, and Thomas is especially sweet and gentle with him. And as adorable as he is, the best thing about him is that his mommy takes him home when we are all worn out. Grammy (Ford calls her "Mimi") and I are old and need our naps. Because most of the time he truly looks like this:

A sturdy little blonde blur who is into everything.

Later I tried to get some good photos of Thomas and Annamarie on Mom's porch, which has great light and great reflected light because the ceiling is painted pale yellow. It didn't work out for me this time--it was heavily overcast outside and I am not sure that my lens is working properly. (I shot all of these photos with my Canon 17-85mm EFS lens, which I banged on a bench while we were out west, breaking my UV filter. I'm wondering if I damaged more than the filter.) This was the best shot I got, and it is very grainy.

Ford came back on Monday and we left him and Thomas to accompany Papa on his errands to manly destinations such as the hardware store, the tire store, and Circuit City. Grammy, Annamarie and I went to the art supply store, lunch, and the splash park. We dragged my sister-in-law (not Ford's mom--the other one. Keep up.) with us, and she delighted Annamarie with a ride in her little red convertible Miata. The splash park was pretty cool, but the green cover did not make for good photos.

I liked this one, though.

We drove home today after a stop at Concord Mills mall for a bit of back-to-school shopping and lunch at Sonny's Bar-B-Q. We were glad to see Ron and Ruby, and I will be happy to sleep in my own bed. I will not be there nearly long enough.

Colt Camp

Annamarie has been at Triple C Camp every day for the last two weeks. It's a wonderful traditional summer camp where the kids can pick a "specialty," so needless to say Annamarie picked Colt Camp. She has come home absolutely FILTHY every day, which I take as a sign that she's having a super time. Well, that and the fact that she says approximately 47 times a day, "Mom, I love Colt Camp." Today's her last day, and Ron went by to take some photos of her.

That girl loves horses.

Sparklers

Never let it be said that we are not patriotic here in the Michener household. We have dragged the Fourth of July out all month, and last night we let the kids burn six boxes of sparklers. I got out my camera and told Thomas to keep his body still and wave his arm in a circle, but that was too mundane for him, so he drew a star.



Of course Annamarie wanted to draw a star too.



Then Thomas drew a heart.



And Annamarie drew...an ear.



Thomas started getting fancy and writing words. (I did reverse the photo)




Annamarie doesn't write quite as fast...she was going for "Mom." Awwww.

Someone's watching too much "Baby Story"

As we were walking through the grocery store tonight, Annamarie said, "I love you Mommy, and if you were pregnant I would rub your belly and get you some Pitocin."