How did summer end so fast?

Whoa, whoa, whoa! How did it get to be Labor Day weekend?

This week has been pretty much a wash here on Ask Moxie. And I'm feeling like a bad mother (shut you mouth!) because I just now, 3 minutes ago, ordered my older son's backpack and lunchbox for school this year, which starts on Tuesday. (Yankees, natch)

Quick report in on the Laptop Lunchbox system I got last year: I love love loved it. My son liked all the little compartments. But he didn't like that the lunchbox didn't have a strap for carrying. And he also didn't like that there wasn't some licensed character on the lunchbox. (Because lunch without Lightning McQueen or Derek Jeter is worse than no lunch at all, apparently.) So I ended up using the little containers with lids inside his soft-sided lunchbox.

The number of things I have to do is astronomical, with the kids, at work, with the apartment (which is getting there slowly but surely), church, professionally, personally. It's kind of mind-blowing. I should feel exhausted, but instead I'm kind of looking forward to all of it. Is this what it's like to be happy with where I am, mostly?

I'd like to remind New Yorkers (or metro New York-area people) that we're meeting up NEXT weekend, on Sunday, September 7, at noon, in Central Park. I've described the location (just to the west of the roller bladers) extensively here. Come with or without kids, and bring whatever you want them to eat. It's a spot pretty near bathrooms, and we'll have background music courtesy of the roller bladers.

Tuesday's post is going to be about making friends with other parents at preschool, and then we'll have more on sleep, teaching toddlers not to hit dogs, and other fun topics for the rest of the week.

Sigh. What do you all have cooking? Good, bad, ugly?

Comments

[amy]

got a wake up call this week. i'm 34 weeks pregnant with #2, and i discovered i've been caught up in a web of naivete. a web i *swore* i would not get caught in this time. my daughter was born at 34w5d and was very small (IUGR), so i've been under close scrutiny this pregnancy - extra ultrasounds, NSTs, the whole bit.

so, i've been going on along my merry way, believing this baby would be born the last week of september. this week, when i was waiting to go in for my NST, i overheard a woman come in to the hospital and say her water had broken and her due date was three days after mine. holy crap - this baby could come early too. i'm as ready as i can be, i suppose, but i feel foolish that the possibility of another early baby hadn't really dawned on me.

meanwhile, back at the ranch, today i took my daughter (4) in to a public restroom at a gas station/fast food joint, where we overheard a woman spank her daughter (about my daughter's age or a little younger) in a stall as we washed up. my daughter, who usually can't keep her mouth shut about awkward stuff in public, was silent, but i think she figured out what was going on. i was so sad for the girl (and of course i do not know the whole story), but i was relieved my daughter didn't ask me about it because i have no idea what to say to her on the topic. my husband and i aren't spankers, and i'm deeply opposed to the method for myself and my family, but what do you say to your own child about these kinds of things?

i guess my summer is closing with several epiphanies that life with children only gets more complicated, for better or for worse. on the up side, however, the quest for a not-too-big backpack for my daughter to start preschool with next week was successful and is handled already. (whew.)

[hedra]

RE: making friends, I'm with the 'mommy friend' crew. I still have some of my old friends (though we hang out less), but one of my best friends now is a mom whose son was friends with G in preschool. They haven't been in school together since Kindergarten (or maybe the year before K), but the first playdate was one of the good ones - started as a 2 hour toes-in-water thing, around hour six I called DH to ask if he wanted to come for dinner, we stayed through dinner - with their family (aunts, grandparents). Instant click. They do NOT all go like that, but it's worth doing the toes-in-water repeatedly to find the few that do. I think it also gives the kids a sense of stability in the world to know that their friends are still their friends even if they don't see each other daily.

[aprildelfuego]

Mainly I'm chasing my 15 month old daughter around. She's super into climbing on things now, so we have the added joy of (mostly) protecting her from falls. Right now she has this awesome sense of humor that keeps us laughing all the time. Well, except not at 4am, which is when she wants to get up and nurse these days!

I'm also gearing up for the election...we're pro-Obama here in my house, so it was exciting to hear his speech at the DNC. I am almost afraid to let myself be excited about the possibility of some positive change in our country!

I'm finally having time and energy for some of the things I love to do, especially art, writing and anti-racism activism. I only get to do personal stuff in small little increments, but its really helping me feel more myself than I have in the last year and a half.

I'm also working on getting a very part-time schedule of tutoring students lined up for the fall. Trying to decide between finding private students for more pay and more hassle, or working for an independent learning school for less pay and less hassle. Either way, we're looking forward to taking the edge off of the whole living on one income in the bay area thing, which has been a little dicey.

Hmmm, I'm noticing that in general I sound pretty happy. I guess I am. Cool.

