The Schedule

I mentioned at the beginning of the school year that the schedule was probably going to be my hill to die on this year.  I have a little better handle on the schedule, and I still don't like it.  But here it is.

Every weekday I wake up between 5:30 and 6:00, if I haven't had insomnia already.  I slowly acclimate to being awake while doing a little reading, and Steve heads off to work about 6:00 or before.  I'm showering by 6:30, dressed and waking up kids by 7:00, packing lunches and supervising breakfasts, chores, and the ready for school rush.  Georgie arrives around 8:00, picks up Primigenitus, Secundus, and Quarta, drops off Little Joe, who then proceeds to watch SuperWhy with Tertia until 8:30.  They then make their way into the living room and wait for the bus, which is supposed to arrive at 8:45 but is usually more like 8:50. 

After helping them onto the bus, I throw the laptop into the bag and head off for the 16 minute drive to Cedar Tree, where 1st period is nearly over by the time I arrive.  I deposit my things in room 202, put on my glasses so I'll look more like a teacher, and pack up the things I'll need for 6th grade in the little basket.  I usually manage a bathroom break, and get to the G4 classroom at 9:20.  They wrap up math and segue into Latin, and we really work quite hard on learning the difference between nouns and verbs.  I'm not always sure it's doing any good.

10:15 and I send G4 off to recess and hike back to 202, where the Seniors have their cubbies and are grabbing what they need at the same time 7th grade is thinking about settling down instead of blocking the door.  Room 202 is not really all that large, and that's about 25 people that can be in there at once, all clustered around the door.  By that time my throat is beginning to be hoarse so I fix myself some hot water for tea in the microwave.  The bell rings for 3rd period, and class begins.  We work very hard on learning the difference between active and passive voice, and between present tense and all the others.  I'm not always sure it's doing any good.

11:10 and the bell rings and the 7th grade leaves, 8th grade enters, and 12th grade is in and out once more: potential for 33 people in transition in room 202 at once.  11:15 and 8th grade Latin begins.  We work very hard on remembering 5 years' worth of Latin grammar and vocabulary and developing the ability to write translations in Good English.  I'm not always sure it's doing any good.

At 12:05 the bell rings and Logic 2 sprints out to lunch.  Rhetoric 4 enters more sedately; they take turns heating up things in the microwave and chatting about vegetables.  I might stay to wrap things up for the next day, or do a little bit of grading, but I have to be out of the classroom by 12:35 every day except Tuesday (when I stay for Logic teachers' meeting during lunch anyway).  I usually leave campus in time to be home by 1:00 if I don't have errands to run.  I might eat lunch myself anytime from 1:00 to 2:00.  If I'm fortunate enough to be at home I spend a little time on the computer and try to relax.

Then my alarm rings at 2:15 and I leave to go back to Cedar Tree to pick up Secundus and take him to Columbia River for Cross Country practice by 3:00.  Unless it's a meet day, and then I drop him off at the meet.  I don't get to stay and watch him because I have to be back home by 3:30 when Georgie drops off Primigenitus and Quarta, and definitely by 3:40 when the bus drops off Tertia.  It holds up traffic until it's sure she's going to be able to get in the door.  Then it's the checking homework, cleaning out lunchboxes, and pre-dinner rush until, well, dinner.  Then supervising dishes, baths, and the bedtime routine (although that's been shaky lately).

Some days I get to do extra stuff, like Mondays when there's laundry to wash and sort and Primigenitus works in the afternoons, and Secundus has to be taken to special dinners with the team, and there's Knit Night.  Or Tuesdays, weekly lunchtime staff meeting or monthly all-afternoon inservice; or Wednesdays, grocery shopping (if I'm lucky I have time to put away the ice cream before making the 2:15 run back to Ridgefield for Secundus pickup and then immediately afterwards the 3:00 run for Primigenitus, Quarta, and 2 of Primigenitus's classmates -- yes, there are 3 round trips on Wednesdays); or Thursdays, when Primigenitus has drama practice and the veggies get picked up; or Fridays, when there's almost always an evening event somewhere.

So if I had to compare my life to a  movie right now, it would probably be the faster-paced portions of Koyaanisqatsi, but I'd like to get back to Goodbye Mr. Chips (the Peter O'Toole version), which was where it stood for several years.  Actually, even closer would be the sitcom The Middle, which is sometimes just a little too true to my life for comfort.