Tuesday, October 29, 2013

bits of frayed edges as we hurtle towards Halloween and vacation

I am here but really don't have anything that interesting to share these past few weeks... will touch on some highlights but have been mostly just trying to keep things together and working until Halloween gets over - and then I get my vacation for nine days... and Esme's birthday.  Since she can read fairly well now, I am scared a bit to put up too much about her birthday :) 

She had a sleepover night with Grandma this past weekend - that was the most exciting thing that has happened for her in a bit.  They did great - she didn't run Grandma into the ground and she slept well and didn't worry being away from her bed.  I worried.. and had bad dreams, like usual... but she was so happy the next morning and proud  :)  We were tired geeky parents - just played Minecraft and Mark was nursing a sore tooth still.  He had an extraction done on a cracked tooth which was not fun for him and he is still recovering from it nearly a week later. 

We gleaned the seeds from the garden with Grandma - the beans are still drying but are beautiful.  One sunny day on vacation I will try to document the types that came out this year.  Once again I had a few things that do not look like their parents.  That isn't supposed to happen with beans!  We planted an apple seed on the 8th and it sprouted on the 21st.  It is still alive, we will see what happens.  Esme had a sad moment with a VERY baby mouse her cat brought to her...it was alive and unharmed, but didn't have its eyes open yet.  We had to explain why she couldn't save it and couldn't keep it until it died either... She was sad, then in disbelief, then sad, then mad.  I felt for her...

I have done very little sewing this month - a pair of pants in school colors and a single juggling ball beanbag (of which I promised myself to do three by her birthday).  I have knit quite a bit on a project that I take to work and back with me.  We are not enjoying the cold mornings out to the schoolbus and back - it is dark and getting Esme up and moving at 5:30 am to get on the bus an hour later is still a challenging task daily.  She is doing much better at it than when I was getting her up at 6 am... she dawdles some, but she dresses, eats and does a homework sheet or two before she goes.  It gets her brain started - and her behavior at school is much better if she is 'in gear' before she goes. 

She is just starting to try tying her shoes - difficult for her since I do it leftie and she is right handed.  She is making an effort and a few others need to try to show her as well.  Her handwriting is improving.  She can add things up to twenty without problem and I've shown her how to carry over just a little bit... worked a bit more at subtraction and multiplication groups.  Her reading is excellent compared to what school expects - still mixes up they/then/there and what/where/wait/watch etc.. but she is slowing down some and sounds out lots of words that impress me.  Her language continues to improve - I am seeing so much more completeness and she has asked more 'big' questions...

Vacation will be nice.  We have the new version of Minecraft and I do have projects to do.  Nine days of just being Mom and not Plumbing Guru/Super Saleswoman milking blood from turnips while keeping my ethics etc...  We are going to a movie tonight that is a free Halloween event.  That will be a crazy run home from work and pick her up and go... then a few days off and her party at school, then vacation.

We have several things put up for her birthday and maybe another thing coming.  I have to decide what to make for the cake and/or cookies and cupcakes for her classmates at school.  We aren't going to have a 'party' this year... hope maybe her friend G can come to play, but we'll see.  It is a 'school day' this year so our school days are already ten hours plus of school related things and so hard to make 'more' when she has to be ready for another day of it the next etc etc...

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