Juggling in June

My week of peace and quiet quickly came to a halt Sunday night and I couldn’t have been happier. The kids had gone to the beach for a week with their dad and uncle to do some snorkeling, beach-combing, and eat some good ol’ Gulf seafood. Sydney warned me before she got home that she had brought back a friend, a good sized hermit crab named Hermie. Hermie is now living large in the old gecko aquarium busily burrowing in the sand or relaxing in his tiki hut but he seldom lounges by his tiny plastic pool.

First thing Monday Gentry started driver’s education at the High School while Sydney headed to the Middle School. I, with her consent (even though she forgot that part) signed her up for a singing program that is essentially voice lessons to prepare the kids for Chorale auditions in August.  She wasn’t overly excited about the first day which consisted of learning scales and practicing pitch along with the fact that 98% of the class was older. Gentry and I renamed her “Negative Nelly” so while talking to Nelly about the class over dinner she soon lightened up and then began drawing goofy vampire pictures of how she looks when she sings. There’s something different about that kid. We had a long conversation about being our own person and not letting our friends influence what activities we do.  

I got onto both girls last night about their negativity. Surely every day in the life of a preteen and a teenager doesn’t suck, or does it?  I don’t remember.  Gen doesn’t like driver’s ed and says she can learn all she needs to know by watching us drive. (And probably learn some new words in the process).  Both programs last the month of June along with multiple nights and weekends of softball, and Dog Day’s started this week as well.  I’m going to try hard to be a good example by being a “Positive Polly” and therefore NOT complaining about the schedule, or the lack of free time on weekends, or even how my muscles hurt so bad I’m not able to bend at the knees.  Nope, all I see are rainbows and unicorns....