Blissful

Really - I LOVE this house. I love every little bit of it, I love that Jessie goes to bed every night with no hassles, just picks a book off her bookcase and reads herself to sleep. I love that Sammy sleeps all night in his own bed, just like a big boy. He chooses a book off his bookcase and we read to him until he dozes off.  Last night, I walked back to check on the three kids, and they were all sleeping peacefully in their own rooms and it was so lovely.  This doesn't seem like a big deal, when I write it, but you have to understand that in the old apartment, we just had Jessie's little bedroom off of the living room, so she would fight going to bed in there because she could still hear everything going on in the living room.  And since Sam was sleeping in my bed, I just used to let him doze off in the living room and then lug him into our bed.  It was like camping for three and a half years.  We were all together all the time - and it was wonderful.  I loved it while we were there, but am tickled pink at how much easier it is now that we have so much more space. 

I love that Julianna has a little seat in every room - she's become very Mommy centered, and I just tote her along wherever I happen to be and she bounces or bops or rolls around while I fold laundry or make the beds. I love the fireplace, the big picture window. I love cooking the kids breakfast in the mornings, going out in my jammies to drive Jess to school.  In the old place, I had the same appliance, the toaster oven, but only about a square foot of counter space, and had to take it down off a super high shelf every morning and wrestle space away from the coffee pot.  Now - it's just there, on the counter, ready and easy to access.  And with the garage, I could totally drive Jess to school barefoot and in my bathrobe because I don't have to go outside at all.  It's glorious.  In fact, right now, Sam is downstairs playing with the Wii and Julianna is down there hanging with him, chewing on her teething ring and cheering him on. 

Had a perfectly delightful weekend. Hosted a party on Saturday for Becky and Annie, had all my friends here. I've collected a group of friends that are just lovely - we all have kids the same age and it was so nice to have this big space to entertain them in.  Lit a fire, the kids ran around and played and the adults all hung out and drank wine and/or coffee.  And then on Sunday, Becky came over for the day, and held my girl so I could do yard work. Becky did a little raking, a little leaf blowing, and rocked my girl for her afternoon nap. We put Julianna in her walker on the deck for a while with the kids while we worked together, and then Marc took over raking and I started with the leaf blower. It's all done, the pile of leaves is amazingly huge.   Then last night, after all the kids went to bed, Marc and I got chinese food and he watched the game and I read a book :-).

Had Jessica's school conference this morning - and she's doing very well.  Well above average in reading, and slightly above average in math.  She's still reversing numbers and transposing them as well, and we're keeping a watchful eye on it.  It's still developmental at this point, which is code for "don't worry about it, she'll outgrow it," but if she's still doing it at the end of the second grade, they'd be concerned.  All in all, though, it was a very nice conference.  I really like her teacher, I think she does a great job of understanding Jess, and knowing all her little quirks. 

We had a situation last week, where Jessie got sent to the school guidance counselor.  She had been writing in her journal about the new house, and one sentence talks about how glad she is because she's got a basement to go when she needs to escape from Sam, which is great because now she won't have to kill herself.  She used the phrase once at home last week, and we immediately explained how that's not a phrase we use, that it's not an expression to throw around lightly and not to say it again.  But she must have used it at school earlier that day - and her teacher, while knowing that Jess is not a suicidal kid, but more an overly dramatic one, still had to follow protocol and ship her off for an immediate intervention.  Which was exactly the right thing to do - but the fact that I had to hear about it when Jessie just happened to remember to tell me was alarming.  So I followed up with her teacher, and with the guidance counselor - who both apologized for not letting me know - but after talking to Jess for a few minutes, they were able to immediately see that she wasn't actually talking about suicide.  They both confirmed that Jessie was absolutely fine, a happy, bright little girl, but apparently had a love/hate relationship with her brother and was exceptionally dramatic.  That's my girl - drama personified :-)  I wouldn't change a thing about her, and I'm extra glad that her teachers are sensitive and so great with her.