There are a lot of things that are difficult about this school year. Timing is the big one. Never more so than in the last few weeks.
Daddy has started training for a new job, and that training lasts Monday through Friday from 7 o'clock in the morning to 4:30 in the afternoon. He leaves the house by 6:35 or so. Connor has to be at school by 7:35 in the morning, but can't be dropped off any earlier than 7:15. Guess who's now on morning drop off duty?
Everyone's day starts between 6 and 6:30 in the morning. Sawyer, of course, is perfectly fine with this. He's generally been up anywhere from an hour to two hours already anyway. Xander is usually okay with this, as he's generally up about that time if not before. Today was a random fluke, and for the first time in literally months I had to wake him up to leave. Daddy leaves first, and the twins and I take Connor just after 7 o'clock. We're usually back home by 7:45 or so.
And then the twins don't have school until 10:35. Sometimes I sneak a nap in, especially if it's a work night, and other times I just stay up and am amazed at the amount of things I can actually accomplish (you know, before I crash about 6 o'clock that afternoon from lack of sleep).
Everyone is in school from 10:35 to 1:35. That's when I run errands. Or walk the dog. Or both. Or none of the above. It depends on the day. And my mood. And what else is already scheduled for the week at any given point in time.
Around1:15, I leave the house to do the first pick-up. The twins get out at 1:35, but it does me no good to be first in line. That just means we'll be that much earlier to Connor's school. It let's out at 2:35, which is just long enough to make it not worth our while to go back home (because we would literally maybe get a drink, potty, and be back out the door again - and our house is in the total opposite direction of Connor's school).
So we leave the twins school and then make our way to Connor's school, in no hurry of course, because we're going to get there by about 2 o'clock and just have to wait. And wait and wait and wait.
The twins hate this. Normal children would hate this. Children with autism, well, it's enough to drive them (and therefore me) crazy. We've tried videos, books, toys and have finally resorted to the only bribe that works with any consistency. Food. And drinks. But you have to be careful with that last part, or you'll have a potty issue on your hands. You can't exactly take a potty break in car line.
Once a week or so, I stop and get the twins some good food. We've tried McDonald's - nuggets and fries for them, Coke for all, Arby's - fries for them, and even Wendy's - Frosties for all. They work at times, but at other times buy only a few minutes of peace. And I always feel guilty, like I should pick up something for Connor, too. But what would last for 40 minutes in the car and still be worth eating? And, truth be told, he probably has had many, many more lunches out than the twins could ever dream about. Last year during preschool, we averaged at least one a week just with us. Not to mention aunts, uncles and grandparents.
But, I digress. Back to the car line. Fast food one day, and usually we resort to some sort of candy or fruit snacks from home and a shared bottle of Gatorade on the rest.
Connor eventually comes out of school and we make our way home around 3 o'clock. Next is a little downtime, followed by homework, then dinner, then maybe some more play time before bath and bed.
Sometimes it feels like a never-ending merry-go-round.
Though in many ways I am not ready to send my twins to kindergarten (another post about that some other time), part of me very much looks forward to next school year - one school, one drop-off and one pick-up.
The end. What a refreshing concept.