1st day of school - again

Finally, the girls are in school.  You would have thought it would be an easy process since it's public and the neighborhood school.  But nothing is ever that easy, is it?

We moved into our house on the 12th, which was a Friday.  First thing Monday morning, Nana, the girls and I were in the office of their new school.  I had all of the forms and documentation needed to enroll them in my hands.  Not so fast!  First, we have something called School Choice here in Broward County.  This means that even though you have a school assigned to you if you would prefer to have your children attend a different school you can apply, and if they have space at your preferred school, you are enrolled there.  It did not matter that we wanted the girls to go to their assigned elementary school, we still had to fill out the forms stating this.  But first, they needed ID #s.  Request forms turned in while standing at the front desk we had nothing left to do except wait for the email that would give us their numbers so we could fill out School Choice paperwork.

Late in the afternoon on Wednesday, we got the email with their ID #s.  Paperwork was filled out immediately but there was another snag - we had to mail them in!  Snail mail - no emailing the forms, no faxing, not even able to take them to the office - they had to arrive by USPS.  So first thing Thursday morning the paperwork went out.  And then we waited.  Again.

I finally got an email from the school district on Tuesday with the confirmation that Stinkerbell would be assigned to our neighborhood school.  But somehow MadHatters was missing.  Seems that they forgot to tell me that you had to put both kids on the paperwork, but each child still needed to send in a copy.  It is now Wednesday, and by some miracle, MadHatters paperwork came through late in the afternoon.  The girls were finally enrolled in school.  And it only took us 10 days!

No matter that it was Thursday already - they had a school - they had teachers - they were going.  I dropped them off, looking none too thrilled to be doing this again...  

I don't blame them, this is MadHatter's 4th and Stinkerbell's 3rd new school in 6 years. That's a lot of upheavals and making new friends, and they aren't even out of elementary yet.  They are just hoping we can stay awhile this time.  So am I girls, so am I.