how loud does a school hallway echo?

today was the first day of school. every year on this day i walk the kids into school and into their respective classrooms. yes we've met the teacher and we know where we are going, but on the very first day being walked in is a must. bus can start tomorrow, but today we need mom to walk us in.

normally this is no problem and i didn't think it would be today. we were up and dressed and out the door with minimal issue (this really means I had to find two shoes I just set out last night and mick mick kept undressing himself so we were running 10 min behind - but i had prepared for 30 min behind so we were all good in the end)

those of you that know anything about the first day know that every parent it seems walks their kid in. you also know that the school will never, in 1 million years have enough parking. they don't want you hanging out there all day, they are trying to corrupt your children don't you know, why should you witness it.... i kid, but really, there aren't that many parking spots.

so there are cars parked on the street for 2 blocks every direction. i park as close as possible, haul out the little ones, everyone straps on $200 dollars worth of school supplies, backpacks, tubs, wet wipes and a gallon jug of purell and we head in to begin this wonderful year. we navigate down the hall and drop sydney off. at this very second the lightbulb goes on in both 2 year olds heads. they have the look of "wait, she gets to go in that cool looking room with all the awesome stuff in it and i have to stand in the hallway and then walk away from it". mick mick seemed to instantly decide the best course of action on this one. he promptly sits down, cries as hard as he can and screams as ear piercing and shrill like as one can. 5 teachers poke their heads out, and 4 others actually walk out. i scoop up captain screamer pants and off we scream to the 5th grade hall. drop both boys off at their classrooms and off we go still screaming out of the building. now, up until this point ashleigh just has a look of dismay on her face. she's still going along with this walking out of the really cool building but i can tell we have 20 second left until melt down. we're 60 seconds from the car....

now, i think i could have made it had she not seen the playground. she did, and it was all over. she was not about to walk away from a place that had 3 slides that were bright and shiny and new to her. so she jumped up and down about 4 times in that little hop toddlers do during a tantrum, sat down on the sidewalk in front of the school and promptly screamed and cried.

keep in mind that i still have captain screamer pants tucked under my arm kicking and flailing in his glorious moment. i scoop this one up, who promptly does the "go stiff and stay straight as a board so on a good day you can slide right back out of moms arms" move. 30 seconds to the car, 30 seconds to the car is my mantra in my head right now. we make it to the car, a bribe of holding the chapstick for miss screamer pants and the promise of taking a stick with him in the car to mr. screamer pants allows safe placement in the car seats. any of you know that this is very much worth any bribe because trying to buckle a stiff screaming child in is quite possibly on the list of top 200 most difficult things to accomplish while frazzled.

and at 2:30 we get to do this all over again......thank goodness for the car line though. we only have to drive around the circle, collect the big three and no removal from car seats necessary.

mike gets to do 1st day of school next year. all by himself. *snickers*


*** oh hell, i just realized that i forgot to give them money for their drinks at lunch and i forgot to pack a snack. good thing i'm not in the pto or they would boot me and my torn jean wearing self out***