School isn't totally lame

You might remember that our son was in first grade last year and at the end of the year we decided to retain him for a "bonus" year of first grade. You might not, because, really, who keeps track of other people's kids and their schooling issues? Anyway, retain him we did, not without a little trepidation.

While Tyler has struggled a bit in academics, he has always been ahead of his peers emotionally and socially. He makes friends easily, is kind and compassionate beyond his years (but occasionally mean and obnoxious beyond his years), which led us to worry about what retention would mean for him. Our team of first grade teachers assured me that the bonus year usually doesn't register in the kids minds, they just make new friends, have a new teacher and call it a day.

Which, naturally, wasn't the case for our boy.

Going to school was a bundle of nerves for him, he knew he would be the oldest in his grade and thought that the entire school was laughing at him (no really, for about two weeks he would come home saying that kids laughed in the halls when he walked by or kids at the next table were laughing at lunch, any laughter in his earshot that he could be positive wasn't about him, in his mind, was about him). No amount of assuring him that all 600 kids in his could not possibly a) know who he was b) know who he was and CARE or c) know who he was, care and be bothered with what grade he was in.

I'm not sure what changed, but eventually it did change. I think he realized his friends from last year are still his friends, he made new friends and his amazing teacher established him as a leader in the classroom (every kid's dream). If anything needs to go to the office or a kid needs to go to a part of the school they are unfamiliar with, the old pro gets to take them.

We went from whining about how boring school is and how dumb homework is to "Well, school is totally boring and homework will always be dumb, but it's not all lame."

And this week someone has discovered that he likes reading. We have Junie B Jones, Stink (Judy Moody's little brother) and the Magic Treehouse to thank for that.

This is what amazing looks like

 

Kelly is 6 weeks (ish) into her first round of chemo and looks amazing. Don't ask her how she feels, but she LOOKS great. She laughs at me every time I tell her that, but it's the truth. It's been nice getting to help take care of her and the kids while Eric is at work. Charlotte and I drop the two older kids off at school and then head over to Kelly's to hang out until Lily gets out of kindergarten a couple days a week. Some days we are quiet (as quiet as a 1, 3 and 4 year old can be) and tippytoe around so as not to disturb the patient and others we chat and giggle and talk all morning long. 

I think the hardest thing for Kel has been the restrictiveness of being sick. Kelly is always ready for a party and fun, impromptu Popsicles on the front lawn and allllllllll day trips to Six Flags with five kids. We go to Funderland and Fairytale Town and the zoo together. We take them to the lake and out to ice cream. Kelly is the official driver of the Fun Bus (ok, there is no official Fun Bus, but if there was, she'd be driving.) When you are on chemo the fun is greatly reduced, but we have still been finding ways to have fun. 

Target is especially fun now, and Chipotle and Home Goods.  I think I'm Kelly's enabler since her husband is always telling her that she shouldn't be out much (and she shouldn't) but we seem to have established weekly outings. Twice I have taken her on "quick" trips to Target that may or may not have lasted two hours each. Once we went out to dinner with friends and to Home Goods and shut the place down. But I wasn't driving that time, so I'll say that wasn't my fault.

 And last weekend we had a girl movie night (Troop Beverly Hills) and I might have stayed over talking till midnight. It might be tiring, but I think it's good for the soul, hers and mine, to have a tiny slice of the normal fun we used to have back. For now I'll happily drive the Fun Bus, just until she can take it over again.

I ♥ Sacramento {Gunther's Ice Cream}

The weather forecast for the rest of this week is in the upper 90s, so though I had planned on posting about Gunther's earlier in the summer, it clearly isn't too late. I may have to treat myself the kids to an ice cream after school one day in order to survive the heat.


Gunther's Ice Cream has been a part of my summer memories for as long as I can remember. My Grandma went there when she was in college in the 40s and my uncle worked there when he was in high school. I can remember being Lily's age (or younger maybe) playing on the window sill and wooden booths waiting for my uncle to get off of work. Everyone in the family like to volunteer to go with Grandma to pick him up from work, since the likelihood of getting an ice cream cone was close to 100%.

 Anytime we go to William Land Park it's pretty much a given that a trip to Gunthers is on the agenda. We spent the day at Funderland (write up on that another day) the last week of summer and naturally had to conclude the trip with ice cream. Aaron's and my favorite flavor is the Bittersweet Chocolate, which is always made in June for the flavor of the month.

 The kids favorite is the clown cone in any flavor. It's hard work eating ice cream.

  Gunther's Ice Cream

2801 Franklin Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95818 

(916) 457-6646

Can you see them?

There is something about rolling hills and farms and dilapidated barns or cattle corrals that makes me drift off into daydreams of horseback riding in long skirts and petticoats or wagon trains dotting the horizon. California has plenty of fodder for my imagination what with Northern California's gold mining towns, the Sierra Mountains and sprawling cattle ranches along the Central Coast.

Aaron frequently gets frustrated with me when we drive places because he's the one stuck driving and instead of keeping him company I've got my nose plastered to the window, daydreaming away. Unless we are traveling down I-5 between Elk Grove and LA.  Cuz that's just boring.

What'd you do last weekend?

We celebrated with our friends at a wedding in San Luis Obispo. I've never been before and would definitely love to go back. Our trip was so quick we didn't even make it down to the beach. I know! Travesty! Well, I might be the only one who thought so.

First Day

Our first day of school. The morning went perfectly with our veteran and newbie. The alarm went off at 6:30am (!) and we all trudged out of bed bleary-eyed, but ready to go. The day didn't go without it's hitches, but by the end of it they toppled into bed excited for tomorrow.

Our little kindergartener! She was a little nervous, but did great. By the time it was time for parents to leave she was practically pushing us out the door.

One of my dearest friends, Kelly, was diagnosed with cancer this week. She's 34. She's the supermom to two kids and a superwife. She likes Michael Jackson and Elton John and has been known to dance like Elaine from Seinfeld. She loves the Lord with all her heart and is an inspiration to everyone who knows her.

It's not fair and I'm more than a little ticked off about it.

Kelly and her husband, Eric, have already had more hurdles in the last five years than most of us have in a lifetime. The lightning shouldn't be striking this field, folks.

As her friend there is not much I can (or should) say or do, but as her friend I'd very much like to fight the fight for her, as would her husband, parents, siblings and so many others. There is nothing more frustrating than watching the ones you love suffer or face trials and you can't do a darned thing about it.

What we can do is pray and pray we will. There will be prayer, lots and lots and lots of prayer. As her husband says "much prayer, much power". Kelly herself has been saying all week that she intends to be the most prayed over woman Kaiser hospital has ever seen, and I believe her. This morning at 8am was her surgery and it went as best as we could hope for! (Read Eric's update here) Praise God! I am excited to see her smiling face and give her a pretend hug tomorrow. 

She and Team Kelly have made it through this hurdle. Onward and upward!

I wore that hat and she stayed friends with me. That says a lot.