It's Only the Beginning

Yesterday was the first day of school.  It is littlest cherub's first year at the Middle School and eldest cherub is in his last year of Middle School, so for one year, I have the comfort of both cherubs being in the same place at the same time for a full 6 hours.  Oh, Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

With the comfort of knowing that eldest child was with youngest child to show her the ropes and send her off in the right direction, I happily dropped them off at the bus stop and headed off to work.  As I sat down for the first time in many weeks, musing at the fact that I would not receive the 502 text messages, phone calls and/or distractions of the issues that ensue each day and without the worry that the 2 cherubs left home alone to their own devices would not fight, maim or kill each other and without the worry of the entire neighborhood being in peril, I began my workday with an abundance of clear-headed focus.  

Alas, my clear-headedness and worry-free day were VERY short lived.  Around 1:00 my cell phone rang.  Wondering who could possibly be calling, because I knew the cherubs were tucked safe and sound in our wonderful school system, I tentatively looked at the caller id.  "Nope, don't recognize the number".  Thinking that it might be one of Mr. P's many doctors with some important, urgent information, I decided to answer the call.  BIG MISTAKE!

"Hello, Mrs. Day, this is the school nurse."  

"You've got to be kidding me, it's the FIRST day of school!"  Yes, I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.  Again, I receive the Mother Of The Year Award, because I am not concerned, just pissed. 

"No Mrs. Day, I'm afraid not."

"Why is Samantha there?"  I knew from the moment I heard who she was, that this call would not be for eldest child.  For eldest child to visit the school nurse, he must either be spewing blood, completely on fire, or so sick, he needs to be medivacked down to the school nurse's office.  Littlest child, however, will visit the school nurse for headaches, stomachaches (both of which occur on a daily basis, along with a host of other quite interesting ailments), and occasionally for the bruise, hang-nail, or just to say Hello.  I guess she figured, "Why Not?  New school, new nurse, no better time to get to know her."

"Well, she has a headache . . ."          

"Of course she does, is it warm in the school, she gets them when she is too warm.  Let her rest a few minutes and she'll be fine, then send her back to class."

"Well, she also broke her shoe."

"Broke her shoe?"

"Yes, she would like you to bring her new shoes."

"Those were new shoes.  It's 1:00, school ends at 2:00, I'm at work and for me to go home, get her new shoes and bring them to the school, it will take at least an hour.  She'll be home before I even get to the school.  How bad is it?  Can't you staple it or tape it back together or something and send her on her way?"

"I'll try, but I just wanted you to be aware of the situation in case she falls down or hurts herself because of it."

"She'd fall down and hurt herself anyway - not because of the broken shoe.  That's probably how she broke it in the first place."  No, I didn't really say that, but I was definitely thinking it!  Instead, I said, "Can you fix it well enough so she can still wear it and get through the rest of the day?"

"I think so, but I just wanted to let you know."

"Thank you so much for calling, if the headache doesn't go away shortly, call me again, and we can decide whether or not I need to come get her."

"OK, thank you, talk to you soon."

"I bet you will!"  Again, only in my head!

As cherubs 1 and 2 walked through the door later in the afternoon, I asked all the typical first day of school questions.  Eldest cherub left it at "Good" for pretty much any and all queries and littlest cherub was full of how wonderful Middle School is.  Not even a mere mention of the previous proceedings of the day.  After just the right amount of oohing and aahing at her recount of EVERY SECOND of the day (sans visit to nurse), I let it be known that I was not happy to have gotten "The Call" on the first day of school and there would be consequences to pay for future calls.  I also let it be known that no matter what she wears to school whether it be shorts, jeans or a prom gown, the shoe of choice for the remainder of the year will be SNEAKERS.  They are a little harder to ruin.  

So, with the first day behind us, I will be making my own phone call soon.  The one to the school nurse to educate her on how my littlest cherub's mind works and to inspire her with the many creative ways we have come up with in the last 5 years to prevent the daily nurse's office visit.  I have a funny feeling that it is going to be a VERY LOOOONNNGGGG YEAR!