Oct 22, 2009
Bossy’s Favorite Things
Early morning carpool.
In Bossy’s neighborhood public school, things like orchestra and band and chorus happen before school and the corresponding school buses, but Bossy has this thing against driving her daughter all around in her own little box of a car while to the right and left of Bossy are similar little car boxes containing kids who live to the right and left of Bossy — all of them coming from the same place and going to the same place, it’s just silly.
Luckily the neighbors on Bossy’s street are very into the concept of carpooling, and for the hundredth year have pulled together a carpooling schedule for five Middle School kids.
In the past, Bossy and her fellow carpoolers were assigned according to the Day, for instance Day 1 might be 6th grade orchestra and 7th grade band and 8th grade chorus and Bossy is making all of this up to serve as an example so, Bossy’s daughter, don’t be all, “That isn’t it at all,” — but anyway, maybe Bossy would be assigned driving duty on Day 1, so no matter which day of the week Day 1 fell on, Bossy would be handling the driving on that day and sister mercy maybe this is why some people drink caffeine in the morning.
But this year, the brilliant minds behind the carpooling schedule decided to assign each household a set day of the week, which is a much more job-friendly way of doing it. So for instance maybe during one month Bossy would be assigned Wednesdays, which means every Wednesday Bossy drives… even if, for instance, it’s Day Two and Bossy’s own daughter doesn’t have anything that day and sister mercy maybe this is why some people drink gin in the morning. Not that Bossy does. Especially not on Wednesdays. Hi, neighbors!
Anyway, and why is there always an anyway, there are many times Bossy drives children who aren’t her own while her own daughter stays behind to catch the extra sleep. Just like there are many times Bossy’s neighbors do the same, situation reversed.
All this to say, it’s all whacky, but it works, and thank gah for it, and for Bossy’s smart neighbors.
I did that when my kids went to school. It worked great. That way I knew my driving day. Now that they are grown and 2 are out of the house, I sometimes think about those days long ago.
The Great American Carpool – where would we be without it? My days are M, W and every other F. sometimes the extra passenger has to go other places with you. Like the Pediatrician’s – where the nurse says “You have 3 kids, but only 2 are getting a flu mist?” Then you point to passenger and say “That one is NOT mine!” – even though you were on him to do his homework and and he got “Smarties” from the nurse any way.
Wait, you mean there are people who DON’T have caffeine and gin in the morning? Weird.
Three years ago we started out with a four person carpool to the Catholic high school (no buses). Now three of the four kids have their driver’s licenses. In Connecticut, you cannot drive with anyone else in your car (besides parents or a 4-year licensed driver) until you have had your license for a year. So now four separate cars pull out of four separate driveways within a quarter mile of each other, all going to the exact same place. Oh, my child is the one who doesn’t have his license yet…
TOTALLY there with you. We drive Mon/Wed and alternating Fri ams. DD gets a ride Tues/Thurs am.
Ignore the fact that we BOTH drive to work those days and DD’s school is 1.5 blocks from my parking space (yes I pay for parking in freaking Oklahoma, small town).
Anyway (hee), by us driving 2/3 days a week, DD has a guaranteed ride home from the other carpool peeps which is a “big deal” since it’s a small private school with no busses.
Except for Friday afternoons when we PAY a local Christain college senior to pick her up (because I’m insane and need to pay for something I have for free). It’s all about helping said college student with $$ and having DD (and DS who does ride the bus, except on Mondays and Thursdays when I drive him because of said before-school activities) have interaction w/a young person who is a *good* person (lol).
Lordy, I’m exhausted. Rest assured Bossy, you aren’t alone.
And, let me guess – the MOMS put this together? My dh is *clueless* to the amount of work/thought this takes
Oh yeah, brings back memories. We had a rotating schedule .. first month I was Wed & Thurs, second month, Wed only, third month NOTHING!! Woot!!, then rinse and repeat. Then a totally different car pool schedule for after school soccer … then they all got their licenses and I was off the hook! Double Woot!! And now, when my son comes home from college, he always has my car and I can’t go anywhere at all. No woot.
Ahhh, the middle school carpool. There were the 3 years I had just one day a week. It was heaven.
We carpool with one other family cuz our kids’ school is about 25 mins from home. In the beginning of the year I was always confused about who was to drop off or pick up when, but then we became acquainted with Google Calendar. And a chorus of angels rang out.
I just adore Bossy’s neighborhood! Is there a vacancy?
I LOVE those pictures of early morningland.
That is very smart.
I’m cracking up over the fact you have to drive on some days and your daughter isn’t even in the car. But if it works, it works. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.