Mischief Managed - Or Not

And On the Second Day

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:50:00 +0000

there was a great void. Silence filled the house and no cartoons (or game shows) were watched.

Today is the second day of school. I like to think of it as benchmark day. This is the day that will be an indicator of how the rest of the school year will we go. The newness is starting to wear off and the reality of nine months of formal learning will start.

Charles had a good day yesterday. Can I just say I LOVE high school? I L-O-V-E LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it. Charles needed schedule changes. I emailed his counselor and poof they were done - correctly with no gnashing of teeth or swear words. Algebra I and Creative Writing - POOF gone and hello PreAP Geometry and AVID. I LOVE high school. with all the books he's carrying around he's going to bulk up by Christmas.

Tommy had a good first day back. He is so excited to have a locker. There was no homework and his friend saved him a seat on the bus. Really it was a GREAT day.

Joey liked school but did not get to eat his snack and had recess BEFORe lunch - which upset his whole sense of order and justice. He also did NOT get to eat his snack so some one might have to die - he was not amused (proof that the apple does not fall far from it's tree.

What a difference a year makes. Last year on the first day of school, Eric and I walked Joey and Tommy to their classrooms. On the second day, I was prepared to walk Joey to the front door and kiss him goodbye. We got to the cross walk and told me he didn't need any help - he had Tommy and really Tommy was useless so he was good. I kissed him goodbye and watched the boys walk across the street. This year I told Joey i'd help him walk across the street. The he could go in the rest of the way by himself. We crossed the street and I kissed him goodbye and stood and watched as he started up the walk to the front door. Joey kept turning around to make sure I was there. each step he took got shorter and he moved slower. It was a step step - turn and wave at mom. He got the the drive and just stopped and then turn around and came back to me. He needed me to walk him to the school.

Mad About Harry

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:09:00 +0000

I need to preface this post with the disclaimer, I am serious about movies based on books I've read. My thoughts are someone took the time to use their talent to write a story a certain way. Major changes to a story are unsettling and disgust me to no end. I understand the need to condense a story to make it fit the time a movie runs I really do BUT when you take a story and make a movie and change the story to make it your own it verges on copywrite infringement in my opinion - don't bastardize a story just because you can.

Angels and Demons did NOT come after the DaVinci Code in Dan Brown's world. it came before - like the horse before the cart. The remaining preferati did NOT remain - he too died and did NOT become Pope, there is this little thing called CERN and Vittoria's father was PRIEST who worked with anti-matter. The assassin was a militant muslim and - well I won't go on.

The wrong sister died in My Sister's Keeper after a court battle to keep her organs and help the ailing sister die because she was tired of the fight. Alec Baldwin as the 30 something badass lawyer - um no the only thing Alec Baldwin says is foulmouthed bombastic blowhard with a weight management issue. Tell the movie like it is written and don't ad lib to make a movie according to your vision - the writer's voice needs to remain the TRUE voice of a film.

Cinematically, the HBP was beautiful to look at. The Hogwarts backdrop stunning. The story itself moved and the dialogue was very well written. However - this was the producer's version of the story and so NOT the story I read numerous times. As a movie for the sake of a movie, i suppose it was good - I'll have to watch it again to say anything about that. I was too mad at what wasn't included and what was added to really watch- as were most of the people around me - many of us were not happy.

STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOLIERS

GO BACK GO BACK SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!

Okay I warned you.

Harry and Dumbledore setting off from the Underground station - um no.

The opening of the HBP was very MUCH needed We needed to know about the two ministers but more importantly, the meeting with Dumbledore , the Dursley's and Harry. There was also Sirius' will and the bequeathment of the House of Black and Kreacher. Kreacher and Dobby played a part in THIS story as well as what is to come in Deadly Hollows.

Dumbledore placed a charm on Harry so that as long as he was underage and could made a visit to his aunt and uncle's he was safe from Volde. Petunia, and to a lesser extent Vernon, had to agree to this.

The sotry of Voldie's mother and father as well as his grandfather was important.

