Four years ago: There was a memorial service at a local church to commemorate the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Hubs wanted to go, but I wasn't feeling up to seeing people. I was 9 months pregnant and due in less than 2 weeks. About 8 o'clock, I was standing at the washing machine. I was loading the sheets and bed stuff for the new crib. My water broke. I called hubs to the hallway. We didn't know what to do. We called the doctor on call, and she said to go ahead to the hospital. They checked me out and said I was not leaving without a baby. They admitted me and started me on some kind of blood pressure medication. The next morning, they performed a c-section and I had my first little angel boy.
As I write this, I can still remember every feeling that night. I was so scared when I realized that I wasn't peeing myself, that something else was going on. Then I felt exhilaration. I was going to be a mommy! My heart pounded. We drove a little over the speed limit getting to the hospital. Oops. I stayed up all night with my friend Judy, who was also my doula. They tried to get me to have contractions, but nothing doing. I was dog tired in the morning. Judy left for about an hour to take her son to the doctor. Right after she left, the doctor came in and said You need to have this baby now. Um, okay. It was all so fast after that.
45 minutes later, I had Colby. I was kissing his tiny, perfect face. I couldn't see it too well, since I didn't have my contacts or glasses. They took him back to the nursery to bathe him and get him ready for his grand introduction. Hubs went with him. He couldn't stand to be away from his son, even for a moment.
The moment they brought Colby in to me, I knew this was it. I'd been waiting my whole life for this moment. Holding my newborn son. A new person. A miracle. A child of God. He was so little, just 6 lbs. 7 oz. He held my finger and looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes. I fell madly, crazy in love. No one would ever hurt this little angel. He trusted me completely. And his eyes seemed to say 'It's okay mom. We can do this.' From the first sweet glance, he was mine. All mine. Four years later, and he's still my boy. I've tried so hard to do the right things. To make him a good little person, trustworthy, honest, loving. He's such a little man. Still, when I hold him (the few times a month he'll let me), his eyes seem to say 'It's okay, Mom. We can do this.' I love you, Colby. My angel boy. My sweet angel boy. Happy birthday!
Monday, September 11, 2006
I remember...
Five years ago: We had just bought the house. We'd only been in it about 10 days. The only thing working was the TV.
I was in a temporary classroom, because mine had suffered some damage from a recent storm. My students came into second block saying that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York. I turned on the TV in my room and we watched the footage over and over, wondering what was going on. After about 30 minutes, the principal had the cable shut off. She didn't want the students to freak out. Our school is minutes from a major military base. They do a lot of basic training. We had a lot of military families nearby. This could be affecting some of the students, we just didn't know.
When I had a break, I called hubs. He was working for a data access company at the time. He drove around the state doing checks on properties and such. I didn't know where he would be. I didn't know if those people, who were capable of such horror, would decide that South Carolina looked like a prime target as well. I wanted to know that he was safe.
I was coaching cheerleading at the time, and we still held practice that afternoon. One of the girls didn't come, her parents wanted her at home where they knew it was safe. I wanted thought things should be as "normal" as possible for the girls. We didn't do much cheering that day. Or in the days that followed. There was no game that Friday. It was called off, in honor of those who had lost their lives.
When I went home that night, I spent the evening in front of the TV, trying to get the whole story. I couldn't believe my eyes. People jumped out of those buildings, anything to escape the horror within. Another plane had hit the Pentagon. My uncle lives in DC. Was he okay? Then the news about the brave souls on board Flight 93. Fight the terrorists? Wow.
The whole day, and the days that followed, were surreal. It just didn't seem possible that such things could happen here. In the US. That Sunday, our church was filled to capacity. I've never since seen that many folks at a Sunday service. But it seemed like everyone was there, looking for answers that no one had. Not even Pastor Barrett, who always seemed to know everything. Today, five years later, we still don't have the answers. We may never know why. But we remember the lives that were lost that day, and we honor their memory.
God bless America.
I was in a temporary classroom, because mine had suffered some damage from a recent storm. My students came into second block saying that an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Centers in New York. I turned on the TV in my room and we watched the footage over and over, wondering what was going on. After about 30 minutes, the principal had the cable shut off. She didn't want the students to freak out. Our school is minutes from a major military base. They do a lot of basic training. We had a lot of military families nearby. This could be affecting some of the students, we just didn't know.
When I had a break, I called hubs. He was working for a data access company at the time. He drove around the state doing checks on properties and such. I didn't know where he would be. I didn't know if those people, who were capable of such horror, would decide that South Carolina looked like a prime target as well. I wanted to know that he was safe.
I was coaching cheerleading at the time, and we still held practice that afternoon. One of the girls didn't come, her parents wanted her at home where they knew it was safe. I wanted thought things should be as "normal" as possible for the girls. We didn't do much cheering that day. Or in the days that followed. There was no game that Friday. It was called off, in honor of those who had lost their lives.
When I went home that night, I spent the evening in front of the TV, trying to get the whole story. I couldn't believe my eyes. People jumped out of those buildings, anything to escape the horror within. Another plane had hit the Pentagon. My uncle lives in DC. Was he okay? Then the news about the brave souls on board Flight 93. Fight the terrorists? Wow.
The whole day, and the days that followed, were surreal. It just didn't seem possible that such things could happen here. In the US. That Sunday, our church was filled to capacity. I've never since seen that many folks at a Sunday service. But it seemed like everyone was there, looking for answers that no one had. Not even Pastor Barrett, who always seemed to know everything. Today, five years later, we still don't have the answers. We may never know why. But we remember the lives that were lost that day, and we honor their memory.
God bless America.
OLTA: Week 4
Okay, so here it is, September 11. It's the day of the official weigh in for OLTA.
Weight: 160 lbs. (-1)
Yay! And last week I was all bloated and retaining water and such. Ugh! And I was craving the hell out of peanut butter. What the hell? Not pregnant though, thanks be to God.
I was just thinking about that yesterday, the not being pregnant. See, I'd gotten an email from my future sis-in-law about the upcoming nuptials. She and my "baby" brother are getting married next summer. And she's in the process of picking out what tortuous, um, beautiful bridesmaid's dresses we will get to wear. And she asked if there was a chance that my sister or I would be in need of a maternity bridesmaid dress. God forbid! We absolutely canNOT have more kids before hubs is out of school. I mean, we're spread pretty thin, money-wise, as it is. I mean, even the family at church with six kids has more money than we do!
But we're rich in love, and that's all that matters.
Damn. I have to go get Bennett from daycare now. And cook dinner. Damn hubs for having late classes!
Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com
Weight: 160 lbs. (-1)
Yay! And last week I was all bloated and retaining water and such. Ugh! And I was craving the hell out of peanut butter. What the hell? Not pregnant though, thanks be to God.
