The schedule

Did I say things slowed down during summer? Neil and I are leaving shortly to see Jack at Lacrosse camp. We'll come back on Thursday night in time to do a couple loads of laundry to leave for camping with friends until Monday. Dean gets back from Philadelphia today while we are gone. Apparently we weren't all meant to live in the house at the same time.

Everyone's away; Mom must play

Dean is in Philadelphia on business. Jack is with Uncle Rod at Lacrosse camp. Neil is at Pa's for the day. What is a mother supposed to do? I could clean house, but I don't want to go all crazy!

Don't look at his shoes

So those new shoes we bought for Neil's graduation that he's been carrying around for the past week? Yeah, we couldn't find them. Have no idea where they are.

He wore his old, scruffy shoes. One of which has only half a shoe lace...

Magna cum crayon

Today is Neil's graduation from preschool. He is STOKED! In fact, I can barely contain him. 

Neil has been asking for "black clothes" for the ceremony. We had to buy him a new pair of black shoes (very cool skater shoes with green plaid on the side. Yes, green plaid.) and I wanted to get him a new shirt and pants. He kept insisting on black. And let's just say black for a preschooler at this time of year is hard to come by.

Dean was teasing him about being the man in black -- Johnny Cash. No more late-night "Walk the Line" DVD fests for Neil!

Neil was really concerned that he didn't have black clothes. Then he asked for a black hat. A black hat? What is going on in that head?

"You know Mom. It's black and it goes all the way to the ground and you have a hat with the strings on it..."

OOOOOOOHHHHH! Mom finally gets it. He wants a cap and gown!

Just because photos

Here's Neil's Underwater photo from the grad luau. He is such an amazing swimmer. Like a fish and like his Uncle Skip was when he was little.

Jack and his teacher's son tried out the underwater feature on my camera. Yahoo! It worked AND the camera is still working. Can you tell the pool Jack was in was in the shade by the time they tried the camera? Both pools were salt-water.

Momma wants a nap

If you are keeping track: Jack is out of school. The class party and teacher gift have been handled. Neil's graduate luau is over (and the cupcakes).  Jack's last baseball game was Saturday. Tonight is the team party with 4 coaches' and a manager's gifts. Just need balloons and my job is done there.

That leaves: Neil's teacher's gift, Neil's last day of school tomorrow, followed by his promotion celebration on Weds. Last, but not least, we have Neil's last t-ball game followed by his team party (and the coach gift. Thankfully, I'm only in charge of one!) on Saturday... 

I would say I'm looking forward to the relief of no duties, but then I looked at the calendar.

I think there is a week in August when we are doing nothing... yet.

Was it the mom jeans?

I knew last night's PTA dinner was going to be a rip-roarer when I walked into the steakhouse/bar place holding our event.

You have to walk through a dark bar to get to the banquet room. As I stepped into the bar area, the ENTIRE population of the bar pointed to the back banquet room and several people said, "Oh, you are with the PTA."

I flipped them off.

Then I did what any self-respecting PTA member would do. I ordered a dirty martini and a steak. It was goooood.

I need to get out more

I feel soooo popular. My dance card is full! Last night was the Preschool parents dinner. Tonight is the PTA installation. tomorrow night and Thursday night are something of the same sort.

It's a sad, sad, sad dance card.

Hair cut turns out good

Jack's haircut went well. He even let her blow it dry. He was looking good, Shaun Cassidy good. I planned on taking a photo, but then he spent the hour while I got my hair cut wearing a Batman hood. Let's just say the blow drying was a waste of time.

Hair cut day

This could be a good day, or it could be a bad day. Jack has not had a hair cut since September when we took him to the barber for a "trim" that took several inches off his hair. He cried. I felt like a bad mom. 

So today we are going to a hairdresser who is the mom of one of Neil's preschool classmates. I've been VERY emphatic that she has to only trim it, give it some shape but keep the length. 

I fear I'm being a bad mom again. You know, meddling when I should just leave it alone. But have you seen his hair?! He's a shaggy dog. When he gets up in the morning, I swear a rat has nested in there.

Of course, I didn't tell him what we were doing after school... And it's too late for any of you to warn him!

Prove that it is Wednesday

We know how difficult it is for kids to grasp the concept of time -- hours, days, weeks, months and then we throw in "later," "in awhile," "tomorrow."

Neil would swap "yesterday" and "tomorrow." He didn't like being corrected so he started just saying the "the other day." "We can go to Disneyland the other day" or "We went to Disneyland the other day." It's useful, leaves everything up to the context. Cuts down on the words you need to know. He's an efficient kid.

Neil is still trying to figure it out. He frequently asks what day it is. He is trying to read the digital clock in the TV. He knows "later" means Mom is NOT in the mood for whatever he wants.

His next baseball game is on Saturday morning. He gets to be first batter this next game so he's pretty excited.

This morning he came downstairs with his baseball gear (including his favorite, his cup). "I'm getting ready for my game, Mom." 

"You don't have a game until Saturday." That wasn't good enough for him. 

"Why isn't today Saturday?"

I go through the days of the week, explaining how many "sleeps" we have before the game.

He's not buying it. Why can't it be Saturday? Prove that it's Wednesday. He didn't really say PROVE that it's Wednesday, but that's what he meant.

And how do you prove that it is Wednesday to a kid who can't read (the newspaper and calendar mean nothing)? A kid who is not buying the whole social norm of Wednesday following Tuesday and coming before Thursday?

Why can't it be Saturday?

And that's when I said:

"Because I said so."

Neil, I am your mother

Neil and I have had a number of light saber fights this morning. I've lost several limbs so pardon me if I have typos. I'm doing this with my teeth. 

First Neil wanted to use my ipod. He wanted to wear it while we had a light saber battle. "Like in the movies Mom." Neil wants his life with a soundtrack.

But then he was disappointed that I didn't have the Star Wars tracks on it.

Once he got over that letdown, he decided we had to be on stick horses with our light sabers. He tried to make me change my clothes because I didn't look like a storm trooper. I had to draw the line somewhere today.

Neil will never be Steven Spielberg because his mother wouldn't take costuming advice.