Homeschool Day 1

Today was our first official day of homeschooling.  The barn is closed on Mondays, so we had a relatively light day.  I think it will be important that the girls understand there is a schedule to each day.   Here is the schedule I prepared for Day 1.

Schedule Day 1

When we went over it, Madison looked confused and said, “That sounds like what we do in NY”  Wonderful, I thought, I’m doing something right! 🙂

After reading, The Enormous Crocodile, the girls wrote in their Reading Journals for a bit then we spent the morning playing some fun brainstorming games.  Although they’re in homeschool now and working with a private tutor, I really want the girls to begin to work on more group projects.  This morning, I picked three random items in the house and had them brainstorm on all the ways they could use each item – just to get their creative juices flowing and to help them think out of the box a bit and not judge one another’s ideas (that was the hardest part!).   Today we chose a milk jug, a paper clip and a pencil.  Some of my favorites:

pencil – stilts, toothpick, fork, drumsticks

milk jug – flower vase, collecting seashells, musical instrument,

paper clip – earrings, bracelet, shoelaces,

Tomorrow, I think I’ll let the girls choose their own thing and then see what from their list they can accomplish.  Wish I could have seen the stilts 🙂

Our first day with the tutor actually consisted of the girls trying to shoo me away as I went through the stack of work and curriculum guides so carefully prepared by their teachers.  Madison was clearly annoyed that I monopolized the day so insisted that tomorrow I “drop off and just go right away.  No stopping.  No talking.  Nothing.”   Hmm well, confidence isn’t an issue!

The girls  also had their first day of tennis today.  How ironic that all the way down here, their coach would be a young man from a town only 10 minutes from our hometown?! It has been two years since they’ve had a tennis lesson, and it was all too obvious to me that while they might have been rallying by now, there definitely has been no loss of aptitude with the time taken off.  It reminds me what a crazy lady I had been back in NY.  And what do my little mini me’s do as we’re leaving the court?  Look longingly in the recreation center at the gymnastics and ballet and ask if they can sign up while we’re here!!  Oh boy, that threw me for a loop.  I wondered if they really would miss their weekly gymnastics and ballet or if they just didn’t know anything but to be busy.   Nonetheless, I thought these activities would also provide them the opportunity to hang out with their peers and meet new friends.  Apprehensively, I walked to the Director’s Office.   Victoria grabs a brochure and shouts “I want to do karate, Mommy!  Karate and ballet”  Yup, the guy at the desk thought this was hysterical too 🙂   Unfortunately, there weren’t enough kids who signed up for karate, so the one class I was REALLY excited to see them try was unavailable.  And so, we have now added ballet to our weekly agenda.   Hmmm

All in all, we concurred over dinner that we had an AWESOME first day!  I thoroughly enjoyed my munchkins sitting on my lap while I read Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile after breakfast.  I sat in the park today watching the girls climb trees during recess and lingered on the memories of preschool when the girls and I had lunch together every day.  I was so consumed with the girls before they started full-day school that I silently wonder if I’m setting myself up for separation anxiety when this journey is over.   The girls are not so silently looking forward to the undivided attention of the teacher.

It has been a while since I shared, but favorite part of the day:

Madison:  “Talking to Alyssa on FaceTime”

Victoria: “Climbing that tree at the park and I really really also liked trying out the keyboards”

I know it’s only Day 1, but I’ve lost all sense of anxiety and am so very very glad I mustered the courage to make this move!

First Day of Recess

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Dolphin Organics™

First week of Kindergarten

We did it!   We all survived the first week of Kindergarten  🙂   The girls have been excited about riding the “big girl” bus for over a year now.   Then, a few weeks ago, Madison surprised and worried me with a blunt “I’m scared to go to kindergarten.”   Both girls had been so tickled pink after the kindergarten tour this spring with the whole concept of the bus, the cafeteria, recess etc. that I never thought twice about anxiety.    Now I, who had been so confidently shopping for school clothes and reorganizing the playroom and closets, felt a pit in my stomach about sending my “babies” on the big bus.  I found myself wondering how they would possibly make it from the early pick up to the late drop off.

Nonetheless, Victoria kept forging ahead being the toughest of the three of us and marked each day off on the calendar.  But not just for the first day of school.  No, my little energizer bunny wanted to know exactly when her first full day would be!   We had a little back to school party for the girls’ classes so they could meet their new buddies, and I would have a chance to get to know the moms I hadn’t yet met.   The next day, all the kindergarten children and parents went in to meet the teachers and spend time in the classroom.  Both days were invaluable for putting Madison at ease.

