Happy New Year

I wasn't sure if I would get a chance to say it before it is officially upon us, so early is better than not at all.

I don't do resolutions...I have a hard time sticking to them, to be honest. I can tell you though, what I am hoping this year will bring.

There are a lot of things I want, of course. Not material things (although there are a few of those too), but just things.

The one thing though, that I am hoping this year will be is a year of self-examination. A year, to re-evaluate, where I am, where I want to be, and what exactly it is I want out this thing called life. It's been a long time coming, and what better time than now?

On The Agenda For The Long(ish) Weekend

Last night: family game night. Disney DVD Scene It, in which the team of Ryun and Emily kicked Katherine's and my butt. What was I thinking suggesting that those two be on the same team? You'd think I'd know better by now. Sheesh.

Tonight: Patriots fans rule this roost. Guess what we'll be doing?

Tomorrow: Undecorating. We usually do this right after the new year, but, quite inconveniently, the holiday falls in the middle of the week. Next week is too late and this weekend seems too early, but, we had to pick one.

Monday: Ryun will be working during the day. The kids and I will be enjoying another day of school vacation. This is most definitely the best vacation as far as school vacations go...new toys for Christmas have yet to loose their appeal, making entertaining the kids one heck of a lot easier.

Monday night: Where else would we be but, the Utley's New Year's Eve Bash?

Tuesday: The New Year's Day tradition: Adam and Jean's house for some fantastic Italian dining, and wonderful company to boot.

Wednesday: back to "real life."

Survey

Do you believe in the "natural treatment" of mood disorders, ADHD, and things of that nature? How well do you think things like herbs, fish oils and other "natural remedies" work?

I am not sure why exactly, but sometimes, these types of treatments seem more appealing to me than the standard, "take this manufactured drug" and all will be well again.

What do you think?

Christmas: Present Review

The big hits were...

Nintendo Wii from Mimi and Papa for Emily and Katherine (and apparently Ryun who maybe has played it equal to the amount of time the girls have.

This very cool toy for Julia. I set it up today for her and she LOVES it.


And for Ryun and I? A weekend away here, courtesy of my parents, to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We will actually be leaving on our anniversary (May 24th) which actually falls on Memorial Day weekend, just like it did the year we were married. I am beside myself with excitement over this, as you might imagine. We have been there once before, with Ryun's grandparents, back when Emily and Katherine were little, and I LOVED it.

The rest:

Emily: fashion sketch book, Bingo game, digital camera, bracelet, Be Bratz doll, Hairspray DVD, moon sand, journal, clothes, Streak and Style Hair, tooth tunes, and a book.

Katherine: Checkers game, digital camera, Be Bratz doll,bracelet, Ratatouille DVD, snowperson, moon sand, journal, clothes, Gelastic, beading set, Cranium Zoo game, tooth tunes

Julia: Aqua Doodle Color, Planet DVD, Eric Carle's ABC book, Wooden puzzle, letter sorting puzzle, clothes, Leap Frog Dominoes, tea party set.

Emily and Katherine also got as "share" toys: High School Musical Dance Mat, Home Alone DVD, ET DVD, Rampage Wii, Chicken Little Wii, Playground Wii, Bowling Wii, Puppy Wii, Carnival Wii. Disney Scene It DVD Game, and the High School Musical 2 DVD.


So they barely got anything this Christmas, poor kids (LOL). These of course, weren't all from Ryun and I.

Christmas: In Pictures

Obviously, Emily was very excited to get this gift. It's a "Be Bratz" doll, that you can activate online and build a room, take care of her etc. Basically, it's the same idea as Webkinz.

Here's Julia looking very determined. She was trying hard to get the wrapper off of her chocolate Santa.

Julia loved her snowperson (Thanks Deb!)

Ditto for Katherine.

ANother one of Katherine's favorite gitfts was this journal. She loved the shiny cover and fluffy pen.

Here's Julia hanging with Dad in the rocking chair.

The last three "posed" pictures were taken just before we started opening presents.

We had a very nice day, the details of which I would love to share, but, I am too tired! Back tomorrow with more!

Sugar Cookies: The Julia Edition

Early this afternoon, I decided to roll out the dough, and start the infamous "sugar cookie making extravaganza." Julia quickly took notice (the older two kids were out in the snow) and insisted that not only was I using playdough and not cookie dough, but, that she must help me immediately. I gave her some of the dough, a little flour, and a couple of the smaller cookie cutters I wasn't using. She pulled a chair up to the counter and started to play. She decided not long after to strip down to her underwear, apparently perturbed by the fact that her outfit was getting "messy."

Anyway, of course, I took some pictures, of both Julia and the cookies, in various stages of being done.

Here is the counter, all prepped and ready for some dough.

Julia, hard at work.

Obviously, she was having a great time.

...in the oven...

...cooling on the racks...

...and finally, frosted and ready to consume.
Yum.

Chirstmas Meme

1. Wrapping or gift bags?
Gift bags, except for the cost. I am probably the world's worst wrapper though so gift bags rock.

2. Real or artificial tree?
We've done both. Artificial has been the way to go for us for a while though...less clean up and less work (vacuuming the needles and watering).

3. When do you put up the tree?
Either Thanksgiving weekend or the weekend after. This year, it was the weekend after.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Whatever weekend surrounds the New Year holiday.

5. Do you like egg nog?
LOVE it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Oh, hell. I don’t know. Most of ‘em were pretty good. Ditto, Deb.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes.

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Is there *truly* such a thing? Right on Deb. No such thing as a bad gift...it truly is the thought behind the gift that counts in my book.

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Snail mail.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie?
A Christmas Story.

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Around Thanksgiving.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Food? I am really not picky.

13. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Colored.

14. Favorite Christmas song(s)?
Merry Christmas Darling.

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Ryun would say home for sure...me? I am happy wherever the extended family is.

16. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Hell, yeah.

17. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
Morning.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
F'ing people who don't know how to drive in a mall parking lot. (Why yes, I did go to the mall today, why do you ask?)

20. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color?
Not unless “random stuff” is a theme.

21. What do you leave for Santa?
cookies and milk. Usually home made sugar cookies.

22. Least favorite holiday song?
Love em all.

23. Favorite ornament?
any homemade ones...especially those made by my kids.

24. Family tradition?
Mom and Dad's for Christmas dinner.

25. Ever been to Midnight Mass or late-night Christmas Eve services?
I seem to recall a midnight mass at some point.

Taken from Deb.

