My Life Is A Cartoon

A lot of my days feel so Family Circus.

Yesterday was the first day of our homeschool co-op for London, Mosely, Bergen and Piper.

You remember when the Family Circus cartoon would show Billy’s day with little foot steps representing his travels throughout the day, with loads of back tracking and detours?

That’s what Monday felt like.

We all arose early, dressed, breakfasted on peanut butter toast laid out across the counter, no time for plates.

Checked backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles.  Times Five.  (Otto Fox wanted his own tiny version too.)

Dropped Riley off for her dual-enrollment classes at a nearby college.

Parked the car at the co-op building, loaded Otto into the ergo backpack carrier and made a little Keigley train across the parking lot, through the plethora of waiting kids, to the many classrooms.

Berg was the first drop off.  Greeted by the teacher.  She says, “Wait in the hall with the other students.”   He responds in the affirmative but still tries to walk in the classroom.  “Please wait in the hall.”  Bergen is mesmerized by the noise in the hallway and the many waiting students and bonks his head on the door frame.  “I’m okay,” he whispers to me, rubbing his already red forehead.

Piper is next and has previously decided that she wants to be called Willow at class.  I label everything, just as the teacher had requested.  (Although I loathe labeling backpacks and lunch boxes.)  Willow on the water bottle.  Willow on the back pack.  Willow on the lunch box.  Willow on the notebook.  Willow on the pencil case.  “What’s your name?” the teacher asks.  “Piper.”

Mosely makes the drop off.  London makes the drop off.

Exit the building.  Notice delicious homemade muffins are for sale to raise money for the sports program.  Realize I don’t even have a dollar bill on me.  Reach the Suburban.  Unload Otto.  Buckle Otto.  Open ashtray.  Discover dollar bill left by my husband.  Drive back around to the drop off area and buy the best-tasting lemon strudel muffin I have ever tasted.

Drive to Walgreen’s.  Unbuckle Otto.  Hand him his lunch box.  Spend $26 and save $59.  (I had to include that, you know.)  Watch Otto eat his entire little lunch before 10 a.m.  Buckle Otto.

Drive to Publix.  Unbuckle Otto.  Shop.  (The Goldfish sale is back, friends.)  Buckle Otto.

Return home.  Enjoy peace and relative quiet.  Write.  Read.  Clean kitchen.  Listen to music.

Leave again.  Stop at this tiny dairy farm.  Pick up pre-ordered milk to drop off to people at co-op.  Drive to co-op.  Listen to parking attendant give instructions for correct car line procedure.  Mess up car line procedure.  Apologize.  Wait fuh-evah in the car line.  Realize I should not have been in the car line at all.  Deliver milk to co-op parents.

Succumb to the pressure of four cute kids to stop at Chick-fil-a and see if they will accept four very old kids’ meals books in exchange for four ice cream cones.  They will.  Reach into ash tray again to find another dollar bill to purchase ice cream for myself.  Realize all I have consumed so far was lemon strudel muffin and ice cream cone.  Feel okay about that.

Drive back by dairy barn to return coolers and pick up our milk.

Finally end up where it all started – at home.

Sigh.

Hello Family Circus.