I was just thinking about that yesterday, the not being pregnant. See, I'd gotten an email from my future sis-in-law about the upcoming nuptials. She and my "baby" brother are getting married next summer. And she's in the process of picking out what tortuous, um, beautiful bridesmaid's dresses we will get to wear. And she asked if there was a chance that my sister or I would be in need of a maternity bridesmaid dress. God forbid! We absolutely canNOT have more kids before hubs is out of school. I mean, we're spread pretty thin, money-wise, as it is. I mean, even the family at church with six kids has more money than we do!
But we're rich in love, and that's all that matters.
Damn. I have to go get Bennett from daycare now. And cook dinner. Damn hubs for having late classes!
| M | Meek |
| A | Appreciative |
| M | Mischievous |
| A | Ambivalent |
| C | Clumsy |
Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Pictures from our Day Of Fun
Colby and Bennett at the zoo.
On the carosel with Daddy.
Jump shot!
Such a silly monkey!
The Fifth Week of School
Only 31 weeks to go! Only 13 weeks till Christmas break! I'm not counting, really. This past week wasn't that bad. It was a short week (yay, Labor Day!), so I only had 4 days of the cherubs. However, I had morning duty this week. What that means is, I have to be at work 20 minutes early to stand in the cafeteria and monitor the students. Most of them are 6th graders, since that is their "official" meeting area before school. Some are 7th and 8th graders who eat school breakfast. They are all LOUD! I don't remember ever being that excited about school that early in the morning. It's probably less that they are excited about school than they are excited about seeing their friends. They are LOUD! This year, however, there is also soothing music playing in the background, like Kenny G. It's pretty funny. I don't think the kids even notice it. And I don't mean to make generalizations here, but I work in a pretty low-income school, with a lot of minority kids. I'm not sure that many of them have even heard of Kenny G. They tend to prefer 50 Cent, Nelly, and Diddy (I think he used to be P. Diddy, but I'm not sure). Those are just the rappers I am familiar with. I know there are others. But I digress. My point it, the music is supposed to keep them calm and prepare their little minds for the day's education. Right. You have to be standing right next to one of the speakers to even hear it. That's just how loud it is.
And I don't get paid extra for this extra 20 minutes either. And I have to do it every other week. Ugh! At least I'm not on car duty this year. That's when you get to stand outside, rain or shine or wretched humidity, and tell the parents "Please pull all the way forward." or "You can't drop off right there because you might get hit." or "You're holding up the other cars, please move on." Or "Are you stupid?! Can you not see the arrow pointing you to turn at this driveway?!" (I made the last one up. We are not allowed to call parents stupid, even if they are. Damn shame.) Morning duty could be worse.
My students are settling down now, except for one class. I think we are going to need a coming-to-Jesus moment in there soon. I'm about ready to meet face-to-face with some parents. I HAVE refrained from using the words "shut up" though. That's a big step for me, as I love to say that. It just gets the point across better than "Please be quiet" or "Hush". I mean, really. These are 13-year-olds. They just don't respond to niceness. Oh for the days of corporal punishment.
In unrelated news, we went to the zoo and Chuck E. Cheese's for Colby's small, family birthday celebration. It would have been fun if he hadn't been a total pain in the ass. He was whiny, he was bossy, he was showing his ass! I think the problem was that we went with the hubs' mentor from seminary, his wife, and their son. None of whom we had met previously, except hubs. So, we're all "getting to know each other" while my little family is trying to celebrate Colby. It was a little awkward for me. Maybe I'm just not good with new people. I didn't have a very good time. Colby and Bennett seemed okay though. Kids are very adaptable. Besides, who can't enjoy Chuck E. Cheese? (I will post pictures later, since Blogger won't let me right now.)
And in other, funny, news: Hubs had to go be psychologically evaluated. It's part of the ordination candidate process. I guess they have to make sure you are not completely psycho before they let you be a pastor. Anyway, he went and spend all day Friday in Charlotte taking test after test. He did one of those Myers-Briggs things. He's an extrovert. Duh. He works well with others. He has his own ideas, but also likes to get the approval of others. But some of the other results were pretty funny, and gave me ammo to use in the future against him. Apparently, he's sarcastic. Well, damn. Who knew? (me too, me too!) He has a problem with authority. Again, duh. I think that comes standard issue with any guy who has gone through ROTC. But the best one, in my opinion, was that he is SELF-CENTERED. Oh. My. God. That just confirm everything I've been feeling about him lately! How perfect! Unfortunately, the psychologist did not see this as a problem in his pursual of ministry. And she didn't diagnose his ADD. Oh, well. At least we know he's not a complete nutcase.
Going to cook lunch now.
And I don't get paid extra for this extra 20 minutes either. And I have to do it every other week. Ugh! At least I'm not on car duty this year. That's when you get to stand outside, rain or shine or wretched humidity, and tell the parents "Please pull all the way forward." or "You can't drop off right there because you might get hit." or "You're holding up the other cars, please move on." Or "Are you stupid?! Can you not see the arrow pointing you to turn at this driveway?!" (I made the last one up. We are not allowed to call parents stupid, even if they are. Damn shame.) Morning duty could be worse.
My students are settling down now, except for one class. I think we are going to need a coming-to-Jesus moment in there soon. I'm about ready to meet face-to-face with some parents. I HAVE refrained from using the words "shut up" though. That's a big step for me, as I love to say that. It just gets the point across better than "Please be quiet" or "Hush". I mean, really. These are 13-year-olds. They just don't respond to niceness. Oh for the days of corporal punishment.
In unrelated news, we went to the zoo and Chuck E. Cheese's for Colby's small, family birthday celebration. It would have been fun if he hadn't been a total pain in the ass. He was whiny, he was bossy, he was showing his ass! I think the problem was that we went with the hubs' mentor from seminary, his wife, and their son. None of whom we had met previously, except hubs. So, we're all "getting to know each other" while my little family is trying to celebrate Colby. It was a little awkward for me. Maybe I'm just not good with new people. I didn't have a very good time. Colby and Bennett seemed okay though. Kids are very adaptable. Besides, who can't enjoy Chuck E. Cheese? (I will post pictures later, since Blogger won't let me right now.)
And in other, funny, news: Hubs had to go be psychologically evaluated. It's part of the ordination candidate process. I guess they have to make sure you are not completely psycho before they let you be a pastor. Anyway, he went and spend all day Friday in Charlotte taking test after test. He did one of those Myers-Briggs things. He's an extrovert. Duh. He works well with others. He has his own ideas, but also likes to get the approval of others. But some of the other results were pretty funny, and gave me ammo to use in the future against him. Apparently, he's sarcastic. Well, damn. Who knew? (me too, me too!) He has a problem with authority. Again, duh. I think that comes standard issue with any guy who has gone through ROTC. But the best one, in my opinion, was that he is SELF-CENTERED. Oh. My. God. That just confirm everything I've been feeling about him lately! How perfect! Unfortunately, the psychologist did not see this as a problem in his pursual of ministry. And she didn't diagnose his ADD. Oh, well. At least we know he's not a complete nutcase.
