First, is Theo doing his own laundry. I cannot tell you how weird it is to have only my laundry in my laundry basket for the first time in ten years. I’m so used to being inundated by tiny socks. It’s just bizarre. I did only my laundry a few days ago and I couldn’t believe how fast it was putting everything away.
The other is, after walking up the hill to pick up the kids on Monday and Tuesday, they spontaneously decided to walk alone yesterday. All of this communicated by Bobby’s kids’ watch, of course. Unfortunately, he had slept with it the night before to use the alarm in the morning, so by the time they left school at four the battery was at 5%. I tracked them from my phone, watching B’s little icon face as he crossed the right streets and made the right turns until it died, and then sat gripped with mild panic for the remaining 15 minutes until I heard them clamoring up the stairs. For the amount of true crime I watch, I was able to look at the frozen icon and say, “well, at least we have a record of their last movements before they disappeared.”
But then there they were, all sweaty and proud of themselves, and telling me it was fun. I’m glad they get that this is important for them and don’t just think it’s a big drag, although I’m prepared at any moment for them to decide they’re over it and want to be driven. I’m not sure what I’ll do if they say they don’t want to walk home anymore - give in and pick them up? Agree to pick them up but only certain days? I don’t know. Hopefully I won’t have to cross that road. I figure if things go as planned and B stays at this school through 6th grade, that means I have 2 1/4 years of the boys getting themselves home before they go to schools that are too far to walk to (schools near here, as far as I know, don’t offer bus service, and I’m not too keen on them using public transportation, at least not until they’re quite a bit older). So the time will come when a) I’ll probably have to get us all up a lot earlier to get to school, and b) resume picking up, and from two different schools for two years.
Speaking of schools, we got the best results possible from our “choices” application - I accidentally applied to a gifted elementary school magnet back in November rather than the middle school one, only to find out I’d sort of done it correctly anyway since all I’m needing to do right now is apply for schools we won’t get in to, get wait listed, and rack up points that will then be used to get into the middle school we do want. So we’ve been wait listed, which hopefully means we won’t make it in and can snag those 4 points we need to have 12 by the time it’s time to actually apply for real. If we do make it, we’ll have to decline and lose the points (just to clarify, I have no intention of taking him out of this school to attend the elementary school). Next year I’ll know better and apply to a school that’s impossible to get in to (this one isn’t as difficult so there’s a chance a spot will open up and then we’re screwed). A friend’s kid did make it in - and he’s a really brilliant kid who’s been bored at this school for years - so she’s debating sending him over there even though he has a little sister who just started kindergarten, so they wouldn’t be together anymore. It’s a tough call for her; I’m glad it’s one I don’t have to make.
Today I finally got out to buy some fabric for my wedding dress that my sister graciously agreed to make for me, as my actual dress is hopelessly trapped in Russia and I can’t even get a refund because the banks are frozen. I hope I made the right choice. My big fear after all this tsuris is that I’ll put it on and just not like how I feel in it. But so much is about the embellishments we pick for the bodice - the dress itself, much like the original, is very plain; in this case, a sort of greenish-grey tulle with a grey backing for the top, and I’ll buy a cheap tulle underskirt in pink or purple or light green or something for the bottom. I’d like to bling up the top with some appliqués and rhinestones and things but I’m not sure what yet. Unlike most women I have zero concept of what I want to look like as a bride; I feel pressured to do something really different since I’m a unique and creative person and our situation is so different and I’m a rebel, dammit - but what exactly does that look like, as far as dress, hair, makeup…? Normally I’m a very decisive person but in this case I’m pretty darned stumped. Endless hours perusing Pinterest has only yielded insufferable boho brides with lace dresses and cowboy hats and vaguely bearded grooms, broken up by repetitive ads for The Beachwaver (totally getting one of these at some point). I’m sure it will all come together - the rest of the wedding has - but right now my vision of myself is still pretty blurry.
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