I want to give all these same feelings to Olivia and Eric. And it doesn't get more "mom-ish" than volunteering for a field trip!
To date, my work schedule has prevented me from doing that, but after some MAJOR guilt from Olivia, a brief respite in the work load, and the lucky coincidence of seeing the email requesting volunteers about 1 second after it was sent and before the spots could fill up, I scored a coveted position of chaperone for the Spring field trip.
We went to the Nature Discovery Center where the kids got to put their previously acquired "insect knowledge" to the test. (Yep. Insects. Of all the field trips, I got the insect one.)
We started the day with a quick review on the qualities of an insect (these kids already knew everything!)
And then divided into groups. Our group went outside first where we got a lesson on how to nicely catch an insect in our "bug box." (I mean. What in the actual heck?!).
The guide took us to a log and instructed the kids to kneel down and told them that when she turned the log over they were to quickly (but gently) get a bug. She stressed -- these are little bitty bugs, you are a giant compared to them, they aren't going to hurt you -- just get one! She turns the log over. Yep. Of course. No one got a bug!! They all screamed and squealed and jumped back. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE A BUG!!
Second log. Half of them at least bent down this time but I assumed we were in it for the long haul.
All of a sudden, I hear someone say "Mommy! I got one!" It was Olivia. My daughter?! Caught a bug?! Without freaking out?! This news continues to baffle me and frankly, disappoint me. ;)
Then some of her girl friends asked her to catch their bugs (smart girls)
Once everyone had a bug of some sort they set to work analyzing the creature they caught and then also the creatures their friends caught to determine if they were indeed insects or not (you may not know -- because I didn't! -- that insect is a very specific creature with 3 body parts, 6 legs, and 1 or 2 pairs of wings. I like to refer to all disgusting outside bugs as insects but apparently that isn't scientifically correct.)
Then we traded with the other groups and went inside to learn about other animals/reptiles at the Nature Discovery Center
And we ended the trip with a picnic lunch!
Despite the disgusting bugs, I had the best morning with my best girl! I loved seeing her in a school setting with her friends and teachers.
This day was a little bit of a hard one emotionally. I had started the day with an early morning volunteer shift at Eric's school selling raffle tickets for the upcoming Parents Night Out. Before Christmas, a stranger jumped over the fence and got into the campus and actually went into the baby nursery. It was a terrifying day for the teachers/staff and a scary afternoon for the parents when we found out. After some angst-filled weeks the school made the decision to employ 2 Houston Police Department armed officers at the school all day. It was a decision I supported with some regret as to the state of the world. Well.....on this morning I was volunteering at at table by the playground right by the entrance to the classes. As I was sitting there, the 2 officers who are usually out front in the morning directing traffic and helping the kids get in the door come running past me, talking on their walkie-talkies. After about 15 tense moments and the phrase "lock-down" being thrown around, all was okay. There was a "suspect" on the loose by the school and the officers, along with the school director, handled the situation amazingly. Bearing witness to those moments however, made me eternally grateful for those officers and our school director. For a few minutes when they were deciding whether or not to go into formal lock-down I was struck with a sinking feeling of thinking about going back to Eric's classroom to be with him during the lockdown and feeling almost lucky that I was at the school and could be with him, instead of sitting at my desk at work getting automated text messages that the school was on lockdown and feeling helpless away from him. So...it all turned out fine, but I was extra happy to have a morning with Olivia that day!
And, one final memory, like most kids Olivia is less interested in my schedule (homework, dinner, bath, get ready for bed, etc) than she is in her own (cartwheels, screentime, playing with Eric, etc). It is a constant balancing act to merge our 2 competing schedules into one that meets everyone's needs. On the night before her field trip her dawdling got the best of me and I told her that I would not wake up early to curl her hair the next day because she had made bedtime so late. As you might expect, she LOST it -- yelling, screaming, sassing. She finally calmed down and got into bed. I went to get in bed with her as I usually do for some bedtime cuddles, but she told me not to. She told me to sit down and then she gave ME a lecture! Her angle was: This is not the person you are. It was actually such a genius move. She told me that I am not the kind of person who doesn't give people second chances. I'm the kind of person who likes to make people happy. I care about people. I'm nice.
It was a monologue that would have given Meryl Streep a run for her money. She delivered it with the perfect amount of emotion -- wiping away fake tears, slow and measured tone with the right amount of disappointment/judgment, and perfectly timed head shaking to really emphasize her disbelief in my behavior.
I gave her a kiss and went downstairs. A few minutes later, this note gets thrown down the stairs:
This girl! So I went up and talked to her. She really wanted me to curl her hair and instead of apologizing and begging for a second chance, I guess she decided to use some weird psychology on me. We talked about it and I asked her for an idea of how we could fix the situation. She had some good ideas about giving herself time to play before work, and some things she could do to stay on top of the time so that the bedtime routine didn't get pushed so late. So...at the end...of course I curled her hair. Because, she's right...I DO like to do nice things and make people happy (ESPECIALLY OLIVIA JANE DEAN!!).
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