Bears and a Parents Meeting

I can’t believe it. School has started! Our family prepared for the start of school, but I just can’t get used to the fact that it is really here.

I watched as Elaine took the twins, one at a time, to buy school clothes. That happened last month. I paid attention when Ivy took it upon herself to take Girl Twin to buy school supplies. Boy Twin didn’t want to buy school supplies. He wanted to spend the day swimming and hanging out with his friends.

“Boy Twin does want to buy school supplies, school must not be starting yet.” But then Girl Twin mentioned, “Can we buy lunch supplies? I saw a great backpack at Bob’s Club, we can get everything there.” Boy Twin announced, “I don’t need lunch stuff and I don’t want a backpack from Bob’s Club!”

Needless to say, I thought the Bob’s Club idea might save some money, so we headed off to Bob’s (After the twins agreed, “Hey, we need this stuff TOMORROW!”) About three minutes into our trip to town with Ivy and the twins my lecture was interrupted by a scream. The scream came from me. As I came to the top of a hill, I could see in the middle of the road, “BEARS!” Three of them. They just stood there. In my excitement I yelled, “Oh God, please tell me someone has a camera!” I can’t tell you why I was so formal. Normally, I would have said, “Someone get a (construction language) camera.” Sorry, I was starting to drift a little there.

Girl Twin was able to stop texting and watching the two square inch television on her text/television/internet/camera device. (Did you notice I did not say phone? Phones are for vocal communication, something Girl Twin will not do. You don’t believe me, try to call her. See if she answers. Sorry, drifting again.) Girl Twin was able to take some really good pictures of the bears. Mama Bear and the two baby bears (yearlings) seemed to be posing for Girl Twin.

The rest of the trip into town, Girl Twin was trying to convince Boy Twin, Bob’s Club had nice backpacks. Boy Twin wasn’t having any of it.

At Bob’s Club, with lunch stuff in our cart, the twins went to look at backpacks. Girl Twin picked a good quality, medium priced, white backpack. Boy Twin couldn’t find a backpack he liked. I knew he wouldn’t find one before we ever got to Bob’s. He had other ideas.

Boy Twin: If I can’t have the white one, I want to go to another store. Girl Twin: They have another white one, get it. We can be twins. (Sounded logical.) Boy Twin: I don’t want twin backpacks. Me: OK, where do you want to go, I’m not spending a lot of time on this. Boy Twin: Let’s go to Male Part’s Sports, I saw backpacks there. Me: OK, if we cannot find a backpack at Male Part’s Sports we are not getting a backpack today. Boy Twin: I know I can find one there.

At Male Part’s Sports, Boy Twin found the backpacks. He was looking at backpacks that were exactly double in price than the backpack Girl Twin had bought at Bob’s.

Me: I see you are looking at the expensive backpacks, maybe you should look over here. Boy Twin: I like these. Me: I will tell you what, I will give you exactly what I paid for Girl Twin’s backpack. If you buy a cheaper backpack I will give you the change. If your backpack cost more, you pay the extra. Boy Twin: That doesn’t sound fair! Me: Really? I don’t know where you do math, but that’s the deal. Boy Twin: Fine, can we get it today? I didn’t bring money with me.

I should have turned it into a teaching moment and charged interest. Calm down, I didn’t charge him interest.

Now a quick story about the first week of school. Parents of student/athletes were required to attend an introductory fall sports meeting in the auditorium of the high school. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the fall sports coaches, ask the parents not to get involved with team play and to ask for funding. They want parents to get involved with raising money but don’t want parents tooffer suggestions on winning games. Sorry, I feel myself drifting here. I’m going to get a cup of coffee and get back on track.

The parents meeting was chaired by the assistant principal/athletic director of the school. At the front of the auditorium was a screen with a power point presentation. The speaker was reading the screen to the parents word for word. (Does that bother you? Sheez, I went to that same school, I don’t need her to read it to me. (Drifting!) The speaker (and the power point presentation) informed the parents that the school would be looking for

*Heat Stroke * Consussions

in the athletes. You think I have a typo, don’t you? Nope, that is exactly what was on the screen. When I wrote, ”Consussions” I saw the squiggly red line. Obviously, this educator did not. She did change the screen before I could snap a picture with my texting device.

I’m thinking, maybe school starts too early. Maybe we should start a week or two later and kind of ease into it.

Our crazy lives!

Monner