Happy V-D

I regret I didn’t take pictures of all the Valentine’s stuff I put together for the kids’ school. Despite all that’s going on I think I knocked it out of the park this year. Maybe it was nice to have the distraction.

I made 23 gift bags for Bobby’s 1st grade classmates - a small box of stickers, a pencil, eraser, and heart candies in each, with a personalized card by Bobby (how great is it to have kids that can read and write); 8 gift bags for Theo’s classmates with a Paw Patrol theme, and then small boxes of homemade fudge for each teacher and TA. It’s actually less than last year since Theo’s in one small class rather than two. The kids were so into doing their cards and making sure each kid got just the right bag that I kind of wished I’d involved them more in the process. Next year? 

This would definitely be my major criticism of my parenting at the moment - I still do way too much for these kids. I wince when I see how capable and independent some other kids are; I know this is the biggest disservice you can do is not letting go of that control. And for me it is entirely a control thing - they’ll take too long, they’ll do it wrong, they’ll break something. Bobby is itching to help me in the kitchen but it’s tough - it’s way more work for me to slowly walk him through aspects of cooking rather than just do it efficiently myself. But now that he’s turning seven I really need to start giving him - and Theo - more autonomy. I can’t let my anxiety-driven control issues (for that’s what it’s all about) be their ruin.

I am meeting with my potential business partner about the registration system tomorrow. It sounds like he’s in; it’s just a question of hammering out details. He would like to get my camp set up by mid-March.

Also, my kitchen windows are at last and hopefully going in tomorrow. Which means everything. Cabinets can be finished, back splashes, trim, painting, wall paper and finish electric. My designer says she wants to wrap up next week. Can it be???

Here is a pic of me and Bobby at a special family friendly classical concert we went to Sunday. He was bored and restless but I managed to entertain him by randomly sticking my finger up his nose. The audience was full of his classmates so I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s trying to force my Pokémon-loving six-year-old to enjoy some culture.