I realize that there are bigger issues I should be worried about, but this gigantic pile of papers I had to fill out really is getting to me. Every year the school sends home one page of info about my kids, already filled out, for me to correct and send back. They also send me more than a dozen pages asking the SAME info over and over again that I then must sign and sometimes have my spouse also sign and sometimes even my little second grader. I have three kids and there’s about an hour per kid to fill out. I did two last night and one this morning. I have no idea if my kids ate or put good things in their lunches or brushed their hair or teeth…not just this morning, but last night, too. It is all-encompassing, this paper duty.
Yes, I know it’s not just “the school” sending these things. Some of it is from the not-associated-legally-but-still-at-the-school after care program, some of it is from my kids extracurriculars, some of it is from individual teachers. But the stuff in the district packet, that stuff? I shouldn’t have to write my kids name and particulars on every freaking page. The first page has all the details, I corrected them, the rest should just be a page of tick boxes: can we take your kids photos? are you living in temporary conditions? do you need federal aid for lunches? And then send those forms that legitimately need info home with the kids that need them later. This waste of paper and waste of our time needs to stop.
Yesterday was so busy that at one point I found myself crying in the bathroom. Yeah, I felt like a real winner. LOW POINT!
Even before school was insane. One child told me he needed a monkey costume for that night, one kid told me that the shirt I’d ironed & starched for the event he had going on that day was mysteriously in the bottom of his laundry basket, my third child kept wandering around muttering “never mind, never mind.” I still have no idea what he needed.
After dropping everyone off at their various places, I spent my morning battling technology (changing passwords FTW!), organizing kid’s room closets, and preparing for my next-to-last PTA meeting as president. I didn’t get to eat lunch because the food I thought was in the fridge for me wasn’t there and at that point there wasn’t time for anything else or I’d be late (I was getting texts from people 15 minutes before the meeting telling me people were there already.) The meeting went well, although lots of little date changes and still a TON going on before the end of the year.
I left there and ran to Chapel Hill (next town over) High School for the Middle School UIL Concert & Sightreading Contest. I got to follow David’s band through warm-up, the concert, and even into the sightreading room. They did so well. I’m so proud of them! (And I loved meeting some of the other parents chaperoning there as well)
This program had so many bands listed in it and it was all in 10 point font and so hard to read!This was one of two band halls in the building. This one was the warm-up room. I loved all the instrument cages along the walls. 🙂On stage during the concert portion of the concert.
From there, I ran to pick up my younger kiddos from a friends house, stopping only long enough to pick up a much belated lunch. We discussed yet more PTA (she’s my VP) before we ran off to change clothes for my youngest’s Mama Goose program. We got there and it turned out he didn’t need a monkey costume specifically, he could have been any nursery rhyme character he wanted. I nearly lost it at that point. We have a huge costume box and could have made many different nursery rhyme characters happen if I’d known about it. (The teacher pointed out that the original note that went home about the event a month or so ago told us what they needed, but I pointed out to her that that note was also the permission slip and I’d sent it back in. I need this stuff to be sent back out a second time closer to the event or put on the school website. It makes me insane.)
Anyway, my kid wore a monkey hat and I just have to be okay with it.
Greg and his friend Sutherland (who didn’t bring a costume either. See, it’s okay!)During the program: Greg was on the back row anyway.
After that we came back home (finally!) and started on homework, instrument practicing, cleaning for the Days of Unleavened Bread, and eating dinner. WHEW! Fortunately there was wine and The Big Bang Theory for after the kids went to bed.
Ok, I’m back now. Oh, it has been so crazy around here. The last time I posted I thought I was on my way to work, but NO, I had a small child feeling all explody in the belly, so we stayed home and snuggled and did laundry, which was good because it was really the last time I did a whole lot of laundry at once and we are now starting to feel that lack.
So the day after that was Teacher Appreciation. We had soup catered, but we had to set up and make and put out desserts and make the room pretty and keep the food going. It went really well, but it felt like a super long day.
