parents morning in

Pook has eight days of school left. I'm invited to two of them. Bug has four days of school left. I'm invited to three. Since I don't get to add the eight and two to give me ten more days of kids in school, but I do have to add the days I'm supposed to be in attendance, I'm in major countdown mode. And not the same way the kids start counting down either.

It isn't that I had anything particularly exciting to do today. However, I usually go to the YMCA for yoga on Wednesdays-- and I will be sorry to miss it. I'd rsvp'd "no" to the class "Parent Appreciation Luncheon" until I found out I was the only selfish parent in the class, including the mom with the 12 day old baby. So, I'm going. It is cold and damp today and I'm not really in great picnic mode, but I'm trying to remind myself to appreciate the truly important things in my life. And Bug does squeeze in above yoga. Then he has a mini-field day Monday and a stage performance next Wednesday. (No yoga then either.)

I'll be scooping ice cream for the library's Something-to-thank-kids-for-reading Day on Tuesday at Pook's school, and have promised Bug he can put sprinkles on the ice creams for the kids. Then Thursday Pook has Step-Up day where they spend a day in class with next year's teacher. I'd like to meet her but I won't stay there long and am not even counting it against my free days. Friday will be his class party and I was suckered into helping. I have a strong sense of guilt. And, of course, I'm reminding myself to "appreciate the truly important things in my life."

I made a list last May of all the things we could do over the summer. And we crossed off many, but not all of the items. I kept the list and saw it not too long ago in my desk somewhere. If I can put my hands on it, it'd be fun to add to it/amend it some and try again.

I didn't plan last summer very well. We had too many weeks of swimming lessons which were inconveniently scheduled for 10 and 11am. It kept us from doing much at all if I wanted Bug to nap. Which I did. So, mostly we swam last summer. There was a visit to my parents and a week of camp at our church, but it was pretty boring overall.

This summer I've tried to scatter the events a bit better and I don't know if swimming lessons will fit in or not. We can swim every day regardless, since the county pool is literally across the street from our house ($35 for a season pass!). We've got a new birthday chemistry kit to mess with, invitations to three different farms (eggs, blueberries and cows, and general veggies), a plane ride to my parents again, two camps each (only one overlapping), a vacation to the Outer Banks, and memberships to Stone Mountain, the Botanical Gardens and the Atlanta Zoo. I've also got plans to swap kids with friends a few times. I hope that does it and gives us balance. Primarily I want them to be outdoors with the neighbors, swimming, running around, biking and generally enjoying their freedom. Freedom I will crave after about a week of full-time Mommying. My mantra will be to "appreciate the truly important things in my life."