So it begins.

And we are off!  We had Kindergarten orientation today.  I came home with an insane amount of paperwork.  And I can't get information about the bus from anyone!  Argh!  I talked to the school, another school, the district, and the bus guy.  No one has any information and everyone says to talk to the other.  I'm about to start jumping down throats and teetering on wishbones.  Grrrrrr. 

So there is my little vent.  It will get sorted.  I have another call into the district to someone who will hopefully be able to help.  It is just frustrating because all the routes here are in town routes.  This makes no sense to me.  I always had rural routes and the kids in town didn't have buses.  Now apparently if you're more than 4 miles out they don't really run a route.  What?!  How does this make sense?  Do the rural kids not go to school?  Actually I know a lot of them don't and are home schooled but still.  What about those that do?

So stinking frustrating.  I just have to have faith that it will all work out in the end.  The first week is always rough.  New job, new school, or whatever.  Once we get their system figured out we'll be a lot happier.

On a positive note.  Bear's teacher seems great and he has a cute old school.  The lunch kitchen is a total flashback to my own.  I walked in and all of a sudden I was somewhere between 1st and 5th grade.  Holy cow!  Pretty much the only major difference was that you needed to change which side of the gym the kitchen is on.  These guys eat in the gym instead of the stage.  We used the stage. 

Anyone notice that schools don't seem to have the wood floors in the gyms anymore?  The new building Bear was in last year had a weird composite floor of some kind and this school has linoleum.  Are the wood floors too expensive to maintain or something?  They don't even feel like a gym to me.  They don't smell right without the fumes from the polyurethane coats that have just been re-done for the start of the school year. 

Yes, I'm having weird existential crisis with Bear starting Kindergarten.  I'm excited for him but frustrated that all the things I thought I had figured out about school during my 12-13 years there don't apply here.  Why doesn't it make sense?  Like I said though.  It will even out after a couple of weeks into it I'm sure.  Mainly I think it is just weird to be on the parent end of things instead of the kid side.

Oh, and I discovered there are monthly snacks to be provided, parties to help with, other random supplies to bring in, and all sorts of stuff.  I am not sure how I feel about all the candy.  As a kid, which part of me still is, this sounds great.  As a parent that tries to feed healthy food I'm not thrilled.  I understand that kids need rewards.  What about stickers?  What about a seed kit?  Markers?  Crayons? Healthy snacks?  Whole wheat crackers instead of cheesy crackers?  What about apples instead of candy?  Carrot sticks?  Broccoli?  I know cost is certainly a factor but they are still asking us as parents to bring some of this stuff too so I know that they are on restricted budgets no matter what they are bringing in.

Also, don't misunderstand me in that I'm against the teacher.  I'm not.  By a long shot.  I know they are doing their best with the resources they have and those are very seldom even close to enough.  I know lots of times the teachers are footing a lot of the bills on their own.  Still.  Another idea for reward stuff: Cool pencils.  Fun erasers.  No candy!  Or only once in awhile.  I know.  School hasn't even started and I'm ranting.  I just may have to take some of this on.  People wonder why we have health issues.  Uh, gee I don't know.  Too much everything.

So I'm seeing I have my virtue being taxed already.  I will have to choose my battles carefully.  Little things can be done to help.  And I do mean to help.  I'll have to see what is in my gumption to do about any of this.  Apparently I feel a lot stronger about this stuff than I thought.  I will wait and see what needs addressed and address those issues at the time.  For now, I need to figure out the bus or lack thereof situation.