superkat
Premium Member
Ok...i'm in a fantastic mood tonight...and I want to take advantage of that. I've been posting a lot of deep, insightful things lately...some on the depressing side...but frankly...life isn't always sunny now, is it? Today, however...prompted by a conversation with a good friend...one i thought maybe i had lost...i was almost late picking my son up from school....and THAT...is not something you want to do at his school.
A few weeks ago, after a night of little sleep, Liam and I were late waking up. A few two many "snooze taps" on the phone. While I'm processing early morning thought and movement coordination, my first priority was to make sure Liam had a good breakfast. Cereal, is fast...banana...good...perfect...and if he's a little late, that's okay, because I made sure he didn't go hungry. Right?
WRONG.
He was two minutes late. When I went to pick him up that afternoon, he said, "teacher put your name on the naughty list, Mom."
What the??????
I asked Liam about it and he said that there is a book with bright orange paper and an orange binder that has the names of all the parents of all the kids who arrive late or get picked up late at school.
I reiterate......
WHAT THE?????
I saw his teacher and apologized for having Liam late to school and asked about the book. It, indeed, exists. And my name is in it. I'm on the teacher's schnitzle list already. Awesome.
I had another opportunity to get my name in this book last week. I succeeded. Wednesdays are early dismissal. Okay, I'm new to this. I haven't had a child in school in a long time. In fact, the last time I actually was responsible for driving my child to school, a "cell phone" came in a small suitcase with a battery you cranked to charge. The kind the army used to have. I kid you not. So, coupled with the fact that I am actually waking up to an alarm clock again after 18 odd years is hard enough, remembering all the small nuances of drop off/pick up times is even harder. I forgot about the early dismissal. I was late picking him up.
NOT GOOD.
Before my child was "released" to me, i was instructed by the "responsible adult" that i had to sign my name in the orange book. Oh Good God. Liam was right...it is....BRIGHT BRIGHT ORANGE....with neon orange paper inside. I had to put my sunglasses back on in order to keep it from blinding me. And there on the first page of this book is my name...right up there at the top...the top 3 to be exact.....LATE ARRIVAL. And now...I was about to etch, yet again, my name in this book. I inspected a few pages...and yes...my name would be the first double entry. I swear, as i shielded my eyes from the glare and signed my name, I thought I heard a voice from the heavens say, "that's gonna cost ya."
But wait! There's more. Next to your name there is a place under the heading: REASON. I'm a proud woman...I really don't want to write "I forgot." Not to mention...there really wasn't enough space to write much more and I certainly didn't want child protection services on my doorstep asking me how I could possibly forget my own child, not knowing that it was only the early dismissal I forgot about. So I decided to leave that blank.
Okay. Big sigh. Get my boy and go. I'm halfway out the door and I hear from behind me, "Eh hem. You forgot to fill in the reason."
I'm sorry I keep repeating myself, but....WHAT THE??????
I turned around, Liam says, "Mommy, you have to put a reason. Like why you are late." I'm now doing some creative thinking. I walk up to the flaming orange book of death and pause....Liam is now standing beside me pointing to the teeny blank space next to my name which is now in the book twice. "Right there, Mom. Put why." So I look at him...my five year old...and whisper, "are they gonna be mad if I write "i forgot"?" He pulls me closer to him and whispers back, "is that why?" And I nod. He whispers again, "i don't know. just write it." The "responsible adult" is now staring at us..and another teacher...and I now can see another parent waiting to make an entry in the book as well...looking perplexed. So I quickly wrote in, "frgt erly disms" It was all I could fit in and still get my point across.
Got my son...leaving...the next parent up to the book calls to me, "Hey, um, Kathleen? did you forget about the early dismissal, too?" I don't answer....she says, "i'm just going to write what she did, but it's all abbreviated. That's okay, right, that it's abbreviated?" I'm starting now to tip toe out of the school. The other mom, child in tow...comes up next to me and says, "Hey!!! Welcome!! You got your name on the Naughty List!" And goes skipping out the door.
I'm horrified. I'm on a PARENT NAUGHTY LIST?????? TWICE??????
