Frack

I think I'm having a Josie day.

There's a whole list of things I haven't had to make a successful day. Unlike Nat I've not been working my passion (Photography) for oh about two weeks now. As barometers go means that there's something pretty shitty sliding around. And there's the rub. It's been a rough day.

7:30 a.m. meeting with CU-1's teacher: 30 minutes of him telling me of problems that my Grade 6er is having and asking for tricks and suggestions he can use in the classroom. (The kid already has a modified program (read: individualize learning plan).)

8:30 a.m. finally role into French class - late. So far the teacher hasn't been a stickler about MY attendance (I stared in the middle of week 3 of the program and am still trying to figure out the ropes).

After explaining to my classmates that though I wasn't there at the start of the day, that I did start the day in French, I was asked to conjugate a verb example in all the forms (present, past, conditional, imperfect, yada yada). Ashen faced, I turned to the teacher and said - "mais ca c'est le raison que je suis ici". <<>> I ducted that one _for today_.

12:19 p.m. Start the across business district (read eight block) hike to the restaurant where my colleague is having a good by lunch. Reach there just in time to give a handshake and a hug and turn around and head back. We only have an hour and the walk took 25 minutes. (They're long blocks and I had a colleague in tow.)

1:40 p.m. Excuse myself to return to my office for a meeting that'd been scheduled two weeks prior to the last minute announcement that I was to begin French training.

This was a highlight. The sun was shining. The birds were no where to be seen (last time I felt like this, I got pooped on), and construction was in full swing. (Must get new shoes. The soles are pretty thin on these!)

2:00 p.m. Where is the meeting chair? Where is any one? Did I get the date wrong?

2:05 p.m. Meeting begins. I'm in my element until I get confused and point us all South for a few minutes. Adjust direction. Meeting continues tickiety boo until colleague realizes no one is looking at the same document.

2:50 p.m. Meeting breaks for a bio-break and I slip back to my desk to print out the correct documents.

2:52 p.m. Meeting organizer offers his regrets that he has to excuse himself from the meeting because he has a personal matter to attend to. I suggest we rejoin in about 20 minutes, to his agreement.

2:55 p.m. Unsuccessfully I flip through my cell phone options trying to find my cell phone number (it's not regular that I call myself). I have to add time. I ask a colleague for help.

3:13 p.m. My colleague finds my number and I'm able to add time to the phone.

3:15 p.m. Other meeting attendee says he can't return to the meeting, he's got another meeting to go to in the pub downstairs (the good-bye luncheon, liquid after dessert party ...).

3:20 p.m. The chair returns and we agree to pack it in for the day.

4:00 p.m. After a final visit I take my leave and try to determine which bus I can take home/to the caregivers. My regular route is SNAFU as a result of road work that's been going on since Spring.

4:35 p.m. Finally get to the farthest point for the first child. He's in a bad mood. Needs food. I forgot the piece of fruit I was saving for him on the table in class. Frack.

5:00 p.m. Competed debriefing with care giver and push on to collect the next bunch.

5:20 p.m. I'm really cutting the pick-up close these days. Frack. Ok I've got 3/4th le gang. Where's the other one?

5:21 p.m. Oh yah, she's started dance class today (hey - it's free at the community centre! Swing and Meringué who wouldn't want to go?)

5:30 p.m. Look in at the class. Wave to CU-2. She doesn't understand my pantomime. Must play Sheraids more often.

5:45 p.m. Am reminded that CU-2 needs a two litre pop bottle for school tomorrow. Rush the children through Giant Tiger to buy cheap pop and ice cream (might as well make this fun).

CU-4 decides he's hungry and becomes difficult to manage. Leave him in the care of Big Brother (CU-1) who wanders off to look at a pile of games in a discount pile.

5:52 p.m. Thank small gawds there are no lines. Make it through and push on.

CU-1 and CU-4 were told to "start walking" when I hit the check out. They're headed for the library as CU-1 had received a call regarding a pile of holds he ordered. (I swear, he's keeping the branch circulation rates high by his efforts alone!)

6:03 p.m. Make it to and through the library. New staff on duty. They're not amused by the children.

6:23 p.m. Home again, home again, jiggity jig. Searching the cupboards for something fast, and is a reasonable facsimile of nutrition. We eat buffet style as things get cooked.

7:30 p.m. Made it through homework wars relatively unscathed. I think the schedule CU-1 has been asked to follow might be working!

7:35 p.m. Asked CU-2 to bath herself and help bath CU-3 and 4. Moderate success after interductions between soap and child is made.

7:45 p.m. Screaming CU-4 finds me wearing a towel and his pride. Not bad. He made it through bath hour without pooping in the tub.

7:49 p.m. While scavenging for his pajamas, diaper already in hand, CU-4, a room away, starts schreiking. CU-2 reports "OOooooeewww. Gross!" which translates - get a buck, hot water, a pile of clothes and possibly bleach.

CU-4 has "expressed himself" (no no not that one, the other one) on the floor and the new chair.

7:51 p.m.Triage.

7:58 p.m. Things are much more under control. Now the cat herding begins.

8:30 p.m. CU-2 asks me about my homework that I still have to do (conjugate verbs). I tell her I'm too tired, then I back track. She's right. What kind of example am I setting?

It's now 9:27 p.m. and I still have the verbs to do, plus lunches for five, plus clean up the kitchen and at least haul the clean laundry out of the dryer and transfer the wet stuff. I really just want to go to bed. (The last three, maybe four nights, CU-3 has been piling into my bed between 4 and 5 in the morning, complaining of bad dreams. The Huz wakes at 5:45 a.m. and rattles around for an hour before I get up. I'm tired.)

Oh, and where is The Huz while all of this is happening? He's on a course. Looking at his schedule and how it's shifted, it looks like I won't see him for the next week (between work obligations and getting his CPR teacher's certificate training).

Frack.

Oh, and then there's the cat: