Boxes

So I'm picking Ben up from school yesterday and his teacher pulls me aside to ask if I could come in next week and meet with her and the school psychologist to talk about Ben. As she is asking this, my neighbor's twins who I also pick up and drive home are hanging off me and yammering on about something and I'm all like, "Talk to the psychologist about who?" And the teacher looks at me all funny and says, "Ben. Your son."

I go, "Whatsamatter with Ben?" She went on to explain that he has trouble focusing in class and doesn't listen to directions very well. I agreed to meet with them and was oddly reeling on the ride home from school. But Ben is perfect! Surely she is confusing our Ben with the other Benjamin in class...

Then not 10 minutes after arriving home I get a phone call from the school. I assume it is the teacher calling to confirm a date and time to meet with the psychologist to brainstorm ideas to get Ben on track. Nope. It's the school PE teacher calling to let me know Ben isn't listening very well in gym and doesn't participate in the activities - pretty much lays on the ground and ignores her.

Well, okay then. Perhaps our perfect little man is only 98% perfect...

I explained to her what his classroom teacher said and we had a good talk about the age (he is only 4!), and how boys are more physically active versus mentally active, etc etc (it was a good talk) - she was mostly concerned because he is the only one who is not participating and wanted to know what she could do to get him involved. I invited her to join in on my psychologist session and she seemed pleased that I would ask.

Now, forgive me for this next bit but THE FREAKIN' SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST? You all know Ben, he's our quirky kid! I think the teacher is jumping the gun on this one, but I am happy to humor them so I can then challenge them to draw on their vast experience and inspire this kid to want to pay better attention.

Daddy and I talked it out. He does not have ADHD - the kid can sit focused for hours making clay models, etc. He is very social and communicates well with strangers - the kid does not have Aspergers nor is he Autistic. It is my belief that the kid is a 4 1/2 year old boy that would rather be building than doing activities that are "forced" upon him in the school setting. We'll go to the meetings. We will enforce their suggestions. We will see if he thrives in that environment or needs an environment that encourages learning through building. We will pull him if we have to and find him a place where he will thrive. I don't believe that it will come to this but we will do whatever it takes! No one puts Benny in a box. No one! :)

Free time? Hahahaha, that's funny!

Now that the kids are back in school, I am supposed to have some free time to catch up on my journaling. Nope! I've learned there will always be something to do! Need to plan out my day better...

One of the reasons I am behind is I got to go to LA for work last week for 2 full days. (I'm usually in and out in 1 day!) The best part about my visits there is that I get to stay with my favorite peeps and see baby Rylan grow!

Why yes, I'll take a bite of Ryry cheeks, please!

The first week of school went well. Both kids are happy to get out the door and have had good days upon returning home. Phew! Ben did say to me yesterday (2nd week of school) at 12:15 (we head out at 12:25), "Mom, can I sit on your lap and snuggle?" Sure, buddy! (I'll never turn down a Ben snuggle.) He climbed on my lap and we got all cozy, then he said, "Mom, can I stay here all day?" No, bud, you've got to go to school in 10 minutes. "That's okay, Mom, I don't need to go. I'll just stay here with you." Super sweet!! When the time came, he was happy to put on his sneakers and go - no worries. :)

While I was in LA, Daddy signed up the kiddos for our village rec program flag football. I was all for him signing Emma up, but I was worried it may be a waste of money signing Ben up. Daddy vetoed my fear of him not being interested and signed them both up. Guess what? He had a blast.

Mom, you have to stop coddling me. I'M FINE.

We have also spent hours (SERIOUSLY, HOURS) helping Emma with her new rainbow loom rubberband craft maker thingy. There is a reason the box says 8+ on it. Younger kids can build the designs on the pegs, but you need to be at least 35+ to "weave" the bands without snapping them, or accidently letting go of one and ruining the whole damn craft you just spent the last 60 minutes of your life trying to "help" your impatient kid make.

Daddy barely qualifies for the weaving part...

The results sure do make her happy though:

Cheese!

Autumn weather is here. Average temps are 65-75. It has been fabulous for outdoor play. Hooray! (Newsflash: Rocketship park will be getting a face lift this spring. All new toys and no more sand! Can I get a "whoop whoop"?)

I'm Queen of the World!

We like to wander the streets of our village looking in the windows. Apparently, we also like hanging out in empty phone booths.

Eyesore! Minus the cute kids...

Last night I was cozied up on the couch and looked around the room and laughed. How many Ben structures can you see in this pic? What movie were we watching? How cluttered in our under tv space? Don't Daddy's knees look cute?

Answers: 5 Ben structures, Nightmare before Christmas, Very, Yes.

6 years...

