Education & bucket lists

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Seven days until first grade. I remember when I was six going on seven: we were learning to read with Dick & Jane style books. My eldest, that same age now, can read Magic Tree House books (though she *is* a bit rusty after the summer break... bad mom that I am, I only took her to the library about a dozen times since May.)

The middle child is starting half-day preschool. The youngest is going to hang out with Mommy and spend lots of time in the carseat dropping off and picking up his sisters.

I'll never get used to the ability of days to go by snail slow but the years to zoom by lightning fast. Why is that??? Why can't they stay little, portable, protest-free and daily nap-taking for a few years? There's so much I want to get done, so many places I want to go!

I want to make a quilt. At the rate I'm going, those summer dresses I'm going to someday design and make for the girls may be ready as going-off-to-college presents.

I'd like to paint and decorate the house. We've been here almost seven years; I think it's time.

The pets need attention. The garden needs watering and weeding. I need to finish putting in that block border in the front yard and plant some shrubs.

I'd like to get out my fine art stuff and paint again. I'd like to make use of the oil pastel and dry pastel sets I have squirreled away in various subterranean nooks and crannies.

I'd like to read that stack of magazines on the basement stairs and kitchen island because I'm just sick of stepping over them / shoving them to one side or another / throwing them into the front closet when people come over.

There are a bunch of little interesting spots in our area I'd love to check out: zoos, butterfly houses, free splash parks, playgrounds-a-plenty. Someone braver than I might do it with Three Little Musketeers, but since our eldest Musketeer has just within the past few months acquired the ability to do what she's told when she's told to do it without (much) protest (like "it's time to leave, let's go"... you can't imagine what a scene she used to make! like, all the other people within a half mile would turn and stare at the haggard mom with the screaming like a banshee kid), and the youngest still needs a daily afternoon nap, and I'm overwhelmed and need daily morning coffee to keep up with full time mom / client work / my own illustration work / late night showers, those places remain unseen by us as of yet.

That reminds me, I need to find a babysitter.