I freakin hate this time of year!

I really like fall- for the most part. However, we have a terrible problem with spiders outside (and inside) our house this time of year. They tend to return to the same places each year. Always one right by the slider door on the deck, one on the side of the house by the deck, and this year there are 2 in the landscaping in front of the house. One of the spiders in the landscaping is a wolf spider, albeit a small one. I can't wait until we get a good freeze and get rid of these things!

Still the mom of 2

Last night was Cameron's first night of private swimming lessons. When I first told him that he was taking swimming lessons he flat refused to go. Once we got him there he seemed to be doing fine, but the longer we waited on the deck of the pool the more scared he got. He started to cry and say that he didn't want to drown. There are 2 pools where he is taking the lessons, one of them is a shallow pool that is warmer for people that have arthritis and then they have the larger swimming pool. The instructor decided that they would start in the shallow pool. Cameron was doing pretty well with what she asked him to do, and he had a pretty successful lesson. At the end of the lesson she asked him if he wanted to try the big pool, and he said no.

I think that she is going to teach him how to swim in the shallow pool since he is small enough to be able to learn there, and offer the big pool every lesson. Once he is comfortable with swimming they will move him to the big pool. I really like the instructor, and I think that she is very well equipped to deal with his fear. All in all, it was a pretty big success in my eyes. Cameron even asked if we could join the community center so that he could practice his swimming. I'm really proud of him.

The wild things Becca says

I was taking Becca to school yesterday after skating and she asked me if Cameron was already at school. I told her no, that Cameron was just getting on the bus, and he would probably be at school in the next 10 minutes or so, right about the time we were getting there. She replied- he might be there already mom. That bus goes damn fast!

I guess it is time for her parents to reflect on the language they use around children. Whoops!

New Skates- again.

We are buying more new skates for Becca this week. Luckily I scored a pair that are consignment so they are half the price of new. We now seem to be buying skates about once every 6 months- not a pace that I would like to keep up! Poor thing, her toes were totally cramped up in the end of her old skates. We tried the consignment skates tonight and her scratch spin was much better. Of course her toes weren't folded under........

I'm springing swimming lessons on Cameron Thursday night. That should be fun! He is doing private lessons for the next 4 weeks and we will go from there. Once I am done with him I think it will be Becca's turn. It would be fabulous if they could both swim before we go to Disney in December. I might be getting a bit ahead of myself there though.

Becca is in the Literacy group in her reading challenge. They divided up the challenge kids into 2 groups, ones that still need to work on advanced sight words and the ones that are already reading. Becca is in the already reading group. There are 3 in the group, and none from her class. I think she will have a good time though.

Not much else going on here. I am shadowing my cousin at her job again tomorrow. Craft night is tomorrow as well. All in all, a pretty easy week!

Congratulations Becca...

Becca brought home a note in her backpack Friday letting us know that she had been accepted in the reading challenge at school. I am a proud mama for sure! The goals for this reading challenge are to read at an instructional level, chart comprehension, and expand the number of sight words she can recognize. They will meet 2 times a week from Sept 15th until the end of October.

Yay Becca!

A big weekend & I'm done with Disney!

We have quite a weekend coming up! Becca has Power and Edges tonight and Skate-A-Thon, then tomorrow morning she has a cheer clinc. She is participating in a cheer clinc with the high school and then next Friday they get to cheer at halftime during the football game. I think she will have a good time. Cameron will be spending the weekend with his nose in a book- he has a book project due on the 23rd and he isn't even half through his book yet. He is reading A Wrinkle in Time. David read it when he was about Cameron's age, but I have never read it.

Our Disney accomdations are finally finished! We had some flight changes that made it necesscary for me to make changes and add a night. The first night we are staying at the Coronado Springs and then switching to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for the rest of our trip. It is very exciting to finally have those decisions made. We also have our tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and Cirque du Soliel purchased, and reservations for our Sunrise Safari. All of our dinner reservations are made and confirmed, and yet it seems like I still have so much left to do. At least I have gotten this far! I keep reminding myself that at this point last year we hadn't even decided to go and everything was fine. Of course, then I remind myself that none of us had been there before and we didn't have any idea what to expect. Ah my internal conflicts.

The bus will be here soon and then I am on the run! Have great weekend!

Back in the groove

Ah- the school year schedule is underway! We only have to add dance class next week and then we are set. I think we are adding swimming lessons for Cameron in the next couple of weeks, but then that is really it.

We have had some exciting things going on around here. Monday they tested Becca for the reading challenge at school. I haven't heard if she got in or not, but it's hard for me to imagine that she didn't. Cameron was one of only 2 kids that got an A on his Social Studies test, and synchro started up again. Becca started her new class- Bronze Freestyle- and loved it! I looked out on the ice and she was landing toe loops left and right. They looked really good, even her coach was surprised. she must have landed 20 of them!

It looks like we will be going on an all girls trip to Arkansas for the Ozark Invitational skating competition. Aunt Stephanie and cousin Emma are going to join us. We are in progress with getting dresses made and I started stoning a cowboy hat this afternoon. All I have left to do is figure out how to build a fence for her to pull out on the ice and I am done.

I shadowed my cousin Carrie at her job on Tuesday. She works for the company that takes the newborn pictures in the hospital. It was really pretty fun and I think I might be interested in working for that company as well. We will have to see what comes of it.

Becca has a cheer clinic this weekend and next Friday night she will get to cheer at the high school football game during halftime. I am hoping that I can convince her that is enough cheering for the fall.

My allergies are horrible right now, but they were talking on the news this morning about how they are expecting an early freeze and colder weather. I was so excited to hear that!

ugh, I've got to get the backpacks together and get to bed. Becca has an early lesson tomorrow. I think skating is going to force me into being a morning person. blech!

Did you know that life isn't fair?

Ugh- I am not a fan of 5th grade! Cameron forgot to bring home something from his science notebook for me to sign- the consequence of that action is he misses his entire recess tomorrow. I think it is a little harsh, but I don't get to make the rules. I am pretty sure at this point that it will be a good long time before he forgets to bring something home again. The downside for me at this point is now he is in a total rage about the situation and the fact that it isn't fair. I tried explaining to him that it was fair, he knew ahead of time that missing recess was the consequence of not having all his papers signed. He didn't have to like it, and he could think that the rule was wrong, but it absolutely was fair. That was not what he wanted to hear. He is currently locked in his room and is never going to school again. Honestly, this is the part that just wears me out. You can not reason with him, nothing is going to convince him that missing recess isn't the end of the world, and he is basically inconsolable- and he will be until he gets home from school tomorrow. Ack- it gives me a headache.

I also went and registered Becca for dance tonight. The line was pretty long, but she is in the class at least. I saw a couple of familiar faces- Valerie that recommended that Becca take classes there and Donna who was her teacher this summer. I am still not quite comfortable there yet. I am just so spoiled by knowing so many people at the rink and having been there so long that I practically could work there. It is a very nice place though.

I guess that we are off the cheerleading. Becca would love to do it, but I can't seem to get this one place to give me information and cheerleading at the place she did gymnastics just doesn't fit into her schedule. I think I will sign her up for a clinic hosted by the high school cheerleaders. Maybe I can convince her that is all there is!

I think David is home from band and I need to get the laundry started. I think I need to plan in a nap tomorrow!