First Impressions

Here in my Georgia county, school is starting in a mere 12 days, 17 hours, and 42 minutes - give or take a few on the minutes. I doubt anyone is shocked by my attention to detail. I suspect that 90% of the mommies out there are counting down the hours to that first, official day of school - and that the remaining 10% who say they aren't are lying.

But while I'm excited to be settled back down into the routine of a school year, I'm pretty nervous about the girls' first day in a new school. After all, our family isn't exactly known for making the best first impressions. Just a few short years ago, I was trying to get Emily and Evie enrolled in a local pre-school program. Ella was already a student there, and most of the teachers knew our situation - that I had a three-year old, 2 two-year olds, and a new baby. I was desperate to secure spots for two kids in a program notorious for its long waiting list.

As I stood in the school hallway pleading my case to the pre-school director, Ella dragged her baby brother up and down the carpeted hall in an attempt to keep the kid who couldn't crawl yet "out of trouble." Although she had the 5-month old by his feet, I was actually more distracted by Evie whining at me for a treat. As the director turned to bribe Evie with a handful of M&M's, I glanced over at Emily, who had a finger half way up her nose. Before I could react, she walked over to the director with an offering. "Here," she said, handing Ms. J the booger.

Honestly, I'm still shocked we ever got the twins into Ms. J's program, but one week before school started, I got the call that they were accepted. I didn't think the girls had made a particularly good first impression, but thought perhaps the director was used to such things. Or she felt sorry for me. Or she was so scarred by the experience that she had completely blocked Emily's little "gift" from her mind. Whatever her reason, I was delighted to send my three girls to school that first day.

The girls, however, were not so delighted. As I pulled up to the front of the carpool line to unload my kids, the twins started shrieking. I have no idea what set them off, but they were clearly not about to get out of the van. Quicker than I would've thought possible, they launched themselves over the back seat and into the trunk. Ella, who was already unloading from the car, waved over her shoulder and shouted a goodbye. The teachers assisting with carpool just stood there with their mouths hanging open while Emily and Evie clung to each other in the trunk of the car and screamed.

I stammered out something to the effect of, "Um, let me just pull up a little ways," drove my car forward, and put it in park. With the rest of the carpool parents looking on, I opened my trunk and pried two sobbing children out of the back while trying to calm them with things like, "You're going to have such a good time at school with your teacher Ms. N!" I doubt the other parents - whose kids were also enrolled with Ms. N - were feeling as confident after observing the two newest class additions.

Still, I worked very hard to overcome those rocky first impressions, and I feel like these last few years of pre-school could be termed a success for our family. Ty is even going to be in Ms. N's class this year - despite his reputation as the Terror of the Two-Year Olds. However, Ella and her sisters are moving on to public school to begin 1st Grade and Kindergarten, and I feel like I'm starting all over again - and sadly, I'm already behind the 8-Ball.

It turns out that there is a Kindergarten "Round-Up" the spring before the rising kindergartners actually start school. I did not know that - until the day before Round-Up. I was way behind on laundry and ended up dressing the twins in a couple of old t-shirts and some jean shorts. While I was fixing Emily's hair, Evie wandered into the bathroom with blue marker all over her mouth and shirt... PERMANENT blue marker. Already late, she had to go as is - marker and all.

While signing the girls in for their classroom tour, one of the teacher aides said, "Aw, you have twins! My goodness, how do you tell them apart?"

"Well, Evie has a little birthmark by her left eye."

"Which one is she?

"The blue one."

"Oh."

Awesome.

I'm not giving up hope, though, that we can make a decent first impression when the school year starts. For one thing, what are the chances that a teacher's aide will remember one blue-faced child amidst a sea of new kindergartners? Better yet, the girls will be riding the bus this year. The last time I checked, buses don't have trunks.