The Ubiquitous First Day of School Post

u·biq·ui·tous adjective
existing or being everywhere

Smalltown Mom: I ping-ponged between my two 2nd grade classrooms today. I know all the 2nd graders except for a couple new students. Whoo-hoo! No issues at recess or lunch, so I was a happy camper. It was gratifying to walk in the office and have people hug me and say, "I'm glad you are back!" And I would say, "I'm glad you are, too!" We have a great staff this year.

Ernest: He has Mrs. Gray for Algebra! (Frank loved her sense of humor.) He gets two electives! He's signing up for Advanced Band and Vocal/Guitar. Vocal? Good for him!!!! (I'm surprised he didn't sign up for Drama, because he talked about that this weekend.) But the lure of guitar and rock band was too strong. I don't mind. I can pick him up at the band room every day and gaze from afar at the cute band teacher!

Frank: He was somewhat communicative when he got home. (For those of you who know Frank personally, you know that he doesn't talk that much.) His first two classes at City College (Chemistry and English) were fine. Small, about 30 people. He ran into 5 high school classmates there. He was able to go to work in the 5 hour interval between the 2 classes. Tomorrow he has 2 music classes back to back, then he'll work for a while in the afternoon. Some of the classmates are commuting together but Frank maturely said, "I can't, I have to get to work afterwards." Yay to earning some money!

I was a really kind mom today and washed Frank's dishes. I couldn't control myself. I dropped off something else in his "apartment" and the dirty dishes were there, and I remembered my mother who used to come to our house while we were working and wash our dishes.

She thought it was funny! (She didn't have a whole lot to do. And I didn't have a working dishwasher.) I would come home and marvel, "The Dish Fairy was here!"

Since today was Frank's first day combining work and school, I thought it would be nice to carry on the "Dish Fairy" tradition. My ulterior motive was that I also retrieved the dishes that belonged in my kitchen!

SO, one day done. 179 to go.

Why is Ernest Earnest?

Ernest's teacher found my blog one day, and called him "Ernest" all day long. Ernest says the teacher wondered why I chose that pseudonym. Here's why:

When I came up with the names I thought there was a phrase, "frank and earnest." Now when I google the phrase I only come up with a comic strip. But the definitions of the words fit my sons:

(There they are, being earnest and frank while playing WoW.)

ear·nest –adjective
1. serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker.
2. showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty.
3. seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention. –noun
4. full seriousness, as of intention or purpose: to speak in earnest.

Yes, Ernest is serious and sincere.

frank –adjective
1. direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere: Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.
2. without inhibition or subterfuge; direct; undisguised: a frank appeal for financial aid.

And Frank is direct and straightforward.

Well, they're other things too. But as far as blog pseudonyms go, they seem to fit pretty well.