Survivor

We survived the first week of school. It was touch and go ... we almost didn't make it through the first morning. This is Chunky's last year at the private K-8 school Sassy attended as well. An 8th grader! Where does the time go? My little Chunky Monkey has grown into a tall, lean bean sprout ... 6', 135 lbs. The uniform pants are khakis and Tarjay has those, done. School supplies, done. New backpack, done. Of course the uniform shirts from last year would not fit since he was already sporting a Britney Spears belly button look by the end of May. Those were youth XL so I knew I'd have to order via website. In bl8tn fashion I ordered two weeks before the start of school, risking that they wouldn't arrive in time for the first day. A few days before school Chunky came in from an outdoor adventure exclaiming he'd broken his belt. I promptly asked if he had another belt and he said that he did in the sweetest tone you've ever heard, like angels singing, unaccompanied by an eye roll. Not! I asked one more time before the start of school if he needed a belt and the responding snort + mumble was my cue that he had it covered. Fast forward to the first day ... I was working from home so made sure he got up (only three promptings), ate breakfast (a french toast bagel with cream cheese as he paced the kitchen, 1/4 of which went to the dog as he realized he was running out of time) and made his lunch (turkey and cheese sammie, applesauce, turkey stick, carrots, cashews and fruit snacks). That's when I heard, "Mom, I need a belt after school today". Why son would you need a belt if you already have one as you assured me twice previously within the past two weeks? Why son would you need a belt after school if it's currently 30 minutes before school? The bus had already been missed by this point. This is when we learned the belts he had were his fathers ... a 46 year old man with a 36 inch waist. There may have been more angels singing at this point, I'm not sure as I've blocked most of what happened in the next few seconds as they're likely not mother-of-the-year worthy. He attempted to hammer a nail into a belt to make a new hole and when that didn't work he tried a drill. Neither worked. So off to Tarjay we went to find a belt at 9:00 with school starting at 9:10. We had more words in Tarjay as we ran between the kids, mens and womens sections desperately searching for a belt that met his standards and oh yeah, fit properly. Did you know it's uncool for your mother to hold up the waist of your pants so that when you try on a belt it fits around the waist versus the bottom of your hip? Who knew?! Success was achieved with a dark brown, could pass for black, braided leather belt that due to the braiding afforded virtually unlimited sizing. We may have also picked up a black belt with rivets from the womens sectioned that looked "cool".

Then there was the obligatory first day of school photo ... in the Tarjay parking lot. Does this look not scream "I am so excited and love my mother beyond words can say"?!

As I was leaving school a bus load of kids arrived with several parents there to take photos. I bet they were happy to see their parents and super excited about having their photo taken! As I started to pull away, I turned and noticed a father giving some last minute encouragement? instructions? wisdom? to his young son ... so sweet. Poor sap doesn't know what he's in for in 10 years.

Sassy's first day of her college sophomore year was the day after Chunky's. She looks a tad more excited than he, no?

 

My first day of school is in two days (every other Tuesday night through December) ... Leading Organizational Change. I may or may not wear a belt.