The last day of school

was yesterday. A difficult day for both girls...

6 is never good with change. This year, her beloved Grade 2 teacher retired so the loss was a great one. She woke up yesterday morning and announced that she did not want school to end! I know she will miss the teacher who managed to work miracles and undo alot of damage done by her Grade 1 teacher. She grew to be confident, happy and positive about school again. She has returned to her old information-absorbing self - reading book after book (5 novels last week, supplemented by hours of mulling over encyclopedias). She has requested that I buy some math workbooks so she can spend some time working on multiplication and division over the summer! Her placement for next year is with the teacher she really wanted to have, together with her 4 girlfriends from Gr 1 and 2. I anticipate next year will be another good one!

We skipped school on Monday morning. 6 had a very definite plan of what to give her teacher. Remember, this is a bit of an unusual child. She was determined to find a store that sells the new Barbara Cook CD. 6 saw Barbara Cook on the Tony Awards and was blown away by the 78 year old singer's performance! "Miss P would really like her singing", she said. And the idea became rooted in her mind - unshakeable - Well, Miss P really did like Barbara Cook and was amazed that a Grade 2 student would think of such a thing as a parting gift. Good choice 6!

4 had her last day in Kindergarten yesterday. It was also her last day with her daycare provider. She too had a hard time letting go, although she is thrilled about going into Grade 1, and we have arranged for her to go to the same caregiver's home for lunch 2 days a week in the Fall. She chose plants for her teacher, caregiver and the EA in her Kindergarten class. Three thank you cards were carefully thought out with interesting phonetically written messages included.

We were at the school until 6 pm. Neither child wanted to leave the property. 6 was playing with a few friends, then alone in a corner of the yard designing bug traps and habitats. Her teacher had given each child kisses at the end of the day, and 6 proudly wore the lipstick prints in the playground as well as to her soccer practice last night. (In fact, all 3 girls from 6's class showed up at soccer practice still sporting red lip marks on their faces!)

Last night we through out the diet rules and feasted on potato chips and ice cream. Today has been a lazy day. Camps start nest week...and on we go!

I really should be...

cleaning the house or something productive! Today is my first whole day off at home (at least during school hours) in 7 1/2 years! Plans of cleaning and organizing have not been met thus far - as I meander through the day lazily enjoying the quite and solitude. So much noise lately. The kids have been loud and argumentative - disagreeing with each other over insignificant 'offenses' like chewing too loudly, singing, or looking the wrong way. There has been alot of disruption with J being out of town, the approach of the end of the school year, parties, swim tests etc...still...I have been longing for a peaceful space for some time now - and I'm revelling in the day.

We have survived almost 6 weeks on the candida diet. It has done amazing things for 6. She is much more confident, making new friends, asking to wear dresses, and feeling much better about her body. The bloating she was experiencing has completely diminished. She has been feeling 'full' after eating - something I don't think she could identify before because she was so bloated for years. Poor kid must have always felt full! All this positive has occurred despite some pretty difficult situations of late.

Last week, 4 decided to share a piece of very personal information with some friends. She told them not to tell, but you know what happens with kids...It was like a bad version of the shampoo commercial where news spreads like wildfire. By the day's end, the entire school know that 6 wears pull-ups at night. I have never made a big deal of it. She'll get there when her body is ready. She has seen a urologist for bladder infections and there is no medical problem. Still, it is devastating to have your peers whispering and teasing about the issue. I can't remember being so angry with one of my kids before. I couldn't even think of a reasonable punishment! It ended up with 4 missing a birthday party and spending 3 days at home with no social interaction (good punishment for the social butterfly), and the noise at school died down the next day so 6 has managed through the mess. ARGH!

Swimming lessons have caused another conflict. 4 has spent the entire session bobbing helplessly in the water - batting her eyes at the teacher and hoping to be rescued from drowning. She hass modelled her bright pink bathing cap and matching swim siut at every lesson and managed to do as little actual swimming as possible. 6 on the other hand has applied her usual intense focus and attention to each lesson - swimming as many as 40 lengths in an hour and learing both the elementary back stroke and the breast stroke this term. Her teacher ahs commented on her talent and focus - once again we have been advised we have the makings of a successful competitive swimmer on our hands.

Last week was report card week. 4 passed her level 3 Red Cross. How?! When it was time for the test, she dove into the pool and swam 2 lengths each of front crawl and back crawl. I do not know how she learned this in 10 weeks of bobbing like a jellyfish! 6 did not pass hwer level 7. Still needs work on the whip kick. Fair enough, but it sure does not seem fair to have one work like a fiend to 'fail' and the other float her way to a badge. 6 is somewhat distraught, but will try again this week. I am sure she will pass her level 7 over the summer!

Start my new job in a week or so. We'll see what kind of self-discipline I have. Hope today is not any indication of how lazy I can really be!!!

OMG

I knew I was absent for a considerable duration, but can't believe how long! Thanks to all who commented.

I have been terribly self absorbed - caught up in the last few weeks of work. Strangely anxious about leaving the security of full-time employment - yet excited too.

J is out of twon again. Only 10 days this time, but it is my last week of work, the kids have a hectic schedule (how did this happen?) with soccer, swimming, karate, and all the end of year school activities.

Took 6 to a nutritioniist 3 weeks ago to try to address some of her digestive issues (and hoping some of the bloating she has would reduce - kids were tormenting her about being fat!). As a result, we are on our (almost) 4th week of a Candida diet. No sugar, no wheat, no dairy and no yeast. Very hard to manage while working like a fiend so many hours of the day. The results have been great. 6 is feeling much better. Her self-esteem has grown immensly - she has been choosing to wear skirts and co-ordinated clothing - even asked to have a ribbon in her ponytail! Her distended stomach has reduced and for the first time in her life she is able to feel when she is full. 4 has stopped sneezing non-stop...looks like she has a food alergy...we will have to figure it out as we go forward. Of course, I have lost 5 lbs. I am in the danger zone. If I drop under 100, I seem to get mental - thinking I should lose another 5 - then another 5 until I am sickly underweight. (Anorexia brain?) Been trying to up the caloric intake so I don't drop too much...

All is well - chaotic, but well. Great Bernadette Peters story will have to wait until I am off work and have some breathing space.

I have missed everyone's updates. Will have to check all the archives after my June 16th liberation day.