May I Present To You...

...Julia's first "homemade" contribution to the Christmas Tree:


And also, this adorable wall hanging, made by painting her foot and having her "stamp" the wood.



I may as well tell you, since you all know I am a sap already, a tear (or two) came to my eyes when I opened her bag and found these.

Have you ever had the urge...

...to just do your kid's homework for them because doing it would just be easier than actually trying to explain it? I find myself feeling that urge quite frequently, most especially when it comes to math. It seems that as an adult, I actually have the mental capacity, the logical reasoning skills and the patience needed to do the math, but completely lack the skills necessary to explain how to do the math. I had neither the know how or the explanations when I was a kid myself, so at least knowing how to actually do the math is progress. Still, it's frustrating.

Snow Babies Kids

Is anyone else hooked on ...

...Journeyman? That show just gets better and better with each passing week. There's a new episode on tonight too...two new episodes in one week!

Of course it totally helps that I am totally in love with the lead actor, Kevin McKidd.

***UPDATE*** Darnit..it looks like tonight's episode might be the last...EVER. It really sucks when you are addicted to a show that's cancelled. Blah.

I forgot to mention...

...as usual my concern for how Julia was going to behave at the concert was completely unnecessary. She was an angel, and absolutely adorable clapping and singing along to the music.

YAY!

Julia

The other night at dinner, she swallowed the wrong way and had a coughing fit. Tears filled her eyes, as they sometimes do when an "I swallowed the wrong way coughing fit" ensues. She wiped at them furiously and exclaimed angrily, "MOM, MY EYES ARE BROKEN!"

Emily

For the first time last night, Emily wore a bra. For the first time over the weekend, she wore nylons (as opposed to tights). Last night, she wore both at the same time.

So we were getting ready for her concert at school and she said, "God I feel so old with the bra and nylons. Next thing you know, I'll have a boyfriend, a car and a cell phone."

My response (after the laughter): "Let's take it one step at a time, Emily."

Anyway, here's the little darling last night before the show.

Katherine made some comment jokingly about how she looked like a "slob" and Emily looked beautiful so I told them to pose. I told Katherine to be a "drama queen" and Emily to be a "beauty queen." This is the result:

The concert was very good, by the way. I was very impressed with the band, orchestra and chorus, especially considering that the students just started instrument lessons in fourth grade, and chorus in the 5th. They all sounded great.

Staying Until The Final Curtain

Emily's chorus concert is tonight at 7pm. She came home with a note on Friday, reminding us of what she is supposed to wear (black skirt or pants and a white blouse) and also with the details of how the students will be dismissed to their parents. Basically, when the students are done with their portion of the performance (this is also the band concert) they will be dismissed from the cafeteria at the end of the entire show. The emphasis on staying until the end of the show was evident in many parts of the letter (Please make sure to arrive on time and stay in the cafeteria until the end of the show, your parents will dismiss you at the end of the show etc). I understand the mentality behind it...for those who perform first, they have a full audience and if people leave when their performer is done, those at the end of the show have barely anyone there. It's not really fair and I feel bad, but, honestly, I have a three year old. The show doesn't start until 7pm. She doesn't nap anymore. My point? Keeping a three year old quiet and happy at 7 pm, for an extended period of time, it's just not going to happen, unless by some miracle of God, I can get her to nap today. So, unless we have to stay until the end because we have just the kind of luck that would make Emily's group the very last performance of the evening, we are leaving when she is done with her thing. It may not be fair to have an empty audience at the end of the show, but how fair will it be to have an unhappy three year old disturbing the show?

(You all of course realize that Julia is usually not a concern when it comes to this type of thing as I am usually able to distract her or find some way of keeping her entertained and happy, but it's just annoying to me that there was such a stress put on staying until the end of the show).

Milk and Bread

Why are they the "staple" of everyone's household shopping list during a major storm? If you didn't have milk in the house and were unable to leave for a period of time, what's the worst that could happen? So your kid doesn't have milk for a few days...it's not like that's some sort of life threatening concern. And bread? Again if you ran out and couldn't leave, would it be the end of the world? There are other things to eat besides sandwiches and toast when a storm blows through.

I have just always found it odd that when there is a storm coming, everyone and their brother runs to the store for milk and bread (and sometimes eggs).

Phone Call

I called Ryun a few minutes ago, knowing he would be on his way home.

He answered the phone, and in a very low, angry voice said, "Can I call you back? Now is reeeeeeally not a good time."

So naturally, I am freaking out. And, perhaps even more naturally, Ryun is probably freaking out about something minor.

I'll keep y'all posted.

***UPDATE*** It was an elevator door lock. Ok, people? Anyway, at least I can breathe now.

Topping the list of things that don't mix well we have...

...carpel tunnel and shoveling heavy, wet snow.

Ouch.

Ryun will be happy though, because I have managed to clear off the van and shovel a good portion of the lower half of the driveway that still needed to be done.

Results

The camera was on the wrong setting so it looks dark out and Emily and Katherine are a little blurry.

I promise you, there is a Dodge Caravan under there somewhere.

This is the path that Ryun shoveled when he got home last night. I shoveled the entire deck and stairs, as well as the lower half of the driveway, so Ryun could at least pull his car half way up the driveway.

Winter Wonderland.

Poor Ryun...

...has been commuting home since about 1:30 this afternoon...and he is just now getting in to Quincy.

Yikes.

In other unrelated news, check out this picture I took of the ice that formed on all of the branches the other day. The deck was like a skating rink too, which the kids thought was cool.

...And Here's What's Happening In My Neck Of The Woods...

That's a really loud plow you can hear in the background.

Comcast

This is such a long story so please pardon the short and abrupt tone this post may carry, but, you'd be here reading it all day long if I told you every detail in dramatic fashion. Here goes.

