Mommathon

School starts in four days and Colm is not potty trained. I told him if he doesn't go in the potty then he can't go to school. He doesn't care.

Rule #1. If school gets out at 3:40 and you show up at 3:40, your kid will be the last one to get picked up. (The line was so long I thought it was for the junior high next door. So I went around all of those cars to find out that I had been in the correct line. So then I had to turn around and go back to the end. Hopefully the length of the line will get shorter as the school year wears on.)
Rule #2 When you get out of your car to buckle your kid in, shut the driver side door. (I was in such a hurry to get out of the car to help Liam that I left my door open which meant no one could go around me. I think there might be a few parents who have me targeted now.)
Rule #3 Don't get out of your car to buckle your kid in. It holds up the line. Pull forward and buckle them in. (Okay, no one told me this rule and truly it is not stated anywhere, but I think you have to do it that way or no one would ever get through the line.)

I know the drill now. I will do better tomorrow.

He has his Star Wars backpack with his Star Wars lunchsack with his Star Wars sunglassess.


Wiggling his loose tooth.


At his seat and ready to learn!

Liam starts school tomorrow! Holy cow! How did that happen? Preschool just got out! Where did our summer go? We went to Whole Foods today and loaded up on all of his lunch goodies so he can take his lunch. He has made it very clear, after viewing the lunch menu, that he is NOT going to eat the school lunch. Okay, fine by me. I have a feeling the novelty of packing his lunch every day is going to wear off quickly though. Everyone was in bed by 8pm tonight and we have the backpack by the door. Wow! Here we go!

I hope I didn't sign my life away tonight. We had school events for both the boys tonight, both of which involved sign-ups. At Liam's school I signed up to help the music teacher with misc stuff. I signed up to help with teacher appreciation lunches and one other thing I think. At Colm's school I signed up to bring flowers twice during the year for the flower arranging lesson. I signed up to bring crickets twice during the year to feed the class tarantula and toad. I also signed up to help with the Halloween party, teacher appreciation lunches and community service projects. I may have signed up for something else, too. I can't remember, but I am sure I will get an e-mail within the next few weeks reminding me of the commitments I have made.

I would like to take a few moments to toot my own horn. I got my grade back from my big pain in the hiney project I did this summer and I got a 100%. But wait, I'm not done. My instructor also wants to use one of my lessons I did with my student to use in her class to teach student teachers. Toot, toot.

A while back I was sitting at a stoplight and I looked over and there was one of my former students...driving! The last time I had seen her she was nine years old! All of my former students are at least in high school now. I can't believe it! The first group I ever had are all at least 22 years old. I have run into former students a couple of times while they were working. One worked at Noodles and Co., one worked at Turtle Wax and then I ran into him again and he was doing cement work in a subdivision we were looking at, one worked at Hy-Vee and one is a firefighter who I saw when we were at an event for kids. I have also run into a couple of them out and about shopping. The funny thing is that they always remember me, but they forget that I haven't seen them since they were nine years old or so and they don't usually look the same. Usually I can figure out who they are, but sometimes it takes me a second. And today I saw one of my former students at church. That is not unusual since I taught at the school at church. What really struck me is how grown up she looked. Now what she is closer to adulthood and looks less like a child, I could really see how much she resembles her mom. It is funny the relationship you have with your students. They aren't yours, but they are in a way. They aren't your biological children, but they are still your kids and you want the same things for them. You want them to to do well and to succeed and to grow up and be good people. Now when I start seeing my former students getting married and I see them out and about with their own children, I will really start feeling old. ;)