Six for Six

Happy birthday to my smart, beautiful, creative, wildly enthusiastic six-year-old girl! We love you!

Things

I know I didn't mention it, but Connor played basketball for Idlewild again this year. Emerald was our coach again, and we love her, but boy did this season suck. Our team just sucked. I know it's a rec league and is not supposed to be competitive, but I have never seen a group of  kids this uncoordinated in my life. Just awful. The first half of the season, Connor (and maybe I) cried after most games, just out of frustration. But out of loyalty to our awesome coach, we stuck with it, and went to every game and all but one practice. Connor made it through with his love of basketball still intact- something we were honestly worried about there for a minute.

In related news, does anyone know a competitive basketball team that Connor could try out for?

Also there are no pictures because Chip managed to not only skip two of these hideous, painful games but also "forgot" to bring his camera to any of the ones he attended. It might have been for the best.

Chloe can read. She loves school and comes home and tells me everything that happened and everything she learned. It's wonderful, since we've spent four years having this conversation with Connor:

Us: How was school today/what did you learn today/do anything exciting today?
C: Fine.

She came home a few weeks ago telling us everything there is to know about Martin Luther King, Jr. We were like, That's great stuff Chloe! Where did you learn that? and she said, We watched a film in library. And Connor chimes in with, Oh yeah, we watch that video every year. EVERY YEAR he says. Even Chloe rolled her eyes.

So speaking of school and reading and ways my kids are different: So far in 2012 there have been at least three times when Connor had a big project due that he decided not to mention or work on for the two weeks it was assigned, choosing instead to do it all the night before, and only then because I heard about it directly from the teacher rather than from Connor. (My blood pressure went up just typing that.) That kid! His other trick this year is to forget his lunch- it's at home, it's in my car, or it made it to school it's just that the empty lunchbox didn't make it back home. Sigh.

So anyway, this weekend we went to the public library to get sources for an independent project he's working on in CLUE. (Yes, I happened to run into the CLUE teacher last week or else I would have NEVER KNOWN that these sources were due to her last Wednesday.) I'm embarassed to say that it is the first time my kids have ever been to the public library. I think it's because I've always played fast and loose with our money at the bookstore. We used to go to Borders every few weeks, and I'd always let the kids pick out a book or two. I am physically unable to say no to a request for a new book. But now there's no Borders around the corner, and so suddenly the library makes a lot of sense.

I spent a lot of time at the library as a kid, but once I hit college and the library fines started stacking up, I kind of started avoiding the place. I'm pretty sure I would have to pay a lot of money to reinstate my borrowing privileges. So we used Chip's name as the responsible party on their card applications, and everything went smoothly! They both seemed excited about the whole process, although only one of the kids was SUPER excited and came home and read all her books to us and went to school and told her teacher all about her library card and which books she checked out. But the other kid seemed pretty impressed too. We have already marked the due date on the calendar- I'll get them back on time, I promise!

Quotes:
"I'm pulling for whoever wins."
- Connor, while watching the Slam Dunk contest

"Mom, your legs look kind of. . . crinkly."
-Chloe, after seeing me in my underwear

"Mom, you're really good at knowing stuff."
-Connor, in a rare acknowledgement that I know something and he doesn't

More Than Just Friends

Chip and I have liked each other as more than friends for eighteen years now!

Happy anniversary, baby!

Independence

When Connor was born, I spent the first week of his life gazing at him and sobbing about everything that would ever happen in his life. I cried for all the times his heart might be broken- by a friend, a significant other, the death of a pet, not making a team, etc. But I really shed tears over all the things he would do to break my heart. He would marry someone who wasn't ME! He's going to go to college and move out of the house! Drive a car that I'm not a passenger in! Spend the night with friends! So many times when he won't be in my direct line of sight! I called Mom for reassurance. "How did you ever let me ride my bike around the block without watching me do it!!!" She laughed and reminded me for the millionth time that week that when the time came, I would be ready. Then she hung up, shaking her head and giving thanks that I had, in fact, moved out and married someone besides her.

(Fast forward eight and a half years.)

Shortly after Christmas, Connor wanted to know if he and Chloe could ride their bikes in the cove in front of our house if they wore their helmets and promised to pay attention for cars. I hesitated for an instant but told them yes. Then Gidget and I sat at the window, watching them and whimpering because they were out there without us.

(Fast forward another four weeks.)

Yesterday, the kids were on their bikes and the dog and I were on foot. I suggested we go around the little block together, before it was time to go in.

(Pause: When I was growing up, our block was our block. There were no alternate routes that didn't add 2-3 miles and encompass several neighborhoods. Where we live now? A million ways to define our "block." What you need to know- neither the little block nor the big block go on any main roads. Unpause.)

As we started down the street, Connor was itching to pull away from the rest of us slowpokes. "Can I go around the big block?" he asked. I didn't exactly answer. Had the time come? Was I ready? A minute later, he begged again. "Yes," I relented, immediately picturing a thousand bad things that could happen to him the minute he pulled around that corner, out of my sight.

He took off fast, and as I saw him get to the one neighborhood road that had to be crossed, Chloe and I both called out, "LOOK!" He did- I could see his head exaggeratedly swiveling back and forth to assure me that he was looking both ways for cars. Then he rounded the corner. I told myself he would be fine, but not long after I saw a car turn down the road behind him. In my head I couldn't stop repeating, Please watch for my baby. Please don't hit my baby! And they didn't. Another corner and my fast-pedaling Connor met us right where we thought he would. Chloe took off after him, suddenly jealous that he could go fast by himself and she was stuck on training wheels with Mom and Gidget.

Gidget and I made a half-hearted attempt to run after them, but we couldn't keep up. They reached another corner in the distance, and stopped to look back at me. I shook my head yes, and off they went to travel the last few yards to the driveway without me. I followed at my own speed, still holding my breath for a second as I rounded the last corner myself, thrilled to find that we had all made it home just fine. The time came, and we were ready.

Chloe, Concentrating

Sleepover, Chloe Style

When Connor was six, he was finally ready to enter the world of sleepovers. Consequently, since the age of three, Chloe has been insanely jealous of Connor's sleepovers and has counted the days until she and her friends would be "ready."

Keeping with tradition, we figured we'd have a Grauer boy over. We traded Connor for Cannon for the night. Chloe said she was excited that Connor wouldn't be there to bother them. "Although it would be nice if he could be here and see what it's like when NO ONE PAYS ATTENTION TO YOU!!!"

Here they are dancing. Chloe runs a tight ship and didn't let him get away with any bad moves.

I'm pretty sure this was not the original purpose for the air mattress, but it did make them tired enough to actually use it the right way.

On the way back to Cannon's house the next day, they said they wished the sleepover would never end. It was everything Chloe had hoped, and she can't wait for the next one!

Resolute

I generally love making New Year's Resolutions. Last year, I resolved to use coupons and to keep a tally of how much I saved. That tally only lasted through March, but I am still clipping coupons and taking them with me to both the grocery store and to Target. A successful lifestyle change!

This year, I am just not finding any motivation to make resolutions. Some of the things I want to do are just never going to happen.(Start taking vitamins! Pay down some bills!) Other things require too much outside help. (Replace the broken window! Tile the kitchen floor!) And a few seem too easy. (Start bike riding! Play more board games with the kids! Drink more bourbon!)

It's not that I'm perfect and don't need to change anything. I just don't care to make any sweeping changes starting this week. I guess I'll just keep on truckin' along and hope that any improvements come organically over time rather than being forced down my throat in the first week of January.