...since I must have cloned myself, having just about managed to be in two places at once, more than once today!
I woke up earlier, but I had to finally wake up the kids around 0830 so we could get to Sophie's preschool open house by 0900. I forget what I shoved in their mouths for breakfast, but it was surely nothing to write home about! At the preschool, which is part of and behind Jack and Chloë's school, we all listened to one of the teachers give a presentation about the class rules and daily routines. Each student stood up and introduced him- or herself, and Sophie would go up and say hi to each of them. She has gone from being afraid of school to terribly excited about everything related to it. She barely puts her lunchbox down!
After the talk, the kids were free to start playing with things in the classroom, and that they did. They made quick work of the neat and orderly arrangements. I filled out some more necessary paperwork for her to be in the program (there seems to be no end of it!), and after we'd been there for an hour, it was time to head out. Sophie hugged her new teachers good-bye, and we fled. But not before I made my kids put away their messes, natch.
We arrived at the hospital a half-hour later and actually found a decent parking space for once. The girls were cold, since the fall weather seems to be upon us this week, and I was glad to find a blanket in the waiting room of the orthopedics clinic. After Sophie cuddled up in it, another little girl sat next to her and started coloring. Well! Sophie, of course, made quick friends with her, as she is wont to do, and the little girl offered her a coloring book and crayons. In an instant, they were old friends coloring princesses. I hope she keeps this outgoing nature throughout life!
Before too long, we were called back to get Jack's vitals and wait in an exam room. Somehow, my tiny-kins managed to get up on the table by himself. He's been asking about this doctor visit for a long time now, every day. I've been telling him he might need braces for his legs, or casts, or I don't know what, to prepare him. He was seen when he was about two years old for his tip-toeing problem, indicating a tightness in his Achilles tendons, but he didn't need the braces then. The tip-toeing has since gotten worse, and it seems he's in pain sometimes, too.
The girls did not like the sit-and-wait part, even though it wasn't very long. See how thrilled they look?
The doctors came in and gave him a thorough examination, making him walk and run up and down the hallway and bending him this way and that (which elicited a lot of giggles from the patient), before telling us that yes, he will need to wear braces in bed at night. He didn't sob, he didn't make any noise at all, but when he quietly said, "I need braces?" I looked up, and the tears were rolling down his cheeks. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it now. I hugged and consoled my bitty boy, telling him it was only at night, and he could run and play in the daytime, and they wouldn't hurt (gosh, I hope they don't!)... and he stopped.
Then the main doc told me that Jan, the person who fits the kids for their braces, was right next door, and she might see him. He popped over there and came back, telling me to meet her at her office in 15 minutes, and she would see him for the fitting.
This is the part where things got really frustrating. We had to walk over to the next building to get to her office. I had been there before, when he was seen at age two, but I couldn't remember exactly where it was. And Sophie's feet were killing her, because she was wearing the new sparkly shoes, and I was wearing flip-flops not made for lots of walking. I had to carry her half the time and let her go barefoot the other half, trying not to trip and fall myself. We went up to the fourth floor of the old building, where I thought Jan's office was, and I couldn't find it. We went back down to the 2nd (main) floor, so I could get my bearings and start over. Yes, the 4th floor, I was certain... We went back up, and it still wasn't there! (Imagine that.) Back down to the second floor, it finally clicked that it was just down the hall. At last. I was getting a little short with the kids by that point, but it wasn't their fault.
In the waiting room, I had the kids go play while I spoke to the receptionist about seeing Jan. I told her what the doctor had told me, that she would see him in 15 minutes in her office. She smirked unkindly and told me, "Uh, the doctor doesn't know her schedule, because she has patients sitting here waiting." I remarked that SHE had told him to tell me that, and she again said that patients were already waiting for her, and that I would have to wait and be "fitted in somewhere."
Oh, hell no. I had too much to do today to sit around for goodness knows how many hours at the hospital. I sighed impatiently, maybe twice, before saying I would make an appointment for another time. The soonest she could see me was next Friday morning, which means he'll have to miss some school in the very first week. Bah! Annoying. But whatever. I just hate when the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, y'know?
So then we headed over to the regular Pediatric clinic, to follow up on that physical form for Sophia. They'd told me Monday that it would be ready in two days, and that they would call when it was. Three days and zero phone calls later, I arrived at the clinic, and there was no sign of her form, completed or otherwise. I managed to hold in my temper and tell them that I had to turn it in today so that she could go to school next week. It was the truth, after all. The corpsman told me to sit down and wait while he tracked it down.
After what seemed like an eternity but was probably only 20 minutes (at least I had my knitting with me), the charge nurse came out with Sophie's completed form and shot record, telling me that another doctor had stepped in to fill it out. Her pediatrician was off today, apparently. I was so grateful, I could have kissed her!! So we left the hospital, and I refrained from skipping on the way to the van.
We rushed back, late now, to the kids' school for the Back-to-School Picnic. By the time we got there, it was PACKED, and I couldn't find a parking space to save my life. I ended up, like, a mile away in a church parking lot, ignoring the signs telling me not to park there. I had to carry Sophia everywhere on my shoulders, because of her poor feet. Seven months ago, my back never would have allowed such a thing!
