Miscellanous

* D's been gone a couple days this week for his granny's funeral. She passed away last week at the ripe old age of 103. She would have been 104 in March. She lived a long, happy life and she'll be missed. The kids and I didn't get to go to the funeral since it's in Texas and we'll be traveling there in a couple weeks. The first picture is the last time we saw Granny, late December last year.

 D sent me this picture from today. It's of him (far right), his (twin) brother A, his younger (the tall one) brother C and his sister and grandparents. His grandparents are the absolute best people in the world. SO sweet and lovely.

* Christmas shopping, shipping, card mailing, wrapping, baking, ETC is all DONE. I hope that I can relax now. I gave the teachers their gifts and mailed my last packages today.

* I bought some awesome boots on Amazon last week and I am in looove with them. I got light brown for only $27! They come just up to my knees and are beautiful!

* The dogs are booked in the kennel, the plans are made, and we're headed to Texas in a couple weeks. We'll get to see all our favorite people and also some of our "Oh, has it only been a year?" people, but hey that's family for you. It will be good, it will be bad, it will be long, it will be an adventure.

These are a few of my favorite things...

This time of year I start to get stressed out. Even though I'm done Christmas shopping and my cards went out today, there is still so much to do. I need to finish my homemade gifts, wrap, secure a kennel for the dogs and someone to check on the cats, and do all the other things that come with this season and, of course, deal with The Trip to Texas and well, that alone is enough to make me STRESS OUT. So, this is also the time of year that I cling desperately to my favorite things in order to de-stress as much as possible. I do love Christmas and all that comes with it, so many of these favorite things are Christmas themed.

Favorite songs, right now:
Opera of the Bells by Destiny's Child
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
Carol of the Bells by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
and lastly this AMAZING version of Little Drummer Boy by Pentatonix

Favorite wine:
Winking Owl White Zinfandel from Aldi. YUM.

Favorite Christmas decorations:
This is a hard one, because I love my tree, my outside nativity, my Advent candle holder, well... I could go on and on. I think these are my favorite though:

This little speaker is awesome. I've been hooking up my phone and blasting Christmas music everywhere.(It says for iPhone, but I don't have one and it still works great.)

Last but not least, when I'm really feeling crappy I draw a hot detox bath (1 cup epsom salts + 1 cup baking soda + several drops of your preferred essential oils) and drink my detox tea (or not-so-detox wine) and relax for a bit.  What are some of your favorite things?

And then there were 6...

... and no more.


 “A first child is your own best foot forward, and how you do cheer those little feet as they strike out.
You examine every turn of flesh for precocity, and crow it to the world.

But the last one: the baby who trails her scent like a flag of surrender through your life when there will be no more coming after–oh, that’s love by a different name.

She is the babe you hold in your arms for an hour after she’s gone to sleep. If you put her down in the crib, she might wake up changed and fly away.

So instead you rock by the window, drinking the light from her skin, breathing her exhaled dreams. ”
-Barbara Kingsolver
 (Thank you to Semi Desperate Housewife for that poem!)

Four years ago today, at 10:51 AM, Miss L came into our lives. She was 7 lbs 15 oz of sweet baby girl.

The final child. The only girl. The baby sister. 

Now, my baby is four. This fat, bald, adorable baby is now a four year old with a teenage attitude and a huge heart.

Oh. I miss this baby.

 That first year was rough. The steroids, the medication to shrink the hemangioma on her eye, the NO sleep (thank you steroids!), the constant spitting up and specialist appointments, the worries that her eyesight would be affected, and my shamefully vain worry about her missing eyelashes. Do I care? No. But, I worry that she might. Someday.
Oh I gained a lot of perspective! What a blessing to have a child who is healthy! This was such a small issue in the grand scheme of things. A few missing eyelashes is nothing at all. 

The past four years have flown by faster than I would have wished. Soon baby turned into toddler. She's a fun mix of tom boy and girly girl. She will play in the mud in her princess dress any day of the week. She pushes her babies around in a dump truck and does her level best to keep up with her big brothers.

 

Now she's a little girl. I can't call her toddler anymore, but I will continue to call her my baby. She will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Happy 4th to the little girl who will ALWAYS be my baby.

