Here I go...

I won't be with all you for the rest of the week. Heading for sunnier shores-on business to a conference with a group of principals. It is my first "big" conference. I am a little stressed. I am worried about the phone calls I may have to catch up on when I get back on Friday. This week I had 2-3 a day from parents, hopefully it all simmers down.

I stress about leaving my family alone. I know hubby is perfectly capable, but what if there are quizzes, missing assignments, lunch money etc....

I miss my family when I am gone. I am kind of a homebody and going somewhere with people who I am not that familiar with involves small talk, planning, eating out, and a little bit of chaos. Anyone want to meet me there?

I need to go pack...oh and packing, not a big fan of packing

Building Trust

For Chris-
Building trust involved no consequces. And it was more like "losing trust". This meant the privilege of staying home-that they love above all others was taken away for the whole weekend. Oh and all video games. Every errand that hubby and I needed to make (and we made sure there were lots of them) they BOTH had to go with us. We even had some fun errands like Starbucks where the car conversation was this:
Boys: Can we get a frappacino-we haven't had one in a long time.
Us: Well no, because really you are not even supposed to be here. So you really should not be seen or heard. This is our time to be together and you are just along for the ride, not for fun.
Boys: How many errands are you going to run?
Us: Lots

Silence from the back seat, lovely lovely silence...

Honesty, Part 2

Thank goodness for third graders that true complete honesty isn't too alarming...
Me-So what do you want to be totally honest about?
SF (small fry)-Ok well here goes, I watched Twilight with Big Fry
Me-Oh really (see the key is to NEVER look surprised-I can do it at home and school), when was this
SF-When you had your date night
Me-Hmm anything else?
SF-and we play video games ALOT, I mean way more than you said we could when you are not home.
Me-OK, is that it?
SF-Yep and now I can be honest from here on out, are you mad? Are you really mad? Big Fry made me do all those things they were his idea. But no consequence right, because you said to always be honest.

Hence, along with this honesty, a whole box of Sam's Club Hershey bars (for camping) that mysteriously disappeared while big fry was home and some other sneaky manuevers we had a little weekend of building TRUST.

Honesty

Small Fry and I in the car, which I swear by the way is the BEST place to converse with boys:

"Mom, I was talking to Josh and I asked him, 'Do you think it is better to lie or tell the truth?, he told me it is always better to tell the truth"

Me-"Yes, we think that to"

Small Fry: big sigh and "Ohhhh do I have a lot to tell you, okay here goes...."


Thank you Josh-and now I see why Josh maybe doesn't answer Quinn's phone calls for a sleepover:)

Yep, just like I imagined

I mentioned January is here and so is the roller coaster ride of work. I managed to in a single day:
-Meet with literacy and math coaches for 2 hours-this was time well spent
-Meet with the school counselor-3 times about 3 different situations
-Meet with teacher-made her cry
-Meet with student-made him cry
-Meet with a parent about their child stealing-that child WILL BE crying
-Returned phone calls to 3 parents-Thankfully no crying
-Received one phone call from one irate parent about our parking and parking lot supervision
-Meet with teachers over lunch about new literacy materials
-Field questions from a substitute about a special education student (which really was none of her business)
-Filled out paperwork to hire a new staff person
-Met with the counselor again to rehash the day

In between all of this I answered emails and ate my lunch at the same time and didn't make it into a single classroom to get a hug or say hello.

Our superintendent has a saying for us, "Ask yourself was I better today than yesterday?" Not sure but I can aim high tomorrow!

AND the day was so busy and I was thinking it was Wine Wednesday. SIGH it is only Tuesday, boot camp will have to do.

Monday...

The last day of our mini-break and I have so much I WANT to do vs. what I HAVE to do. I know we are going to a movie with the neighbors. The laundry is done, errands and meals for the week already prepared. I WILL go to the Y. I WANT to shopping but I HAVE to go work because my laptop wouldn't let me on the school server. Ugggggg. And my morning is getting a late start due to an extra boy here for a sleepover, and I have no clue when he is leaving. Drats..... maybe I should just sit in my pj's all day.

