Monday Moments {For JD & Marsh}

I frantically rush to get the five kids ready for school. I send the two older girls to take a shower while I give the boys their breakfast. The baby is wailing to be fed and changed. I leave the boys with specific instructions to eat quickly, and go pick up the baby. Phew-wy. It smelled like a stink bomb went off in her room. I decide to give her a quick bath but realize that the girls are still in the bathroom. I tell them to get out before all the hot water is gone. They quickly get out and after telling them to eat their breakfast once they change, I get the baby in the tub and sweet smelling in no time. Thank goodness the boys took their shower last night! By the time I get the baby dressed in her clothes, it is 7:45. There is still the lunches to make and myself to get ready before we have to be at school by 8:15. The baby starts wailing again--oh no, I forgot to give her a bottle.


While making her a bottle, I tell the boys to get their shoes and socks on and make sure they have their back-packs all set to go by the door. I put the baby in the car seat, strapp her in and give her the bottle. After making sure she is holding it and drinking, I turn my attention to making lunches. I get all the lunch pails set up on the counter so I can pack them assembly style. Each gets an apple, yogurt, chips, and cookies quickly thrown in. I don't have time to make everything pretty this morning. I hurriedly make some PBJ sandwiches for each child. After placing a juice box in each, I zip up the lunch boxes and stand them up on the edge of the counter for the kids to take. By this time the girls are done eating and I've just realized the younger girl is completely mismatched. I groan as I head her back to her room to find a suitable dress for school--the time is now 7:55. I get her changed and then brush her hair and put in a ponytail. Good thing she has short hair. I call the older girl in the room and start brushing her hair to put in a ponytail, as well.


I hustle the kids out to the van so we can drive over to school--which thankfully, is not far away. We get there at 8:13, and the older kids scramble out and rush into the school building. There are so many people milling about the front of the building which is quite unusual. I wonder what is going on. I get the baby out and head into the school. There are a lot of kids around; some I recognize. I see a few college kids I know, but none of them even acknowledge my presence in any way. I briefly wonder if I am invisible. Really strange.

Once I get in the building, a little girl asks me directions for something. She spoke as if I should know. I pointed her in the direction of the right stairway leading downstairs and explained that they led to the other wing of the building. How that information was lodged in my brain, I have no idea.

"Elsa" I heard my name being called and swung around to look behind me. I vaguely recognize the person, but he disappears into a room before I can remember. By this time, I no longer have the baby with me, but don't remember dropping her off anywhere. In a frantic state of mind, I rush outside the school building only to be met by a mom...of one of my students? What the lady was trying to tell me, I have no idea because right then I heard Marsh call my name. I turn to find her beside me to inform me I am late for teacher's meeting. What!?! Oh, man! How could I have forgotten! As we walk upstairs, I ask her why all the college kids were outside the building. Before she can reply, I happen to glance in the window outside the office. I stop dead in my tracks and look down at my outfit. There was spaghetti sauce splattered all over my shirt and skirt. I'm not going to teacher's meeting like this, I whisper horrified. How did I ever not change before coming to school?! I tell Marsh I'm leaving and she asks what I'm going to do about my class. I am so disgusted with myself. And mad that I am going to be late starting my class on the first day of school. As I turn to rush out of the building and go home, I have a startling thought: I am no longer the kindergarten teacher...JD is.

Then I woke up. What a crazy dream huh? I think it was a combination of Marsh's FB stats and thinking about the approaching school year...wishing I could still be a teacher to my favorite students.

JD, make sure you check your first-day-of-school outfit for spaghetti sauce splatters ;)