getting ready

The last six weeks or so of the school year are quite the whirlwind. There are numerous activites-- awards nights, concerts, fieldtrips. With four kids, the schedule is mind-boggling. I've been thinking about getting ready for my second trip to Casa, but not making terribly much progress towards that.

Additionally, there was the garden. I had great success with winter sowing this year, and had lots of seedlings to plant. Plus, we expanded our vegetable garden space nearly double from last year, so there was plenty of yard work to do.

Graduations and their ensuing parties are populating our calendar currently. Lots to celebrate for friends and family!

Jasper was invited to sing in a local production of "Carmen." In between soccer practices, we were running him to choir rehearsals. The show was great; it was a great opportunity for him.

There seem to be a lot of special projects at school during the last month of school as well. Food needed to be brought in at specific times, and prepared in specific ways. Liam's kindergarten teacher sent home a request for a picture of him at each age he's been so far. Is she serious? Does she think I don't have anything else to do? I'm not entirely sure I even have a picture of him at every age. As a fourth child (who is, of course, loved no less than his older sibs), there is a relative dearth of photographic documentation of his life. The morning I was to send this assignment in to school with him, I spent an hour and a half digging through photos. I was missing two years. Two whole years? Surely I'd taken some pictures for those two years. Where were they? I filled in with a photo from the fridge, and Elena did an excellent drawing of one that is framed. Oh, did I mention that the pictures were going to be destroyed in the making of the project? That little wrinkle made me a little less willing to part with the pictures.

Kids activities that I have no control over aside, then there were the things that I did have control over. Like starting some sewing projects. A summer top and skirt for El, some baby dresses for friends with new babies. I really didn't need to start another project, but somehow I talked myself into it. I do like the meditative quality of ironing and sewing, so I did get some good thinking done. I located the missing two years of pictures when I went on a failed hunt for my button collection. And one day, I even listened to some Spanish tapes.

Oh, yes, the Spanish. My goal was to be pretty fluent when I came back to Casa. I bought an internet program, and some birth Spanish tapes. I spent relatively little time with either of these tools, and found myself trying to "cram" the language during the last several weeks before I left. How silly! I feel pretty disappointed with that, but I think it will come a little easier this time. They say that you have to use a language, or you'll lose it. I believe that to a point. I have found some French vocabulary come out of my mouth when the Spanish just wouldn't come to me, and I knew I needed a foreign word. I haven't used that French since college. It's in there somewhere; just a little rusty.

Once again this year, I feel the support of my family and friends as I take this on. It's great to know that there are people who will bake belly cakes for me, loan me suitcases, and offer prayers and good wishes. It's especially nice to have a husband who is supportive and ready to be super dad again. Hopefully, it's a productive month!