The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) was less of a hassle than this….(Part two)

After my disastrous encounter with kindergarten registration the first time around, I determined the second time around to correct the mistakes of the past. Since Lauren was already attending the school where Mark would inflict himself upon some unsuspecting kindergarten teacher and class, I carefully watched the notes, flyers and calendars Lauren would bring home from school looking for information on kindergarten registration. I did not bother to even check the school’s website, after all I know how successful that was in the past. Around the middle of February the first note came home. It was from the school district listing the times and dates of registration for each elementary school within the district, along with the necessary documentation for registration. I hung the note on my bulletin board, and noted the date in my planner. The date: April 6, 2009 from 2-4 p.m. A few weeks late the school sent home a note regarding several items including kindergarten registration. The school's note indicated registration would be on April 6, 2009 from Noon to 4:00 p.m. and included a list of documents required for registration that was different from the list supplied by the district. Now I ask you what sort of confidence should I have in a school, and in a district that can’t even agree on the time of kindergarten registration and what documents are necessary? Don’t answer that question…..

I decided the most accurate information was probably the note from the school, or at least that was the one I chose to rely on, and made the necessary arguments in my head should the school dare to argue with me again. In preparation for registration Mark had to obtain a final series of shots. We ventured to the doctor’s office about 10 days prior to registration to get his shots. I handed Mark’s shot record to the nurse and informed her we were here to obtain the necessary shots for kindergarten. Shots were given, Mark was brave, as in no crying, shot record was signed and we were ready for kindergarten registration.

Mark and I gingerly entered the school shortly after noon on April 6, 2009 ready to register my boy for the big bad world of kindergarten. We entered the media center, aka the library, and I was handed a large stack of paperwork, some of which needed to be completed, some of which was for my reference. Upon completing my paperwork I had to proceed onto station #2 which was a review of Mark’s shot record with the school nurse. I approached with confidence, knowing I had learned my lessons from the past and this time around every “i” was dotted and every “t” was crossed, or so I thought…..

The school nurse began to review Mark’s shot record, including a series of shots he received on October 29, 2004 which were apparently were one day too early. She was not pleased. Twenty four hours, give or take an hour or two, depending on the time of day the shots were given on the 29th, was NOT acceptable. Now you tell me how it is that twenty four hours in the life a shot, given four and a half years ago is going to make a difference in the effectiveness of the shot at the time of kindergarten registration??? Its NOT. She begrudgingly accepted the series of shots. Then she got to the Hepatitis A shot and informed me that Mark was missing that shot. I of course told her that I went to my doctor’s office and requested all necessary shots for kindergarten and was given all the shots necessary for kindergarten. (After all it should not be MY job to keep track of what shots are required. That is the job of the doctor’s office, I do good just to keep track of the dang shot record!) Mark’s application for kindergarten, REJECTED. Shots not complete. Back to the doctor’s office.

When we arrived at the doctor’s office I informed them I was missing one necessary shot for kindergarten which I needed as soon as possible in order to complete the registration process for kindergarten. By now Mark was quite upset, because this is a boy who WANTS to go to kindergarten, and his rejection was a personal affront as far as he was concerned. The doctor’s office took pitty on my wailing child who was DEMANDING his kindergarten shot and quickly got us in. Apparently this is a shot that is now given to one year old children, but at the time Mark was one, it was not given, so he falls into a bubble of children who did not get the Hepatitis A shot, and my doctor’s office overlooked it when he was given his other shots. The nurse commented she had never had a child so anxious to be given a shot. I replied he is a boy who wants to go to kindergarten.

Back to the school, this time armed with the updated shot record. I presented the shot record to the school nurse, again confident that we had complied, and kindergarten acceptance was only moments away, only to be told Mark’s acceptance to kindergarten was conditional. WHAT??? Apparently the shot he had just received was a two part shot, and the second dose could not be given until six months after the first dose. Therefore, like his sister, Mark was conditionally accepted to kindergarten, pending the nasty note from the school in the fall, reminding me that if Mark did not get his second shot he could be subject to removal from kindergarten.

Oh, wait by then, the school will have had at least six weeks worth of Mark and his antics, I had better note the shots requirement on my calendar, they might be looking for an easy out…..