School Pains

I have a new parenting gripe - school shit. Cole's nursery school seems to be very involved and the teachers do a lot of special things. For example, they will have color days where Cole will have to wear a certain color. Getting Cole dressed is hard enough. Getting him dressed in a specific color is much harder. Not to mention we have to run out and buy him some purple clothes he will never wear again. They also had a pajama day, so after all the hard work to start getting Cole out of his pajamas in the morning we have to somehow explain that it is okay for just ONE special day.

We also have to bring snacks for the school. This sucks for obvious reasons. We have to go out and buy ingredients for whatever is being made, and Kristin seems to be in a contest with no one to think up the most creative, yet also healthy, snack ever. I can't tell you how many emails I get of "snack ideas" until we finally settle on one. I will give her that coming up with a snack that is healthy enough for today's parents is difficult. Last time we made fruit and cheese kabobs, this time we went with a St. Pat's theme and made 2 types of green muffins and green grapes. Then, instead of watching TV or doing something enjoyable, I had to de-stem about one ton of grapes and weigh in on how green and cute our muffins were looking. Granted, Kristin does most of the work as I wander around the kitchen helpless, but nonetheless it is a pain and I would like to do other things with my time.

Bad picture, but notice the Camo pants and striped shirt - they obviously do not teach fashion at Cole's school

Not so much a gripe, but talking about school reminded me of all of Cole's school art projects. He has not been in school long, but the area we set up to hang his art projects is already full. I'm hoping that by posting a picture of all these items, we can just throw all this crap, I mean "art," away. In realty it is closer to food than art. His teacher often uses snack items at part of the projects. By the time these projects make it home, Henry and Cole have peeled off and eaten many of the glue residue coated snacks.

Henry ate the snack off this one in seconds

They both liked glue coated goldfish
 

Complaining aside, Cole really likes his school and we are very happy there as well. We signed Cole and Henry (!) up for 3 days a week next year. I guess we will have to expand our art wall area!