The revelation of some of the Horcux's and the way Riddle finds them was important. Hello - Harry KNEW about the ring that was Marvalo's, the book, the cup that was Hufflepuff's, the necklace that was Slyherin's are important Harry KNEW about these at the close of the book so that he, Ron and hermione had an idea - even though it was vague of what they were looking for.

There was no Fleur and Bill wedding being planned. the idea that love, even in the face of dark and dangerous times is a key motif of the story as a whole.

Tonks and Remus were NOT together in this story. TONKS found harry on the train NOT Luna. There were members of the OOP at the school protecting it from Voldemort. There was little in the movie about the fear and terror people felt as the dark lord regained power - parents pulled their children from Hogwarts people disappeared daily.

Slughorn KNEW Sirius - think about it - one of Sluggy's favorite students was Lilly (and wtheck was that fishbowl thing - really?) therefore Sirius would be the contemporary and Sluggy's student NOT Regulus. Regulus WAS Sirius' younger brother.

Draco used Madame Rosemerta as his vehicle for destruction. Dumbledore and Harry took off from and arrived back in Hogsmead BEcAUSE YOU CANNOT - EVEN IF YOU ARE ALBUS PRECIVEL DUMBLEDORE- APPARATE WITHIN HOGWARTS .you just can't .

Volde wanted to teach at Hogwarts and his employment with Borgin and Burke's in order to find items to make his horcruxs.

Then there is the little matter of no fight at Hogwarts when the death eaters came in between the OOP and Volde's flunkies. Bill got bit by Fenrir Greybeck and Fleur and Molly had a moment. Dumbledore would have never left the castle undefended.

Dumbledore's tribute scene with the wands in the air like you don't care version of a bad 80's hair band concert - - deplorable.

Finally, what the hell was the Children of the Corn scene? The scene in the book where the MoM came with Percy to the Burrow at Christmas could have easily and accurately displayed here - It was here that Harry told the Minister that he was through and through loyal to Dumbledore. The Ministry and all of their protective measures were almost as heinous as what Voldemort and his death eaters were doing. Instead we had Bellatrix and Scary McSurly leaving smoke trails through a corn field at Christmas (corn does not grow at Christmas in England ) poor poor choice.

I left the theatre sad about what I had scene - the movie could have been so much more and it wasn't. It was just a movie based loosely on a book.

As for the PG rating - it was fine. Very little in this book was scary, I think that joey could watch and enjoy it - unlike the 4th and 5th installments. this movie was almost light and happy.

So there you have it - that's what i have to say about that

So tonight whilest I worked my husband went to Fry's

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Sat, 30 May 2009 03:59:00 +0000

THANK GOD he went while I was at work. Seriously, I will never get those hours of my life spent in that store back. For him, Fry's is Nirvana, It 's like the shoe store for me - a new surprise around every corner (though I doubt he'd like to roll around naked on the electronics like I'd like to do among the shoes)

For the "unenlightened - or the blessed as I like to think - Fry's is a place that sells electronics, TV's build your own computers appliances - etc etc etc. It also sells a lot of crappy electronic junk, it's Radio Shack on crack. I hate this place. It makes my head hurt and I want to lay down on the floor and cry at the mere thought of going here.

When I got back from work, the younger boys told me that daddy took them to fry's like it was some secret I was not meant to know. eric told me only spent $30. i wasn't worried. that's about all he spends at that store. he always fonds a gadget or two to buy.

None of it works - but it fills the drawer nicely.

Today's purchase was an adapter that was supposed to plug into our iPods and charge them and transmit the songs over an FM radio station. That grey SUV driving around Little Elm at 10 PM - that was us. Trying out our $30 piece of crap. Mind you, we already have a plug thingy that docks my iPod in the car and plays it out of the auxilliary port. It works and I like it. I also have a car charger for my iPod. Neither of these work on his ipod though.

As I type, he's outside, in the dark trying to make this thing work.

He needen't worry, I threw out a bunch of plug thingy's a few weeks ago when i purged the junk drawer - we have room.

I have found my people

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:38:00 +0000

and they are calling me home.

Joey brought home a birthday party invitation yesterday for Saturday and I called to RSVP. The mom informed me that they will be celebrating at the WiggleTown Indoor Center. Would I be staying?

