Dear Family,
So, Tuesday night we get everything ready for bed and kids are finally calmed down by 8:00. Lydia can't sleep and is up til 9:00. That is too late for a school night. Joseph brought home a red box, so we watch it. I didn't get much sleep, what's new.
Wednesday morning Isaac comes in our room about 5:45am. the sun is shinning and it is going to be a great day. All the kids are up. So are Joseph and I. Kids get dressed. Lydia comes in, in a uniform dress. She looks darling. But I remind her we hadn't bought the shorts she has to wear underneath to cover her underwear (required for dresses and skirts). She convinces me she can wear it if we have enough time to run to Walmart before school to get shorts.
Make beds, eat breakfast, pack lunches, hair, teeth, backpacks filled with supplies, I won't comment on Megan's outfit of choice, scriptures and prayers. Isaac helped make Lydia's bed and was demanding she help him in return. He locks her in his room. I am trying to make myself presentable while I hear Lydia screaming for help from his room. I stomp down the hallway to his room and bang my fist on his door. It sounds more like a crack and yep, I punched a hole in his door. Wow! Am I tired? Are the kids tired? Yes. Somehow we made it out the door, in the van, and to Walmart. It is 7:30. As we drive to Walmart I am prepping the kids about how fast we need to be. We park. Get into Walmart and beeline it to the girl's clothes. I am dragging poor Megan. I tell her how sorry I am I can't carry her. She says, "It's OK. I'm not tired." What a sweetheart. Early on, I told Megan how I can't pick her up anymore now that a baby is growing inside me. She is understanding and doesn't complain about walking. So, I am scanning the racks for basic cotton blue shorts. Found them. Lydia doesn't like them. Found another. Lydia doesn't like them, but she consents. Then to shoes. She tries on 3 pairs of shoes before we find a basic black dress shoe she agrees to wear. Basically, I said, if you don't like these let's keep looking another day and wear your sneakers today. No way! she says I will wear these. Next stop. We went to school supplies to get the pens Isaac still needs. They didn't have any. Megan finds an 88cent pen she likes. Sure! Let's go!
It was 7:47 when we got back into the van. We are supposed to be at the school at 7:50 for flag ceremony. We drive past the school and cars are EVERYWHERE! There are a lot of kids and parents at this school. I could not park anywhere close enough to walk the kids. It is 8:00 and I am so worried they will be late. I have to drop them off. I almost burst into tears watching Isaac and Lydia walk off aimlessly. We have only been to this school once before. Isaac sends Lydia off in one direction and she looks so scared! I roll down the window and tell Isaac to stay with her. I drive off. Guilt takes over and I find a parking spot. I race in with Megan hoping to find out if my kids got to their classes. I start walking back and one of the staff stops me. "Where are you headed?" "To Miss Gold's to see if my daughter got to her class." "She did. She did. Go have a great day!" I hold back tears and turn around. I didn't have a volunteer badge, that is the truth, but I just needed the peace of seeing her with her class. I turn around and head back to the car as fast as I can so that no one I know sees me in tears.
We drive home and as Megan is opening the house door she exclaims, "We are going to have so much fun! Just us girls. Let's play Candyland!" :) We played all day just the 2 of us." It was a LONG day.6 hours! Megan helped me with dishes, policed my sweeping job, and then we played Candyland. We cleaned out the van, ate popsicles. And then rested on my bed. I fell asleep, while Megan watched a movie. We ate lunch together and then played some more. Laundry, the rest is a blur.
I arrived to pick up the kids from school at 2:30. There was already a HUGE line of cars. No busses at this school so you can imagine. It took me 30 minutes for the line to move enough that I was in front of the school. There was Lydia, then Isaac. Lydia's face was red with tears. Isaac says, "All we did was writing and work. Let's leave this school!" Later they admitted their days weren't that bad. Lydia had been crying because the kids were waiting so long she was nervous I wasn't coming to pick her up. We waited another 10 minutes while they staff rounded up another girl I will be picking up from school for a few weeks. The kids are all waiting with their teachers outside in 115 degree weather. I can't wait for the temperatures to cool down.
I don't have time to write more, but it is only 3:00 by this time and I still have homework, papers, dinner, scouts, and RS meeting.
I have to go to the store with Megan now. Have a great day!
love,
Amy C. Degraw
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