Going to cook lunch now.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
I need a vacation
| You Belong in Dublin |
 Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town. |
Maybe I should check it out. I've never been to Ireland, though I think I would like it. Just around the Mediterranean. I KNOW I love it there. If hubs would let us, I'd move the family in a second. Hmm... a pub crawl. Haven't had one of those since college. I need to get out more. Oh, wait. I'm a mommy. I'm not supposed to do that sort of thing anymore. Oops. Guess I'll just enjoy the bike ride. Haven't done that in years either.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Week 3: OLTA
Ugh! Terrible week! It was the usual stress, then the hubs was out of town. Well, the diet just went to hell in a handbasket, really. I tend to not eat well when he's gone. There's no one to police me, and I have NO willpower. I ate at my mom's a couple of times, and everyone knows how bad that can be. The minute I walk in, I'm like OOOOOO, SNACKS! PLUS, there was the bday party on Monday. Can you say, cake and ice cream? Anybody want some????? Please get it out of the house!
Weight: 161 lbs. (+4!!!)
Attitude: bad :-(
I haven't been to the gym in a week. And now it looks like I may not ever get to go back. Colby's colostomy has been having some issues. The bag won't stay on. So, when he's at school during the day, and the nurse is there, no problems. It seems like every day at 3:30, when the nurse leaves, all hell breaks loose (as does the bag). So now I have to pick him up by 3:30 every day. WEll, I can't even leave work until 2:45, and it's 20 minutes to the gym. I'd have to walk in, turn around, and leave again. Hubs may be able to pick him up on Wed. and Fri., his early class days. That could help. Now, if I could just teach those papers to grade themselves, all would be perfect.
Anyway, I'm not out of this contest yet. I know I feel utterly defeated right now, with birthday cake in the fridge, but I am a fighter. I will whip all your asses! And mine will end up a size 8, dammit! It will!
Weight: 161 lbs. (+4!!!)
Attitude: bad :-(
I haven't been to the gym in a week. And now it looks like I may not ever get to go back. Colby's colostomy has been having some issues. The bag won't stay on. So, when he's at school during the day, and the nurse is there, no problems. It seems like every day at 3:30, when the nurse leaves, all hell breaks loose (as does the bag). So now I have to pick him up by 3:30 every day. WEll, I can't even leave work until 2:45, and it's 20 minutes to the gym. I'd have to walk in, turn around, and leave again. Hubs may be able to pick him up on Wed. and Fri., his early class days. That could help. Now, if I could just teach those papers to grade themselves, all would be perfect.
Anyway, I'm not out of this contest yet. I know I feel utterly defeated right now, with birthday cake in the fridge, but I am a fighter. I will whip all your asses! And mine will end up a size 8, dammit! It will!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Let's Get This Party Started
Soooo, we had a birthday party for Colby today. [It's 8 days till his actual birthday, but whatever.] My dad and stepmom, my moms, my in-laws, my sister, her husband, their daughter, and my brother were all in attendance. It was kind of a big deal. The theme: Disney's Cars. Colby LOVES that movie. We had the tablecloth, the plates, the dessert plates, the napkins, the cups, AND a cake. My moms went above and beyond the call of nana-hood for this one.
Look at the large stack of presents. Look at the cool cake.
Colby wants to be a Ninja Turtle. But he can't even get out of a sleeping bag.
Ahh, what a fun day.
Look at the large stack of presents. Look at the cool cake.
Colby wants to be a Ninja Turtle. But he can't even get out of a sleeping bag.
Ahh, what a fun day.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Them's fightin' words
It occurs to me that maybe I have some issues. I happened across a seemingly harmless question over at mothergoosemouse. I read my response and realized that I need to get this out.
"We fight. We fight a lot. I work full time. Outside the home. With middle schoolers. He is a full-time grad student. At seminary. Studying to be a pastor. We fight about him not spending enough time with the family. About him needing to get off his butt and get a job. About ME having to get another job. About me not wanting to have sex because I’m so tired from working all day then taking care of the kids while he’s in class. But I love him and cannot imagine my life without him.
Our fighting is mostly just smartass comments said half-under-the-breath, then repeated loudly. There usually is a loud discussion next. Sometimes, there is yelling of the word “jackass”. (That’s me.) When I tell my friends about these things, they tell me he is selfish. I say that he just doesn’t look at things from my perspective. They say that is the same thing.
Let me reiterate. I love my man. I long to have him just hold me, because I’m always so exhausted. There is no one I’d rather fight with."
Now, I feel a little bit better. However, it worries me that we keep having these same arguments over and over, and things never seem to get resolved. Is that normal? Can a marriage survive when nothing ever changes. We've been having the sex fight since we had Colby, almost 4 years ago. It usually starts with me telling him no AGAIN for like the 5th night in a row. And he goes into his "you must not love me anymore" or "you don't find me attractive" whiny-thing. Which is totally not the case. I'm just tired! Why can't he understand that I'm just f*cking tired!?!
Then there's the "you don't spend enough time at home" fight. He's a volunteer with our youth group at church. He's in school full time during the day. I HATE that he spends most of his time hanging out with other people's kids, and not ours. I don't understand it. When I don't have to be at work, I leave. I don't volunteer to go back for more! He missed the first "real" Halloween with the kids last year because the youth group was having a pumpkin patch closing party. Both kids had dressed up (we had Buzz Lightyear and Woody the sherriff), and we went with my sister and her little girl. It was so fun! And he totally missed it. [That was last year. See what I mean about having issues?]
And now he wants to go into ministry full time. Allll the time. I know that being a pastor is a 24/7 kind of job. That there will be times when he has to go in the middle of dinner or whatever because of an emergency. I only hope that, by then, I will have learned to live with that. Any suggestions? And if anyone tells me to go talk to him, you know, when he gets back from the youth retreat tomorrow night, I will hunt you down and beat you.
I need a chocoate chip cookie!
"We fight. We fight a lot. I work full time. Outside the home. With middle schoolers. He is a full-time grad student. At seminary. Studying to be a pastor. We fight about him not spending enough time with the family. About him needing to get off his butt and get a job. About ME having to get another job. About me not wanting to have sex because I’m so tired from working all day then taking care of the kids while he’s in class. But I love him and cannot imagine my life without him.
Our fighting is mostly just smartass comments said half-under-the-breath, then repeated loudly. There usually is a loud discussion next. Sometimes, there is yelling of the word “jackass”. (That’s me.) When I tell my friends about these things, they tell me he is selfish. I say that he just doesn’t look at things from my perspective. They say that is the same thing.
Let me reiterate. I love my man. I long to have him just hold me, because I’m always so exhausted. There is no one I’d rather fight with."
