got a million things...

floating around in my head to blog about, but can't seem to get them out...so I'll put this up, because I think it's pretty funny!

Misconception Number 1: Moms miss their kids when they go back to school.

Seriously? I’ve had enough of you by now. Every morning with the “what are we going to do today, Mom?” is finally over. I’ve had looked at your face twenty-four seven for the last 77 days. It’s time to go learn something. No more asking me about the pool, when is the next snack or if you can stay up late and watch a movie. It’s over….You’re going back to Hogwarts and I get to have a life again. There is a Christmas morning for parents and it’s called “back to school”. (I like back to school for the peace...no more refereeing yet another battle over the TV, video game, or who called who a turd)

Misconception Number 2: Moms like to go school shopping.

Are you freaking kidding me? Why do I pay taxes?…so I can rack up a 200 dollar bill at Staples for crap that we have laying around my house in junk drawers. Why does it have to be new pencils? What’s wrong with the chewed up, broken strawberry shortcake pencils sitting in the bottom of the toy box for the last 6 months? And how many subject books can you possibly need? What happened to reading, writing and arithmetic? If they added a couple of things for parents to that list I wouldn’t mind so much….why not pencils, erasers and vodka …..or some Nyquil. (I do like back to school shopping...it's fun...but what I REALLY dislike is how they completely dictate what you need...3 boxes of CRAYOLA crayons, 1 8-count slim tip washable CRAYOLA markers, 1 YELLOW 1 subject, wide ruled notebook, etc...do you realize that since every school in the area has dictated pretty much the same thing, you won't FIND that yellow notebook? Walmart stocks copious amounts of 24 pack crayons...and sells them for 25 cents a box...so when you go shopping, you won't FIND them. I only needed 1 box this year...there were 3 left. I took them all, just for spite)

Misconception Number 3: Moms like back to school night.

Why must we do this every year? I got it already. You’re the teacher…I’m the parent. My kid is either going to be smart or dumb. If he gets a certain number or colored dot on his discipline chart, he can’t get a prize from the prize box. Pretty simple stuff. Listen, I’m pretty old school. If he doesn’t listen to you…you can throw something at him. I don’t care. But I got a lot of work to do at home and I’m paying a babysitter right now. Plus, I’m pretty sure you are going to assign some project on wigwams made by some Indian tribe I’ve never heard of, so I need to get home and start my research. So, I got it. We’re all here for the betterment of the kids. Blah Blah Blah. Can I leave now? (Don't need to say a thing...this covered it well, I think!)

Misconception Number 4: Moms like school paperwork.

How many trees are you planning on killing to tell me the same stuff I had to pay a babysitter to listen to the other night? You know our name, where we live and our emergency phone numbers. He doesn’t have a nickname….call him “stinkbutt” for all I care. We don’t have any “special circumstances” that you need to know about. He lives in a home with two parents who may or may not like each other at any given time and they will fight. If that qualifies as a reason he can’t get his homework done on time then he won’t be able to function as an adult and have a real job so you may want to “educate” him on that life lesson. (this one gets me every time. I fill out the same paperwork, for TWO kids, every year. Why can't they streamline it and have all your kids on one sheet? Why can't they get it together and COMPUTERIZE this, and give us a place on the web where we can fill it all out. Then THEY can print out their little rolodex card with all the emergency information, instead of making me fill it out. My email address isn't that long, but you give me a centimeter line to write it on. I don't write in micro letters...heck I HATE writing and prefer typing!)

Misconception Number 5: Moms like covering books in that annoying sticky paper.

What exactly will you be doing with these books that I have to cover them in a plastic laminate? Do you often teach in the rain? Or while the children are drinking soda and eating soup? Do you know how long that takes? Has any parent in the history of education been able to do it without any air bubbles in it? From now on I’m covering it the old way…brown paper bags. That way I can cover the books and pack their lunches at that same time. Who says moms can’t multitask?

PS. Please tell my son if he can’t find his lunch to look in his science book. (haven't had to do that yet. Hannah did have to cover her "seed notebook" (used for "planting seeds for writing") with things that were important to her; we printed pictures of people and things. But I realized that it wasn't going to stay that way if I didn't cover it with something sticky. I didn't have any clear contact paper, so I used the "carpet protector" roll that the movers accidentally left here...worked well enough)

Misconception Number 6: Moms like helping you with your homework.

