Before I forget, this Saturday is Family Day at Springton Manor.
We went last year and it was a blast. See you there!

I was recently telling a friend about this place, and realized I'd neglected to post about Monkey Joes in this blog.

Located in Pottstown, but the southernmost portion up route 100, this bouncy place has moon bounces, slides and mazes for kids, plus a toddler toy area, and a special toddler bounce only for two and under. They provide a parent's lounge, with massage chairs, big screen TV, magazines, lounge chairs, free internet stations, and have a full service snack bar. Their calendar shows story times, parent's nights out, and more fun stuff. I found this spot one Saturday when DH was working overtime, and it was super humid out, and I avoid malls on Saturdays for obvious reasons. We spent a glorious three hours there and all came home happy and sated.

So as fall comes home and kids spend more time inside and have less ways to vent all of that extra energy, consider taking them for a bounce - it is in my best interest to make this place successful - I love it.

I already have folders of art from preschool. So far my kids love it. A few of their classmates have been in tears as they get dropped off, but mine have actually told me to ‘go now’. That smarted, but when I pick them up, I get squeals of “mommy!” and big, big hugs.

This morning they both hugged their teacher hello. What affirmation that I selected the right spot for them. What a relief.

On day three, my daughter said, “you mean we go to school three times?”

Uhm, well, honey you go to school for a lot of years from here on out. Hopefully it will continue to be as exciting!

Pancake Mountain - a friend just turned me on to this one -finally something fun for the WHOLE family!

You may have noticed that I have become a fairly imprecise speller. I just glanced at the last blog entry and thought I’d give myself a shout out – that I attribute this decline to the combination of a new laptop with flat keys that befuddle my fingers every time they meet, and the fact that most of my posts are written standing at the kitchen counter while my kids question me about this, that, and the other thing.

Sometimes it comes down to a choice between hitting ‘publish’ and having your words read, or of putting it aside, having your files stack up and living mute and with a sense of futility for not having enough time to produce.

I choose production over perfection, mainly because I do not believe in perfection. Things can come close, but if it were attainable, it would no longer serve it’s purpose as a goal and therefor no longer be perfect. Like a robot child, who does everything the ‘right’ way, or a life lived strictly by the rules… such a waste of so much potential.

I love fall. I even have an odd fetish for school supplies. My kids are starting preschool, and although I can hardly believe it, we are all ready for the change.

And my brother just moved back from Los Angeles to attend grad school Philly, and I am so giddy at having him nearby now that the kids are old enough to get to know who he is. They still get my two brothers confused... but hey, they haven't seen them that often and when you are three, a week is like a month to our flying by 'old people' time.

I envy him, but I am still eyeball swamped in this mommytrip, so school for me is just the other lawn of grass shining green and beckoning. Yes, I have always secretly yearned for an MFA, but with zero desire to teach, it wouldn't pay back enough to warrant the investment.

We really had to scrimp just to start up preschool this year. Open house is tomorrow!!! I am so nervous for them to begin the learning process of teacher student relationships and of dealing with the social norms of a classroom full of kids, instead of our suburban homebound insular universe that they know and often take advantage of. Yes, there are days when I have to take a stand against being spoken to like an indentured servant who misehaved.

They take turns being more extroverted and shy, so I can't even guess how they will be with the other kids when I leave them there. And as for me, I can't even guess how I'll feel, having a few hours to myself again after so long.

BREAKING NEWS>>>

This just in - my son just pooped in the potty for the third consecutive time. We may be fully on board the potty train. WOO HOOO! Now we're off to the store to buy him the sword I promised. (Yes, I bribe)