Super Mom

Some days I'm career woman. Some days I'm business owner. Every day I am Mom. Today I was super mom. Not with any special super powers (although that would have helped), just super busy mom I guess. Or at least it felt like it to me. My pirates kept me hoppin'. I did get in a mediocre run this morning (all about me) and finished up our RMB Properties business tax stuff for the tax guy (all about work), and pick up a super cute jacket in the middle of my errand run (to go with the even cuter skirt my mom bought me), but the rest of the day was all about the kids.

Easton and I were inseparable again today - the big man on Brown House Campus. He was such a helper at the iStore, and especially at Sam's Club. He insists on helping put everything on the conveyor belt despite the fact he can hardly reach or lift many of the superhuman sized boxes of everything we bought in bulk. But he tried and was happy to help.

Afton rocked at her electric guitar lesson today. I was so proud of her. She learned how to play 16th notes with power cords, and she was totally jammin with James (her teacher) to one of the classics. I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

Barrett passed off her songs at piano lessons too. She worked hard all week on her music (courtesy of more one-on-one time with mom and much encouraging - OK, threatening, pushing, urging, nagging). She too is doing so well.

I picked up new music and a shoulder rest at Milano's for the violin. Barrett has decided to add another instrument to her plate, and is taking after mom. Last week, I took my violin in to get new strings and a new bow. It hadn't been played in far too long and needed a little TLC. When I picked it up, Barrett was duly impressed that I could still knock out some hymns (despite not playing for 20 years and even with my long french nails - a huge no no in stringed instrument world.) At first Barrett was thinking of taking band - like the trumpet, but we were able to talk her into orchestra instead. A little more future with the violin than the trumpet. Although drums were tempting. We just don't have the room or sound proofness we need for those. Maybe in the dream house we'll have a sound proofed music room, filled with instruments of all varieties, ready for any impromptu jam session. I can hardly wait!

I super mom multi-tasked while making dinner, helping Rowan with her kindergarten homework at the counter while throwing together a green salad. We worked on mastering some of her letters, reminding her that they all start at the top of the line. She's doing great. Dinner was nutritious and tasty and pretty quick, as we had to be at curriculum night at 5:30 for Barrett's classroom presentation. We both love love love her teacher this year. Miss Kritzmire is young (late 20's), enthusiastic, and fun. This is her 7th year teaching 5th grade, and she seems so on the ball and full of love for her kids. How great is that? She raved about Barrett and what a great girl she is. Today was also Barrett's first day of ELP this year. She loved it.

Post music lessons, post dinner and post school meetings - home for much homework. Afton and I read together for a half hour, checked her packet, and passed her off happily. Barrett and I studied for her social studies test tomorrow, and I re-learned some stuff I probably knew in 5th grade but have long since forgotten (like where the Appalachian Mountains are, the names of the primary directions on the compass - cardinal points in case you were wondering - etc.) I pulled out the wall size map a couple times for reference. Did we really learn all this stuff when we were 10?

All this called for treats, but we were out of ice cream (the hot ticket item at our house), so I made a power run - 8 minutes round trip - to Fresh & Easy (my second time today) to grab some Vanilla Bean and Whipped Cream. Success. We all indulged.

After baths, clothes readied for tomorrow, lunch boxes cleaned out, laundry, family prayers, 3 mouths of assisted teeth brushing, 2 trips downstairs for water, and a final tuck-in, 3 of the 4 were out for the count. Barrett was up till 10:00 finishing up more homework and doing who knows what else. Ryan and I have both been up working for the past 2 hours. I'm ready to call it a day.

In honor of my 4 fantastic kids, I'm posting a random scrapbook page about each one of them. They rock. I love being a mom. As Nacho Libre would say in his best Mexican accent, "It's the best. It's fantastic. I love it."

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