Salt Lake City

Today was Korbin's first 3rd grade field trip and it was like no other field trip he's been on. Our field trip started by first catching a ride on the Front Runner by the train station followed by a quick ride on Trax that took us to our final destination The Gateway. The kids had an exiting trip on both the Front Runner and Trax. Trax might have been a little bit more exiting due to the jerking of the train when it would make stops. I thought it was fun until someone landed on my toes during one of the jerks, not so fun after that for me but Korbin was having a blast!

We ate lunch by the fountain and the kids had a little free time before we headed into The Clark Planetarium. The Planetarium is a really cool place for kids to explore. I had forgotten how much fun it can be since it has been at least a year since Jason and I have taken the kids there. Anyway after a scavenger hunt of over an hour inside the planetarium we headed into one of their cool theaters for a 40 minute shows called The Ultimate Universe. The kids really enjoyed it!

Afterwards we jumped back on Trax then we jumped back on the Front Runner,were I had a 'what kind of friend do we want to be' conversation with Korbin (hate having these, not my favorite part of parenting)and the next thing I know we are back by the train station where it all began. It was a great field trip! The 3rd grade teachers really pulled it off. It was a fun trip and I can see this as being one of Korbin favorite 3rd grade memories.

We left @ 8:17 and returned back home around 4:30. It was one of those days were if the house would have been left clean and spotless it would have been clean and spotless all day:)

I think about silly things like that:)

WoRk

My new adventure as a substitute teacher has started. Today was my first day teaching a full day. I taught a class a few weeks ago but it was really more like volunteer work in my opinion. Helping children read for two hours and having an hour off is just what I would do for free in Korbin's or Maddie's classrooms.

Today was a new experience. I was able to teach one of Korbin's 2nd grade teachers class. This year Mrs. C has moved from 2nd grade up to 5th grade. She's very well organized and loves bright pens and lots of Post It's. The day went pretty smoothly as far teaching materials went. We did have a gray hour where we entered attitude chaos mode right before lunch. After seeking and following some advice from other teachers and having a lunch break the class recovered and we finished the day with most of the kids agreeing it was a two thumbs up kind of a day. I'm hoping they remembered the two thumbs up stuff when they went home and told their moms how their day was at school. Today just flew past me.

Music

We've taken a break from piano lessons for the past few weeks. I'm glad we took this break from piano since we had Korbin continue his piano lessons during the summer. Last year around this time of year it was overwhelming having the kids in so many different things. This year I backed off a few things and piano was it for the month of Sep. Today after church I had Korbin practice a few songs for a little while just to keep him on his toes since he has 2 more weeks off. Afterwards Maddie wanted to play. I taught her a few simple things I know like finger position,some of the notes, etc. She caught up pretty fast and really liked it. We played together for a few minutes and then I left her to herself. I'm not sure when she'll start piano lessons but I don't think we'll wait until the beginning of next year. It made my day when I came up a while later and saw her still playing the notes she now knows to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She was very content and made my day.

Rebel or Crazy Mom

When it comes to soccer this year is Maddie

a)a rebel

b)being stubborn or

c)maybe her mom is crazy

I've gone back and forth between these choices and others over the past 3 weeks. Maddie hasn't been into soccer and I didn't or couldn't understand why.Today during her game my reasoning was it's all my fault because I drilled into this poor little girl she was going to be on a team with her coach from last year and with a few cute girls she really loves to play soccer with and as it turns out she's not on that team. Her new coach is great with her and is very understanding especially today after Maddie just stood there and watched the ball go past her more than once as the other team scored and after many pleas for her to run. Let's just say she wouldn't play and she sat out half the game. I vented to Addy's mom today and she was kind enough to listen to me. Nicole was Maddie's coach two years ago. Frustration was all over me. So when Maddie asked if she could play with a friend today after the game I said NO over and over again because I felt she didn't try at all during her game so no rewards if you don't try your best. Well I should know better by now, Maddie isn't a very talkative person when it comes to expressing her feelings. She doesn't like to show certain feelings to others. A few minutes ago after another plea for a friend I told her no and why not yet again. After another emotional spill she explained to me that she doesn't know how to play this soccer and that's why she doesn't want to play. I gave her a baffled look! Crazy mom sat silent for a minutes as she recalled a conversation she had with a few friends at lunch 2 days ago. How are kids expected to play if they don't know what they're expected to do. Positions! That's what she's not getting.

We talked it over figured out the problem and hopefully figured out a solution...Sigh...this parenting stuff keeps throwing me curve balls.. Sigh...I guess we need to practice practice practice positions with friends starting tonight.

So far

...our days are full of schoolwork,homework,practices,soccer games and hanging out with friends. We're squeezing in the fun wherever and whenever we can in between all of the above. The kids are doing great in school and we're getting into a steady scheduled rhythm again.

Fun highlights we have done in the last few weeks...

Over Labor Day weekend we did a little newspaper route. The kids really got into it once they were awake. Things in the dark are a bit dangerous, I still have the scratches to prove it on my leg from a small rose bush (it looked like just a non thorny bush in the dark). We ate a dozen donuts within an hour on Sat. morning. On Monday Jason and I agreed that we would never call or complain if our newspaper is ever late,is a little wet or isn't on the right side by the door where we like it to be every morning. We got plenty of exercise and learned to work as a team,that part was a bit tricky.

School Carnival. The kids pay for their own tickets every year for this event. The carnival is probably one of the only things that Maddie and Korbin will really stick to doing jobs for with very little effort on my part when it comes to me reminding them of why they should do their chores/jobs. This year they each decided to buy $4 worth of tickets which doesn't seem like a lot but it lasts just about the right amount of time with the long lines and the bumming around that we like to do. The kids had a lot fun!