Kindergarten Parent Information Night:
Thursday May 16, 6 – 7 PM
Childcare will be provided

As soon as I read that on the flyer we picked up at the Kinder Round-up pre-registration day I played out the night in my head…

Pick up the girls about 5:30 PM from daycare. There won’t be enough time to go home before that so we’ll head straight to the elementary school, but we’ll end up being there 20-25 minutes early. That means Reese will miss her typical car nap she squeezes in between 5:40 & 6:15 every night. And since we’ll be at this meeting during Reese’s dinner time at 6:30, I guess I can feed her her babyfood in the back of the Jeep while we’re waiting in the parking lot. Then we’ll rush home and get her ready for bed. I know the “provided child care” will be for the incoming kinders only and not for my busy-body almost 10 month old.

“Maybe we should just get a babysitter.” I say.

“No, I’m sure it will be fine.” Andy says.

So there we are…sitting {actually standing} at this parent info night.

The pre-meeting rush went exactly as I had anticipated. Reese didn’t fall asleep on the 5 minute drive from the girls’ day care to the elementary school. We got there 25 minutes early. I fed Reese her dinner while she was still strapped into her car seat. Only flinging baby food throughout the back of the Jeep twice. Andy called to say he’d been stuck in traffic and to just go in without him as he may be a few minutes late.

I sign in. Take Rylee to the gym and after some unexpected tears from her, she’s off to play. As I’m coming back into the meeting area with Reese, Andy is walking in. The meeting is about to start.

Reese starts humming happily through her binkie. It’s cute. Some parents look over and smile. She’s the only baby there.

I pull out some puffs and start feeding them to her one-by-one, trying to keep her occupied, but quiet.

The meeting has started. They’ve introduced the teachers and are starting to go over the “kindergarten readiness” list.

Wait…what did they say their names were? I missed that.

Reese decides she over her puffs and is crawling all over me. I walk further back. Shushing her as I walk. But the further back I walk, I can no longer hear what the teachers are saying.

I peek into the gym.

Rylee is with a bunch of other incoming kinders, a few she knows from pre school. They’re coloring, playing duck-duck-goose and just generally having a good time.

I bounce-walk back to where Andy is. Reese starts humming again.

It’s no longer cute. It’s just distracting.

Between walking back & forth and trying to keep Reese quiet, I can’t hear anything they’re saying.

I finally concede. I walk over to Andy. Grab my stuff, tell him I’m taking Reese home, and try to sneak out the side while Reese continues to loudly hum along.

As I drive home, by blood pressure rises. I’m missing this meeting.

I look back and Reese is passed out.

We should’ve got a baby sitter…

Next time, we’re getting a baby sitter.

{ 2 comments }