lecons de la vie

A few days ago, I glanced out the kitchen window and saw this going on in the backyard...

Somewhere along the way, L has picked up on how to swing on a swing! Just as with a few choice words he's also picked up, I had virtually no hand in teaching this to him. When I was a young mom, I used to fancy myself as the dispenser of all knowledge. Now I know way less than I used to and they know way more than I realize...like how to swing on a swing. Where did that come from? Now I often don't enter the picture until after they've learned something, and my role is increasingly reduced to confirmer and/or dispeller of everything they soak up from the world around them. I think I'm okay with this. So when L asked me this week, "Mom, is 'shet' still a bad word today?', I answered with equanimity, "Yes, 'shet' is still a bad word."

la chasse

Many soccer seasons ago, J and I would sometimes cheer on his sister's kids at their "Kick and Chase" games. I thought then that it was a cute and clever name for a rec league. What I didn't think then was that "Kick and Chase" would someday be the theme of our lives now that we are the ones with four little kids. But let me tell you, the chase is on.

Truth be told, I feel like I am running after life, not planning it out as deliberately as I would like. Sure we're the ones that put most of the items on the agenda, but when the calendar says go there, we go there. And the calendar says a lot of things. Too many things at times. I think my kids for the most part truly enjoy all of the activities and sports they're involved in. I even think they would do more if I let them. But I've made a rule that they can each do only one sport, one thing musical and one social club at the same time. With four kids that adds up quick--and only three of the four have organized commitments outside of the school day right now and only one of them does all three types of things all the time. I think I'm going to have to teach Ed to drive when he's 12...oh, and buy him a car.

I have to admit I struggle with it all at times. Some weeks I am all go-getter, happy to marshall the troops, track down the equipment/uniforms/piano books, and chauffeur the kids all around town. Other weeks, I wished we lived on an island in the middle of nowhere and we didn't own a calendar. Some days I am ready for it and take it on with gusto. Some days I'll skip events that are less essential. Basically, the younger the kid, the less essential the event. I guess it's all about balance. So it's kind of apropos that on a day when there were two first soccer games (& team pictures) and one first gymnastics meet of the year (they run about 4 hours long & we took the whole gang to this one), I only have shots of S's soccer game--a first grader game where someone kicks and everyone chases.

SoSo can be pretty determined on the soccer field...he scored three times at this game

Making his way through the "tunnel" at the end of the game...

sept ans

It's now just a couple days later, but there's a new kid to shoot. Even though C and S are two years and two days apart, when their birthdays roll around each year, they are only two days apart--and it feels like they are only two days apart (more about their parties coming later). So here is SoSo, on his 7th birthday, with a fresh haircut for school (which begins next week!) and his ever sweet face and a dog all over it.

une remise d'un diplome

One diploma down and at least two more to go!

SoSo went the distance this year and wrapped up about 9 months of full-day kindergarten in June. Mrs. Phillips and SoSo had a stellar year together. It was definitely time to celebrate! I think all school kids love a good school party, but I think full-day kindergartners just might love them best. And there was no better time to have one than on the last day of school. (Full-day kindergarten moms have theirs on the first day of school.)

Now a couple of thoughts on the general idea of "graduating" from kindergarten: I believe Sawyer still has at least a decade and a half of school days ahead of him. While I don't think it can quite be called cruel (after all 5-year-olds are largely oblivious to the idea of graduation meaning you're done with school or at least the one you're graduating from), perhaps it's a bit misleading and in any event unnecessary to "graduate" from kindergarten. I will admit, though, he looked darned cute in that construction paper graduation cap.