She sensed the hesitation in my voice and informed me that the play center has a liquor license.

This is brilliant - and answers my question - I knew Anthony Wiggle drank.

So now they want to tax sodas because kids are fat

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:33:00 +0000

and this will pay for universal health insurance. Seriously Mr. President. Put down Karl Marx and open your eyes.

Kids are fat because we make them fat. Taxing each can and bottle of non-healthy beverages isn't going to fix anything. Look at the great State of Texas. Sodas, chips, candy and other sweets have been banned from elementary campuses across the state and yet, The great state has some of the fattest kids in the nation.

Instead look at the guidelines set forth by the federal student lunch program. Those meals - deemed by the government experts of nutrition - are loaded with fat, carbohydrates, sodium and void of any nutritional value. Looking at how mouch kids throw away at lunch time leads me to believe the tatse is foul as well.

Tell me how a baked, breaded regurgitated chicken patty covered in gravy with white rice,corn, canned pears and flavored milk is healthy? Now feed your average kid that crap and then send them back to class. Take away recess and Pe because they are day wasters.

This is why our kids are fat.

If you want to truly make a difference - bring back recess and physical education - make them mandatory. Who cares if a kid is Left Behind when his Behind is as big as a house?

Revamp the federal lunch program with meals like those your daughters consume at their private school cafeteria.

So here we are - three months post having a GIRL

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:45:00 +0000

and the changes and differences are mazing.

This little girl has the household wrapped around her sweet dimpled fingers and she knows it and uses it to her cute baby advantage.

Her brothers adore her. They will do anything to make her smile and then argue about who cam=n or who did make her smile or laugh the biggest. This can be blood sport. The competition is fierce. It amazes me to see how the boys will knock each other around and then two seconds later coo and talk to their sister.

She uses this to her advantage. She can roll herself over now. This is an issue because she does not like to be on her tummy. So she rolls over and calls to her brothers - which ever one is closest. She cries - not a real "I'm unhappy and have tears" cry but a "Come help me because I want to see how fast you can dance attendance one me" cry. This works every time - multiple times in a row because she has learned boys are basically stupid when it comes to cute girls.

The relationship between Madaleine and her daddy is amazing as well. He loves her in a way that melts my heart. I dotes on her in ways that he didn't with the boys. She has to match and he cares about her hair (this could be also because she is the first to HAVE hair) and that she wears a diaper cover under her dress because no one can see her diaper - this cracks me up. He spends as much time in the baby girl section as I do - well almost. He told me the other day he was unsure about our world becoming a pink festooned world but it's grown on him.

I have an addiction - to cute little girl outfits - she needs them all - in every size with headbands and hair bows and shoes to match.

She completes us in ways that I didn't know we were missing.

She I think is going to be a lucky little girl. When she's Charles' age she's not going to be one of those girls who seeks out the attention of boys to make herself feel good because she has that from her brothers. She is never going to doubt that she nneds a boy to make her feel good about herself and that she is going to be good enough - rather boys are going to have to be good enough to her. She'll know how to play hard and dirty. She'll be rough and tough and feminine and girly at the same time.

She is indeed a lucky little girl.

So I Went to Hobby Lobby for Book Report Supplies

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:08:00 +0000

and while I was picking up some little thingies to go into a the project I started wondering - whatever happened to actually writing a book report? Charles has been in school nine years now and he has never once written a book report. He's made a sandwich out of story elements. He's created a movie poster about a book. He's even made a power point about a book but he has never once written an book report. He also has never written a term paper or essay and he's in the Pre AP program.

How do schools expect students to learn to write coherent thoughts? How does making a sandwich out of the plot, characters, main idea, and climax of a story teach children critical thinking skills? How will this help him get into college? How will he handle having to write that term paper in Freshman Comp?

I sit here and imagine the look on Dr. Pressman or Sister Anne's face as today's high school graduates attempt to turn a "story sandwich on War and Peace or Little Women. It make me laugh - visions of smoke coming out of the tape recorder of death - heh.