Way back in the beginning of November, we were solicited by Comcast asking us if we would like to sign up for their new digital voice home phone service. We would pay $99 per month for the first year for our phone, cable and Internet, not including the price of the box we had, or the modem rental fee and that we would get free HBO for a year. We already had the tv and Internet through them, so we figured why not? It would save us the $50 we paid Verizon every month for the phone, at least for a year during the special Comcast was offering. I made the appointment, and confirmed with Comcast rep that I would not need to call Verizon to switch the phone service. She said that Comcast would "take care of everything." So, the appointment was all set for November 23rd. The tech came out and couldn't complete the install telling me that there was a "CDV" fail and that I needed to call Verizon and tell them that they had to release my number to Comcast (and that maybe I had a block on my Verizon service that wouldn't allow other companies to come in and change the service). This was annoying, but not a big deal and whatever, mistakes happen, right? So I called Verizon and that rep told me that there was no reason Comcast couldn't come out and take the number. I called Comcast back and told the rep this and she rescheduled the appointment for 4 days out, and this time, transferred me out to a "third party" authorization thing, in which I had to confirm that yes I was able to make the change on the account, yes, I wanted to have Comcast as my phone service, and yes, if need be I would sign over my first born...blah blah blah. I thought because I hadn't done this third party thing before, that when they came out again we would be set. They came out again, and guess what? We had another "CDV" fail. So now, calm little me is starting to get slightly annoyed. I call Comcast again and explain the situation to the rep on the phone (from start to finish) and she says to me, "But wait, we have your phone service listed as being installed and working yesterday." So, now I am getting pissed. I tell her that I am staring at a phone cord dangling from the new modem he left, not plugged in anywhere and that I also have in my hand the work order that says right on it, "CDV Fail." She puts me on hold...for TWENTY freaking minutes, without checking in once just to say that she was trying to figure it out or whatever. She finally gets back on the line and says she will fix the problem, and oh by the way, did I want to schedule a new appointment for them to come out again? "No fucking thank you" is what I thought but what I said was that I would rather spend the $50 extra a month with Verizon than have to deal with the aggravation of dealing with Comcast." So I called Verizon back and asked them about the FiOS service and what the pricing would be for all three services with them what channels it came with, how fast the Internet etc. The price was less, we got more, and the customer service rep explained every last detail from the costs, to the channels, to the speed and everything in between. He even told me I would get a free, flat screen, 19 inch high def tv and a free wireless router just for signing up. So I did. He advised me not to cancel my Comcast services until the Verizon tech was here and all was said and done with my new install because Comcast had been known to shit customers off before the date requested and then I would have nothing. That was horrifying to say the least. Anyway, I did call Comcast back, just to verify that the phone codes were taken off of my account and backdated to the first day they were ever on there. I listened to the balance first and...it was $244! OK? I was ready to jump through the damn phone and kill somebody. When I got a rep on the line, I had to RE-EXPLAIN the entire situation from way back to the beginning of November because there were NO NOTES OR INDICATIONS OF ANY ISSUES on my account at all. I asked to speak with a supervisor who assured me that the codes would be removed and backdated and all would be right with the world again. When I called again yesterday to cancel my service, it appeared from listening to the balance that all was back to normal. When the rep I got asked why I wanted to cancel, I straight out said that I was "very disappointed and upset by" the customer service or lack thereof that I had gotten from Comcast. She said, "Really?" I was like, "Yes, really."

So that's the story and that is why, Comcast SUCKS.

Weekend

This weekend was the union Christmas Party. It was a lot of fun and I think the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There were two moonwalks, an area in which they could decorate gingerbread cookies, a long row of conference tables set up along one wall with crayons and paper for the kids to color, and of course the visit from Santa. Santa brought Emily the latest Harry Potter book, Katherine a Littlest Pet Shop set, and Julia a wooden puzzle (yes, we "sneak" the gifts in all labeled and ready to go so Santa can deliver them). We sang Christmas carols with the kids all sitting up front on the stage, and they were even treated to a reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by one of the party planning committee members. Santa was a little late in his arrival and the guy on the microphone said, "Maybe Santa's stuck in the elevator...can someone go check that out?" It was one of those corny jokes that turned out to be extremely funny, given we were in a room full of Elevator Mechanics.

On Saturday night, Julia and I went up to my sister Heather's house for the night and the next day we left to head up north to Suzanne's to watch the Pat's kick butt. Beforehand though, we went to the mall, and took Julia to the "Rainforest Cafe" for lunch which she loved. It has to be one of the most fun restaurants to take kids with all of the moving animals, the lighting and the thunderstorms to boot.

Yesterday Verizon came out to install the tv and internet (which reminds me I still need to do the Comcast post). So far, I am quite impressed.

Anyway, that again, explains my weekend absence. Darn weekends have a nerve being busy.

Christmas With Julia

For those of you who requested it...

...the "Comcast saga" will be posted soon.

Emily Update

Good news: no ear infection.

Bad news: strep throat.

Yummy pink medicine has been acquired and she should be back on her feet soon.

Trying Not To Freak

Emily has (well more than likely anyway) an ear infection. She has had only two ear infections in her entire life...one on June 29th, 2004 and one on October 13th, 2004. You might think it odd that I would remember the specific dates, but those dates happen to coincide with something else...her first ever seizure, and her last (known) seizure respectively. So yeah, every time she has ever had an ear infection she has had a seizure.

So, with the news that her med levels are low, and the added fact that she presented to the nurse with a fever of 101.7 and a slight redness to her ear, I am just slightly (ok more than slightly) concerned.

I am going to call the pediatrician when lunch hour is over and try and get an appointment for this afternoon. If I remember correctly the current school of thought with ear infections is to let then "run their course" for a few days before treating (which is just crazy if you ask me) but, I am hoping with her history, that they will make an exception.

As Ryun put it when I told him, "Sometimes an ear infection can just be an ear infection." Let's hope he's on to something there, huh?

Comcast...

...YOU SUCK. Your customer service sucks, your organizational skills (or lack thereof) suck and your prices are out-freaking-ragous.

So, I am canceling your ass, going with Verizon FiOS who's service I have yet to experience but, for the excellent customer service and MUCH BETTER pricing (which actually includes more channels and includes a FREE $400 television) I have received from them, the service could be inferior and it would still be worth it. Customer service is a big selling point for me and Comcast, you leave a lot, and I mean a lot to be desired.

So there.

Heroes

Wow...and holy crap...and, just, wow.

Why I Am Impressed With Emily's Teacher

She seems to be a wonderful teacher in all ways, academic and otherwise, but why am I really impressed?

She is reading the children a book called, "The Christmas Box" Not only is this one of my favorite books of all time, which is enough to impress me in and of itself, but it's a book about Christmas (and much more).

I am also really impressed because every day, the class sings a song. What song is it? "God Bless America."

