Honest Like Abe

E3 got her cast Friday after school, gathered signatures from family all weekend, and headed to school today with markers in tow with a narrow strip on the underbelly of her cast still empty for her classmates. This weekend she had to sit out of three different opportunities for swimming/water fun, but she handled each well without one bit of whining, even stating matter-of-factly that one fun thing about having a cast was having people sign it but a not fun thing was not being able to swim. She's relishing soaking up the sympathy, and at yesterday's pool party held court post-meal with a group of 8th grade and high school freshman girls as they laughed at her silly jokes and cooed over her giggle.

I have pictures of her cast, but I'm once again woefully behind on getting those from my camera to the computer. The girls' cameras are here too, and I'm supposed to be taking the photos off those as well...I think the sit around and wait of photo downloading is what feeds my procrastination.

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Friday was the first full day of school and E1 came home with a 'Getting To Know Your Child' form for Rob and I to complete. These are always tricky, in my opinion, and Rob and I tend to collaborate on the answers. Your first inclination might be to list all those traits that you as the parent have to get after them for...but I always find I counter that with avoiding giving the teacher pre-conceived criticisms. You know, maybe those things that bug us won't bug the teacher...at least not at first...right? Better to let the teach draw her own conclusions.

This time, I went through and answered the easy questions, like "What are the things your child enjoys?" (creative writing, reading, crafts/art, playing golf), and "How does your child feel about reading and writing?"(She loves both)...and then Rob answered a few too...but there were a couple that were stumpers for us. We knew what we wanted to say, but how to word it kindly, politely, positively?

One was, "What motivates your child?" My first answer suggestion, of course, was 'chocolate' and Rob agreed. The girl loves her chocolate. That didn't seem appropriate though, so Rob consulted E1...who chuckled at the suggestion of chocolate, but said her "straight A streak" is what motivates her when it comes to school work. So, he wrote both. Yes, he wrote chocolate AND getting good grades.

I give the three of us an A+ for that one.

The other was the general, "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about your child?" Well, yes, of course there is...but how does one fit that into a two-inch space? "She's a pre-teen girl." seemed too vague. I wanted to say: She often doesn't give herself enough credit, I fear she struggles with standing up for herself in the face of what other girls think, she takes criticism to heart no matter how 'constructive' it is... I didn't want to embarrass her, but with her eye-rolling, but smiling, permission I settled for "E1 doesn't always realize her own awesomeness."

The form may be in two different hand writings, and include some silly with the serious, but there it is.

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Today was the first morning of Faith Formation (formerly P.S.R.-Parish School of Religion) classes before school. Mornings are not E2's time of day, but she managed fine today. By the end of the week it will most likely be another story. This the first year of morning religion for E3, and this has added another facet to E2's morning routine...chattiness. I forget the debate the two of them were beginning at the table this morning when I looked up at the clock and informed them that they needed to leave in five minutes and both still needed to finish their breakfast, brush their hair, and their teeth.

Beginning tomorrow a handful of kids from the home daycare next door will arrive on our doorstep to walk to school with our girls and it really bugs me when they have to wait on my punks.

Time to adjust the alarm clocks.