Friday, March 7, 2008

I Still Love Her, Even Though She's Driving Me NUTS

Lately, it seems like my Mantha has been devoting every other day to (you guessed it) driving her mom nuts. She'll start out giggling and telling what she thinks are jokes, but it soon escalates to such behavior as repeating the same line over and over (usually something like, "I farted on your couch) and laughing hysterically the whole time. I know that's one of her major tired signals, but this has been going on at 5:00 in the afternoon. I think her little body has already adjusted to daylight savings time, because she's been going to bed earlier and earlier, and last night she wanted to go to bed at 7:30. However, this also means she's getting up earlier and earlier. I think I speak for the majority of moms who don't get enough sleep, that it really pisses me off when she could be in bed for a whole hour longer, but she's choosing to get up and come downstairs.

Anyway, she's been invited to RIDE THE BUS home with her friend, Emma T. after school today. BUS 17. You don't even know how exciting this is. To enjoy this phenomenon and finally join the ranks of the uber-cool "EARLY BUSSERS", I had to write her a note with my permission:

"3/7/08 Samantha Fiedler has my permission to ride the bus home today with Emma T. - Thanks, Robyn Fiedler"

Well, who was I to think I was going to get off this easily? This is my child who will redo ANYTHING she writes if there is one little mistake on it. So she grabs the sheet and tries to add in "17" over the word bus. It ends up messy, so I tell her I'll redo it.

"3/7/08 Samantha Fiedler has my permission to ride bus 17 home today with Emma T. - Thanks, Robyn Fiedler"

There you go. NOT! PSYCH! You thought I was done. Well, you've got another thing coming, dude. See, the note doesn't say where she's getting off the bus. If I don't say that she's got my express written permission to EXIT the bus with EMMA T. at EMMA T.'s bus stop, they won't let her off. Even though I said "home with Emma T." and she doesn't live with Emma T., therefore the assumption is made that it's Emma T.'s home she's going to... Why do I bother? Soon the tears are starting to form, so I quickly add a P.S. to the note.

"3/7/08 Samantha Fiedler has my permission to ride bus 17 home today with Emma T. - Thanks, Robyn Fiedler P.S. She will also be getting off the bus with Emma T. at Emma T.'s stop."

So that was okay. LAST NIGHT. This morning she has lost the note. I duplicate the note in as much detail as I can remember, even using the same green sharpie. When we are safely ensconced in the car and on our way to school, she starts panicking about who should receive the note.

"Just give it to your teacher. She'll know what to do with it."

"No, I think I need to take it to the office."

"Ms. B. will probably mark in her book that you are riding the bus today and then send the note to the office."

"But Ms. C. is the one who usually walks the bussers to the bus. I think I better just take the note straight to the office."

At this point, in the future, I hope I will tell myself, "STOP. Just give in now. Tell her to do whatever she wants." But NOOOO. I have to make her see the light.

"But Ms. B. is in charge of you. She's your teacher and she's responsible for you. She needs to know what you are doing after school, as well as the office and Ms. C. I really think you should just give her the note so she knows."

"But what if she's gone and never gave my note to the office?"

"Oh my god. Even a "guest" teacher (this is what they call subs in kindergarten) would know to make a note of your arrangements and send the note to the office."

"Waaahhh, you're mad at me. You're yelling at me."

"Okay. Listen. You are going to be 20 minutes early, since you got up over an hour early today. Why don't you take the note to Ms. B. and then if you also need to take it to the office, you have PLENTY of time to do that, also. You can even ask her if that's what you need to do."

"Well, I know that when Jace walked home with Lauren, she took her note to the office."

"FINE. THEN. TAKE. YOUR. NOTE. TO. THE. OFFICE."

"Why are you mad at me?" Sniff, sniff.

"Listen, SWEETIE. You are going to be PLENTY early to stop by the office on your way to your class and see if they need the note first. Then, if you need to take it to Ms. B., you can do that, also." Hell, you could run it across to the middle school and then the high school if you want, you have THAT. MUCH. TIME. "Are you okay? Don't be nervous. It will all work out. Bye. See you. Have a nice day. I love you." HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY. Try and make her happy so the crossing guards don't see her crying when she gets out of the car and think I'm a monster. Now I need a nap. Help.

2 comments:

Jana said...

Hmmmm...shades of Alex?

Jeanne said...

I thnik the mother is crazy - I should know - I RAISED HER!!!!