Category Archives: Uncategorized

Pet sitting

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A few weeks ago (or more) the kids decided they wanted to get a dog. We went online and found out that they cost $300-$400 at the humane society, depending on the age of the dog. The kids decided they would save their money and Alan and I agreed that we would consider a dog if they really were able to save that much. Through our conversations the kids decided to start a pet sitting business to earn money and learn more about animals. They went to work making fliers and posters, and immediately ran into conflict over how to make the fliers and posters. They ended up agreeing that Lex would type up the fliers in Google Docs (his favorite thing to do!) and Eve would write signs to hang.

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One of Eve’s signs

A few days later they hung their signs and delivered fliers to every house on our street and many houses on the neighboring streets. Then they waited, eagerly, for the calls to pour in. Then we had to talk about how often and when people might need pet sitting services.

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Price list on the left and notes on the right.

Then, at our neighborhood block party, two different neighbors told the kids they would be in need of pet sitting services soon, and finally last Thursday the day came when they had their first job. From Thursday to Sunday they fed the cats for our neighbor. They went down to talk to the neighbors, took notes on what to do and where to find everything, and discussed pricing. Then then went down for four days and did the work. Lex wanted them to do it on their own, without my supervision. I told them I was going to observe the first few days and if they really could do it all on their own then I’d let them go on their own for the last two days. That never actually happened. They did learn a lot about how to be professional, how to work together, and how to stop complaining when mom threatens to take away your business. :)

I wanted to get a cute picture of them cuddling the cats they were taking care of, but turns out the cats are super shy and we didn’t see them once the whole time! Eve was super excited at the beginning of the job, but both kids were a little bored by the end. I think had there been cats to cuddle each day it would have been a lot more fun for them, and better photo ops for me!

I think it will take them awhile to earn $400 through their pet sitting business, which is great because it will take them awhile to learn how to work together and take care of a dog as well!

The leaves are falling…

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It’s leaf raking time again!

And so it begins.  This picture amuses me because her face so perfectly sums up how I feel about fall raking, but really she and a friend were outside and raking leaf piles to jump in, all on their own accord.

This evening she drew a picture of her fall fun… or at least her memory of it. :)

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We had a busy, but fun day today. The kids went to karate, then Eve had a friend over, then they had overlapping birthday parties to attend. Fortunately Lex’s party was right down the street so he walked to and from his party, and Eve and I rode our bikes to her friend’s party. When we got home Eve kept riding and her friend from down the street came out to play. I think everyone will sleep well tonight!

Job hunting?

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I decided not to return to my job as assistant teacher at the Montessori school this year, because I really wanted to find a full-time teaching position. I want to be the boss of my own classroom! I had a frustrating summer of very few interviews and no job offers, but really that was ok and I have been ok with the idea of subbing all along. I decided this was the year to hold out for what I really want, not settle for just anything. Of course, those who have been around know that my confidence with this decision changes daily. :)

It is really hard to balance what’s best for me (exercise, mental health), my family (home for the kids, home maintenance), and my career (teaching!). I want to work on all three “pillars” but unfortunately that’s very hard to do at the same time! When I work on the career it’s a pretty full-time commitment, leaving little time for the family/home and even less time for me! When I don’t work on the career I have more time for the other two, but end up feeling guilty about the amount of time and money I’ve invested so far into teaching, only to not continue the path.

So this year I’m not working. Yet. The first week the kids were back in school was excellent! I organized all my thoughts and scraps of notes into one big, long to-do list and started checking things off! I exercised every day and even lost two pounds that first week. It was great. The only uncomfortable times were when I had to explain to acquaintances why I wasn’t working and that really I was ok with things. I would get varying levels of pity and envy in response.

The second week I applied for a kindergarten position in a neighboring district and got an email from a close acquaintance about a preschool position in my district. My brain immediately started spinning! I lost focus on my to-do list, spent hours cycling through the pros and cons of taking (or not taking) either job, and basically started falling apart. I interviewed at both places. There were a lot of pros to the preschool job (teaching, short hours, in district), but a few big cons as well. So I said no. There were a lot of pros to the kindergarten position as well (nice school, nice teaching team) but a few big cons as well. I thought really hard and eventually emailed the principal and asked him to remove me from the candidate pool. I don’t know if I would have gotten an offer, but I think it was likely. It was a really hard choice for me. It would have meant an after school nanny for the kids, something I can’t even imagine, plus me back to my UVEI days of constant work morning, noon, and night. NO time for exercise, house up-keep, or family. Also, it was a different district with a somewhat different vacation schedule. I was a mental mess trying to decide what was the best thing to do. I finally came to a decision Saturday night, emailed the principal Sunday morning, and felt calm wash over me. Back to my stay-at-home, getting stuff done, probably subbing in the future plan. All was right in my head again.

