This is the last part of my tale of back-to-school exhaustion. Enjoy!

The day before school starts I spend the day shampooing and styling my daughter’s thick head of hair. My son gets his hair cut and we lay out clothes, shoes, socks, and backpacks. They are both nervous and excited and to be honest, so am I. The next day we get up, get showered, dressed, and fed then head out the door.

My daughter is catching the bus so I wait a bit for the bus to come but I have to leave before it gets there. I learned later that it was late; hopefully it’s not a sign of things to come. I take my son to school and meet a barrage of cars and proud parents dragging their kids behind them to get into the school. It is not the most organized processional but we make it into the school and to his class without being trampled.

His teacher is smiling and waiting for all her new students to come in and she lovingly excuses a wayward parent who confesses she could’t find an item on the supply list. I feel good when I leave the classroom and head down the crowded halls once again to get back to my car and off to work.

I think about the kids all day and wonder how things are going; wondering if my daughter got to school or if she got lost. I wondered if my son was listening and following directions and I tracked his day with the schedule I printed off from his teacher’s website. Finally my daughter called to tell me that she got home. I am relieved and she is hungry so she hangs up in a hurry to get something to eat and decompress with a TV show.

After work I pick up my son and he is happy to see me and tell me about his day. He’s hungry too so I get home and start dinner. By then all my energy is gone. I’m sure it’s mostly because these last two weeks have been spent preparing for back-to-school. Finally the kids are settled and I am dog tired. I can hardly keep my eyes open so I lay on my bed to “rest” a while. That rest turned into full-on sleep.

My son wanted me to help him with a worksheet but I could barely keep my eyes open much less talk. We managed to get it done and get them ready for bed. Not long after they went to bed I went to bed too, thinking how exhausting back to school is.

Empowerment is Yours!

Rockin’ Single Mom Sam

In the first part of my back-to-school tale I told you about taking my kids to the health department for health screenings and shots. My son is a riot and didn’t expect that it would not hurt like he thought it would. My daughter on the other hand felt differently because she cried like a baby. Here is the rest of the tale:

Since they are going to two different schools on opposite sides of town I tried to plan my route the best way I could. I didn’t work. I still ended up driving all over the place. Fortunately the registration process was quick and painless. The dreaded affidavit that required a notarized signature was done right in the office, yeah! The ladies who helped me at both schools were very helpful and kind. I don’t think I could have dealt with a rude person very well after the morning at the health department.

Then next stop on the back to school tour was back to school shopping. This event was timed perfectly with the Grand Opening of a new Target store so the prices were great. I was able to get all the school supplies at a reasonable price, plus extras for later in the semester. Clothes shopping would have to wait until I got paid again but the kids were content because they had new backpacks and school stuff. I’ve learned a valuable lesson about buying school clothes; don’t spend an insane amount of money for them, especially for my son. So I head on over to the local thrift store and search for jeans. Most of the time, the jeans are in very good condition and barely worn. I got two pairs for my son and three pairs for my daughter. The next stop was Walmart for shirts at $3.50-$5.00 each, so I spent less than $60 for clothes. They’ll look great for the first few weeks of school and I’ll go back to the thrift store for more jeans as they outgrow and wear out the ones they already have.

Both schools have an open house that we attend to meet the teachers and tour the school. It is scheduled between 4-6pm so I have to go after work. I was not prepared for the massive amounts of people there as most parents are like me and arriving after work. It is confusing and loud at the entrance and instructions have to practically be shouted in my ear. We are rushed through each station after we find the classrooms and teachers. There is more paperwork and instructions to work through but we make it. The final stop is the cafeteria to make sure the kiddies have accounts for their meals. I shell out money for both of them and spend in excess of $80 on lunch accounts, P.E. uniforms and lockers before school even starts, sheesh!

Empowerment is Yours!

Rockin’ Single Mom Sam