Now, I feel a little bit better. However, it worries me that we keep having these same arguments over and over, and things never seem to get resolved. Is that normal? Can a marriage survive when nothing ever changes. We've been having the sex fight since we had Colby, almost 4 years ago. It usually starts with me telling him no AGAIN for like the 5th night in a row. And he goes into his "you must not love me anymore" or "you don't find me attractive" whiny-thing. Which is totally not the case. I'm just tired! Why can't he understand that I'm just f*cking tired!?!
Then there's the "you don't spend enough time at home" fight. He's a volunteer with our youth group at church. He's in school full time during the day. I HATE that he spends most of his time hanging out with other people's kids, and not ours. I don't understand it. When I don't have to be at work, I leave. I don't volunteer to go back for more! He missed the first "real" Halloween with the kids last year because the youth group was having a pumpkin patch closing party. Both kids had dressed up (we had Buzz Lightyear and Woody the sherriff), and we went with my sister and her little girl. It was so fun! And he totally missed it. [That was last year. See what I mean about having issues?]
And now he wants to go into ministry full time. Allll the time. I know that being a pastor is a 24/7 kind of job. That there will be times when he has to go in the middle of dinner or whatever because of an emergency. I only hope that, by then, I will have learned to live with that. Any suggestions? And if anyone tells me to go talk to him, you know, when he gets back from the youth retreat tomorrow night, I will hunt you down and beat you.
I need a chocoate chip cookie!
Saturday, September 02, 2006
I have lived...
| You've Experienced 68% of Life |
 You have all of the life experience that most adults will ever get. And unless you're already in your 40s, you're probably wise beyond your years. |
And now you know. I'm not in my 40's, so I must be the shiz-nit. I tend to agree that I have had a lot of life. There have been some really awesome times. I've had some neat experiences, like:
This is my husband and I on the Spanish Steps in Rome. We led a group of students this summer on a 9-day tour from southern Italy to Rome. We all had a blast! I cannot wait till 2008 when I get to go back!
The Fourth Week of School
Hmmm... This week was pretty uneventful. If you don't count missing half my classes on Monday due to the ever-fun and exciting fundraiser assembly. Don't get me wrong, I understand that the PTO needs money. They do all sorts of wonderful things for the teachers at my school. These include: breakfasts from Chic-Fil-A, class sets of books, various other classroom stuff, little goodies during Teacher Appreciation Week, and a steak lunch at the end of the year. They are super nice people, who always seem to be smiling when you see them. (That part can be creepy, but whatever.) What I don't like about fundraisers is the lame prizes. Oooo, if you sell just ONE item, you get these "cool" blinking sunglasses. If you sell 10, you get to miss class to go out to lunch and ride in a limo. If you sell 20, you get out of class early to watch the BMX bikers. I mean, seriously. BMX bikers? I teach at a school that is primarily low-income. How many of these kids really want to watch a couple of guys do tricks on their bikes? Of course, they DO get to skip class.
And that's another issue. Is this fundraiser stuff teaching the students that making money and selling things (which are cheap and badly made) is more important than learning and going to school? I mean, they are getting them out of class. Sometimes more than once, since the limo lunch and BMX things are actually on different days. Nice. I think it would be different if they held these events after school. But then the students wouldn't be as motivated to sell and raise money, would they? Oh well, I lose.
That was about all for this week. I'm still fighting a losing battle with my 8th graders' mouths. I tried the "stand at the front of the room and glare at them silently" approach. They ignored me completely. I tried yelling "HUSH!" at the top of my lungs. That worked. For about 10 seconds until the shock wore off and I actually began the lesson. Then they started up again. I've started giving them pop quizzes when they won't be quiet. That seems to be working with one class. The other one is beyond hope. There are just too many bodies in one room - right. after. lunch. Ugh!! Again, I lose.
However, this reminds me about a 20/20 special I watched about 10 minutes of last night. I was then so incensed that I asked my hubs to turn it off, lest I attack the man in front of the camera. I believe the name of it was "Stupid in America." It was about how public schools are making students dumber. Oh, man, did it push my buttons! I have no illusions about working in public education. I know that it sucks. I know that the schools are tough, and the kids are rowdy, the halls are crowded, and there are kids slipping through the cracks. These things need to be changed. However, this special placed all the blame on the teachers, and that is where the issue lies.
It is not all our fault. Yes, there are bad teachers out there. There are boring teachers. There are teachers who have no business being anywhere near students, because they are stupid! BUT, there are a lot of really good teachers out there. There are teachers who make almost every day fun and exciting for students. Teachers who love to teach. Teachers who are so brilliant, it almost hurts to be near them. But do the news shows do stories about them. No, because that's not going to sell. Who wants to hear about that cool English teacher who dresses up like a genie and calls herself "Grammar Genie" when it's time to start the boring stuff? Who wants to hear about the science teacher who lets the kids disect a cow's eye and worms and cockroaches? Who wants to hear about the history teacher who has the kids write and perform their own monologues, dressed up as a key historical figure? Who wants to hear about the Latin teacher who has the students make up songs to learn about the imperfect tense? (yeah, that's me)
No one.
And that is sad. It hurts me to the core that our education system is as bad as it is. It is half the teachers fault. But the other half of the blame goes home to the parents. The parents who let their children stay on the Internet half the night, and the other half the night on their cell phones. The parents who send their kids to the local park to play ball instead of doing their homework. The parents who don't sit down and read with their elementary students, then wonder why the kid is reading below grade level a few years later. The parents who can't follow simple instructions like "Not a drop-off area." They are showing their children that learning isn't important. That THEY aren't important. It all starts at home. We need parents to teach their children that learning is important. That respect is important. That THEY ARE IMPORTANT.
And now I will get off my soapbox.
And that's another issue. Is this fundraiser stuff teaching the students that making money and selling things (which are cheap and badly made) is more important than learning and going to school? I mean, they are getting them out of class. Sometimes more than once, since the limo lunch and BMX things are actually on different days. Nice. I think it would be different if they held these events after school. But then the students wouldn't be as motivated to sell and raise money, would they? Oh well, I lose.
That was about all for this week. I'm still fighting a losing battle with my 8th graders' mouths. I tried the "stand at the front of the room and glare at them silently" approach. They ignored me completely. I tried yelling "HUSH!" at the top of my lungs. That worked. For about 10 seconds until the shock wore off and I actually began the lesson. Then they started up again. I've started giving them pop quizzes when they won't be quiet. That seems to be working with one class. The other one is beyond hope. There are just too many bodies in one room - right. after. lunch. Ugh!! Again, I lose.
However, this reminds me about a 20/20 special I watched about 10 minutes of last night. I was then so incensed that I asked my hubs to turn it off, lest I attack the man in front of the camera. I believe the name of it was "Stupid in America." It was about how public schools are making students dumber. Oh, man, did it push my buttons! I have no illusions about working in public education. I know that it sucks. I know that the schools are tough, and the kids are rowdy, the halls are crowded, and there are kids slipping through the cracks. These things need to be changed. However, this special placed all the blame on the teachers, and that is where the issue lies.
