The local school board decided to resume classes yesterday, rather than wait until Monday. No problem for those of us who remained in town, but many families we know? Took off as soon as they heard the word that the schools were closed down. Bonus family vacation time, right? Well, we got an email, of all things, telling us that kids were expected back in school on Thursday. The phone tree that we’d heard so much about? That we were told was in full effect and would be notifying the entire school population of the change? Yeah, that call never came. And even though we knew we were expected back at school, that irritates me. This school? Never seems to be able to handle the details. Having volunteer parents call the other parents in the class to solicit yet another donation? Got it. Notifying parents via phone that kids are to be back in classes four days early? Oops.

Oh, well. We can’t all be as OCD as me…

But this whole school closure thing has irked a lot of people, not just us. Not only were the schools closed, but events were canceled and postponed. Parents couldn’t get to work because someone had to stay home with the kids, since no one would use the drop-in childcare facilities. Remember? They told us not to let our kids congregate? Well, parents took that to heart. I can’t tell you what that kind of advice in this current economy did to the psyche of our friends and neighbors. It wreaked havoc on our town, and in the end it was all for not much. Better safe than sorry, you say? Well, this was way past that. It was panic and the level was disturbing. Grocery shopping last week? There was a run on nearly every staple in the store. And soap? Good luck finding a single bottle that said “Antimicrobial” on it. Or any other, for that matter. Some idiot on NPR was suggesting that we all follow his lead and stock up on the necessities just in case we needed to be in confined to our homes for a month or so, while this all got sorted out. In line at the post office on Wednesday, behind a mother with her two school-age kids? I had to turn my head and bite my cheek to keep from laughing out loud at this woman’s exchange with her kids. “Don’t touch that. Get your hands away from your face. Cover your mouth. No, I said don’t touch that. No. Stop it! Okay, that’s it. Give me your hand. Maybe if I’m holding it, you’ll stop touching.” Get a grip. They’re kids. They touch things. Gross things. Disgusting things. In fact, we all touch things. Here, have some of my Purell and then get back to living your life…

So, we spent most of our week off eating Mexican food, barbecuing in the backyard with friends and sewing up summer dresses and skirts and making fabric flowers to adorn plain white Hanes boys’ tanks and tee-shirts with (these shirts comes in packs of 5 in the boy’s dept. of Target, about $6 a package – you can’t beat that!)… It was fun and productive and I’m delighted to learn that I can do these things. And do them well. I have found sewing and knitting to be very, very good for my soul. I’m sure my husband is just delighted that the very nice sewing machine he bought me for my birthday years ago has finally come out of hiding and been dusted off. I’m glad to prove that this was not a whim – yet another thing that I thought I wanted to do, said I wanted to do, but in the end never did. I did it. So, yeah, me!

Coco is talking up a storm these days, and I’m so glad that her big sis is back on schedule so that she and I can have our mornings, three days a week, back for ourselves. It’s our time alone, the two of us, when she has my full attention. It’s hard when her older sister is here. She’s a whirlwind of constant motion. Always into something, doing something, talking. Coco not only cannot get a word in edgewise, but I feel that she sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. She’s so mellow and easy-going, that she just doesn’t ask for much. She’s content to be playing off in the corner on her own. And while I love that she can entertain herself, I adore the times with her when we get to play with her fairy castle and read books and chase each other through the yard. Bonding at it’s best.

So, we have some new basketballs that my husband took the girls shopping for yesterday, and Coco and I intend to put her new pink one to good use this morning. We’re going to put on our sneakers, load up on the sunscreen and head out into the morning chill for Coco’s first official game of “H.O.R.S.E.”

Happy Friday!