4.5 hrs of my day. I combined my need to exercise more, some feelings about the environment, and my need to do several local errands with a double chariot (jogging stroller).
I scooted the kids out of the house by 8:35am. Laura decided that it was a good time for her to push the stroller. Even when her feet got scraped on the sidewalk when it got away from her, she still wanted to do it. Sara was running ahead. In silly Mom-fashion, I wanted to get to school on time. I elected to end the stroller pushing by Laura and push her instead. In typical 2yo fashion, this was not acceptable.
We made it on time and Sara even got a few minutes to play. Laura lingered on the playground after the bell. I didn’t talk to anyone. It kinda feels like my first week of school and I don’t know any of the kids (parents really). I’m slowly warming up to this routine and figuring out where I fit into the whole social hierarchy of school.
Then Laura decided it was time to go into the classroom. I got in. Sara had already seated herself. They’re working on lower-case letters today. Sara excels at upper-case, and doesn’t like to shrink her letters. It is a more challenging lesson for her today. I helped her put on her name tag. I noticed the table order had changed. Sara had different kids sitting next to her. The teacher warned me the first few weeks have lots of turnover in class content.
While all this was going on, Laura had dumped out all the animals from one bin. In continued Mommy-fashion, I had to dampen her fun and put all the animals away while the class geared up and the parents disappeared. We didn’t disappear as quickly.
I made a new friend. I found a kindergarten mom with a little boy who was walking home. We walked together. Score one for social hierarchy.
I walked Laura to her school. She did not want to go. I snuggled with her for 5 minutes, praying for her. Finally, I just had to lift her up and take her to her class. More sadness. She started playing after 10 minutes. She always does.
Then I walked to the grocery store. I talked to Audra, who had moved to Corvalis. Johanna just went off to school yesterday. Now things are finally quiet in a busy summer of moving, buying and selling houses, remodeling, arranging schools. It’s the first time in 2 months I’ve gotten to check in. It was good to talk.
I shopped at a fruit stand and then moved to the local grocery store. I forgot my list included not only the large amounts of milk my family drinks each week, but earthquake kits which require heavy bottled water. I definitely stressed my stroller on the way back. It was uphill and 37 blocks back home on a warm day. I got everything home ok. But I’m pooped as my grandmother would say.