In fact, she became so excited again, I no longer had to worry about whether I would be able to drag the girls out of bed in time for the bus.  Not even close…my little whippersnappers woke up on their own bright and early at 5:30 on the first day of school!   Lunches were packed and they were ready to walk down 20 minutes before the bus was due 🙂    I did what hundreds of thousands of proud mamas did across the country that morning — shot a video journal of the day and took enough pictures to fill a small album.   Here are just a few highlights…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t-F2KQ9-CU

Waiting for the girls to come home, I wondered and hoped that they had both enjoyed themselves, made new friends and couldn’t wait for the next day.   I, of course, gave them the third degree about what they ate, did, saw – everything.   When I asked Madison what she thought of her teacher, she replied, “I love her more than any teacher in the whole wide world!”   That is exactly what a mom wants to hear on the first day of school 🙂   This particularly means a lot coming from an emotional kid who had just spent three loving years at one of the best Montessori schools in the country where she raved about her teachers on a weekly basis.

Day two went just as well as Day 1, and when you live with the little fashionistas that I do, the camera has to come out again — especially when your 5 year old comes up with the following outfit.   She loves her LittleMissMatched

Kindergarten Fashionista

After another 530 awakening, Madison was clearly not in the mood for more pictures and asked “are you going to take pictures every day we get on the bus?”

No more pictures!

Ha Ha of course not honey, just until you graduate from high school 🙂

Meanwhile, back at home, I was already finding myself filling the school hours with meetings and conference calls as I worked to continue to build our new company Dolphin Organics.   After a week without power following Hurricane Irene, I found myself behind the eight ball with emails and To Do lists in all facets of my busy life.   Although I was really missing my daily lunches with the girls, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to finish revamping their closets and checking items off my multiple To Do lists  — and these were only half days!

And then came the first full day of school…I purposely pinned down the girls’ blinds so that it would remain dark in the room as long as possible so they could rest for the big day.   I peeled two very tired bunnies out of the bed at 7:34.   That left us only 40 minutes to wake up (usually takes 10 min) get dressed (could be as long as 20 min if fashion battles ensue) brush our teeth, feed the animals and have breakfast.  Hmmm   Somehow, we managed to get together and out the door on time.   Even though Mommy failed on the whole Day A, B, C and D for specials with each child in a different special each day and sent V to school without sneakers for PE, they survived their first full day — barely.   Madison fell asleep on the bus on the way home, and Victoria just had this blank glazed look.   We carried Madison up the driveway, and within five minutes, she was nearly asleep on the kitchen floor

First Full Day of Kindergarten

Of course, a nap at 4pm is not an option.  Let’s just say the next two hours were not pretty.   We had dinner by 5:30 and the girls were fast asleep by 6:50.   I’m thinking I’m not going to see them much when the basketball season starts 😦

I’ll jump that hurdle in a couple of months when I need to.   Right now, I am savoring the moment watching these little princesses grow more confident and secure each day.   We have been so fortunate to have respectful, amazing young ladies in our girls’ lives.  Every time I hear them say something like “I wasn’t scared at camp anymore because Mary was there” or reminisce about a dance party at Mackenzie’s, playing makeup and stylist with Clare and Cara or having a “special girls dinner” with Molly I am so thankful that I have had an incredible circle of friends to help along our journey.   And now, a new chapter of Twins On The Go begins…

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Reflections in the snow

Welcome to 2011, Year of the Snow!   My children were home today for the SEVENTH snow day of 2011.    That’s right, it is February 2nd, and we have already had seven school closings, one two-hour delay and an early dismissal.     There has not been a week since the holidays where school has been in session for five days.   Because my girls are so young, it’s not the school I miss.  The real sorrow for me comes in the fact that with every one of those days, we lost a basketball practice or – in the case twice last month – a Friday night game!

The first few snow days were fun.  I enjoyed the opportunity to sleep in a little longer, to watch the girls shuffle around in their PJs and to sit by the pool for lunch.   Oh wait, those snow days we were in Palm Beach.  Snap back to reality….These last two snow days, I poked my toe out from under the comforter and shivered up into a ball again reluctant to face the frigid temperatures.  I looked out of the window at the tree limbs laden with ice and snow and my skating rink of a road and wondered why I didn’t heed the meteorologists’ this fall with their Winter 2011 La Niña predictions.   I can’t even imagine what the folks in the Northwest are going through!

Barring an unexpected early arrival of the horrible white stuff we’re supposed to get more of on Saturday, we will FINALLY have our first Friday night game.  We face Harrison whom we beat by four earlier in the season.     I’m hoping everyone has the cabin fever I’ve been experiencing and brings their kids out to pack the gym and support the team.  We hit the court tomorrow for only our fourth team practice in three weeks.   Miraculously, the athletes have been competing as if they haven’t missed a beat.  I couldn’t be more proud of them.