Stocking Stuffers

 Stockings are so much fun because you can fit some small but cool things in there! For reference, my boys are 8, 6, 5 and Miss L will be 4 a couple weeks before Christmas. Ideas:

Sporks! Perhaps my kids are weird, but they love sporks. They are surprisingly hard to find! My kids will find some in their stockings this year!

Aldi sells some very cute little chocolates and candies. They're hollow, and very pretty. My kids get those as well as the chocolate coins. They have ornaments as well as these:

I picked these laser lights up for less than $1, and I'm sure they will be a hit! I got a 4 pack, but now I see they only have a 48 pack, although still less than $7.

They each get a roll of tape. They are tape hogs.

L is also getting a Hello Kitty notebook from the Dollar Spot and some costume jewelry.

(hers looks like this but it was only about $5 unlike the one I'm linking! )


They are each getting an analog watch as well, and a chocolate orange. I may add a few other small things like a toothbrush, some pencils or fun erasers, perhaps some socks and underwear.

Sufficiently Grown Up

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do with my life, you know, beyond raising and homeschooling four kids and running the house and all the domestic responsibilities that go with that. So far, I still don't know. It seems like a lifetime ago that I was a teacher. Truth be told, I am not the tiniest bit interested in teaching in the school district that I live in now and besides, I am teaching my own kids. True, I don't get paid, but I didn't get paid THAT much when I was drawing a paycheck.

I feel as though I should have more ambition but right now I have no motivation to go back to work. Maybe ever. After all, there's always more than enough to do here. I don't know how many more years I will home school the kids, but right now it is the best option available to us. It seems silly to go back to work as a teacher when I would rather be teaching my own kids anyway. I no longer have a passion to be a public school teacher. I don't like kids as much as I used to. (Over exposure? Haha.)

I am sufficiently grown up enough to be whatever I wanted to be when I actually wanted to be something, and yet... I'm not sure what I would want to be if I had time to be something else. I guess I'm... satisfied... with where I am. Happy, even.

I still keep thinking a passion or aptitude for something else will jump out in front of me one day, but right now, I'm happy right here.

I'm really sucking at blog stuff lately! I not only forget to blog, I forget to read your blogs as well! Oops. I'm going to try to do better, but I've been reading a lot lately and it tends to consume all my free minutes. Right now I'm reading the Outlander series. I have the first seven books and I'm somewhere in book 4 right now. These suckers are LONG!

Oh, and I know Halloween was a whole week ago but I thought I'd post a picture of the kids in their costumes anyway.

Now it's on to Thanksgiving and a birthday! Miss L's birthday is sneaking up on me. It still feels like a long time away, but I know I need to get busy planning something. I can't believe my little baby is about to be 4. Seriously, the years FLY by now so fast that I can scarcely believe it. O had to correct my age the other day because I thought I was still 31 and it turns out I've been 32 for a couple months. Ha!
This kid will be FOUR in less than a month! She really doesn't look like a baby anymore. Eek!

Where I'm still talking about Kristin Lavransdatter and other random things...

I finished Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset and although that was a week ago, I'm still thinking about the characters in the book. I hope no one started reading it and is thinking that I'm crazy for liking a long, LONG, depressing book that makes life seem futile. I truly don't know why this book spoke to me so loudly, but it did. There was so much struggle, and yet I couldn't stop reading even though that is not the type of book I typically like. One of the themes that stood out to me was how little control we have over what our children will grow up to be, how they will turn out, and the choices they will make. That's typically something I don't like to think about, and I think a lot of mothers would agree, because it frightens me. What if these children I've sacrificed so much for, and love more than life itself, turn out to be kind of... crappy? Is that not a fear that all parents have?
Regardless, that is not the main theme in the book but it's one that solidly stuck with me. I think I'm going to start reading it again soon. I need to take a slower stroll through it this time.

