1-Urth Mama: How Much More Could We Fit In?

Forget about the kids...I think I may have overscheduled myself. We are doing so much this summer...it is hard to keep track of it all!

Paprika had her last piano class on Monday. She had a substitute teacher, which I knew about in advance, so I thought we might skip the last class. But Paprika wanted to go, so we did it...and it turned out the teacher was about one thousand times better than her regular teacher. Doesn't that just figure? On the last day of class? Her old teacher was fine, in fact, I always thought she was good. But it's kind of like if you've been eating hamburger all your life and one day someone passes you a steak. We didn't know what we were missing!

Paprika will probably start private piano lessons in the Fall...and the substitute's studio is too far away to drive to every week. So...we may be going back to hamburger. I almost wish I didn't know the difference! Ha!

On the same day as Paprika's last piano class, she started her first swimming lesson! She is taking a group lesson every day for the next nine weeks! This week her class was four kids (3 boys and Paprika), and she loved it! We have a little fishy on our hands!

Next week she'll be in a semi-private lesson all week (just two kids) and we'll see which one she likes better- 2 kids, or 4 kids.

She has her swim lesson 5 days/week (M-F) for an hour. While she's there, I do my best to entertain Ginger, who wants nothing more than to jump into the pool.

The pool is attached to a park, so we sometimes (usually) venture off and I let Ginger play on the playground, watch the dogs at the dogpark, or feed the ducks.

Ginger's only modes right now are fast and super fast! I feel okay about leaving Paprika in the pool while Ginger runs around the park because Paprika has her teacher in the water right next to her, plus about 10 other swim teachers in the water, plus about 15 lifeguards watching the pool. It still makes me nervous, though.

I have started bringing books for Ginger to "read" while we are at the pool. That keeps her occupied for oh...about 15 seconds! But it's a restful 15 seconds. ;-)

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Paprika has school in the afternoon. So, right after swim class, I throw her and Ginger in the car, and we race over to Paprika's school. They usually end up eating a snack in the parking lot for lunch! It's the same school Paprika went to last year- but a different class. I like it okay...the problem is that it's a co-op and Mr. Mustard is working during the days, and I have no one to watch Ginger...so getting my "work days" in is tough. Plus, if I really did have someone to watch Ginger, then I would want to go somewhere peaceful by myself for three hours and not manage fourteen rowdy four-year olds!

Paprika's class this summer is 10 girls and 4 boys. I know I said before that I was worried about her having too many boys in her class next year if she did the Developmental Kindergarten. But after seeing how some of these incoming Kindergarten girls act, I think I might stick with boys! Oh my word! I think the whole Mean Girls thing starts young, and Paprika...bless her heart...is incapable of being mean to anyone. And she doesn't really get it when people are mean to her either (the subtle cues of little girls go over her head, thankfully). It's enough to make me want to homeschool...almost!

Thursday afternoons, Paprika has Occupational Therapy at our house. So, Thursday Paprika has a full hour of swimming, then three hours of school, then a full hour (at least) of occupational therapy. Talk about a long day for her! She seems to be handling it really well...I think it's me who wants to lay down and take a nap!

Fridays, Paprika just has swimming and then she always has a playdate with one of her best friends...a little girl she met at preschool last year who is deaf. Paprika and her friend love playing together, so we rotate weeks - one week they are at our house, the next Paprika goes to play at her friend's house. You would think that her friend being deaf would be an obstacle in their friendship, but it's not at all!

Mr. M wants Paprika to start taking soccer on Sundays - some of the parents from Paprika's soccer class from the winter all got together and hired a private teacher to form a team. I am like...heck to the no! After a full week of piano lessons, daily swim lessons, summer preschool, occupational therapy, and playdates...the last thing I want to do on Sunday is haul everyone over to soccer...especially since Ginger is too young to play (and I know I will need a harness to keep her off the field!)

So yes, Miss Paprika has the most full schedule of just about anybody I know. Ginger, on the other hand, is along for the ride...and usually pretty content about that. We have been getting a lot of one-on-one time together while Paprika is doing her thing.

Ginger asks every day to go to the beach, so I try to take her at least once a week by herself. The thing is: when Paprika goes to the beach, she wants to go right into the water, and hang out in the sand. So, 9 times out of 10, that's what we end up doing.

When Ginger goes to the beach, she would rather stay up on the pathway overlooking the water, people watch, greet all the dogs and their owners, explore people's front yards (much to my chagrin), and of course...RUN!

She is also getting to go to the park every day because that's what we do while Paprika has her swim lesson. So, even though Ginger is not having playdates or swim lessons, I think she's still having a pretty grand summer!

Add to all that, our cute (and very active) little puppy...and I'd say this summer is pretty jam-packed.