P is for Pete, and more...

Tonight Pete and I went on a date to a very exclusive establishment in town.  We went to a dinner/speaker function for the Propeller Club.  The food was a wonderful buffet, and the two speakers were interesting.  The first was from the Army and spoke about the ports around town.  The other speaker was from the Coast Guard and talked about the oil spill and how it will effect the shipping industry.

Now back to Pete.  We sat at a table with some other people from his work, and we were talking about the crazy hours they have.  Ships come to port 24/7, so the guys have to be available (thank goodness Pete is manager now and only goes out on emergencies). 

This story was part of tonight's conversation:  Pete and I were living in my one bedroom apartment until we found a house.  One morning I woke up and noticed Pete wasn't in bed.  I knew he was out on a ship, but he should have been home by then.  I walked out into the living area, passed right in front of the couch and straight to the phone (all before I turned on any lights or made coffee).  Back then Pete had a pager so I called it to make sure he was okay.  All of the sudden I hear a strange vibrating sound from behind.  Right as I turn around, I see Pete pop up and reach for his pager while blurting obscenities.  He had only gotten home an hour ago after working all night, and I woke him from his deep sleep.  I am so glad we can laugh about it now. 

Crazy Pick-Up Lines

If you want to test your patience, get in the carpool line at my children's elementary school. I am really trying hard to do the right thing, but sometimes it can be difficult. As I have stated before, the school is at a new location because they are tearing down the old school and building a new one. So for the next year-and-a-half, the school is a "portable school"- made up of portable buildings connected by covered walkways. The problem is not the school. The kids are happy and love it. All of the wonderful teachers and administration are the same. But the after school pick-up is chaos city. And I knew it would be. The first day, I got there an hour early and sat in the hot car, windows rolled down, sweat dripping all over my body. I had been there about fifteen minutes when the maintenance guy walked to the post where the sign was and started unscrewing the bolts.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Moving the sign back some. I didn't think you all would start getting here so early."
So he took the sign for K-1 pick-up and moved it back. I couldn't back up because cars were behind me, so I decided I would just get out of the car when the kids started coming out (Katie and Andrew have to go to the K-1 line because they won't let the little ones go to the big kid line anymore). After I had retrieved all of the kids, we were able to make a quick and easy exit and get home in no time. From what I hear, some people didn't get home for a whole hour due to the heavy traffic. So the second day, I arrived at the school an hour early again, but this time they had changed the order of where we were to pick up the kids. When I drove to where the sign had been moved to the day before, it said 2-5 grade pick-up. I kept on driving to the other side until I found the K-1 line. Again, I was first in line. I worked my crossword puzzle and then read. This time I was prepared. I had my hair in a ponytail and lots of water. Opening the doors makes for a nice breeze throughout the van, I discovered. I was enjoying some quiet, peaceful time. Until the cars started cutting in front of me. It took all I had not to get out of my car and say something, but I stayed in my car staring in amazement. Then, parents started forming a line to the right of me. I was penned in. I took some deep breaths and remained calm. I knew I couldn't change anything, but boy did I want to! I reminded myself that I was there for the kids and waited patiently. Again, we got home in record time. Today was a little better- nobody cut in front of me (I pulled up a little closer). Plus, the kids started coming out ten minutes early so we actually got home at the regular dismissal time. The thoughts of sitting in my car for a whole hour every day this year are overwhelming to me, but one day at a time, I can do it. Wish me luck!

First Day of School

This is how Nicholas wanted to wear his hair to school on his first day of school.

But I convinced him to comb his hair right at least for the first day (and I thought girls were the only ones who worried about their appearances). Despite that minor kink, the first day of school went great. Usually traffic is horrible as parents come out of the woodworks and everyone is trying to find a parking spot so they can walk their children into their new classes on the first day. Pete and I decided to leave a little earlier than usual, since we were going to the new location, which is farther than the old school. Traffic flowed smoothly as policemen directed us into the parking lot (the new school is on a very busy street that is usually 50 mph, but has been reduced to 35 mph by the school, along with the school zone speed limit of 20 mph during peak hours). We eased right into a parking spot and proceeded to drop off each child in their new classes. Of course, Katie didn't want us hanging around too long. She sat right down and got busy. Last night, she had organized all of her supplies in utter joy of a new school year. Andrew walked right in and was glad he could sit by all of his buddies. Since he and Katie are in the gifted and talented classes, they have the same kids in their class every year. Last, but not least, we dropped Nicholas off at his classroom. He walked in with confidence and sat by the prettiest girl. That would be our Nicholas!

When I picked them up this afternoon, things were a little more confusing. I arrived an hour early so as to guarantee I would be one of the first cars when my babies came out of school. I was the first for a while, until people started arriving closer to dismissal and then things went haywire. I was blocked in by another line of cars for kids being let out at another location and ended up having to get out of my car and go and get my children. Nicholas saw me first and ran over to me without telling his teacher goodbye. She looked down and he wasn't there, so she panicked and thought she'd lost him. She went back to the class to look for him and then came back out and saw him standing by me. Bless her heart- I know she nearly had a heart attack by the look on her face! Thankfully, Katie and Andrew had her, too, so we know each other well. Nicholas said the best thing about school was that he met a lot of new friends. Andrew said his day was fine, too, but a little "easy". Katie LOVED her first day. She had a lot of homework that is not due until Friday, but she did it all when we got home.

I am so grateful that I have such a sensible, level-headed husband. When I think of all the time I wasted worrying about the kids going to the new portable school, I feel kind of silly. I was ready to send them to a new school, but Pete kept reassuring me over and over that everything would be fine. And it was. Thank you Pete, and thank you God!

Bloom Where Planted

I must say the teachers at my children's school have done a wonderful job preparing for this school year, which begins Monday. You see, the old school is being torn down so a new one can be built (thanks to a bond issue that passed). While the new building for the school is being built, the school is being housed in a "portable school" at a different site. Everything is a portable- the classrooms, the office, the nurse, library, art, music, P.E., bathrooms and even the cafeteria. I must admit I was a little skeptic about the whole thing, and I have suffered quite a bit of fear and anxiety because of it. Would my children be safe? Would they still like school? Will they get the education (with all the amenities) they deserve? How would this work?

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to "meet the teachers" Katie, Andrew and Nicholas would have this year at the portable school. Guess what? The kids loved the temporary site and the teachers have gone out of their way to decorate their rooms to make a cozy, safe and comfortable learning environment. All of the buildings are connected by a covered walkway and the students will not be lacking anything (except, perhaps, assemblies or programs~ there is not a portable big enough to house all of the kids at once).

There will be a few kinks to work through, I am sure. For one thing, the P.E. portable is not big enough to house a whole grade level. The coach is very disappointed. Also, lunch will be a challenge. One portable is the serving line and then the kids go to one of several dining halls to eat. The weather could cause some setbacks, too. But despite the challenges, my children are looking forward to school and the teachers are very optimistic. They have "bloomed where planted" and I am grateful for that.