Play Ball!

Apparently it now practically takes an act of Congress to register your child for kindergarten in California. The list of things I had to bring to register Lael included our escrow papers, no less than 3 utility bills, 12 assorted completed and signed documents (including several applying for or denying financial aid for school lunches, etc.), proof of a doctor's appointment for a physical, and of course the only item that should reasonably be required: her birth certificate or passport. The secretary taking the registration obviously enjoyed her position of power and took her job very seriously. Unfortunately for me, I had no choice but to try and play the game as efficiently as possible because I didn't want to take a chance on Lael not getting into the Spanish immersion program (enrollment varies from year to year and sometimes they end up having a lottery) and I was juggling 3 kids while getting this done. To keep down on the clutter, we don't have our bills sent to the house, so I had printed out most of the bills from online. But I did provide them with our original insurance bill, so it was ironic when this was the bill the secretary chose to question. She pointed to the line that says "Please pay this amount" because next to that it says "This is not a bill." She said she could only accept bills. I told her that this was our bill and it says that there because we are set up on autopay. She finally chose to accept the document since she said was tired and feeling generous. This was my second appointment because she didn't accept some of the documents from the first time around, until I brought in the printed-out list of instructions from the district web site and she finally believed me that the documents in question were admissible. Geez Louise. You would think we lived in a sought-after school boundry, but we don't. People have lied to get in to some of the other schools in the district so they make everyone go through this to register. Anyway, after two appointments, loads of paperwork and one power-tripping secretary, Lael is finally registered for kindergarten!




The kids have started T-ball and baseball. The games start Saturday but the craziness has already begun with several practices a week and I am being bled for money. Lael has her pink bat, mit and helmet and is very excited to be playing her first (and possibly only) year of T-ball. I will probably never be team mom or PTA president because I am too cheap. I think a $150 team banner is a moronic waste of money and I would rather see the banner made by someone (if there has to be one). I just didn't have the energy to volunteer to do it myself this year so I forked out the $20 each for them. At the end of the season, the names will be placed in a hat and the "winner" gets the banner. If my kids are the "lucky" ones, they will be giving it to the coach. We don't have space for crap like that.

One of the reasons we chose to play with this league is because they don't schedule games on Sunday. So of course they scheduled the pictures for this Sunday (because obviously there isn't a game scheduled). We had a family powow tonight and decided we won't be participating because we would have to miss church. So we won't be in the team pictures, but that's how it goes. I was proud of them for making this decision because we did leave it up to them. We have friends that schedule their birthday parties around our kids (they have them on Saturdays when they would prefer to have them on Sundays, just so our kids can come). And I have friends that registered on National Scrapbook Day in May for a Saturday session instead of the Sunday session, just so I can come. I really appreciate this and I feel like if we are inconsistent, people won't continue to help us respect Sundays. And I think it's how we show God we really do get it and we respect him.

Despite the inauspicious start to the season, I really do hope the kids enjoy playing. I have to give up enough of my time for them to be able to do it and it means I will be hanging out with Henry, keeping him from eating rocks and grass, a lot for the next few months. I caught the little rascal splashing in the toilet for the first time tonight. It has begun ... but that is an issue for another post!