I'm here

Yes, I still walk the face of the earth.  I am so tired, but we are half way through this keeping of the grandkids.  They have been great.  I couldn't ask for better behavior from them.  I was afraid of the little one having meltdowns missing Mommy or Daddy, but she has been in great spirits!

Monkey Boy had a bit of a melt down this afternoon when it was homework time.  He is a bright boy, but this year is "eating his lunch" at school.  He is rushing through his work, so that means he is making silly mistakes.  I think he is wanting to be class clown or something along those lines because he is getting in trouble for talking.  The one paper I saw first was a science paper. he made a 40 on it. .  Of course I was very interested in why.  He was so upset with himself (at least I think that was it), and perhaps a little embarrassed because it was science.  We corrected the mistakes, and to be honest I could see why he missed some of the questions.  But then - I have always had a problem with elementary science teachers.  They usually don't know what they are teaching.

Friday was the worst day of the lot.  It was raining (yes, we are actually getting several days of rain around here - hopefully breaking the drought for good) when I was picking up the two younger ones.  They are to walk from the school about a long block to the parking lot at the city swimming pool.  But since it was raining, they got changed from walkers to car riders.  Of course I didn't know this for sure.

As I was sitting there, I noticed parents and another grandmother walking to the edge of the school's driveway.  I thought they were going to walk there with an umbrella and meet the kiddos.  Then I noticed they were going into the school.  So I went on.  My back was beginning to scream a bit.

I walked into the cafeteria where the kids were held.  We were told we had to go to the main office to sign them out and get a "ticket" to get them.   I was with my ex pool guy.  He had his daughter right beside him, but no - he had to go to the office to sigh her out.   We walked there - my grandkids were waving at me through the window,  but that didn't suffice.  Then I worried - I had no identification on me.  I left my purse hidden in the car.

I could have signed "Mickey Mouse" to take "Super Man" and "Bat Girl" in the book.  The poor secretary at that desk was so overwhelmed by this turn of events.  But I got the tickets to bail the kids out.  I handed them over, the kids were right there then, and another one in the cafeteria said "did she have TWO tickets?"  That was about the last straw.  I am so glad I could get out of there. So we made the trek back to the car, and I was about to die then.

I know there are so many problems for the schools with people picking up kiddos.  But if the child is right there, and most of the people in this school knew that their parents were in Italy, and the kids were glad to see me.  I think I should have been able to get them.  They were going to be walking otherwise - if there were no rain.

Enough of that.  I think their mattress is supposed to be a good one, but it is killing my back.  It is too soft.  And I am about to melt away.  The thermostat is set on 78.  Mine at home is set on 72.  We had a strong front come through last night, but it is warming up again.  My home thermostat is set to be very cool at night - in all seasons, and then it warms up or goes up in the mornings.  Well - four more nights, then back to my bed.  Well not really - it's back to my bed at the SSB.

But the kids are being great.  That makes it all worthwhile!