Monday afternoon I get a voicemail (my phone never rings, something else I have to figure out and take care of!) from the preschool director at the school I had just turned down. She said she heard I hadn’t taken the kindergarten job (I didn’t even have an offer yet, but we won’t be picky) and wondered if I would please consider a long-term sub position in preschool. October to December to cover a maternity leave. Brain spin commence! At the moment it seems like it will be all the pros of the preschool position above, plus many of the pros of the kindergarten position…. but none of the cons. Perhaps. I’m going tomorrow to meet the director and see the school. An interview, I suppose, disguised as a visit. This woman has a kid who plays field hockey with Eve, so we have chatted as moms on the sidelines a few times. She seems nice. The school is lovely. We shall see.

For now I have to go get some exercise while I still can. Once again my future is up in the air.

Band!

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Lex has decided to join band this year.  Fifth grade is the year they get to pick instrument and play in the band.  Last year, in fourth, they all learned to play the ukulele, which Lex kind of enjoyed, but this year they get to choose.  He chose percussion.  I’d love to say it was because he is a wild drummer with a great rhythm, but in truth it’s because percussion stands at the back of the band.  :-)  He does have great rhythm though and the new music teacher thought percussion would be great for him. I went in and had a nice chat with her last week.  I introduced myself and told her all about Lex.  She had already met him and remembered him because he cried, briefly, during the first music class.  Sigh.  She is super nice though and very willing to work with him and let him be in the band, despite his past history with concerts. 

Tonight was instrument pickup from the rental company.  Fifth graders and their parents from all three elementary schools were there to pick up instruments.  Lex and I had fun!  Just as we were picking up his instrument a girl in his class came over and asked what he was playing and if he was going to play in the concert this year.  He said, “I don’t know, maybe.”  She said, “I think you should. You’d be really good at it.” My momma heart swelled!  Unfortunately the instrument rental guy started talking to Lex at the same time so he only partially heard her.  I love how sweet his classmates are to him.  My favorite little girl who tackled him in first grade was there too and she was more than happy to chat with him and tell me all about the band setup. 

Lex finally got his percussion set and immediately asked me to carry it because it was too heavy.  No way, José!

He is sooooo excited to get started with lessons.  His set has a snare drum practice pad (not a full drum) drum sticks, bells (which are kind of like a xylophone), and mallets.  Despite instructions from the music teacher to not touch anything until his first lesson (the instruction went to all kids, not just Lex), he had that case open in the car, gently fingering the bells.  He is so excited!   I can’t wait to hear him practicing.  I hope he loves it!!

Apple picking time again.

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One of my favorite fall things to do! Saturday was Customer Apprecition Day at Wellwood Orchard and my Facebook feed was full of pictures of friends picking apples. I wanted nothing to do with the crowds that day, so instead we went today. Mema was here today too, so we took her along.  Her first time at Wellwood!  It was much calmer, though really hot!! The website said they stopped making donuts at 11am, so we made that our first stop. Once we were sugar-fueled, we went to check out the animals.

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Feeding the goats

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An albino peacock?

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Don’t stand directly under the birds!

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Piglets! Mama pig was looking very hot and uncomfortable. Not an attractive look for anyone, especially a giant pig!

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Baby bunnies. It was so hot they were all panting in unison.

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Eve caught herself a bunny! I’m glad it wasn’t a “catch and keep” situation. :-)

We met some friends in the animal pen and hung out for a bit. The kids were happy to run around with friends for awhile. Then we refueled again with another round of donuts (this post brought to you by fresh made sugar covered donuts!) and then hitched a ride in the wagon up to the orchard.

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We met a friend there who volunteered to take group photo.  (I should probably crop this picture better, but my lousy blog posting system doesn’t make that convenient, so… you get what you get!)

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Oh yeah, we went apple picking too.

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I called this one the toddler tree. Tons of apples at a very accessible height.

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Not that my monkeys needed help. I let her climb one, but after hearing the apples tumble down I realized that wasn’t the best idea.

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Pears! Adorable, but not really ready yet.

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Hot and tires. Just a few more apples.

We had plans to go out for lunch after this, but everyone was hot and sweaty and “fun family time” came to a grinding halt. Instead we headed home to a cool, dark house where everyone could have a little space to calm down and regroup.

