"We'll fit loads in over the next few weeks," I'd said to the kids two weekends ago, not wanting to say what I really meant, which was, "There are only twelve more days left of summer holidays, let's make the most of it." Because I didn't want them on the countdown that I was already ...
Dear Teacher, I'm writing this down because if I try to say it to you in person, I'll cry (I cry very easily) and I'll mortify myself and mortify you, and my child will never speak to me again for all the mortification, and with all that going on, I won't get to say what I really ...
I was going to call this Snapshot of a woman on the edge but that was just too melodramatic for what really comes down to wishing away the long, final days of school before the summer starts. So it's a snapshot from the cusp instead - from one tired mother to all the tired mothers, ...
"How was your summer and how does she like the new teacher and how is he settling back in?" The voices change but the questions are the same. "They're tired this week, I'm tired this week, how is it only Monday?" Stopping at the corner for a conversation worth an hour - condensed into ten minutes. Machine gun chat, ...
"It's not fair, everyone in the class got lovely new books and I got one with scribbles all over it." "It's not fair, we all got moved around and we were allowed to be with our friends, but I was too shy to ask." "It's not fair I have to colour this balloon in brown but the brown ...
The alarm goes off. I fumble under the pillow, trying to press any button I can find. There is no way on earth it's morning. I refuse to believe it. I try to find the button that snoozes rather than turning it off, because even though it's clearly impossible that it's morning, I have a ...
Another week done; in fact a whole month done now, and a little more progress with getting used to school. Actually, to anyone who sees at us at the door every morning, it would all look perfect - my small boy gives me a cheeky grin, runs towards his classroom, then turns to blow me ...
School settling for my junior infant is still a challenge, and I'm exhausted thinking about it and trying to manage it, so like last week, I'm posting about something positive instead. This week the positive thing is work - it's not that the work itself is different but the time in which I do the work ...
Well. That was a long week. Somehow back to school has been more challenging than ever - I suppose logically that's how it goes - more kids in school, and more homework because everyone has moved up a class. But I don't think I realised that having three in school would be quite this different ...
I know this is supposed to be an emotional time. My smallest; my baby; my last baby is off to school. I am meant to be in floods of tears. I should have pockets stuffed with tissues. I'm supposed to just about hold it in when I drop him to his classroom, then let it ...