Bits and Pieces: May

This month has been busy with lots of end of the year stuff at school. Also: two cases of the stomach flu, one fever, and one trip to urgent care with a ruptured ear drum. Luckily, everyone is now on the mend.

Clare has less than two weeks left of kindergarten. She'll find out who her first grade teacher is on Friday. Next week will be filled with lots of fun year end things, including her kindergarten graduation and her birthday. This month, she had several field trips and a fun fair at school. I chaperoned one trip, to Gibbs Farm, and helped supervise other kids while my own child barely said two words and dragged herself from exhibit to exhibit. It turns out our first case of the stomach flu was about to arrive.

Christopher and I had our last day of ECFE for the year this week. He will miss his favorite teacher, Ugo, and I will miss my chance to have a break from the kids for an hour.

Christopher is once again refusing to transition to summer clothes. Luckily for him, it has been a cool spring. I am sure we will have some battles over that in the coming weeks.

Christopher cleaned out his piggy bank and used the money to buy a toy guitar. (Or ta-gar, as he says.) He loves it. He has been playing music and dancing for days on end.

Clare started soccer. Ben is her coach, which she loves. I haven't made it to a game yet because they have all been late, so I need to be home with Christopher. She'll start gymnastics soon, and will also do swimming lessons this summer. She is also participating in a few summer camps. The best thing, though, is Summer Blast, which is through the Parks and Rec department. It is FREE. She can go every afternoon from 1 to 4 and play games and do crafts. It is a drop-in program, so we'll go as our schedule allows. Many of her friends have signed up, too. I just wish I could also send Josie and Christopher.

I joined the YMCA, and they have childcare, so I am hoping to finally get into a workout routine. I have not been good about self care lately, and it is time to start thinking about that again.

We spent Memorial Day weekend at my parents' house. Ben stayed here to help his parents with their move (to a condo right across the river from us) and do some house projects. My sister and Josie came with us, which was nice for the drive. Christopher was sick (ruptured ear drum) so neither of us got much sleep. Clare had fun, though. She got to go swimming and out for ice cream, which is all she really needs in life. We came back just in time for our friends' annual Memorial Day BBQ, where I promptly drank way to much beer after dealing with a very whiny and sick kid on my own all weekend.

The next two weeks are busy, and then on to summer.

Lost another tooth!

The first lemonade stand of the season. Clare paid Christopher one quarter to help her.

I tried to take him to the Children's Museum at the Mall of America, but it is gone. We went on rides instead.

And had lunch at Rain Forest Cafe.

With his ta-gar.

Clare trying to defeat Darth Vadar at the Fun Fair.

Clare and I did the photo booth. We did not follow the directions, so some of our photos are a little wonky.

Acrobats.

Ice cream in Evansville.