Male moods

What is worse than the female "funk"? The male funk! Someone give me patience with my better half...

Is it bad taste?

Is it bad manners to almost have to run out of the eye doctor's exam room laughing because watching your child try to put in contacts is hysterically funny?
Things that can happen to a contact in 5 minutes:
Get stuck on big fry's top eyelashes (not his fault they are pretty long)
Get stuck on bottom lashes
Get stuck on top lashes, blink and it falls on the shirt
Roll off finger onto the floor (2 different ones)

Orchestra concert and sneak peek

Last night was the big Spring Strings concert. Big Fry was more worried about the after concert party with GIRLS. He even let me take him for a haircut, hate to say but I liked it better just a little longer. He was more nervous about the party than the concert, and it was all he talked about on the ride home. About the beautiful girls and 8 beautiful girls came to sit with just him and a friend. We learned that when a good song comes on all the girls scream-loud. He shared that he tried to eat really carefully so no one would think he didn't have manners. Did I mention the girls looked beautiful all dressed up. He also mentioned he definitely needs to learn some dance moves. Look at the pics carefully there are a few sneak peeks of the basement, which is still a work in progress. I have one tiny corner pretty much done the way I want it. Waiting for some extra time to order some cool canvas prints of hubby's family homestead and make a big piece out of some old tractor seats. Hubby also needs to complete his movie theater side, right now it is collection of old furniture we need to take to storage.

Exerpts from the diary of a 7 year old

Thursday
When I got to the class it was freaky cause I wasn't feeling good but Dawson cheered. At recess me and Jayden won 8 to 2, itwas miraculous, but then I was a wimp after recess.

friDay-
I am at the Boyd's Liquor Mart right now, and we are getting McDonald's after this.

Today I learned

I don't share many work stories here. I worry about confidentiality and my moral/ethcial obligation but today rocked me. A frequent friend (this is the name I give students that I see often and not always in a positive manner) had a long difficult day. In the end a call home was needed so child could be picked up and sent home. A tantrum began and the deal offered (by the child) that he would be good if only I wouldn't call his mom. I.don't.make.deals. After the call, child grabs a pottery piece off my desk, made by one of my children, lifts it over his head and smashes it to the ground. First day on the job I have been shocked and angry, very angry. Can you see the stretching (my favorite Karen word) that is occurring??

I have met parents this year at their wits end with their child-5, 6 and 7 years old. Parents who are lost, lost at sea-floundering really. Frustrated, expasperated, humiliated and more, genuinely LOST. I as a parent have only had a glimmer of what their worries are like-a small glimmer at that.
Today was I was given a larger sliver of light when the dad walked through my door and I explained the pottery pieces shattered on the floor. How do you make a parent feel better at that moment? You don't. I could tell his heart was just like that pottery laying on the floor.

dang, dang, dang

I mentioned earlier I had met my 2 mile mark with no walking. Each milestone I set for myself was to be rewarded with a small trinket-preferably from Athleta. I ran again to duplicate the feat to make sure I deserved it, to make sure it wasn't a fluke. It was a fluke...the two mile attempt tonight was not pretty *sigh*.

tidbits

Estimated time of basement finish-next week and then just finishing touches. Carpet came today, furniture delivery next Tuesday, hopefully top of fireplace soon. So far I am in love with it. Just want to lay down on the cow rug and revel in it

Big fry comes home from a late day orchestra practice, runs into the kitchen says, "I need to eat fast, I have a take home quiz and want to get right to it". He eats, grabs the backpack, starts searching, and searching, and unzipping more zippers. I see the look, the look that says the paper isn't there. I tell him I am proud and really appreciate that he was excited to get to it (the last take home quiz we didn't remember until a late Sunday night-LATE).

Being the non hoverer I am we don't dwell, he is bummed-message delivered-take your time packing up your stuff. BUT In the back of my mind I think hmmmmm is there a window unlocked in that building somewhere? Or maybe the janitor would let me in? Or maybe I call my principal friend and she lets me in...

Hubby in the basement

I am glad I read Karen's post first about the burgers. I HAD planned to post about hubby being in the basement all day yesterday in a not so favoring light. It was one of those days where the weekend errands seemed impossible, the kids are sick, I am sick. Hubby is nowhere to be found, I ask the boys, "Where is dad" they promptly say playing his game-meaning the online computer game that he plays when his is stressed or needs some down time, no big deal. I head to work, come back and hubby is still "playing his game" I start to get more irritated as I fold laundry, neb a kid, make a grocery list, take kids skating-all while on a high dose of thera flu. By 4:00 or so and no hubby, I am...well you pick a word. I send off a venting text to a friend, be snappish to hubby the minute his head appears at ground level, make a snide comment about relaxing with the game. He looks at me flabbergasted, "I have been doing work stuff all day, want to come see". Gulp, I am directed to immediately text my friend to set the record straight and we have a laugh. He shares the story at work with all his women coworkers they are highly amused.

I am sooooo glad now I didn't POST yesterday and have to retract today.

Home, lists and hubby's

I am home with a sick kid today. How sick, probably an in-between-sick. Everyone in the house has been sick with a nasty cough and cold, so bound to be his turn. My dilema is what to do with this day. I just texted a friend yesterday how an 8 day week would be awesome, 5 to work, 2 to do mom/house work and one for me. Now I have it and haven't a clue what to do. I brought my laptop, I could bust out about 7 evaluations. The house can always use some recleaning. Hubby had no problem texting me about the to-do's in the basement (which leads me to a hubby/basement story). Or I could do nothing. Still thinking...

2 miles plus

2 miles plus this evening, with no walking. I needed this. After having a nasty cold these last few days, no consistent exercise, and the bone spur in my spine acting up everytime I ran, I was giving up the idea of any kind of running and back to my usual classes. But now, just maybe-it can be done.

Dying on that hill, hovering and rescuing

Teachers have a saying and some parent experts also, "Pick the hill you die on" or "pick your battle wisely". What they mean is with kids you sometimes need to pick your battles for the ones that will make the most impression. In other words don't sweat the small stuff. We also have "hovering" and "rescuing". Or know as "black hawk down" parents as some colleges now call them. These are the parents who rush in to fix EVERYTHING so the child won't feel pain, stress, anxiety, sadness etc-really anything that gives you your real character. I can be an excellent non-hoverer but sometimes my worry gets the best of me, so oblige and "fix it". Where is this going you are wondering? Well Big fry today called me to bring HIS planner to school, this was the third time. The first two we did, I happened to be out and about so didn't mind, same with the hubby. We told him the next time he was on his own. He still called, I ignored. I chose not to be a hovering, rescuing black hawk down parent (I am practicing this now before middle school). This also happened to be the same day that usual relaxed hubby had enough of the morning routine of "pestering, picking and pain in the A** behavior" and grounded them to rooms for the night and EACH night that it doesn't go well.

Ok so what this leads to is I pick up the fries-big and small. Big fry is livid with me, I nicely and empathatically say, "not my planner". I hear door slamming, endure glares, pouting and everyone goes to their room, and then...compliance, niceness and acceptance of the responsibillity without any words-I can just tell-they got it. Message delivered. I really think tomorrow we will leave quietly, nicely and with planner in hand.

Bottom of the story is...

Yes this is a small hill, but don't worry I won't be defeated. Sometimes the best lessons are learned in the small stuff.

Freezin for a Reason...

2nd Year in a row, largest team and most money raised-a whopping 9,000 for special olympics whoooohoooooo. The pictures are obviously not in chronological order.