Surly

I love the word "surly" not sure what it means, but I like it. Kind of like "spangly" I made that up once and everyone at school dressed "spangly" to honor my birthday.
Back on to surly. The Big Fry woke up surly. He came home not surly. I called him to remind him of various chores and questions about homework-surly again. I got home and he was unsurly until dad reminded him that bedtime was 6:30. Yep you read that right.

Small Fry's is 7:00 and he is surly now to-actually he is more pathetic than surly.
Here is why they are surly about bedtime. Most nights when it is time to get ready for bed they are very "unsurly". There is lots wresting, whooping, pushing, hollering and continual reminders to quiet down, get ready for bed, it takes about half an hour sometimes, seriously! I equate getting ready for bed as winding down, a "quiet" activity. So after constant reminders and some whooping of our own we said "If you don't quiet down we are getting ready for bed a half an hour earlier tomorrow". Well there was more yelling. 7:30 has now become 7. Small fry got the message and pattered off, only losing a half an hour. Big Fry as usual is a little more, shall we say...scattered. He comes out running doing his best Tom Cruise impersonation (slidng across the wood floor-in underwear) and laughs when we say go get ready or another half an hour. That was all it took for hubby, so now Big Fry is up to 6:30. Hubby tells him on the way home... we tell him again at 6:20. There is an emotional response...

SURLY-Again

When can I be surly??

January through March is here...

As an educator I tend to break up times of the year into time segments. We are now starting what I call, and most educators will tell you is the "long haul". All the excitement of the holidays over. All the big holiday/vacation breaks are out of the way. At this point students have settleed in (we hope), so we can start getting the meat of everything and really get some learning done-before testing. It is a time when if the weather doesn't cooperate that we are all bottled up and enjoying each other's company too much. Teacher's get stressed about student progress and stressed with each other. It really is a weird cycle, that every school, not matter where I have been has it happen.
I learned last year as a principal that it is a long haul in a different way. Those kiddos who are "settled in" are settled in just enough to start pushing the envelope. Parents come out of the woodwork with various concerns that they have bottled up, stewed about, and now want to be heard and validated and in some cases "something done". It is also the time when evaluations are due and all the ideas swimming in the soup of my brain start to come forward and I am not always sure where to start.

I completely forgot this chaotic, roller coaster feeling until today and now here it is...Big breath

w.o.d

In an effort to up the ante a little bit with working out-can we say "plateau"? I am trying, emphasis on the word trying, to do the crossfit work out of the day. I have yet to do a full work out, either the weight amount or the reps. These suckers are HARD! Today's attempt was:

Actual crossfit work out
1 mile run
50 pull ups (no assist)
50 dead lifts-medium weight
50 ball wall throws
Do this TWICE and time yourself to see how you did

Here was my feeble attempt
.7 mile run (the warm up)
30 dead lifts-lighter weight (remember I am not wanting to aggravate the back with bad form)
30 pull ups on the assist machine
1 mile
30-dead lifts
30-pull ups-barely

I didn't even keep time... so now I have a goal to do this workout completely, at least the reps...now it is time to eat some guacamole:)

Ahhh the weekend

We all made it through our first week back to school. Everyone survived. My headache I had before Christmas break is back. I am hoping it is PMS and not work related as I fear-stress headaches are evil.
The 2nd quarter ends for big fry next week. We put the hammer down this morning with the last of the big projects that are due before the end. NO games until they are done. Let's say our Saturday started off with grumbling at our declaration. There was more grumbling when he went to his backpack and found he didn't have the necessary Social Studies book to do the project. It took all my will power not to lose it, the lecturer in me just about popped out. The new tween/teen book I am reading on my new kindle helped immensely in this area.
Small fry and I need to clothes shopping... he declared last week he had NO long sleeve shirts, I scoffed and told him look harder. I looked harder and he was right-I was a little zealous in cleaning out his closet over the break.

Good news: Big Fry just came and declared "Good news, I just need a map, I can find that on the internet" Whew thank goodness for ALL of us

Warning profanity below

Big Fry had a project to interview an elderly member of his family and write a biography. We spaced it off over the break. We had meant to ask his great grandma while she was here, but it was just to crazy. Probably a good thing, she wanted to know where our 3rd child was and if I was still teaching, so it may have been a little difficult-there are over 20 very in-depth questions.
The project is late, he chooses my dad-a man he very much admires. I call, confirm a phone time and come home to help him do the "interview". As I am dialing the phone, he starts crying, telling me he just can't talk to Papa on the phone. "It is too emotional for me mom, I still miss him so much".

