Back to School

Well, here I am...working on back to school stuff. I kinda miss the knowing of my former school district. I knew what to expect, where to go to get answers, and what my routine would be like. I am now in a whole new world!

Yesterday was registration day at the school for my kids. I thought this would be an hour process, at the most. Boy, was I ever wrong!! So, in the great state of Alabama, you need a "blue card" for your children's immunizations. Not just a record from the doctor's office of what shots they've received, but a blue card. I did not know this. I had their immunization records, so I thought I was good. WRONG!

I had all of the other forms, papers, SS cards, birth certificates, ID's....everything, but not the blue card. I get in line, they check my stuff, and then drop the bomb on me. We need to go to the Department of Health and get these cards. Ouch. OK. So, they very kindly printed me map quest directions to the health department, in downtown Mobile, and sent me on my merry way. With all three kids. Let me just remind all of you, I have only lived here for one month.

So, we get to the health department, and as I am walking into this very crowded building with my three beautiful children, I notice a sign that says "No weapons allowed inside building". Not a good confidence builder there. Anyway, I proceed to the clinic....the very crowded clinic with not one open chair in the waiting area....and approach the woman at the desk. I am instructed to fill out two forms, get my driver's license out and give her the records to copy. Easy enough. She takes all of my information, makes my copies and hands me my originals. I ask her how long of a wait it will be, and she tells me I can pick them up on Wednesday! Registration is Monday and Tuesday! Yikes!

So, as I'm waiting to speak to a supervisor, a very nice man behind me speaks up and says, I think I'm in the same boat as you. Let me call my doctor. As he's on the phone, finding out his doctor's office will give you the blue card the same day you bring the records in, the supervisor is informing me that I have to come back on Wednesday. So, Mr. Stranger kindly offers to allow me to follow him to his doctor's office and I take him up on that. His family recently moved to Alabama from Virginia, and he was enrolling his kids at the same school I was when he ended up in the same predicament I was in.

Anyway, we get to his doctor's office, they kindly transfer the records for me, and tell me they'll call me when they're ready. In the mean time, I take my hungry, tired children back to the elementary school to finish what we started, without the blue cards. This time they allow me to finish registration, and I walk out of the building at 1:45. We started out at 10am. I get the phone call from the doctor 15 minutes before they close for the day. It takes me 15 minutes to get there.

So today, I go back to the doctor's office, pick up the precious blue cards and then go to the school, again, and drop them off. My kids are now enrolled in the Mobile County public school system. Phew.

Now, in Mobile, all schools wear uniforms. All. So, I got the list for the uniforms yesterday and need to get my children a whole new wardrobe....socks and shoes included, for the school year. I also found the school supply list on the website for the supplies they'll need. Lots of school supplies. And, the school year begins on August 9th. So....here we go!! The whirlwind of back to school, in a new state, with everything different. We can do this!!