Public school started on Wednesday, the 17th, this year. So, B and Odie are back to school. B is in 2nd grade, and Odie started Kindergarten.We went to the open house on Monday evening, met the teachers and dropped off their school supplies. They're riding the bus this year, which is quite frankly a total waste, for multiple reasons. For one thing, this school district buses everyone, unless the parent gives them a ride. Walking to school is not an option. Well, for the option of bus versus ride, there's one important factor: time. The bus gets them to school by 8:10, which means they leave my house around 8:05. But, if you give your kid a ride, they are not allowed to be dropped off before 8:10. And, unless you get there by 7:45, you'll be toward the back of the line and have to wait around until about 8:20 for your kid to get out of your car, so yeah... School starts at 8:30.
Then there's after school pick-up... School is out at 3:30. So be there by 3:10 if you plan on having your kid by 3:45... But if they ride the bus, they are dismissed by 3:20, leave at 3:30, and get to my house around 3:40... So, yes, they are riding the bus... That being said, if I could walk them to school, I would. It's a ten minute walk. But no, that's not allowed until middle school, even if the parent accompanies them. Agh! No wonder our kids are lazy and overweight (speaking of the general populus), not only do we not make them exercise, we actually force them not to. B was very disappointed when I had to tell her that she could not walk to school this year. Oh well, at least we can still take walks after school...
So far, so good with school. Although, I have to make B take faster showers because she managed to drag hers out to 40 minutes this morning, so Odie's is postponed until after he gets home from school. And I have to make sure Odie is 100% ready for school a long while before he needs to be, which is rather frustrating on days like today, when I tell him it's bus time and find out he lied to me about putting his lunchbox in his backpack and he bails to go put on socks because "B has socks on" (instead of sandals). Let's see, are you B? I mean, B is wearing a dress also, so does that mean you should be?... B has PE today, Odie has PE on Tuesday. So yes, she is wearing socks...
I am trying really hard to be optimistic about this year, but it's hard considering how terrible the preschool experience was last year, and the difficulties we had with B's 1st grade teacher not being cooperative about the parenting arrangement per the divorce papers. Unfortunately, the first math paper B brought home (on Wednesday) was very sloppy and completely incorrect. The reason? She "didn't feel like doing it"... deja vu... I don't know how to instill a desire for her to do her best on the first try. She knows this at home, because of having to redo the same thing until she gets it correct. She finally decided it was easier to just do it right. But we fought this with school all of last year, and it appears we may still have more work ahead on that issue. :(
Beyond that, I don't really know what else to say about their schooling. I'm still wishing I could homeschool B, but that's not something I have a choice over at all. As for Odie, I simply don't know...
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