I think I might actually even do some work tonight–in July!  Craziness. 

Oh yeah.

“You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

Please grow your wings, but remember your roots.  We’re proud of you Gowanda graduates!

Here’s how this past week went down:

My mother needed to have surgery, and it was scheduled for this past Wednesday. The recovery process was expected to last about six weeks.  That wasthe big news surrounding our family:  who would help out dad, who would visit the hospital at what time so there was always someone there, which days we were going to help at the house when mom was recovering, etc, etc.  Then Monday night, my sister’s son was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.  My brother took my two neices (ages 11 and 3) to his house to spend the night.  At 1 AM my sister-in-law and I were still on the phone making arrangements and plans as to how we were now going to balance caring for our neices while Holly was in the hospital with Spence, as well as care for my mom at the same time.  We figured out who would meet with Spencer’s teacher and explain the situation, take Emma back and forth to daycare, take care of Kaylena while Emma was in daycare, take off of work to be with my dad on Wednesday morning while my mom had surgery.  We hammered out a plan, delegated responsibilities, and that was that.  My sister was floored, my mother amazed, and I am no longer the baby of the family. 

I’ve been promoted.  It just took 29 years. 

Ha!  Maybe if I didn’t have kids!  Instead I’ll be waking at roughly the same time I do now, watching Noggin and Nick in the morning (gotta love The Upside Down Show!), arguing about the importance of not eating freezy pops for breakfast, going outside and playing about twelve games of Around The World and Pig, and be completely wiped out and tired by 10 AM.  The only thing that’s somewhat the same from my fantasy summer compared to my reality is floating lazily in pool.  I will float lazily, but that’s only because I’ll have this big ol’ pregnant belly in my way. 

Oh and one more thing.  I will be spending my days with two of the best kids EVER.  Ten more days! 

This is the list of my most un-favorite things/pet peeves/strong dislikes (in  no particular order.  Just assume cleaning the bathroom is at the top of the list):

1. When students walk around with i-Pod wires attached to them at all times.  Seriously, the world is not going to end without music pumping into their ears while they walk 3 doors down the hall to their next class.  No one talks anymore, they just walk around with music blaring into their ears.

2. Those who drive under the speed limit.  Especially when I’m running late for work.

3. When people say “I seen” instead of “I saw”.  Did they not pay attention in middle school English class? I seen gets the helping verb ‘have’ before it.  

4. Weak handshakes.  Just because I am a woman, please don’t give me a weak handshake.  It makes me think you had bad parents who didn’t teach you better.

5. When my children whine. 

6. Men drinking out of straws.  It just isn’t right.

7. Those bumper stickers that have the picture of the kid peeing on a different make of vehicle. 

8. Cleaning the kitchen floor.

9.  People who take forever to make a right-hand turn.

10.  This statement from the mouths of students: “Are we doing anything today?  Do I need my stuff?”  No.  We’re just going to sit and stare at the wall for 84 minutes. Of course you need your stuff, and of course we’re doing something today!  In fact, we’ll be doing something everyday so stop asking!

Other than that, I’m a happy camper   :-)

Well, whatever.  He’s fascinated.  He’s learning about community service jobs, and helping the earth through recycling.  He hates litter and wants to pick it all up.  Most importantly, he’s not watching TV but busy zooming trucks around the yard instead.  Which brings me to my next point: wouldn’t it be great if it were socially acceptable for adults to run around and act out their dreams in creative play fashion like that?  We’d have full-grown women in tutu’s doing ballet in driveways, men well past their prime tackling each other in full-contact football games, random people doing random things all over the place.  It would be like the whole world was in one big state of drunkenness!  Oh, it would be great.   The world would be such a happy place if we were able to indulge in our innocent childhood dreams.  I would even be able to gather the carts at Tops.   What I’m really interested in knowing is, what would you be doing? 

It’s exactly what we needed last night.  We’re all refueled and ready to kick the end of year’s butt. 

I tell you this ever so embarrassing story because my 5-year-old had a horrible experience on the bus yesterday…some things just don’t change.  He sat down next to a fourth grader and this boy, who didn’t want “baby” company, proceeded to call my son names and kick him.  When he wouldn’t budge (good for him!  He didn’t cave!)  this boy then gave Nate a series of body checks until Nate was pushed out of the seat and forced to find a new one.  Now, I’m not naive in thinking that my kids will never experience bullies.  In fact, I’m kind of nervous my younger son might actually give some kids a run for their money.  I’m not expecting that my kids should be sheltered from hardships, and I hope that they learn if they haven’t already, to stand up for themselves and not cave in to pushy kids.  But this incident really bothered me because Nate is five and this other boy is ten.  In my mind, a 10-year-old should know not to bully around a kid in kindergarten.  If this was a 1st grader I wouldn’t think twice about it.  I’d tell Nate to stand up to him, tell him to stop treating him that way and then forget about it.  But a ten-year-old?  Shouldn’t they know better?  I sure hope I’m right in assuming that at ten, kids know right from wrong.  If not, we’re doing a horrible job as parents, teachers, and role models, and we need to step it up a bit.   

 There was a reason that my parents thought I went insane ten years ago and transferred home.  And it’s so clear what that reason was.