10 Things Gleaned from Back to School Night (Elementary School Edition)

1. Tate hates math.  This I knew.  He loves reading/writing.  This I knew as well.  His favorite color is red.  This I did not know.  
2. Music is important to his life.  {He recently told me a classmate played Vock music on the violin and it “got him moving.”  “Rock music?  I bet it did.”  “NO, not rock.”  “Oh…Bach?”  “Yes.”  I couldn’t resist -- I asked him if he got up and boogied to Bach.  After rolling and then squinting his eyes at me and my idiocy he told me it got things moving inside of him.  “Oh, it moved you.”  “Yes!”  And then he went upstairs and added Bach to his Spotify playlist.}  
3. Girls can’t wear tank tops/sleeveless blouses to school unless they cover themselves with a sweater or shawl.  Um.  Shawl?  What is this, 1976?  And, it’s summer in Richmond.  It’s hot as hell outside.  I can understand spaghetti straps, but ALL sleeveless??  Seriously.
4. Tate likes working alone.  This from a kid who won an award for collaboration.  I’m thinking I don’t know this child as well as I think I do.
5. When you send your husband to your daughter’s 5th grade class, you worry that he won’t sign you up for the lists you want.  Guess what?  He does.  And also some you don’t.
6. Meems is excited about this year and a lot has to do with the fact that her teacher is young, pretty and stylish.  And has long hair.  These things score high with that girl.  She always appreciates a well-defined lip and shiny tresses.    
7. The kids in the classrooms are always split into groups.  Their desks are clustered in to a group of 4 or 5, with the actual desk space touching.  This would drive me crazy.  I don’t want to look at you when you’re thinking and working, namely because I myself stick out my tongue when I’m concentrating and all those things like that that you do distract me.  Not to mention my personal space feels poached.  I can’t imagine how anyone gets anything done.  Everything is very collaborative.  This makes me uncomfortable.  
8. Maybe Tate is not so much of a mystery after all.  
9. The PTA is a mighty force.  Think you’re going to make the kids give up recess one day a week to accommodate a computer lab?  Think again, suckas.  
10. This is Meems' last year of elementary school.  I need to take time to notice and treasure all her "lasts."