All by herself

I think spring may be here now.

I spent most of the weekend without socks on, so that is a good sign. I did hear flurries in the forecast for the first part of next week, but I'm blocking that from my brain and refuse to process it right now.

The weekend rocked actually. It was shorts wearing temperatures. I did not wear shorts but most of the family did. The dog was  not overly impressed as he spent most of the time just wandering around panting as it was pretty toasty for April but I loved it.

We got some yard work done, had some social time as Big C's dad was visiting and basically put in a nice weekend. A welcome to spring weekend, a little work, a little play and a good time had by all.

Miss K had her bird friend home on the weekend to capture in a bunch of activities. Sam came home to see how things were at our house. Sam is not a real bird but a stuffed, looks a whole lot like the toucan from Fruit Loops fellow that stays with each SK kid for a week.

I believe it is the teachers way of capturing the kids in a scrapbook for her to keep and remember her students in the future. A fun way for the kids to do a little show and tell about what goes on in their lives outside school too.

Miss K was thrilled at the idea. And to her credit took on most of the project herself. Of course she needed someone to take the pictures with her and Sam in it. But she did come up with most of the ideas of where and what to do with Sam and we were relegated to the sidelines just a little bit. This gives me hope of future projects to come in school.

I printed out what pics we took and she took charge of arranging and placing them in the scrapbook. She taped the 4 corners with colourful tape and only needed help when some of it was not sticking well and we had to replace with another kind.

Last night she figured we should start work on the sentences describing what they were doing in each picture. She figured that since she could already spell Sam, that she could at least start them on her own.

She did great for a kid who is not yet 6, she asked about words she could not spell and I think I wrote on 3 of the pictures because she couldn't think of anything to write. So much better than doing it all for her. 

I could have made that scrapbook totally rock, I have the skills and tools to do it, but I didn't. I had the ability to print out pictures and I did, but the rest was up to her. Big C helped to replace the tape that wasn't sticking, and the rest was all her.

I could not have been prouder. Yup, she needed a bit of help, and with that I am always willing, but I did not straighten one picture, or correct one letter of what she wrote, it was her project and she did it.

Even better she has it done a full day before it needs to go back to school. Tonight we will not be rushing around trying to complete something in a hurry. Its done and ready to return, pressure off, whoohoo!

May all future projects go like this…I know, I know, wishful thinking…

Busy times coming up, date weekend for Big C and I in 3 days, retriever trials the following 2 weekends, fancy work dinner for me the weekend after that and then we're to the first long weekend of the summer season…May 2-4. Wow…this summer is going to fly…

Til next time, hope it is spring like where you are too

150 minutes of my life wasted…or was it?

Two and one half hours of my life that I will never get back. 2.5 hours that I could have spent doing something else or taking a nap but instead I spent it basically taking up space.

Just one of those things that you do for your kids I guess.

Miss K was invited to another birthday party. She gets at least one a month, usually from kids that I have never even heard of her saying she plays with at school, but whatever, perhaps the parents invite everyone and hence the party invites.

She usually doesn't want to go. She has been to one so far and this was the second that she wanted to attend. But only if I could come too.

OK, not what I want to do on a Sunday afternoon, spend my time at a 5 year old's birthday, not even close to being on the list if you know what I mean. But at the same time I knew where she was coming from. I wouldn't be comfortable going to a strange house, with strange adults that I'd never seen before as a kid either. I seem to remember some pretty awkward feelings as a kid growing up in the same situation.

Thankfully I had met the mom of the girl having the birthday and felt ok asking if I could come along as Miss K felt more comfortable with the scenario.

Part of me wanted to say that no she couldn't go to the party unless she went by herself like the other kids. I wanted to say "You're five, nobody else is going to have their mom there". But I didn't and I wouldn't.

Miss K is a vibrant fun loving kid that will talk your ear off if she is comfortable with the surroundings and who she is with. 

She is still that same kid when the situation is unfamiliar, but it gets withdrawn into a shell of quiet observation when the tables are turned.

So we were off, to spend 150 minutes of tedium on my part, but it was nice to see Miss K relax and enjoy herself a little bit after a while.

I resisted saying too much or encouraging her to participate more but instead chose the role of supportive but mostly mute mom who was there for moral support.

One of those parental moments that you sort of want to hold onto. 

Big C and I were talking the night before about how excited (read not excited) I was to spend most of the afternoon at this party. We wondered how much longer we'd have before she didn't want us around any more. How soon was the day going to come that we'd have to drop her off and not leave the car, not hug her good bye or things like that.

I hated losing the afternoon to watch a bunch of children do crafts, eat and play games.

But I loved seeing Miss K look over from time to time and relief spread across her face seeing that I was there and smiling at her. I loved knowing that she had a great time and if my being there helped that, it was worth not having a power nap or folding laundry or whatever.

She is a great kid and if going to a birthday party or 2 or offering up another hug is what it takes to get her through, I'm all for it. As they say before you know it, it's gone, no more little kid, no more neediness, only independence.

Til next time…when your kid asks for help, I hope you can take the time to give it to them