OK, so last week I decided to get online and find out what day school started, and I was shocked to learn that I had a week to prepare. I had sprained my thumb a week and a half earlier chasing Derek and ramming it into either him or the couch…I am not sure because I was yowling in pain the instant it happened. I thought I broke it, and three days later, went to the doc and she thought I had as well, but it turned out to just be a bad sprain. I still use the brace three weeks later, but I am exercising it now at least. That really has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that I had all this stuff to do all of a sudden, and I was short a hand.
My sprained thumb in the brace.
I had to get an eye doctor appointment for Jason and Ashley to get updated prescriptions for their glasses. Jason had lost his glasses last April, so he hadn’t had anything for three months or so. I used to replace them every time he broke or lost them, but no more. I will get them fixed as often as I can, and I will replace them once a year on top of the initial purchase, but that is it. If he loses them twice, he has to wait. That can get pricey! Even after insurance. Well, I was able to get the appointment for last Thursday by the grace of God. Last year we used the doctor that works for our regular doctor, and I was told that nothing was wrong with Ashley and Jason had drastically improved. Apparently, this guy cannot diagnose children. He is very kind, but not very good. Last Thursday, our regular doctor was there, and I find out that Jason still has a serious need for glasses, and Ashley is so far-sighted, her right eye basically doesn’t work anymore. We are going to try glasses and patching again for the next 6 months (I had taken her to Children’s Mercy last year when the other guy said she had no issues and her right eye was staring at her nose…the doc at Children’s Mercy told me she was very far-sighted), but he thinks that most likely the glasses and patching are not going to be enough. We are most likely going to have to get her surgery to strengthen the muscles in her right eye, and THEN try the glasses and patches to get it strong enough to start getting information from the brain and maybe improve her vision. Great…patches on a two-year-old… Jason found his old glasses the day before we went to the doctor, and his new ones will come in this week. For the first time ever, we now have two pairs of glasses, giving him a back-up pair, even though the prescription is light. At least he doesn’t need surgery! We tried the patches with him, and that was no fun…at all! I think the longest he let one stay on was an hour, but that only happened once. The rest of the time, he tore it off within minutes.
Ashley wearing an eyepatch
That same Thursday, we had an ice cream social at the school where the kids can meet their teacher, see their classrooms, and get ice cream with their friends. And to drop off their supplies. Whoops! I forgot that this was the main purpose of the ice cream social. I had some of them already, but most of them I still had to go get. We went to the ice cream social anyway so the kids could see who their teachers are. Troy got the same one as Jason had last year, which is good. I love her! She is really good, and Troy is very happy. Jason got a new teacher who started teaching last year. She seems very nice and excited to be there, which I like. I am a little nervous about having a newbie teach my son, but having been one myself, I am willing to give her a fair shot. Jason seems to like her a lot, so I think everything will be just fine.
First Day of School!
So, Friday, I took the kids to Walmart to get the rest of their school supplies. That was fun. We were fighting a monster crowd, scrambling for the last remaining items on the list. We were running back and for the between the school supplies aisle, and the special bins they have set up just for Back to School stuff. All the mothers were smiling at each other while secretly plotting a way to get the last box of markers before the others did, or how to stick the other moms with the dry erase markers with the eraser and dry erase board, which is all that was left with four dry erase markers in it. Elbows were thrown, carts were used as secret weapons, and children were used to get things out of reach by mom. It was a madhouse! We were able to get everything except yellow wooden pencils. I have more mechanical pencils I could ever want, but none the kids can use at school. Crap.
After this delightful adventure, I then took the kids grocery shopping. No, I am not suicidal. Just a masochist. They were bored before we even got through the produce department. They decided it would be great fun to bury Troy with all the food. I figured that as long as they were in, on, or around the cart, I was happy. My peaches would disagree. I had to throw five of them away at checkout…after I paid for them. On the upside, I found wooden pencils there, and bought a ton of them. At checkout, after throwing away peaches, the kids all helped to put the food onto the belt, and then helped load the bags into the cart. I was careful to be sure the eggs and all bread products were safely placed up onto the child seat area of the cart, and let them pile everything else in as fast and hard as they do. Ashley decided that I did it wrong, and when my back was turned, moved all the bags of bread and buns into the main part of the cart, while her brothers were placing bags of cans, milk, and other heavy items into the cart, turning all the bread into much thinner and more creatively shaped products. Ah, well. The bread is still edible, and the eggs are all still whole. The kids were actually pretty good overall, so I guess it was successful.
