Black eye, day 13. Just so you know that it's almost gone. Also, we got a cool new ninja turtle.

(More pictures from the beach vacation)

I am overdue for a post, and have started a couple different times, but can't seem to figure out what to say. I started one post that said "I have a general good feeling hanging over me right now" and then the next day I looked at it and thought "no I don't- what was I talking about?"

Things are good right now- nothing is wrong or anything. But I have this vague sense of unease. I don't usually remember my dreams, but I have been remembering them for the past couple of weeks, and they are all like this: I realize that I am supposed to be at the airport in half an hour, but it takes half an hour to get there and I still have to pack, and there is a lot of important stuff that I can't forget to pack, and why didn't I pack for this trip sooner? And even though there's no chance in hell that I'll make that plane, I still keep fumbling around in my dream, trying to pack.

Or: I'm babysitting someone's baby, and I don't remember how to pick a baby up, except that I've raised 2 of my own, but now I don't remember what to do, and I feel bad because I offered to babysit for this friend and now I'm going to drop her baby or something.

I suppose I must be anxious about school starting. But there's no reason to be worried about Henry. The transition this year should be smooth as silk (I know, famous last words). But he'll have the same main teacher, be in the same classroom, have the same bus driver, be on the same schedule. Just like last year.

I am also anxious, but in a good way, about Henry's birthday. It always falls on Labor Day weekend and it's so fun to plan a cookout or trip to the zoo. It's a bit disappointing that Henry doesn't want to have the usual 8-year-old party, but it's so fun to think of all the outings he would enjoy that the disappointment disappears before it even fully forms.

Hmmm, what happened last week...

Thursday night we visited the elementary/middle/high school complex, to pick up Kate's schedule and books and to buy Henry's school supplies. It's easier to feel like we are really part of the school community, now that he is attending school in our district. But we still don't quite fit. His teacher sent him a cute letter ("We will have 6 boys in our class this year. I will need your help to teach them the rules and show them around the school...") and included a supply list. I assumed it was the 2nd grade supply list, but I was wrong. I guess it is the STACK classroom supply list. The woman from the PTO who was helping me couldn't have been nicer- she scampered around gathering supplies, and was very apologetic that she had never seen this list before. "There are only 6 kids in his class," I explained, "and most of them don't live in the district, so they probably wouldn't come to the PTO school supply sale."

I bought Henry a t-shirt with the name of his school on it (now that we're at the same school for the second year, I am willing to commit.) Henry's classroom door was open, so he went in and looked around. It was great to see how excited he was to look at everything. He spotted a couple of the new boys' desks, and seemed very comforted to come across a picture schedule.

He had a great horseback riding lesson that night- another child was having a lesson also, so there were times when the instructor would be working with the other child, and Henry would just be hanging out, sitting on T, talking to T. T would kind of wander around a bit and Henry seemed very comfortable, just on his own with the horse, with no one else assisting. They even TROTTED for the first time! (The instructor was right there for that part!) Henry grinned from ear to ear.

His instructor encouraged the kids to give one another "feedback". So Henry shouted "good trotting Anna!" over and over. Very cute. Tommy got to ride briefly also. I had never intended to raise equestrian children, but it seems like Thomas might end up taking classes too.

It just goes to show, you never know what opportunities a "disability" might bring to the whole family.