Some Things Never Change

We have been at our elementary school for 5 years now, since B was in 1st grade.  I have always dropped off in the car lane and for the past 5 years, I end up being the car that holds up the car lane.  You know the one. . . The car that's stopped in the middle, while you are sitting behind it (or a few cars behind it), wanting to beep, but not wanting the scare the kids.  You're sitting there wondering what on Earth is that parent doing?  Blow a kiss to your kid and leave!  "Come on!, " you think.  "I have places to go and people to see!  Move your car!!"  I know you are thinking that, because I'm thinking that too and it's my car that's holding everything up!

My girls are so slow getting out of the car, I think I saw a snail pass them this morning.  I don't think they mean to be slow, they just aren't very coordinated at maneuvering a backpack, lunchbox and their body.  B nearly always has a book in her hand to make things that much more complicated.  I have tried to get the girls to put their various items into their backpacks, but they claim added items (to their bags that have exactly 1 folder and possibly one book in it) make them too heavy.  According to B, it's just easier to carry everything.  Mind you, half the time, she ends up throwing her bag out of the car, tripping over someone's lunchbox and tumbling out of the car, because one hand is holding her lunchbox and the other hand is holding a book, partially open, and she can't get her balance. This year we have the added joy of L who is so small, her backpack is practically as big as she is.  Thanks to my great bento box lunches, her lunch box is huge and weighs more than she does.

Today was the first day we did car lane and it was just as hectic as last year.  I usually try to drive all the way to the last cone, thus not holding up the lane too much, but it's hard to do that when you have a teacher waving you to stop.  I'd love to be able to lower the window and tell her, "I'd rather move down.  This is going to take a while!", but that would end up taking even more time.

So, today, I stopped at one of the middle cones, opened the door and started chanting, "Let's go!  Move it!  Move it!  Move it!!"  M got out of the car in record time!  B tripped and stumbled, but got out OK.  L had a bit of trouble getting her backpack out and ended up just standing in the car saying, "A little help here, please!"  Thankfully, the PE teacher came over to see what was taking so long and helped her out.  I felt torn because as I was watching L struggle I saw the assistant principal at the last cone waving me down.  What to do?  What to do?  I very nearly started driving down, as I am a rule follower and don't like not listening to authority.  After weighing the two options, I figured L's safety was more important than holding up the cars behind me and thus I disobeyed authority.  I'd love to say my heart was beating so fast because I was exhilarated at doing so, but in actuality, I was a nervous wreck.  I'm in my mid-30's and still afraid of the consequences of ignoring the principal or assistant principal.

Another issue we've had is my forgetting to sign the agendas.  Of course, today was no different, except for the mere fact that I didn't forget!  I asked B last night for her agenda and while she gave me her binder, I didn't see her agenda in it.  Pulling up to the school, I reminded B to bring home her spelling words and she claimed she had.

"I didn't see them," I said.

"They were in my agenda!," she exclaimed.

"I didn't even see your agenda, B.  I didn't sign it.  If you have it, I'll sign it for you now."

She passed her bag up to M, who handed me the binder with the agenda in it.  The reason I didn't see the coveted agenda was because it was hiding behind the folder I bought for papers to be brought to and from school (a topic for another time, I'm sure).

I opened it up and realized- No pen!  I started rooting around my black hole (that's the term of endearment The Doctor has for all my bags).  All I found were 2 lip glosses, so. . . That's what I used to sign.  Last year, nearly 2-3 times a week, the "parent's initials" line was circled because I'd forget to sign. Not this year.  I hate the little circle taunting me about being slacker Mom when we get home from school.  I was so proud that I was all MacGyver like and figured out a way of signing this thing.

When B came home, I asked her what her teacher said about my makeshift lipgloss pen and she said, "She didn't say anything."

You know why?  Because staring up at the page was that taunting, little circle.  My lipgloss initials looked like a chocolate smudge which means, her teacher probably thinks I was so busy stuffing my mouth with some tasty little morsel that I forgot to sign again.

Yep. . . good to know some things never change.