Crocodiles in the Waves

Where to start?  School has... begun.  I might still be a little on edge about the idea since I had a crisis of faith when reading one note sent home by a teacher that needed more punctuation.  Much more punctuation.  I have to think how to spell 'necesary' and 'grammar' and 'calendar', and don't always get it right, and blogging doesn't exactly reinforce a rigid code of complete sentences (*cough*) but this is a teacher. She should be able to diagram sentences in her sleep!  Or I might have been looking for reasons to find fault, since she has been entrusted with my child's mind and physical safety and there is just no way she could ever, ever be good enough.  Hmmm.  Whaddya think?

A clue.  In case y'all didn't get it either. 

Speaking of diagramming sentences, one of the new kids at work needed a letter approved by his supervisor. He was joking about her using her (tiny ballpoint) red pen and, in what I thought was a brilliant piece of timing, I handed him the giant red Sharpie I conveniently had in hand and said, "That's not a red pen, THIS is a red pen".  He didn't get it.  One more sign I am working with children.  Maybe if I became an actual teacher I'd have an excuse to use my giant red Sharpie AND I wouldn't feel bad about being 159 years older than everyone else in the room.  Apparently diagramming sentences is no longer a requirement.

And in another sign I might still be a little worked up about school (and that I shouldn't leave the TV on all night during Hurricane Coverage), I woke up the other night with my heart pounding because I dreamt (yes, I know, Dream Post Alert!  Sorry!) that we were at the beach and the kids were swimming in the waves and then they just disappeared.  [Actually, weirder, only one was missing but I wasn't sure which one] I dove under, swam around, couldn't find them - you know, your standard kids-are-missing-panic-dream.  In the light of morning, the beach and school aren't obviously connected but something about sending them out into the world & waves alone. 

Jeez, what with all the keening & kvetching around here you'd think my kids are the first ones in the country not to be homeschooled!  And no, even with all my fretting and cheap Freudian dreams, even I know that would be a terrible idea.  They need to meet different people with different perspectives, different repetoires -  people who teach her, for example, crocodile songs. [Ha! Too much? Couldn't resist!] 

Anyway, we have some logistical issues to work out.  There was a minor bus issue that left me leery & I hate that my kids are in daycare for 10 hours a day.  I'm trying to get back to a 4 x 10hr/day schedule so they're only in their respective baby jails 3 days a week (Matt gets Fridays off - we'd have a full-family day on Saturday) - Which is also partial explanation for my long catch-up hours at work and absence here - I missed you guys!  Am off to tackle my reader's 200+ items....