On a completely unrelated topic, what are your kids (or you) going to be for Halloween? We're going with a Star Wars theme here and I really think it will be cute! I didn't think we'd have a theme this year but the kids decided on this one themselves. D is going to be Darth Vader, and we just had to buy the mask since we already had a black... thing. It's kind of like a dress but that doesn't seem right. A cape? Anyway.
d wants to be R2D2 which requires us to make his costume. So far I have a red sharpie, blue duct tape and a white trash can with a round lid. I need to start it because Halloween is next week! It sneaked up on me. (Sneaked never sounds right.) O is going to be a "blue trooper." I bought his and L's costumes as they were cheap and, most importantly, it was easier. L is going to be Princess Leia of course. C is going as Luke Skywalker which is very easy to make. It cost me $0 because I used some brown pants we already had, some old boots, scraps of brown fabric, a light saber we already had, and a karate top turned inside out with a brown tie from one of my dresses. The kids insist Piper looks like Chewbacca and think Penny wants to be Yoda (ha.) so I guess it's just me and the cats with no costume this year. (The dogs don't really have a costume. ;) ) I'm fine with "just" being the wagon puller and standing at the end of driveways while they ring the bell. Chewbacca and Yoda can stay at home and guard the house i.e. going nuts every time the doorbell rings.

On one more unrelated topic, my parents are coming to visit after Halloween! They haven't been down to see us in over a year so I could not be happier that they're finally coming! D's going to be out of town most of the time they're here, so it will be nice to have some adults here while he's gone!

Oh, and it's really cold here for Alabama in October! It got down to freezing. Brrr! We're having chicken cacciatore, baked acorn squash and hot apple cider for dinner because I can't seem to warm up! I can't even believe that I grew up in an actual cold climate. All these years in the south have severely thinned my blood. It's supposed to warm back up next week though, so I can't complain too much.

Reading and Listening

I've recently been reading Kristin Lavransdatter and I'd like to know why I've never heard of it before! It's really kind of ridiculously long as the ebook version I have is all 3 (?) books in one.
I know it's one I will re-read over and over like I have with Pride and Prejudice, and I'm sure I will find lots of new things each time. The first time I read a book I tend to gobble it up and with a book like this that definitely means I will have missed some things. I'm about 90% done now, and I will be sad when it's over.
It's a love story, I suppose, but really quite sad in many parts. Yet, I find myself thinking about the characters and their situations all day when I don't have a chance to read about them. This one may take me a while to get over.

The kids and I have been checking out books on CD a lot lately. Last week we listened to several of the Bunnicula books and I found myself chuckling along and enjoying them as I did when I was a kid.

Then we started Island of the Blue Dolphins, which was one of my favorites when I was younger. I found myself tearing up several times. That one has inspired lots of conversations about many different things; most of all we've speculated about what happened after she left the island.

Today we picked up Around the World in 80 Days, which I admit I tried to read aloud to the kids last year but had a terrible time slogging through. Hopefully we'll actually finish it this way!

Next on the read aloud list for the kids is probably the next one in the Little House series, which would be On The Banks of Plum Creek. Next on my list is either I Am Malala or The Rosie Project. What else should we add to our list?

Here we are, already in October! I can't believe September flew by so fast. October is one of my favorite months so I'm thrilled! It's FALL!
My beach trip a few weeks ago was fantastic, although far too short.

Highlights:
Reading/sitting/drinking/laying on the beach.
Dueling piano bar - what fun!
Not taking care of kids for several days.

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The rest of the month hasn't been nearly as exciting. It's been filled with soccer and baseball, school, preschool, doctor appointments, and regular boring stuff. On Sunday, D had his company picnic and it was at the pumpkin patch! It was beautiful weather and we had a great time.

Posing with our pumpkins after we got home.

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I wish I had something witty or interesting to write, but I don't at the moment. Hopefully I won't neglect this blog so much in the future but I'm not making any promises!

So...

* I turned 32 on Thursday. I thought, for the longest time, that I was turning 31! I guess I haven't bothered to keep up with my age since I turned 30. Oh well. I asked D to give me the day off, because he's been working massive overtime for months and I've been stressed beyond reason. He met his deadline the day before my birthday and I got my wish. I went shopping ALL BY MYSELF to Target, and the mall, among other places, and I didn't cook at allllll and I didn't clean either. We had Panda Express and store bought cheesecake for dinner and the kids made me cards and dang. It was a good birthday.


* And? I got this ring, which is totally up my alley:

It says LET IT GO. Crappy picture, but I love the ring.

*AND? I'm going on a girls' trip this weekend. TO THE BEACH. September is going to kick August's ass.
2 nights, 3-ish days. No kids. No cooking. Beach. Shopping. Eating without kids, sleeping without kids, sipping my drink (either coffee or alcohol, depends on the time. haha) on the sand. I need  this break. Desperately. I don't even feel bad that D will have to take them all to soccer and Sunday School and maybe I'll even leave them with no food so he has to go grocery shopping. bwahahaha (I won't. I'm just kidding. )
I'm going with 3 other ladies and we're sharing a condo, so it's cheap, and it's going to be AWESOME.

