Schedules

It was getting 'dark' at 4PM today - partly because it is rainy here and the clouds took a turn for the dark around that time. And partly because that WAS 5PM last week - but now it's not. Now, it's 4PM. It seemed so strange - made me feel like I'd worked incredibly late - though it was early.

When B. was a baby/toddler, he was (still is, of course) very bright - and he noticed everything. EVERYTHING. It was only until he started showing visible signs of 'stress' that we were advised that this kid needed information. LOTS of information. We had to tell him EVERYTHING - think ahead about things. Share information. The more he knew - about schedule, activities, plans - the easier he was to parent. And the happier he was as a toddler.

The first time the clocks were set back and he was in preschool, we arrived at pickup time to find a despondent, panicked 3 year old - convinced his parents had forgotten him, were never coming to get him and had moved - possibly to a different country - without him. We had neglected to explain that, due to the wonder known as Daylight Savings Time, we would be arriving at the same clock time; however, it would look like it was a lot darker outside. Poor kid was frantic. FRANTIC. Every day of that week...and the next, we reminded him 'remember - it's getting dark earlier but we'll still pick you up by 5PM. Promise.' He started to believe us. And the year after, we remembered to tell him the FIRST morning of the time change. And he was fine - [Note: we also explained the time change to H. when he was little but being H., he just looked at us like 'sure, whatever - gotta go play now, bye!. THAT is H. in a nutshell. Isn't it amazing how kids can be so different though they have the same genetic material? Fascinates me.]

Today was like that. I had to keep reminding myself : it looks like it's really late, but it's not. Keep working. Keep working. Hard to do on a rainy Monday.

I have plenty of stories to tell but they'll have to wait for now. I've got 'home' stuff to take care of and need to get to work REALLY early tomorrow - we're hosting a voting site and we need to park offsite tomorrow to ensure voters have adequate parking. Which would be no problem - except that I'm also hosting a staff meeting and am bringing in 'Le Cube' for lattes. So I want to get there as early as I can to unload stuff and then move the car. OR have J. drive me there early. We'll see which option looks most feasible in the cold dark morning.