It is not all our fault. Yes, there are bad teachers out there. There are boring teachers. There are teachers who have no business being anywhere near students, because they are stupid! BUT, there are a lot of really good teachers out there. There are teachers who make almost every day fun and exciting for students. Teachers who love to teach. Teachers who are so brilliant, it almost hurts to be near them. But do the news shows do stories about them. No, because that's not going to sell. Who wants to hear about that cool English teacher who dresses up like a genie and calls herself "Grammar Genie" when it's time to start the boring stuff? Who wants to hear about the science teacher who lets the kids disect a cow's eye and worms and cockroaches? Who wants to hear about the history teacher who has the kids write and perform their own monologues, dressed up as a key historical figure? Who wants to hear about the Latin teacher who has the students make up songs to learn about the imperfect tense? (yeah, that's me)
No one.
And that is sad. It hurts me to the core that our education system is as bad as it is. It is half the teachers fault. But the other half of the blame goes home to the parents. The parents who let their children stay on the Internet half the night, and the other half the night on their cell phones. The parents who send their kids to the local park to play ball instead of doing their homework. The parents who don't sit down and read with their elementary students, then wonder why the kid is reading below grade level a few years later. The parents who can't follow simple instructions like "Not a drop-off area." They are showing their children that learning isn't important. That THEY aren't important. It all starts at home. We need parents to teach their children that learning is important. That respect is important. That THEY ARE IMPORTANT.
And now I will get off my soapbox.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Seriously, Bad Night
Bad night. Again, I just have to ask WHY? Why me? Why now? What is the plan in all of this? How is all this stress making me a better person? When I get to heaven, God and I are going to have a serious talk. It will be me asking, What the f*ck was up with all that stress??? And God will be pointing at me and laughing, Ha-ha! Got you!
So there I was, being all good after Praise Team practice. I'd had a great time, singing, being silly, praising the Creator. I was on the phone with my mom, had turned on the car and was backing out of the parking space. Then there was this REALLY LOUD noise, like a car with one of those giant mufflers that always drives by your house and wakes up your kids. I thought it was one of the guys getting on his motorcycle. Then I realized that he wasn't near his cycle, and that my car was the only thing on in the parking lot. Shit. I got off the phone and climbed out of the car. One of the guys, Mike, says "It sounds like your muffler fell off." So he kneels down and looks under the car. Well, it wasn't the muffler. It was something much further up toward the front. He also used the words catalytic converter. Either way, something had disconnected itself from the underside of my car. And it was making a lot of noise. I used some words that have probably never been said in a church parking lot before.
I couldn't get hold of hubs on the phone because he was still in class. So I called my mommy to come get me. [Thank God she lives in town!] I had to leave the car there. Now, we've got to wake the kids up super-early so the family can have "Take Your Mommy To Work" day in the morning. Then hubs has to take them to daycare/preschool. Then he has to find someone who can tow that thing to a mechanic who will HOPEFULLY be able to fix it fairly quickly. We are most certainly a 2-car family. We have trouble functioning when we only have one car. It's not pretty. Arguments ensue.
On the fun side, hmm... I'm racking my brain and I cannot think of what the fun side is. We had Open House at school tonight. It was only for 6th grade parents, so it wasn't too bad. Good news: LP's mom has not called my principal back. Maybe she has gotten some help from a psychologist or something. Yay! And my Mary Kay business is picking up some. Obviously, we need the money. Guess it's good that hubs went and picked up his loan check today from school. There was some extra there we weren't counting on. Guess what it's being used for????
And I feel like I need to clarify that my husband is not a total deadbeat. He's actually a really good guy. Like any other man, he can be insensitive and selfish sometimes. But underneath it all, he's a good, Christian man that I'm glad I married and had babies with. If I didn't have him, I would be lost!!!
AND, in OLTA news: my size 12s are getting a bit loose. Hmmmm, maybe I will get some new pants soon. Maybe I will be a size 8 again! I am going to wi-in! (in a sing-song voice)
So there I was, being all good after Praise Team practice. I'd had a great time, singing, being silly, praising the Creator. I was on the phone with my mom, had turned on the car and was backing out of the parking space. Then there was this REALLY LOUD noise, like a car with one of those giant mufflers that always drives by your house and wakes up your kids. I thought it was one of the guys getting on his motorcycle. Then I realized that he wasn't near his cycle, and that my car was the only thing on in the parking lot. Shit. I got off the phone and climbed out of the car. One of the guys, Mike, says "It sounds like your muffler fell off." So he kneels down and looks under the car. Well, it wasn't the muffler. It was something much further up toward the front. He also used the words catalytic converter. Either way, something had disconnected itself from the underside of my car. And it was making a lot of noise. I used some words that have probably never been said in a church parking lot before.
I couldn't get hold of hubs on the phone because he was still in class. So I called my mommy to come get me. [Thank God she lives in town!] I had to leave the car there. Now, we've got to wake the kids up super-early so the family can have "Take Your Mommy To Work" day in the morning. Then hubs has to take them to daycare/preschool. Then he has to find someone who can tow that thing to a mechanic who will HOPEFULLY be able to fix it fairly quickly. We are most certainly a 2-car family. We have trouble functioning when we only have one car. It's not pretty. Arguments ensue.
On the fun side, hmm... I'm racking my brain and I cannot think of what the fun side is. We had Open House at school tonight. It was only for 6th grade parents, so it wasn't too bad. Good news: LP's mom has not called my principal back. Maybe she has gotten some help from a psychologist or something. Yay! And my Mary Kay business is picking up some. Obviously, we need the money. Guess it's good that hubs went and picked up his loan check today from school. There was some extra there we weren't counting on. Guess what it's being used for????
And I feel like I need to clarify that my husband is not a total deadbeat. He's actually a really good guy. Like any other man, he can be insensitive and selfish sometimes. But underneath it all, he's a good, Christian man that I'm glad I married and had babies with. If I didn't have him, I would be lost!!!
AND, in OLTA news: my size 12s are getting a bit loose. Hmmmm, maybe I will get some new pants soon. Maybe I will be a size 8 again! I am going to wi-in! (in a sing-song voice)
Monday, August 28, 2006
Week 2: OLTA
Check in day!
Weight: still holding at 157.
I wasn't too good last week. I had pizza TWICE on Friday. Also ate out on Saturday night. It was a rough week, with psycho mom out there. Sometimes a girl just has to have some "bad" food. Oh, well. At least I maintained!
Today, I went to the gym. What a good little girl I am! I am going to lose my whole ass! (I have to go. I can hear the boys banging stuff around in the living room.)
Weight: still holding at 157.
I wasn't too good last week. I had pizza TWICE on Friday. Also ate out on Saturday night. It was a rough week, with psycho mom out there. Sometimes a girl just has to have some "bad" food. Oh, well. At least I maintained!
Today, I went to the gym. What a good little girl I am! I am going to lose my whole ass! (I have to go. I can hear the boys banging stuff around in the living room.)
