Busy Night

Yesterday we had an early 4:45 dinner so we could go ice skating. One of my daycare mothers and her son came to pick up Myles and Merlyn at 5:15 as a special treat for CJ, who finally got a good note at school (he's having trouble adjusting to preschool). Carter and Berkleigh and I followed them to the arena.

All the kids are pretty good considering that they just started skating last year, and we only went a few times. Merlyn and Myles especially are impressive. The hockey coach tried to convince me that they should play hockey, but I'm not that crazy.
Carter was proud that he didn't even fall once. Merlyn held my hand for about two seconds, then refused any help. As Christina said, she sure is independent. At 5:45 Faye came to help me out. She stayed with Myles, Merlyn, and Berkleigh while I went to drop Carter off at cub scouts at 6:00.

Berkleigh actually did a lot better this time than she did last year, when she refused to even stand up most of the time. She even used a walker by herself for a while and got quite steady. She didn't last the whole hour, though, but still did great for a two year old. I had brought the wrong skates for Myles, so he spent the first half an hour falling down because his skates were too big. I put Carter's on him at six, and then he did a lot better. He was still happy, though, except he was hot and sweaty. Next time we'll skip the coat, I think.

At 6:30 we got everyone loaded out of their skates and into the truck, which took fifteen minutes. Faye followed me down to cub scouts so that I wouldn't have to get the kids out of the car when I went into the parish center to find Carter.

When we got home there was a message on the machine from Mrs. Bernard, who had left venison in our fridge while we were gone (yummy!). I gave the kids a snack and had to make some phone calls (not an easy feat when I'm alone with four tired, hungry kids who are up past their bedtime). I've managed to commit myself to coaching an Odyssey of the Mind Team, as if life weren't chaotic enough already around here. Our first meeting is today after school, so in addition to Merlyn and Berkleigh, CJ will be getting off the bus at noon, then I'll have nine kids getting off the bus at 3:45. Seven of them (including Carter and Makenzie and Grant) are on my OM team. Starting next week we'll be meeting at the school, so it won't be quite so insane here.

Bryan made it to Orlando safely late Monday night, in case anyone was wondering. In the truck on the way to get Carter last night, the kids asked where Carter was. I told them we were going to get him, and Berkleigh asked, "And my daddy?". I told her Daddy wouldn't be back for a few more days, and she said, "I really want my daddy." She's such a daddy's girl!