School has Started, Summer’s Over
I’m not really sure why adults get excited when school starts. Don’t they realize how much work school is?
Maybe I’m just being selfish, but I’m not crazy about the summer being over. And first of all, the summer isn’t really over. Someone in the school administration just decided I have enjoyed enough of the summer and it is time to ruin what’s left of summer.
I have enjoyed not rushing the twins to the school bus for the past couple months. I was enjoying staying up late, getting up late and getting to work at my leisure. Needing to get the twins to school by 7:25 means we actually need to get up when the rooster crows. Yes folks, rooster really crow and they start crowing just before the sun comes up.
Our rooster has the ability to know when I am at the best part of my dream and wake me up. Just when I am about to graduate or win the World Series, that rooster will crow, bringing me back to the reality of being late for work. Roosters are dream crushers, they will never let you win. Whoa, I might have got a little off track there. Focus, Monner, focus!
All summer long, we could lie in bed and listen to the rooster. Now we need to get up and start rushing around to prevent the kids from being late for school. For some reasom the school frowns on being late. I’m not sure why it is so important to be on time. If they didn’t want me late, they shouldn’t start so (construction language) early. Don’t share that with with the kids, we wouldn’t want to start any bad habits.
As if the school administrators have not made me miserable enough, the school is on heat schedule. Someone thought it was too hot for the kids to sit in the classrooms in the afternoon (more about that later) because it is too hot in the classrooms. School begins every morning at 7:25 and is over at 12:15.
I know you think I’m against the heat schedule because I sat in hot classrooms 50 years ago and I seem to be fine. No, that would be the wrong reason. Although I did attend school in classrooms without air conditioning and not one of my problems was caused by heat. However, I remember school starting after Labor Day. Of course, school admintrators are much better than they were 50 years ago (they aren’t?) and they have the newest and freshest ideas. I almost got political there, so I am going to change directions.
I would imagine for most parents it feels like you just got to work and you need to go back to school get your kids. Elaine and I are lucky. We don’t pick up the twins at 12:15. The twins are running on the cross-country team and practice right after school. Practice is over at 2:00.
It is too hot to be in the classroom, but it is not too hot to run 2-1/2 miles in the sun. (Ok, that’s why I think the heat schedule is less than a good idea.)
Cross-country is teaching the twins a lot. It is turning them into winners. When Girl Twin came home and said she wasn’t having any fun, Elaine and I asked what was going on.
Girl Twin: I don’t like cross-country. Me: You don’t need to be in cross-country, maybe you would want to play fall baseball. Elaine: Or maybe you can do something that is not in sports.
Elaine is always trying to teach the children they should be interested stuff like art and music. I’m not going to encourage the twins to do anything in music. I played (well, I tried) the trumpet in jr. high school. That was about the time my father and I started to argue. I always thought he was just unreasonable, maybe he just didn’t like the trumpet. My band teacher didn’t like the trumpet either, he asked me to play the french horn. I wonder why he didn’t ask any of the other kids to switch. Hmmm.
Elaine played the cello in school. I think she might be more tolerant of the twins musical talent, but I don’t want to dislike the twins for the next six years. Wow, did I get off track! I was talking about cross-country.
Me: You can just study while Boy Twin is at practice and we will pick you both after his cross-country practice. Girl Twin: I can’t quit, the coach will call me a wimp. Me: Why would she do that? Girl Twin: That is what she called the other kids. Me: We can talk to her, if you want to quit, you can quit.
Girl Twin took her running shoes to school the next day but left them in the truck. She couldn’t decide to quit or run. (more later)
The coach instructed the kids not to eat lunch and go to practice. Running on a full stomach surely would cause cramping.
I returned to school before the cross-country practice was over, Girl Twin ran to the truck and asked me for her shoes. She had decided not to quit the team. Boy Twin was still running, I walked out to the track to encourage him. He told me he was feeling bad because he ate a BIG lunch. I mentioned he was instructed not to eat. He answered with, ” I know, but I thought………..”, as he ran away.
It is amazing what he knows and what he thinks. This kid hasn’t even been on the planet for twelve years. By the time he is a teenager he will know EVERTHING. There is a silver lining, I’m planning on saving my knowledge and just using his.
I’m not sure how long Girl Twin will last in cross-country. Seems the coach caught her and another girl WALKING. The coach advised Girl Twin (and the other girl) “if you were going to walk, maybe you should just quit.”
I wish the coach would not give advice like that. If Girl Twin quits sports, I could be listening to a (construction language) trumpet or cello for the next six years.
I might dislike them for the next six years anyway.
Our crazy lives!
Monner