I am not sure why the woman is smiling. It is definitely not funny…
We then went to drop the supplies off at the school. We all walked up to the doors, but…locked. Crap. I look over and the secretary is sitting in the office with the light off. Waving at me. I started thinking bad words, but stopped because she is actually a very kind woman, and has been very good to me, but still. So we went home.
On Saturday, we went to the Boulevard Drive-In for the last time before school starts. They were still showing “Planes” and “Smurfs 2,” which was really great for the kids. We got there early, set up, and let the kids play on the playground. I had made a couple of homemade pizzas and took them with us, along with a cooler of sodas and water and, of course, candy and cookies. Right before the movies were set to start, I took all the kids to the bathroom, and they were showing the crowd up on the screen. They showed us a couple of times, and did a close-up of Troy. The kids were so excited! When we got back, Jason and I were in our chairs, Derek was curled up in a ball on another chair, and the rest of the kids were on the blankets in front of us. “Planes” began, and we all settled in for another wonderful night at the drive in.
Here is our set-up at the drive in!
The kids on the slide in the playground at the Drive In.
Here is the pizza I made and took to the Drive-in. It was really good!
The next day was Sunday. We played hooky from church (again…) and decided to go to Antioch Park all together as a family. It has been a long time since Daddy came to the park with us, so it was an especially good time. We played on the playground, went to the pond and looked at all the wildlife, we went for a walk in the woods, and we went on a small adventure along the stream. We then went back to the playgrounds, but played on the upper playground, the swings, and then the small ”town” that has been there since Jason and I were kids. While the kids were putting each other in jail or hiding from each other and chasing each other around the town, Jason and I were reminiscing about all the fun we had at this same park so many years ago. (Have I told you about how I met my husband?? Hmmm…I smell an interesting blog post coming soon!) At the end of Sunday, we got everyone home, bathed, and fed and into bed. Then Jason and I settled in for a bit and then went to sleep ourselves.
The kids are sitting at the edge of the pond at the park with their feet in the water.
Alas…Monday came and the first day of school arrived. This year is not as exciting as the last two years, because I have no one entering school for the first time. Derek will start kindergarten next year, but I am going to attempt to homeschool him the preschool curriculum this year. I guess the only newness of this year is that Troy is finally full day every day, so I no longer have to stop everything in the middle of the day and go get him! Yes!! But not until Wednesday, because they have half days on Monday and Tuesday. Well, we all got up and ready for the day, walked out the door and got to the school in less than a minute. Then we sat in traffic for forever, and then finally got a parking spot. We ran in, got to their classrooms, and put their supplies away. I said, ”Hi!” to each of their teachers, waved good-bye and said, “Good Luck!” to my boys, snapped a picture, and left! Jason is an expert, and Troy was nervous, but fine. They both came home happy and full of stories! The second day went just as well! The only issue I have is with Troy. Well, not really with him, but in a behavior I am not sure how to handle. On the first day, he walked right into his classroom, sat down, and seemed perfectly comfortable. I came to pick him up at the end of the day, and he was in tears! I asked what was wrong, and for some reason he thought I was not coming to pick him up…I wasn’t even late! I talked to him a bit and remind him that I came and got him and Jason every single day last year, and I will do the same this year. He seemed fine until this morning, when I dropped him off at the curb. Jason popped out, and ran inside. Troy looked at me with a look of panic and told me he was going to throw up. I looked at him for a second, and then told him it was just nerves, and that there was nothing to be afraid of. It was just school, and he has done it before. Everything was going to be just fine! He got out, and started to cry. I thought we were past this! The gym teacher saw him, and told me to go because I was holding up the line. He said that Troy was going to be fine, and then walked him into the building. He was being nice, not rude, like I may have made it sound. I reluctantly left. When we picked him up today, he said he had a wonderful day, and he was in great spirits. I hope his jitters are over. Poor Troy!
Jason and Troy on their first day of school 2013! Jason starts 2nd grade, and Troy starts 1st grade. I am so proud of them!
Overall, it has been pretty eventful around here! I will continue to blog, and hopefully get back to blogging almost every day. For now, I want to prepare you for a guest post tomorrow! You won’t want to miss it! With Labor Day coming up, you will really find some of these party suggestions to be both fun and simple! Have fun and be back soon! I have several great guest bloggers lined up, so stay tuned!
Oh! And please vote! I really need them!!!
The post The First Day Of School and Other Stuff I Wasn’t Ready For appeared first on Kiddos and Pups.