I know I've been neglecting this little blog. It's not that I don't have a lot to say, it's just finding the time and the words that holds me back.

A lot has happened since I wrote last, though nothing too earth shattering. Mostly, I'm just learning (yes, just now, at 2 weeks shy of 32) that this is it. This is my life. I'm tired of waiting for things to change and wishing for what could be.

 I've spent years feeling unsatisfied that we don't live near our family, that they don't visit much, that we can't visit more, and that the effort expended on our part is reciprocated by only a few. ( Thank you for coming to see us, D&C) I've spent a lot of time feeling bitter, and a lot of time trying not to care and most of the time still caring VERY much and trying not to stop. Trying not to grow hard.

I'd like to throw my hands up and say that I'm giving myself permission to not give a f*ck anymore, the road runs both ways and all that... but I know that's not going to happen. I have always had a soft and giving heart and it's one of my better qualities if I do say so myself.
So, yes, it hurts when family forgets my children's birthdays, again. It hurts when they don't visit. It burns when they don't make an effort to see us when we trek halfway across the country. It's like rubbing salt in a wound when I see the relationships that the other children have with their grandparents that mine don't. I love it for them but hate it for my own babies. I try not to be jealous, but I am.

It'ssucks to feel like people don't care about you as much as you care about them... so, yes, it stings when the conversation turns to politics and a screaming match ensues and THAT is the most conversation we've had in a year. Do I care about political issues? Yes. But not as much as I care about how I treat the family sitting next to me.

After a solid 8 days of family time, I've come to realize that where I am is where I am supposed to be. I've cried over it enough. I've tried to make it work out in my head. I'm realizing that it would not be as I would wish it.
 Do I long to be able to run over for Saturday night dinner? Yes, but we can't so there's no use whining about it anymore. I'm not done visiting family or making an effort, by any means. I'm just trying to come to a peace that this is how it is. Not stop caring, just care a little less. Otherwise, the bitterness will ruin me.

The week after a family visit is never a good time for me to try and evaluate my mental health.  I always come up short. (Spoiler: I'm about to anyway.)

The problem is that I am treading water and getting tired. My husband, bless him, thinks I'm amazing and can handle everything. I appreciate the compliment but superwoman I am not.

I'm feeling really depressed. I hate to even say it out loud... does that make it real? Does it sound like a cry for sympathy? That's the last thing I want, really. Sympathy makes me cry.
The daily headaches are back and nausea sometimes too. I feel all black inside. I should go to the doctor.
I want my kids to be homeschooled but I desperately need a break. It's wonderful for them, but I'm not sure it's wonderful for me. Today it doesn't feel like it. They weren't even bad, I just couldn't cope with this headache and D working overtime again (still), and just every. other. little. thing. piled on top of me.
It's not fair to have to do this alone, and now I understand the words of a friend who warned me that it was hard and I would need help.  Anxiety and depression seem to take turns with me. I don't want to struggle with them but here they are. Staring me in the face.
Maybe I will feel better next week and maybe I won't.
Maybe I won't even publish this anyway.
Maybe I will feel fantastic tomorrow and be quite sorry that I wrote this with a lingering migraine after a hard day.
 

before/after

I ended up taking the pictures I liked and asking the stylist to help me decide what would work with my hair and face. It's just a bit longer than I wanted in back and the shorter bangs are taking some getting used to, but I really like it! The person I went to last time and really liked doesn't work there anymore, so they made me an appointment with someone else and then they called back again and had to change it to yet another person. My hair isn't the type you can just cut and be done with it so I get so nervous when I have someone new. She did a good job though, and I'll go back to her in the future.

Before:

After:

hair help!

tI have a hair cut coming up on Saturday and I haven't had a hair cut since LAST MAY. Yikes. I need some help. Here's me a few years ago when I had my hair cut super short (for me)

My hair is very thick, coarse, and curly/wavy. Humidity is NOT my friend. I have a LOT of product in my hair up there ^

Here is my hair now, pretty quick out of the shower and totally unfixed:

Here it is pulled back & fixed:

At the least I need a few inches trimmed and my hair thinned. There's no way you can tell how very, very thick my hair is in these pictures so just trust me. I've never once sat down in a new stylist's chair without them expressing shock at how much hair I have.