It might not strike you at first. Why am I impressed? Because her teacher is actually celebrating Christmas, rather than having some sort of generic, "Holiday Celebration" and, she is singing a song, in school, with the word, "God" in it.

Politically correct is one thing, but taking the "fun" and tradition out of everything for the sake of those who may be offended? Well that's just wrong, and I am happy that her teacher seems to appreciate that fact.

Weekend Absence Explained

I hate when I have actual days between posts. Life just gets in the way sometimes.

Friday I was busy decorating the house. Friday night we decorated the tree as a family, while watching The Polar Express. We also completed the night with hot chocolate and egg nog (not together in the same cup). Julia was rightfully amazed by the tree and the lights and said the cutest thing while the tree was in the assembly stages; "We're making a tree right over there!" She has been unbelievably awesome about not touching the ornaments, or the various decorations that I daringly decided to set on the coffee and end tables. I have never been able to put things out like that. Emily and Katherine would never have allowed it...they just weren't the "do not touch" type of kids. I love, love, love having an easy toddler.

Saturday was the craft fair I had mentioned previously. It was fun, but other than that, not worth the time or effort...at least for me sales wise. I didn't sell a single thing, but, on the flip side, I handed out a few catalogs and business cards. Exposure is a good thing and maybe something will come of it. I am starting to get really frustrated with the whole thing to be honest, but, I am not ready to call it quits yet.

Katherine had a Girl Scout event yesterday so I did a little Christmas shopping after I dropped her off. I still have more to do, but progress is progress, right?

Last night the girls and I watched the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular which I recorded Saturday night. I have seen it "live" at Radio City back when Emily was just a wee little thing, and my parents took Emily and Katherine to Boston to see it last year. We enjoyed watching it last night, and Julia seemed to LOVE the dancing, costumes and music.

Anyway, that explains my absence over the weekend. I have plans to make out Christmas cards today, as well as get the house ready for "the boys" who will be making their way over tonight for poker. The house is fairly organized and clean (because I also did that on Friday while decorating) so it shouldn't be that hard to do.

Emily

Awhile back, she had her blood drawn to check her Lamictal level. We got the results yesterday and her level was so low, the doctor actually asked me if she was still taking it. Yikes. It is supposed to be between 12-30 and it was 1.75, or something like that.

So...this means we will be adding a pill to her morning dose meaning she will take three in the morning and three at night. She hasn't had any seizures, even with the low level but, I guess for it to be therapeutic, her level needs to go up, or the possibility of a seizure occurring would go up. The possibility of course, is always there no matter what her medicine level is because seizures? Yeah, they're annoying like that.

You know you're busy when...

...you can't even find the time to decorate your house for Christmas. We usually decorate the weekend of Thanksgiving but it was a busy, busy weekend. This week has been a little less busy, but still too busy with just the usual stuff to have time to get it done. The plan for now is that I will decorate tomorrow during the day, with Julia's help I am sure, and then we will do the tree tomorrow night as a family.

Saturday is the craft/vendor fair sponsored by the Middleborough PTA which I will be participating in, selling lia sophia. I have a little prep work to do for that (which includes coming up with some fantastic idea for a drawing, and thinking of some creative ways to get sales and especially bookings for the new year). Any thoughts? I really am ready for this to take off, but I need to schedule some shows to have that happen! One good thing (of many) about lia sophia is I basically can do anything I want (without, you know, violating the law) to run my business. I belong to a couple of online lia groups that I am going to scan today and see what I can come up with.

Anyway, that's the update from this neck of the woods. I don't anticipate being around here much over the next couple of days, but, you never know. I might find the time.

Things I Want To...

post about...
-Julia's new IEP
-spending more quality time with the kids
-Christmas crafts I have planned
-scrapbook projects I have planned

get done...

-actually spend time reading some of the Education sites I subscribe to
-clean my bedroom, livingroom, and kitchen
-fold all of my laundry and put it away
-organize the office
-read the book I got a while back that I have only found the time to scan, rather than read
-make the phone calls I need to have to make

So, I have, as usual a lot to do and, it's bothering me and making me feel all pressured to get it all done. I seriously have problems with this type of thing. I always have too much to do and either no motivation (which is the case most of the time) or not enough time to get them done. I let it bother me and I shouldn't. Nothing earth shattering is going to happen if I don't clean the bedroom, or the livingroom, or read the book, of post about the various things I listed, so why can't it go?

Pictures from Thanksgiving Day...

Random Pictures

These were a couple of the attempts to get my pictures of the grandkids for my parents Christmas card. These aren't the ones that were used (the one that was is on another camera) but these two came out adorable.

Here we have Julia practicing her scary face.

The Clean Your Plate Methodology

Do you subscribe to it? As in, do you "force" your kids to clean their plates, even if they may not like what is on it or may not be hungry? What about cooking separate meals for kids who are picky about what they eat?

I don't generally force anyone to eat anything they don't want and most of the time, believe that if kids are hungry they will eat. I try to do a fair amount of convincing that eating what they are served would be a good idea, and tell them that if they don't eat dinner, there will be no desert (if we happen to have any "deserty" type thing in the house which isn't the norm around here). I used to have to be a little more persuasive with Katherine who basically had to eat to avoid a hypoglycemic attack but, that hasn't happened in a long enough time for me to believe that she has outgrown it.

As for cooking separate meals, I admit to doing it for Julia a number of times, back when she was having actual issues with eating. There were a select few things that she would eat (toast and yogurt being the biggies). She had major sensitivities to most everything else and basically refused to eat. She was at the stage where not eating was basically not an option (she wasn't gaining weight and actually had to go for weight checks at the pediatrician). Other than that very specific situation, I basically never cook a separate meal at the request of my kids.

What about you?

Yes, She's Three, Why Do You Ask?

Tonight at dinner, Julia was refusing to eat. This hasn't happened in a long time (OT is a wonderful thing). Anyway, after a good half hour of begging, pleading and even bribing with leftover birthday cake, I finally decided that nothing I did was going to work, and took her plate away to the trash. She promptly burst in to tears and said, "You took my plate away," followed shortly by her crossing her arms in protest and saying, "You're gonna be very in trouble." I said to her, "But Julia, you didn't want to eat it." Her response? "Yeah, but it's mine!"

The kid cracks me up, yes she does.

Thankful

It's a bit late, but, Happy Thanksgiving. I have alot to be thankful for.



See?

