First Day of School Success

Here's a run down...

1.  We made it to school on time. And holy crap. Look how much they've grown in two years!

2. The traffic was CRAZY for both drop off and pick up. Newbs jack it up every time. Well, Newbs and Morons. You'd think by middle school, people would have the procedure burned in their brain. Wrong. I'm sure I've got a whole other post back in the archives where I incessantly complain about this. I'll see if I can find it. I ended up dropping both boys off WAY before the actual drop off spot just so they wouldn't be late.

3. I was able to score a quick meeting (mid-morning) with the head cafeteria lady about ONE of my kid's issues with overspending at lunch and how could we put a stop to that. Found the solution! I filled out a quick form and voila! No more snack bar or extra items unless he has cash. Boom. Problem solved. Our lunch budget just shrunk. Yay us! Haha, one kid who has zero impulse control. You're on a cash only basis from here on out, Brother. You just got played.

4. I was finally able to go get my nails done. And have coffee with a good friend. All the smiles.

5. The bottom fell out of the sky about the time elementary school let out. It was a slow drizzle by the time middle school let out. And nobody melted on the way to the car. But it rained, y'all. Hard. And the thunder sounded so beautiful. Of course when I got home, not a drop. Ugh. But it's cloudy again today. So fingers crossed! Let it pour.

6. BOTH boys had a great day. Only one teacher complaint. I reminded him that some teachers have different techniques in establishing control on that first day. Let's give her a little bit before we write her off as "worse than the angry pregnant teacher from last year." The first day can be more stressful than others. And who knows what she'd just dealt with in the class before. Or at home. Or just life. So we agreed to cut her some slack.

7. For the most part, we all got to bed at a reasonable hour. I, however, am a slow learner and managed to find crap to do. I had lists to make of all the things I needed to do today.

8. No homework policy this year. Oh my yes. Yes. And yes. Teachers teach, parents parent. I love it. They'll still have to study for quizzes and tests. And they can do extra practice work. But the policy is no homework. This alleviates the pressure so stinking much. I will have rested kids who are ready to learn the next morning. And the homework battle goes away. Because they've been doing school ALL day. Their brains and bodies are worn out. This gives me such much of the happies.

9. Our lists for more stuff wasn't too excessive. I'll get some time this weekend to put together some teacher goodies. Not cookies. They get that stuff from errrrbody. I'm talking about post-its and dry erase markers and red grading pens. Stuff they can use. Because good grief, they aren't in this profession to get rich. They're in in to teach kids. My kids. And I don't want them to sacrifice too much of their own $$ that should go to support their own families. Love on your kids' teachers. (Even the angry pregnant ones. Especially the angry pregnant ones!)

10. My oldest smiled. A lot. Which is such a blessing, you don't even know. He struggles with anxiety and depression. Big time. He LOVES his Spanish teacher. And not just because she gave him Mexican candy. He said he can tell he's really going to learn a lot in there. But that smile, y'all. Oh my heart. I cried many tears over the past four months trying to figure out how best to help him. I think a medication change and getting back to school, a schedule, and his friends was just the trick. God is good. This is scary stuff for parents. Scary. Pay attention to your kids. When something isn't right, get help. Listen to me. Get. Help. I don't want any of you guys, or us, being another statistic. Have conversations. Be involved. Ask questions. Lots of them. Check their technology devices. Love them. Love them hard. Love them when they are the hardest to love. And if you EVER need to talk. You get a hold of me. We'll talk. We shouldn't have to do this alone and we should never be embarrassed.

I've got that to-do list I made at midnight to tackle.

Happy Friyay, Y'all!

*muah*