2007-09-19 - 7:19 a.m.

Mornings have been running smoothly (for the most part!) considering the past !

We have had a few kinks along the way such as:

LATE FOR BUS OCCURANCE 1: Battle of wills over whether Katie had to wear school shoes. Considering she had no OTHER shoes but sneakers, and I really wanted to establish sneakers for gym and play time I stuck to the rule she is to wear school shoes to school EXCEPT may wear sneakers on gym days. WHEW it was a REAL CHALLENGE for Katie to follow that.

She fought and kicked and screamed and turned into a completely volatile challenge. But she indeed did get off to school with school shoes on her feet ON TIME it turned out (as I drove her).

I prefer to avoid such standoffs.

E-bay has been a lifesaver as she HAS to follow the rules so the fact she now has a few choices of shoes may help to a degree. (But of course she had to COMPLAIN and CRY and INSIST she did not like each of the two new pairs that arrived. I think she secretly DOES like them, but for some reason feels compelled to be contrary)

2. LATE FOR SCHOOL DUE TO THE COWS VISITING.

The neighbor's cows broke through the fence and were enjoying sauntering over to our front yard. The girls and I did a great job of herding them back to the neighbors. I later thought that was a mistake as

a. Our grass where they were could have used the grazing. Buffy came and helped me weed wack, mow and weed attack NEAR the house , but we never made it that far down the lawn.

AND

b. COWS obstructing the path to your bus IS NOT AN EXCUSED LATENESS (At least at Emerick Elementary)

3. Late simply because as I said to the Emerick secretary who asked "Why are you late?"

"A person, and their habits are pretty well formed by year three, so one can try all they want to effect change , but by the time they hit late thirtys it it pretty hard."

I don't think the secretary at Sadie's school has a sense of humor though. She didn't laugh at my dry wit when that was my answer as to why we were late that day. Some people are just SO SERIOUS. She looked at me like I was a nut. (So I held the chuckle to myself until AFTER I left the office. I FOUND It a funny answer, although if it were in a movie scene it would have been optimally delivered by the child character of a parent played by someone such as Woody Allen for optimal humorous affect. I personally have never been good at the delivery of what could otherwise be funny moments because I am so trained by my family to be in the role of straight man that without them around it is not clear I am joking.)

I tell you there is nothing like the experience of being an adult being reprimanded at the school office.

THE REALITY was that WE WERE LATE THAT DAY AS I TOTALLY ENJOYED THE PEACEFUL HAPPY MOMENTS OF BRAIDING HAIR, COOKING PANCAKES AND EATING THEM WITH JOY and SIMPLY GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENTS AND LOST TRACK OF TIME BEING TOO FULLY PRESENT AND ENGAGED WITH MY GIRLS. We get up at 6am and ENJOYED that hour! Just a bit too much.... as it flew by quickly and as always I didn't realize time flew so fast until I looked up at the clock and noted 7:00 AM! OH well... too late for the bus. Since Sadie is at a different school than the others, when driving they are often on time but she is just a few moments late.

4. LATE YESTERDAY in part due to me allowing change of routine as Katie insisted on packing lunch and I let her. I told her at the time "in the future if you want to pack lunch you HAVE to do it the night before" but I did allow it as at 6am when she was doing so it seemed she had time. But she threw off the whole morning and it distracted all- so at 7 sharp the girls watched the bus pass as they were literally walking out the door! OOPS I made sure I taught Sadie to watch the clock and rely on HERSELF to know that she HAS TO GET READY TO GO OUTSIDE at 6:50 AM AS IF SHE WAITS FOR ME TO TELL HER WHEN TO LEAVE SHE WILL MISS THE BUS HALF THE TIME. She was so funny saying "I know how to read the clock. They teach that in first grade" acting huffily like a big girl and like I needn't TELL her that ! SHE KNOWS! I didn't mean to offend her big girl sensibility and said I know she is so smart and responsible, but that I wasn't sure if I ever told her the TIME she needs to leave by as I realized I have just been TELLING them when to go each morning! So she was feeling very grown up with the confidence SHE can look at the clock for herself.

Yesteday after missing the bus, we were late to school then DUE TO THE ADHD MOMENT Of Me HAVING NO IDEA WHERE MY CAR KEYS WERE! I found them in a chair cushion in the living room eventually! Since it is the dealer car and I have no spare that half hour search did have an impact on that morning. So the girls were indeed late by around 10 minutes at Lincoln and a half hour at Emerick.

One oddity though is that the Emerick secretary commented "This is the third time late. After five it becomes a court issue."
The other one said "Not just for you but for everyone."

And I said " I think you mean after five they then make a phone call. That's the policy as I understand, it wouldn't be a court issue then."

And they reiterated the policy that is new that a truant officer would then be in touch. OF course, I am familiar with that. Its a wonderful system and I am so grateful for the back up to encourage my children to take being on time seriously

I am likely the parent who MOST appreciates the help in this area!

I LOVE being able to remind Katie that she needs to be cooperative and listen and be on time as if she isn't she can talk to the truant officer about why SHE is late.

FANTASTIC SUPPORT FOR US PARENTS WHO NEED IT!

Kind of like Santa Claus.

I hope the truant officer truly loves children and has a twinkle in his or her eye so when they do call it is clear they are doing so out of loving concern.

And I hope the lovely secretarys at Emerick would get over their seeming fear of me. It was so bizarre that they seemed disconcerted when I was lingering at the office for a few moments yesterday because I really needed to give few moments of attention to the youngest who gets lost in the AM shuffle of the older ones. We had things to do, so it made sense when Alexy asked sweetly "Mommy please read this to me" that I say "YES" , slow down and give her that lap time. It was MOMMY Time where I read to her. The only disappointment was it for some strange reason made the secretarys skittish.

But considering they acted equally bizarre and cancelled the READING PROGRAM last year under the guise it wasn't enough time to advertise (despite the fact a few weeks later I got a flyer home with equally short notice for a school event) I just suppose there is something else influencing their reactions. I don't think it was imagined by me. I have a VERY good intuitive sense and always have. But they in time will get over whatever their fears are.

I know that. I am not bothered by it. I figure this year I will just be sure to kick off TURN OFF TV WEEK MUCH EARLIER. HOwever I think SEPT just a bit TOO soon....

Off to have some MOMMY TIME with Alexy - and thankfully AT HOME this time.

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