Back to school last week

Week #2 of the 2008-09 school year. We have one going to preschool for the first time, one in middle school for the first time, and one in college as a freshman. 7 years between each and you'd think it'd be easier but each one of our girls has faced major changes at school and major changes at home with my breast cancer. It's a tall order to fill.

Being a planner type, I organized everything the girls needed and had it all taken care of before I had my surgery August 21st. Or so I thought! What's pretty funny is that Steffie is the one who I really have to worry about because she's in uniforms. The uniforms even dictate when the weekly laundry is done! Well, this year she switched to a pleated skirt from a jumper and despite my planning, we had a great big crisis! These skirts, every single one, fit differently! One was so small, it wouldn't even fit around my skinny, minnie Stef.

Remember that it is possible to be fashionable while wearing a Catholic school uniform...or at least she seems to think so.

She really does look cute in her uniform. Now that it fits. We ordered 2 skirts and both came back wrong. One was never altered in the length and the buttons made the pleats lay funny. So right after school on her second day, I ran her up to the Redland Cleaners to the tailor. This lady is wonderful. I bribed her to fix the skirt in 3 hours. She did it! Thank you Jesus! Steffie had something to wear to school.

The other skirt needed to be returned.

So Steffie's father had ordered 2 more skirts a few weeks ago. After a blistering phone call to the uniform store in which I told the lady something was wrong with the second skirt, I also got word the two extra skirts were in. So off we go, right in the middle of Tropical Storm Hanna.

Someone must have decided to cut us some slack. Both altered skirts fit perfectly. And they exchanged the mutant skirt. I've decided I'm holding the unaltered skirt for when Stef has her Fall growing spurt (and when all of these uniform skirts won't fit anymore).

Lots of drama. All of this, less than 2 weeks out of double mastectomy surgery.

I should get a gold medal!