The past two days would have been perfect for catching up with my email inbox, bills, voicemails and all the other things that are often set aside when I go on holiday, but the girls had other plans.  They included dressing every baby doll in the playroom – MULTIPLE TIMES; putting on a WEF horse show in their “Grand Prix ring”; coloring and baking Shrinky Dinks; designing Pixos and hours of hide-and-seek.    Aside from  a conference call this morning, I have had little to no adult conversation for the past 48 hours.   My husband proudly announced this evening how productive his day was.   I just looked at the Hello Kitty stickers on my shirt and smiled.

Missing my boy

Can we spend another snow day here please?!

Related Articles – FIRST IN 12 YEARS?  REALLY?????

Chicago declares first snow day in 12 years – Examiner.com (news.google.com)

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Uh oh! Didn’t make it to school on time today

So all this fun is clearly taking it’s toll on the girls — and me!   When the second alarm went off at 7:30 this morning, I didn’t roll out of bed as I have the past few days.   Instead, I pulled the covers over my head and did that math we all do in the morning, “It will only take me 5 min to get dressed, 10 min to get the girls dressed, 5 min to brush teeth….  ahh yes, I can sleep 10 more minutes”  The next thing I knew, the dog was barking to alert me to the fact that it was now 8:03.  More importantly, he’d been sitting cross-legged in his crate and NOW was the time.    I bolted out of bed wondering how in the world I was going to get the girls dressed, fed and out the door in 27 minutes.    Two alarms, blaring iPod, sun streaming in the window and ten minutes later, they still looked like this

zzzzz

Needless to say, we didn’t make it to school on time today

Perfect Girls’ Day

Although we had one day of school last week, today felt like the official start of the year since it’s a Monday and our first full week of school and activities.   I’m not usually crazy about Mondays – especially when I find myself up till 3:39 am.  Yet, for some reason, it was really easy to get myself – and more importantly the girls – out of bed today.   I love the way they always ask what the weather’s going to be so they can dress properly.   Good thing they think to check since I’m often the parent getting scolded for not sending a jacket or hat or mittens to school on those chilly days.   75 and mostly sunny it said.  Perfect, thought Victoria as she pulled out her most homely cotton shorts and tattered old Lucky tank.   Ugh, I sighed, how could I get her out of that get up when we were all in such a great mood.  It just didn’t seem worth the fight.   Lo and behold, Officer Madison says “Bitowia, it’s cloudy and you’re going to be cold.  Ms Cwistine isn’t going to let you go outside two times.”   Without a sound of protest, my normally stubborn child changes at least into a polo shirt that matches the shorts.   We’re going to have a great day, I grinned.

We got ourselves together and out the door on time – even with breakfast and vitamins!   I wondered if maybe I did peak with less sleep?!  By the time I had dropped off the girls and checked in on the first day at group, the sun was finally starting to break through the morning clouds.   Everyone was in a good mood at group too.   We all seemed to have that fall fresh-start glaze about ourselves, and I was hoping to milk it as long as possible.   The day presented me with an itinerary that proved the summer holiday was indeed a thing of the past so I needed all the positive energy I could get as the adrenaline slowly started to drain from my tired bones.   I picked up Nigel’s car from the dealer for him — pillaged again I scowled as I signed the bill.   Marie and I threw together a couple of flyers for our upcoming preseason basketball clinic.   I can’t even begin to tell you how pumped I am for basketball to start!  The next thing I knew it was 11:52.  Wait a minute, 11:52 “OMG!”, I shrieked as I charged out the door.  The girls were dismissed two minutes ago, and it’s a 15 minute drive!!  AARGGH   My first screw up of the school year.   I raced to the school and pulled into the empty parking lot, my stomach in knots that my poor kids were the last ones there.  “Mommy, I had to borrow a jacket today,” announced Victoria as soon as I went over.   Great, my second screw up of the year, and I’m technically on my day one!   My only solace was that my kids really didn’t seem to care that I was 20 minutes late picking them up.   They sat happily reading books and Victoria wanted to stay and help vacuum the classroom.   Whew!  Deep breath, smile and let the kids know all is good.   “Mommy, can we get our nails done today?”   “Well, we have swimming today.   So, let’s get lunch first, and if you’re both good listeners in the pool, we’ll get our nails done after.”    “Weally?!”, Madison shouted?!  Wow, poor kid thought it would be an automatic no.    But, that’s the joy of not coaching a fall sport this year.  I get to play with my own kids all afternoon instead 🙂