This is a Pre AP English class project - not a regular class - I can only imagine what those projects are like. And yet, as I look at the requirements for this summer's Pre AP Engllish project and thinks there are going to be a lot of upset 9th graders come August. How do teacher's expect kids to make a jump from regurgitation to ingurgitation and adaptation in a summer?

Ten years from now (holy crap I'm old) my child's boss is going to want an analysis of whatever and all he's going to be able to do is make a power point on the plot and main idea of his data.

Is the Sun ever going to shine again

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:27:00 +0000

How many more grey, humid days can we have? This is DALLAS - not Seattle.

So Last Night We Were Watching TV

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:40:00 +0000

and a commercial came on.

I know shocking a commercial - it was live TV even and I couldn't blast through it.

It was a coffee commercial (yeah I know me watching a coffee commercial).

The commercial was about sending their son off to college and leaving him with Folgers or Maxwell House or some pre ground swill and it being almost like home.

Eric looked at me, as I fed our baby daughter and asked if I was going to be ready for that in for years.

I snickered and then I stopped and thought.

In FOUR years - FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUR years my first born will be a ready to graduate senior. He will have decided where he is going to start the his adult life. He will be getting ready to leave my nest and venture off to places unknown. He'll spread his wings and fly.

I looked down at the baby, in my arms and looked at the sprawled out teenager on the floor beside me and wondered where has the time gone?

In so many ways he is almost grown. His upper lip is sprouting the beginnings of a mustache - soon - really soon Eric will be teaching him to shave. Then he'll learn to drive. It seems like only yesterday he was my newborn. In the blink of an eye we are selecting high school courses and signing the baby up for the PSAT. He has a top three list of colleges. It seems like yesterday I was changing his diaper and worrying about his runny nose and praying he'd sleep through the night.

The commercial made me tear up. I can't imagine dropping off my child with 18 years of memories and treasures and driving away. Knowing, that when he comes home he'll be more like a visitor rather than a constant resident.

I look at the barrage of shoes and backpacks and baby gear strewn by the front door and know that soon - sooner than I'd like to admit and sooner than I think, I'll be wishing I had some one to yell at about hanging up your coat/hat/backpack. No one will be here but eric and I.

All too soon.

The Difference Between Men and Women

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:20:00 +0000

can be easily summed up in a TV commercial.

This morning while I was getting dressed, a commercial came on in the middle of the News at 9. The commercial asked me if I had a major issue finding space for my shoes.

Why yes, yes indeed I DO - it is a problem that weighs heavy on my heart.

The man in the commercial continued on - asking if I had ever had to decide which shoes to keep so I could by more.

This made me shudder at the thought of throwing one of my pretty precious pairs of shoes AWAY. I'd sell one of my children - well, not the girl, before I parted with a pair of shoes. But I saw the man's point - my shoe stacker thing is full and there is a mountain on the closet floor and another pile by the front door and some in the garage. I have a lot of shoes.

He asked if I was looking for a solution to my problem -

Indeed - I consider this problem right up there with national security, pig flu and the economy.

He then went on to convince me I NEEDED to call this magic number that flashed at the bottom of the screen.

I called that magic number and arranged for my very own closet design specialist to call. In less than two weeks and for a small some of cash - my shoes could all have a happy home off the floor with room for more.

Then I called my husband.

He laughed.

Not a hah ha funny laugh - but a humor-me-but-not-on your-shoe loving-life laugh.

So I called my mother.

She agreed with me.

Not because I was her daughter and she takes my side in such discussions. She agreed with me because I am the apple to her tree in the orchard of needing shoes. she convinced my father - who was the only man among three women for many many years - until mysister left home. Since we are a shoe loving group of women he built my mother a shoe caddy.

So I called my husband again - in an attempt to convince him Lowe's could solve all my problems.

He told me he had things to do.

This is the difference between men and women. Women need shoes and pretty things - men - well not so much.

Now, I am going to be forced to do something dirty and underhanded. I am going to teach the Princess Madaleine to say "Daddy" and use her evil daughter mind control over her daddy powers to get my shoe caddy. Because really - pretty shoes are a terrible thing to waste.

