School is back in full swing and we're falling into its perennial rhythm. It's a little different this year having two in school. Since one of them is largely self-sufficient regarding getting to and fro and getting things taken care of, though, it's very much like having just one, or remembering what that was like. A preview of the future, though, certainly.
I'm the designated "picker-upper" after school. It's not a firm rule, things sometimes happen, like on the first day when I forgot. (In my defense, it wasn't really discussed — at least I don't remember it, and that's the same thing, right?) Every evening, the kids are out on the playground and there are always some on the swings, kicking their legs out and pumping the engine of gravity, swaying back and forth like pendulums. It's a strong visual for me — always has been — and it's something I actively look for when I go to the school.
The rule at our house is homework first, then whatever. It's been that way for a long time. It usually takes a week or so for that to firm up, though — apparently summer tends to melt young minds and turn them to goo. I can relate, I was the same way. It's just a process of reminding until it becomes a habit, then it becomes mostly automatic. I believe that's called setting expectations? Anyway, it's worked so far. Hopefully it will work for Andrew. I hope all these old tricks work for him... I don't know if this old dog could learn any new ones in that department.
After "whatever" comes baths and bed, and then glorious silence for the parents. We really don't even watch TV in the evening anymore, having decided it's mostly crap, and being pretty satisfied to restrict it to the evening news and Letterman. I mentioned earlier that I always thought my parents were angry, bitter people — but after having children of my own, I realized they were probably just tired. I'm going to revise that statement now by removing the word probably.
And this week, I've noticed the sun setting just a little bit earlier. It's definitely the time of year of it. This is just the beginning — September is when it really becomes noticeable. That's right around the corner, of course... the progression of the seasons, an ancient rhythm which preceded me and will remain after I am gone.
For now, I'll continue shuttling kids around, watching the pendulum tick and the calendar turn, knowing this, too, is part of an ancient rhythm... making me a cog in some grand cosmic machinery.