Back

I have been absent from this here blog for a while, huh? The beginning of the week was used for recovering from the pneumonia. By Monday I was basically back to my usual self, but I gave it a couple of days before taking on anything too serious. The rest of the week was used to play catch up (being deathly ill for a week tends to cause some problems with a back log of stuff to do, you know)? Throw in a lia sophia show, major holiday, family birthday, a parade, and a birthday party for said family member, and it leaves little time for anything else.

I have pictures, a video, and a few posts working their way from my head to the computer though, so I will be posting again soon, maybe even tonight.

Happy Birthday...

...to my daughter, Katherine, who turned 8 at precisely 10:48 this morning. It doesn't seem possible, does it?

Holiday Must-Haves

First and Foremost: Josh Groban's latest, Noel. Because, just, OMG...it's Josh Groban and it's Christmas and just...trust me on this one. I myself couldn't resist it while in Walmart last week shopping for Katherine's birthday...but really, who can resist Josh?

The crown jewel of holiday food shopping: Egg Nog. While the price makes me cringe, I am quite sure it will make it's way to the old food shopping list weekly until it disappears from the shelves sometime around the new year. Kahlua too, although not weekly...one bottle will last me well in to the new year. But Kahlua and eggnog=yummy.

In the confusing category we have...

...Julia's teacher list at preschool.

Miss. Janet (classroom teacher)
Miss. Jan (classroom asst. teacher)
Miss. Jackie (speech)
Miss. Betty (OT)
Miss. Becky (PT)

So for a kid with speech problems, this could be just a tad confusing, huh? It's great that Julia's good with names!

Classic Julia

"Jack, what happened to your handsome?"

This after looking at Jack's face and noticing that he had chocolate chip cookie all over it.

Priceless, isn't she?

On The Mend...Already

After 2 full does of the antibiotics, and one working it's way through the old system as we speak, I feel, probably, 100 times better than I did. I also feel like a 100 lb weight was lifted from my chest. The cough is slowly turning in to the every day, normal cough you get when you have a every day, normal cold, and for the first time in 6 days, I have no fever. I can even breathe normally without cringing in pain. So life? It's comparatively good compared to the past week.

Perhaps the most tragic thing of this whole experience? Twice (the only two times I even attempted it over the past 6 days) I had to dump two almost full cups of Dunky's down the drain. That was one way I knew, that I wasn't just your "usual amount of sick." We all know that dumping a full cup of Dunkin Donut's coffee down the drain(let alone two) is sure to land me a nice spot in the fiery pits of hell.

Why A Primary Care Doctor Would Be A Good Thing

I could potentially avoid a 4 hour wait in the ER. Yeah. FYI, I have pneumonia. Fun. I have been prescribed and antibiotic and told to rest and drink plenty of fluids, you know, the usual.

Back soon.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Emily: Ditto from every other year. She's doing well academically, she's cooperative and a sweet girl, but she's disorganized, has trouble listening and staying on task, and her writing/thoughts are disorganized. So basically, the usual and to be honest, at least this year, I am not all that concerned. If she's doing well academically, then that's my main concern. Next year she goes to middle school, which will involve switching classes, and a whole new level of responsibility, which I think could have the potential to affect her academics. I will worry about that when it comes.

Katherine: on grade level with math, science, and history. Her reading and writing are improving, but still slightly below grade level. Her reading level coming in to second grade was 12 (most kids are about an 18) and as of right now, just two months or so in, she is at a 14-16. She will be getting a one on one tutor in the classroom on Fridays through the Title I program. Her teacher said she can be chatty, but that she is very cooperative, raises her hand and gets along well with others.

So, that about does it. Julia's PT conference was during her Special Ed meeting the other day, the details of which were posted over at Adventures in Education.

UGH...

Here's the scene: Me, sitting in the living room, folding laundry. I start to notice the chills coming back, accompanied by increased achy feeling. I go in to the office, pick up the thermometer, and take my temperature. The reading: 102.6

Me (out loud to the thermometer and to the illness in general):"GO THE (EXPLICATIVE) AWAY!"

At least I got the living room, bathroom and a good chunk of the laundry done before it set back in.

YUCK.

Down For The Count

Talk about a KO. I have never, ever in my entire life felt as sick as I have since Tuesday night. Today is the first day that I feel mildly functional.

Being a sick person and being a sick Mom/housewife are two totally different things, BTW. Life doesn't stop, like it does when you are a kid. I had to go to a parent teacher conference sick, bring the kids to their Jungle Gym class sick, and bring Katherine to Girl Scouts sick. I even had to food shop sick, which was a task in and of itself as I wasn't quite sure how I was going to actually walk up and down the aisles without passing out. Thank God I had the carriage to lean on. Seriously, it was that bad. I have felt weak, at times dizzy, occasionally sick to my stomach, achy and feverish over the past few days. To be perfectly honest, I am not even sure I should have been driving. I could have asked Ryun to help out of course, but he was sick too. He actually stayed home from work yesterday which is not like him at all. He didn't seem to get it quite as bad as I did, but he is the type of person that even just a little sick, is grumpy and uncooperative.

Today seems to be a bit better, although I still have a fever (only 100.9 as compared to the 102.5 the other day) and the body aches. Miraculously, it seems as though the kids have escaped the worst of it, although they all still have the coughs that won't quit. Julia's cough seems to be productive at least, but Emily and Katherine have these dry, hacking coughs that at times can sound like they are choking. It's a little alarming, especially considering Katherine's has lasted for well over a month, but, they don't seem to have any other symptoms of illness. Still, if it doesn't call it quits soon, I may have to bring them to the doctor.

In an apocalyptic, end of the world type of thing, my sister, my mother, Ryun and I all seemed to come down with this within days of each other, starting off with Heather, and ending with Ryun. We were all together over the weekend at Jack's birthday party and again that night at Edaville. We have determined, based on the fact that no one else from Jack's party is sick, that we must have picked it up somewhere at Edaville. I found it strange that we all got it so quickly,within the space of a day of each other, and that the kids (so far) haven't gotten it, that I was have expecting to see a news article that said something like this, "Adults Visiting Edaville Sickened, Cause Being Investigated."

Anyway, I have an unprecedented amount of laundry and housework to catch up on. My house is so trashed I would actually be humiliated if someone was to see it (and that's saying something). I am going to take it easy though, doing a little at a time. I feel better, but not 100 % and don't want to wear myself out.

