For Your Whole Life

"Mom? If you could have one teacher for everything for your whole life, who would it be? I would want Miss Humphrey. That's making me happy and sad for summer. But maybe mostly sad that second grade is ending. Yeah, mostly sad."

The Last Push to Summer

Last week, on Facebook, my friend Liz McGuire listed all of the events in her jam-packed schedule that were standing between her family and summer. I was inspired to make a list of what our last week and a half of school looks like. I knew it was crowded but it seemed manageable until I wrote it all down.

I'm sure many of you can relate.

Open House. Summer Basketball Skills Assessment. Last Little League Game of the Season. School District Party. Birthday Dinner. PTA Dinner. PTA Meeting. Four Doctor's Appointments. Publish Quarterly School Newsletter.Volunteer Luncheon. Spring Dance. School Honorary Service Awards. Soccer Team Management Meeting. Book Club. Birthday Party. Class Picnic. First Basketball Practice. Last Day of School.

Exhale.

P.S. Humphrey Is a Girl

It was Bob's turn to take Humphrey, the class hamster, home for the weekend. We all love her.

(And She's 27 Years Old)

"Mom? What does it mean if someone says, "Oh, Mylanta!" like you would say, "Oh, my gosh," except it's, "Oh, Mylanta?'

"Wow. I haven't heard that in years. Who said that?"

"Miss Humphrey said it when she opened her Teacher Appreciation gift."

"I love her so much."

"Me too but what's a 'Mylanta?'"

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Spelling Homework

"We're doing words with 'oo,' Mom. You know, like poo? Get it?"

Number 42

Why yes, that is Jackie Robinson, first African American baseball player in the major leagues.

Vocab Words

"I combusted the toast."

Open Spaces

"Mom, this spelling assignment is the best homework ever. If I could do all of my homework on the sidewalk it would be so cool. I could like, live out here."

Authoring

"Mom? You know how me and Felix are keeping journal-diaries now?"

"I do. I think it's great."

"Yeah. I might make mine into a book later. Just, you know, the not secret parts."

They're Called "Math Mountains"

"Mom, this math homework is really stressing me out. I'm going to need a really big glass of water and maybe some Advil and a banana cut in pieces with some peanut butter on it."

Civic Duties

"Mom, today I was chosen to be on student council."

"That's great, Bud."

"Yeah, I get to go to meetings every two weeks."

"I bet it will be fun."

"Yeah, but how do I always get roped in to these kind of things?"

Wishes For Back-to-School

Second grade is happening. Bob brought home his first homework assignments this week. He has complained about the contents of his packed lunches twice. We have overslept once. He has told us how much he likes his new teacher fourteen times. School is in session.

I am delighted to have been included in a sweet article about what moms are wishing for the school year on EverydayFamily. You can find it Here.

Day 1: The Review

"So? Tell me. How was the first day of school?"

"Really good."

"Good."

"No, I mean really, really good."

"What made it so good?"

"My new teacher is nice."

"Yeah, she seemed nice to me too."

"No, I mean really, super nice."

"Okay. What makes her super nice?"

"She has a cat she named "Billie Jean," after the Michael Jackson song. How awesome is that?!"

Grade 2

"Second grade! Are you ready Bob?"

"Not really. I wish the summer could last just a little bit longer."

"I know me too. It went fast."

"That's why I've decided I'm not going to school today. For real."

" Ah, but you are too going to school today. For real."

"If you're going to force me to go, can you at least please pack me those little cheeses in my lunch? That will help."

Back-To-School Countdown

"Bob, are you excited for school to start on Thursday?'

"Sort of. Not really."

"Why?"

"I only like certain parts of school."

"Like what?"

"I only like the crafts and the reading and the library and art and drama and music and computers and recess and lunch and the math part."

"What's the part you don't like?"

"Um. You know. Other stuff, I guess. There's probably something."