Good and Bad

I spent a wonderful day at the Beach with Grace today, while her dad and siblings were away in Perth on a Scouting trip.

Grace on the Beach

Wonderful because the weather was breezy and hot and beautiful. Wonderful because we visited friends who are camping there for the summer. Their son is in Grace's class so the pair of 9 year olds had a great time in the sand and water while we got to chat. Wonderful because I got a chance to really get to know another woman I've wanted to meet for a long time and she turned out to be just as lovely and interesting as I expected. Wonderful because Grace got invited to spend the night at the campsite and so she too gets to have a weekend adventure.



Lots of good things happening.

And part of me thinks it cancels out the bad...the fact that Grace didn't want to go to school yesterday partly because she was the only grade 3 girl not invited to another girl's birthday party and the other girls (all 5 of them) have been talking about the party (movie: Brave, and a sleepover) all week and Grace has felt left out. She was pretty morose this morning despite the kittens and the chinchilla, and that's unusual for my cheerful, happy go-lucky girl. When I found out why, I was upset on her behalf and, well, a bit pissy too.

The birthday girl, who Grace is friendly with, told Grace it's because her mother doesn't really know me.

So now, here it is, mom guilt. If I had Grace in dance... If I made an effort to volunteer at the school... If I was more social and got to know the other parents more... But beneath that, there is kind of a subdued rage.

Why would you leave one kid out? Why? Why? Why? So you don't know me....so what? I mean they all play together at school, so how psychotic could she be..?

Sigh.

So off we went for a great day...which we had. And while we were at the beach, talking to the wonderful woman I mentioned above (whose son is also in Grace's class), the birthday girl's father appeared and lo and behold they were at the beach too. He stopped and chatted about how tired his daughter was after her sleepover and then we were introduced and he said yes, he knew Grace Nielsen, and Grace and her friend went down to the water to play with the birthday girl....

And I, dear reader....? I did not say a word about Grace's disappointment or ask the questions that I so wanted to ask, or act in any way ungracious or annoyed.

Because, you know, they're nice people. And maybe it was an oversight. Maybe they didn't realize there are only six grade 3 girls. Maybe having lived here all their lives they have so many friends there is no room for one more. Maybe their finances were capped at 5 kids for movie tickets and the line had to be drawn.

I get all that. But still, it's heartbreaking to see one little girl getting left out. Brings out my inner tiger mom.

So when she was invited to stay over with her friend, I was very happy for her. I left her at the campsite, all smiles, trying out the new zero gravity lawn chairs.

And the day ended well.

A Little Jazz

This suits me today...

 

My Summer Reading

Usually I do a nice little blog post with a link to the books I hope to read, a nice picture, and a few notes of why I picked that particular book for my summer reading.

But seriously, I don't have time for that this year. I don't really feel I have time for this blog given that I have to get groceries and kids, finalize a report, make snacks to take to my "book club on the lake" night, and clean a rather neglected kitchen.

So you're getting a list. Boring, dull, and probably incomplete. These are just my fun reads - not books I am editing, not books for my classes or on teaching, not books for reviewing.

And overly ambitious, I am sure. Because that's how I roll. (Well, really because that just seems to be the way of it this year...I always have less time than I think I have, which suggests I need better time management. I'd take a course, but don't have time...heh heh.)


Denise's Summer Reading List
Bel Canto - Ann Patchett
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Winter Sea - Susanna Kearsley
Atonement - Ian McEwan
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
Animal Farm - George Orwell
Dragonfly In Amber - Diana Gabaldon
On Writing - Stephen King
Possession  - A.S. Byatt
Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

Out of 10 books, there are only 3 I have never read. Pretty sad? I've reached the point where I'd rather spend time with a book I know i love or want to give another chance to than risk wasting time on a book that doesn't cut it.

Ta-da. See, I found time.

Medieval Festival 2012

Because we just can't get enough of knights and horses and vikings and archers around here...we went once again to the Medieval Festival at Upper Canada Village. I've written about it many times. Here, here, here and here.

It never gets old.

Viking Encampment. We threw spears and axes and it turns out Anna is quite good at that.

Winner of the joust was the youngest knight. We saw his first joust just a few years ago. This year he beat his dad.

We cheered for Sir Robert and gallant Gulliver. (The horses are magnificent! And rescue animals.)

An archer's gear, ready for battle.

No day out with grandparents and cousins is complete without ice cream.

Summer Reading

Enough ranting, enough analysis, enough trying to make sense of things that don't always make sense. It's summer, and that means books.

Can't decide what to read....? Try this.

Via Teach.com and USC Rossier Online