The Imperfect Community

Petulant Pixie · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 8:55 am Post subject: Last week of summer vacation

I cannot believe that this is the first day of the LAST week of summer vacation. It has just flown by! I also cannot believe that next Tuesday my baby boy is going to be starting SEVENTH GRADE! In November, I will officially be the parent of a teenager. This has totally blindsided me. How can he be that old??? How??? I must've been like 14 when I had him, because *I* am not old enough to be the mother of a SEVENTH GRADER! For some reason, this grade just seems so.....old. Maybe it's because of the teen thing looming, maybe because 7th grade was a pivotal time in my maturing (started my period, had my first kiss, etc). I just want to freeze this week and keep him young for a little longer. But, he's looking forward to it. He's excited to be going back. He finally has some real friends and he feels he has a handle on the whole junior high thing now. We got his schedule and all looks well.

But, the week will be busy. We have open houses tomorrow and Wednesday and I will be drowned in paperwork. Last night I gave a heavy sigh, since there will only be one more Sunday night in a long line of Sunday nights when my only prep for Monday morning involves sealing up several Netflix movies to put in the mail. Thursday, Katie has to see a dermatologist about a suspiscious mole (which may very well be removed)....which means I'm going to need to get drunk Thursday night because Katie will not do well with any procedure involving an injection and/or a scalpel, and blood. Will not do well. It kind of sucks, too, that it's so close to the start of school, because the removed mole may still be irritating on Tuesday. Well....maybe not.

I'm putting Liz into a swim class at the Y, and we have a Little Gym opening here in September. Alex did Little Gym in Austin. We liked The Little Gym. I'll see about putting Liz into classes in the winter. I don't know how they compare with the Y class prices.

And, a Liz funny. We went to Red Lobster last night for dinner and Liz and Katie were enthralled with the lobster tank, of course. But, Liz kept calling them "monsters" and going "raaar" and other monster noises at them. We tried and tried to get her to say "lobster", but she'd look at us, watch our mouths, nod, and very seriously say, "monster" and then raaar and giggle and run away. She was horrified by the idea that one could eat a monster though. No no no no no. Nobody at our table was going to eat a monster. Wonder how that all is going to fuck with her mind later?

Scout · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:34 am Post subject:

Wow, we're starting our third week back today.
Seventh grade is a huge leap. I'm glad for you that he's in that good science-oriented school because IME with teaching seventh grade for several years, it's probably the very worst grade for kids in terms of their maturity level and their total inability to focus. I'll be there in 3 years. Ugh! Good luck!

Jessica · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:41 am Post subject:

Our kids start next week too. This is the first year that the kids start so late -- not sure what the logic is behind that.

Liz sounds as cute as a button.

Ugh. Jr. High/Middle School is such an awkward period for kids, isn't it?

I'm stressing out because the high school in our district sucks and we love our house and there are no private school alternatives. I know it's a ways away, but it still stresses me out. (Actually, we do have one private school alternative, but it's $17K a year - no lie).

Graham is starting Montessori, bless his little heart. He cracks me up with his obsession with Hannah Montanah and The Jonas Brothers.

Holden is bored. Summer camp is over and I think he's ready to start school.