A backward glance at summer fun.

School started back up this week and J and C were eager to return and see their friends!

Yes, they enjoyed their leisurely summer of swimming at the Y, playing at the beach, hanging out at the library and partaking in all of those scheduled activities, reading more, sleeping in late, staying up later, sailing, fishing, visits from family and friends, and all that.

For me, this summer was precious because it was the first time ever that I was able to stay home with my children for any good length of time. (Thank you, Hubby, for your lovely support.)

I've been a working mom since the day that we brought J home from the hospital at 3 days old. In fact, because I had started a new job just one month prior to his birth, I only got two weeks of unpaid time off for uninterrupted bonding. Heading back to work that soon was a miserable experience for me. I got no time off with C's arrival.

These past 3-months I have relished the extra time with the kids. Despite being nervous about how I would do as a "stay-at-home mom", things went well. We got into a groove, it was relaxing and fun and I feel like I've gotten to know them a little better; their likes and dislikes and what makes them tick. What fun 4 and 6-year-olds can be! I'm certainly thankful for this quality time we've had together.

Now, it's back to the task of trying to eke out a living to help support our family finances. At least I'm currently able to do that within the confines of the kids' school schedule. Thank goodness for that.

Making new friends & getting involved.

People in Venice, FL are proving to be rather friendly, especially when they learn that we've recently moved here from another state.

On the first day of school for J and C, a mom struck up a conversation with me as I was signing C out for the day. She offered me advice on where to catch a sale for school shirts and we exchanged emails so that she could send me that info.

Amelia promptly emailed me that day, not only about the sale information, but she also mentioned that there was a Literacy event happening over the weekend and she invited us to join her and one other school family to meet there and attend the event together.

Once there, we met up with Amelia and her 2 boys and with Nicole, her husband, and their 4 children. We all jumped right into the activities that were being offered.

The kids in our group gathered round a table together and painted fish prints onto wash clothes and t-shirts. In another area, both J and C had sat quite patiently to have their faces painted (J requested a green saber tooth tiger design and C requested a pink flower design).

There was a treasure hunt, a puppet show, a book swap, and many fun kid games to keep them occupied that day.

There was even a good band playing and a couple of belly dancers performing, which enthralled C.

What I wasn't expecting was swimming. Amelia and Nicole asked if I had brought swim suits for the kids, explaining that the park had a lake that the kids were allowed to swim in. I hadn't realized that, so the kids had no other clothing and no towels.

That didn't stop J and C, of course. Once they saw the other kids getting into the water, J striped down to just his shorts and C just took off all her clothes and hopped in (ah, to be 3 years old with no concept of modesty). They were happy to be in the water, showing off their swim moves to the other kids. It was so hot and sticky out that day, that I'm sure the water felt wonderfully refreshing!

All-in-all, it was a fun day and we appreciated being included by these two school families.

This week, I attended my first parent association meeting and learned about some of the projects the school is trying to raise money for. There's quite an ambitious list and I'm certain I'll be donating some time and talent with other parents to see that these worthy projects come to fruition.

I invited Amelia over for a visit yesterday morning, now that the house is mostly unpacked, and filled her in on the content of the parent association meeting that she was unable to attend. We learned a bit more about each other and our families. Amelia and I get on quite well thus far and I intend to continue to work on building a friendship with her.

This week I also discovered that each classroom has a "room mom" or "room dad" assigned to help out the two teachers in various small ways and to communicate with all the families in that classroom. When I learned that J's classroom had no one assigned yet, I volunteered to be the "room mom". What better way to get to know other parents, right?

Yesterday after school, while we waited for G to return home from work, the kids and I went to the little neighborhood park that's only 2 blocks from our house. It's shady and had enough toys to keep J and C entertained for quite a while.

Here are some pics and videos from that little jaunt.

9-16-10 J & C climbing. Notice that daredevil C is up on top! (click to enlarge photos)

9-16-10 J & C having a bit of a snack in the park.

Amelia has invited us to join her and her family tomorrow morning for the Nokomis Beach Youth Fishing Tournament, where the bait and prizes are supplied for a $1 per child entrance fee.

J is literally begging us to take him fishing, now that he's seen the fishing piers. G and I are really rather clueless when it comes to fishing, but Amelia has assured me that if we show up tomorrow morning with fishing poles, she'll make sure the kids get the hang of things.

Tomorrow evening we'll be joining the drum circle again on Nokomis beach. This time we'll come prepared with glow sticks and drums for the kids.

There certainly are a lot of outdoor activities to choose from here in Florida. Of course, most of them center around the outdoors and water. I like that.

My Kindergartener didn't start Kindergarten today.

This morning as I drove J & C to their preschool, I saw the little neighbor girl from across the street being walked to her first day of school by her parents and older sisters. She and J would've gone to school together.

I saw several other small children walking with their backpacks so large it seemed as though the child would tip over. Some kids were dashing to get in the doors before the bell rang and big yellow buses were lumbering all around me on the streets.

Today should have been the day that J started Kindergarten and I must admit, I'm feeling a bit sad that he isn't...yet.

When we purchased our house 5 years ago, J was 8 1/2 months old. Already we were thinking about what elementary school he'd go to and we chose our house in large part because it was part of a school district that had an elementary school with consistent EXCEL ratings, as well as good middle and high schools close by. Many of our neighbors had sent their kids to the elementary school that was walking distance from our home and they raved about the school, the teachers, and the principal.

We've spent these past few years acquainting J with this elementary school with frequent walks to play in the playground. We talked it up a lot to build his excitement.

Not all that long ago, we attended Kindergarten round-up and enrolled J in the upcoming Kindergarten class, not knowing we'd be moving out of state. He was so excited to tour that elementary school and we were just as excited.

Given our current circumstances, I had to make the practical decision to wait on starting J in Kindergarten until we get to FL. He would only be in this elementary school 2 weeks before our move. It didn't make sense to put him in one school only to pull him out and start him in another.

So, my little Kindergartener didn't start Kindergarten today. Most likely, he'll start on Sept 7th, about 2 weeks after the FL schools begin. We will have missed any 'meet and greet' social events they have for Kindergarteners and their parents. We won't have the luxury of getting a tour in advance. We will miss out on the fanfare and excitement that comes with all the little Kindergarteners starting their first day of school together.

I'll have to make J's first day special for him in my own way. A special breakfast, new school supplies, being there to help him get settled in a new classroom, and taking lots of pictures. Same for C as well, as she'll be starting a new preschool too.

And when that's all taken care of, I'll get to go home to a house full of unpacked boxes. I suppose it'll be nice to have the distraction of unpacking that first day.