About Last Friday

You know, when they talk about things coming in threes, they’re not messing around.  When Life wants to show you who’s boss, to laugh a big, hearty belly laugh at well planned schedules and best laid plans, it seems the only way to get the point across is to smack you square in the face repeatedly.  The longest day in history – I lived it, and it was last Friday.

The day started as any other, except, for the first time ever, I was getting both girls dressed for school.  Avery’s first day of kindergarten was that day and we were all excited.  She is a tiny, teeny-weenie, little thing, but she’s been ready for months.  Ready to learn, ready for independence, and ready to make friends her own age, for the first time in her life.

Pop that collar.

She wore her backpack the whole walk to school – apparently being seen with your mommy carrying your bag is a sign of weakness or something.  Rule #1 – establish dominance by carrying your own backpack.  It will show the other children a) you’re tough, b) you don’t need no stinkin’ mommy, and c) you have impeccable taste in accessories (Barbie knapsack, holla!).  Thank goodness she let me give her a hug and a kiss in front of all her potential friends because DAMN IT, SHE’S STILL MY BABY.  We found her teacher in the kindergarten play yard and she immediately started telling her about all the Barbie-ness of her bag.  Her teacher introduced her to the other Avery in her class and they all lined up to go in.  I had one quick moment with a lump in my throat and my vision got a little watery, because she is so, so little.  But she wasn’t afraid, she wasn’t nervous, and she wasn’t upset.  She was thrilled and enthusiastic.  She was ready, so I suppose I have to be, too.

Work it, gurl.

Short mandatory good-mommy-blogger aside, Eirinn started Grade 1 on Tuesday.  The Big Time, now.  Not only is she is a “real” class with tables and subjects, but she’s in a split 1/2 class, so she has even BIGGER kids in there with her.  They were very clear when explaining the decision to put the younger students in this class that it had very little to do with intelligence or academic performance and more to do with their ability to work independently.  Some parents get their neck hair in a knot over split classes, but I think Eirinn will do just fine.  Great, in fact.  I believe she’ll continue to excel and will probably pick up some of the grade 2 work, as well.  She’s a very, very smart little girl.  Sorry, BIG girl.

Anyway, back to Friday.  With my two school girls tucked all safely into their classrooms, I had to go to Walmart.  Eirinn had come home with a list of required supplies, some of which we didn’t have around the house, so HERE, WALMART, TAKE MY MONEY.  Earbuds for their computer work, a pencil sharpener with attached shavings-catcher, et cetera.

In the afternoon, I went to a funeral.  I won’t say much about that because it really isn’t my place, but I will say that the world is short one very lovely man now and he is and will be missed.

Afterwards, I went shoe shopping.  NECESSARY shoe shopping, mind you.  NECESSARY, EMERGENCY shoe shopping.  SPOILER ALERT, but later that day, I went to a wedding and the dress I had set out was navy.  I thought it was black.  I don’t have navy shoes and, as we all know, black shoes and a navy dress is just not right.  Shoes were acquired.

While AH went to the wedding ceremony, my parents and I took the girls out for a celebratory End Of First Day/Week Of School dinner.  We had celebratory milkshakes and celebratory pizza/butter noodles/calamari al diavolo and cream cheese stuffed mushroom caps (ten points if you guess who ate what) and my dad paid and we all won!  (I totally wouldn’t have ordered milkshakes for everyone if I had known my dad was going to treat us, but it was a surprise and the milkshakes were damn good, so I only regret it a little bit)

The girls stayed with my parents for a sleepover so that I could join AH at the wedding.  I would have gone for the whole thing, but I couldn’t bring myself to NOT see Avery after her first day of school.  I wanted to know how it went and that was more important to me.  No offence, newlyweds.  The wedding was fun, at least the dance part, which was the only part I saw.  We dressed up and let loose and had a great time and then I drove everyone home.

And then I slept for the next thirty years.

That was last Friday.  First day of school, a funeral, a wedding, dinner out, and several shopping trips.  I showered three times and changed my clothes five times.  I happy-cried, I sad-cried, and I laughed.  A lot.

And, no, Rich.  I will not feel your titties.