Dear cold, plague, flu thingy...

...that has infected my house...

If it is your intent to kill me (because that is certainly how it feels), could you make it as quick and painless as possible?

Thanks.

Emily's School Picture

Gorgeous.

FYI

Adventures In Education has been updated, with the details of Julia's Eligibility meeting.

Julia: She's In

As mentioned previously, I was expecting to receive notice of Julia's meeting regarding her eligibility for classroom instruction at the integrated preschool. I had that meeting today. As indicated by the title, she is still eligible! YAY! Mostly, I was happy with this result, but there is always that small part of me that hopes that she will have made enough progress to test out. So it's sort of a catch 22.

Anyway, here is what the report says:

Julia was evaluated on several occasions during her school day. Initially, she was very quiet and did not speak to the examiner but she soon warmed up and was able to participate in the testing tasks. Julia did not always process information accurately and sometimes answered questions based on only part of the information. She had difficulty understanding some of the directions and one subtest was not completed because of this.

It said of course, much more than that but that about sums it up. The main concern with everyone involved seems to be in the area on language processing. The gross motor skills seem also to be still at the forefront, but she really has made remarkable progress in this area.

Her IEP will remain basically the same with the added goal of increasing independence and an additional day of school (Wednesday to go along with her usual Tuesday and Thursday).

Julia

...has been having a tough time with going to bed lately. She is refusing to start the night off in her own room (and there's only so much, of the "let her cry it out" philosophy that I am willing to subscribe to). She has been falling asleep on the couch (later than her normal bedtime of 7ish, usually between 8-9 sometime). This started off with her saying that there was a sad face on her door. I thought it was a strange thing to say and the first time she said thought maybe one of the older two had drawn a sad face and posted it to her door. I checked and saw nothing. The next couple of nights she said the same thing so I went so far as to go up and study the wood grain on her door, seeing if I could somehow make out a sad face, and found nothing. I finally figured out that she was either seeing a ghost, or thinking of any way possible to avoid bed. This has been going on for weeks now. She has also been having a tough time sleeping through, more so over the past week with her cold. She has been waking up an average of four out of seven nights and coming down to spend the rest of the night with us. This of course means that I have been getting little sleep on those nights because I just don't sleep as well when she is there next to me.

So last night was no different. She ended up falling asleep on the couch, a little after 9, and shortly thereafter, Ryun brought her to her crib. We hosted poker here last night so we were up late, until after midnight. Just after I fell asleep I woke to this incessant banging noise that just wouldn't quit. Yup, you guessed it, it was my bleeping neighbor playing he damned drums, at twelve freaking thirty in the morning. This after he came over about a month ago and asked (even though I had never said anything to him about the previous incident) if there was a time that it wouldn't be good for him to be playing and I had said after 10. I thought even that was generous of me, but apparently not. So of course, he woke Julia up. I was so fired up, that even if I had been able to sleep well with Julia beside me, I wouldn't have been able to. Poor Julia woke up scared, called out for "Dad" and when he picked her up out of her crib, she said, "Is that the drums?" almost sounding confused herself as to why she was hearing them in the middle of the night.

So I guess it's time to play bitchy neighbor and go have a conversation with the guy...maybe get him to understand that waking a sleeping child is like, a mortal sin or something. Teach him a little bit about respect and common courtesy.

First though, I have to work up he nerve. I am such a "don't rock the boat" kind of person, but, I am afraid Ryun, if I chose to send him over might commit mortal sin himself and that folks, wouldn't be good.

Cranberries!

I have more than I know what to do with, between my mother's friend and Cousin Jeff (Cousin Jeff isn't really a cousin of ours, just a nickname for one of the Monday Night Poker guys)both giving us "fresh from the bog" berries. So far, I have made two cranberry breads (one that called for the usual orange juice and one that I had never tried before that had no OJ in it but had the interesting ingredient of cinnamon added to it), a cranberry/apple crisp and just a few minutes ago, a homemade cranberry sauce. I an anxious to try the cranberry sauce, having never attempted to make my own or ever having tried homemade, but, it has to cool for a while before that can happen. I plan on making a Grilled Cranberry Chicken (the recipe for which I have posted at some point but an too lazy to link).

I need some additional recipes though! I might try and make a cranberry/banana bread since I have bananas that will need to be used soon however, any other suggestions would be great! i would love to do something "appetizer-like" rather than the desert/bread type of things that are typically recommended for cranberry use, but I am open to anything.

Have at it!

Katherine's School Picture

Cute, isn't she?

Weekend

Yesterday was Jack's birthday party at my parents house. It was fun and Julia and Jack are so cute together, that words can't even begin to describe. Jack basically wanted nothing to do with anyone else, except Julia. He copies everything she does, right down to wanting to take his shoes off just because she did.

After the party, we went to Edaville. It pays to know people that live in Carver. Why? This weekend is what Edaville calls "Carver Days" and Carver residents pay no admission to the park. Up to four people can go in per license/ID so Mom and Dad split my family and my sister between them, and no one paid anything. It was a little earlier in the season than I usually like to go but it was free so who could pass that up? All in all it was a nice night (with just the usual amount of drama one could expect when you take kids to an amusement park). Julia was adorable when we pulled in to the parking lot, saw the Christmas lights and she said, before anyone else had said anything, "Look at all the Christmases!" When we were leaving I thanked my parents for living in Carver. Heh.

Today I have a lia sophia show in Braintree. I may stop at my sister Heather's apartment on the way home. Tomorrow, Emily goes to the eye doctor and Ryun hosts Monday night poker.

Happy Birthday...

...to my adorable nephew Jack, who turns two today! Julia and I are heading out shortly to meet Jack and Suzanne for lunch at Bugaboo Creek.

Fish

One of the big things on the high blood pressure diet Ryun was given is fish. I don't know why exactly, but it seems to me, that lately, fish is being pushed as the be all end all of all bad things. I am not complaining, I love fish, I've just never cooked it. Ryun's idea of fish is a fish and chips dinner, which not only doesn't count as eating seafood in my book, but I am quite sure it is not the kind of fish the diet is talking about. He is open to trying it, if I am willing to cook it. Not only am I willing, but I have wanted to experiment with it for quite some time. So, what ideas do you have for cooking it? I was basically planning on buying haddock or cod (or some other kind of light type of fish), seasoning with bread crumbs, garlic and perhaps a few other seasonings and baking it in the oven. I am looking for advice on how to tell when it is done, seasoning ideas and any recipes you want to share. Thoughts?

