Heaven Help Our Pocketbook's School

This past weekend I went on our pharmacy run. We use the Target pharmacy (for those who know me well...go ahead and laugh...I use Target for everything). It just so happens that the pharmacist there sends her children to LitlBit's school. We chatted for a bit about their school...and then the question..."where are you sending LitlBit to preschool?" Let’s preface this question with some background info on me. Me, type A personality, looking at private schools even before we actually were pregnant (why do I say we...last I remember I was the one with the weight gain)! I had it planned out to apply for school the year before starting. Since LitlBit has a late birthday I figured that we could apply next year for three year old kindergarten or the following for four year old. Now, back to the pharmacy...my response..."well, I am still debating on Our Lady of the Heavens, Heaven Help our Pocketbook's, Our Lady of Cry as I Write the Check...maybe even Just Take All of My Paycheck...planning on deciding and applying next year..." Pharmacist, "...oh no...my daughter has been on the list for Heaven Help Our Pocketbook's since she was 8 months old!" To give you an idea...her daughter is 4 now and starting school in the fall. Imagine the horror that this type A felt upon hearing this. Here I thought I was AHEAD of the curve! I knew from my personal experience that the concept of a waiting list was not unfamiliar territory. I was (and am) determined not to have the name "Modern" on that dreaded wait list! So, the horror!!! (insert gasp and laughter here) Fast forward to today...we now have an official tour of Heaven Help Our Pocketbook's with their Director of Admissions. Yes, you read that right, they have a director...kind of scary isn’t it? Teaching them early to be confused I suppose. That way when you get to JC High School you are used to having 4 different people all doing the same job! For those of you baffled having not gone to JC...we had a principal, vice-principal, president and dean of students. You would have thought our campus was the size of Auburn with all of that! No, no, no! My total school population was the size of husband's graduating class! So, I suppose Heaven Help Our Pocketbook's is just starting the confusion early on! They apparently are teaching interview techniques as well... when the application actually is in the works (the summer before proposed entry) they interview her! OMG! Now I had to take an entrance test (which they still do but for Kindergarten ... not preschool) but not an interview. What do they discuss...her goals and aspirations...let’s see...to play all day and make as big of a mess as humanly possible! As for me I am still baffled. Since when did big kid school start for the parents 2 years early?! I guess it is time for me to put on my big girl panties and play nice, smile and not ruffle feathers during our interview...I mean visit! Once again, those that know me well are laughing right now...me...not ruffle feathers...hahahaha!

Holiday Hangover!

Does anyone else have an Easter weekend hangover? I really think that holidays should come with recuperation time from lack of sleep and too many activities!

I enjoyed my Spring Break... but it was not packed with fun and sun! Instead it was packed with every child-related activity known to man! I believe everyday we went to eat and slide (Chic-fil-A now knows us by name)! Anna is slowly going to turn into a chicken! Tuesday I had a wise idea of getting paints for porcelain eggs. I read somewhere that somebody had an egg added every year that their child painted. Great idea! Not a great idea to take a napless 2 year old to get supplies! Add Hobby Lobby to the list of friends on a first name basis now! Wednesday we painted...we painted....and we painted...and we painted! We painted eggs, our hands and tried to paint the cat (hey, who wouldn't love to have a purple, pink, green, yellow cat)! Thursday was the Easter party at school. I am big on going to all I can (she is only 2...so...watch out PTA...already planning ideas!). Apparently I am the only one! The party consisted of the kids, two teachers and me! Well somebody had to entertain the kids so I decided it was me. All the time poor Anna was telling everyone who came near me "my mommy" or "mommy's camera". Friday....we went Easter shopping! Target here we come (as if this makes it different from any other day). Once again, a store which knows us! I dare say that they might call to check on us should we skip a day visiting! The Easter stuff...well you take your life into your own hands on that aisle two days before Easter! I envisioned the great Cabbage Patch Kids Walmart scene from the eighties at some points! Saturday she woke up bright and early....at 6:30 (apparently she did not read the memo that it was Saturday!) We decided to do our original plan and go on an Easter egg hunt in Pelham. Met the cousins there. That was the quickest hunt I had ever been to! Well, not really much of a hunt per se. There was a football field with eggs scattered all over it. None-the-less the kids had fun. Anna loved it with the exception of "the Bun" (my name for the Bunny). Her cousin wanted to see him...Anna was having nothing of it! I admit, most Easter bunnies looked a bit...well...freakish! SO who could blame her! Following the hunt we went to mom's. That is always an experience and a half! Anna met my mom's dog's up close and personal. All three had fun. The dog's were probably a bit confused why she was taking their toys but all in all they played well with each other. We then went to buy the forgotten items for dying eggs (I don't think Walmart is fun for any reason!). When we got home we had big plans...cookies and dying eggs. Some of you may not remember that age old tradition of dying eggs. There are others of you that may wonder....simply....why....there are plastic ones now? Kind of like diapers...why use the old fashioned cloth ones when God created Huggies! Well, some things I never grew out of (talking about dying eggs here)! For those of you wondering, YES it was a mess and a half. It was a messy that this Type A (yes, I know you can't believe it...I am a type a ....insert laughter here) personality went bonkers over! We both ended up having fun though! Now to Sunday...the big reveal...what did the 'Bun bring? He was good (my wallet thanks him!) Anna was happy (I think she may have actually been more happy that she did not have to talk to him in order to get the treats!) Then we had the other 'fam functions. Egg hunt, food, painting, chalking, bubbles, running around, ball playing....I am tired just reliving it in words!

