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Wednesday, August 17, 2016

The first day of the next nine months of my life!


For Laura, school started today. She has not been in school since April. For many weeks she was up and about early, the old routine. But, for six or eight weeks, sometimes she’s up; sometimes I get her up when I do, eight in the morning. Plenty soon for an old lady.

I asked last night about her alarm, and am assured it works and she would set it. I woke up this morning at something after five, at full alert. No light down at her end, so I went on down, knocked and Laura flew straight up. First the glasses, then squint down at the alarm. “It will go off in one minute, Grandma,” she sighed. I left her getting up any way, and went back to bed, knowing she would make the bus at 6:20.

Then, at 7:20 the front door slammed shut. Emily, off to work. I have no idea why one slams the door and one doesn’t. No matter. I looked at my alarm. I never set it. I flipped the alarm button to on, rolled over and slept until it rang. It was the principle.

Went to work, came home, had lunch. No responsibility except getting Emily at 3 from work. Think I’ll go clean the kitchen counters and the sinks. They’re teenage clean, but not grandma clean.


On my way to work.
Cat on the other side of the blind.

30 comments:

  1. I love the expression 'teenage clean' but not 'grandma clean' Joanne.

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  2. Boy that is early to get off to school. 6:20 is too early. I thought it was supposed to be better for kids to get more sleep. My own grand babies school starts 15 minutes earlier this year. Schools must not be listening to the health experts.

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    1. Both of them went to bed by nine on school nights. Laura still does. Here on the wrong side of the tracks, kids are the first picked up and the last dropped off.

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  3. Hari OM
    ...except now the door-slamming will be right by your head... and perhaps more 'vibrant'? The routine will settle and become familiar again. That is early though... Hi Toby! YAM xx

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  4. Early days of school are miserable. Up and out, run, home...Slamming the door must be a universal teen trait.

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    1. Laura is bubbling tonight.She has signed up for three clubs, plus band. We'll see how it goes.

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  5. I agree that 6:20 is way too early to be getting off to school.

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  6. Such an early rise for school. No wonder they are early to bed. And another year begins...

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  7. Good that they are able to get up and going on their own :) Hope Laura has a great school year!

    betty

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  8. Teenagers hate getting up early, grandparents do it naturally. I am sure you won't sleep easily until you hear the alarm go off and the doors shut and slam.

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  9. Funny how we have ESP for other people's wake-up times.

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  10. Usual school stated the day after labor day, September 6. Depending on the school and buses. They went to a four day school day. If I recall school got out at 4 in the afternoon. Morning time I don't recall. I believe my oldest been out for 9 years.
    Coffee is on

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  11. I think school started today down here in SE Ohio as well... but I wasn't near the road to see if the school buses went by. Your girls are so mature I'm not surprised they do the work/school thing without a lot of nagging. Way to go, Grandma! By the way, my nasturiams are blooming okay, but they don't hold a candle to yours with your pig!

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    1. They're pig's nasturtiums. Don't know his secret, unless it's the pot.

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  12. Ah, the start of another school year, it'll keep you young.

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  13. I do not envy you the school season. It was more work for me than the teachers.

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  14. I'm into grandma clean, although it's mom clean in my house.

    Love,
    Janie

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  15. As a Grandparent raising two of my Grands with one in High School now and one in Grade School the beginning of School signals my end of any hope of a normal sleep schedule. I try to keep things Gramma Clean too, but upstairs, which is their domain, I am just glad stairs can be a bit much for me sometimes so I don't have to look very often! *winks* The door slamming is vibrant in this house too... if they're not too tired to slam it since yes, School starts WAY earlier than I remember it back in da day??? Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  16. Ha Ha: teenage clean not grandma clean. I like that, reminds me of being home with my kids. They'd help with dishes and stuff and I'd finish the 'details' after they were asleep.

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  17. Like everyone else the phrase teenage clean but not grandma clean strikes a chord. Except that here teenage clean is male clean.

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  18. 'Plenty soon for an old lady'. I like that. I might even start using it myself.

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  19. Fetching from school at 3. That's something I stopped doing years ago (when I wasn't working) when they could walk home by themselves. Obviously not the case here I know :) but kind of nice to have that point in the day even when you're picking up someone who is definitely taller than 3 ft high ! A chance to sit together and chat and catch up.

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  20. I get such a kick out of that cat and her place between the blinds and the window.

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  21. Funny you should mention the differences in cleanliness standards-now that Youngest Son is halfway across the state I'm starting to chip away at the things he hadn't done that have been bugging me.

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  22. I was never so happy as when both my kids were finally out of school.

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  23. Just me and David in our home. We don't have teenagers to deal with anymore.

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  24. And oh what a difference there is between teenage clean and grandma clean. We are about ready to get back into school routine!! When does your girl leave for college??

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  25. Those nine months will fly by. It may not feel like it now but it will at the end of the year.

    I love that cat's little white moustache and accessories :)

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  26. Teen age clean, not grandma clean. I like that.

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