If it were up to Ray, I’m quite certain there’d be an X Games version of the Special Olympics. He’s my daredevil. The guy hikes Camelback Mountain in the dead of the Phoenix summer; tosses himself and his mountain bike down South Mountain; and last week, he insisted on soloing a climbing route that had recently […]
I arrived at school today laden with backpacks and lunch boxes and kids, and one extra bag. In it, I had placed several books Sophie’s (finally) outgrown: one with signs for animals, another “touch and feel” and two musical books that she’d still play with if I let her. (I just had to retire the […]
Today was a darn good day. With one exception (a big one, she left the playground at recess) Sophie did well in kindergarten. Annabelle continued on her merry second grade way. We had gelato with Ms. X to celebrate Sophie’s Week One successes, and dinner after that (yes, we had dessert first, shoot me!) with […]
Growing up, I always heard the adage, “Never put anything in your ear that’s smaller than your elbow.” (Good advice, though be honest: Who among us doesn’t enjoy a good session with a few Q-tips?) No one ever said anything about noses. Except not to pick, of course. Which is why I was annoyed the other day, […]
Ms. X called shortly after school let out today, to report that Sophie had a great day. One “time out,” but otherwise pretty darn good. “And she wrote her name today,” she added. “She what???” At all the meetings we had last winter and spring, to determine Sophie’s next step, the one face at the […]
Four days in, and Sophie hasn’t been kicked out yet. The first week of kindergarten is full of growing pains for all the kids, and for Sophie I think it’s been especially hard because of the heat (you try going back to school — and onto the playground — when it’s 111 degrees out, and […]
I really did feel guilty, asking Ray to take Sophie to her dental appointment this morning. “No way!” he said. “You need to take her so you can hear the dentist complain about her thumbsucking!” It’s true. While Ray reprimands Sophie constantly for it, I just never could get too upset about thumbsucking. I sucked […]
It was a good day. Not unlike most school days, from our household’s perspective. Despite my best efforts to be in the car by 8:15, it was more like 8:35, and the first bell rings at 8:45. (Well, it’s not like I could skip writing the girls notes for their lunch boxes, or not take […]
Just hours now, til the first day of school. The girls are asleep — in bed, anyway. Sophie assured me she wasn’t at all scared. “A little bit?” I asked. She held two fingers as close together as they’d get with out touching. “A tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny bit,” she said, giggling. I’m not sure she knew what […]
In February, Sophie’s “team” at her pre-school broke the news that they weren’t so sure she was mentally retarded. They sent me home with a copy of my parental rights and a pink paper heart that Sophie had cut herself, with minimal assistance. This was huge. She might be relatively smart, but no one can […]
