A New School Year

 Today marked the first day of school here in our small town.  This day came just before I sold one of the kids off to the highest bidder.

I kid.  Sort of.

The morning was an early start.  After a full summer of sleeping in, lazy mornings, and just as lazy days, it was a rude awakening for our children.  Arlington needs to get up by 6:45 in order to make her bus, and she is a slug in the mornings.  She started off this morning no different than any other school day......her legs were not working.  She could not possibly get up.

Whatever.

Finley and Cainan have to be up at 7:15.  So that gives Arlington a half an hour of peace and quiet in the morning to eat, get dressed, and watch a little TV before the bus.  But usually by 7:15 she is still messing around, is half dressed, or brushing her teeth while singing to herself in the mirror.

It is a constant circus in our house.

Cainan is easy to get up.  He bounces out of bed like he has been up and ready for hours.  He is happy and ready to start the day whenever you want him too.  He is a slow eater, but other than that, he is no problem in the mornings.

Finley doesn't like to get up.  Like.....ever.   Not only does she not want to go to school, she has no interest in getting down stairs by herself, or eating breakfast, or doing anything that requires work.  She is constantly being coaxed (yelled at) to move it along.  Which.....she blatently ignores.

At 7:33, Arlington and I are out the door to the bus.  I shout final threats instructions to the littles and Arlington and I head to the bus stop.  I return 15 minutes later to Cainan fully dressed and ready to go, and Finley......still in her pajamas.  She is done eating, but that is where she stopped participating in the mornings happenings.

We have time, though, because their bus does not come until 8:30.  But starting next week, the whole game gets a twist.  Finley has braille class on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays before school, and she needs to be there at 7:45.  So - she is going to have to get up with Arlington and rush getting ready.

It isn't going to be pretty.  Anyone want to trade places with me?

8:30 - Finley and Cainan and I head to the bus.  Finley is nervous.  She is unsure who will be meeting her off the bus, what friends she will see, what the class will be like.  Cainan is clueless.  He just happily goes along.  He asks - "I am staying all day?"  "yes" I tell him.  He smiles and says "Great!"  He bounds onto the bus with a big hello to the bus driver and a loud goodbye to me.  Thank goodness I had one that was happy about where he was going.

Then......quiet.  For 6 glorious hours there wasn't a kid asking me for a snack, a drink, a toy, a tv show, to undo a knot, to get them something, to make them something, to tell their sibling to leave them alone, to tell their sibling to play with them, on and on and on.  No one said "mommy" for 6 hours.  I thought I died and was in heaven.

Don't get me wrong.  I loved summer vacation with my kids.  We had some really great days, and we had a lot of fun.  It was nice to be without routine for awhile and take in the sun and warmth.  But the last two weeks, they have been over playing with each other, and over hanging out with me all day.  So - it was time for school.

Everyone came home in one piece.  Arlington said her teacher was "strict" and I was happy to hear that.  She needs strict.  She got off easy last year.  Cainan loved his teacher and could name at least 2 people in his class.  Finley had a great day and talked about everything they did.  But at bedtime she expressed she was worried about not finding someone to play with at recess tomorrow.  We talked and she knows what to do, so I hope she lets that one go.

Cainan had soccer practice tonight and Finley had therapy.  I spent two hours filling out paperwork the school sent home for all the kids.  We are off to a running start.