[Foster]

I am absolutely loving every day w/ my adorable 4 mo old baby girl. She is such an alert, strong, and smart person, it's insane. Im also gearing up (literally, bought new carseat, getting another crib, etc) to go back on foster care vacancy in October. Maybe sooner, as I originally wanted September. This means I may end up w/ two babies! At once! And Im looking forward to that!

[Simone]

@AmyinTexas, I just wanted to let you know I can soooo empathize with you about your little one. My 17mo is much the same way--it's enough to tear your hair out! (Oh, wait, he ALREADY does that FOR me! Seriously, he had a day where he was doing it nonstop, and by naptime had finally calmed down enough for a little snuggle before sleep. As I was hugging him before putting him down, I said, "I love you my little imp...see, now isn't this snuggle time better than pulling hair? And no joke--he looked up, smiled, and grabbed 10 strands or so and YANKED!) Anyway, what my hubby and I keep telling ourselves is that as he gets older, that tenaciousness will serve him well. It's just a long wait until then. Hang in there!! (Too bad I'm in MN, it would be fun to put these two in a playgroup and see what they do with/to each other!)

[dmotherof2]

I have recently found Moxie and love love LOVE it. What do I have cooking? My 8 year old has his first football game of the season a week from today and we have yet to be told by the league where or at what time it will be. This is very frustrating to me because I have major organizational and planning issues (OCD). My youngest, 3, loves preschool and I love that he loves school.

@andrea2: my MIL had major issues with overmedicating my hubbie as well; he actually suffered from a mild overdose of pain meds because she thought he shouldn't have to deal with the pain creeping up before the next dose was supposed to be taken. A couple of bouts of counseling has finally made me realize that I can't change her and made him realize he doesn't have to do what she says anymore--he's a big boy now.

For those of you with SAD (seasonal affective disorder), I too am a sufferer and have found that small doses in a tanning bed helps. Just remember the SPF and make them small doses.

[effective nancy]

@Moxie: The more rigorously enforced naps HAD to happen because I was losing it. Like bad. Remember how I wrote at 4 months? That kind of bad. As it turns out, three days was what she needed to learn the new boundaries, and she can now pretty much sleep--and put herself back to sleep--when given conducive conditions. The drive up here was really horrible, and I broke a banana into so many pieces to feed her that I kept her calm and occupied for 80 miles (I kid you not!), but she slept great overnight and is going to be awakened soon by me after a two-hour nap this afternoon. So, yeah, I'm with you on wanting to wait, because I hate hate hate sleep training. But she and I both needed it.

[Michelle]

I don't often get to comment here because I usually read in the evenings but I really love this site!

Anyway, I am freaking the hell out because my husband and I agreed to try for a 3 child in the next few months. We have custody of my 9 yr old stepson and a 2 year old. If we have another one, I want to stay home at least a year (there is a possibility that I could take a leave of absence and still have my job). We penciled it out and with some strict belt tightening we figure we can last for at least 2 years. More if I am able to pick up some part-time from home work.

Ack! I need to lose 10-15 pounds before we start trying. But we can't wait around forever because I'll be 36 in March.

[AmyinTexas]

@Simone--Well, if I ever have reason to come back to Mpls, I'll let you know (I have my PhD form the U).

I will say that while he's been the busiest baby of my three, he's also the most demonstrative in his affection. He gives kisses upon request, and if you say "Love mama/daddy/sister/brother/cat/etc" he walks over to that person/pet and lays his head on them and says, "Aaaaaah". It is just the sweetest thing ever. So I try to remember that when I'm feeling like I'd pay someone to take him off my hands! (oh, wait, I already do that... I sent him to Montesorri school this summer even though the rest of us were home! I promise you... we were all saner for it and he was happy as a clam... he loves the activity of school... do I sound like I feel guilty? Okay, yeah, I do feel guilty...)

[Elle]

@hope Where are you living in Aus?

[hope]

We are on the Sunshine Coast - just north of Brisbane. Are you in AUS?

[marypoppins]

Hi everyone. I'm back form my month in Aus, which was actually really relaxing despite the fact that the house was full of people (bro's family)and it rained for 2 weeks in a row. Noah's English got a real workout which was great and now we are back, insists on speaking to his Italian nanna in English (which she of course doesn't understand). Zoe started eating finally after 18 months of breastmilk and cajoling and I have no idea where she puts everything.

The trip there( 19 hours flying, one over- night stop both ways, a 3 hour layover in KL) was the absolute pits!! Zoe couldn't/wouldn't sleep anywhere except for on top of me, nursing. Turbulence was hell. We even had a bassinet for her- try getting a 19 month old to sleep in one of those. Luckily Noah didn't let the side down and traveled marvelously.

Looking forward to next weeks topics Moxie. A big hug to all.

[meggiemoo]

@AmyinTexas...you're so invited!