School Daze

A few years ago I wouldn't have known what they meant by "successful drop-off" had I been privy to the exchanges of parents of school-aged children, all comparing notes on whether the drop-off that morning had been successful. Now that I have traversed the country of home daycare and wound up on the dark side of walking my 3 y.o. every morning to a classroom in a building with big kids AHHHHH FOURTH GRADERS ARE HORNY-TOED MONNNNNSTERRRRRS, I know what a successful drop-off means.

It means having a dissociative identity disorder for a few minutes every time you drop your kid off at school. My stars! I am so proud of you, my confident, ebullient, brilliant little person who has sprung from my loins into this grand arena of puzzles and sandboxes and knowledge. You jerk! How dare you just pull yourself away from me without so much as a hug and a proper good-bye! Okay, well, I'm just going to go get back to not eating all day because of the lump in my throat that grows bigger every time I think of you.

A successful drop-off does not involve sling-shotting your muncharoo through classroom doors and then shutting said doors and running like the dickens. So I've been told.

The other day, Loverpants picked up our star student from school and, as she had learned in three days of formal education, nothing happens in school worth reporting on, with the exception of the teacher's assistant having had to put on rubber gloves to clean up after Hurricane Tinkle had swept through the lav that day.

The following day, the teacher's assistant asked me at drop-off whether my daughter had told me how she had volunteered the day before to sing a solo to the music teacher? Errherrm, yeah, she had failed to mention that. But thank you!

*** Waiting for Big Sis to get home from school.

IMG_5826

Still waiting.

IMG_5825

When she gets home, operator is ON.

IMG_5831

Infectious

This past week has given me a very serious case of the glads.

We rented our real estate in Boston.

My baby girl is embracing school with tremendous confidence.

And my baby boy took his first steps right into my arms.

You might want to keep your distance--this infection could be viral and doctor says there ain't no cure for it.

Here's a little something to entertain while you're idling in the infirmary waiting room.

P.S. Please judge me and my messy house, and please tell everyone what squalor I live in, and then take pity on me and send me a cleaning service. Grazie!


First Day
Originally uploaded by shamrox

***

And of course, don't forget about the wonderful things that my friend Michelle's organization in Nairobi is doing for women and children. They need your support!

School, First Day of

All the daysleading up until now, I have been orbiting. A major planet in her solar system, hugging this meteor into a sphere of gravity, pointing her toward the Sun.

Today, I was demoted. No longer a bright globe with atmospheric pressure.

Her new teachers, the rising stars. I, spun out to the edges of the known galaxy. Reduced. Less than planetary. Today, I am Pluto.

IMG_5816

IMG_5823IMG_5824

IMG_5822

***

Yet another shameless plug to put the f-u-n in fundraising. This organization is promoting sustainable health for Kenya! Thank you for supporting ASH!