The Queen's Rambles

It’s hard to believe how fast kids grow up. Today we went to a MOMS Club activity and Elsa was the oldest by a couple of years. YEARS! She wouldn’t even play with the kids and I barely knew any of the moms, so it wasn’t even fun. This is definitely my last year on the board. I made a few really good friends in the group and it 100% changed my life for the better, so I’m feeling a little sad that my time of being highly involved is over. It’s time to let the new moms take over and make the chapter what they’d like it to be.

Elsa has had a flip switch and is doing a lot better lately. There’s not nearly so much screaming and crying, for which I’m grateful. I’m definitely not the best mom when whining and screaming is involved. I have some sort of sound sensory thing going on and excessive noise sends me over the edge. I’m so glad she is back to talking and playing and being happy.

I don’t know what to do about her gymnastics class. She does so well in it! She’s the only one who can do many of the moves because she has an incredibly strong core. The three other little girls in the class all have some slight physical delays and their moms put them in gymnastics specifically to work on it. I would not have really noticed in an ordinary situation, but they all have trouble doing some of the things like flipping over a bar and such. Then there are two twin boys who are horrendous. When they show up the two teachers split up and one takes the two boys and the other takes the four girls.

My issue? Elsa barely gets any attention. They are too busy helping the children who really need help to keep Elsa on task. I know I should be happy that she’s doing so well, but we all pay the same amount of money. I would like to see them giving her some help so she can improve even more. I’m paid up through December. Do I want to register her for the spring semester? Or try to find something else? She enjoys is and it’s good for her. I like the teachers (they are older ladies who own the gym so they won’t be going anywhere). I just get irked when she is not getting equal attention.

Swimming lessons are going well, at least!

Erik was swimming yesterday! Fully underwater, clear across the short end of the pool! I could not believe what I was seeing. It was amazing. Yes, I know kids swim all the time, especially 8 year old kids, but this is Erik and I didn’t think he would ever stick his face in the water.

Afterwards he was completely psyched and said it was the most fun he’s ever had and he wants to do it again. I’m so proud of him and can’t wait for next summer.

Elsa had a mini-meltdown at lessons. Erik moved up a level and she stayed at her level, so they were no longer in the same class. She was crying and crying “I just need brother, I just need my brother.” I had a talk with her and she ended up enjoying the class, but it was touch and go.

Erik, of course, was thrilled not to have his little sister in the class and has been looking forward to this moment for two weeks (when he learned he would be moving up).

And now I’m going to go try to fix a toilet. It was running water constantly last year, so I bought this “guaranteed to fix noisy toilets and save water” kit. It is installed correctly, but it doesn’t allow enough water in to fully flush the toilet (I have it set at the maximum). I bought a new kit thing today that is not a water saver. Wish me luck. It’s not saving any water when it takes five flushes to get the waste down. Gross gross gross.

But! I made some impulse purchases at Home Depot. I got each kid a Venus flytrap and I bought myself a pitcher plant! It looks weird with the big pitchers hanging down, but I am hoping it will eat all the flies!