So... would this cut (but with side swept bangs) look good on me? (It's OK to say no!)

Or this one:

Or, a little longer like #3

Not actually sure my hair will do this without some straightening...

Or, something else entirely! HELP!

Homeschooling Routine

I got this comment from Jen last week:
Would you write a blogpost on your routine with homeschooling and resources? I'm contemplating, but with only one child, I don't know how to handle the free time....I don't want her in front of the TV. She's just turned 3 and knows her ABCs, colors, can count to 20.

I think a lot of what you do in homeschooling can differ depending on your personality and your child's needs and personality. The possibilities are limitless! 
Yes, there will be free time. You could take field trips, explore art and music, let your child explore her own interests when she gets older (my oldest child could build elaborate LEGO creations all day), learn a second language, take classes outside the house, have play dates, cook, play outside, read, play board games, visit the zoo or museums or farms or any number of places, and yes, sometimes watch TV or play on the computer!  ANYTHING that you want to do could be a learning experience! The flexibility is my #1 favorite part of homeschooling.

My general, "best case scenario" schedule on a day when we don't have appointments, play dates, field trips or errands looks like this:
6-8 AM: breakfast, coffee, getting ready for the day, often a cartoon or video game is in here.
8-11AM: math and language arts (writing, spelling, reading, phonics/grammar)
There's often a snack in there somewhere around 9-ish.
Lunch and free time for a few hours. (The kids usually play LEGOs, do some arts and crafts or play various games.)
Around 1 or 2PM we do science and/or history and sometimes art or music, for about an hour or however long it takes.


Don't underestimate the importance of free play and time to use the imagination! I think kids are often not afforded those opportunities.

As for resources... there are so many! Find a good homeschooling group in your area. Check out websites and read, read, read! Go to home school conventions to look through different curriculum. Some of my favorites are listed below.
Resources:
The Well Trained Mind
Leaping from the box - TONS of great links!
Penelope Trunk - I don't agree with all her posts and views, and find her a bit radical at times, but she does give a different perspective on things that make me think.
Book Adventure
Lesson planning
On Socialization
Different methods/approaches

School Days

Our "formal living room" has been a play room since we moved into this house. Last year it became half play room and half school room. Yesterday I was cleaning and organizing it for our first day of school and realized how very little the kids play with any toys in there. They helped me go through everything, and there is now one lone shelf of toys, which is a huge difference from the entire room of toys it used to be! The toys they play with most are in their rooms already, but it's very weird to essentially have an office where a play room used to be. (OK, office/play room.)

Those shelves and baskets are all holding school books, puzzles, files, notebooks, etc. They all used to be covered in toys!

More books behind the door, art supplies and such in the door hanger and the one lone shelf of toys by the computer desk. (And a basket of L's tea party things under the table.)

I had to take pictures... the room will never look so nice again... because today was our first official day of school!

First day of Kindergarten, 1st and 3rd grade. Someone was VERY excited to be starting Kindergarten!

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PS - We've been without a washer for a week now. Outfits are getting interesting around here...

Ups & Downs

The washing machine broke last Thursday, when I was on my 1st load of three. A family of 6 needs a washing machine! Six days now and it's not fixed... 
The part we ordered came yesterday and was already broken when we opened the box! Now we have to send it back and they won't pay for shipping. I fail to see how it's my fault, but shipping is $5 and the part is $55 so I feel stuck. I ordered a new part from a different company today, and hopefully it gets here SOON!
I've hand washed a few necessities and broke down and bought Miss L new underwear yesterday. Totally worth it.
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D & I went on a date last night, thanks to VBS that runs for 2 hours in the evenings. We went to my favorite restaurant and I had my favorite dish (Chicken Panang). We even had time to go to the grocery store and get frozen yogurt! Plus, we had a coupon for dinner and VBS is free. Cheap date night!
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I got lost this morning on the way to a play date, which should no longer surprise me. Luckily, I have very recently joined the world of smartphones (I know, finally!) and could look up the directions (again) and find it!
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I happened to be lecturing the kids on not distracting me while driving (fighting, asking for help with things) and we came upon a wreck that was blocking our exit to home. We went on the next exit and there was yet another bad accident with a smashed up car. I think I scared them to death since we had been talking about not distracting me so I don't get into an accident and then BAM! Smashed car. (Not sure if this is an up or down.)
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D had to work all day Saturday, and the last week has been pretty much non-stop rain, but Sunday we escaped through the rain to Nashville and went to the zoo until it got too hot and then we went to the science museum. The kids had a blast and I enjoyed spending time together. (Am I crazy that I don't find most children's museums fun in the least? D always seems to have fun as much as the kids.)
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I'm still chugging along with trying to lose weight. It's slow going.
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 The SPAM comments on this blog have gotten out of control. I'm getting more SPAM comments than real comments by far. This bites so I'm taking away the anonymous commenting option.
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We're planning a trip to see my family and I'm glad to be seeing everyone again. I haven't seen any of my family since Christmas, and most of them since Thanksgiving. It's been a long time since they've come down. I'm glad to be seeing them soon though; I hate living so far away.

