Epic catch up: PTO dramz concluded for now, last days of school, lots of pool lounging, date nights, 3 birthday parties including a special 10th birthday party, a field trip, and some good old fashioned home improvement

Let's just let the title be our guide for this one, huh?

Starting with PTO:  I am trying to be totally over it, but I am still fuming mad.

Ben went to the final PTO board meeting of the school year (because he is still on the board as the past president, a role I can fill next year if I choose to, but I am not going to choose to because obvi.  Although sometimes I think I should because no one wants me to, and that would be a little fun.)  

The reason he went to the meeting is because a district administrator was slated to be there to talk about rebuilding community, and he wanted to head off any ding-dong-the-witch-is-dead vibes because I have done a lot to BUILD school community these past 3 years, damnit. 

Anywho, the principal and teacher rep (the teachers who came to vote me out were not there) both denied that the vote was a coordinated effort and said they did it because of my BLOG and my FACEBOOK.  Contradictory positions, to be sure-- we didn't do it, but if we did it's because of her internet presence.  The principal went so far as to tell Ben that I exaggerate on my blog and there are two sides to every story.  (I MEAN.  Don't read it! Encourage the other side to write a blog!  It's my personal blog!  Of course it's about me!  It has nothing to do with anyone at my kids' school-- I don't even name my kids' school or any of the people in it!  It's about me!  And my family!).

So, long story short:  I am over it or trying to be over it. The boys love their school, and they both had great teachers this year.  They've had great teachers every year except for one terrible horrible no good very bad year that left a taste in my mouth that will linger FOREVER and still affects Harry's social relationships.  But I don't want THIS to affect the kids-- they're happiness is paramount, obvs.  So, I am tying to be over it before invitations dwindle and they hear terrible stuff about their parents.  I remain concerned that they can't possibly be getting a fair shake from people who hate me so badly, but it is what it is.

Jack had his last gymnastics class of the season-- more in the fall for sure because he loves it, feels confident doing it, and is getting big muscles in his arms.

 These two were posing on the penultimate day of preschool.

 Ben and I picked them up and took them to the zoo because I LOVE THE ZOO.

 Dorothy loves the merry-go-round, which she calls the miggery round, but it really scares her.  She has to sit on the bench instead of an endangered animal and even then she's pretty freaked out.

 OMG I COULD DO THIS EVERYDAY.

 Matching shorts!

 Her last-day-of-school dress is the same one she wore to her first birthday party. I have no idea how it still fits.

 She looks like a girl Dennis the Menace.

 LAST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!  Here's the first day for comparison

Friday night Ben and I went out for sushi and it was glorious, but I forgot to take any pictures.

Cooper had a bday party for a friend that I thought was on Saturday, so he and I left really early and went to Target for a present and $100 of other assorted junk and to Subway since he doesn't really like standard kid birthday party fare.  He wrote his name in the card so sweetly. It was supposed to be his first drop off party, and I am so glad I was paying close attention when I walked him in because WE WERE THERE ON THE WRONG DAY.  And he was pissed about it for a full 24 hours.

 A push pop at the pool really helped.

 I TOLD YOU I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY EVERYDAY.

 Saturday night, Ben and I went out again to a fish place on the lake.  I love a restaurant that takes its themes seriously.

 And then we went to a double birthday party for some lovely friends who are 14 years apart but born on the same date.  No pictures of that because debauchery.

Sunday!  I got Cooper to the right party at the right time!

 And then I did this some more.

 We celebrated our last school night Sunday until September with a tennis court picnic.

 And a rousing game of what time is it Mr. Fox

 And my favorite-- pool showers!

 On Monday morning, I got home from my early morning walk just as this adorableness was coming up the street:

 And Dorothy and Cooper enjoyed SHOW WEEK at The Little Gym:

Jack had a baseball game, and Dorothy made sure to dress her best

 And accessorize with cosmetics.

She was really cold on our morning walk Tuesday and needed to wear my sweatshirt.

 The reason Dorothy came for a walk with me is because we threw caution to the wind and started painting the main floor of our house (not the bedrooms, bathrooms, or laundry room, but everything else) bright yellow, and Ben wanted to get started without her underfoot.

