Ok, so the kids survived the first day...phew! :-) No really, I knew they would not only survive, but totally enjoy it. I wasn't sure that I would survive...but I did! First day down...I can handle the rest of the year. :-)
Let's see...pick up was uneventful at Ryan's school...all his old pals...and some pretty tired kiddos! Then we raced back to Jack's school to attempt a drive-thru pick up. Sound funny? Well, it kind of is, although I must admit it was pretty smooth. So, here's how it goes down. We were luckily informed by a fellow parent before we left for pick-up to have a sign in the car window w/Jack's name and grade taped to the window. So, at 2:50pm we pull into the parent pick-up area with our sign in the window as directed and we wait. School gets out at 3:10pm, with about 10 minutes to go and a line of cars in front and a line in back, Ryan announces that he has to go potty...NOW!!! Frantically, I search the car and area nearby for any good bathroom location - keeping in mind that I'm not supposed to get out of the car or leave it unattended. Sooooo, as a last resort I realize that I have a trashcan in the car that it would have to work as our portable bathroom. Thankfully, he had decent aim...today. :-)
Ok, so we jump that hurdle...back to the pickup adventure. I am directed to move forward as children are matched with waiting cars...Jack's name and grade (from the sign in my window) are radio'd back to staff holding students behind the school gates. I slowly watch kids make their way to waiting parents, cars, buses and bikes until there are very few students left. Meanwhile, I am still sitting in the parent pick up line...other parents who have arrived after me are leaving...Jack's name has been radio'd at least 10 times by now..again more students are escorted to waiting parents. I'm beginning to panic, but can't leave my car and am stuck in the front of the line of waiting parents. FINALLY at 3:30!!! I see Jack being escorted to my car...phew...the staff member reminds me to practice recognizing our last name w/Jack as she sees this as the reason he took so long to make it out. However, upon closer questioning in the car, I find out that my dear 6 year-old boy thought he was going to after-care (called LEAP) today, even though I had told him many, many times that I was picking him up today (so we could get a special treat after our first day) AND after his teacher had put him in the parent pick-up line. After all of this, he managed to convince another faculty member that he should be going to LEAP and moved himself to the courtyard to wait for the LEAP staff!
See, see...I was not the paranoid parent...I have reason to be worried about Jack going off to the big school. The boy half listens (he gets that from his dad) and is confident he is right (he gets that from me). :-)
Anyhoo...the first day is over, and thankfully we don't ever have to do it again! Next year they will both be at the same school and we will have a whole year at the big school under our belts! Change is hard people...change is hard.
On a less rambling note: we found these cool ABC tator tots at the store this weekend, so we enjoyed spelling our names in tators for our first day of school dinner! The kids thought it was great...a fun end to an exciting & exhausting first day! :-) Ok, pictures to come later...they won't upload right now. :-(
Let's see...pick up was uneventful at Ryan's school...all his old pals...and some pretty tired kiddos! Then we raced back to Jack's school to attempt a drive-thru pick up. Sound funny? Well, it kind of is, although I must admit it was pretty smooth. So, here's how it goes down. We were luckily informed by a fellow parent before we left for pick-up to have a sign in the car window w/Jack's name and grade taped to the window. So, at 2:50pm we pull into the parent pick-up area with our sign in the window as directed and we wait. School gets out at 3:10pm, with about 10 minutes to go and a line of cars in front and a line in back, Ryan announces that he has to go potty...NOW!!! Frantically, I search the car and area nearby for any good bathroom location - keeping in mind that I'm not supposed to get out of the car or leave it unattended. Sooooo, as a last resort I realize that I have a trashcan in the car that it would have to work as our portable bathroom. Thankfully, he had decent aim...today. :-)
Ok, so we jump that hurdle...back to the pickup adventure. I am directed to move forward as children are matched with waiting cars...Jack's name and grade (from the sign in my window) are radio'd back to staff holding students behind the school gates. I slowly watch kids make their way to waiting parents, cars, buses and bikes until there are very few students left. Meanwhile, I am still sitting in the parent pick up line...other parents who have arrived after me are leaving...Jack's name has been radio'd at least 10 times by now..again more students are escorted to waiting parents. I'm beginning to panic, but can't leave my car and am stuck in the front of the line of waiting parents. FINALLY at 3:30!!! I see Jack being escorted to my car...phew...the staff member reminds me to practice recognizing our last name w/Jack as she sees this as the reason he took so long to make it out. However, upon closer questioning in the car, I find out that my dear 6 year-old boy thought he was going to after-care (called LEAP) today, even though I had told him many, many times that I was picking him up today (so we could get a special treat after our first day) AND after his teacher had put him in the parent pick-up line. After all of this, he managed to convince another faculty member that he should be going to LEAP and moved himself to the courtyard to wait for the LEAP staff!
See, see...I was not the paranoid parent...I have reason to be worried about Jack going off to the big school. The boy half listens (he gets that from his dad) and is confident he is right (he gets that from me). :-)
Anyhoo...the first day is over, and thankfully we don't ever have to do it again! Next year they will both be at the same school and we will have a whole year at the big school under our belts! Change is hard people...change is hard.
On a less rambling note: we found these cool ABC tator tots at the store this weekend, so we enjoyed spelling our names in tators for our first day of school dinner! The kids thought it was great...a fun end to an exciting & exhausting first day! :-) Ok, pictures to come later...they won't upload right now. :-(
4 comments:
There is nothing like sitting in a hot car with a four year old and a trash can of pee for 45 minutes. Good times.
Hey, your turn is coming lori!! Wow, it's hard to believe that school is starting and that Jack is in public school 1st grade!!! Traci, You'll look back one day and laugh at the trash can pee story and the "I'm sure I'm in the aftercare line story"! I'm glad you're writing these all down! --Mom
Traci,
I agree with your Mom - these are great stories! Like the alphabet tater tots, too!
1) I want some alphabet tater tots...those are AWESOME
2) I TOTALLY understand the (non)paranoid parent feelings...I was getting anxious just READING the story, let alone living it. I don't even have kids yet!
3) I agree with Cuz Lo's estimation of the fun-factor of sitting in a hot car with a trashcan of pee...and I am reminded, again, why I'm not ready to have kids, yet.
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