Run !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't walk... away from this weirdness! Okay, lemme start from the beginning. I don't shy away from letting my kids sit in front of the digital babysitter every now and then. I think TV has a lot to offer on levels I cannot provide for my kids. I gotta tell ya, that Magic School Bus on Discovery kids is fascinating! Where else could you get swallowed by a classmate in a micro sized school bus along with your class and eccentric teacher ( Miss Grizzle) and actually see what happens to food when you swallow it. I did however notice that the writers didn't attempt to explain how food EXITS your body. I was waiting to see how they were gonna draw a big poop with a little school bus inside. Luckily they didn't go there, and I didn't have to visualize THAT for the rest of the day. I digress. I don't have a problem with letting my kids take it down a notch after a hard day at school. I am not one of those parents who has this attitude that TV is the devil... and their kids are forbidden to watch tv. I think a lot of the time this kind of talk is part of their show. And I think they are elitist. Well, elitist parents.. tell me.. why do your kids love Spongebob Squarepants... and how come your kid's birthday party was Disney Princess? Hmmm??? No TV my ass. I'm not saying that these people are bad or wrong. Do what you want.. I do not judge. I'm just saying.. don't pretend that your kid is pure.. when you know that you sometimes need a break and you pop in a DVD every once and awhile. I actually think families without TVs are great!I also think that families who forbid their kids to watch TV are fine... as long as it's consistent.I know plenty of TV free families. ( I mean REAL tv free families)and those kids aren't hurting in any way. All the power to ya. I can't imagine having enough energy to entertain my kids when they are tired or bored... and I have 45 phone calls to make. What I'm trying to say is: I hate when people lie and make thier families out to be better than everyone else's. I DO however prohibit any cartoon characters on any clothing or shoes.. unless of course it's retro ( ie: Superman.. or Wonder Woman.. oh what I woudn't give for a lasso of truth!) Our birthday parties are gender neutral... and focused on the kids.. not advertizing for the man. Again, I digress.( who's the elitist now?HA!) My kids go to school and learn about decimals, binomials and trinomials, Millie can sew a button on a piece of fabric, iron a towel, and polish glass and silver. They know secondary and terciary colors. I feel like a little TV isn't going to make their minds melt and their eyeballs fall out.Life is full of lessons. One of those lessons is that entertainment is good for the soul. HOWEVER: Holden is home from school today with a fever and belly ache. He is laying on the couch watching Discovery kids. A new show came on. Hip Hop Harry. Are you familiar? Well, if not.. lemme sum it up:A Barney-esque dude in an oversized sports jersey and a baseball hat twisted 45 degrees to the side. Hip hop Harry dances around with a bunch of kids singing " When I say hey you say ho... heyyyy ( hoooo ) heyyyy (hoooooo) when I say hey you say ho.. Hey( hoooo) hey( hooo) Go Bobby it's yer birfday..." I swear these kids were "krumping." Then all of a sudden Hip Hop Harry proceeds to do a "helicopter" and finish off the show with a head spin.I stood in the kitchen with the water running in the sink oddly mesmerized by the oddness of this concept. Holden seemed to LOVE it. I was just waiting for him to turn around to me and say ," Mom, can we have Hip Hop Harry Birthday party?"

School daze

Today is the first day of school For Millie and Holden. Notice both are suited up in their elastic waisted pants and velcro sneakers( both required wardrobe for primary students at their new school.) Pay no mind to the fine art Holden added to the fireplace hearth. That was another day... at another time. Things are lookin' up. :)

Both kids were cooperative and excited for their new adventure. I hope they are having fun. The new school is a lot more strict than their old school. ( may it rest) This place has a handbook that's 200 pages thick... and seemingly a long list of rules and regulations. I s'poze it's a good thing. I think our Little HIP needs positive direction. The directress ( yes, that is her official title)of the school says that HIP has " joyful exuberance." Parker and I think that since Montessori doesn't often use the word " hyper" that was a kind way of saying.. " don't feed your kid sugar coated chocolate bombs for breakfast before school."
Millie was happy to go to school today. She was eager to get dressed, and get her picture taken for the big event.. and to meet her new friends, eventhough she misses her " old friends." I miss her old friends too. I keep thinking back on our little trip through JAF ( old school) SO sweet. So loving. So available. The new school I'm sure offers these things too, but right now it feels like there is a lot of structure, and there is no room for compromise. Listen to me, it's like it's MY first day of school.

Well, the good news is : Parker got the kids to school 15 minutes early! He actually had to wait for the primary carpool drop off.( that's a first!) Both kids hopped out and gladly walked into the school. Shew! No water works. Let's see how tomorrow goes. :)