Lunch and recess

So, this morning after getting the younger two into school and helping the youngest ones class inside (they tell these little bitty ones who are just entering the big school to "just follow the class in front of you" from the playground - while all the big kids are cutting through! so I helped my little one and her class get where they were going - and picked up a few others on the way that I knew where they went and who were just wandering the hallways) I had to leave quickly.

Part of the reason I had to get out of there quick is that I seem to always get right in the middle of the things that need to be done (like escorting classes to their rooms). Yesterday, I went to have lunch with my youngest (Y) at her request but they are changing things this year to having recess first and then lunch - which I have long wished for because it broke my heart so see how many kids just threw their lunch out each day and didn't eat at all because they spent their whole 20 min lunch planning what they were doing at recess and socializing - which is only natural since they have to sit quietly all morning. Anyway, they just made the decision the day before school started to make this change so NO ONE was prepared really. Other schools in our district had already made the switch and I think there are some things our school needs to copy. First, they have the kids line up and then give them all hand sanitizer before they go in, which is great, but at one of the other schools I know they installed dispensers along the wall where they come in so they don't have to have someone standing there holding a gallon size tub and squirting it into each set of hands! (One mom was very angry yesterday and when I asked why she said "they aren't even having them wash their hands first!" and I said "a - I'm sure they would let your kids wash their hands if you said that's what you want and b - Have you ever watched when they would send them all to the bathroom to "wash" their hands before lunch?!? They didn't do it - they just stood in the bathroom or hallway visiting. So at least they way they are making sure the kids have as clean hands as they can under the circumstances. Cleaner than before anyway." She still wasn't happy but I think she got my point. I've been up there a LOT as a volunteer at all times of day and have seen a lot of the things like that.

Which brings me back to what I was saying (and I know - you're thinking it's about time!) I ended up helping all the little ones get into the cafeteria and get settled and I opened tons of milk cartons for different kids, fetched napkins and silverware, solved seating issues, etc. And I was just there to have lunch with my baby. She was very good about it though and was content that I sat with her a few minutes because she was too hungry and tired to fuss anyway. ;-) I have to say that they all ate SO MUCH better than I'd seen them do in the past. It was nice, but I think Y at least is going to need to take an extra water bottle or something with her as she was still thirsty after drinking the bottle that came with her lunch.

Anyway, after all that I stayed and was discussing all of it with some of the other moms and reassuring them that it would be a good program when all the kinks are worked out and to give it a chance before judging it. By the time we broke that up it was time for M's class to come in so I stood by the outside door to watch for her and then when her class came in there was someone at the other set of doors to dispense sanitizer to the classes going in there, but no one at the doors we were at. The kids said they'd just do it themselves and I said No Way - I could see it going all over the floor (and each other) so I grabbed the bottle and started doing it. Then one of the teachers I knew came around with another bottle that a child in her class has to have because she is allergic to the regular goop and she said "Oh! I didn't know you were signed up to help with this" and I said I wasn't but that since no one else had come I'd stepped in to help. She thanked me, explained the other bottle and took off again. After I'd got all of them in, helped direct the lunch bag crowd, got the others in the right lines for their classes and make sure there weren't any stragglers, I finally went in and got to sit with M while she ate.

So, when I got home I finally had MY lunch (smoked oysters and gorgonzola in flour tortillas - yum!) and thought about why I let myself get into those situations, but I can't just stand and watch while things go crazy. I will say that all that is why this morning I just got out of there quickly. It didn't help that one of the office ladys stopped to ask if I was still helping with Meet the Masters and I said No, not really. I had the lady taking it over this year that she could call me if she had questions but that was it. (I got hit up Tues at info day by the PTO Prez because the new MTM chair demanded a co-chair as she "just can't do it by herself"! and I gave them another name to try as I was not going to let myself get guilted into helping - I did it for two years with no help running it and my youngest was at home halfdays during that time!) The office lady said she wondered because the supplies that I had ordered at the end of last year had been left sitting in the art room all summer (I had emailed the new lady of what had been ordered and what lessons it was all for!) so she had finally moved it to the MTM supply cabinet and just stacked it up there. (sigh) I am NOT going to feel guilty! I am NOT going to feel guilty! ;-)

Kids back in school!

So, all the little ones are back in school. Yesterday was too busy to think about whether to be happy about it or cry but this morning the oldest invoked some tears. The night before their first day I was up till 2:30 then back awake by 6. Of course, I couldn't get started doing things then because the middle child (M) was asleep in her daddy's recliner so I couldn't turn lights on or anything as I don't wake them up till 7. (sigh) I told them last night they have to stay in their beds and not sleep in the living room unless they want to be woke up early. ;-)

So, I was asleep by 10 last night, only got up once, then up at 6:30 to get myself ready before the little ones got up - then the oldest (O) surprised me by being up at 6:45 - I think she didn't take her tablet last night but she was in a good mood anyway - things went pretty smooth with all 3 - had O out the door about 7:35 to make sure we weren't late today (traffic is a nightmare on the road in front of their school - it's only two lanes and it is right during morning rush hour here so it is crazy!) and she was there by 7:50 so she had plenty of time to make it inside - Yay!
She turned to me as we were going in and said "you don't have to walk me in today" and I told her I was so proud of her for doing so well with all this and she said "well, after all, I am a middle-schooler now" and then I said "can I embarrass you by giving you a big hug and smooch in front of everyone?" and she said "bleh!" then we both laughed and then it was her turn to get out and she did and just walked right on in with the other kids! And yes, I cried on the way back to get the other girls. ;-)
So, now I have music on loud and am doing laundry and general picking up so that I don't think too much about it or about the other two - and I hightailed it out of the school after helping my youngest ones class get in the building. ;-)

Half-Birthday

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to my BFF in Texas for the half-bday package I received in the mail. What a great surprise!!! Dark chocolate candy - yummmm, Dark Chocolate Trail Mix - love it, 3 new books from an author I didn't know about but sounds very enticing - yay me!!! Love it! Thanks bunches "Tabbi"!!! ;-)

So glad it's Friday!