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Check it out!
| Your Passion is Gray |
 Your sexual attitude is best described as apathetic. Often joking that you're asexual, you can go months without getting any. For you, great sex does not make or break a relationship. If it happens, it's just the icing on the cake. |
I knew it! My husband is always wondering why I never want to "do it." Now we know: I'm just apathetic. As well I should be, taking care of preteens and teenagers all day long then coming home to someone who acts like one! What does he expect, really?
The Third Week of School
I was under the impression that as school goes on, it's supposed to get easier and easier. So, how come this week was ever-so-much worse than the previous two? And I only worked 3.5 days out of 5! It's not the kids, really. They are tolerable. (Though my 8th graders are getting dangerously close to having a pop quiz every single day till they can close their little smart mouths.) It's the parents!! God help me if I turn into one of these parents. God help YOU if you are one!
The week before last, I went over a project with my 6th graders. As is my practice, I took some examples from the previous years to show the kids what to do and what to avoid. One of these projects belonged to a child who shall be known as LP. He and I had a rough time last year. He liked to talk and often ended up at a table alone due to his loud mouth. By the end of the year, we had it under control and he was allowed to sit with the rest of the class. We would joke around, and I was truly sad to see him move to a different language. I'd seen LP a few times this year, and always said hi with a smile. No big deal.
Well, I showed his project to the class. It's an ABC book in Latin. His was perfect, except it had the English meanings on the pages which was wrong. So I mentioned to the class that they should avoid this on their own books. I then proceeded to the next student's book, which also contained English words, which (to make it worse) were marked over with black marker. It looked really bad, and I cautioned the class about this mistake as well. The second example also had poor pictures which were hard to discern. I talked longer about this second bad example. Much longer than I had talked about LP's book.
On Wednesday of this week (a full week after this book showing occurred), there was a rather nasty voicemail left for me at work. LP's mom was ranting about how I talked about her son in class and said all his work "sucks." Hmm... some lovely child in my class had obviously set her off and told her a bald-faced lie. On Thursday, LP's mom talked to my immediate supervisor, who then went and spoke to some kids in my class. NONE OF THEM could confirm that I had said LP's work "sucks." (Amazing!) Of course, this did not appease LP's mom, who determined that the children had been intimidated by my supervisor and could not tell the truth to her. (Whatever!) Then she threatened to call a lawyer! Yikes! On Friday, my principal attempted to contact LP's mom, but had to leave her a message as she was neither at work nor home.
Excuse my language, but WHAT THE F*CK???!!! I am upset, saddened, hurt. In all my years of teaching, I have never used the word "sucks" about any child's work. No matter how bad it is! And I certainly would not say it in front of other children, even if that's what I was thinking. I don't know what to do. This woman wants to meet with me and give me a good telling off. Right now, my principal is still against this. He doesn't want his teachers to be attacked. Thank God! This woman is seriously off her rocker. Whatever happened last year between LP and I in class is long over. I harbor no ill will toward her son. I just don't get it. And I don't know where to go from here. I'm scared to answer my office phone, in case it's psycho-mom. I don't want to walk around campus because I'm scared to see LP and either A) ignore him and have mom think I'm being mean or, B) say hello and have mom think I'm saying it in a mean way. There's no way to win.
Sometimes, I wish I could just quit.
The week before last, I went over a project with my 6th graders. As is my practice, I took some examples from the previous years to show the kids what to do and what to avoid. One of these projects belonged to a child who shall be known as LP. He and I had a rough time last year. He liked to talk and often ended up at a table alone due to his loud mouth. By the end of the year, we had it under control and he was allowed to sit with the rest of the class. We would joke around, and I was truly sad to see him move to a different language. I'd seen LP a few times this year, and always said hi with a smile. No big deal.
Well, I showed his project to the class. It's an ABC book in Latin. His was perfect, except it had the English meanings on the pages which was wrong. So I mentioned to the class that they should avoid this on their own books. I then proceeded to the next student's book, which also contained English words, which (to make it worse) were marked over with black marker. It looked really bad, and I cautioned the class about this mistake as well. The second example also had poor pictures which were hard to discern. I talked longer about this second bad example. Much longer than I had talked about LP's book.
On Wednesday of this week (a full week after this book showing occurred), there was a rather nasty voicemail left for me at work. LP's mom was ranting about how I talked about her son in class and said all his work "sucks." Hmm... some lovely child in my class had obviously set her off and told her a bald-faced lie. On Thursday, LP's mom talked to my immediate supervisor, who then went and spoke to some kids in my class. NONE OF THEM could confirm that I had said LP's work "sucks." (Amazing!) Of course, this did not appease LP's mom, who determined that the children had been intimidated by my supervisor and could not tell the truth to her. (Whatever!) Then she threatened to call a lawyer! Yikes! On Friday, my principal attempted to contact LP's mom, but had to leave her a message as she was neither at work nor home.
Excuse my language, but WHAT THE F*CK???!!! I am upset, saddened, hurt. In all my years of teaching, I have never used the word "sucks" about any child's work. No matter how bad it is! And I certainly would not say it in front of other children, even if that's what I was thinking. I don't know what to do. This woman wants to meet with me and give me a good telling off. Right now, my principal is still against this. He doesn't want his teachers to be attacked. Thank God! This woman is seriously off her rocker. Whatever happened last year between LP and I in class is long over. I harbor no ill will toward her son. I just don't get it. And I don't know where to go from here. I'm scared to answer my office phone, in case it's psycho-mom. I don't want to walk around campus because I'm scared to see LP and either A) ignore him and have mom think I'm being mean or, B) say hello and have mom think I'm saying it in a mean way. There's no way to win.
Sometimes, I wish I could just quit.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Finally Some Good News
I took Colby to the doctor again today. This time, it was the urologist. Evidently, the little man has a large bladder. I suppose that will come in handy when he's in college, what with all the drinking, but now not so good. The surgeon noticed it back in June, but today (August!) was the earliest we could get in to see the guy. Of course, first we had to come in and have a couple of "procedures" done. An ultrasound. No big deal, if you are pregnant and over the age of 4. A HUGE deal if you are a little boy who's been poked a lot. Colby threw a fit! However, once I'd done an ultrasound on my forearm, he was fine. It also helped that the tech had Incredibles on the TV. Smart woman.
The other procedure was a VCUG, or some other such initials. It involved sticking a catheter up his pee-pee, introducing some "special water", then taking x-rays. Obviously, that idea went over like a ton of bricks. I think my nose is bruised from where Colby elbowed me. I had to physically lay over the top half of his little body. A nurse had to lay over his legs. And the tech guy was attempting to hold down his butt while inserting the catheter. It took two tries. It was highly unpleasant. I do not recommend it. Before they began, I asked if Colby could get some happy-making medicine. The guy said they didn't have any. I should have fought harder. He cried and screamed. I cried. Ugh! This is the second highly unpleasant procedure I've had to hold him down for. Geez! Give me a freakin' break. You'd think I would know to just walk away.
