Ally and Emily's 1st Day of Kindergarten
OMG... My morning:
8am- Kelly took her PJ's & diaper off and wet the sheet. *groan* Make breakfast for the kids and then get everyone dressed. It's PE day for Zach, we can't find a pair of shoes that fit (we all wear sandals all summer). Note to self: go shoe shopping this weekend. Put sandals on Zach and rush everyone into the van. Grab myself breakfast, a can of Mountain Dew. Send Zach back inside for his backpack.
8:38am- Drop Zach off at school and curse all the parents who park in the drop off lane so they can walk their kids 25 feet on the sidewalk to the front door.
9am- Drive by Target being built 15 minutes from my house. *rejoice* And then grumble because it won't be open until October so I have to shop at Wal-Mart today (a rant for another day). Go to Staples first. Zach has two supply lists, the one for general 1st grade (which I bought on Sunday) and then a specific classroom list sent home yesterday. Item #1 on second list- dry erase markers. But not any type, the vis-vis fine point. Grumble because of the $4 dollar price difference. Buy 3 packages because the same markers are on the girls' donation lists. Load back into van.
9:30am- Unload kids to go into Wal-Mart. Force a smile as the greeter gives the kids stickers. 8 rolls of Bounty paper towels for $5, toss one package in cart. Find a package of inexpensive white socks (see previous post under weird required supplies). Let Kyle pick out new underwear. Go to the dreaded toy section for required alphabet magnets. Can only find numbers. Tell Kyle to leave the ball display alone. Toss balls back into ball display. Give up on the letters and head over to housewares for water bottles. The school isn't air conditioned and the kids are allowed to bring in water. Find water bottle display. Emily: "Hey Mom, letter magnets!" Huh? Sure enough, a display of alphabet magnets right next to the pots and pans. Go figure. Pick out 5 water bottles (cause Kyle and Kelly want one), make sure they all work (sports bottle spouts). Look for last item on weird required supply list: small flashlight. Find only pastel ones. Blah, he can deal with periwinkle. Check out. Cringe at $45 total.
10:30am- Arrive home. Put donation items in the girls' backpacks. Wash water bottles.
10:50am- Flip through paperwork to make sure I filled everything out. Oh drat, I didn't! The girls have homework too! Due today! Don't panic, it's just a little "About Me" page. Call Em and Ally over, we fill in the papers. Notice there's a spot for the picture. Find a cute picture on the computer. Send it to the printer. Change Kelly's stinky diaper. Check printer. Panic! An abstract picture of Emily is not going to work. Print again. Results even worse.
11:15am- Evil perfectionist takes over. A normal person would say, "darn I'll have to use a picture from last year." Or even, "I'll drop the memory card off later for overnight prints and send in the paper tomorrow." But no, my perfectionist side takes over. I want this picture and I want it now. Call Krogers Photo Lab manager, she can do it (Barb and I used to be real close when I used 35mm exclusively). Upload pictures to compact flash card (I also tossed on a couple of pictures that Zach needs for his "About Me" project due Friday). Load kids into the van. 10 minute drive to Krogers.
11:45am- Arrive at Krogers. Rush all the kids inside. Drop off card, 15 minutes, she says. Hmm, decisions. We're cutting it really close to get the pictures, drive home, eat lunch, and get the girls ready to be at school no later than 12:45. (originally I wanted to leave the house at 12:30) Should I? Can I be a bad mommy this once? Walk the kids over to the lunch meat aisle. "Pick out a Lunchable." *cringe* Pay for 4 Lunchables ($10, same price as lunch at McDonalds), take the kids back out to the van to eat. Open up the packages, watch them cheerfully eat.
12:10pm- Everyone back inside Krogers. Pick up pictures. Drive home.
12:20pm- Home. Rush in to stick photos on papers. There! But perfectionist mommy is not done yet. Iron girls' first day outfits. (Yeah, I'm even rolling my eyes at myself now). Get the girls dressed and brush their hair. Dress Kelly again since she pulled off all her clothes while Em and Ally were changing. Wait on Kyle to go poopy. Fill water bottles. Wait on Kyle. Check backpacks one more time (folder with paperwork and homework, package of dry erase markers, box of tissues, roll of paper towels). Wait on Kyle. Take Em and Ally's pictures outside. Wait on Kyle. He's finally done! Load everyone into the van.
12:38pm- Leave the house. Thank God that the school is only 2 minutes away. Pull into the last parking space. Rush the kids out of the van. Crap! Kyle squirted the remains of his Lunchable Go-gurt down his leg. Grab a handful of tissues and wipe the mess up. Try to act calm as we walk past other Mom's with cameras, Dad's with video cameras, Grandparents and assorted other relatives. I think the Titantic had a smaller send off.
12:40pm- Go to Ally's room first. Teacher doesn't know which one is Ally, greets Emily. Correct mistake and laugh with her. Take a picture of Ally at her seat. Give her a kiss. Em and Ally cheerfully hug.
12:43pm- Go to Emily's room. Pass Zach in the hall on his way back from lunch. *smile* Emily's teacher is way too excited by the roll of paper towels. Help Em put her stuff away. Then we can't find her seat. Hmm... Check with teacher. Another kid was sitting in her seat. Take markers away from Kyle. Take picture of Emily in her seat. Take markers away from Kyle. Give Emily kiss. Take markers away from Kyle.
12:50pm- Leave school and try not to cry. *sniff*
I'm just glad I didn't have triplets. *winks*
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