Top Ten: Lessons Learned From Our First ‘Special Dress’ Day

Today is the first “Special Dress” day of the year at the Swain School. These happen every-so-often for special occasions at the school. They are clearly marked on the school calendar, so we know well in advance when they will happen. These days require the special, more dressy version, of the school uniform.

The bambinos looked very dapper as they headed off to school this morning. Not so much Mommy and Papi. No. We were frazzled, befuddled, basket-cases, who felt like we had already run a marathon by 7:30am. We were schooled in a few things before the bambinos even left for school today. Here is a Top Ten List of what we learned this morning:

1. Don’t make the monumental mistake of thinking you can pull off a Special Dress day by having everyone get up at the usual time; Set all alarm clocks at least a full hour earlier for Special Dress days.
2. Meera hates (as in, sobbing, crying, hot mess HATES) the required “white long sleeve, button down collar oxford shirt.”
3. A mini Hershey’s bar works as excellent bribery in cases such as #2 above (note what Meera is holding in her right hand in above photo). Note to self: be sure to have chocolate in the house for Special Dress days.
4. Dress shoes are much less comfortable than sneakers (we already knew that, of course, but all three bambinos found it imperative that we have that drilled into us repeatedly this morning).
5. 9-year-old boys with weak fine motor skills cannot — as in, absolutely, truly, 100% can not — tie their own ties (that includes neck ties and dress shoe lace ties).
6. 9-year-old boys with ridiculously strong gross motor skills cannot refrain from jumping up and down (practicing their imaginary bball jump shots), and thus pulling their shirts out from being tucked into their pants, over and over and over and over. New rule (at least until you’re able to tuck in your own shirt to your khakis-with-belt-on) now established for the J-M boys: No Jump Shots on Special Dress Days. Period.
7. On Special Dress days, feed them breakfast before getting them dressed.
8. On Special Dress days, have them brush their teeth before getting them dressed.
9. Don’t take a shower, have coffee, eat anything, check email, look at the weather forecast, or do anything otherwise unfocused on the bambinos and their uniforms on Special Dress days.
10. On Special Dress days always leave the puppy in his crate until the bambinos have left the building.

In the future, I think we should probably consider planning to take the day off from work on Special Dress days. It is that exhausting. I need a mimosa. Instead, I’m headed off to work. Heaven help us!