Anyway, once all the unpleasantness was over, he got like 3 rolls of stickers. He was fine. Then we had about 3.5 hours to kill until seeing the doctors. So we strolled around Charleston. It was fun. We had lunch together, played in the park, chased birds...it was mommy bliss! And the doctors had good news. The large bladder - nothing to be concerned about! His colostomy and inner workings - doing fine. No CT scan for 3 more months! Yippee! Finally some good news on the medical front. It was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. (It may also have been all the weight that is falling off my ass! Twinkie!!!)
Also today, which I forgot because I was so preoccupied with Colby, Weston got the results back from a biopsy he'd had a couple of weeks ago. They found a polyp in his butt. It was benign! (More good news!) Unfortunately, if they hadn't caught it, it could have become cancerous. So, this intensifies the "healthy eating" at my house. Good for me, bad for all the other ass-losers. We even had a vegetarian dinner tonight. Course, I didn't notice till I was halfway through eating. Funny. (I was pretty full after drinking/inhaling that chocolate shake on the 2-hour drive home.)
So, today was a less stressful day in some ways. I'm glad that the medical issues seem to be correcting themselves. Other than Colby having a bag attached to his tummy, we are doing pretty well. And really, don't we deserve it?
Now everyone go eat some Ho Ho's and drink lots of wine! Except me. I'm trying to LOSE MY ASS!
The other procedure was a VCUG, or some other such initials. It involved sticking a catheter up his pee-pee, introducing some "special water", then taking x-rays. Obviously, that idea went over like a ton of bricks. I think my nose is bruised from where Colby elbowed me. I had to physically lay over the top half of his little body. A nurse had to lay over his legs. And the tech guy was attempting to hold down his butt while inserting the catheter. It took two tries. It was highly unpleasant. I do not recommend it. Before they began, I asked if Colby could get some happy-making medicine. The guy said they didn't have any. I should have fought harder. He cried and screamed. I cried. Ugh! This is the second highly unpleasant procedure I've had to hold him down for. Geez! Give me a freakin' break. You'd think I would know to just walk away.
Anyway, once all the unpleasantness was over, he got like 3 rolls of stickers. He was fine. Then we had about 3.5 hours to kill until seeing the doctors. So we strolled around Charleston. It was fun. We had lunch together, played in the park, chased birds...it was mommy bliss! And the doctors had good news. The large bladder - nothing to be concerned about! His colostomy and inner workings - doing fine. No CT scan for 3 more months! Yippee! Finally some good news on the medical front. It was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. (It may also have been all the weight that is falling off my ass! Twinkie!!!)
Also today, which I forgot because I was so preoccupied with Colby, Weston got the results back from a biopsy he'd had a couple of weeks ago. They found a polyp in his butt. It was benign! (More good news!) Unfortunately, if they hadn't caught it, it could have become cancerous. So, this intensifies the "healthy eating" at my house. Good for me, bad for all the other ass-losers. We even had a vegetarian dinner tonight. Course, I didn't notice till I was halfway through eating. Funny. (I was pretty full after drinking/inhaling that chocolate shake on the 2-hour drive home.)
So, today was a less stressful day in some ways. I'm glad that the medical issues seem to be correcting themselves. Other than Colby having a bag attached to his tummy, we are doing pretty well. And really, don't we deserve it?
Now everyone go eat some Ho Ho's and drink lots of wine! Except me. I'm trying to LOSE MY ASS!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Just Another Day in Paradise
Just checking in:
Weight: 157 (-2 libs.)
Woo-hoo! I'm trying to be healthy, I'm trying to be healthy. So why did I eat all those M & M's and tortilla chips? Luckily, all I had for dinner was a salad. Yum, yum.
Bennett was sick today, so I had to take half a day offf work. Weston called right when I got to school and announced that Bennett had thrown up during the night. Fun. When I got home at 11:30, Weston left to go to orientation at the Seminary. I went back to Bennett's room to get him some shorts - SURPRISE - and saw the vomit still on the sheets and his stuffed monkey (Bobo). I was not happy. Hello! Can you not even clean up the puke? How did I get stuck with that? Oh, well. I cleaned ita ll p before the little guy took a nap. Bobo even got a "bath" in the washing machine. I think he liked it.
Luckily, Bennett's all better now. It comes from spending the day with Mommy. If only I could do this every day. Not the throw-up part, just the being home with the "baby" part. And how cute are they:
Isn't this adorable? We just got their hair cut over the weekend. My father-in-law called and exclaimed: "You sheared him!" He barely even recognized his own grandson. I know, I know. Everyone is jealous of my adorable, sweet little angels. Eat your heart out!
Weight: 157 (-2 libs.)
Woo-hoo! I'm trying to be healthy, I'm trying to be healthy. So why did I eat all those M & M's and tortilla chips? Luckily, all I had for dinner was a salad. Yum, yum.
Bennett was sick today, so I had to take half a day offf work. Weston called right when I got to school and announced that Bennett had thrown up during the night. Fun. When I got home at 11:30, Weston left to go to orientation at the Seminary. I went back to Bennett's room to get him some shorts - SURPRISE - and saw the vomit still on the sheets and his stuffed monkey (Bobo). I was not happy. Hello! Can you not even clean up the puke? How did I get stuck with that? Oh, well. I cleaned ita ll p before the little guy took a nap. Bobo even got a "bath" in the washing machine. I think he liked it.
Luckily, Bennett's all better now. It comes from spending the day with Mommy. If only I could do this every day. Not the throw-up part, just the being home with the "baby" part. And how cute are they:
Isn't this adorable? We just got their hair cut over the weekend. My father-in-law called and exclaimed: "You sheared him!" He barely even recognized his own grandson. I know, I know. Everyone is jealous of my adorable, sweet little angels. Eat your heart out!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
A (political) Thought
I just got an email from one of my girlfriends, Jennie. She and I have been friends since freshman year of college. We were in the same sorority. We shared an apartment senior year. We even shared a dog after grad. Her husband, Ken, is a captain in our Armed Forces, Army. He's been in Afghanistan since the spring. This is his second tour over there. Jennie's email said that Ken's convoy had been hit by some kind of grenade and that he is hurt. He's lost his left arm below the elbow and has various other injuries. He's on his way to Walter Reed.
Obviously, I am saddened by this. I was in their wedding, and they were both in mine. Ken and my husband are also friends, ROTC buddies, and fraternity brothers. Their son was born the year between my two. We let the three of them play at homecoming every year, and they get along great. This news breaks my heart and makes me cry. This is the closest to my world that this "conflict" has come yet.
