All right. Who stole my post? The other night I wrote about the Car Conga, does anyone remember? I searched my files, I searched my pending posts, I searched my other blog. Nada. Granted, I wrote it at 3 in the morning but, still… I even remember seeing it online later that morning. Where did it go?
If it suddenly pops up somewhere and a lot of what I say here is redundant, forgive me. Maybe this one will be funnier since I’m writing it in the light of day?
Nah.
*****
Last year I used to bitch and whine about waiting in the student pick up line to gather the boys after school because the process took about 20 minutes. Now I long for the good old days.
The boys attend a new school this year that has triple the amount of students and six hundred times the amount of vehicles picking them up. In fact, I’m pretty sure some dummy cars have been slipped in just to fatten up the line and make sure we are there for the maximum time allowable by law. I’ve seen fewer cars at a Rolling Stones concert. If every person on the entire Asian Continent suddenly showed up in my driveway all driving Subarus, there would be less traffic than there is at 2:30 in the school lot.
Since attendance at this school is highly sought after by parents within the district, most families have to apply to get in. Many come from quite a distance and are therefore ineligible to be included on the bus route. This makes for quite a long car line and quite an exasperating process if you plan on getting your kids home before 1 a.m.
For safety reasons, each child must be personally deposited into each vehicle by an adult so we wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. I’ve thought of bringing a portable grill and some beer to help pass the time but school officials might frown on that. So I killed time flinging spitballs at other cars instead (kidding!).
In fairness to the school, they understand this is a hardship for the parents. In an effort to show their appreciation for our patience, they passed out flyers today telling us that we’ve done such a good job following the pick up rules that they were able to dump kids into nearly two hundred cars yesterday in an orderly fashion. Two hundred! 200!
As it stands now, from the time I reach the school campus until the time I leave is roughly one hour. Add transit time to the school, then going to pick up my youngest from preschool and then driving home and we’re looking at over two hours every afternoon spent ferrying children. Since there’s no waiting in the morning, the whole process takes only an hour.
At the end of this week, I will have spent more than fifteen hours just getting my kids back and forth to school. Since I really don’t mind because the school is 100% worth the hassle (so are the kids, when I think about it), why am I telling you this? First, I want sympathy and lots of it. Second, if I don’t laugh about it, I may hang myself with the seatbelt.
Re. the 2nd “Wait” pic: What’s that sitting on you? Another one of your pets? Re. the 3rd “Wait” pic: Thought you were going to get a new hairdo……
Hysterical blog!!
I love the one on one time I have with my child in the line. I’m so eternally grateful that I’m not waiting in a surgery anteroom for results of my child’s white blood count. I’m grateful that my child is well and healthy enough to attend a regular school.
Have you thought about volunteering at a children’s hospital? a burn wing? a head trauma hospital? a cerebral palsy group home?
How about books on tape in the car that the two of you can share? How about a conversation with your child about what a wonderful blessing it is that teachers (who could double their salaries in the business sector) sacrifice so much just to be with them? Have you tried praying over the hands of all of your child’s teachers past, present and future? Have you thought about having a stack of blank thank you cards to have your child fill out for that secretary that loaned your son a pen yesterday? Or to express gratitude to a science teacher who remains energetic right up to the end of the day? How about a list of small, token thank you gifts — maybe some Throat Coat tea for the teachers with a thank you card like: “You put the ‘tea’ in ‘teacher!’”
How about a music CD from when you were your child’s age and contrast and compare the similarities of the BeeGees and their favorite artist…
Is mom for real? Is that your mom? Wow, I’m speechless. For real. You don’t strike me as the “praying over the hands of teachers” type. And most teachers I know don’t drink tea, they’re too busy taking coffee intravenously.
Kate – No, that’s not her Mom. I’m “The Mother” when I comment. Love to read blogs, but don’t do it myself. Hate anyone to think I would criticize her like that. She’s talking of waiting in the car FOR the children, not WITH them. I’m proud of her blogs & of her as a mother. I was afraid readers would think it was me. Thanks for asking.
I’m trying to think… why don’t I get to use the carpool line at school? Oh yeah, the kids are always causing trouble and getting detention so they have to stay after and clean desks and stuff. No, I’m just kidding, of course. But hey, consider it a suggestion!