Secrets

Parents have alot of secrets I find. Or rather, they just don't SHARE the realities of parenthood with new parents!

For example, a first-time-pregnant Mom has a beautiful idea of labour. Calm, Serene....Heavenly. The other Moms know that it's loud, painful and messy. (And drugs are so much more fun than you could have thought!)

Then you imagine the perfect sleeping infant. Reality: Sleepless nights, breastfeeding woes, and crying over too much pepper on your mashed potatos (long story)

DON'T get me wrong. I'm not saying that it sucks, I'm just saying that there are some realities that aren't really shared with new parents. Probebly because new parents don't want to hear your bad stories. They are looking forward to their new arrival, and we shouldn't dampen their joy. The joy is what get's you thru the labour, after all! (All those stored up endorphines!)

Anyway, I had this lovely dream about Anneka starting school. It was simply this: I get free time in the afternoon!

And it's true....I DO! I have 2 1/2 hours for myself. However, I was talking to a friend who has 2 kids in school, and I said that it's a bit more involved than I anticipated. Your day must co-incide with the school times, and you really need to watch the clock. She went on to tell me how hard it's been for her, and how she thought it was soooooooo much easier when they were toddlers! WHAT???? That's crazy!

So when other parents ask me what it's like to have a child in school, I will happily tell them about the naps I now can take, and the TV I now can watch. I'll talk about the knitting I'm doing, and the housework I can do.

I'll also inform them about the 25 easy steps to getting my child to school. It goes a little something like this:

1. load 2 kids in the car at 12:45,
   
2. unload both at 12:50
   
3. walk Anneka to her class
   
4. Get Anneka's jacket off, and running shoes on while trying not to lose Aila in the hall.
   
5. Say goodbye to Anneka, realize Aila is gone.
   
6. Find Aila in the Janitor's office
   
7. Carry Aila back to the van
   
8. Load Aila at 1:03
   
9. Unload Aila at 1:o8
   
10. Put Aila to bed
    
11. Wake Aila at 3:15 Cause she's sleeping longer (yay) but we need to get Anneka! (booo)
    
12. Load Aila in the car
    
13. Unload Aila at the school
    
14. Go get Anneka
    
15. Remove sneakers, help with jacket and outdoor shoes.
    
16. Spend 2 minutes finding Aila again.
    
17. After Finding Aila in the grade 1 room, head out to the car.
    
18. Halfway to car, stop at the play structure so Anneka can go down the slide ONE LITTO TIME.
    
19. Aila screams and wants to play
    
20. Spend 15 minutes at Play structure.
    
21. Remove rocks and sand from Aila's mouth
    
22. Load Aila and Anneka into van at 3:55
    
23. Arrive home at 4:00
    
24. Unload Aila and Anneka from van
    
25. Start supper

There. See? Easy as pie.

....a tad more tricky than I anticipated, but let me tell ya...the nap is helpful!

(ps...Thank you Jesus that I'm not working this year!!!!)