parent-teacher conference and mitzvah project

This morning Eric and I had a parent-teacher conference with the boys' teacher, Miss Susie, and her new assistant, Miss Alex.

I was so proud of my guys! Miss Susie and Miss Alex were overwhelmingly complimentary about our boys, telling us how wonderful they are to have in class, how they are sweet and snuggly, good with their friends, and good listeners. I am just so pleased that they are good friends and classmates- and it makes me feel good, because I must be doing something right.

I am very sensitive to social slights. I think it comes from my time in Texas, when I was always on the outside of any desirable social group.  There aren't really cliques in my life anymore, but I worry all the time, "what if nobody likes me?  What if nobody likes my children?"  I'm just not one of those people who is able to say, "Well, if they don't like me, that's their problem, because I'm wonderful!"

That is to say, when I found out that one of the boys' classmates had a birthday party over the weekend and they weren't invited, I started to worry.  Are my guys not nice to him? Is he not nice to them?  Do my children have enemies at this young age? (Leaping to conclusions, maybe?) Benjamin had mentioned to me once that this boy is "a mean guy," and that he didn't want the boy at his birthday party.  The vindictive mommy part of me said, "ok, this guy didn't invite my kids, now I have the perfect excuse not to invite him to our party!"

At the conference, I asked the teacher if everything is ok between my boys and this other boy.  She paused and then told us that he's been having some difficulty at home, and that he has some trouble at school that they're working on.  It's not my boys.  Then I felt bad.  So we'll just have to be the bigger people and invite him to our party even if we weren't invited to his.  This will be a lesson.

After conferences, the boys, Charlotte, and I went to do a mitzvah (it was MLK day).  We went to an assisted living in a town nearby and made no-sew fleece blankets.  They were more interested in the snacks on a nearby table than in the blanket-making, but they were mildly helpful.  Then we walked the blanket across the home to give to wheelchair-bound residents who get cold.

Asher and Maddie getting their blanket ready to give away.

Walking blankets across the residence

Holding blankets 

Asher giving his blanket to a woman

Asher wasn't quite clear on why he needed to give the blanket to someone else.  Now I've promised to go to the fabric store and buy more fleece so we can make them blankets at home.

After our mitzvah, we went out with Maddie and her mommy for lunch at the Front Street Fountain.  We had a delicious, if not healthy, lunch, and all 5 of our children were wonderfully behaved.  Lunch ended with ice cream sundaes.

At the counter

 Somehow, these adventures didn't serve to exhaust anyone- no one napped, not even Charlotte!  Tomorrow is likely going to be a snow day, so more time with my angels.