:: Another summer has come and gone.  It makes me so sad for summer to end and school to start again. We had a great summer.  Since Squirt worked a later shift, I was able to run at 6:30 and miss the blazing sun while I ran.  Was not able to outrun the humidity, but that’s Houston.  Managed to spin early, which l loved, and even got two classes in a row which was a goal for my year of 43.  I made that goal one day before I turned 44.  The kids played nonstop.  They are finally into Legos and can play all day long, building things and creating their own world.  We travelled.  We read, though not a ton.  We didn’t do any school unless you count Snax writing his name six times.  We lived.  And when I look back, I can say it was intentional.

We aren’t ready for school to start.  Even Goose who is usually excited about seeing his friends is over that.  But I’m trying to be positive and not go into my usual depression and fight about homeschooling.  I know I’m right, I should be teaching them, but I’m holding my tongue.  This month, at least.

I am so thankful to the friends that are already checking in on me.  It just lets me know that they know me and take me seriously.  I am really lucky I have such great friends.

:: When we were thinking of moving, my parents were less than thrilled.  To say the least.  My mom openly let me know what she thought, but she wasn’t rude about it.  She did remind me that she wouldn’t be available to babysit like she does now.  Like all the time.  Once we told her we were staying, I gave her a day to celebrate on her own and then requested a date night.  She moaned about missing margaritas with some friends, but was joking.  She was happy to watch her grandkids.  I say it all the time, she’s pretty awesome with how much she watches the kids.  She will be with them next week while Lance and I are in Virginia and again in October when we hit NOLA.

:: It seems like Squirt gets the raw end of blogging.  He’s isn’t young so he doesn’t stop and pose for pictures for me like the others do, he worked 6 days a week during the last school year at the YMCA.  After getting screwed by the Marines, did I ever blog about that??, he decided he wanted to be an EMT.  He has finished his class and clinicals and loved every minute of it.  I’m so proud of his work and desire to learn.  It hasn’t been easy, trying to figure out how to study for this course, but he managed.  He spent the last two weeks working alongside EMTs and loving every second.  He’s ready.  I am so proud of him.

You know, he didn’t go the typical route after school.  And lots of people wonder why.  It can be embarrassing when people ask “where are you going to school?”  But he has held his head up high and I’m proud of him.  The other day an older man gave him shit about his decision while he was working out.  It really pissed me off. This guy told him he should have gone to college.  Nevermind the fact that he just had no desire to go to school at that time.  Now I’m sure some people would say “don’t give him a choice”.  They probably don’t have five kids.  Honestly though, we wouldn’t throw away money if we had just one kid.  The days of just going to college to find yourself are over.  Most people know this.  Hasn’t this man who knows nothing about Squirt other than his age read the articles about staggering college debt, kids moving back home after college because they can’t find jobs???  I felt bad for him that someone would try and question his decisions and make him feel bad.  If Drake decides to go to college later, great.  If not, he has a lot of options that will open up for him with the path he’s on right now.  His life is just starting, and I’m proud of the man he’s becoming.

:: So this year I was looking forward to being room mom.  And I was shut out.  Me!  One of the moms who was up at school almost daily…Was on that damn teacher appreciation committee…Shut. Out.   And I could say, well they are just trying to get other people involved.  Nope, BH’s room mom?  She’s PTO co-president.  Snax’s room parent is in charge of t-shirt sales.  I mentioned it to my VP who assured me we would be working on something different this year.  BUT still, it kind of pisses me off.  In the end, I guess it doesn’t matter because I will be spending more time with Sunshine and don’t have to deal with finding chaperones for field trips.  That’s someone else’s problem now.  I hope they have fun planning the party and cleaning up afterwards.

I sometimes wish we were a suburb school.  Not really a suburb school, just run like one.  I was listening to my friend talk about their back to school activities this week for parents and it just made so much sense.  Our PTO is good, but the stuff my friend was saying was just solid.  They know how to run things.  Just another reason I have to find a new school.  There is just so much lacking here.  But that’s another post.

:: That said, it could be worse.  My Godson starts kindergarten next week and went to meet his teacher.  His name is Everett.  His mom introduced him to his teacher and the teacher said, “do you go by Zachary?”  My friend corrected her and said his name again.  Again, the teacher said “Hi Zachary.”  My friend said “his name is Everett.”  Teacher looks at her and says “does he have a nickname?”  I guess I need to thank God tonight that that lady isn’t my son’s teacher.