Lessons Learned – musuems, friends, and school runs
This week’s lessons are short(ish) and sweet(ish).
Lesson 1 – I am loved and supported in our church
After an emotional evening service last Sunday evening, it was lovely to receive so many encouraging texts, messages, phone calls, and even visits and hugs!
It is great to be part of such a caring church family. What I shared obviously also resonated with others in our congregation. Thanks everyone.
Lesson 2 : when visiting a museum and you take your camera bag, canon and 3 lenses make sure that you remember to take the battery from it’s charger with you, or else you will have to rely on your iphone to share on your blog (see photo below).
Lesson 3 : When visiting a museum (the newly renovated Ulster Museum) only expect to only get to half of the levels of exhibits and of that half, expect to only see about a third of the actual items on display as you continually try to keep trek of your 5 year old. Most things I wanted to stop to look at I saw as a blur in my peripheral vision as I tried to stay focused on some bright red hair disappearing through the next doorway.
When about half way through the levels, we decided to quit while we were ahead, stop at the coffee shop and gift shop, and plan to return another day when perhaps we have MORE energy and our son has LESS!
Lesson 4:
When you have THREE school pickups at 2pm, 3pm and 3.30pm, and you plan to wait in the car outside the final pickup and have 20 minutes of “peace” to composes a draft post for your blog, using your iphone, don’t count on it!
I had these two companions who had no intention of waiting patiently and peacefully, and if they did not get to play on my iphone, than I certainly was not going to get too much done on it myself!
Lesson 5:
I have calculated that I do 10 separate drop-offs and 13 separate pick-ups Monday to Friday – who has time to work! These take about 40 minutes each morning, and then first a 15 minute trip followed by a 50 minute trip in the afternoon (whew!) – an hour and three quarters EVERY day…..its best not to dwell on it too long, and just be glad I am in a position to be able to be there for them daily.
At times like this I am more than envious of the school bus system that most schools in US seem to have. What happens where you live?
This is why I like to multi-task while waiting in the car, often I am found with a basket of wire and beads, assembling jewellery, or catching up on emails. Do you find yourself spending a lot of time waiting in your car, and if so, how do YOU use your time?
For more lessons learned, visit Musings of a Housewife.
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If it helps, I had 4 kids within 10 years. So if you do the math, I spent 15 consecutive years dropping off and picking up someone at the elementary school. The last day of child #4, I took the camera in and took a LOT of pictures. I couldn’t believe I did this because I am usually not too sentimental over things like this but I cried. You would think I would be celebrating! It really did get easier after that.
Thats a lot of drop offs and pick ups, no wonder you were exhausted by the time you hit the museum. Chloe’s been asking to go again, I think I need to start some sort of physical preparation and enlist two more adults so that we can box her in:)
Growing up I was always within walking distance of school, except for jr. high. My mom drove me to school then, but she didn’t have to drive my brothers because they chose a closer school. I don’t have children yet, but here I think if you’re farther than a mile, then you get bus service.
How wonderful that your church family is so caring. Mine is too–I love it that we are truly family!
That IS a lot of time in the car! Here, our schools do have a bus system. However, Miss Pink’s school is a charter school with kids attending from all over the district, so it’s not feasible to have a bus pick them up.
ok…so good point about the camera batteries!! hahaha always remember to take them with you when going out!! when i go to museums with the kids… i cannot focus of the displays..i am just busy with the kids and making sure they are within reach. hahaha…this is our life!!
well, i pick up the kids from school too but i just walk. they both get off the same time so that is good! and the walking it a good exercise for me. somehow i am happy we don’t have a car here.
you are amazing making use of your time in the car!! and it is true that we are lucky that we get to do these things for our children….
holy smokes, I can’t believe your driving schedule!
We have school buses, thankfully. My eldest takes hers to school about an hour earlier than my youngest, and yet they get home just about the same time. The high school even has a late bus a few days a week so if my eldest needs to stay after school for some reason, she can just hop on the late bus home.
However, I still have my fill of driving with karate and various other kid activities. Sometimes, I feel like I should forward my address to my car.
Isn’t it great to have the support of a church family?
And I always forget the battery too. :/
Hi JM
Ah yes, a close knit Church Family is truly a blessing! Even though even if ALL our congregation called me it would only ring the phone for less than ten minutes total haha! Its not HOW MANY – its the thought. Must have been pretty compelling for people to take the time to go out of their way to respond to you. Wish I could have heard you!
I agree with you – I don’t have ANY pick ups and drop offs (well besides some seniors occaisionally on church day and on our bible study day and those DO take time with having to bring a step stool along and compensate for aged bones and bad hips) I can’t imagine what it was like before I made the commitment to stay home. I volunteer with Miles at his school so much.
You raised a good point – and its timely, about the school bus system. My dear friend lives 1/2 hour out from here… they have had a regular bus stop for the past 25 yrs, but all of a sudden the ministry is deeming their road too dangerous and so is DROPPING the pickup… which as my friend says, they ministry should be HELPING not taking away. So now, they are trying to make the parents have to drive 10 miles away to do the bus drop. The parents are fighting to keep this service. Can you please pray about this? I mentioned they might email the local tv station (the one where I often submit stories and photos when I see newsworthy things) so hopefully this will give them some exposure and public support.
Great post! I’m thinking of YOU today!
Love, Barb
I love our church family, too. Aren’t they always so special? Hugs to you. I grew up in a rural area with bus service and it was fine – I didn’t like it, but it worked until I could drive myself. Where we live now, bus service is contracted out to various companies and is just not reliable. I would not send my kids on a bus to school here – ours is a city where the videos of bus fights have ended up on national news or kids get left behind on the bus (small children). Not the same as living in small town where the bus drivers are your neighbors…so, all that to say, I’ll be dropping off and picking up too if we don’t decide to homeschool. 🙂
I loved your Church photos. It looks so warm and full of love!