The Last Days of Summer

Today was one of the last days of our summer. School officially starts for Edmund on Monday and we are all excited. However, as I watched the boys fight over a stomp rocket that they had made, I was a little sad.

We had spent this summer making things, learning about the human body, and getting ready for school. Edmund had wound down his French tutoring and violin lessons. He went to Camp Webb. He helped his father and I on a newspaper route and participated in fine motor summer enrichment tutoring three days a week. To say that we have been busy is an understatement. . .

Today was different. We had spent the day making vehicles and rockets from the boys' Supercharged Science E-Science Camp materials. Old tubing, duct tape, mouse traps, blocks of foam and wood, broken wheels from toy cars, scratched CDs and an assortment of DC motors became all sort of contraptions for play. The boys warm banter and gentle teasing made me want to freeze the morning.

Spencer was determined to help. He assured mommy that he would rather be in the back yard playing baseball. But, if brother was making something. . . "You make car brother?". . . He was going to give it his best shot.

Does Edmund know what school is really going to be like? No. Will he and his brother always be best friends? I hope so. Regardless of what challenges that lie ahead, my enterprising little pilot will have the love of his family to boast him along. Always.

School, school, school. . .

I have been tutoring for my son's Classical Conversations home school coop. It has been an interesting two years. Last year, I had fourth graders. This year, I have K4-K. This year has definitely been the more difficult and I look forward to leaving my post at the end of April. Ironically, I love teaching. I just hate all of the rules and regulations that hamper the experience.

Edmund will be attending "big boy" school next year. He had specifically asked to go. Since he has been admitted to his first choice, we are going to go for it for every one's sanity. Edmund is increasingly defiant at home. He obviously does better quality work for his tutors than for me. He is also terribly lonely.

It is our hope that being in a class of other like minded children will increase the probability for friendships to occur. Of course, Spencer should continue to be his best friend. Robert and I are simply hoping that he will find additional companionship.

La Vie

My Volvo station wagon
has ultimately
been traded
for a Honda minivan.

It is a fitting
metaphor for
the rest of life,
a downgrade.