The First Day
Today was Nooze's First Day of school. Her first day of First Grade. I took the day off, anticipating a morning in the Multi-Purpose Room. It would be followed by my walking her to her new class, in a completely different wing there at Edge of the Great Woods Elementary.
Alas, it was not to be. I hadn't even put the van in "park" at the curb, and Nooze was out of her seat and out the door. As she ran up the walkway to the Multi Purpose Room door, she turned quickly to look at me. The look clearly read, "Why are you still here?!"
My stomach knotted up and my head began to hurt a little. It hit me full force right then: She's not a baby anymore. I can't decide whether or not I am happy with this revelation.
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In order to force my day along (and because I had reached the scary level of "IT MUST BE DONE"), I had my oil changed this morning. While some people head to chains, I take my car to a Mechanic. This is not out of snobbery - or piety. My vehicle was nearly wrecked from the stupidity and carelessness of a Major Chain (I'm lookin' at you, there, walled mark...) - and I am wary of taking it to another one.
Said Mechanic is 'Old School' (not the movie, people!) - and has pledged to help keep our vehicles running 'til they can't run any more. As a result, we own two vehicles with over 200,000 miles on them. He is also reliable and honest, and is okay with me driving up (without notice) and having my oil changed.
As a result, I spent over an hour talking with his parents. If I could, I would simply take his mother EVERYWHERE with me. She is funny, feisty, and rolls her eyes regularly at her husband. She gave me great advice about medication (don't take it! It will make you worse!) - and shook her finger right in my face about not eating right. English is her second language (Portuguese is her first), but feisty is universal.
I felt much better after I left. I'm sure the van felt better, too.
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In an odd twist of events, the timer on my dryer decided to begin working today. It stopped working - without notice - about 5 months ago. Then today? *Poof* It's working again. Weird.
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On the other hand, our mail carrier is currently playing the 'do I work here or don't I?' card. She shows up at random times (7 am, anyone? Howsabout 6 pm? Like, whatever!)
I left a great stack of mail in the box today, to be sent OUT. All was properly stamped, stacked, etc. I even put the little red flag up.
When she decided to appear TODAY, she simply threw the flag DOWN, and shoved my mail in over it.
What's with that? Do postal carriers no longer PICK UP mail?
I'd call and inquire, but I live in a town even smaller than Cravey's.
Alas, it was not to be. I hadn't even put the van in "park" at the curb, and Nooze was out of her seat and out the door. As she ran up the walkway to the Multi Purpose Room door, she turned quickly to look at me. The look clearly read, "Why are you still here?!"
My stomach knotted up and my head began to hurt a little. It hit me full force right then: She's not a baby anymore. I can't decide whether or not I am happy with this revelation.
-----------------------------------------------------------
In order to force my day along (and because I had reached the scary level of "IT MUST BE DONE"), I had my oil changed this morning. While some people head to chains, I take my car to a Mechanic. This is not out of snobbery - or piety. My vehicle was nearly wrecked from the stupidity and carelessness of a Major Chain (I'm lookin' at you, there, walled mark...) - and I am wary of taking it to another one.
Said Mechanic is 'Old School' (not the movie, people!) - and has pledged to help keep our vehicles running 'til they can't run any more. As a result, we own two vehicles with over 200,000 miles on them. He is also reliable and honest, and is okay with me driving up (without notice) and having my oil changed.
As a result, I spent over an hour talking with his parents. If I could, I would simply take his mother EVERYWHERE with me. She is funny, feisty, and rolls her eyes regularly at her husband. She gave me great advice about medication (don't take it! It will make you worse!) - and shook her finger right in my face about not eating right. English is her second language (Portuguese is her first), but feisty is universal.
I felt much better after I left. I'm sure the van felt better, too.
------------------------------------------------------
In an odd twist of events, the timer on my dryer decided to begin working today. It stopped working - without notice - about 5 months ago. Then today? *Poof* It's working again. Weird.
----------------------------------------------------------------
On the other hand, our mail carrier is currently playing the 'do I work here or don't I?' card. She shows up at random times (7 am, anyone? Howsabout 6 pm? Like, whatever!)
I left a great stack of mail in the box today, to be sent OUT. All was properly stamped, stacked, etc. I even put the little red flag up.
When she decided to appear TODAY, she simply threw the flag DOWN, and shoved my mail in over it.
What's with that? Do postal carriers no longer PICK UP mail?
I'd call and inquire, but I live in a town even smaller than Cravey's.
posted by rennratt at 1:56 PM
15 Comments:
I feel your pain, Renn. My kids no longer want me to even LOOK at them when I drop them off, much less say goodbye.
Like I said at Cravey's, I think we are neighbors. But I love it.
Buddy was just like that - in preschool! Never clingy, just "Bye, mom!" with a smile. I, of course, had tears.
Don't even get me started on the P.O. I like to pretend our local branch doesn't even exist.
First off...congrats Miss Nooze on FIRST GRADE! We will have to get our little girls together someday, iffen I ever make it back east (or more specifically, SOUTHEAST). They'd have fun, I just KNOW it. C'mon...their moms are Maine-iacs through and through!!!
And I'm glad you survived dropping her off.
And walled mark...that's PRICELESS,!!!! Can you come up with one for eBay?????
Your mailman (er...carrier) must have moved from my last route in Georgia. I swear, I never saw the guy (okay, there had to be a sex-change operation in there, too) at the same time on any given day...and the latest the mail came was 8:30 p.m. one night. It was DARK out!!!! Sheesh!
Kids will rip your heart out if ya let 'em. I say we sic 'em on the mail carrier instead.
Funny. My high school friend's father was an auto mechanic. They were Portuguese, and I enjoyed them no end. His father's word was as good and reliable as anything under the sun. His mother's cooking was better than his father's word. At family get togethers, it was hot blooded card playing gastronomic chas.
Oh, and Yay Nooze!
That kind of confidence means the parenting is right. It hurts, so wallow in pride instead.
Give it a couple of years, and she will be asking to be dropped off around the corner from the school so nobody sees that mom still drives her to school.
Mail people do that because we have some sort of fear of them shooting us or something.
Hey, its just gonna get better with nooze, or so I hear, ya got tweens and then teen years, woohoo
Everyone i talk to these days is having 'my kids are growing up moments' it's kinda cute., no, it's really cute.
Mail carriers are a strange lot, I feel, as a general rule not pissing them off is the route to take.
JC
First grade is HUUUUUGE.
Congratulations on getting through the first day of it, and way to go Nooze.
When my kid went to first grade, I had to crank up some heavy metal at an ear-splitting volume...to keep from crying!
I can't believe you didn't have a nervous breakdown. You are a strong woman.
Hey, are you able to leave comments on Tiff's blog or is it just me?
I remember Jenny's first day of school...I cried like a baby and she ran off happily just like yours did.
We have a similar mechanic and beyond all luck he lives just down the road a piece. He even makes house calls in an emergency. Last New Year's Day he invited us down for shrimp boil. He is a true blessing.
My postal carrier is great so it's not a universal problem, Renn. Maybe your person will quit soon -- good luck!
I have two postal carriers. One has been on the job for years, and he delivers at the same time every day (within 10 or 15 minutes). The other one moved here after meeting a local woman on the internet, and he is worthless as tits on a boar. It might a 4 hr difference, maybe no mail at all that day! Grr...
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