The 'Oh Shit School's Back!' Scramble

Being the oldest child of seven, five of which are within the public school system, and two of which still attend preschool is a tough enough task in and of itself. However, nothing can really express the chaotic nature of the back-to-school frenzy evident within our house.

My name is Caitlin, and I have just begun my last year of public school turmoil, in the hopes that it will grant me access to a successful life, however my aspirations are yet to be met.

In an accumulative order, the night before school occured such as this; a mad frenzy of labelling clothes, books, bags, stationary and lunch equipment left the floor in the living room no longer visible, but that was indeed a small feat when compared to the covering of work books and text books which left my youngest brother a mesh of contact paper and spiderman figures.

Luckily with all of the organization equipment sheilded and labelled, the lunch preparations were well underway, I almost feel sorry for my brother who follows me in chronological order, the idea of food being packaged and uneaten left him terribly confused.

The morning after was a whir of black and blue as the long forgotten sock war raged in the den. Flashes of recently pressed white shirts and hard leather shoes greeted me as a slinked to the bathroom (where I had cleverly hidden my socks as a means to excuse myself from the epic battle over white school socks, which eternally disappear). I don't know who won, or which color socks were worn as after this I was running to catch the punishingly early bus.

All in all I count this day as a success, my mother never ceases to amaze me, however her secret isn't a complexity, as when scouring through my cupboards for a satisfying release from the day with my peers, I discovered that indeed anything which may provide the clumsiness and satisfaction of intoxication had already been devoured by my saint of a mother. Well what can I say, better her than me.