Emily: Driving and Seizures

Emily asked me yesterday what would happen if she had a seizure while driving. I was honest with her and said, "You would probably get in a car accident." The she asked if that meant she wouldn't be able to get her license. I told her that rule in MA was that she would have to be seizure free for six months in order to get it (it seems to me that this would be impossible for the registry to track...not that I would let her drive if she had had recent seizure but I am just saying). I then told her that she was on a three year seizure free streak (October 21st marked the three year anniversary of her last known seizure)so with any bit of luck that would keep up. I also told hr not to worry about it now, because it was six years away (then to myself...HOLY SHIT, it's only six years away!).

She was kind of funny when we went to get her blood work done. Katherine was having a blood sugar test done (the only other thing the urologist did) so I had Emily's med levels check while we were there (finally...I should have done this at her doctors request after her last appointment in May). Anyway, the woman taking the blood asked if either child had ever had blood drawn and how they would be. I said that they had both had it done numerous times (and too much for my taste if you ask me) and that one would cry and one would be fine. When we went in to the room to actually have it done, Emily said to the woman, "I am the older one and I am the one that will cry. Bet you thought it was the younger one who would, didn't you?" Too funny. She did cry a little but as usual, stayed still and was fine after all was said and done.

Katherine: Bedwetting

Yesterday was her appointment with the urologist. I wasn't all that impressed to be honest with you (except with his good looks and bedside manner). I'm and not a doctor but it would seem to me that the first thing to do would be to test her urine? He didn't. He had her go to the bathroom and then did an ultrasound of her bladder to see if it was empty (it was) and then basically said this:

Ninety percent of all kids who have a bedwetting problem past the age of 5 have a problem with too much "poop" in the colon, causing it to push on her bladder, leaving no room to expand, hence the pee just comes out.

It was a little more technical than that, but, that is what he said in a nutshell. It would seem like a logical thing to me if she didn't have a regular schedule but she does so, I'm not buying it. However, just for the sake of saying I did it, I will fill the prescription for the powder he prescribed that will make her go, and see what happens. Who knows? It could work.

Pressure

Y'all might remember this post awhile back? After posting that, Ryun went on to have a few more high readings, which led to my convincing him to go see a doctor. We made an appointment for a physical and his blood pressure was fine. Not too long after that (maybe a month or so), he went back to the doctor thinking he had an ear infection. It turned out to be TMJ, so he was prescribed an anti-inflamatory, and sent on his way, but not before they checked his blood pressure (because of his history), and had another high reading. He was asked to check it regularly over the next few weeks, record the results, and then come back in and report them. The results were high most of the time, with a few regular readings thrown in. He went back last night, had yet another high reading, and was sent home with a prescription for a diuretic and a diet plan (The Dash Diet to be exact).

From the two page sheet that was sent home with him the diet looks like this: low sodium, easy on the red meats and sweets, and high on the fruits, veggies and fish. It also calls for exercise.

Anyway, he didn't seem too stressed about the whole thing which is good. He has an appointment in a couple of months to follow up, so we will see ow it all goes and take it from there.

The Catch All Health Update

In descending age order we have:

Ryun: officially diagnosed with Stage 1 hypertenstion this evening (more on that later).

Sharon: has an on and off again tooth ache.

Emily: with her blood drawn for her med levels today, started asking questions about the fairness of it all (more on that later too).

Katherine: had an appointment with the urologist today to try and figure out the bed wetting thing and he thinks if she poops she'll be fine (um, ok and again, more on that later). Oh, and the cough that just won't fucking quit . GO AWAY!

Julia: appears to be getting the cold that Katherine is maybe, actually, possibly going to get over at some point, and that Emily has just gotten over.

This all really begs for a much longer and more detailed entry which will happen at some point, so stay tuned!

Free stuff...

...rocks and I got a ton of it this weekend!

I got...

a chocolate brown picfolio minutes album
2 packs of twinkle photo mats
1 package of cabana great lengths stickers
15 sheets of 10x12 paper
50 journaling boxes
20 photo mats
a black round tip pen
and tons and tons of stickers!

Wahoo! I am so excited about scrapping right now, I can't even tell you!

A More Detailed Review

A weekend away scrapbooking sounded like heaven but I had never been to a crop of that magnitude, so I really had no idea. Turns out, my thoughts of heaven were right on.

The weather was nightmarish on Saturday, causing multiple power outages in our rooms, but not managing to fully go out in the ball room until after 10, just in time for the chocolate buffet, which we ended up eating by candlelight. The generator had kept the power running in the function rooms for the bulk of the storm and didn't manage to go out until it was winding down, which was odd. After eating way too much chocolate, we were too wired to go to bed and unable to scrap so we ran next door to "Bud's Country Pub" and had a nightcap. We weren't really sure what to think of a pub that's name started out with "Bud's Country" but it turned out to be a nice little place, and we got to watch the end of the BC game (it was strange that they had power right next door but, we weren't complaining).

As for the actual scrapping, I managed to get A LOT done, including an entire book for Katherine ( I am making one for each of my girls) and a good chunk of the scenic picture album done. I am completely rejuvenated and motivated to scrap now, which is good because I had kind of lost my groove there for a while.

The news on the homefront was that Julia missed me so much she actually cried for me a few times which was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Ryun managed to get a lot done including washing the floor, changing the sheets on all of the beds, vacuuming upstairs and helping the kids clean their rooms. This was way more than I ever expected (and in all honesty I figured he would be sitting around all weekend except for washing the floor which he always does before hosting Monday Night Poker) but, I am certainly not complaining.

Emily and Katherine went with my sister and brother in law and cousins to see, "The Bee Movie" yesterday. They had fun and loved the movie. They too, were very happy to see me when they got home.

Math My Way

Scrapping+beautiful hotel+wonderful food+a chocolate buffet+wonderful friends+a Nor'Easter= Heaven.

Weekend Hiatus

Heading south to the Cape for the weekend. I will be back Sunday night or sometime Monday...

One Of My Favorite Passages Ever

Taken, of course, from a Richard Paul Evans book, called, "The Looking Glass."

