My big boy!

I went with my kids, and a bunch of my moms' group friends and their kids, to Great Brook State Farm in Carlisle today. Basically, we had a picnic, the kids played in a big field, and then we went for ice cream and to look at the cows and other animals. After everyone else had gone, I took Owen over to building with the bathrooms. He examined the signs:



and then refused to enter the women's room with me. "I want to go in the boys room!" There seemed to be no one around, so I let him. I let him know that I couldn't go in there, and he didn't have a problem with that. (I did, however, have to go in to help him turn on the water, but I made sure there was no one in there first.)

Every day, my little boy shows me how he's growing up!

Haircut!

I finally convinced my stylist that when I say "short," I mean short! Have a look!



I know the photo is weird because of the shadow from the flash. I'll get a better photo when I post one of it spiked up -- this is a photo of the haircut with no product.

4-H Fair

I don't think I realized this until last year, but my town hosts the 4-H fair for Middlesex County. So for the first time, I took the kids to a 4-H Fair. We went with their friends, Jonathan and Ethan, and had lots of fun checking out all the animals. Both kids surprised me by going for pony rides. It's not so much that they did it that surprised me, it was that it took no coaxing at all and both were lifted onto the pony and off before I even had my money or camera out, or even knew that they had decided to do it. Owen was not clingy and demanding that I go along with him, he just went. Very cool.

Anyway, here's photos:

Hang ups?

I've got a job on the board of the kids' preschool. It isn't one of the 10 or so I said I was willing to do -- it's the one the director called me up and talked me into. I'm Assistant Treasurer. Basically the job entails collecting any money coming in to the school, depositing it in the bank, and reporting the deposits to the Treasurer. Sounds simple, right? Except, I hate asking people for money. And I have to collect tuition... and remind people that they're late... and remind them again (and don't forget the late fee,) and remind them some more if I have to.

So I have a couple of families that are now 5 weeks late on their 1st tuition payment. I decided that it's time to make a phone call because emails aren't working. One of my calls, despite my hopes for an answering machine, was answered.

So if someone called you up from the school where your child is going to go to school, whose child will be in your child's class, and told you that you are late with your tuition, what would you do? I don't know, I suppose that people have different ways of reacting to sudden pressure, which is probably how this phone call was perceived -- pressure. I guess fight or flight are two options. This woman chose flight -- she hung up. I suppose it's better than getting yelled at. But if it was me, I think I would have been embarrassed and apologized profusely and offered up some explanation: "I totally forgot!" or "I've been wanting to pay, but it's been a difficult summer financially" or something, anything, a lie even!

Anyway, I'm not planning to hold it against this person, because I suspect she's embarrassed not only by being late and receiving my call, but by panicking and hanging up. I didn't call back because I got my message across and there was no need to embarrass her further (although I wish I could have gotten a, "I will send you a check on such and such date.") I just hope that it doesn't cause any tension at school, because I would hate that. I will go to the school without my Assistant Treasurer hat on, but will others imagine me wearing it?

So, just curious, what would you do if someone called and told you that you are 5 weeks late with a payment due?

Apparently I'm an Idealist

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBPS - The Idealist

Nature, Background, Big Picture, and Shape

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

The Perception Personality Types:

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

A Camping He Will Go... Much to Our Surprise

Owen has been going to camp all week. We signed him up ages ago, fully expecting to have wasted our money because our little boy does not like new people and new situations. He is very slow to warm up. However, we talked it up, toured it, toured it again, showed him videos, talked it up some more, set up a "playdate" with his councelor, and toured it with his councelor while other kids were there.

He's going, and he's having a blast! He's there for seven hours every day! (Even his extended day program at school was only five and a half hours.) He comes home and talks about all kinds of things he did. (It's a very traditional, outdoors in the woods, campy camp.) This is definitely not the same boy as we had last summer. He's growing up, he's maturing, and he's making great strides in his social development. I'm just so very, very proud.

I can't make this stuff up

Some cute things Owen has said lately:

We were going in to the Science Museum in Boston the other day. Owen asked, "Are we going to drive by the Steak-umm bridge?" (For those of you that are unfamiliar with the new Boston skyline, he was referring to the Zakim bridge:
Perhaps they should put the logo up there....

Last night Steve was putting Owen to bed. They were reading "The Christmas Bear" about a polar bear who accidentally falls into Santa's workshop at the North Pole. At the end, Santa brings him home to his parents and the bear falls asleep next to "the best Christmas presents," meaning his parents. Owen then asked Steve if he might ask Santa for another mommy and daddy so that when daddy was away on business and mommy was on her computer, he would have a mommy and daddy to play with him. (Hmmm... perhaps I'm on the computer too much?)

If You're Looking for a Laugh...

... and I mean rolling on the floor, peeing in your pants laughing, I found a new favorite blog, CAKE WRECKS.

My new second favorite blog, for a good laugh, is THE “BLOG” OF “UNNECESSARY” QUOTATION MARKS.