What A Change and What a Schedule

Well, my lack of blog writing correlates nearly perfectly with hectic scheduling and stress. Last week was the worst mix of the two.  It is common knowledge I hate big decisions, change, the unknown.
For example, Marko and I had discussed me fleeing Burger King for well over a year before I even kind of considered it.  And even when I did do it and I did resign as RGM it didn't happen happily.  It was followed by tears and worry and wouldn't have happened had the DM not made some morally poor choices in my opinion.  Having made that decision myself to leave and having given notice willingly and knowing finances and all would be ok money wise really didn't make it any easier at all.  I hate change!
So on Friday August 30th when the principal offered us the most generous and loving of gifts at Desmond T Doss (aka "Jayna's School" and from now on in most posts as DTD) my soul was in turmoil.  He offered us a tuition free scholarship for Anthony to attend.  All we would have to come up with was a $330 registration fee.  (also no easy feat but Thank Goodness for a Credit Card with a nice high limit and zero interest for 18 months and an upcoming tax return... We always claim 0 dependants on all our W2s for situations very similar to this... unexpected needs (usually means paying off an oil bill)... and lets be honest... splurges of wants...
Anyhow I was excited yet, not too excited because I didn't want to force this on Anthony.  I wanted Anthony to choose and be ok with whatever he did pick.  I am not a parent who hates public education or finds private education to be oh so much better.  My life story is the perfect example of private education failing someone.  I CAN guarantee you is a certain larger private school made this offer I would easily say no thanks.  But ion the 3 weeks at that point I had known about DTD I had been impressed, not just by words but by action and reactions.  Jayna was in love with her new school, teacher, environment.  The transition to her was practically no transition at all.  She is my chatty one though and can literally adjust to anyone anywhere happily.  So I also didn't want to make this decision based on her needs, wants or personality as Anthony is different.  He's more shy and reserved and no speed demon in adjusting to new people.  In addition to all of that, I had promised myself I would never change my kid's schools.  I would never put them through the school hopping that became a normal part of my childhood.  Once they started a school they would finish it.
Anyhow, on Friday afternoon we told Anthony and he was so torn.  He said "why couldn't they have let me gone sooner".  He had enjoyed his 1st week at Sheffield and really was liking his teacher.  For that I don't blame him.  I do a ton of volunteer work at Sheffield over the past 2 years especially and Mrs. Mattocks was easily one of my top 3 teachers there.  She was extremely friendly, warm and welcoming in addition to so kind hearted and sweet and mellow from what I have observed.  She loves her job and her students.  After turm oil back and forth see-sawing what he wanted/what Marko wanted he agreed to try one week.
On Tuesday, he went and seemed to like it, with his highlight being multiple recess times.  His biggest down fall is he had earned a homework pass from Mrs. Mattocks he so desperately wanted to use.  Wednesday morning he came down stairs dressed- TO ATTEND SHEFFIELD... A Sheffield tiger shirt was on and he was ready to go.  Daddy denied his pleas and he sadly went to day 2 of DTD.  He again had a good day and liked it.  He also didn't have homework which to him was fabulous and almost like a homework pass.  He agreed to stay until December.  This Momma knows though that December will become June and the cycle will continue on.
He hasn't had any complaints or any serious issues other than not quite as quick in completing some assignments and they became homework.  But that has only happened twice in 7 days.  He is content and eager to get involved in cross country club.

The CRAZY Schedule that I never anticipated:
Each kid has always been allowed one activity at a time.  However, I didn't want either child to get swallowed up in the new school scariness so I have allowed them to do activities at the school to make new friends and get involved and a new found love for their new school.  The schedule is usually like this:

Monday:
Mom drops kids off at G'ma's 7:50am, Crossing guard 8-9, G'ma takes kids to school 8:15, mom volunteers for lunch and recess at school from 11:30-12:45, mom does crossing guard round 2 from 3-4, Kid's finish school at 3:30 and then do cross country 3:30-5:30, Anthony has football at 5:45 at our church until 7:30 by the time he has snack and you can coralle everyone to the van, rushed homework, supper, showers, bedtime as close to 9pm as possible

Tuesday:
Mom drops kids off at G'ma's 7:50am, Crossing guard 8-9, G'ma takes kids to school 8:15, mom volunteers for lunch and recess at school from 11:30-12:45, mom does crossing guard round 2 from 3-4, Kid's finish school at 3:30 and then do cross country 3:30-5:30, Anthony has football at 5:45 at our church until 7:30 by the time he has snack and you can coralle everyone to the van, rushed homework, chore, supper, showers, bedtime as close to 9pm as possible

Wednesday:
Mom drops kids off at G'ma's 7:50am, Crossing guard 8-9, G'ma takes kids to school 8:15, mom volunteers for lunch and recess at school from 11:30-12:45, mom does crossing guard round 2 from 3-4, Kid's finish school at 3:30 and then do cross country 3:30-5:30, homework, chore, supper, showers, bedtime as close to 9pm as possible

Possibly we will add in a church group, but for now I am at my limit

Thursdays:
Mom drops kids off at G'ma's 7:50am, Crossing guard 8-9, G'ma takes kids to school 8:15, mom volunteers for lunch and recess at school from 11:30-12:45, mom does crossing guard round 2 from 3-4, Kid's finish school at 3:30 and then do cross country 3:30-5:30,

Some Thursdays- Anthony has football at 5:45 at our church until 7:30 by the time he has snack and you can coralle everyone to the van

The 1st and 3rd Thurs both kids have Adventure Club at DTD 6-7:30pm
rushed homework, chore, supper, showers, bedtime as close to 9pm as possible

The first Thurs each month and occasionally more often- I work 11pm-7am... at 7am I rush home to get kids ready for school

Fridays:
 Mom drops kids off at G'ma's 7:50am, Crossing guard 8-9, G'ma takes kids to school 8:15, , Mom volunteers at Sheffield from 9-11, mom volunteers for lunch and recess at school from 11:30-12:45, sometimes more volunteering at Sheffield depending if I got everything finished or not, Kid's get out of school at 2pm- mom picks them up and takes them to Grandma's, mom does crossing guard round 2 from 3-4 and picks up kids afterwards, from 5-10 I get to watch the most sweet little guy ever, Tristan, pick up Tristan's mommy from work at 10pm and take her home, work 3rd shift from 11pm-8:30am

Saturdays:
Get off of 3rd shift about 8:30am, Soccer at 11am-- pick up Joyce and her kids for soccer and then I coach it, Soccer ends at 12:30 and I help clean up then take Joyce's group to their home, and I go home to nap for a few hours, nothing else is typically planned but we often do something in the early evenings and often the kids sleep over with Grandma and Poppy, I work 3rd shift 11pm-8:30am

Sundays:
Get off of 3rd around 8:30am, pick Joyce's gang up for church at 8:50
Occassionally when the kids aren't sleeping and Grandma and Poppy's I have to rush home get them ready in 10 mins or less and be to Joyce's by 9
Hopefully have time to run through Hardee's drive thru to grab myself a sweet tea no ice and plain biscuit with 3 strawberry jellies to keep me awake and fed....
Get to church and hopefully all 5-8kids into their 5-8 different classes by 9:15
every other Sunday I work in kid's ministry and every other Sunday I go to our Sunday School class, Big Service, reclaim all kids, take Joyce's gang home, fix lunch, sometimes we have other obligations, if not-- I crash for a few hours

Repeat, Repeat Repeat!--- and somehow we are all wearing clean clothes, have food, and dishes are washed.... and don't bother asking if the house is clean.... maybe in June~


In December cross country will be exchanged with Gymnastics and Football/Soccer will become basketball