Wednesday

Yesterday I had a very busy day. First a few hours helping out at my old job and then sped across town to the library for my book club. I was home long enough to grab some lunch before time to pick up the kids. Last night we had our first PTA meeting.

I am really excited about PTA and the new school and my place in it. I never really felt like I belonged at the old school (despite how well my children seemed to like it). Most of the mothers were of the SAHM variety and had been together since Kindergarten. They were not unfriendly but not really warm, either. I did okay in preschool with B. But my son's class seemed to already be formed into mom-clicks and I never found one where I belonged. I grew discouraged and gave up. I'm not trying to say it was all their fault. I know I should have made a bigger effort to assimilate.

So this year I am not going to sit back and feel left out. I am going to volunteer and get involved. I am going to meet parents and (hopefully) go on some field trips. I'm going to find a place where I fit.

Wednesday

Yesterday I went for my Red Cross first aid training. I am certified in first aid now. If you have a minor accident while I am nearby I know how to call 911. Just kidding. It was a pretty comprehensive course and luckily covered a lot of the legal aspects of what you can and can not do. I hope to volunteer in our school's clinic. It did not include CPR and I might go back for that. It has been many years since I took CPR and the procedures have changed.

I'm feeling a little blue today. I didn't exercise yesterday and then I blew my diet in a big way. (Because once you realize you've blown it you might as well blow it big, right?) I'm working today and tomorrow and then I have a 3 day weekend without a lot of plans. Maybe I can pull myself out of this slump and stop being so lazy.

Our area Water Department has put us on water restrictions. This is as good an exuse as any to stop watering & fertlizing the flowers. They seem to be holding their own. I'm still wishing for a little tropical storm to blow some rain & cooler weather our way.

Tardiness

Do you have a child who is difficult to get ready in the morning? Who drags himself around? Are you always running late? Well I have the opposite child.

We are early people in general. For the most part people can be catorgized as early, late, on-time or inconsistent. It has been my experience that you can not change late people into early people. You can lie to them to get them their on time but you can not change them. (I could do an entire post on this and maybe I will later.) Late people, after they have kids, usually become very late people. So as early people we tend to be places before everyone else and spend a lot of time waiting on the late people in our lives. Our children are early people, too, and this is good.

This morning we were running a little behind getting out the door because Thursday is the day we get the house ready for our housecleaning service (hate me later). The kids and I were running around finishing various chores. At the last minute my daughter came back in the house to use the bathroom. So we left the house at 7:32. What this means is we had to sit through the redlight between us and the school (1/2 mile away) 4 times. I assured my son that he would not be late. You are not tardy until 7:50. He had a panic attack in the backseat waiting each time for the light to change and each time seeing that we would have to wait another time to get through. (Our side of the light is uphill and any large vehicles usually take more than there share of the time to get through.) I dropped the kids off at 7:44am.

My son can not stand to be late to school. He does not have to be conjoled into getting ready in the morning. In fact, he generally gets up before I do and as he doesn't need to shower is ready long before me. He is usually eager to get in the car and go and has to wait on me and his sister.

Friday

Yesterday I had an entire day to myself and I could hardly remember what I used to do with them. I took a walk and I took a nap. I did a little shopping. I took a long leisurely lunch. It was so hot yesterday. The thermometer registered 96' but getting in and out of the car in hot pavement it felt a lot warmer.

Both children seemed to enjoy their first day of school at the new school. They were both still excited when I picked them up. My son announced that he had four fun things spaced throughout the day: snack, lunch, PE and recess. Both of them made new friends and liked their teachers. Luckily, there was no homework on the first day.

My son had shown some concern about changing from his previous private school to the public school because of things various children and adults had said. However, we have heard many good things about the public elementary school. I think once he realizes that like his private school the teachers care about their students he will not notice much difference (other than the size difference).

Our decision to put the children in private school in the beginning was because my daughter was too young to attend public school, but in the private school she could start preschool early. Because my husband and I both work we needed the children to attend the same school. We put off the transfer to the public school until my daughter had completed Kindergarten. This decision was based on a number of factors and considered prayerfully.

Thursday Thirteen

School Starts today and I so want that to mean that it is Fall. School starting used to mean the beginning of football season, the change of leaves, and the first cool breezes of Autumn. In reality the first football game is still a month away (September 1 if you're an Auburn fan), cool breezes will probably not be felt for 6 weeks, and the first leaves change here after October 1. Fall is my favorite time of year and I look forward to it (longingly) all summer.



Thirteen Things I'm Looking Forward to this Fall

1. Football

2. A relief from this heat

3. Shorter days

4. Candy Corn

5. Boiled Peanuts

6. Beach trip during Fall Break

7. Yard displays

8. Halloween

9. Fall fashions - wearing jeans, long-sleeve shirts, and boots

10. Family reunion

11. Leaves changing color

12. My daughter's birthday (October 10)

13. Deeper Still

Scavenger Hunt

Yesterday the kids and I went on a scavenger hunt for school supplies. Have you had to do this? (Mike, just wait.) School starts here in only 2 weeks (Aug 2). We are starting at a new school this year and having to purchase (directly)more school supplies then before. The school posts a list of supplies on their website complete with the brand they want (not prefer, mind you, but the brand they expect you to bring in). This list includes Elmer Glue Sticks and Crayola Crayons & Mead brand binders. We were able to get most of these supplies at Wal-Mart (and at very good prices). But we needed two different types of construction paper not carried at Wal-Mart and a special type of writing tablet. Why would a school post such a specific list and not specify where these items might be found? A call to the school suggests Off Campus Books so off we went. The Off Campus store had the construction paper but not the writing tablets (Grade 3, horizontal and vertical) so we had to venture further away to Burkett School Supply. The owner there was most helpful, calling the school to inform them that indeed the Grade 3 tablets had been discontinued and inquiring what size tablet was required. It seems this is the same list year after year and no one has updated the fact that there is only Grade 1 & 2 in this particular brand. We still have to pick up some loose leaf paper (WM was out of wide ruled) paper towels (8 rolls total) and new backpacks. The new school requires the clear plastic backpacks.

We also went to the library to check out some DVD's and out to eat at Olive Garden yesterday. So quite a productive day we had. I'm going to miss (a little) these fun adventures with the kids in tow once school starts.