Everyone is in school

So all the children are in school these days. Of course, when I say “all” here, I am only talking about the three that belong in our family and not all the other ones who are out there living with other unfamiliar couples. Don’t be silly. And when I mention “school”, it excludes infant-care, childcare and kindergarten.

So, let me rephrase that so it is absolutely clear, “our three children, Nigel, Shannon and Amber, are all in Primary School”.

What do you think of that? And I do not mean it as a kind of achievement, because it really isn’t – your children, if you have some of your own you will know what I mean, just naturally grow up. It is unstoppable, irreversible and no amount of vitamin-C or trips to Toys-R-Us will slow it down. It just happens and nobody has really discovered the reason why. It’s one of life’s mysteries.

So early mornings are a rush. All three have to wake up at the same time – well not exactly, maybe 45 seconds apart to give the previous one time to brush teeth and get out of the bathroom. It’s like a little factory production line where someone is either changing, brushing-teeth, drinking milo. They are like minions, or programmed robots? If you do not supervise one, they end up standing still in the darkness awaiting further instructions. There are also times when I come out from the kitchen to find 3 semi-naked bodies piled onto the sofa.

We need to get out of the house by 7am, else somebody gonna be late for school. I use that as a threat but it does not result in a response. It is frustrating that end of the day, I am not the one that is going to get scolded, or booked, or publically beaten with a broomstick by an upper-primary prefect. Yet, there is this innate fear that perhaps was ingrained in me from my childhood and was never exorcised – making me afraid of school teachers, discipline masters and tuckshop aunties. In an effort to ensure that our kids do not have that same fear, we inadvertently end up being (borderline) late for school on many occasions. The traffic is also horrible since a certain school recently shifted temporarily, right smack into my morning route.

I get back home at about 732am, which means I never catch the full news update. You can forget about the sports segment. That explains why I appear so uninformed these days, and never know the scores.