Let's Go For A Walk

While waiting to pick up the children from school on Mondays and Tuesdays, I decided to make better use of my time. If I arrived close to 3 pm, the car line was extremely long. If I arrived around 2:30 I would be close to the front, but I would have to wait 30 minutes. B-o-r-i-n-g!!

I was in town running errands and realized I was going to get to the school too early. Another boring wait. Ah ha! That little light bulb over my head came on and an idea was born! I'll arrive early, get out of the car and (drum roll, please!) WALK around the school grounds!

The wind nearly tore my head off (where's my hat and scarf???) and my hands were frozen (where are my gloves???) but I walked around the school. Hmmm. It only took 6 minutes. Ok, let's walk around it again. This time, when I arrived at the back of the school and passed the fenced-in kindergarten playground, I saw Emma. She ran to me for a kiss and a hug (kinda hard to hug someone who's short and behind a four-foot fence) and a "tradition" was born. After that, whenever I walked around the building and came upon the playground, kids would yell to Emma, "Hey, Emma! Your Nana's here!"

I've walked in the rain. I have a hat, gloves and scarf in the car. I added my sun visor and sun glasses. I've gotten my timing down to arriving at 2:30 and I'm walking around the building three times. By the third time, I need to be back at the car and ready to pull up to the pick-up spot. If I hurry, I can dash into the school for a bathroom break and get my water bottle filled up at the fountain.

Kara told me that some of the mothers were talking one day about the car-riders' line and said that some people read books, some talk on the phone and some take a nap. Then one of them said that there's a woman who gets out of her car and actually walks around the building. Kara said "That's my Mom!" Maybe one day some of those other women will walk with me.