public places

I wanted to get on here and post something a little lighter than my last post since it was a little out of character for my optimistic self. Yesterday, I even told Seth that I am actually really liking Portland...missing everyone, but liking the city in general. But, in light of today's happenings, this post is not happier than my last post. It is just a real, honest post about the crappiness of my life today.

Today actually started out pretty good. We got ready, made the 20 minute drive from where we live now to the city where we will live next week (woo hoo) to get some stuff done. We ordered our new front load washer and dryer with steam (yippee - so excited about them...thanks to all who chimed in on my FB post with recommendations) without causing too much chaos in the store (considering how long we were there). We had gummy bears for a reward when we got back to the car and then headed to the kids' new school for Chloe's Pre-Kindergarten (4 year-old preschool) orientation. Her teacher is going to be great...although nobody is as awesome as Miss Fidge...and the class is 8 other 4-year-old girls and 1 boy (they only take 10 kids), so she will be in heaven! The other parents were so nice and I am excited to get to know them! The kids were a little unruly which was a little stressful for me...running around in the gym and when we went outside and Brynn was talking when the teacher was giving us the rundown on how things will go, so we had a talk afterward on the way to grab lunch about how to act when your teacher is talking. ;)

After eating a quick bite in the car while I fed Ellie in the front seat, we headed in to "New family orientation"...basically a presentation by the principal about how things run at the school for families who are new to the school/area. I was excited for it because there really is a lot to learn as a parent when you are taking your kids to a new school. We were 30 minutes early because I had the wrong time in my brain so we went out to the playground while we waited (as suggested by the principal who was in the room preparing). We eventually made our way back in, found a seat, introduced our family to the principal and told her our story, found out Morgan's teacher's name, and read some books while other families made their way in. By the time the principal started it was well into Brynn's naptime and she was being cranky. She wanted to get up, she wanted to get down, she wanted me to read a book, she wanted to tell me about things in the book, she wanted to get a different book. All of this would probably have been fine, but she doesn't know how to whisper (despite my efforts to teach her) and she rebels by raising the volume of her voice when you say "no" to her, so she was being kind of loud. Ellie was almost asleep, so I was rocking her in her car seat to get her to sleep and trying to keep Brynn's volume down, but about halfway into the presentation, the principal stopped, came over to our table and said (not quietly), "I think it would be better if you took the kids out to the playground and I will fill you in all this information later". I was mortified. So, I tried to shuffle the 3 kids out as quietly as possible without bursting into tears while toting Ellie in her car seat, a huge bag filled with Morgan's school supplies, and my purse through a library so full of people it was standing room only. It took us a good 5-10 minutes just to get out of the room. I have never been so mortified in my life (and I have had a lot of blonde moments in my life, so that is saying a lot).

We got out the door and I was debating leaving and never coming back or actually going to the stupid playground...again, when the sweetest 6th grade teacher came and pretty much told me she was taking Chloe and Brynn to her classroom and that Morgan and Ellie and I should go back in so we could hear all of the information. I tried to refuse, but she already had the girls on their way up the stairs. Walking back in the room was equally awful, but Morgan and Ellie were quiet the whole time so we attracted as little attention as possible. Then we toured the school and I couldn't find the room where the girls were, so I had to ask other teachers if they knew where "a 6th grade teacher who took my little girls to her room during the orientation" was. "Oh, that was you?" they asked (very sympathetically and seeming embarrassed that the principal did that to me), but it still made me feel worse. Yep...I am the crappy mother with unruly kids. But, did I mention that we moved here 3 weeks ago? How about the fact that I know a total of 2 people here and my kids are nervous about making friends? Or what about the fact that all 6 of us are living in a 3 bedroom apartment with no yard to run around in and no space to ourselves? Maybe I forgot to mention that we are moving AGAIN in 7 days or that I commuted 20 minutes to get here and spent my whole day going to these orientations to try and be involved in my childrens' education?

As if that wasn't bad enough, the horror continued as I had to walk through the halls where everyone recognized me as "that poor mom" to get to Morgan's class. Things were much better in his classroom. Brynn was having a complete meltdown and was throwing a fit that she didn't have a desk or cubby to organize (or a bed and a blankie to take a dang nap), but once we got her some paper and crayons, calmed down. Morgan had taken one shoe and his colored pencils out of his school supply bag, so we were missing stuff that needed to be organized, but his teacher was great about it. She was so so sweet and kind and FUN! I am excited for him. One of the wonderfully sweet parents from Chloe's class had a 1st grade boy in Morgan's class too, so we were excited to see some familiar faces! Morgan felt much better too, once his new class was no longer "unknown". So, overall, I think school is going to be great here as long as don't have to deal with the principal ever much. And I can honestly say that in 2 years of preschool, 13 of grade school and 4 of college, I have never been so excited to get out of school as I was today.


*disclaimer: I, in no way, mean to suggest that my kids' behavior was acceptable today or any time I have taken them out in public in the recent weeks. Each of them are trying to adjust to new surroundings, not sleeping, having a change in diet and eating schedules, are completely off of a schedule and are acting out as a result. Unfortunately, I am also not well rested and my patience is pretty much shot, so my follow-through has been lackadaisical at best. I feel that settling down in a more permanent place will be a turning point for us, but in the meantime I am trying to do what I can to get them back to a more regular schedule. I would LOVE any suggestions you have for dealing with volatile personalities (Brynn), helping kids adjust to a move, getting back on a schedule or things you do to keep kids quiet. :)