And here we are today...still suffering from the Easter hangover! Anybody else?

Officially or Unofficially? Is There Really a Difference?

Well, the holidays are officially in the past. My marking point for this is I go back to work tomorrow. As you may know I work at a local private university. We "unofficially" get off for about a week and a half at Christmas. Officially, if we did not get this unofficial- everyone plans on but admisinstration does not put on calendar -holiday time....well, let's just say that this "Christian" campus would officially be not so Christian in thoughts and words! We got off at noon on the 21st and go back tomorrow. Mind you, I have been unofficially been working this break anyways. See, I work with international students and scholars. So, everything involving anything international in nature I do. Or, you could use the definition that our campus post office has of my scope of work. Anyone or thing with a funny sounding name is for me. Boy oh boy this needs to be my official job description because it seems like it is true judging from everything that comes on my desk, in my email or through my phone lines! Over the holidays it seems like nobody (including those that work on campus) understands we are officially closed! I have been to the office, been to FedEx to mail visa paperwork to Nicaragua, emailed a student trying to come Jan. 20th (hahaha that is funny to me...she has not even applied...Athletics Department must be smokin' something if they think this is happening)...emailing back and forth a professor who went early on study abroad to London (a whole 'nother blog post...I am leaving Jan. 12th with a group of students too) wanting to know if he can stay in our house (our university owns a flat in London) that night...the list goes on! Well, I officially get to go back to this and more tomorrow. Officially, back to reality. All in all it is going to be tough. I am going to have to get back into the wake up get the world ready mode. Poor LitlBit is back at school. That is going to be a heartrencher. Going back from a three day weekend and she clinches to me crying! So this is not going to be pleasurable for either of us. She loves her teachers so I know it is just change that gets to her. But man oh man, try telling me that as I walk away from the tear-stained red face! Officially my footlose and fancyfree mini vacation is over. Unofficially my world must quickly turn upside down to reflect such. This just to change once again Jan. 12th.

Ok- I said I would put it in another post...and I probably will put more...but I need to vent a bit. I am going to London for two weeks with a student group. I will be in charge of the house while there. Last year was my first time to do this. I was a wreck the first few days! LitlBit has not (still) spent the night away from home! I can count on both hands (maybe even one) the number of times we have asked for someone to watch her...even then it was grandma. Top that with the fact that I had never flown before (yes you read that right) much less been out of the country...I was a basket case (at least in my opinion). I know it will be better this year since I have done it, it went ok, my computer worked (that was a scare of mine because I planned on video skyping home for free), and LitlBit did not suffer from post-traumatic mommy-left-me-for-two-weeks-syndrome! I still dread it! I get no sympathy either! Everyone seems to think that going to London is just wonderful! Those same folks are not the ones leaving their little one for two weeks though! I love my job. I do. I am able to work from home some. I get good holiday time. I pretty much take off if LitlBit sneezes the wrong way. I guess since having LitlBit I am more into being in the same city as her instead of travel without her.

So, tomorrow work officially begins. Unofficially, my life turns right-side up just to go upside-down again next week...officially (as I have the plane ticket to prove it)!