Grateful Thurs?

Okay, not the same ring to it as Grateful Wed, but yesterday I was on my soap box about the first day of school. SO it's time to be grateful! I challenge you to all pause and be grateful with me this morning.

I am grateful for the following:
1. Good test results for a family member's health concern
2. GREAT first day of school for my boys who both have amazing teachers this year
3. A good first few days for the girls at a new school, their genuine excitement about their studies
4. The SCHOOL BUS and carpools!
5. Encouraging friends
6. God's grace

So my boys had a great first day today. My seven-year-old has a very sweet, mild-mannered (and excellent) teacher, but he said, "She was really nice for the first day. I'm kind of suspicious." I laughed and laughed about that.

Anyway, this morning he forgot his glasses, so I had to run them out to school (and it was totally my fault, but that's another story). When I got there, his teacher said he had just gone to the bathroom. Well, I could have left his glasses and gone on home, but I thought he might be upset if he missed me. WRONG. He was totally mortified that I was there, and said, "You should have given them to the teacher. See you at home."

Oh, man. My baby doesn't want me to visit his class anymore. I was proud of him in a way, but sad, too, you know?

And that first day of school paperwork! Wow! I think the teachers are just trying to give you a taste of what THEY deal with. Five pieces of paper in a row that ask for the same information. And here's my favorite part:

Parent's Name
Address
Phone #, etc. THEN

Mailing address (uh, the same)

Name of person child lives with (uh, the same)
Address
Phone#

Address of person child lives with (uh, the same, and wouldn't that be their ADDRESS?)
Phone #

Anyway, the repetition makes me crazy, and it must make the teachers crazier. SO YES, they start off with my sympathies. Here are the top ten things that MUST drive teachers crazy:

10. A gazillion boxes of kleenex delivered the first day of school. I mean, where DO they put it?
9. A gazillion giant rolls of paper towels delivered the first day of school. Don't the kleenex boxes take up all the room?
8. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork! All sent from the top down requesting info they should have anyway from the child's registration, right?
7. Parents hanging around in the halls talking and crying on the first days of school.
6. Parents taking up their parking places on the first days of school.
5. Parents TELLING them bus changes, etc. instead of WRITING it down. They do have 17 or 18 more students to keep track of.
4. Students forgetting their glasses!!!
3. Sleepy kids who haven't gotten used to being in school (and going to bed early!)
2. Children who come to school without school supplies (sad)
1. Students who are sick the first week or register for school late. (IN other regions, kids don't start school until after Labor Day, so frequently new students assume that's the case everywhere and the kids don't come until the 2nd week or school or even later! I always had several new students the second week of school) Of COURSE, it's not their fault, but teachers hate to see any kid start off at a disadvantage.

I salute all the teachers out there in the trenches. Have a great first week!