Brilliant … But Bouncy

I Am So Exhausted.

So things aren’t going so well, five days before Dylan’s new adventure at private school.

First, there is Shane’s bus. Shane started school on Monday, and is very happy.

But after school, every single one of his friends is a patrol. They all work for 20 minutes after school lets out – and then they all go home.

And THEN Shane’s bus comes. It is 20-25 minutes late every day. It is so late that Shane’s teacher, who is (ironically) in charge of the patrols, takes Shane (who would otherwise be left in the classroom alone) downstairs and outside so that the teacher can release the patrols from duty.

This means that my brilliant plan to pick up Dylan, then drive 35-40 minutes to get Shane and still be home by 4:15, is greatly hindered by a 30-minute wait at a bus stop. Thanks to the lateness of the bus, we haven’t been home before 4:45 yet – and Dylan’s school hasn’t even started!

I would talk it over with the bus driver, but he doesn’t speak a lot of English and I can’t understand him at all. We did talk to each other, but I am still not sure what he said.

On the other side of the coin, with only five days left before Dylan’s school starts, his schedule is in great flux. Because he will be taking Algebra I again – and because Algebra I is an “upper school” class – the school has taken him out of art, music and physical education in order to fit Algebra I into his schedule.

Their email suggested that Dylan had to give up the arts, and take physics or a study hall instead.

Private school, apparently, cannot provide teachers for every subject during every period. We knew this, going in. But no one ever mentioned that Dylan would be losing all the creative, fun classes in order to take algebra.

I sent an utterly panicked email last night, which likened Dylan’s scenario to “a day in prison, rather than an engaging educational environment.” And at midnight, I got the nicest email from the private school. They were incredibly reassuring that Dylan would not have to miss music and P.E., and that they would do some “creative scheduling” to be sure that Dylan’s needs are met.

I am so exhausted, trying to be sure Dylan’s needs are met. I wonder at what age Dylan will start making sure his own needs are met?

Finally, today is my 50th birthday. There is nothing like a 50th birthday to ensure the onset of emotional exhaustion.

The whole WORLD is being nice to me, and I’ve gotten lots of delightful birthday messages from loved ones (and, thanks to Facebook, even strangers). So I’m not as concerned about my birthday as I am about Shane’s bus and Dylan’s class schedules.

50th birthday or not, it’s all just another day in the life of a mom.