Meeting a whole lot of new teachers!

This past Friday was a big day at our house.  Oh yes, the smell of school is freshly lingering in the air!  Gregory and Jacob got a real taste of middle school when they attended their 6th grade jump start day.  We loaded up the suburban with the boys, Catalena and friend Estevan, then headed to school by 8am.  The only good thing about our kids sleeping habits at this point is that they NEVER sleep in, so getting up at 6:30am to gt ready for school is going to be a piece of cake.  Great skills during the school year....stinko skills during summer!

I told the group I'd only take a couple pictures and then promised I wouldn't stand in front of the bleachers and take any more.......but I did joke about it.  Catty said 'oh, that would not be cool Cari' with her silly smile she gives when she knows I'm joking.  The boys rolled their eyes at me, knowing me all too well!  I think we have now entered the 'be discreet' stage upon the entry to middle school.  So sad, yet such a part of the road they are to travel. And evidently LONG HAIR is a part of that journey too......I know, I know, pick your battles.

 As soon as we entered the gym they clomped up the bleachers and sat nestled in a group with a handful of other friends from elementary school.  Warmed my heart right on up to see them happy and glad to be amongst friends. After a welcome assembly in the gym, they got to go through a mock day of school, getting to each of their classes and meeting each of the teachers.  Lunch was provided and when I picked them up at noon I was told it was 'nasty school pizza'.  However, they were smiling and very happy that they knew friends in just about all their classes.

We hurried home and got the three youngest all ready to go and meet their new teachers.  I don' think I have ever seen parking so bad at their school.  The inside of the main lobby was crammed with people and boy was it hot!  Didn't help matters that I was already steamed.  Bill managed to find a place to park before me and made it into the school building first.  I was still parking when my cell rang.  It was Bill. 'Luke and Laurel aren't on any of the class lists' he tells me.  WHAT?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Now I really like our front office staff.......totally nice ladies.  But I marched in to the office highly peeved and I'm sure I had a glare on my face when I asked why the heck my kids weren't on the lists!  Well, they didn't have their shot records so they didn't put them on the lists.  eye roll....BIG eye roll.  OK, whatever, I understand protocol but c'mon. My babies were so ready to find their names on a list and all they could say was 'why aren't we on a list mom?'  Put a big star next to their names, find some other way to embarrass me into remembering what I forgot, but leave the kids out of it!  We registered back in April and their well child check wasn't until after so I just completely blanked on it.  Gee, don't know why...hmm, oh that's right, my mom was having serious medical issues......

OK, off the soap box, simmering down..........they told us who their teacher was after I promised to bring their shot records in on Monday.  We were very happy to find out that they got the same teacher Gregory and Jacob had for kindergarten!  Ms. Shelley thought it was great too to get both sets of twins!

Another bit of irony.......Ms. Shelly's son and daughter-in-law welcomed a baby girl into the world just days before Luke and Laurel were born.....and she was in L and L's preschool class last year!  Small world.  We also found out that one of my really good friend's little girl is in the class along with our neighbor across the street's little girl. (That sentence was chock full of grammatical errors I"m sure, but the point was made nonetheless.)  They will be playing on a soccer team together too.  It is going to be a fantastic year in the class!!  Laurel, Lauren and Georgia.....oh I can just see them now!  Poor Luke has a lot of girls to contend with.....

After rounding them up (all of them, even the big kids) from the kindergarten playground, we headed to the opposite end of the school to meet Eric's teacher.  He got the same teacher that Gregory had for second grade and she is now teaching third grade.  We are anxious to see what the school year will hold for Eric....he definitely needs to be kept busy or he'll turn to his wandering, dare I say lazy, ways. Focus is a difficult task for him if he's not challenged and engaged, so look out Ms. Laredo!!

G, J, and C took the time to go and say hi to their 5th grade teachers and then they all went and enjoyed the playground.  One is never too old for swings I say.  Maybe a little bit too weak stomached though!  Gregory wasn't feeling too hot after his play time! 

I stopped by the office once more to make sure the front staff was still talking to me and it was all good.  Whew!  That front office staff can make you or break you I have heard.  We headed home with folders full of paperwork, 3 conferences scheduled and kids excited about their very informative day.

T minus 4 days........