The line for the picnic area was about three miles long (maybe I exaggerate), so we all decided to go meet the teachers first. Here is Jack in Room 10, meeting his teacher, Mrs. Johnson. She was really nice, if not a little flaky, as she told me it was her first year at this school and she was thrilled to be there. Jack was completely disappointed not to find all the toys and fun things he'd had in his kindergarten classroom, to which Mrs. Johnson replied, "Oh no, we WORK in first grade, honey!" Eek. Way to scare the kid off school before it even starts! He pretty much bolted for the door after that, no lie.
I chased after him, and we all made our way to Room 20, to meet Mrs. Bacle and Mrs. Weaver, Chloë's third grade teachers. One teaches spelling and reading and stuff, and the other teaches math, science and social studies. But hello, THIRD GRADE?!! What the heck? Didn't I just bring her to her first day of kindergarten yesterday? Holy COW, I cannot believe she is in Grade THREE!
I loved Mrs. Bacle right away, and Mrs. Weaver was really nice, too. I can't wait to see how things go for her this year. (Did I mention she stayed up really late, reading her library book by the bathroom light? She loves to read!) She's again in the gifted classroom, but after things get underway, we are going to have her tested for a math learning disability. Apparently being twice exceptional is not uncommon, and if she needs the help, I am glad she will have a way to get it.
After that, we found Jack's Special Ed teacher and chatted for a moment with her before going to the gym to see Chloë's favorite person on the planet, Mr. Rock. She loves that man, absolutely adores him. And he loves her, too. He was absolutely thrilled to see her. They have some kind of special friendship going on, and if you think I watch that relationship like a hawk, well, you better believe I do! (I don't get any kind of weird vibes or anything, but you can never be too safe, I think.)
Mr. Rock gave Jack a little foam airplane, and oh, boy, was that the highlight of his day!! It broke three times, and we kept having to tape it back together, but he didn't care! He flew it all over, everywhere, and was devastated when it could not longer be fixed. Until I told him I could probably get more for a dime the next time I was at the party store...
We saw lots of old friends, both mine and the kids', as we wandered the halls to get back up front for the picnic line. Not one person commented on my weight loss, which was a bit disappointing, but oh well. I know I look a lot better than I did, and that will have to be enough!
The line was still huge and slow-moving, but eventually we picked up a hot dog, bag of chips and Capri Sun for each of the kids. Nada for me. They ate their dogs (not without tears on Jack's part) and devoured their chips before I let them loose to run around and get the crazies out for a few minutes. Oh, and we ate with Sachi, our nice Japanese neighbor lady, and her three kids, which is significant because this is the first year that Felicia, the oldest, will be going to our school!! I guess they don't have a choice, now that the year-round schedule is gone. And Felicia's in third grade, too! A different class, but still, fun.
Sachi and I talked about my possibly needing her to put the kids on the bus in the mornings and get them off in the afternoons, if I start subbing. She immediately agreed, and I was thankful. Of course, I will pay her. I don't know what, but something, even if it's only five minutes each time.
I corralled the kids, finally, and we walked back to the preschool again to deliver Sophia's physical form. Ahh, at last, the never-ending paperwork is complete. Until school starts, that is. I carried Sophie on my shoulders all the way back to the van, and rubbed her poor little feeties when we got there. She loves those shoes, but I'm ready for them to be broken in, already!
After a couple hours' downtime, during which Rob came home from work, we got the girls ready for soccer practice. They both have practice on Thursdays at 1800, in completely different areas of town. It sucks, because that means I'll have to miss it and not know what one of the girls is doing, and I like to see all, watch all, know all.
I couldn't pick just one pose to show you, because hello? The cuteness!! Right?!
Rob took Chloë to her practice, and Jack accompanied me and Sophie to hers. Well, I'll be darned if Soap didn't dribble her ball all the way from the car to the field as if she'd been doing it her whole life! I was thoroughly impressed with her instant ability! She ran around the soccer field (we got there ten minutes early, with only two other girls and the coach already there), kicking her ball around like a four-year-old pro. I was just astounded.
Practice got started, and they were playing fun games and drills that she was totally enjoying. I could see the grin on her face from far away. However, she'd had an exhausting day, and not 20 minutes into practice, she just sat down, pooped. Poor little girl! At water break time, she came trudging over, telling me she was tired and wanted to go home. Ha! I managed to talk her into going back out on the field with the other girls, but she pretty much just stood there, sucking her thumb and twirling her hair, while they all ran around. At least she stuck it out. I'm thinking naps may be in order on Thursdays.
Rob and I texted each other the whole time, telling each other what was going on at our daughters' soccer practices. On Chloë's team, one of the girls kicked the ball into the coach's nuts! Excuse me while I stifle a giggle...
After practice, I let Sophie and Jack run around the playground next to us. (Jack was free to run back and forth between the soccer field and the playground during the drills, but mostly he sat in my lap and fiddled with his airplane.) They only lasted five minutes before telling me it was time to go home!
Home wasn't in the cards just yet, though. I had two shops that needed doing. I needed to buy a sub sandwich at each of them as part of the shop, and Jack started begging me for a ham sandwich with nothing on it. Rob had already decided on dinner, so I kept telling him no, you're having XYZ at home! Finally, I gave in and asked him what he wanted. Really, he wanted ham and NOTHING else, so I got one on the second shop. And behold, when we got home, he ate that ENTIRE sandwich in nothing flat. Wow!!
Tomorrow will be another busy day, so I'm off to get some shut-eye. Maybe. Possibly.
Fin.
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