What? I am scared out of my mind. I’m pretty sure that I forgot everything I learned in fifth grade by the time I was in sixth grade. I have no idea what you are talking about most days. I don’t really know my 12 times tables, I read the cliff notes to all your summer reading and I don’t know how to conjugate anything but I do know that song “conjunction junction what’s your function” if that helps at all. And please don’t even say the words “new math” to me. What the heck was wrong the old one? (Homework is a struggle for us simply because I have a very stubborn daughter and son. So far Scotty's not come home with stuff I can't handle; he just has a hard time staying on task and being neat about his work. We battle with an eraser every day! With Hannah, it's just tougher. She calls herself stupid and dumb, says she hates the stuff, yet she does really well in it. We're blessed with "Everyday Math" and the teachers send home a parent/family unit guide - with ANSWERS TO THE MATH HOMEWORK - YAY!!!!)

Misconception Number 7: Moms can’t wait to pack your lunch every day until we die.

I hate doing laundry. Making dinner every night is the bane of my existence, so making your lunch every day for an entire year, in terms of “mom fun”, lies somewhere between brushing plaque off the dogs teeth and scheduling my annual pap smear. Listen, as a child I hated what my mom packed me for lunch. But, like every kid before me, and every generation to come you will find a kid to trade with…I’m sure someone likes sardines. (I don't pack lunch every day - the kids look at the menu (they're offered FOUR choices - heck, we didn't have a choice as kids, did we Sue?) and decide if they want what's being served. If not, I make lunch. Simple stuff, usually a peanut butter tortilla, crackers, fruit cup or fresh fruit, drink, and a dessert of cookies or rice krispy squares - pre-package heaven!)

Misconception Number 8: Moms love after-school activities.

I don’t know who made up this idea of organized clubs and sports but they should be the ones in charge of carting your butt around. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against all after school programs. I just wish they would offer it during hours that would work best for me so that dinner wasn’t at 8:30 at night followed by 4 hours of homework. Why not do it on the weekends and call it “after-hours activities” so mommy and daddy could actually go out one night and pretend that we have a life of our own. Don’t worry about us though I’m sure that me and “what’s his name” will be married a very long time. (I must say, I'm blessed with kids who don't WANT to do anything. Hannah takes piano...that's all the after-school activity we do. Both kids are in AWANA, but that's Wednesday night, and I'm in the same building with them at choir/orchestra rehearsal for church. They'll also be in KREW/Children's Choir at church (KREW stands for Kids R Experiencing Worship) on Sunday evenings, but again, that coincides with something *I* am doing there...)

Misconception Number 9: Moms don’t mind taking you to school if you miss the bus.

Your bus comes at 7:10 am….which means that you should be standing by the door at 7:05 am. Not eating breakfast, chasing the dog around the house or in the bathroom, asking me to check your homework while I’m taking a shower. Get it together! I don’t like running down the street in my jammies at 7:12 screaming “Please wait” or “If you stop I’ll show you my boobies.” (I already take the kids to school in the mornings. The bus comes at 6:42 a.m. They get to school about 10 minutes later...and do NOTHING till school starts at 7:40. They don't go on the playground to play (that's where WE were before school). They sit quietly in the halls. Sometimes, if they're early enough, they can hit one of the computer labs and do reading or math activities. I'm not even sure the library is open for them. And besides, the girls in this family are NOT morning people. We need to sleep in as much as we can!)

Misconception Number 10: Moms cry on your first day of school.

We do cry but they are tears of joy. I have done my job. I have successfully kept a human child alive for at least 5 years without doing any major damage. Motherhood is the hardest job in the world!! Sure, doctors save lives and CEO’s run million dollar businesses but…you teach a kid not to poop their pants and then you can say you’ve made the world a better place.” (I've not cried once...I have a 4th grader and a 1st grader. Last year, when my son went to ALL-DAY kindergarten, I did not cry. As I was walking back to the entrance after dropping him off, I did a little "kick up my heels" jump and whoop. Made lots of teachers laugh, and put a smile on many more teary-eyed moms. That's me, comic relief!)