i am writing to you from the second day of school, having survived the first. i
think it was actually ok, although it was the kind of day that left me feeling like my adrenal system had spent way to much time in action. or that i need to learn some deep breathing exercises….
the squirt and i were up bright and early, but i thought we were going to have to drag the squirm out of bed by his big toe.
my target car loading time was 7:15, and we did manage to pull out of the driveway around then. unfortunately two blocks down my dash-board started flashing its symbol for low tire pressure.
to me, any car communication that involves an exclamation point, means “pull over now, something is about to self destruct!” that might be an alarmist attitude, but there it is.
so i duly pull over, hop out, and inspect my tires. hmmm…..no flats, inconclusive. i decide that dropping the squirm off on time is my #1 objective and proceed to school, flat tire be damned.
we arrive at the melee that is school drop off and i realize that my hope of simply following a knowledgeable mom into the proper driveway is a dream. cars are EVERYWHERE! in no easily discernible pattern (at least not to a mom slightly panicked about having a flat any second).
all this time the squirm is working up his own panic about me letting him out of the car. by the time i glide to a stop at the curb (in front of a kid unloader we have never seen) he is full on screaming “noooooooooooooooooooooooo.”
but, school is the right thing, right? i slam it into drive, run around to set him free from his carseat, prevent him from fleeing immediately into the cavernous rear of the minivan, and get him to the sidewalk. where he proceeds to rush me in an attempt to get back into the car. having failed this attempt, he next tries the dead weight puddle on the sidewalk technique.
fortunately by this time a teacher we know has arrived on the scene, which doesn’t really encourage the squirm to head into the cafeteria, but at least makes me feel like i can drive away and leave him there.
apparently within 5 minutes the squirm was recovered and proceeded to have a great day, during which he even spent nap time on his nap mat (even though he didn’t actually sleep). he arrived home cheerful and safe and sound.
he did have this piece of tape on his back with his name. i suppose i would rather they do this, than they lose my non-verbal child (who probably couldn’t tell someone who he was), but it still struck me as odd.
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