Five Day Flying Solo

Yesterday afternoon, G left for his week long school trip. Every sixth grader takes the same trip their sixth grade year – and he, as middle school teacher, gets to be the teacher-in-charge.  And, if there is going to be a monsoon in Oregon, this is the week it will happen.  The week he is stuck outside with his kids.

Last year was probably the easiest year for this to occur as I had been laid off for a few weeks.  Not having to run between school and work (which was at least a 45 minute drive from the school) was a refreshing change from previous years.  And our roommate was still living with us, so I had adult conversation at the end of the day which was very nice.  
This year, it should be better in some respects, but more costly on the wallet.  I don’t drive – but will need to drive all week. And, that means downtown parking in addition to gas. Cha-ching.  I also don’t have my friend living with us, so I’ll likely be going stir crazy this week. 
But, the upsides are nice too. I’ll get to see DJ do TKD which is something I don’t get to do anymore. I haven’t seen her do it since the spring – maybe. And I’ll get to hear how things went at school which is something that is done via the ride home. By the time they get home, they won’t talk about it.  
And, from G, I’ll get weird text messages. Pictures of weird things they found in the forest. Weird things his kids will say. Rants about the other teachers.  Those are always fun.  
I did do one thing before he left – made sure there were no surprise late starts or days off of school this time. Last time, he neglected to tell me that there was a 2hr late opening, so we showed up to school 2hrs early. That was embarrassing.  
Overall, I do feel lucky though. Each year, the kids get older – and things get easier than they were the year before. I know what to have them do the night before to make sure things run smoothly – and we have it down pat. 
Now, just to keep my fingers crossed that no one gets sick.  Pets included.

One Comment Add yours

  1. Lili says:

    Good luck with your week Emmy!

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