Now I have two giant bags of apples on my counter. In the old days the kids and I would bake pie or make applesauce together, but tomorrow they go back to school and I’ll be home making pies and applesauce on my own. It will be different, but good in it’s own way.

If you want to get lost in adorable pictures, type “apple picking” into the little search bar near the top right of this page. Lots of pictures from years past. Apple picking is an annual fall treat for us. :)

Field Hockey

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Lex doing his homework while Eve practices in the background, in the sun flare.

Eve joined the town rec field hockey team this year, which was an interesting choice considering we know nothing about field hockey.  I borrowed or bought used all of the gear, except the mouth guard, of course! I had a nice lady at the sports store explain about stick sizes… then I went and bought a cheap one at the second hand store.  I figure if she loves the sport and wants to play for real, then I’ll buy her new stuff!  At this point all she knows about the sport is from the two minutes of a game we watched on Youtube, and that her buddy plays.

We are now dealing with practices, karate or field hockey, four nights a week, right at dinner time.  The evening routine is going to need some revamping! Especially since I still want them in bed at a reasonable hour!

It’s the first day of school…

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Back to school time again! 5th and 3rd. This will be Lex’s final year in elementary school. I just reread all my “first day of school” blog posts, all the way back to Lex’s first day in pre-K. He was so tiny. Each year has had a pretty different start. I think by now we’re finally getting the hang of things! Both kids made their own lunches (so no sweet love notes from mommy in this lunch boxes today) and got dressed and took care of their morning jobs. No Daisy excitement like last year. Just a calm, happy, silly morning.

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Back to school. 5th and 3rd. They wanted to wear their backpacks for this picture. They both got new backpacks this year, for the first time in years!

The weather this morning is cool and foggy, but no rain. I even remembered to sweep off the porch yesterday! Maybe some day I’ll get around to painting it again. :)

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Eve looking so grown up.

I always take two (or more!) pictures, just in case. Sometimes that works out well (eyes closed, etc) but other times it leaves me undecided. I like elements of both of these pictures. Which do you prefer?

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Which is better? This one….

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…or this one? One, or two?

Crazy kiddos. So excited for school! I love their enthusiasm for school and learning. And I love that no one cries on the first day of school any more!

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Keeping it real!

I am now home alone. No job this year. I will eventually put my name on the sub list again, and continue looking for full-time work. Maybe a classroom position will open up mid-year, or a long-term sub position, or something. But for now, I’m home. I have a list of projects a mile long I’d like to tackle. And I really want to get my body back in check. The weight is out of control and Eve is expecting me to run a 5K with her in two months. So I’m hoping to spend the next few weeks getting work around the house done, eating well, and exercising. Probably I’ll be bored and lonely in about three days and eager to get back into school. We’ll see how it goes.

Neighborhood block pary

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We had our neighborhood block party today! The one we planned awhile back. As it goes when I’m involved with social situations, I’m always excited until the day of, then I start dreading. So much to do. I was soooo tired. Really wanted a calm evening to get everything ready for school. Blah, blah. We went, of course, and had a great time, of course!

As promised, Eve made a cake. She and her friend from down the street baked it on Friday. They were quite silly in the kitchen and I stayed close by, but they did a great job and baked two 9″x13″ cakes. Today I made the frosting and put the cake together. Eve did the decorating, with a little assistance from me on the words.

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Our cake

Alan and I went down a little early and set up our new Easy-Up tent and tables. I was nervous that it was the wrong weekend or no one would come or blah, blah, blah. Needless worrying! Almost everyone came, there were lots of kids running around, it was great to mix the “old” (people who have been on this street since the beginning) with the “new” (those of us who haven’t been here so long). I met new neighbors and made friends. Eve and Lex got two new pet sitting customers. (Gosh, I tried to find a link for that and couldn’t. Have I not blogged about their pet sitting business?!)

We wrapped up around 6:30pm because it is the night before the first day of school and there are lots of kids and teachers on this street!

The one downside to the evening is that our cake was hardly touched! Lots of people brought cupcakes and cookies, so I think the convenience of those trumped our cake. Sigh. Now we have most of a giant cake here! Instead of eating until we’re ill and then tossing the rest, I decided to try freezing it. I thought maybe we could keep frozen slices on hand for lunch boxes or after school snack or something. I bet they’ll thaw pretty quickly. I’ve never done this before, so we’ll see how it goes. :)

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Too much cake!!

Check back tomorrow for first day of school pictures!