All Ellie

So, over the weekend Ellie handed me a sheet of paper to sign giving her permission to run for Student Council.  I signed it and talked briefly about it with her.  Then, on Monday, I started seeing all these Facebook posts and Instagrams of my friends' kids with their Student Council posters.  Poster??? I had no idea we were supposed to make a poster and I felt like once again I had put my daughter at a disadvantage.  I had 10 minutes after school so I quickly made her a poster.  I asked her about it when she got home and she said she knew about the posters, but they said you didn't have to have one so she didn't say anything.  I told her that I felt bad because I work and so I am not able to be as involved at the school as her friends' moms.  She said, "That's ok, Mom. I'm used to it,"

Just picture this poster mounted on bright yellow cardstock

On Monday night I went up to her school for Open House and I spent a couple hours meeting her and Jack's teachers and signing up for Parent-Teacher conferences.  I felt really happy with Ellie's two teachers.  Then, Tuesday afternoon right before I left school, I got a voicemail from Ellie's school informing me that, due to overcrowding, they had hired a new teacher and Ellie was being put in a new class.  Ellie's previous class was with several of her closest friends and she loved her two teachers.  I was so upset for her.  This was the 4th week of school and they were choosing to move her now?  Ellie got off the bus in tears and I tried to cheer her up.  She told me she would now be rotating between FOUR new teachers.  I tried to find the positives about it to share with her, but inside I was seething.  Luckily, Ellie is the type of girl who makes friends easily, has loved every teacher she has had, and has an aptitude for learning. So even though she was devastated the day before, she came home on Tuesday happy about her new teachers and excited about the new friends she made. I am still upset that the school waited so long into the school year to balance classes, and that they didn't tell us one day sooner so we could have met the teacher at Open House, but I am so relieved that Ellie is the type of person who can go handle changes like these without missing a beat.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

This is going to be all over the place because it is Friday, I am tired, and I think I will just write whatever pops into my mind.

On the way to school this morning, Ellie announces from the back seat, "Mom, do you know what is wrong with time? When I want the day to go fast, time goes slow. When I want the day to last longer, time goes fast."

Truer words have never been spoken.  Although, as I have gotten older, it seems like time never goes slow.  It is hard to believe that we are already three weeks into the school year.  I had to enter progress report grades today for my students and I felt like I just barely met them yesterday.

Jack is enjoying kindergarten, but he seems to be getting into trouble quite a bit for talking.  I remember Ellie having the same problem in kindergarten, but she quickly learned how to become the teacher's pet.

Ellie is going with her friend today to the Compassion Experience.  I am looking forward to hearing what she thought of it.  I think it will be a neat experience for her.  Ellie has soccer pictures at 7am tomorrow and then a game at 8. Tom has a meet, so it will just be me corralling the boys. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.  Is it wrong that I am praying for a rainout?

A remarkable dispay of unfit parenting

So, I haven't really been blogging because I have been so stressed with my life these days and I didn't want to bleed that negativity all over the screen.  But, y'all, yesterday's events must be documented.

I had a fantastically terrible day at school and I came home just feeling overwhelmed with life.  I needed to get Ellie and Jack off the bus, go get Sam from Ms. Donika's, and then got to the grocery store for a few necessary items (necessary like toilet paper). When the kids got off the bus, Ellie resisted going to the store.  I asked if she wanted to stay home and do her homework while Jack and I went to get Sam and go to the store.  I figured it would take us about 45 minutes and she has never been left alone that long.  She readily agreed and I gave her instructions to lock the door and not to use the microwave or toaster (random, but I swear that's what I told her...because microwaves and toasters are so dangerous).

Jack and I rushed to get Sam and stopped at HEB which is in the neighborhood and right on the way home.  While I was shopping, I kept getting this worried feeling about Ellie.  I couldn't shake the thought that she might be getting scared.  I went to send her a message to her iPad, but my dumb phone was dead because it had suddenly stopped holding a charge when not plugged in.  I wrapped up my trip pretty quick and rushed the boys home.

As we were turning the corner to my street, I spot Ellie and her friend's mom walking away from the house.
I guess as soon as Ellie got inside, she thought she heard a cough coming from upstairs along with some other noises.  She left the house and went next door.  Thankfully, the neighbors weren't home because they already hate us for being terrible dog owners. I can't even imagine what they would make of us for leaving our 9 year old unattended.  She then walked a few blocks over to her best friend's house.  Her friend's mom tried to text and call me multiple times, but, of course, my phone was dead.  She then walked Ellie back to our house and proceeded to check all of our rooms. ALL OF OUR MESSY ROOMS!  While I appreciate her trying to reassure Ellie by checking for the intruder, I am also dying inside that she saw my house in such a state (did I mention how stressed I have been with life lately?).  Anyway, she didn't feel comfortable leaving Ellie home alone again (because she is a rational person), so she was taking Ellie back to her house when I pulled up.

Some final thoughts: I feel awful that Ellie felt so scared.  I put so much responsibility on her, and she acts so mature for her age, that sometimes I forget she is still pretty young.  I apologized to Ellie and all is well in the world.  I am really glad she thought to go to her friend's house (and thankful that it was to a friend whose mom knows me and won't judge, haha).  All in all, I was able to laugh about it afterward and chalk it up to a lesson learned.  Tom, on the other hand, did not find it quite so funny.  Sigh.