Wednesday, May 18, 2005

School's out! School's out! Teacher let the bulls out!

Remember that one? I can remember my friends and I chanting that ad nauseum when I was in grade school. I bet my elementary teachers heard that in their dreams for weeks.

I got up this morning after hitting the snooze only once. Once! I haven't done that in weeks. Proud of me, I was. I hit the shower (still in the little one and still so over it) and had my clothes on and mousse in my hair by the time I woke the kids up. I had all of my makeup on by the time Chandler got here. I was on a roll. Got the school kids off for their last ride on the bus as a Kindergartener and a Second Grader and then had time to partially reassemble the big bathroom, touch up a paint boo boo, put the knobs back on the drawers, hang up the shower curtain, mop the floor and this was all before 8:15am!

Kady and Chandler and I went to the awards assembly at 9, watched them hand out certificate upon certificate upon certificate....lots of certificates. And, as they do every year, they have a "challenge" for the 5th graders as their last hurrah in elementary school. A balloon relay and then the last person in line has to unlock a combination lock, as "practice" for being in Middle School next year and having a real live locker. Then the winners of that race go on to do a relay where they have to put on football pads, jersey and helmet and throw a football at a target. That was honestly the longest relay race I've ever endured. Then the winners of THAT one played a trivia game and answered questions about their classmates. By that point, I don't think one person in that gymnasium was paying attention to what was going on on the gym floor. The kids were talking and bopping each other on the heads with their many certificates, the teachers were visiting and yelling periodically at their students, the parents were one by one taking their children and leaving. I watched a group of teachers' aides on the other side of the gym and couldn't help but giggle at the way they fidgeted and squirmed and chatted. They are done, just as much as the kids are.

When the torture was finally over, I stopped at Ab's building to get her, hugged her teacher, picked up my pans from the Teacher Appreciation dinner then headed to the other building to pick up Mattie, the neighbor girl, Sam and my niece, TotOne. I paid Mattie's lunch bill and would've paid TotOne's as well, but she also owed on a textbook that they've obviously packed in the move, so she couldn't have gotten her grade card anyway. Then after all that, we loaded up into the van and drove to town, dropped TotOne off and then I took the others to Pizza Hut for lunch. I totally crack up at the looks I get when I cart around that many kids. People's jaws drop. And the kids were so good! Perfect, well behaved little angels! That was at Pizza Hut. Wal*Mart was a different story. They were a little wild there, but it was the last day of school and they were bored to tears.

Now we are all home, I have unloaded my groceries and 4 of the 5 kids are playing outside. I'm getting ready to get Chandler up so he can enjoy some sun, too. I bought food - like real food food for me to cook - like really cook for dinner tonight. It's been so long, I hope I remember how to do it. And I suddenly have this overwhelming urge to rearrange my utility room and clean out my pantry. Sometimes I get these wild ideas and until I actually follow through, it drives me nuts. I want to really accomplish something today so that when Mr. Diva gets home he'll be a happy husband and not cranky and sullen. If a clean house, real cooked food and sparkly clean bathed children doesn't do it, there is no hope for that man. I might throw in sex to ensure success.

Yesterday I picked up our tickets to see Cledus T. Judd at the Buffalo tomorrow night. You can't beat free, people. Poor Cledus. If you actually have to pay for the tickets, they're only $10.25, but we got ours free. I am going to clap and cheer extra loud for him, just because his tickets are so cheap. I also picked up an entry form for Mr. Diva to enter the Buffalo Bike Run in June. He's stoked. Me, not so much. I'm just going to buy my $35 bracelet and see a bunch of concerts all weekend. Evel Knievel's gonna be there! And I heard a rumor that Dennis Rodman will be there to sign autographs as well. Evel Knievel might be cool, but Rodman, not so much.

Today I bought our tickets for the Outlaw Nationals. Tractor pulls, Monster Trucks, School Bus Demolition Derby and some jet car that can melt a car..... you cannot beat shelling out $45 for that kind of hot, dusty, loud entertainment.

My gosh, Cledus T. Judd and monster trucks - all in a span of 3 days. I'm not sure my little redneck heart can handle the excitement.

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