Since this episode...I have changed all the clocks in the house, the car, and my cell phone. I am on "Parent Naughty List" time now. It's fifteen minutes earlier than the rest of you.
Joy.
Peace my friends,
Kat
A few weeks ago, after a night of little sleep, Liam and I were late waking up. A few two many "snooze taps" on the phone. While I'm processing early morning thought and movement coordination, my first priority was to make sure Liam had a good breakfast. Cereal, is fast...banana...good...perfect...and if he's a little late, that's okay, because I made sure he didn't go hungry. Right?
WRONG.
He was two minutes late. When I went to pick him up that afternoon, he said, "teacher put your name on the naughty list, Mom."
What the??????
I asked Liam about it and he said that there is a book with bright orange paper and an orange binder that has the names of all the parents of all the kids who arrive late or get picked up late at school.
I reiterate......
WHAT THE?????
I saw his teacher and apologized for having Liam late to school and asked about the book. It, indeed, exists. And my name is in it. I'm on the teacher's schnitzle list already. Awesome.
I had another opportunity to get my name in this book last week. I succeeded. Wednesdays are early dismissal. Okay, I'm new to this. I haven't had a child in school in a long time. In fact, the last time I actually was responsible for driving my child to school, a "cell phone" came in a small suitcase with a battery you cranked to charge. The kind the army used to have. I kid you not. So, coupled with the fact that I am actually waking up to an alarm clock again after 18 odd years is hard enough, remembering all the small nuances of drop off/pick up times is even harder. I forgot about the early dismissal. I was late picking him up.
NOT GOOD.
Before my child was "released" to me, i was instructed by the "responsible adult" that i had to sign my name in the orange book. Oh Good God. Liam was right...it is....BRIGHT BRIGHT ORANGE....with neon orange paper inside. I had to put my sunglasses back on in order to keep it from blinding me. And there on the first page of this book is my name...right up there at the top...the top 3 to be exact.....LATE ARRIVAL. And now...I was about to etch, yet again, my name in this book. I inspected a few pages...and yes...my name would be the first double entry. I swear, as i shielded my eyes from the glare and signed my name, I thought I heard a voice from the heavens say, "that's gonna cost ya."
But wait! There's more. Next to your name there is a place under the heading: REASON. I'm a proud woman...I really don't want to write "I forgot." Not to mention...there really wasn't enough space to write much more and I certainly didn't want child protection services on my doorstep asking me how I could possibly forget my own child, not knowing that it was only the early dismissal I forgot about. So I decided to leave that blank.
Okay. Big sigh. Get my boy and go. I'm halfway out the door and I hear from behind me, "Eh hem. You forgot to fill in the reason."
I'm sorry I keep repeating myself, but....WHAT THE??????
I turned around, Liam says, "Mommy, you have to put a reason. Like why you are late." I'm now doing some creative thinking. I walk up to the flaming orange book of death and pause....Liam is now standing beside me pointing to the teeny blank space next to my name which is now in the book twice. "Right there, Mom. Put why." So I look at him...my five year old...and whisper, "are they gonna be mad if I write "i forgot"?" He pulls me closer to him and whispers back, "is that why?" And I nod. He whispers again, "i don't know. just write it." The "responsible adult" is now staring at us..and another teacher...and I now can see another parent waiting to make an entry in the book as well...looking perplexed. So I quickly wrote in, "frgt erly disms" It was all I could fit in and still get my point across.
Got my son...leaving...the next parent up to the book calls to me, "Hey, um, Kathleen? did you forget about the early dismissal, too?" I don't answer....she says, "i'm just going to write what she did, but it's all abbreviated. That's okay, right, that it's abbreviated?" I'm starting now to tip toe out of the school. The other mom, child in tow...comes up next to me and says, "Hey!!! Welcome!! You got your name on the Naughty List!" And goes skipping out the door.
I'm horrified. I'm on a PARENT NAUGHTY LIST?????? TWICE??????
Since this episode...I have changed all the clocks in the house, the car, and my cell phone. I am on "Parent Naughty List" time now. It's fifteen minutes earlier than the rest of you.
Joy.
Peace my friends,
Kat
