Have you been wondering where I’ve been? (Just say yes. It’s kinder.) Our school schedule is a little on the GRUELING side. Anticipating this schedule (and how it will worsen) may be what has caused my gentle shift into a stage of not really wanting any more children.
First child catches the bus just before 7:00 a.m. Second child catches a different bus at a different stop at just after 8:00 a.m. Twins get driven to kindergarten, where there is no parking lot and so parents must park wherever they can find it (hint: HARD TO FIND and MOSTLY PARALLEL) and then walk the children to school—rain or shine, heatwave or blizzard—and wait outside the door until a teacher comes out to get the children. We got a letter from the school saying they realize this is tough, especially for parents with smaller children who must come along, but that we should suck it up. (Man, I would pay CASH MONEY for a school memo to actually say it like that instead of waffling around. We all know they MEAN “suck it up.”)
Then I have just over two hours with Henry before children start arriving home. First child home at around 2:30. Second child and twins home at about 3:45. Homework everywhere! Paperwork everywhere! Lunch boxes and backpacks everywhere!
Well.
Anyway.
This will soon be a well-worn routine, with all of us knowing what’s what.
And in the meantime, Henry would like me to know that he’ll be happy to keep me busy.
After I post this, he’s going to have to get the rest of it shaved off to match.
ACK, indeed!! When are you going to fit in TARGET trips? Or ENTERTAINING ME? These schools… they’re all take, take, take.
That bald patch thing… that’s like a rite of passage, right? Like I might as well just HAND Piglet the scissors because eventually one way or the other this will happen anyway?
The situation with the kindergarten drop-off would be enough to motivate me to find a carpool situation so I wouldn’t have to do it as often. What a pain.
“Suck it up.” Yay. I’ve wanted so many times to be so blunt (“Too bad, your fault, not mine.”) in emails I send out, but people just love working themselves into a snit and turning it into a huge deal. Diplomacy really blows sometimes.
Oh NO! Thank God he is a boy! :-)
Oh dear, sorry about the hair.
My oldest is going to a magnet school this year and he’s gone for over 8 hours including the longish bus ride. It makes for a long day alone with the little one whose preschool doesn’t start until next week and who is not supposed to be napping any more (though often she does).
Ooops. Sorry about the hair, but they all do it don’t they?
My best friend’s daughter just did the same thing to her beautiful curly thick hair. Craft scissors? Check. To the scalp? Check. Had to pretty much shave the rest off? Check. At least you don’t have to go buy big flowery headbands so people won’t think your child is a boy for the next several months. :) Your school schedule sounds exhausting.
oh!! my GOODNESS! the hair! eep!
i don’t know if this will help or not, but i too cut my own hair off, except i was like FOURTEEN YEARS OLD. turns out you shouldn’t take long, superfine hair and wrap it around one of those cylinder brushes while the hair is wet and blow dry it thoroughly, while still wrapped in the brush, to see if that will curl your hair. because you will have to cut the entire brush out of your head at the hairline. of the front of your face.
Oh, that is gruelling. Probably moreso, because you were likely dreaming of all this ‘extra’ time you would have with 4 of them in school. Then to have it whittled down to just 2 hours? Devastating.
The one thing I have figured out is that the backpack/paperwork thing needs to be addressed as soon as they walk through the door. Otherwise, it’s chaos.
That is a rough drop-off schedule! At least Henry can keep himself busy with the scissors.
Yeah, I thought my kids-cutting-their-own-hair days were over. Then the other night I told my 10 year old to go use my shower since his siblings were using the other tub. Fast forward to the next day and my husband brings me his razor and mine and they are clogged with light blonde hair. hmmmmmmmmmmm
So, I know this isn’t the point of the post, but where did you get that super cute shirt for Henry?? I love!
(And OMG, I would die if my kid did something that necessitated me buzzing his hair. I would seriously cry).
Belly Girl- It’s from Old Navy, probably purchased in 2002 when Rob was 3 and loved raaaaaaaainbowwwwwwws more than anything else in the worrrrrrld so I bought ANYTHING even REMOTELY rainbowish for him.
Dude, I feel your pain. My oldest, school-aged two have new lists of responsibilities for school days that include these 4 difficult tasks: get your stuff out of the van, give mom your backpack, work on any homework/projects (this is rare), and walk the dog. I realized today is the first day they didn’t give me their backpacks. DAY EIGHT (or Day 7 if you count the day they both missed when we were all three home BARFING). We’re only 8 days in. Help me.
Henry’s adorable. :)
Four of your five children will be in school for the first time and you only get TWO HOURS to “yourself”? Wha-haaa? That is utterly unfair.
The hair is making me laaaaaaugh! And laaaaaauggghhh! Lucky he’s such a cutie, even shorn.
Also, just the thought of cleaning out all those lunch boxes: ugh.
I can top the hair. Now, this was before I was born, but I’ve been told it enough…
My older sister cut off her eyelashes because, “I wanted to see if they would grow back.” This is the same sister who, in the name of scientific curiosity, dyed my baby sister blue!
My nephew and his sister played “barber” quite often. But only his hair ever got cut. There were times he looked like he had mange. Cute!
Oh my. That school schedule is absolutely insane. I am trying to put myself in your shoes and think about dropping off d, while schlepping o, c and l along for the ride. That would suuuuck. Seriously, can’t they have a car line or something?!
That’s a horrid schedule! My two leave at 7:45 merely so they get some playground time before going in for class to start. Of course we live like 300yds away so they just go off and I get to sit home in my pjs. And then they walk home together after.
What the what now? Can the kindergartners not ride the bus? Why must they be fetched like luggage by a teacher? This is insane and it would necessitate a cranky letter from me to the school, yes it would.
But I’m like that.
That is, like, so totally wrong. How is that schedule supposed to be relaxing?? Ugh. Hopefully you can figure out a way to get a bit more time to yourself.
I completely understand the “ack” associated with school routine….even though I am glad to be back on a routine, even if it is grueling, at times.
Last year, hubby took our daughter to the bus stop every morning since I had the newborn and 2-year-old. With the boys approaching 1 and 3, I thought I could do it by myself.
Yesterday, our daughter missed the bus because I have determined that it is simply not possible for me to get 4 people up, dressed, fed, and functional AND to the bus stop on time.
I completely understand the “ack” associated with school routine….even though I am glad to be back on a routine, even if it is grueling, at times.
Last year, hubby took our daughter to the bus stop every morning since I had the newborn and 2-year-old. With the boys approaching 1 and 3, I thought I could do it by myself.
Yesterday, our daughter missed the bus because I have determined that it is simply not possible for me to get 4 people up, dressed, fed, and functional AND to the bus stop on time.
I completely understand the “ack” associated with school routine….even though I am glad to be back on a routine, even if it is grueling, at times.
Last year, hubby took our daughter to the bus stop every morning since I had the newborn and 2-year-old. With the boys approaching 1 and 3, I thought I could do it by myself.
Yesterday, our daughter missed the bus because I have determined that it is simply not possible for me to get 4 people up, dressed, fed, and functional AND to the bus stop on time.
To get a child to the bus stop at 7 would be nearly impossible in our house. (I mean I guess I could do it if I HAD to). 7:00 is about when I can wake up and still get Harper to school on time w/out going completely insane. I can push that to 7:15 if I don’t shower and I’m willing to use a cattle prod on the kids.
And I totally did wonder where you were, though you wouldn’t know it from my lack of commenting.
Oh the hair – do they really all have to do that? I hope not! Love the photo w/ him holding the scissors, good fodder for a wedding or graduation slide show I think!