You guessed it, folks, the 1st day of school has arrived! As a kid I remember school shopping and picking out the perfect first day of school outfit... I don't think I ever sparkled and shined quite like this kid, but, WOW - isn't she fit for a jazz performance?? Love this girl...even though she tossed and turned in bed until close to 10pm last night whining that she was going to "miss me and Daddy and Dodo (the dumb dog!) sooooooooo much now!" now that she was going back to school. Oi! She woke up at 7:30am very cranky, and it took every ounce of patience I had to get her dressed, fed and out the door to the bus. As per usual, some kind of magic spell is cast (or uncast) upon her as she passes the threshold of our door - she became super pleasant and nice and excited as we waited with our pals for the bus! (I will have her up at 7:30am and out the door at 7:31am tomorrow and waiting an hour for the bus if that is what it takes to have our happy go lucky Emma...)

Why, yes, I did choose these clothes. I am SIX, you know.

On the first day of school last year, it was just Em climbing aboard the yellow bus... What a marvelous difference a year makes. We have four new families in our happy culdesac and it certainly makes the bus stop more entertaining!

Janey snuck into the pic but looks as though she fits right in!

The bus was 15 minutes late - I found out tonight at the PTA meeting that we have a new bus company this year and the drivers JUST got their routes last week. Needless to say we had lots of late buses to school today, but who is counting...

But lookie here. What do we have? Benjiboogleheimer with a name tag? Could it be? Is he going to school, too?? Why, yes, he is! PreK! And we are so proud of this little stud muffin.

I'm 4 1/2. Aren't I cute?

Daddy switched his schedule so he could go with me to take Ben to afternoon PreK. He starts at 12:40 and ends at 3:25. He will be in the class with 4 of his preschool pals so basically it was a breeze for him to transition - not that we were worried, this kid loves making "new friends".

Ben and his pal, Sam. Seriously? DEEELICIOUS, I say.

I snapped this award winning (ala -"I will show this at your wedding" pic of Sammy) pic and needed to record it here on the internet for all posterity.

Ben was so awesome. He was saying "HI!" to all the kids and when the teachers opened the door, he was first in line to head inside. He has Mrs Giglio - the same PreK teacher as Em. We adore her and know Ben will thrive in her care...

I'm a big boy now.

I'm including this next pic out of sequence just to show you how quirky this kid is: Seriously, socks pulled to the knee caps in one pic, squished down in the next. He cannot decide...

But I had an AWESOME afternoon, Mom, who cares how many times I manipulated my socks!

Secret Ingredient

Soooooo much happening in the Batter Bunch world, but it's midnight and this mama just drove 4 hours solo to visit her ailing papa (that's another story), but I cannot go to bed without documenting (and apologizing to Henry's mommy) for this afternoon's happenings. But first, some back story...

The day was wackadoodle from the onset. Seriously, Ben slept until 8am again (!!!) which wreaks havoc on the world - the whole "a butterfly flutters it's wings in China and causes a tsumani in Baja MX / CA" effect. I had every intention of getting the kids out the door and to the library by 10 am, it did not happen - too much LIFE intervened (another story) and we made it to the library lunchless at 12:30. By the time we got home from the library plus errands it was 3pm and our sweet neighbor, Sunjin and her baby had set up their kiddie pool and invited us to join them. As you can see from the pic below, our kiddos are WAY to old for this pool, but it did not stop them from having a blast and (hopefully) not wrecking the pool.

What is funny about our dear sweet neighbor is English is her second language and she explained to me this afternoon that she was so happy to have Emma and Ben join her kid in the pool because it meant she could "take a break" while Jakey played with E and B!! She then asked me when kids started playing on their own without needing their Moms the entire time they were awake to humor them and I was all, "Sunjin, maybe just maybe our cultures are different, or maybe just maybe I am slightly SELFISH, but I do not give my kids sun up to sun down attention." She thought about this for a minute and was ultimately confused - and it wasn't a language barrier.

Emma and Ben fo the future, I love you, I love playing with you but you have grown into 'perfect' sweet INDEPENDENT children because we parents have not doted on you from sun up to sun down. We have given you space and your imaginations are sooooo much better for it...

WAIT FOR IT! Their imaginations are so good that this transpired this afternoon: Ben got the shivers so I took him up to the penthouse and got him into dry clothes. He decided he wanted to stay inside and build lego sets while I went back out to hang with Em. No problem. When I came outside Em had her beach sand bucket and her and Henry were busy filling it with a Magic Potion. (Oooooh, the story is getting so exciting!!!) They spent the next 20 minutes looking for the prefect ingredients - you know, grass, a rock, a leaf, some wild berries.... Next thing I know, a bathing suited Emma sits on her bucket and leans over to look at her bum on the bucket. I think, what is she doing until I REALIZE WHAT SHE IS DOING!!!

"EMMA BATTER, ARE YOU PEEING IN THE BUCKET??????" Every resident of our sweet village surely heard my screech. Henry ran away fast not sure of what to make of my howl and Emma stood quickly claiming all innocence.

She finally admitted her felony and we had a serious chat about it. Her defense, "But Mom, we were making a magic potion and that was my secret ingredient."

Yep. That's all I got. Good night!

I don't even have a funny caption for this...