And it makes me mad. I am not a very political person. As long as the gov't lets me live my life with no interference, I'm okay with them. Sure, I bitch about taxes and the fact that I get paid next to nothing and No Child Left Behind, but other than that I'm pretty easy-going. Now, I'm pissed. I don't agree with this problem. I don't agree that my friends and other people's friends and family, should have to go fight, get hurt, and die for this bullshit cause. I know that there are bad people, terrorists, in the world. I understand that they are out to get the US because we are such a terrible God-less nation. But what we are doing over there, it sucks. It's obviously not doing any good. They are still blowing each other up. They are still blowing up our guys. They are still sending other terrorists to get on planes in Britain. So what is the point? I just don't understand. Especially while I'm paying $2.80 a gallon for gas.
Don't get me wrong, I fully support our men and women in uniform. While they're over there, I hope they are okay. I wish no bad stuff to happen to them. I just don't think they need to be there to begin with. We can't find Osama bin Laden. We've already gotten rid of Saddam Hussein. And nothing has improved! Is that not a clue that maybe we're in the wrong place?! What are we doing over there, other than pissing off the people who live there. We are disrupting their lives, sometimes even accidently killing them. I don't understand.
C'mon, Bush! Bring our men and women home! And to my new blog-friends, please pray for Jennie, Ken, and all the families impacted by these wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. No matter what side of this war argument you are on, we all want it to end.
Obviously, I am saddened by this. I was in their wedding, and they were both in mine. Ken and my husband are also friends, ROTC buddies, and fraternity brothers. Their son was born the year between my two. We let the three of them play at homecoming every year, and they get along great. This news breaks my heart and makes me cry. This is the closest to my world that this "conflict" has come yet.
And it makes me mad. I am not a very political person. As long as the gov't lets me live my life with no interference, I'm okay with them. Sure, I bitch about taxes and the fact that I get paid next to nothing and No Child Left Behind, but other than that I'm pretty easy-going. Now, I'm pissed. I don't agree with this problem. I don't agree that my friends and other people's friends and family, should have to go fight, get hurt, and die for this bullshit cause. I know that there are bad people, terrorists, in the world. I understand that they are out to get the US because we are such a terrible God-less nation. But what we are doing over there, it sucks. It's obviously not doing any good. They are still blowing each other up. They are still blowing up our guys. They are still sending other terrorists to get on planes in Britain. So what is the point? I just don't understand. Especially while I'm paying $2.80 a gallon for gas.
Don't get me wrong, I fully support our men and women in uniform. While they're over there, I hope they are okay. I wish no bad stuff to happen to them. I just don't think they need to be there to begin with. We can't find Osama bin Laden. We've already gotten rid of Saddam Hussein. And nothing has improved! Is that not a clue that maybe we're in the wrong place?! What are we doing over there, other than pissing off the people who live there. We are disrupting their lives, sometimes even accidently killing them. I don't understand.
C'mon, Bush! Bring our men and women home! And to my new blog-friends, please pray for Jennie, Ken, and all the families impacted by these wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. No matter what side of this war argument you are on, we all want it to end.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
A Funny
Randy Johnson, the Big Unit, does his duty by throwing balls, hard and fast, at other men. (Just read it aloud to yourself a few times. It's had me giggling all afternoon!)
"I like the hose car, Mommy," said my 3-year-old. (Again, say it aloud.)
"I like the hose car, Mommy," said my 3-year-old. (Again, say it aloud.)
Worries in My Heart
I'm a little freaked out. Colby has been potty-trained, more or less, for about a year now. He's had those couple of surgeries for the Hirschsprung's Disease, but it hasn't really affected his peeing ability. Until now. I don't know what to make of it. He's started school now and seems to be having a marvelous time. But there's a problem lurking. He won't use the potty. This week, he's had three accidents! The last one, yesterday, apparently he was standing right in front of the toilet and peed in his pants. I don't get it. I feel like I'm missing something. He goes just fine at home. Do you think something is going on at school? He doesn't really talk about any of the other kids. Maybe someone is picking on him because of his frequent trips to the nurse and his colostomy bag? Kids in preschool don't do that, do they?
My mom has been telling me, ever since this last operation which reattached the colostomy, that I need to take him to a child psychologist. That maybe he could be having some issues. But he seems fine. Except for the pee thing. What else can we do? We have a chart for stickers. He gets a cool prize whenever he gets 10 stars. We even count the ones he does at school! Why would he not go? All the other little kids are going. It's a requirement of this program that kids be potty-trained. I don't understand. And to be perfectly honest, I'm embarrassed. I don't want to be the one who's kid can't go to the bathroom. I don't want to be the parent that the teacher has to call every day to bring yet another change of clothes. I don't want anyone to think that my kid isn't "normal." Or that I'm a bad mommy.
Maybe underneath, it makes me feel like I'm not doing my job. Like I've let it slide and haven't been doing my duty (or doo-ty. hee-hee.) But this is about him too. I don't want the other kids to look at him and point and call him a baby. He's my sweetheart. My little man. I just want him to be like everyone else.
Anyway, it's just another hurdle to jump over in this journey. It seems like every time we get through one problem (sick kid, loss of job, sick kid again, starting school, sick kid again) something else comes up. I wish our whole life could be normal. Just for a week.
I also wish my husband would get up off his ass and find a part-time job. It's really hard knowing that my public school teacher paycheck is all we have to live off of. And when the hell do we get the next disbursement of his student loans. Geez! He just bought $400 worth of books for his fall classes. Ouch! I just don't know if we're going to make it if one of us doesn't get another job. If you'd like to make a donation, email me here.
All this thinking is making my head hurt. I should go take a nap.
My mom has been telling me, ever since this last operation which reattached the colostomy, that I need to take him to a child psychologist. That maybe he could be having some issues. But he seems fine. Except for the pee thing. What else can we do? We have a chart for stickers. He gets a cool prize whenever he gets 10 stars. We even count the ones he does at school! Why would he not go? All the other little kids are going. It's a requirement of this program that kids be potty-trained. I don't understand. And to be perfectly honest, I'm embarrassed. I don't want to be the one who's kid can't go to the bathroom. I don't want to be the parent that the teacher has to call every day to bring yet another change of clothes. I don't want anyone to think that my kid isn't "normal." Or that I'm a bad mommy.
Maybe underneath, it makes me feel like I'm not doing my job. Like I've let it slide and haven't been doing my duty (or doo-ty. hee-hee.) But this is about him too. I don't want the other kids to look at him and point and call him a baby. He's my sweetheart. My little man. I just want him to be like everyone else.
Anyway, it's just another hurdle to jump over in this journey. It seems like every time we get through one problem (sick kid, loss of job, sick kid again, starting school, sick kid again) something else comes up. I wish our whole life could be normal. Just for a week.
I also wish my husband would get up off his ass and find a part-time job. It's really hard knowing that my public school teacher paycheck is all we have to live off of. And when the hell do we get the next disbursement of his student loans. Geez! He just bought $400 worth of books for his fall classes. Ouch! I just don't know if we're going to make it if one of us doesn't get another job. If you'd like to make a donation, email me here.
All this thinking is making my head hurt. I should go take a nap.
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