The girls are out of school . . . I should be saying "Yipee", but as a working mother I find it challenging. They've been too sedentary thus far and I don't like it. Although I have to admit: my oldest has bronchitis and it's been super windy (25 mph) for days. That doesn't lend itself to much outdoor activity.

At dinner on Sunday night I laid down the rules:

• Mom is working and when there is a sign on her door that says "Quiet", we leave her alone.
• The girls will help Dad (who is between jobs) to clean the house throughout the week.
• The girls will read everyday. (Workbooks will come a bit later--I wanted to give them a week to enjoy).
• The girls will have a morning routine with no TV past 9 am and a maximum of 1 hour of technology time.
• Grooming and bed making are a requirement.

(I think I also need to incorporate an outdoor activity or exercise, other than ballet, once a day.)

We have the next five weeks scheduled with Theatre Camp, swim lessons, (two weeks!) of bible camp, and a stay-cation in there too. 

I'm looking forward to the camps because the girls will be occupied all day and exhausted when they come home. They begged for the two-weeks at bible camp--how could I argue with that. I'm looking forward to the stay-cation. I'm thinking a visit or two to San Francisco to play at Golden Gate Park and to walk the Japanese Tea Garden and some time in the waves in Santa Cruz. I am going to try to keep it a secret from the kids so they'll be surprised each day. 

Now that gets me excited! I need a job with a summer vacation, but I do love my job, so I guess this will do. Shoot, I've got a sweet summer schedule that has afternoons off on Friday, can't beat that!

My baby is growing up--Alyssa is out of Kindergarten! Next year she'll be on the big kid playground and sitting at a desk in the main building. She'll be down the hall from her big sis and involved with all the fun stuff at school. How fast the time has passed.


Her graduation was short and cute as they all danced and sang. Their Faith partners joined them for the last song "What a Wonderful World." I thought I had it together--I was certain I wasn't going to get choked up. I have to say it's very difficult taking pictures through tears. Each 6th grader and their Kindergartner opened a poster during a particular verse in the song. It was something they'd created together. It was beautiful.

The week before Alyssa was sad as she told me they were having their last mass of the school year with their Faith partners. She was so worried that she'd never see her partner again. The relief on her face when I told her that her partner would stay with her through her First Holy Communion in 2nd grade.

I am happy that my girls love school so much and love all aspects of their school itself, from their teachers to attending mass with their Faith partners to spending every day with their classmates.

Podcasts have been a thing for years now and I've never once endeavored to listen. I follow the blog Life in Grace and Edie has recently begun a podcast series so I gave it a shot. Man, I've been missing out!

So I googled something like "podcasts for the working mom" and stumbled on a website with several suggestions. I picked a couple to try. Now I'm hooked. 

I have to drive to San Jose twice a week. I get bored listening to the radio for an hour, so this last week I plugged in a podcast by Manic Mommies. I found myself laughing and smiling most of the ride and I completely forgot about sitting in traffic. It was such a nice change of pace. 

Now I just have to figure out how to find more podcasts that meet my interests. It makes waiting and traffic so much more manageable.

Today was Alyssa's kindergarten graduation (pics to come). It was cute and sweet and of course I got choked up when they sang a song with their Faith Partners. But after the ceremony we were the first family out the door. That didn't hit me until we were halfway home. Are we anti-social?

I dropped Alyssa at the classroom door most days and talked with a few moms on occasion--I was a visual presence at least. But each day I run home after drop off to log in to my computer and begin work. By 8 am there are usually several requests for information or work to be done or meeting preparation to make.

I'm not used to lingering around and conversing with other parents. Maybe it's that I don't allow myself that luxury or the "go-go-go" is so ingrained in my brain that I forgot what it's like to socialize.

Part of me felt guilty afterward, but I can't really pinpoint why. I wonder deep down if it affects the kids when we don't socialize. Do we teach them to isolate themselves, to be anti-social?