Damn, damn, damn

I disconnect and the questions are emailed...

Damn again

Is it really time?

Is it really time for new goals for the new year? I don't even know if I met the ones from last year! I have a gazillion things I would love to work on but here is the one thing that first came to mind. I have already done it once, so I figure to go with it as I am 1/1 with the success rate so far.

So here it is. My kids have it way easier than I did as a kid...less chores, less demands, less perfect expectations. With this comes a little more laziness, whining, and entitlement. This does not make my kids "bad" and they do just as much as other kids I know. I am also working to stay connected with a new age of child I am very unfamilar with. So here is how it came to me, this new "resolution", inspired by gifts. As you know hubby and I presented each other with all kinds of domestic, cooking gifts. So I am passing it on. We sat down the frys and told them each Sunday they were going to help us prepare meals. From start to finsish. This was met by "what", "really", eye rolling and so forth. We stood firm, stated our case and said "Can't wait".

Small fry and I made lasagna-to be eaten later this week. And Big fry helped with the one and only Pioneer women FRIED chicken (hence my secondary resolution of weight loss) with buttermilk biscuits-made completely by Big Fry with no help. I have to tell you I think this was the most fun night of vacation we had. Small fry helped every step of the way, and asked if we could do meatloaf next. Big fry was so motivated, he stated, "This is really going to impress a future girlfriend if I make this for her!" No tv, no multitasking, just all four of us. It was pure FUN. It is amazing how one little thing, not a lofty goal, or overwhelming resolution gave me so much satisfaction. I can't wait until next Sunday, this will be a resolution I hope to keep.

I had to include pics-none of me and my partner with the lasagna, maybe next time.

Conversation during viola practice

Waiting patiently for Big Fry to start
Big Fry: Practicing viola is a "wh**e" (think lady of the night)
Me: *gasp* What was that??
BF-Practicing viola is a wh---
Me-Ummm how does that even make sense do you know what that means?
BF-Well yeah, you know
Me-No, I don't know
BF-It is scary like "horror" movie
Me-you mean horr-or
BF-Yeah that is what I said "wh---"
Me-No that is not what you said. "Horror" has 2 syllables, horr-or. What you are saying is totally different.
BF-Really what am I saying? What did you think I meant?
Me-Never mind, keep practicing

Date night

Well, I meant to stop eating and drinking as of today (because Karma hit me-thanks Karen) but forgot it was date night. Hubby and I are going do enjoy leisurely shopping with our gift cards and then dinner. Emphasis on leisurely-no 8 and 11 year old boys in their right minds would enjoy going to Pier One or The Buckle with their parents so it is best to shop without them. I like date night. Always a time to reconnect-especially after the last two weeks of craziness.
The boys love date night also. They look on it as their chance to "party" without us. Yes "party" was their word, not mine. (They are as I am blogging preparing right now) I think they have party on the brain because we celebrated last night. So anyway they have been planning their party all day. 3 hours of uninterrupted video games and a huge spread of food, Big Fry proudly announced "I bet I'll gain a pound". Here was their list-I tried to make it a learning experience so they HAD to make a list.

To get: candy, jellybean pop, cookies, cupcakes (too much work to bake so it was crossed off), balloons, straws (no balloons or straws, party place was closed). They then asked me to set out my fancy serving trays so they could make it all "fancy". And are taking them DOWNSTAIRS-Gulp, I told them I do not want any orange cheetoh smears on my cow rug.
The junk food is enough to make me grimace. Are we indulging? Yes, but here is what I love, they planned it TOGETHER for EACH OTHER. They are at an age where niceness to your sibling is difficult-a cool middle schooler does not do "kid" things like his 3rd grade brother. I love seeing them collaborate and be excited about something that is all their own. It warms my heart.

Now my heart will be very cold if I find one single cheeto on that rug! And note to self we will NEVER leave them alone for overnight when they are older-they are excellent party planners-I don't even want to imagine!!