Back to School night

Last night I went back to school. It wasn't really much of a homecoming, as I'd been there earlier that morning with Mark, passing out apology letters to the principal, nurse and some other adults.

I picked Mark up from after school care, and we crossed the playground to eat dinner before the program started. As we sat at the table, some of Mark's friends stopped by. They chatted, in the way that most 4th grade kids do, which I always find amusing.

Mark's friend Ryan was bummed he'd missed Mark checking his blood sugar.

"It's SOOOOOO cool!" he told a younger boy, who was drinking/spilling a can of root beer. "He pokes himself with a needle and makes his fingers BLEED!"

The younger boy was appalled, but didn't want to look scared. "That is cool," he replied, though the fear in his eyes betrayed him.

Then Ryan showed the crazy faces he and Mark made at a girl named Nicole. (I didn't blame him after I found out it was this Nicole.) They also shared a mutual dislike of a girl named Samantha, who Ryan said was "mean -- really, REALLY mean!"

"She's my sister," said Root Beer Boy.

"No!" screamed Mark and Ryan simultaneously, but Root Beer boy just nodded.

"She's really mean to him," Ryan explained. "It gets him all mad."

Cute little Root Beer Boy smiled the most angelic smile ever and told us, "Yeah, I have anger issues." Then he scampered off to play.

The principal took the stage then, introducing the teachers and staff. A little girl walked by Mark, smiled shyly and said, "Hi, Mark." Her smile and demeanor set off my "someone's-got-a-crush-on-my-son" radar. Mark confirmed this by grunting, then getting mad at the cute little girl, his usual reaction to displays of affection.

"She's annoying," he grumbled. "She always tries to sit by me."

He perked up a little when she asked if he wanted to buy some candy, but I shook my head no. If he couldn't be sweet, he couldn't have sweets.

I joined the other 45 parents in Mark's class, who were cramming themselves into little blue plastic chairs. We sat at small wooden desks in the hot classroom and listened to the teacher discuss homework (do it), bad behavior (don't do it), and the year's curriculum (emphasis on California).

Overall, I was very impressed. He was low-key and humble, and I wondered how he managed to not get eaten alive by 35 wild fourth-graders (25 of them boys).

Mark spent the time making faces, digging through his desk and just generally being a nuisance. I gave him some paper to draw on, until I discovered he hadn't done his homework. Then I gave him that instead, and the stink eye, since he was supposed to complete it during Homework Club after school.

I've met the teacher a few times before, but it was nice to see him in action -- his room all decorated with signs and artwork the kids created. There were even some California Mission projects on display, which started me sweating. I do not have any creative or artistic bones in my body, and I've been freaking out over creating a mission for four years now. I know technically it's Mark's project, but I kinda feel like I'll be graded on the final project as well.

So other than the reminder of my impending Mission disaster, I'd hail Back to School night a success.