Daddy and his Daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:40:00 +0000

Daddy and his Daughter
Originally uploaded by blondie478.

Okay, So how does a chicken place RUN out of Chicken?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:26:00 +0000

Sunday, on the way home from work I decided to stop by KFC for dinner for myself, since Eric was out of town and I was sure the kids (meaning Charles) didn't save me anything.

So my friend Angela and I swing through KFC/Long John Silvers.

When we noticed the long line behind the order box and no one actually pulling through to the pick up window that should have been a clue that something was afoot at the KFC.

But, no.

We're both Blonde.

We're a little slow and we just got off of work and we were both hungry moms and - that (Okay a digression who is the new guy hosting Millionaire - what happened to Meredith?). - that erases any error in judgement we may have made.

We get to the order window and we tell the guy that we had TWO separate orders.

I make my order. I wanted the two piece meal with mashed potatoes and cole slaw.

He asks me if I wanted grilled or fried.

I told him I wanted fried.

(okay another digression - who is Billy Bush?)

He repeats my order back to me - a two piece grilled meal

I tell him no, I wanted fried - both dark meat.

He repeats the order back to me - a two piece white grilled meal

I repeat myself again.

This battle of wills goes on for two minutes.

He finally asks me to tell him what picture I ama looking at on the menu.

We tell him - in unison.

Then he asks me what two sides I wanted.

How my head didn't explode I don't know.

He tells me how much my order will be.

By this time, we've been at the order window for five minutes

Angela hadn't ordered yet.

She need food fer her whole family.

It wasn't good.

Green beans and fries don't sound in anyway similar.

They do not.

She wanted chicken and not fish.

She needed two orders of mashed potatoes and one order of coleslaw.

This shouldn't have been hard. It's chicken, potatoes and coleslaw.

It was.

Then he rings the order together.

We get that undone and we finally move up to pick up the order.

My order comes out. I pay for it and he shuts the window.

So we wait.

And then we wait

and we wait some more.

He opens the wndow and asks if we forgot anything

Um - YEAH the rest of the food.

He hands us a bag and we ask if this is everything.

We should have checked.

Apparently my friend Danielle's husband was behind us

they didn't get chicken

because KFC ran out of chicken?

How can KFC run out of chicken?

It's Monday, WHy is it ALWAYS Monday?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:00:00 +0000

If I where a week day I wouldn't want to be Monday.

Everybody hates Monday - it follows Sunday - the day of rest.

It is the sharp jolt to end the weekend.

I woke up this morning with my human alarm clock and the first thing that crept into my mind, after I made sure she was happy was "Oh Crap it's Monday...WHY is it ALWAYS Monday?"

Then I realized the sound above my head was not the dog running around upstairs, nor was it my boys stomping around getting ready to start the school week. No, it was thunder. All I really wanted to do was go back to sleep.

I think if I were a weekday, I'd want to be Thursday. Thursday is a a day of anticipation. It's a day of promise. The weekend isn't quite upon us. Thursday hold the promise of great and wonderful adventures. Thursday hold the promise of dinner with friends, road trips to the beach, or just lazing around with a good book and a glass of wine.

yes, I want to be Thursday.

Okay, So I joined Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:46:00 +0000

So I joined Facebook to reconnect with old friends. It has been a blast, a walk down memory lane. I found a girl I have been friends with since second grade. We lost touch after we got married and moved with our respective husbands. Now, we have children that are the same age we were when we met and older.

It's funny to see the progression of life, the circle if you will. We are planning our 20 year reunion. Some of us have children starting or are already in high school. The years that were the best of our lives back in the day are memories captured in pictures.

For my boys, there is proof that their mom was young and hip for the day and thin, very very thin. There is proof that I was more than the kill joy that reminds them to do their homework, nags at them to wash their hair and bathe and insists that their rooms need to be cleaned. I was once young and a lot of fun.

This Place is a Zoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Of course it was because it was an actual zoo.

I don't know what I expected going on a school sponsored filed trip - it's not like this district is run by people that have a sense. But still Eric and I went on the kindergarten class field trip to the Fort Worth Zoo ( the Dallas Zoo is better I thought).

