The wife is out of town until tuesday of next week. Expect next week’s 20 Q’s to be me rocking back and forth mumbling to myself about how the just won’t shut up, how am I supposed to know when he is talking about Plants v Zombies, Plants V Zombies 2, or Plants V Zombies: Garden Warfare, they all use the same frikkin plants and or zombies! No I do not find minecraft song parody videos interesting! Please use words, I don’t understand grunting and pointing at the table, just put on your socks because you need to wear active shoes today, it is the same kind of bbq sauce as we always use, I just heated it up, no, I do not know what the name of the morphed together versions of the Monsters High girls are, I’m sorry, I meant to say ghouls but I am trying to make dinner, yes, you have to eat something for breakfast, just put on the socks, and I swear I will throw the iPad out the window if you 2 don’t stop arguing about it…. uh, where was I? Oh, yes, this is day 4 sans partner parent… I still have matching socks and clean underwear for both very alive kids…. I don’t promise anything for 7 days from now.
This week, because Little Man hates the care after program at our school we are allowing him to walk home on his own. It is a big step for us. Our little dude walking less than a mile to get home on his own… Crap, I have become THAT parent. anyhooo… today’s topic is therefore “After School.”
Thanks this week go to K, Pfm Designer, AllRileyedUp, Lsig, and Some Other Guy. Onto the questions.
1. This is in our foreseeable future. And we don't have a landline. Do we need to re-tether?
We got him his own cell… It is a crappy LG feature phone, but it is getting to be that time. I am much less reluctant to run to the store without him and let him be on his own for a bit. It was a rough decision though. I don’t think he knows how much thought went into it.
2. What is the determinable factor for stay-at-home-alone privileges -- age or maturity?
Maturity combined with how much he wanted it. By “how much he wanted it” I mean “how much he was willing to do to get it.” He hates his after school program with the fire of a thousand burning stars, and really listened to us when we outlined what he needed to do to make this a reality. He actually asked me in a very serious tone, “What do I need to do?” Cue 80’s training montage...
3. Have you re-watched Home Alone recently? That movie is terrifying.
I have not seen that movie in a long while. I disliked it as a kid and I cannot imagine the horror of it as an adult.
4. "ABC After School Special." Gut reaction?
/shudder
5. Did you ever see the one where the girl sues the guy who stood her up for her prom? Instant Classic.
Nope, I did not see those too much mainly because I was watching the local UHF channel’s syndicated afternoon cartoon line up… Afternoons on WTTO 21…
6. Why is his after school program so bad?
They have recently had a management turnover. The previous director moved to Virginia and the new director is a bit draconian. There are not many older kids in the program, so Little Man feels a bit lonely. There also may be a worker there who kind of has it out for Little Man. He is not a trouble-maker and he has gotten into trouble there with only one of the adults. It just is not a good environment for him.
7. Do you worry about him latch-keying it?
Of course I do. He is in the honeymoon phase of this process right now though. He loves it. But he has not had to walk home in any inclement weather yet. I am sure there will be a bit of a different tune when he has to come home in the rain/snow/bitter cold etc….
8. Do you feel that using the term "latch key kid" dates us?
Sadly, yes.
9. ABC used to run After School Specials (they still may, I don't know/care). Which, if any, had the most impact on your life?
The one about the bed-wetter dude… for reasons
10. Back when you were a pup, did you do homework at school, or save it to ruin your evenings at home?
I tried to get as much of it done at school as I could, but as the work piled up, I had to do more and more at home.
11. If you rode the bus home after school, what is your favorite story to tell of that adventure? if you didn't ride the bus, what story have you heard that makes you most grateful of that fact?
I did ride the bus in Jr High and High School, but I have no stories to speak of. The worse thing that happened was the petty high school shit that happens with every group of kids who do not choose to be stuck together. There was a hierarchy to the bus, which upon reflection, is the saddest thing I think I have ever typed.
12. Are you in the structured or unstructured free-time camp? Defend your position in six words or less.
Ain’t free-time if it is structured. Thank you contractions and compound words!
13. Which gives better warm-and-fuzzies, "after school" or "after work"?
After work… I am not in a structured school environment right now… and Little Man’s “after school” just makes me nervous now.
14. At what age, if any, did you start "latch-keying it"?
Well I walked to and from school when I was in 3rd through 6th grade off and on which was just over a mile away.Little Man has just less than a half mile to traverse.. I am confident he can do that.
15. Did you get after school snacks? Do your kids (and what do they like?)?
I would either heat up frozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts from some fundraiser for a snack or I would slap some frosting between 2 frosted strawberry poptarts…. I would then vibrate atonally from the sugar rush until my parent’s got home. The boy likes Poptarts and the girl likes Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch snack bars.
16. Was there anything actually "special" about the After School Special?
I think they were only concerned specials because they were not serialized. No special informed the next one and none of the cast persisted from one episode to another.
17. Is after-school syndicated comedy still a thing? I remember watching The Brady Bunch and, I think, Three's Company after school (and Scooby Doo).
After school syndication has been replaced with after school Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and YouTube.
18. How are you feeling about this new after school arrangement?
Ask me again in 3 weeks… it is all very new to me right now.
19. Did you think this would be what you are doing now that you are officially “after school?”
I am still in school, so I will let you know about after school in about 8 months.
20. So, what did you do after school today?
By “after school” you mean, after I picked up the girl and got home… Well… we got home, the kids ate them some food prepped by the Mom-in-Law and then I got the boy to swimming.
To recap:
7 days left until the wife gets home
I shattered the screen on my iPhone 5
I have 2 more months before I can get an upgrade without penalty
So 2 months of pain looking through a crazily scratched screen
So, so annoying
I have lunches to get ready for tomorrow
And the youngest is crazy picky
My research project is picking up steam
We are waiting for the research to be approved before we can unleash it on you
Unleash it like we are releasing the Kraken
Well… a weak tiny Kraken that is merely inquisitive
A cute little tiny inquisitive Kraken with cute puppy dawg eyes
Asking siwwy wittle quwestions about phones and stuff
Oh, goodness… someone needs some sleep
Have a great week everyone