Transition-Smansition!

Wrapping up summer was much harder this year. The boys just didn't want it to end. Possibly because the last part of the summer was their most fun-filled. Camping in Idaho with cousins, running all over MT with me and my mom, Hot Springs, Tubing down the river. Next year we will have to do all that in July so we can slowly work our way from being freebirds of summer to students again.

So far the score is 2/2. Youngest and oldest liking school and middle boys hating it. One has been sick,missing three days and refusing to do make-up work. My older middle son's teacher called to see how things were going. I hated to tell her the truth but that's why she called - I told her he wasn't enthused at all, but that he did like her reading class better than the one they moved him to. She moved him back to her class, progress was made but still, I hated to lay that on her.

I can't believe what a shock it's been to everyone to get back to the books. Including me! I have a stack of fabulous fiction novels I got for my birthday-teasing me that they are bursting with entertainment should I ever be caught up with school work......

How do you and your kids make the transition?

How to make your 6th grader go to school.......

.....with a little help from big brother and his defensive lineman skills.

 

and someone is really going to miss them.....

Wow, it really is quiet in here, what to do, what to do?  Maybe I can make a dent in my summer reading list before my classes start........What are all you parents doing today while your kids return to school?

My Young Eagle's are soaring!

After a year of waiting and Dustin counting the days, the 34th Annual Three Forks Fly is under way (click purple for video). Since only one of my children has ever been in an airplane I jumped at the chance to get them involved in the Young Eagle's Association. We joined a group of young enthusiasts and some kid-loving pilots ready to take their first flights free of charge. When they landed, to my surprise, Josh had a HUGE grin and said "She let me fly it!" And sure enough he's logged his first 30 minutes in his Pilot Training log book.

Dustin has been wanting to be a pilot for a few years now and I've been saving up for him to take a flight in the the most fabulous antique airplane - the 1928 Travel Air. We even managed to save up for a few more of our clan to go along. ( click link above if you want to see this plane in action)

He let Dustin have the front co-pilot spot and when they landed - would you believe he said HE got to fly it?! I can't believe he trusted my 12 year old to control his nearly 100 year old pristine aviation machine.

I don't think my sons will care that they missed the rides at the fair this year - this was an amazing experience they will never forget. Small aircraft pilots are such friendly, fun-loving, trusting people. I can see it now, Dustin flying loop-de-loops in his cropduster......

If there really were a Mean Mommy University.....

I think I'd be graduating Summa Cum Laude!

For once, I got enough sleep. For once, I didn't have a backache.  For once, my youngest son was in Grandma-heaven for a few days and we might be able to plan a "level 2" hike up to Lava Lake I keep hearing is so great. Surely the two other boys that stayed home could do it if we took breaks on the way up. Well, my hiking plans did not work out. Since I had only one son today until 2 I tried to think of what special thing could we do that would be just right for an 8 1/2 year old so I asked him to go biking with me.

Then I got the call from my older son at Grandma's that he was going to the pound to pick out a German Shepherd - whoa, what? No Way! We don't have a fence and we already have 8 years of struggling under our belts with an extremely dog-agressive boxer that has recently developed incontinence. He knows I want a dog I can walk safely too. He's well aware of the reasons we can't, but still had to make me the bad guy in his sudden quest to add to our K9 issues. Mean-Mom Season 14, episode 1.

.......calming down and getting back to the biking.....

I was really proud of Wyatt - he got all ready, shoes and helmet and even pumped up his own tire. I was really looking forward to riding with him because we normally have to watch his younger brother and go much slower and exercise "extreme caution". This time it would just be "caution".  This time he had his older brother's bike and I found myself able to ride like a grown-up just to keep up with him!

What went wrong? How could I turn out to be Mean-Mom?  I made the mistake of giving him the option of going into the minimart - while I stayed in the doorway and guarded the bikes-and let him pick out a candy or drink with a dollar I saved for him.  ****SCREECH!***** Can you hear this whole fun adventure making a 180? Suddenly the poutfest started. He didn't want to go in alone. I said I'd be right there and could see him. I wanted to give him a tiny bit of independence but only with me watching him from about 20 feet in the doorway and he threw a fit! I said it was okay and he didn't have to and changed the subject to asking him where he wanted to ride next. Straight home! He even darted across a road with a car in the distance. Not exactly trying to kill himself but just enough that he knew he was breaking my rules. All the way home he told me how mean I was!

What is it with the kid-guilt?  Each day when I get up, if I'm not recovering from night-shift hours, I'm thinking I should clean the house all day but change my plans to be what they want to do - go swimming in the pond, geocaching, biking, shopping trips that include Game-Stop. I don't get it!  I think I should go shopping for my cap and gown now....Mean-Mom Season 14, Episode 2.

Then the funniest thing happened **Cue harps and angels singing** and my oldest son came home and handed me the Mean-Mom Poem!  If you haven't read it - click here. Priceless!

I know I am not alone in this-check out other Mean Mom stories at the blog Mean Mommy University Are you a Mean-Mom?