We were SUPPOSED to leave at 9 AM - we didn't and then the busses too the backasswards way of going - you know opposite of the way the school secretary handed out. The the new bus driver was in the middle and went 55 down the I-35. Needless to say, the trip took longer than expected. This week is school week at the zoo so traffic getting into the zoo was lined up for miles. We had to park in the grass. Then we had to eat.

That being said, we had an hour and fifteen minutes to see the zoo. There were no bears. We were disappointed in the trip.

And really - if I treated my customers the way the zoo customer service people behaved - I'd get fired.

A Battle of Wills

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:23:00 +0000

- a battle that I fear will soon become a bloody war.

Charles is in the middle of puberty - one look at the hair growing under his lip is obvious and Tommy is on the cusp. Everything is a fight between these two I'm afraid.

Last night, after we finished dinner, the boys were cleaning up. A fight ensued over who was going to put their stuff in the fridge. Lettuce went flying and a bottle of barbeque sauce was thrown. Names were called - all over who was going to put their lettuce away first.

Really guys - it's LETTUCE. There is no need to fight. The vegetable bin can hold everything you need to put iin it.

I'm back

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:01:00 +0000

and better thanever.

Red - it's not good is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:08:00 +0000

It looks like we're goon get wet and maybe blown around a bit.

Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:05:00 +0000

It is hard to believe that today is September 11th.

There was no 'round the clock coverage of the memorial at Ground Zero. I didn't see a reading of the names of those who lost their lives. There was a mention and a story on the memorial built at the Pentagon, the first to be completed.

Perhaps we as a nation are moving on. Perhaps we've forgotten what happened that warm sunny late summer day. That makes me sad. For a brief moment in time we came together as a nation. We were united.

I found this letter. It made me cry.

Just a Hodge Podge

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:14:00 +0000

We are three weeks in to the school year and already I am regreting my decision to send Charles and Tommy back.

This week for the first time, Tommy went to his dyslexia pullout. We have our first 504 meeting Friday and it is NOT going to be polite. I am going to tear into them like a pitbull with rabies. He still can't write. I mean he cannot form letters, the look like some odd form of the Cyrilic alphabet and hieroglyphics. He's supposed to wrote and essay by the end of the school year? Um yeah that's going to be fun to see.

Charles finally got his schedule changed - but I am not happy at the lack of direction these people give the AP students. I don't understand how they think that just because a child is smart and academically gifted, organization and the ability to do things beyond there years is present. Charles had to wrote and essay using MLA documentation but wasn't told exactly what it was he was using. I have spent the better part of two days helping learn in text citation and how to put a quote in your writing to support your idea. A little primer from the school would have been helpful. It's been 15 years almost for me so thank goodness for google.

Joey still loves kindergarten. That is good but I am working with him at home.

In other worlds I am in love. I LOVE LoVE LOVE Sarah Pallin. John McCain did good!!!!! A republican woman we can be proud of. I think she opened some people's eyes - showing that the republican party isn't just bluehaired old bats - but we are young and fresh and we can do more than spin words into a wonderful speech. I can't wait to see what happens.

Missing You

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:16:00 +0000

Yesterday, my very well loved boxer dog had an adventure. She decided she missed Joey so badly that's she'd just walk herself up to school and wait for him to come out for recess. Animal control brought her home.

Since Rabi came home to live with us, she and Joey have been companions. He used to lay on her and nap. He'd throw the ball and she'd applaud when he caught it (boxers don't fetch). so now, she's lonely. There's no one to play with.

And There Goes Another Piece of My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:52:00 +0000

This morning, when I walked Tommy and Joey to school, Joey looked at me as we were halfway there and said "Mommy I don't need you to walk me across the street and up to the school, I know where I'm going."

When we got to the crosswalk he let go of my hand and moved up beside Tommy, took his hand and crossed the street, on his own. Each sneaker covered step a little further away from me and one more step closer to independence.