We love our faculty & staff! 🙂
The next night we had an early Valentine’s Day celebration with my family at their house here in town. Greg spent the night there, which he has longed to do for months and months now.
Early Valentine’s Dinner with my family
Saturday we spent time gaming with my parents (yay Carcassone!) and then went off to church. We ended up having our Pre-teen meeting twice since only a few people showed up at the time we’d intended to do it and then the rest showed up later and were miffed that we hadn’t waited for them so we did it all over again. We stayed late for Open Gym Night and the kids ran around like mad things while Nick and I taught a new guy how to play Settlers of Catan.
Gaga Ball has nothing to do with Lady Gaga, I promise. One of the church elders taught it to the kids, having learnt it at another location. The kids LOVE it!
I totally can’t remember Sunday at all. I think we hung out with my parents, then cleaned house. Whee!
Mrs. A. put together a whole crime scene for the kids to explore bits from. It was very educational.
Monday was the start of Book Fair Week, which is extra crazy here. I spent the day at home resting up for the craziness to follow, then after school we went down to the library to participate in a Crime Scene Investigation with one of the teachers. It was super fun!
Tuesday I spent finishing up projects and then went up to set up for the school’s Fine Arts Night. PTA was serving a BBQ dinner and the book fair moved into the cafeteria for the night while the kids had all sorts of performances and things to do.
There was a segment in another room as well, but it was in the dark doing static experiments.
Wednesday I volunteered down in the book fair for 4 hours. I love talking to kids about books and helping them out. I went straight from there to the middle school to help work FLEX day. Wednesday after school was Mad Science with the Mysterious Master Morrow. That was a lot of fun, too!
Thursday I spent another 4 hours in the library helping with book fair, then headed off for a doctor’s appointment and to deliver Valentine’s to a few friends. I had an adventure with the van not starting and my friend E rescuing me. Later, the younger kids had ALL THE CANDY after school, but we managed to share some with David as well. Nick made me special Fried Pickles for dinner.
We started our day with cards and heart-shaped French toast. 🙂
Friday morning we got up and got ready for the Storybook Character Parade. I’d missed the note that came home saying the kindergarteners were not participating, so Greg was the only one that walked in the parade.
Greg went as Bob the Builder and Ben went as Jack from Magic Treehouse. Most of the rest of the kids went as Nerds.
After the parade was over, I headed downstairs to kindergarten, then onto the bus to chaperon their trip to the planetarium. We had a good time there. Well, most of us. I sat next to a kid who really thought the sun was going to burn him & started freaking out.
The museum had an exhibit on bivalves, a bone statue of the smallest T-Rex ever, a giant 3000 year old Mayan mask, and a bunch of blocks leftover from an Egyptian exhibit. It was quite trippy.
We also got to tour the museum and see a real moon rock.
Friday was also the start of the church’s regional weekend. There was a hymn sign that Nick and the kids went to. I was exhausted, so I spent the evening blissfully alone.
Saturday we had church early and our choir sang “Down By The River To Pray.” I think we did pretty well. Then there was a potluck. Nick taught Sabbath school while I helped the kids find verses. Then I led the kids in crafts while Nick helped. That night there was more dinner and then a variety show and dancing. I danced up a storm with my little nieces. 🙂 I hope someone posts photos later!
On Sunday there were sports for teens and adults. Nick lead the pre-teens in sports while I lead the ones that didn’t want to play in craft time. It was a really good weekend, but oh so busy!
These are all the photos I took this weekend. Yes: ALL. *sigh*
It’s not just Pin-Free February, it’s also my month to test out nearly full time work and see if I can really do it before making a big decision. I’m thinking about going back to school and getting my master’s degree in library science. I have a totally busy month planned out, filled with lots of days subbing up at the elementary school, lots of full days of volunteering (field trips! teacher appreciation!), lots of full days just trying to get caught up on laundry & cleaning, and then a few days I’ve scheduled as full writing days because that’s not getting done right now what with everything else going on. We will see if I can do all that and survive the month. Who knows?
Lisa Holcomb 