Have I mentioned the news about the bus? If you’re a frequent visitor here (or talk to me in person) you know our love-hate relationship with Catie’s school bus. We love it when it comes to pick up our child. We hate it when it passes our neighborhood by.
BUT we are embracing this no-bus business as an opportunity. Really. I’m excited by the chance to spend more time up at Catie’s school. Dropping her off and picking her up might just be the perfect chance for that.
Right now (day 2) we’re still in the working-out-the-kinks stage of it, though.
The main challenge is the pick-up. Sam and Elisabeth get out of school at 3:00….below is a photo representation for how they feel at the end of seven hours at Kindergarten. Tired. Clingy. Hungry. A bit irritable. A bit ecstatic and wound up.
On the other hand (or maybe the same hand and just manifesting itself in a different way), Catie leaves her 8 hours of school (at 3:40) really wound up and full of energy. For the four years these three have been in school, I’ve struggled to find activities that balance the fatigue and the energy. Snacks? TV? Running around?
Usually we end up watching TV while running around eating snacks. And typically it goes well. But, still, the hour after school has never been my favorite of the day.
Incidentally, Nate’s favorite after-school activity is to play outside. Preferably with lots of sugary snacks and a few neighborhood kids and their silly antics included. After a day of mommy time, he’s ready for some siblings.
Unfortunately no one’s idea of a good after-school time is waiting in a carpool line. Particularly on the first day. We tried for success yesterday, we really did. I decorated homemade lap desks for the twins, set them all up with healthy, delicious snacks, and gave them books, magazines, and homework to occupy their time. Seriously. The backseat of the minivan was a four-star hotel.
Only it wasn’t.
We didn’t plan on Nate’s (not very solid) poop with no way to change it. Or the AC in the van giving up somewhere around the one HOUR mark. Or (and really, how could we plan on this?), Sam crawling around by my seat and accidentally switching on my seat heater. Something I certainly felt, but didn’t identify, until long past the time I was covered in sweat.
Speaking of sweat, here’s our crew at 4:20….neighborhood friends will recognize from the background that we still weren’t in the Williams parking lot yet. Yikes.
Of course it has to get better. The school is also working out the kinks. We will persevere and make the best out of this.
And that may mean that we change our game plan….this morning I walked Catie to school, which was lovely. I’m thinking that rushing home and getting those tired twins on their bikes and that energetic boy into the stroller might be the best plan we’ve got.
Because strolling down the tree-lined streets to Catie’s school might be what we need to make our after-school special. And (quite literally) a walk in the park compared to carpool.
