But we might not survive the rest of the year. Or even, til Christmas.
It's not even anything specific, either, but rather that I spend at least 3.5 hours in the car every day shuttling people to and from various schools and activities and practices and whatnot. And I limit my kids to one activity per kid per season. I can't even imagine if I let them do dance AND softball or baseball AND scouts or something. Trout's doing ballet, Little Man baseball (AND he had his first stolen base Wednesday night!), Sunny's doing soccer, though she has gotten around the one activity rule by pirouetting down the soccer field on a regular basis, and Nemo is taking a soccer class, though it is a preschool class and during the school day (he only does preschool 3 days/week).
So far no one has been left behind yet (and I'm sure I just jinxed myself and I'll forget someone today) but we did miss Little Man's bus the first two days of school because the driver comes earlier than the published time for the bus. When I called to clarify after the second missed bus the transportation people got all freaky and said they'd have a supervisor come and check things out and whatnot. I told them I really didn't care WHEN the bus came I just needed to KNOW. It's actually better for me for the bus to come earlier because on the original schedule Little Man's and Sunny's buses were supposed to pick up at the same time in two different locations. This way I can drop Little Man off and then come back home and Sunny and the dog and I have a nice, leisurely walk to the bus stop. I told the bus people they just need to change their published schedule.
Trout has handled her adjustment to middle school well with the exception of not getting up in the morning with enough time to do what needs to be done without rushing around and a fair amount of shrieking. Sometimes I yell, too. But she's getting to her classes and getting her homework done without me having to tell her to do it. Her grades to this point so far are all As and one B: in Badminton. Given my own athletic genes, or lack thereof as the case may be, I'm just glad she's passing.
Sunny is doing great, though she needs more acceleration in math - we're working on figuring out what we as parents need to do to make sure she gets it, despite the supposedly much more rigorous new curriculum that isn't. She's even telling her teacher herself that she needs more challenging work. I'll need to schedule a conference with her teacher soon to see what we can do, because if any of my kids should not spend any time bored, it's this one. She will find ways to amuse herself, and they are sure to be contrary to whatever the teacher wants her to be doing.
Nemo has handled his adjustment better than I expected, as well. We went to the one-hour orientation session last Friday, the one where last year he had a total meltdown. This year, he walked straight to the sink and washed his hands without being asked to do so. Then when he didn't like the toys the teacher had laid out, he very politely asked first the assistant and then the teacher "May I please have the cars and road set out?" I didn't have to prompt him. Then another boy wanted to play with the airplane he had and he handed it over readily with a "Sure, you can have a turn." A big difference over last year. He cleaned up without being asked. He sat nicely in circle time. He kept his hands to himself and he was kind and polite. I was flabbergasted.
He did really well Monday and Wednesday, his teacher said, but of course we couldn't make it through the entire first week of school without getting sick, and he's home today. Hopefully the behavior is a trend that will continue and the sickness is one that won't.
Then there's Little Man. My dear, sweet, sensitive Little Man, who turned 10 on Monday. He's starting at a new school that's very different than our home school. We had the bus hiccup, and now? Well, let's just say it's an adjustment. They have 1.5 hours of homework a night. It's a very writing intensive program, and he HATES to write. He lets himself get distracted by anything and everything because he doesn't want to do his writing. Math, he's great. Reading, and comprehension? Rock on. Science? Bring it. Just don't ask him to write. Or to be organized. He has to write down homework assignments in an agenda book and keep track of progress on long-term assignments and this is all so new to him. And he's not the smartest one anymore, not even close, and no one else from his home school came to this program; there are two fifth grade girls that ride the bus with him, but of course right now girls have cooties so he doesn't consider them friendship material. The old wounds from the bully he dealt with for so many years run deep, and he gets so hard on himself when he makes a mistake or can't do something, and we're trying to help him see that everyone makes mistakes and no one, not even the smartest kid at that magnet program, can do everything. I know the confidence will come with time, as he has a chance to have success in his program and makes new friends, but it's hard right now, for him and for us.
Nemo was kind enough to share his cold with me and of course with all the running around and trying to keep things straight and having to sit on Little Man to make him do his writing I'm just wiped. I'm looking forward to the first few days off of school.