Tuesday night, I dragged everyone to the party store and Target to buy favors and decorations for Harry's birthday party and ingredients for his birthday treats that I thought needed to come to school on Thursday.

 Wednesday morning, Harry jolted me out of bed at 7 by asking me how the cupcakes turned out and saying he was excited to take them to school.  I flew into action and immediately baked 3 dozen ice cream cone cupcakes-- two dozen to take to school and a dozen for us-- in my paint supply covered kitchen.  I was in such a hurry that I overfilled the cones and the dripped all over the cookie sheets I put under my special ice cream cone baking racks.  I thought Dorothy and Cooper would get a kick out of the drips because they looked like poop emojis, but they were just kind of grossed out.

 But!  These babies were ready for delivery by 9:10.

 Ben took them across the street not because I was avoiding school but because I looked like this:

 Wednesday night was Harry's 10th birthday party (his birthday is next week).  He had 20 kids at the same place where Jack had his party, and he picked out tablecloths and basketball decorations and set everything up SO SERIOUSLY.  It was adorable.

 He also played a million games and had a total, sweaty blast.

 There were even party lights that made the carnival games (the kids loved that they all worked without coins) and epic nerf battles even more fun

 Dorothy LOVES air hockey, BTW.

 Jack and Cooper played together all night-- a rarity for sure.

 I also jumped off this thing, and it's REALLY SCARY.

 Sweet and sweaty Jack

 Cooper was scared to jump at first, but then he LOVED IT

 It was an awesome party!

 And I sent the leftovers to school:

 THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!  They have grown a lot since the first day

 Jack;s class spent the morning at an indoor sports facility on a field trip, so I went along.  I hadn't planned on going because of our painting project, but when I told Jack I wasn't going, he burst into immediate quiet tears.  So.  With bells on.

 The trip ended in an epic game of dodge ball featuring 3 second-grade classes, teachers, and parents.  It was way more fun than painting.

 And then we hosted a small champagne party (PER TRADITION) before school pick up.

 And now it is summer!!

 So, back to painting for me:

May: What I Read

May kind sucked for me.

I was really, really busy at work, and I barely had any time to have fun and then I found out all the teachers at my kids' school hate me and I am not rich enough to just sell my house on a whim and move to another school district and most private schools in our town are at capacity or cost $12K PER STUDENT annually (and, I mean, we have 4 students), so we are on a waitlist at a place and are otherwise just fucked because the teachers told me they hated me AFTER all the open enrollment deadlines passed.  And I have basically been ruminating on that shit and not reading.  And I would like to give more details about this story, but I have written it a million times and I just come off as looking insane because you must be reading it and thinking that doesn't make any sense what could she have done that she is not telling us?  But I have been honest with you about hating Harry's terrible second grade teacher and yelling at aids who suck and fighting with the principal about my right to post on FB and this blog, so I have told you everything.  And some of you already hate me a little and think I am a loon, so you are just reading this with a smug face and thinking OMG we knew she was crazy and now everyone else does, too.  But I have to tell you, it is hard to be the parents of a smart kid who needs to be medicated to succeed in our fucked up public school system generally and in the school down the street specifically.  

So, anyway, I barely read in May.

6.  The Year We Turned 40 by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke:  Cute.  Sort of.

5.  The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King:  I wanted to love this book because I do love Stephen King, and he is the best when he writes short stories, but nothing here blew me away.  I did love the forward to each story that talked about how he was inspired to write it.

4.  The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty:  I love her.  This book is older and nowhere near as good as her most recent offerings, though.

3.  Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty:  The title really sums up this excellent and kind of creepy memoir.

2.  The Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard:  READ THIS!  Read Red Queen first.  And join me in looking forward to the NEXT 2 BOOKS!!

1.  You by Caroline Kepnes:  SERIOUSLY, you guys.  READ THIS, TOO.  So much creepy.

One funny book story before I go:  Harry had to miss the first day of his human growth an development unit at school because he was home with his terrible sunburn.  Yesterday, we went to the library to sign up for the summer reading program, and he made a beeline to a book on display in the teen room called Sex Is a Funny Word that is a comic strip style discussion of sex and puberty.  And he read 100 pages of it before bed last night.  He just wanted to make sure he was caught up with the rest of the class.  So, so, so funny.