If I could sum up this week I'd have to call it "Meetings and Parties". It is Saturday morning and I'm a little wiped out. It's past 9 AM and Michael and Anna are both still fast asleep. They're a little wiped out too.
Monday afternoon Anna and I went to her parent-teacher conference with Mrs. Brodt. Anna is doing great in school. She showed me a project she and two boys have been working on together before school starts. They designed a home blueprint using a set of restrictions, a budget and a lot of creativity. It involved various mathematical calculations, reading comprehension, attention to detail, cooperation and creativity. Not bad for a nine year old.
Tuesday I actually stayed home and washed clothes and cleaned on the house.
Wednesday morning I met with staff at Michael's school (OCMS) and we placed him in a new science class that they created after first quarter. The instruction will be at a slower pace and be less stressful for him. Turns out quite a few kids had trouble with the main science class pace during first quarter. I then went to Buckner Elem. and helped with Wednesday folders, then made copies for academic team. After lunch I went back to OCMS with Michael's all terrain buggy so he could participate in the PTSA Olympics.
Thursday I met a friend for lunch and we had a good time catching up. She and I worked together at least once a week last school year when she was the Buckner PTA President and I was the Treasurer. We both kind of miss those weekly work/gab sessions so try to get together once a month or so.
Thursday afternoon I helped Mrs. Brodt and Mrs. Fotos with academic team practice. Anna made the team and I will do this probably every week. Part way through the practice I walk over to OCMS and bring Michael back, and he does his homework in Mrs. Brodt's classroom while practice is going on.
Friday morning the playground committee met with the school district facility rep and Buckner principal to go over the playground plans and get the approval process going. Looks like there will be some major improvements in place soon.
I returned to school at 1pm for Anna's classroom party. This very creative mother made tie dye t shirts for the kids to decorate with sharpie pens.
After school we went to Dr. Petrucci for Michael's monthly chiropractic adjustment. A year in a wheelchair left him with some spinal curvature and he gets out of whack easily due to low muscle tone and lack of coordination. Sometimes he's in good shape and sometimes Dr. Petrucci asks me if I dropped him or if he had a wreck.
While in LaGrange we stopped at the home of Michael's friend Travis. Travis hadn't been in school all week and Michael wanted to see what was going on. Travis had his tonsils out earlier in the week but was up for visitors and so the kids had a good time with him for an hour or so.
We came home and ate and then dressed up for the Halloween party at the McKinney's. In case you can't tell Anna went as a sheep (another scary home project by Dawn...Anna made and sewed the ears on the sheep's headgear herself) and Michael as a judge. I tried to put flour in Michael's hair to make him look old. He told me you don't have to be old to be a judge cause John Brown is a judge and he's not old.
The party was a lot of fun. Michael was one of three judges for the costume contest. The winner was Dillon Kopp...how many kindergarten boys do you know that are tough enough to dress up as a cheerleader? He won the contest. There were games and good food and lots of fun with friends.
Here are Shelby (zebra), Anna (sheep) and Dillon (yes, it's a boy!)
The McKinney's basement is well equipped to entertain a crowd.
There's a lawnmower/utility garage connected to the basement on the lower level, and it makes a nice man cave. We ended up with a pretty rainy night or we would have been around the pool deck.
Anna's piano teacher called and her lesson is at noon. Looks like the rain is going to pass so I am going to shower, get organized and decorate the garage...if all goes well the Spooky Ripley Caverns will be open by dark for tours by all little trickertreaters that dare enter!! If they are brave enough and live through the tour without wetting their pants they will recieve a treat from Michael. Not sure yet if Anna is going to do the door-to-door thing or stay with us so she can scare the heck out of unsuspecting "big kids".