8/14/08---Actual Parenting stuff!

So last night, since Kim was off driving Andy up to New Jersey (and calling in every hour to announce different points of interest---"I just drove past Beaufort, S.C.!!")
I had the duties of accompanying Kellie to her new school's open house.  They had a little presentation in the school's gymnasium, complete with a visit from the mayor and the band and the cheerleaders.  It was Kellie's first actual appearence with her new band which sounded pretty good.
Of course, before the concert she had a full day's worth of practice in the Florida sun.
So I have to pick her up, take her home for a quick shower and get her back to school in time for the concert.  Thank God her school isn't 1/2 hour away like last year.  So she gets home, I get dressed, and she comes out and announces that she has to be to school in approximately 5 minutes.  We pile into the car and we're making our way out of the neighborhood when she announces:
"Oh man....I just split my pants."
"Really?  Wow, I did that the other day at work.  I spent the whole day covering up."

And I keep on driving.

"Um, are you planning on turning around and going back home?"
"Well," I said, "you didn't tell me you wanted to do THAT."

Apparently I didn't stop to consider the untold anguish that could've been heaped upon a new student with a hole in their pants.

So, we go back home, and Kellie changes pants.  Quickly.
So then, we get back to school (in record time!) and I drop her off and go park the car, heading towards the big show in the gym.  I was really my first look at the new school, and everything was very well organized, with students passing out flyers with info, and the different clubs and organizations on campus having tables set up waiting to solicit either money or new members.  And then of course, there were the new students, all trying desperately to either look cool or find their way around.  It was at that point that I had my heavy acid flashback, as I noticed that a lot of kids were wearing the LED ZEPPLIN t-shirts with long hair.

Did I skip the 80's & 90's and just go right back to MY high school days?  Was it '79?
Uh....no.

So anyway, we then do the assembly//pep rally and then we're off to find Kellie's new classes and meet and greet the teachers.  They all seem very nice, although every single one of them takes the opportunity to mention the "budget cuts" and how there's no money for anything, etc etc.  Honey, we are no longer in the private school system, that's for sure.  So we get to Kellie's next to last class, and Kellie realizes that its a class that she's already taken.  You know what that means.

Yep, instant drama and panic.

So, we're off to the guidance office to get some...uh...guidance.

Where we promptly meet someone who was "just leaving", and seemed not really interested in what we were asking.  So I did what any intelligent Dad would do when faced with a situation like that.

I told her that my wife, who was out of town, would call her tomorrow.

Folks, before you scoff, let me tell you.  This parenting stuff---I'm just winging it.  You know, making it up as I go along.  The really important stuff?  I let Kim decide.

So we finished up and we're driving home, and Kellie and I are talking about her classes and which ones look good, etc etc.  And I mention the class that she is going to have to drop and how her Mom is going to call tomorrow to see what's what....and of course, Kellie puts it all into perspective.

"Well, if I drop that class and add another, that's fine...as long as I don't have to switch my lunch hour....because I really like my lunch hour.  All my friends are going to be in that lunch hour."


Lunch hour.  So now you know what's REALLY important to today's teenagers.


Later,
Jeff