New FRIEND!
OK OK OK, Friendly Acquaintance. I’m a hot mess today. Total hot mess. It’s mid-morning now. I’m kinda dirty and gross and I have no idea what I need to do today but whatever it is, I haven’t started. Seriously, y’all, HOT MESS! Usually, I’m at least somewhat put together when I leave the house. Today, I rolled out of bed after the time I usually wake up my kids (this is not good, on a good morning, I’m up at least a half hour before I wake them up, and I spend a good 10 minutes curled up with a cup of coffee slowly waking up before I wake my kids and everyone gets ready for the day). Today though, hot mess.
After getting everyone up late, I realized my youngest kid has homework due today that didn’t get started. The kiddo did the writing for the first question and name on the paper. Then, I had my kiddo just dictate and I wrote the rest in pen. The last question on the worksheet we just didn’t do.
I was dressed in reasonable clothes when we left the house. I found a water bottle for my little who has lost a water bottle 2 out of the 3 days of school that have happened so far (and no, the water bottles labeled with the kid’s name in Sharpie because I was organized last week somehow, are not in the Lost and Found–we checked after bottle 2 was lost at school). Today, the kid has a waterbottle that came from the dollar store a billion years ago and it’s totally fine that the kid is just going to lose it today somewhere–I didn’t label it so this is somehow going to be the bottle that doesn’t get lost–LOL. I’m wondering if I can buy good water bottles in bulk somewhere–and if this is a terrible idea–it sounds like either a great idea or I end up with way too many water bottles and no idea what to do with them.
Anyway, we roll out the door almost but not quite when I want to. I decided to try dropping off the big kid before dropping off the little kid. Big Kid’s first class is far from the gate so if one of them was potentially going to be late, maybe Little would be the better choice (also Big Kid is less emotionally stable and more dramatically affected by things like being late—Little Kid is chill in this regard). This was my first great idea of the day. Drop off earlier at Big Kid’s school was WAY easier a little bit earlier than it had been the previous day when I dropped off the Big after the Little. AND EXTRA BONUS POINTS: at Little’s school, the line of cars was shorter because the traffic had thinned by the time we got there. WIN! WIN WIN!
Somehow, by magic or IDK what, Little was on time (like 2 minutes before the bell, on time!). The drop off at Little’s school is currently somewhat broken. For whatever reason (funding? staffing? stupidity?), they’ve done away with the staff that helps kids out of cars in the car line. So parents of kids who can’t unbuckle and get themselves and their backpacks out of the car, are getting out in the car line, going around to their kid’s door, and getting their kids out (usually in a part of the car line that isn’t exactly the sidewalk where it’s safer to get out of the car–yes, I’m a judgy bitch). So, I’ve been bypassing that and going to the parking lot and parking and walking my kid to the gate to avoid the crazies and to not have to see kids hit by cars or whatever which is probably going to happen there sometime if this keeps up. I’ve seen enough traumatic shit, thanks.
I was walking back to my car and another mom asked if I’m a teacher. We started talking. Her older child was one of my favorite students last semester. Her Little is in my Little’s class. She was so nice. We’ve already texted each other once. They’re newish to the country, so this is a person who may not have a ton of local friends yet–it’s a possible in, y’all. I wish I’d been a little cleaner and somewhat put together. LOL. Anyway, we’re meeting up at a school function this evening. They brought up the possibility of the Littles having a playdate. My child has never mentioned her child. I don’t know what my child thinks of her child et cetera. If the Littles aren’t mortal enemies, I could at least get a “Mom friend” out of this. Mom friends are temporary almost friends who kind of hang out and chat while the children play together. They disappear once the kids reach an age old enough to hang out without all their parents there. In the past, I mistook “Mom friends” for actual friends. I’ve learned. I’ve learned that I’m not likeable. I’ve learned that I’m way too neurodivergent and can’t do social cues enough to figure this out in the moment. I don’t know how to make adult friends. I literally only knew how to make friends when making friends meant, “oh hi, let’s play. We’re best friends now though we don’t know each other’s names!”
OK, I’ve wasted another hour doing nothing. But yay possible friendly acquaintance!