Little m Long a

Your name is not Zero.

I’m sorry.

We called you that all weekend.

Accept our apologies.

No matter, you still suck as a good luck charm!

Zella was selected to be the VIK for the coming week.  That’s Very Important Kindergardener.  One of the perks of having your stick drawn is an exciting weekend with the class mascot wherein you get to take him on all of your adventures over the weekend, photographing the events and journaling the details.

This is our 4th visit by the class mascot and he’s always been referred to as Zero.  Zero the Hero.  During Zoe and Zane’s stint in kindergarden he was a Zebra.  He disintegrated after a wash (not my fault — the teacher tried to wash him) and was replaced by a bear, but still called Zero.

This bear is slightly different than the one Zia brought home on her VIK weekend but essentially the same.  I assumed he was still Zero and that’s how we addressed him all weekend.

Only on Sunday night when it came time to enter the photos and journal entries in the class log did I realize this little guy’s name is Teddy.

Typical.

With the beginning of school just over a week away, the list of things we need to get done on any particular day seems to be growing exponentially longer.  It makes the last week of a relaxing summer vacation anything but.  It seems we’re on the go with purpose almost every day.  As such, that often means we’re eating on the go as well.  The other day we hit one of our favorites, a dive hamburger joint downtown.

It’s old school, with counter seating throughout.  Old time diner stools that may or may not swivel and roughly enough seating for thirty people — tops.  There’s no concerted effort to pull off the nostalgic look — it’s truly old!  Typical diner food with daily specials, breakfast anytime and fresh homemade pies varying according to the owner’s whim.  And the milkshakes.  Intoxicating!!

The last time we were there was on a family movie night.  I’d taken the kids to that new Harry Potter flick and we stopped by the diner afterwards for a bite.  As is the norm, when you enter any type of establishment with five kids in tow you garner a bit of attention.  The waitress was talkative, much to her detriment, for in a matter of minutes Zella had revealed the entire story of the movie, which of course the waitress had yet to see.  Saved her 7 bucks.

We found ourselves back at the diner this past weekend taking a break between needing to be here or there.  The waitress was there and though not serving us stopped by to talk to the kids.

“So what have you guys been up to today?”

“Well,”  started Zoë.  ”It’s been pretty busy.  I had a soccer game this morning and we bought our school clothes.  Oh, but before all that we had to do Simple Solutions.”

The waitress gave me a puzzled look.  I explained that Simple Solutions were the workbooks the kids complete in order to stay sharp during the summer break from school.  They are a review of the lessons and concepts learned during the past school year.  It’s encouraged by the school and essentially enables the students to begin the school year where they left off the previous one.  As opposed to spending the first quarter reviewing and relearning the things they already should know but forgot over the summer.

“It’s like homework,” Zoë said.

“Yeah, homework.  During the summer!” added Zia.

The waitress looked at me — shocked and then back to the kids.

“Really?” she asked.

To which Zane replied, “Yeah.  Welcome to my world.”

(I make no apologies for having my kids do schoolwork during summer break.)

The phone rang at 6:01 am only minimally disturbing my post alarm snooze filled stupor.  I hadn’t been there long, 3 hours tops, and the tension and cramping I had managed to work into my neck and back by falling asleep in the chair hadn’t really worked itself out yet.  I smiled before I answered because I knew worst case that I’d have at least two more hours.

“Good morning,” the message began.  “Delaware City Schools are on a two hour delay this morning…”

It is amazing how adept I am at resetting the alarm clock in a near blind and comatose state.  When the phone rang again at 6:54 am I didn’t even bother to answer it.  I simply reached up, turned off the alarm clock and went back to sleep.

SNOW DAY!!!

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The phone rang about 12:45.  This is not particularly significant for our phone typically rings throughout the course of the day.  It’s but one of the many ways that we keep in touch with the world around us.  So the phone ringing at 12:45 caused little reaction in me other than the immediate thought that I should answer it.

A quick glance at the caller id told me it was my mother-in-law.  Again, no significant reaction.  I talk to my mother-in-law on a daily basis.  I figured that she was probably calling to let me know she would be bringing the kids home from school.  In fact, I may have uttered a tiny, “Sweet!” just before I answered.

“Hey, Ed.  Where are the twins?”

“They’re right here with me.  Eating lunch.  Why?”

“Weren’t they supposed to start school today?”

“No.  They start on Friday.  They may start on Thursday but the teacher said she would call if that’s the case.”

“Well, I just talked to their teacher and she’s looking for them.”

“Why?!”

“She said she e-mailed you.  Said they could start today and be here all week.”

“Great.”

So it seems that I forgot to send the twins to school.

On their first day!!

So on a hugely monumental milestone in the lives of my kids, a day they have been anticipating since the last day of preschool in May, a day they have anticipated even more because their older brother and sisters have been going to school for two weeks, on the first day of school —–

I forgot to send them.

Nice!

That Parent of the Year contest is pretty much a landslide in my favor.

To their tremendous credit, it was not dubbed a graduation ceremony.  In fact, the certificate each child received mentioned nothing of the finality of the kindergarten era.  It was rather an award, individually created for each child specifically designed with their unique personality in mind.

Zia’s?

I know what you’re thinking, but no.

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