Adjustments

I just have to hand it to my incredible children for working with me through this time of adjustment. For their first school year ever, they are spending half of their time at Daddy's house (just five blocks from our home). Essentially this equates to Monday and Tuesday always with Mommy, Wednesday and Thursday always with Daddy, and trading off weekends with Mommy and Daddy. This way they get five-day blocks with each parent every other week. On paper it is heavenly, but in reality it is still a lot of bouncing around. Even though Gracie says, "Thank you we have two houses" in her prayers every night, in the day it's a different story. "I hate living at two houses mom". And the thing is, when I imagine what that would really be like - well, I don't blame her. The other kids, though not so dramatically, also express how difficult it is to live in two houses. It just isn't natural, and yet, it's what is happening. My reasons to the kids go something like this: "Mommy really needs to be in school right now so I can get a good job. And Daddy really wants to be with you a lot". Both of these reasons are valid and true, but it doesn't change the fact that kids just simply want to live in one house. So yes - they have feelings about this whole two-house thing, but they are also thriving in school, sports, dance, and other activities in spite of it all. They are communicating their feelings, and their dad and I communicate well with each other. We try to be pretty organized (thanks to Google Calendar, a great step mom, and a "transfer bin" that goes back and forth between houses), and yet we try to be flexible when the schedule needs to be changed. Still, we can't change the fact that it is two houses and not one. Sigh.

Olivia loves school like candy - I am not exaggerating. The ELP program she started this year at Hawthorne is the best choice she has ever made. Really - it was her idea after spending time with kids at YouthCity who were in ELP, and she envisioned it for months before going through the whole process to get accepted into the program. I love going to her classroom and helping with the writer's workshop, and then staying after to learn a little Spanish from an amazing lady who comes in and speaks only Spanish with the kids for twenty minutes. I guess they do this Spanish program every day, and eventually the kids catch on. It's like a mini-immersion program. So cool.

Grace, sweet conflicted girl, is loving first grade while terribly missing Kindergarten. She has the rare opportunity to have the same teacher two years in a row - and believe me, we love Mrs. B.C.! What's hard is that she is vividly remembering the freedoms of Kindergarten, while experiencing the challenges of First Grade - most of which revolve around missing things from Kindergarten; such as the treasure box, centers, Jacob, and Elizabeth J. I explained to her that missing Kindergarten is part of life, and that sometimes I even miss Kindergarten. How can you not long for something so comfortable, safe, and fun? I told Grace that it's okay to miss it, as long as she loves First Grade too - which she does.

Isaac went from absolutely hating reading one day (to the point where Olivia was frighteningly offended at Isaac's hateful words about reading) to loving it the next. It was as if the "Magic Tree House" book he was reading suddenly started making sense and coming to life for him. He read one hour last night, and possibly more! Today he was glued to the same book for another spell. Now this may not sound like a lot - especially to Olivia who reads (no joke) several hundred pages a day. However, it's a humongous step for Isaac. He is also doing really well with spelling and math. I love listening to him work out math problems aloud - in his silly, sweet way.

As for me, well - I LOVE my classes. Only one of them seems over-demanding, but the content is interesting and useful. I love how hands-on each of my classes is, and how engaged most of the students are. I love the small class-sizes, and of course I love that I am actually learning how to be a counselor.

When I'm not studying or in class, I am working as a research assistant for U of U's Child Care Task Force (pays my tuition and the bills), helping improve child care on campus. I am still managing to squeeze in some photography on the weekends, and I still work several hours a week for Tanner Dance - teaching dance to preschool-age children and playing the piano for Arts in Education at Bonneville Elementary. I also dedicate one hour a week to attending a dance class, which centers me and keeps me sane!

What else have we been up to? The photos tell the story much better than I can at this point, so enjoy . . .

Virginia Tanner "Ginny" Gowns

Olivia with Baby John, one of two new cousins

Proud of the almost-finished product



Alta for Labor Day weekend


Nothing like snuggling with Grandpa on the cabin balcony





Liv's Soccer Team - miraculously made up of kids from Indian Hills, Uintah, and Hawthorne - the three schools Olivia has attended in Utah.



Olivia and Grace really, REALLY wanted to play soccer this year, so how could I let them down?



Grace's soccer team warming up before their first game




sipping hot cocoa during 'Mommy Time'



State Fair