School Daze-Part 1

I have very mixed feeling about the start of the school year.

Part of me wants to glide on a shopping cart down the aisle of my local Staples like the guy in the commercial while "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" plays. Don't get me wrong, the girls and I have had some fun times together this summer. However, any parent knows how difficult it is to keep kids amused these days, even with so much available to them. We can have a day filled with the most spectacular activities, but when we get home one or both of the kids will undoubtedly ask "what are we doing now?" or proclaim that they are bored.

This is especially tough for a mom like me. I am not the sort of uber mom who can come up with a craft activity for her kids that will keep them engaged using only duct tape, pipe cleaners and paper clips. I also don't like to play pretend. Yes, there it is, I said it. The words that strike fear in me are when my 3-year old says to me "Mommy, will you play dolls with me?" After about 2 minutes I start thinking of any excuse. "Honey, Mommy has to start dinner.", "Honey, Mommy has to put the clothes in the dryer". "Honey, Mommy has to write the next Star Wars chapter."

I am not sure what it is about "playing dolls" that is so boring to me. I do love watching my daughter do it, coming up with scenarios and characters, I guess when you become an adult it's just harder to do that yourself. You'd think years of watching TV would help me concoct elaborate story lines for the dolls, but I guess it's not appropriate to have Ken knock up Barbie after dating her on and off for years and then marry her in Vegas while drunk, divorce her and eventually stop her from going to Paris to take a job in the fashion industry (yes, that is the story line of Ross and Rachel from "Friends.")

In all fairness to me, I will say that I do love coloring. I would color with my daughters all day if I could. And I am a total sucker for Candyland. I beg my daughter to play it with me. I just love the unpredictability of it. One minute you are heading towards the finish line, ready to meet King Kandy, the next you pull the Gingerbread Man card and are sent way back. Such is life.

And there is the financial impact of having the kids home. Everything costs money! Did you know that?? Animal Farm? Money. Museum? Money. Library? Well, no money, unless you are like me and return your movies late. In that case, Money! And then there is the mall. If I need something and take the kids with me, of course I end up buying things for them, then there are snacks, the rides, and the consolation prize for me for taking two cranky kids with me to the mall (this prize is usually in the form of a new purse.)

So, you would think given all of the above I would be looking forward to the first day of school like a kid looking forward to Christmas? Well, I don't work like that. There are always things to stress me out about any situation. Lucky you, you get to hear about those things in the next installment.