In other worlds I think I LOVE Tommy's teacher. She is setting the classroom up as a community. Each student will earn money based on their "work" Students will set up "jobs" within the community and receive extra pay for them. Children with and A or B average at the end of the week will receive extra cash. Students who are failing will owe money.. Each month students will pay rent for their desks (homeownership is a privelege) If you fail to keep a tidy home you must pay a cleaning fee and a fine. I love this idea.

An Open Letter to Mall shoppers

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:13:00 +0000

or shoppers in general,

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen (these terms are used, in some cases, the loosest sense of the word)

Thank you for coming into my store. I really hope you found everything you were looking for. I have a few things to say. Please don't treat the people who work in this store - or any other for that matter - like we are less than you. We're not. We are wives, mothers, daughters and friends some of us are students, others teachers all of us are working for whatever reason (I'm working for private school tuition for my oldest child. We just happen to work in a mall store.

When I greet you, it's because they pay me to. I get paid to stand there and greet you - please be polite and return my greeting - if our roles were reversed I'd do the same for you.

Put down your cell phone. I mean really, your life is so friggin important that you can't walk through a store without a piece of plastic attached to your head? If you feel you MUST talk on your phone, don't complain that no one would help you find the Japanese Cherry Blossom body cream you need and you had to look for 45 minutes - all the time flapping your lips on the phone - talking about how badly you're being treated in this store. And do not even have a fit because it took you five minutes to pay for your crap because you were still ON THE PHONE and had to be asked six times to verify the charge amount.

They pay us to ask you if you need help. They want us to ask you over and over and over.

If you have children please control them in the store. Yes the shelves are glass and yes they will break if your eight year old repeatedly runs her four year old sister and the stroller into them multiple times. Also, we have enough work to do without watching your spawn fight with each other and beat the tar out of each other with rubber ducks. Keep your kids in check, it's called parenting. If they cannot behave in public, don't bring them until you teach them to behave themselves.

Please do not let your baby or toddler scream all the way through your 30 minute body lotion search. I mean really? A child that upset does not need to shop. Attend his or her needs - I promise the body cream that you can't remember the name of but was pink, will still be there when your child has been fed, changed and rested.

We have no say in scents being discontinued. No really we don't. I am sorry it was your favorite but things and change - life goes on. Last year's Fresia is this year's whatever.

I am sorry you had a perfume emergency at 8:45 PM and you can't possibly go to school smelling like sweet pea when everyone else is wearing something else. We have to close our gates at 9 PM. The mall is not 7-11. Come back when we open the next day, the scent you want but don't know what it is will still be there. Don't threaten to call customer care because I told you we were indeed closed, there is never a perfume emergency - really.

Thank You,
Methusula Honeysuckle

A first day Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:36:00 +0000

Tommy learned that fourth grade is not like kindergarten. While the teacher was glad he was there, she expected him to get straight to work. Then there was homework. Tommy was the only kid who had homework. The other two did not. Tommy was not amused and grumbled about how much harder he had it than his other two brothers.

We learned the junior high has idiots for counselors. They lost his course selection guide and his AP permission stuff somewhere. We know - at some point in time they had it - because a course change sheet was sent home by MAILm if I wanted my child in Pre-AP Physical Science instead of the course (AP Biology I in his case) he was selected for. Now they can't understand why we are livid with him not being in these classes - well DUH. We are letting eric deal with this because we all know if I have to get involved - it's not going to be nice. We are impressed with his art class. They are going to talk about art history, the concepts behind making art and they'll learn the principles of sketching. I am even more impressed with the art fee. I send in money. The school purchases stuff in bulk. I don't have to look 851 places for art supplies.

After he gets his AP classes fixed he'll be taking five classes for high school credit.

Joey made a robot with hair- he brought it home because the teacher put a star sticker on it. Lunch was way to early and he needed a nap after recess. Half the kids fell asleep during rest time.

I straightened the dining room and broke the vaccum (eric fixed it for me) today is the hall bath and computer area.

All's Quiet on the Western Front

noreply@blogger.com (Mary W.) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:44:00 +0000

It's quiet here. No one has told me to turn down my iTunes because they couldn't hear.

No one is watching PBS kid's programing

No one is FIGHTING or whining or protesting some gross injustice of sibling rivalry.

It's quiet.

Almost too quiet.