Back to School....

"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers."
-- Edgar W. Howe

Back to School !!! School term has started here and that means no more morning sleep ins for me :( I have never found school runs particularly exciting and especially now, I seem to loathe them in the scorching Brissie summer heat ( duh, have I started complaining about the heat already???). There is almost never any parking near the school and since I cannot boast of my parking skills especially when it comes to parallel parking even after all these years of driving :), I usually resort to parking a few blocks away from the school which means by the time we get to school, we all look like we have just stepped out of the shower. I don't think wet looks for hair are appreciated in school yet :)

Lately I seemed to have developed a healthy respect for parents, especially those moms who seem to effortlessly manage their babies, toddlers and school aged kids milling around them. I have trouble maneuvering just two :) and getting them to school safely and on time. I am usually tempted to cross the road at the nearest available point, but then afraid of teaching the kids unsafe crossing habits and avoiding unwanted scrutiny by the Principal hovering near the gates, I demurely make the kids walk a bit further down the road, use the school crossing and walk back to school. But once I reach the gates and walk inside, I heave big sighs of relief at the coolness of the shady corridors and glad that the job is done and I will have a small respite till afternoon where I will have to do this, all over again :(

I used to be one of those moms who used to drop her kids and disapparate (oh yeah, the editor complains now, if J.K.R can use the word, why can't I :( ) as quickly as I can. I used to whiz in and out of daycare centers and schools, hardly having time to socialise with other moms or talk to my kids' friends. I used to envy the luxury that stay-at-home moms enjoyed, using this time at school to plan weekend play dates for the kids and spend time getting to know each other. But looks like now I have crossed over to the other side :) I now walk up to unsuspecting moms and strike up conversations and what more I seem to enjoy doing this. Ha, the luxury of no pressing agendas and time to breathe.......I am enjoying this while it lasts.

I made a couple of new friends this term, one of them is a lovely African lady from Zimbabwe. She was so delighted to know that I have good friends in Ghana and Zimbabwe, however Peter, I ended up pronouncing your surname quite miserably, sorry buddy :) We were both laughing at the coincidence that our names just differed by one syllable. Funnily enough, the moms have taken to each other quite quickly and now we chat like old friends already. The kids however are testing the waters and taking their time to make their acquaintances. But yeah, they have all the time in the world right......the term has just started :)

Aarrgh, come on, is it that time of the day again? Another school run.........duh :(