Here's to Education

I am hoping that your first few days of the new school year went great. For those of you with no children in the public/private school sector, I hope that you thought sweet thoughts for those of us who do. As for me and my house it was not just another day and certainly not just another day at school. We started in a new district. We being my kids did physically and I did mentally. This was a tough decision for Makely. Kauy was all about it, and me....the jury is still out. I decided to let them make this decision, and I could make the rules that would follow.
The first day started out great...well almost. Makaley begin having her stomach aches about 10 minutes before take off! I finally told her I was leaving and she could either ride with me to her friend's house, or she could walk the 5 plus miles to school...in the heat..with her lunch.
Dropped her off with her precious friend and headed to drop Kauy off. We actually got to school a little early, but his teacher was kind enough to let him just sit in his class.
About 9:30 the school Nurse from Makaley's school called. I was afraid that she had fainted, but the nurse just wanted to discuss medication with me. Towards the end of the conversation she asked if we had ever been to counseling for separation anxiety. hello...we are a close family. And, bless their hearts(love that phrase) my kids just have an older than average mom. Doesn't bother me....unless you think I need counseling for it.
At 3:35, my office phone rang and Kauy was on the other end. The first two words were "hey mom" and then it went to blubber and tears. He was to ride the bus to my parent's house so we could see how long it took. When he got on the bus and told the driver he needed off at "said street", the bus driver said that there was no such street on his list. (There is a street by that name on his route, but since 90% of the people on that street are over 55 and have grandchildren, they don't list it any more). So Kauy got off the bus and called me. Thank you to my friends in the office for helping him out. And we found out that my parents can forget the speed limit when one of their "babies" is needing help. Mom sat in the truck and Dad went in to "handle things". Everyone came home laughing.
At 5:30 I go to pick Makaley up after volleyball practice. Her first day ended up being just fine.
But the 10 sentences for homework became a real 45 minute chore.
Today......Mom and Dad took the kids to school for me. And bless his heart(there's that phrase again), my dad was parked in the wrong lane (out of a zillion) and was asked to move and not block the way.
Kauy rode the bus home. The difference you ask? My dad told him to tell the bus driver to let him off at our house, and dad was there waiting for him. All was well except for the foul words that I hope don't stick with my child. Makaley had practice. My heart broke for her when she didn't make the volleyball team. Not the A...Not the B...and don't know if there really is a C team. Then she tells me that her clarinet squeaked all through band practice and she was the only one that had that problem. She said you could hear her above the whole band, and she wanted to just hide. But then she continues to say...if that weren't bad enough, she went to athletics and upon returning to the locker room, found her lunch had been stolen. Okay...let me preach here for just a moment. Not only did we not make the team...seriously, some person wanted cucumbers, apples with yogurt, whole wheat pretzels and a very bland turkey sandwich on wheat? Pleeease. She went to school last year in a school that many parents would say to me "I would worry about my child going there." In the first week of school last year, she saw a student have a serious melt down and one taken off in handcuffs. There are 7 feeder schools to that school and students had to figure out the pecking order. Never in those 180 days did my daughter ever have anything stolen. She left stuff on her desk all the time. Never in those 180 days was my daughter ever "bullied" by someone (secretly bullied)!!! Okay...can you tell it irked me just a little?
And to boot...It rained all around my house and all I got was a handful of sprinkles.
However.....as Paul Harvey would say: Now for the "Rest of the Story".
Makaley and Kauy ate a great supper. We all went outside and enjoyed the wonderfully cool air while she practiced her volleyball. Down balls, bumps, and sets. She's not really bad, just needs more strength. Tony suggested weights on her wrists and legs for about 2 weeks and then see what happens. She is determined to show the coaches. She was all excited about this teacher or that teacher, and couldn't stop talking about her friends. Kauy was sad to learn that my parents may pick them up at school. He kinda liked the bus. Wasn't real scared of the High School kids that sat with him. And he can't wait to go to class tomorrow.
Maybe I have done a pretty good job with these two. They seemed to handle these two days much better than I have. I have cried both days and I didn't start a new school, miss a bus, practice hard and not make the team or have my lunch stolen. I just went to work.
At first I thought that our first two days could be summed up by the famous Hee Haw song "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." But now I think you could sum it up with something like "I will Survive!".