More...

Yesterday, friend Ryan came over as paid help.  (Most of the time, he gives up a large part of his day off for free when things go awry here.  Hey...time is money!)  I had a list of things for him to do and was amazed at how quickly he got them done.  Had I been attempting them--if I even could--it would have taken three times more.  (Heck, I've been trying to get the back door painted and a kick plate put on where the dog scratches.  Just that one project has taken three trips to the hardware store...and it isn't done yet!)  Thanks, Ryan!

Today; I was to have Robin at the Kindergarten Center in Plainfield at 9:00 AM for an "early entrance" evaluation.  Big deal.  She would be only a 5-day early entrance, since her birthday misses the cutoff by only that much, but the district has the option to evaluate and decide.  Today, they were doing kindergarten screenings for everyone, but Robin was special because we had requested a waiver to the deadline.  (Megan had already called to say that her car had overheated on the way to work.  "Bring antifreeze when you come for lunch".)  Robin was called in by the principal (or assistant principal...I didn't hear which), and was taken to an office while little Ryan and I waited in the hallway.  After 15 minutes or so, I saw the principal return to the reception area...without Robin.  Hmmm...I though perhaps she had passed Robin off to another teacher.  After about five minutes, I saw the woman jump up and looked around the corner to the office where she had left Robin and invited her out.  Robin was in tears.  She had been left alone in a strange place, and she was scared.  She wanted her grandma.  Grandma and Ryan were invited into the outer office to help coax Robin to talk about things...but Robin was done.  She refused to talk, except to say "yes" when the principal asked her if she wanted to come to school next year. 

Apparently the evaluator (principal or whoever) had been blown away by one of Robin's answers to a question and wanted the secretary to hear it.  Of course, that's the time that Robin clammed up.  The question she had been asked is, "Do you know why we brush our teeth?"  Robin replied, "Because Mr. Tooth Decay comes and puts holes in our teeth if we don't."  The brilliance of the answer is moot, however, because she never said it again...and the gal doing the evaluating said Robin didn't recognize letters or numbers (which is insane because she can write whole sentences if I tell her what letters to write!).  I guess the woman was ready to admit Robin to Kdg, but now hesitates because Robbie refused to talk after she got scared.  "We can't have that in a school setting where the child refuses to talk."  Well...guess what?  They can make Robin wait another year before admitting her to kindergarten, and she will do the same thing.  This isn't immaturity on Robin's part--it's willfullness...and her mother was the same way!!!!!  So, the evaluator called today to say that they want to see Robin again in early August before they will decide whether or not to admit her for this fall.  Last minute stuff!

We came home after that for awhile.  We were scheduled  to go to Indy to meet Megan for lunch at her new workplace at IUPUI.  (Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.)  Robin kept after me for two hours to look at the clock.  "Isn't it time to go yet?"  When it finally was time to go, the children greeted their mother with cheer and were paraded around a few offices, meeting people.  They were as charming as could be!  I gave Meg the antifreeze and prayed, staying close to the phone at quitting time.  She made it home...but I am making her take my car tomorrow.  We'll figure something out...

I could tell from the very beginning that the day wasn't going to be good.  Both children went to bed too late last night.  They were both yawning during our early running around...and they fussed with each other endlessly.  They both had breakfast, but ate everything in sight at lunch...and even though they had snacked, they ate well again at supper.  

I took the children to Swinford Park mid-afternoon.  It was too hot to be out.  Ryan wanted me to follow him around and Robin misbehaved.  We came home less than an hour later.  (Robin got a swat or two for her treatment of her brother.  As we were driving out of the park, she threw a water bottle at Ryan and hit him in the head.  I pulled the car over on that one...)  I threw a miserable dinner together for the family when Meg and the car limped home, and turned on the sprinkler in the back yard.  Once the kids were thoroughly wet and cold, we brought themin for snacks and quiet time--a video--and on time to bed, for a change. 

Based on the reaction of the children to their mother at her workplace, and their eagerness to make the clock move faster, I truly think they miss her.  I don't think she has spent more than 25 minutes of non-directive time per day with them since she started work a couple of months ago...and I don't know how to fix that.  (My field of education offered me shorter hours.  I was never home later than 4:00.)  Dinner by 6:00 if we're lucky...baths and bedtime by 8:00 or 8:30, with resistance, if we're lucky, leaves no time for much fun during the week.  And they go to see Daddy on the weekends.  I'm not sure how all of this will pan out for Robin and Ryan.  They get tired of me.  Robin told me that she wants to see Grandma Judy tomorrow...but Grandma Judy isn't available.   I wish she were!

The major upset of the day for Meg (besides the car and the kindergarten thing) is the announcement that she made too much money in the last 30 days for her to qualify for child-care assistance--and that is based on money that she no longer gets.  She won't receive another full paycheck until the end of June...  She is freaking out.  Stress, stress...  We will manage somehow.  I just don't need the crisis.  Meg, if you are reading this...I am doing all I can.  It will work out.  God provides!  Please keep a positive attitude. 

A couple of quotes from 4-year-old Robin today:

(When driving by the Colts' stadium construction):  "Wow!  How 'koo' is that, Gramma!"

(After having been disciplined for mistreating her brother):  "I don't like you!  I'm not giving you any more of my pictures!  Do you want any?

(And again after being disciplined):  "I don't like you!  You are acting like a stink bug!"  (I laughed.  Sometimes if I laugh at her defiance, she sees how silly it is.  This time, she did.)

After supper, the sprinkler went on for play, then we took wet children into the house to be snuggly enough to watch a video and go to bed.  Which is where I am going now.

Nightie!