And what do you think these perfect angels wanted for lunch?  Grilled cheese? Turkey? Macaroni & Cheese? no…..Burger King!!  They wanted to go to Burger King, and yes, since I had been recently weakened by my good ‘ole Wendy’s meal this weekend, we ended up at Burger King.   Again I thought, it’s just not a battle worth fighting cos we just don’t do this that often.  There we sat on the stools admiring the Legend of the Guardians necklaces from their kids meals and you would have thought we were having breakfast at Tiffany’s.    They had a great lesson – gotta LOVE the small groups – only 3 kids in this one today.   Madison was pretty bent out of shape that she wasn’t in “the big girl class” but I’m glad it will give her a healthy challenge to meet that goal.  Victoria was so proud of herself (and I’ve got to admit I was proud of her) because she swam the entire width of the pool on her back unaided.   Another big milestone I’m glad I’ve been able to document for myself and them thanks to this blog!   After swimming, we headed to the village nail salon flip-flops in tow.   The girls spotted one of their babysitter’s cars and dashed to the store where she worked just to go shy and quiet as soon as they entered.   Peculiar behavior this – but consistent.    Once we got to the nail salon, they talked about how much they liked Mary’s dress and how she can drive all by herself now and chatter chatter chatter.   They each picked a color and we proceeded to end our perfect day with a girls’ outing of pink, green and blue toes with flowers and butterflies.   It doesn’t get any better than this 😉

Favorite part of the day

Victoria “Ms Nanette came to school, and she’s teaching us Spanish.   I can speak Spanish too.  I’ve always known Spanish”

Madison “I got a massage at the nail place but they don’t give children massages.”

First day of the last year of Montessori and girls give me a taste of my own medicine.

Our last year in class together for a while

Despite all of my worries, the girls hopped out of bed this morning right at 7:15 and were ready to walk out the door by 8:30 sharp.   Victoria changed her mind about her midnight outfit, but all was well 🙂    We arrived at school early no doubt!  It was as exciting for me to see my parking lot buddies as it was for the girls to see all of their friends.

On the way to school, I had my first taste of my own medicine and what I must remind the girls of all the time.   Madison reminded me that

“We are going to graduate this year Mommy.”

“I know (pretend cry)  You promised me and Molly you’d stop growing at 7 (inside joke).  How about you just stop at 5.”

Victoria:  “5?!  No way!!  That’s not that big.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to get any bigger. okay”

Madison: “Mommy, we are getting bigger.  That’s how life works.  You don’t always get what you want.”

Daughters 1  Mommy 0

For someone who was so excited to get to school, as soon as we walked into the classroom, Victoria clammed up on me!   She sat there stone-faced and quiet as a mouse refusing to move from the door.   What??!!  I thought.  Could this be my “big girl”  The kid I wanted to send to Kindergarten next year?!  Was she just pulling my leg and testing me?  I tried my good ole fashioned tough love routine and bent down next to her and whispered.  “Victoria, don’t do this.   You’re a big girl now.   When someone says Good Morning, you need to say Good Morning.  Do you want to go home?”   And what do you think she said for the first time ever?    That’s right…. “Yes”!  So there I go asking a dumb question to which I didn’t want an answer.

Daughters 2 Mommy 0

With the girls off to school, I quickly got back into my busy schedule of me time.  I had a GREAT ride today with Thomas – diagonals from 2 point and all!   Missing my boy Trouble though 😦   We narrowed down a few more package ideas for Dolphin Organics.   I’m excited to show them to our panel of mothers next week!   The NWPCG room is getting cleaned up and looking fresh and FANTASTIC.   The girls are psyched to return to “Group” next week!   Very productive day 🙂

The funniest/saddest quotes of the day were on the way home.   The girls told me all about their first day at school.   Victoria met a new girl who wasn’t very nice.   “What’s her name?”, I wondered.  “I don’t remember.  It’s not a name name.”   LOL  What’s a name name?   Something she’s never heard clearly .

Madison simply said “I asked everybody if they wanted to eat snack with me, and they all said no.   Not even Bitoria or Sofia or Hannah or Julia or Jake.  So I had snack with nobody.”  Oh break my heart!!!!

Yet, they’re happy as larks and excited to return next week.   Sorry to keep it short but off to celebrate the New Year.   I won’t be back until Friday evening.

Twas the night before school

‘Twas the night before school and the girls were in bed

Visions of friends dancing in their head

I didn’t think they noticed, or really even cared

And now that they’re graduating, only Mommy is scared

I was sure they weren’t so pumped like all of the rest

Till I came home to find Victoria completely dressed!!

That’s right 🙂  I just returned from a Booster Club meeting.    I went in to kiss the girls good-night and found my little Victoria completely dressed for school – even her shoes!!   LOL  Unfortunately, I woke her trying to remove her clothes.   She said “Mommy, I don’t want to be late for school.”   ha ha ha

Anything else I would have written tonight went out the window with that one.   Just wish I had thought to snap her photo!