Park & Recreation Registration: What a Labor!

February 9, 2009 5:40 a.m.. Our alarm went off. Our bags were packed, the pre-registration forms were stacked neatly on my special pillow, and Oma slept downstairs awaiting her three-day babysitting duty. Our other two children slept on, not aware yet that by day's end, they would welcome their new baby sister into the family.





But the alarm wasn't for her.





The alarm was set so that I could be on a computer at 5:59 a.m., along with every other Stay at Home Mother in town, ready to log onto our local parks and recreation department in order to register. This wasn't Harvard. This was well more serious. This was trying to get my daughter into the 9:00 Pre-school prep class because no way did I want to be in the 11:00 one yet again. Three times already we'd landed in that 11:00 crap-slot. We've done our time. This time I will conquer.





This was trying to get the kids into a swim lesson at the same pool and the same time on a day that we'd actually have enough parents per kid in our family to have enough in and out of the pool where needed.





This was trying to get my son FINALLY enrolled in his own class. Middle Child Syndrome was hitting him pretty hard-core as he hadn't even had but 21 months as the baby before the next in line came about. This kid needed something just for him!





6:00 a.m..





My looming belly got in my way as I clicked that laptop favorites section, found the site, logged in. Mommy was going to earn her baby that 9 a.m. slot! Wait! Messed up password. Phew! I'm on! Oh $%^, that's not for the Spring session, it's still coming up Winter! What the ... ??





6:03 a.m.





Yes! I'm finally on-line. Mommy is going to enjoy photographing her kids in the pool at the same time while totally dry as DAD could be there! Yes! Mommy is going to get Jackson his own class! Yes! Mommy is going to get that 9:00 a.m. slot.... But! &#%^! What??s





That 9:00 slot was already filled. A quick look at the clock and I noticed it was only just 6:04. At least 15 Mommies had ALREADY gotten on-line (Bet they didn't have a belly blocking their password!), gotten into the site (bet they had the Winter section come up correctly), and clicked in the code for the 9:00 class!





There is no sense wasting time panicking. The OBGYN expects us in that birthing room at 7:00 a.m. and I still need to get to the hospital and sign in. I don't have time to be pissed.





6:10 a.m.





We will settle ONCE again for the 11 a.m. class. Then swimming. Then Middle Child Syndrome. Now it's time to pay. Yes,I actually got my kids enrolled and still have time to grab a bite to eat. You never know how long it will take to birth a baby, you know.





6:11 a.m. It won't let my credit card go through.





6:12 a.m. I am on the phone with the Park & Recreation department. It seems their computers are having problems, but I should just go on and try again.





6:15 a.m.. $@*%^! The swimming class: Already full. Let's call the Park & Recreaction again, this time seeing if they can register us over the phone. Nope. (In hind-knowledge, I know they did this for others: I must have given off that "Don't worry, I have all day" vibe?) Back to the sign in page.





6: 20 a.m... Click in the 11:00 a.m. slot, this time really concerned that it's actually going to be full, then another swim class time, then the Middle Kid thing. It tells me that the kids are already registered. But they aren't! I haven't even paid! You.have.got.to.be.kidding.me! I guess I'll forego the shower, one that I won't be having again but in a hospital cubicle, for three or more days!





6:22: Sign on again and try to register again! Damn, it's letting one kid register and not the other!





6:25 a.m. I have a massive freak-out telling my husband what is going on, asking him what he thinks I should do, nearly in tears over the idea that my failure as a computer registrar is going to lead to my children not having anything to do ALL Spring, being behind all their friends in swimming, not being ready for pre-school, and having a son who will be so resentful due to his un-resolved middle child syndrome that he'll hate me forever.





Husband gives me a strange look: "Sara, we have to be at the hospital by 6:45 a.m.. Can't you do that there?"





6:26 a.m. It's not even worth it to explain this to him.





6:30 a.m. I am at my wit's end and the only thing that pops into my head is that I have to make up new children. This system has twice told me that my children have already registered and calling the P & R does nothing. I need to get creative. So, I make up a boy and get him enrolled in the Middle Child special, I make up a girl and get her in the swim class, and then the pre-school tells me that even the kid I'm trying to make up is enrolled, so I then make up a new one for that. Click the credit card information, cross my fingers, and then a 'click'.





6:36: My kids HAVE BEEN ENROLLED! We!ll, my 'new' kids, anyway. Swim Class: Yes! Class for Jackson: Yes! 11:00 slot Pre-school class: YES, how awesome is it that I got into that slot! How AWESOME! I love the 11:00 slot. Glad we could get in again. Fantastic luck!





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August 3rd, 2009, 6:00 a.m.. I have to do it again. Tasha isn't even old enough to take any classes. Too bad as I had an awesome name to give her new 'fake' sister when the registration goes haywire yet again.