Little House in the Suburbs

Ever since we've moved into this house and have grown a garden, I've developed a new found sense of awe at how incredibly difficult life used to be. Re-reading the Little House on the Prairie series with the boys this year brings home that fact.

By all regards, we have a successful garden and grow many fruits and vegetables. Could we really live though, on what we grow? I seriously doubt it. In fact, I think that could be my new diet plan.

This quart jar lasted one meal, and that's not even all that we ate!

The grit of the pioneers is absolutely mind boggling to me. The hardships, the hunger, the ingenuity and know how they had is quite remarkable. The thought of living almost entirely off the land is daunting. There's a lot of work involved in growing produce and you have to find ways to keep birds, bugs and other critters away, as well as use and store the food in the best way. Even though that is light years easier now than it was in the Little House days, I'm still fairly certain that living off the land would be quite difficult. Of course, we don't have to do that in this day and age, but it's still something I think about every time I work in the garden or prepare to make jelly from a bowl of grapes that are too sour to eat - and only get one jar!

Gigantic bowl of produce, at least half grapes.

Lone pint jar of delicious sour grape jelly.

I've always been of the mind, however, that every little bit counts. Maybe we can't feed our family entirely from our garden and fruit trees/vines, but we can feed them a little bit, and that's better than nothing.

Rinse & Repeat

So, I'm back on the weight loss train. I hate to even really post about it, because I've been down this road so many times. Same song, different verse, yadda yadda.
I did lose two pounds already though, so it's a start. I feel like I'm at a better place right now then I have been in awhile, and I'm going to be successful this time.
Stay tuned.

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I did end up taking the kids to get their pictures last week and they turned out so cute! I don't have the CD yet, but I assure you I will bombard you with their photos when I do.
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The amount of driving this week is insane. As of Thursday afternoon, after camp drop offs and pick ups, I had put 318 miles on my car since Monday morning. I'm not used to so much running around.
d is in an awesome camp (Camp Invention) where they bring in old, broken stuff and make it into new inventions. I can't wait to see what they make! O is in a camp called Summer Show Offs, which is singing and dancing. (Think Glee.) He has a show tomorrow that I'm excited to go see. It's so cool that they get to have all these opportunities to try things and see what they like!

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Piper is due to get spayed next week and the kids are sad. I explained that she wouldn't be able to have puppies and I think all they heard was "PUPPIES!" and were really let down when I said there would be NO PUPPIES.
She's grown so much! (She'll be 6 months on the 3rd) She weighs less than Penny (who needs to lose a few pounds) but is about the same height. Her coat is very low, almost NO, shedding and it is Heaven. I vacuumed up enough of Penny's hair yesterday alone to form a couple puppies. Penny is teaching her the ropes, and hopefully all of Penny's good habits will rub off on Piper who still manages to cause lots of trouble.

Penny, "No pictures please."

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Looks like this is post number 1200. I guess I should have thought of something earth shattering to write, but my life is mostly of the "go, go, go, collapse in an exhausted heap" variety lately. This week is one of those where I feel like mothering and being a wife is all about everyone else, and it's a thankless, tiring, never-ending, unappreciated position. I wonder if they have summer camp for moms? I'd love someone to drop me off at 9 and not come back until 3:30 after I'd had fun with my peers all day! We should invent Mom's Summer Camp.