Ok. So, I was going to write on this daily to let out my "angst" and ramble to my heart's content. That hasn't happened. Last week was Spring Break (yay me!) and this week it was back to school with all the heartfelt joy that entails. Plus my oldest had an endangered species report due, complete with diorama, t-shirt and/or poster due today. When did she find out about it? A month ago. When did we check out books from the library? That same week. When did we buy the t-shirt, fabric crayons and diorama base? On Spring Break. When did she start on it? This week. When did she finish it and had to turn it in? This morning. (sigh) At least it was done, but who knows how the oral report will turn out. She is stuck on that wolves are useful to humans because we eat their meat, and no matter how many times I've told her that we don't, she can't seem to get it out of her head. Then she said that the farmers and settlers in the old west started hunting wolves to feed to their farm animals!!! AAARRGGHH!! Anyway, we got her to school with everything intact (she'd used scrap booking paper to do the background, trees, mountains and wolves - used popsicle sticks glued to the back to stick into the foam base - which was also covered in scrap booking paper - the wolves were a simple origami pattern that she could do herself and it seemed the other kids were duly impressed when they saw it). The only problem was this was a special morning at the school for moms to come up and do things with the kids, so the parking lot was over-flowing but I lucked into a parking place on the second row. The kids were cheering and saying it was a miracle! ;-) Then I got them all inside and told the middle one (I think I'll refer to them as O for oldest, M for Middle and Y for youngest) that I'd meet her around in the hallway by her rooms after I helped O get her stuff to her room. Of course, Y flat refused to be pried loose from me, so she trailed after us dragging O's poster. I finally got O to her hallway but she didn't want to go into her room (she's painfully shy) until one of the kids she likes showed up in the hallway and was stunned by the wonder of her diorama (as opposed to his shoebox covered in notebook paper) so it made her feel good and she agreed to go on in. I still had to walk behind her and push her on into the room. Then I left, still with Y clinging to my hip, and went to find M before class started. I found her, but she was VERY upset that I'd not appeared sooner, then she started bawling in the hallway and said I never do anything with her (cue HUGE guilt trip for already overtired and stressed Mom) so I promised that if nothing else the two of us would drive around in the car together this weekend so she could have me all to herself. Of course, I know that she'll start angling for me to take her somewhere and buy her something so I'll have to watch that. She's quite adept at sulking and doing the over-dramatized "you just don't love me like you love the others" scene. (deeper sigh) I finally got her off to class, still whimpering and sniffling, saw one of her friends that I know well and asked her to be extra-nice to M today, and made it down the hallway without bursting into tears myself - still with Y attached to me. I made it to Y's room just in time to get her on the attendance, and explained to the teacher that she wasn't late, but had been with me to O and M's rooms first. Of course, by this point Y was wailing like a banshee and I was close to tears myself so the teacher kindly pried her loose and I made it to the hallway, where another mom patted my shoulder and said "oh, don't cry" which of course made me start crying. I finally got out of there and made it back to the house where my DH was getting ready to leave and told him I was ready to go play in traffic now. He laughed and asked if we wanted to try and take them to the movies this afternoon as he may be able to break free early today. Yay! Maybe I can nap.

What a Night

I am going to be so tired today thanks to my lovely little ones that played jack-in-the-box all night last night, and my DH that blissfully snored the whole time and was completely unaware of it all. (sigh) Things that I thought about while up and down with them and trying (unsuccessfully) to get back to sleep each time: "multi-tasking and how good I was at it when I was working and why am I so dain-bramaged now; why is it that Spring Break is only a break for the teachers and staff at the school because it's not a break for me (when I'm not so tired and cranky it's nice to have them home); how does my DH sleep through everything and is he really asleep or faking; were those noises outside someone trying to break in and do they realize how cranky I am and what I'll do to them; did I renew all the things from the library or do I owe them more money; if I take the little ones to get their hair done tomorrow will they sit still long enough for me to get mine done too or do I wait till they go back to school; what will I write on my new blog and will anyone care; do I care if anyone will care; will it really be good for me to get all these things out and posted on the internet; that character on one of their shows they like to watch who said "the internet is forever"; do I want things out there forever; will I ever get back to sleep; how can a child with three blankets on their bed still have toes that feel like ice cubes; who is sneaking up on me this time and how soon can I get them back to sleep; I'm going to thump my DH if he lets that alarm go off more than once in the morning" Oh well... they are only little once so I'll enjoy it while I can. At least they are getting ready now so we can get out for a while today - maybe - if I don't fall asleep sitting here. I'd better get moving now. (deeper sigh)

Too Tired

Ok. So, I got on here and started a blog because my DH said that it might be cathartic for me to post things online as I like to talk a lot about just about anything and there's just not enough time in the day for me to talk to him about it all. The problem is that now I'm too tired to do anything more with this tonight. I'll just have to wait and see what free time tomorrow brings. After all "tomorrow is another day". ;-)