Category: Dear Blogary

A blog-version of a diary, minus the lock and key.

Dear Blogary: School days, school days . . .

~ Lenore Diane ~ 2 Comments

Dear Blogary,

I woke up at 2:55 this morning, because I had to be at my boss’ house by 4am. Listed under ‘other duties as assigned’, I took my boss to the airport. Blogary, I’m tired. And, I was afraid, with the lack of sleep, I would be more emotional for Joe’s first day of school.

As it turns out, I did not shed one tear. Not one. Yay, me! I took pictures of Joe in his school clothes and gear, but the pictures were blurry and quickly deleted. Perhaps I’ll take a picture of his ‘second’ day of school tomorrow. In any case, when I attempted to take his picture, I felt myself becoming more excited for Joe.

Blogary, this isn’t a sad time. Joe starting Kindergarten is an exciting time! My friends were lined up, ready to console me if I needed help. I even had a friend suggesting I pre-plan the day with Tylenol, due to the headache that would follow my predicted sob session. Again I say, I did not shed one tear. Not one. (I cry at Hallmark commercials. Me not crying on Joe’s first day is highly irregular. Irregular, irregular.)

Perhaps, if the situation were different, I would have cried buckets. But, Joe was excited. And, when we went to his classroom, he was beaming! Beaming!

Pick-up time today was 11:30, just a half day to start off the school season. As I watched Joe come out of his class, I saw he was still beaming. He was quick to tell me about everything he learned, and he said he wanted to go back again and again. [Oh, how wonderful it would be if he felt that way throughout his entire school ‘career’.]

Once we were home, Joe called Suzann to tell her about his day. And, he made a point to talk to Charlie on the phone, too. “Charlie! I went to school today. It was great!”

Yes, today was a wonderful day. Now, here’s hoping I can muster the energy to stay awake long enough to make it through Parent Orientation tonight. Having been up since 3AM, I am dragging just a bit.

Up before the dawn’s first light –
Joining creatures of the night.
Tackling duties as assigned.
Getting paid, so I don’t mind.
Nervous with Joe’s teacher in sight.
Yet there he goes, shining so bright!

Love,
Me

Rub a dub dub

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

Dear Blogary,

Last night was bath night. And, I have come to the realization that I will deem it ‘bath night’ during certain family dinners.

Take last night for example, as the boys became increasingly whiny and cranky, I exclaimed, “Tonight is bath night!” And, once they were informed of the upcoming bath, I noticed the whining and crankiness diminished. Slightly.

More importantly, Blogary, my declaration sent a clear message to my husband, reinforced with a stern glare – um, I mean a loving glance: I have reached the brink, and I need reinforcements.

Blogary, I have also come to the realization that the boys are the cleanest during certain times of the month. Hmm. Interesting.

Love
Me

Whine Not

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

Dear Blogary,

When the boys were infants, I tried to let them cry it out for a little while, when I put them to bed. Listening to them cry was tough, not because I found it annoying but because it broke my heart. And, because my heart was breaking, I would cave more often than not. Rob was better at holding out. Figures, eh?

Well, the boys are older now, Blogary. They are no longer at the age where they cry themselves to sleep. Or are they? Our youngest seems to see bedtime as the perfect time to do a whine/whimper/cry sort of thing. You know how the screeching of nails on a chalkboard makes a horrifically annoying noise? Blogary, Charlie’s whine/whimper/cry is worse. 20-gabillion times worse.

Some nights, when we put the boys to bed, Charlie may call for Daddy in a whimpering sort of way. While he whimpers and whines, I rock back and forth on the couch, doing my best to block out the noise. And Rob? He’ll just sit there, watching TV and/or flipping through the few channels we have. He never flinches. Never. How does he do that? Rob holds out, and Charlie eventually stops. But seriously Blogary, how is Rob able to ignore it?

Sometimes, Blogary, Charlie will start with his whining and whimpering banter, and I will take to the laptop, typing quickly, in an attempt to drown out the noise with the loud ‘click click’ of the keyboard. And, when that doesn’t work, Blogary, I take my anxiety to the freezer; I grab hold of Ben & Jerry, hoping to eat my way through Charlie’s whimpering whines.

Argh! I cannot stand the crying, whining, whimpering. Cannot stand it. When does it end? I thought this sort of thing would pass after Phase 2 – the toddler phase. Good thing Charlie is a super cute kid. Still, here’s hoping he gets through this phase sooner rather than later. Fast. Like, yesterday.

Love,
Me