My Ann-With-An-E

Tomorrow Annie starts kindergarten.

She is more than ready. Her Hannah Montana backpack is by the back door, her lunchbox is packed. Her outfit is picked out, and she's already decided what she wants to ask her teacher. ("When is show and tell? Do we get to check books out of the library? Did you know that I want to be a scientist?").

Today, we went to kindergarten orientation. They asked the kids to sit in the front of the multi-purpose room, and the parents sat in chairs at the back. We listened to drop off rules, pick up rules, birthday rules, PTA stuff. The kids started to get antsy. The principal then asked the kids to stand up, and she taught them the school cheer.

My Annie- my normally ebullient, brimming-over-with-things-to-tell little girl hung her head low and didn't yell with the others. When the principal instructed the kids to head out of the room first, and that the parents would soon follow- she shot me a look. A look that said, "I'm not sure I want to do this."

This weekend, I reread, for the gazillionth time, the book "Anne of Green Gables." I adore this book. It is a large part of why I have my own "Ann-with an e". And I always get teary when Anne has to leave the island to pass hers school exams. Tomorrow, my little girl's world grows exponentially bigger. Even though her backpack is bigger than she is, and her three missing bottom teeth make her whistle when she talks, she's heading off the island. And when I look at her? I still see that chubby newborn- with the endless cheeks and know-it-all expression. Tomorrow brings new things for all of us.

Morbidity- Thy Middle Name

So here's the deal.
I'm going on a trip soon.
It's my first overseas trip.
With my husband, sans kids.
We are going to China.
I just got my first passport.
I also got my first visa.
And now, I'm having my first panic attack.
Yes, I'm thrilled that I will see the Great Wall.
I will haggle for pearls.
I will eat unique food.
I also think I'm going to die.
I am now obsessed with Plan B for my kids.
Involving life insurance, guardians, and fantasizing my funeral.
I hope this is just me being silly.
But if I happen to choke on a fish eyeball while visiting the Summer Palace?
Don't say I told you so.

Sneaky

Tonight, I tucked in my 3 year old. She is my baby. She knows she is my baby. And she is one sneaky devil.

"Mommy?" she squeaks. (even tonsil-free, she's still a little Mouse).

I turn around, and stop in her doorway.

"You're the nicest Mommy I ever had."

It's two hours later, and I'm still laughing.

The Horror! The Horror!

We finally made it to the Discovery Science Center. Do you guys remember me telling you about my kid's insane fear of the "Operation Game"? Well, just my luck- we pull in to the parking lot & see this:



Holy crikey. It was all I could do to get her out of the car. Then, we make our way inside, but she still looks pretty freaked out.



Determined to have fun, we slowly make our way through the exhibits. Now, the only other thing besides taking out someone's Funny Bone that strikes the fear of God into Annie's heart is... Wall-E the Robot. So, do you guys want to guess what the other big exhibit was?



Robots! Just our luck! And just to ensure the Discovery Science Center is an equal opportunity, horrifying scare of a place- they had this exhibit, just for little old me.




I think we're all ready for school to start.

Ponyo. A Movie Review. Sort of. Ok, Not Really.

We made it to Ponyo last night. Without any visible signs of Operation Games or Wall-E the robot, my kids didn't think it looked scary enough to prevent them from sleeping by themselves, and so we decided to brave it. Aside from a theme song that is perhaps, the most brain numbing addictive ditty since "It's A Small World" we all really liked it.

It was funny to see a Japanese, animated Tina Fey. It was not funny to see said Tina Fey attempt to explain to her five year old son why she was leaving him during a raging storm so she could go rescue the old folk at the senior center. I now have to tell MY five year old that she is not quite ready to stay in the house by herself, captain a ship and light matches. Oh, the Japanese. You wacky writers.

I am now in the throes of the summer blues. The days seem to stretch on endlessly, and my bag of tricks is almost over. I was at the neighborhood pool the other day, and happened to run into the one mom in our neighborhood that has younger kids. (Incidentally, she hates my guts, but that's besides the point). I casually asked her if she was looking forward to school starting- and she shakes her head and says with a pitying voice, "No, I enjoy every moment I'm home with my kids."

Whatever.

In other news, well, there really isn't any other news except I've now read the entire "True Blood series", the new book by Jane Greene-"Dune Road" (bleh), "The Temporary Wife"(which I loved) and am welcoming the respite from summer chick-lit with some Don Draper oogling on Sunday night. I've missed you Mad Men.

Warning! Sickly Sweet Post Below!

The other night, we had a sleepover at my folks' house. I was tucking the kids into bed when my five year old put her arms around my neck. "Tonight, Mommy..." she whispered. "You will be my dream catcher."

Sorry folks, but when I'm 87 and hanging with my peeps in Assisted Living, this is the stuff I want to remember.