What a whirl wind each morning is with three kids getting ready for school, having breakfast, gathering all the stuff they need to take with them, and simply getting ready on time!! Dagny catches a 7:35 am school bus to get to her 2nd grade classes, while Anders and Karsten need a ride to their schools which are both on the same street several miles from here. Anders goes early so he can do some work before his 6th grade classes begin - arriving around 8:00 am - and Karsten then goes to preschool arriving shortly thereafter.
Then our day would be free for doing things we wanted to do - often just enjoying quiet and relaxation, Ken going for walks and me riding my bike. We did do several shopping trips including a stop at COSTCO which is only a couple of miles from here and a great adventure at the Central Market - a unique grocery store with shelves and shelves of very unusual items as well as all the usual stuff. The day we went, we enjoyed lunch there taking advantage of the small cafe on the premises as well as all the wonderful offerings of prepared foods. This place even has bagged meals that say dinner for 2 on the outside. Intriguing.
Janet worked all day in her office sometimes popping out for a minute or two to get something or make a comment and then back to work. But on Friday she actually was able to take off for an hour and a half with us to enjoy lunch at Brio - a nice restaurant at the Town Center. It was delightful having her all to ourselves for a short period of time
Starting at 3:15 the busyness began again. First Dagny came home on the bus eager to get her homework done - 20 minutes of reading and 10 minutes of math facts plus work on the spelling words for the week. Of course, she also wanted a snack. Before she would be done, Anders would come in (around 4:00) from his bus drop off point and also want a snack and spend time hitting the books. He always has over an hour of homework to complete plus a need to practice his trumpet.
Then we were off to Karsten's preschool to pick him up and bring him home in time for supper.
After supper was the race to get to the activities of the day. Monday all three had activities at the same place: Karsten a swim lesson, Dagny gymnastics, and Anders Brain Synx. Tuesday was soccer practice for Anders. Wednesday Anders had Brain Synx again. Then Thursday was gymnastics for Dagny and Soccer for Anders. Friday was a soccer game. Since the kids can't be left home alone, this often meant that everyone had to be loaded into their car seats and taken whether they had an activity or not.
I really enjoyed watching the gymnastic sessions that Dagny had (Monday it lasted 2 hours). She is in a pre team class which means the last one before actually preparing to be in a class that competes. She is mastering all kinds of skills on the beam, bars, trampoline and floor. The only thing I didn't see was any kind of vaulting.
By the time the activity was done it was time for the craziness of getting everyone washed up, changed into pjs, and settled into bed after story time -- each in their own room with different books and conversation. Most of the nights I was able to read with Dagny while mom and dad each took on one of the other kids. But truly all of us were pooped by the time they settled. In fact, Janet often fell asleep in one of the kids rooms after laying down with them to read and say prayers.
Finally it was Friday -- after the usual after school craziness, we were off to Dallas for the first game of Anders soccer tournament. While his team lost it was fun to watch the interaction and how well Anders played. This is his first year with this team and this coach. The kids are still trying to master the basics of ball handling and team work. But a great game on a beautiful night - low 70s and no humidity or bugs.
Afterwards, we drove to the nearby Mexican restaurant, Mercado Jaurez Cafe, for a great dinner and our celebration of Cinco de Mayo. What a great ending to a very active week.
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