Just your typical start of the year craziness.

1. Rita

Tomorrow Rita will start her 4th week of school. Homework started two weeks ago and we love that Rita's teacher gives us the weekly packet on Fridays, and it's due the following Friday. So we can start the homework over the weekend and plan our weeknights more easily. We've already had back to school night. We really like her new teacher, new school and routine. On Friday, the principal organized a SST (student study team). We got together with Rita's principal, teacher, school psychologist x 2, learning center coordinator, and district director of special programs. It was great. I'll post about that this week.

Rita's going to the after school program organized by the YMCA on Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday. The teachers for that program are also very good. I think the head teacher is a child development graduate, and the others are college students in education.

One afternoon when I picked her up, one of her classmates said to another girl (pointing to me) ... "Oh, there's your mom!" And then Rita spoke up quickly, "No, that's MY mom!". She's made a few other "That's my mom" or "You're not my mom" comments lately which have me feeling good. BTW - I'm mom now, not mama.

2. Lena

Lena is starting her third week of school. So far she has missed three days due to a cold and/or allergies. We took her to the doctor last Thursday to make sure something wasn't wrong and the doctor just thinks it's nasal congestion and suggested that she takes an OTC med and use saline nasal spray. We hope her body gets acclimated soon. Because we went to her go to school night last week and wow - high school is really tough these days.

Lena is taking English, US History, Algebra II, Digital Photography, Dance and Film & Fiction. All of her classes sound really interesting but they all (but photography) have lots of homework.

She is slowly making friends. I think she may find it more difficult to make friends here because her style is a bit punk rock and (I think) our neighborhood is more like the tan skin and tank tops (SoCal) crowd. It's funny because she likes to wear all of the clothes I wore in high school that my mother didn't like and I'm having the same thoughts when I see her outfits for school. Usually checked pants and a t-shirt (like one with a chicken on it that says "friend, not food".

But I remember it's all about "expressing yourself" and having fun so I bite my tongue. Some may say that I encourage it at times because I have been able to take her to some of the fun stores around here that cater to that style. I think she thinks I am cool, or at least WAS cool as Michael told her about my purple hair and goth days. (Which Lena can not believe ... have I turned too motherly??? LOL).

3. The Neighborhood

I think we are finally starting to make a bunch of friends. For the past two Friday nights we have gone up to the neighboring cul-de-sac for the weekly impromptu get togethers. The kids all run around each others houses and the dogs do the same. Funny how we all have brown dogs all about the same size. Rita's had numerous "play dates" (the concept still is foreign to me) mostly at our house 'cause we have the pool and we want to keep an eye on her. We are invited to a wedding in October. I have coffee dates and happy hours a few times a month.

Despite my work craziness (not interesting enough to blog about) I'm feeling relatively balanced these days. Busy, but balanced.