After that two day, mini-week to begin the school year, we’re diving right in this week. Five full days of school. An athletic event every afternoon or evening. In the next five days we have two kickball practices, two kickball games, and one soccer practice. We could add another event, too, as we’re still waiting to hear when L.’s soccer team will practice. And high school football begins this week.
Our neighbors, who are empty nesters but spent many weekends when we first lived here shuttling their boys to games and events all over the area, warned us of this. I guess there’s no turning back now.
S. took the girls for a bike ride Saturday. Just around the corner, on their way home, one of L.’s training wheels fell off. Sunday night, I was standing in the driveway talking to a neighbor when I saw L. go cruising by on a training wheel-less bike. Wait, what? Yep, she mastered riding on two wheels in about five minutes. It took a week or so of intense effort with M. two years ago. C. was on the verge last year then lost interest, but figured it out quickly this spring. And now L. has beat them both.
The funny thing is L. was begging me to help her ride C.’s bike the other day and I told her just to stay with her bike for now and we’d work on riding on just two wheels in the spring. She sure showed me!
Last night we were going through the list of things L. needs to master this year. Basic information like her address, phone number, birthday, days of week, etc. There’s also a short list of religious facts she needs to learn as well. S. asked her if she could make the sign of the cross. L. nodded and stuck her fingers up, making a cross with them rather than, you know, actually crossing herself. I had to look away so L. didn’t see me cracking up.
Later, when she was out of the room, I told S., “That’s my daughter!”
Finally, one thing I forgot to mention from a couple weeks back. We were all working hard to get everything packed up to head to the LVS for the weekend. The girls have a general rule that they can take as much stuff as they can cram into a backpack or book bag. They know to throw some books, their DSes, a stuffed animal or two, and maybe a game in. As I was trying to cram all the food and drink for the weekend into the back of the car, M. and L. walked out with their bags.
“Where’s C.?” I asked.
“She’s upstairs. She has seven bags,” said L..
“What?!?!”
“Yeah,” nodding, “Seven bags.”
I went upstairs and C. walked out of her room with, yes, seven bags draped over her shoulders, around her neck, and across her arms. And then she had the nerve to act surprised when we told her she could only take one.
Sometimes I don’t know what’s going on in that kid’s head.