"Through the course of my own life, I have come to believe that life is not gifted by the sweep of the clocks hand or the change of the season, but rather, experientially, each experience laid upon the previous, delivering us to a loftier plane. Perhaps this best describes my concept of God-the architect of that ascent and the divine, unseen wind that propels us through the uncharted waters of our own destiny. But salvation, spiritual or otherwise, is not a solitary matter and along such journeys there are companions placed along our travels and travails, fellow sojourners who forever alter our paths and sometimes carry us when we are too weary to carry ourselves."

Yup, She's Three...

...and Julia proved it yesterday while out shopping when she yelled after showing obvious frustration with the wind blowing her hair, "WIND, STOP SHAKING MY HAIR!" This, following many, many "I'm three and darn it, I know everything" moments that took place while shopping, causing me to have to leave early, before finishing what I needed to.

Halloween Pictures

In keeping with tradition, we went over to my parents neighborhood, met up with the Ryan family, and went trick or treating with the kids. Julia did remarkably well, walking for the entire night, until she declared, "I want to go back to Mimi and Papa's" at which time, I plopped her in the carriage I had brought just in case. Ryun continued on with the older two, and even ventured in to the next neighborhood before heading back to Mimi and Papa's around 8:30 or so. It was weird starting out later than normal. We had to wait until it was dark enough, which really didn't happen until 6:30 or so. Julia fell asleep just about as soon as we pulled out of my parents neighborhood on the way home, and the Emily and Katherine crashed after teeth brushing and pajamas.

I only managed to get a few pictures, the quality of which is questionable. They look a little grainy to me which is more than likely because I had to print them first, as opposed to uploading them directly from my camera.

Katherine Jackie and Nate, posing at Mimi and Papa's house.

This was taken just after Julia almost fell (Mommy saved her from a skinned knee or two by holding a little tighter to her hand as I felt her starting to trip). She looks like she's saying, "Whoa, that was a close call."

Finally, this was taken on Nana Judy's front stairs, just before we set out for the night.

FYI

Adventures In Education has been updated twice.

Changing Direction

It was my intent, when I started this blog to feature more commentary on the benefits and problems I see with public education. I have kind of strayed from that to a degree, and while the personal stories are fine, I am hoping to change the direction back to the original idea of the whole endeavor.

I subscribe to various educational related websites (most of which are linked on the sidebar) and will be using those, as well as other resources to come up with ideas, as well as comment on articles written at those sites and others.

There will still be stories personal in nature, but expect to see more as well.

Social Anxiety

Yup, I've got it.

I am quite comfortable with those I know but starting a conversation with a complete stranger? Not gonna happen.

I actually get all panicky and nervous when I am going to have to be in a situation in which I am not familiar with the surroundings or the people involved.

I even get nervous sometimes when I am doing something I have done hundreds of times (for example, driving to Boston tomorrow for Emily's 6 month checkup at Children's). I am not nervous about the appointment really, but I am dying thinking about driving in to Boston.

It's funny, because I don't think anyone would ever know how hard it can be for me to be social sometimes. When I speak in large groups of people (or even in smaller groups like at PTA), my stomach is in knots before my turn comes up. I do fine and even manage to sound confident but it's all an act.

I think this is tied to a lot of other things when it comes to my personality, but, I can't be sure. I know it has to do with my level of confidence, but sometimes I think it is just the way I am.

Well Damn, I Could Have Told You That

There's a 65% Chance That You Need Therapy

You almost certainly need therapy. And there's nothing wrong with that. Lately life has not been easy for you. Why not let a therapist help you sort things out?

Do You Need Therapy?

I Know What You're Thinking

Your Superpower Should Be Mind Reading

You are brilliant, insightful, and intuitive. You understand people better than they would like to be understood. Highly sensitive, you are good at putting together seemingly irrelevant details. You figure out what's going on before anyone knows that anything is going on! Why you would be a good superhero: You don't care what people think, and you'd do whatever needed to be done Your biggest problem as a superhero: Feeling even more isolated than you do now

What Should Your Superpower Be?

IEP Review/Determination

Julia's will be coming up any day now. The teachers and special service providers (OT, PT and Speech Pathologist) had until October 23rd to complete their evaluations. I am assuming I will get the meeting date in the mail this week or next.

As happy as I am of course, that she is making huge amounts of progress in all areas (most especially speech), I really, really hope she is still eligible. Preschool has done wonderful things for Julia. The social aspect of the whole thing alone has been fantastic for her, and believe me, with parents like Ryun and I, it's amazing to me that we have any kids at all that enjoy being social (hello Emily). Ryun would always prefer to be alone and me? I am sure I have some form of social anxiety disorder...more on that in another entry at the personal blog.

I will update here when the decision has been made.

Ahhh...

This is where I will be spending my weekend. My Creative Memories Consultant is hosting a weekend long scrap booking retreat which is what I asked for as a birthday gift for my entire family to go in on (parents, sisters, and Ryun and the girls). I am beyond excited. A weekend away, in a hotel by myself, scrapping all day and night? It sounds like heaven to me.

FYI

Adventures In Education has been updated.

All I Ever Really Needed To Know

It occurs to me that I have never really expressed my views regarding how "unnecessary" school seems to me after a certain point. A somewhat heated conversation regarding educational funding at the Halloween party got me thinking about this again. The argument someone had was, in a nut shell, beyond the early years of learning to read, write, and do basic math, what did you really learn in middle and high school? Not much, or at least not much of relevance to "real life" is my guess.

"Well roundedness", it seems to me is the reason behind some of the classes you are required to take in later years. Foreign Language comes to mind, specifically. Aside from the fact that I have high doubts (and even did at the time) that I will ever use Spanish in my life, from my perspective, taking the class was a waste of 4 years time, given the fact that I barely remember how to say "hello", let alone anything else. While I enjoyed my American History class, aside from maybe being able to answer a few Trivial Pursuit questions that I otherwise might not have, I don't see it's relevance in my day to day life.

What do you think? Just how necessary is school after, say 5th grade?

All I Ever Really Needed to Know
I Learned in Kindergarten"
Robert Fulgham

Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned..

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life.

Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup - they all die. So do we.

And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

World Series

I am so glad, so so glad that the Sox won in 4. I would have been happy if they had won in any amount of games of course, but winning in 4 was especially sweet, because let me tell you, if I had to stay up in to the early hours of the morning for one more night, I might have died. I would have done it of course, impending death or not, but still, I am glad I don't have to!

YAY SOX!