Today’s morning rituals were not unlike most school / work morning rituals around the FOF compound…
The alarm clock started going off around 5:40am. Several “snooze bars” later, and it was 6:10am. Since it was 6:10am and I did not here the boys up and about yet, it meant that they too are “snooze barring” it, or may have even turned their alarm clocks off completely… (They have yet to master the art of the snooze bar”…) So, I crawled out of bed, went downstairs, confirmed that they were both still sound asleep, and herded their be-hinds out of bed.
While they showered / had breakfast, I did a quick morning check in of email, Facebook, and Sitemeter, then went back upstairs where the day took a slight turn for the “different”.
I reached the top of the steps and was met with #4 of 5, lying on the couch, looking a little green around the gills. She was exhausted and I could hear her wheezing (asthma) while sitting next to her. We gave her the option of going to school and staying home, and after a short moment of reflection, she decided to stay home.
Once #5 of 5 found out that her sister would not be walking with her to the bus stop, the Mother of Five leaving for work, #1 of 5 not home, #2 and #3 of 5 already having left for school, and #4 of 5 home sick, she turned to her second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth choice.
“Daddy, would you walk with me to the bus stop this morning?”
I have to admit, still in my PJ’s (toasty WARM in my PJ’s) and a temp in the low 20’s outside, for a moment I had to consider my options, but of course I snapped at the chance! After all, how often does the “sixth string” guy get such an opportunity!
I double checked with her… “Honey, your not too embarrassed to have your big ol’ daddy take you to the bus stop, huh”? She replied with the obvious… “No daddy, that’s the boys.”
Yup, it’s true. My 8th and 9th grade boys would rather die than have their dear old dad take them to the bus stop.
She looked at me, and gave me a resounding “Um, maybe”…
CLOSE ENOUGH!! I’LL TAKE IT!!
We bundled up and headed off to the bus stop.
It is deep enough into the school year where we have reached the point that the first time kindergarten parents are no longer walking their kids to the stop (they are usually the hold-outs – walking with their kids long after the other parents have stopped).
I suspect enough time having passed since the first day of school and the weather being the contributing factors since I was the only parent out there.
I visited with #5 of 5 and one of her friends at the bus stop until the bus came and whisked my daughter away to school.
As I stood at the empty bus stop, alone, watching the bus drive her away, I could not but help to wonder if I’ll be able to cash in on that “Maybe” in eight years…
