My youngest son turned 11 last week and just like last year his birthday fell on a weekday and so I planned to bring cupcakes to school, something I've done for all three boys every year they were in elementary school. He wanted me to make chocolate cupcakes and I was happy to do it, and as I reflected at home how it was the last time for cupcakes at school from me....instead of being sentimental......I was SO ok with that.
It's funny because on that day that I decided I was perfectly happy moving along and saying good-bye to this ritual, there was a little incident that perhaps was "the icing on the cake".
I brought the cupcakes in a box and waited for my son's class to enter the lunchroom and begin to assemble at their long, rectangular lunch table. When all the students sat down, I started on the row opposite my son and began placing a cupcake in front of each child. I happened to be across from my son and was about to take out a cupcake for one child and he says, "I don't like chocolate." I said "OK, they are chocolate" and gave the child next to him a cupcake, and continued down the side of the table placing cupcakes in front of about 8 kids, then started working my way up the other side of the table. That is when a cafeteria worker stopped me.
She said to me gesturing at the the boy who didn't want a cupcake, "He says you did not give him a cupcake." I tell her, "He told me he does not like chocolate and I have chocolate cupcakes." She then tells the child, "Well, she only had chocolate cupcakes." I asked the boy, "Did you tell me that you do not eat chocolate?" and he replied yes. I then moved along to finish passing them out.
So that was a first--while I was passing out cupcakes this child actually drew enough attention about his lack of a cupcake to the supervisor for her to come over. I am not taking this personally--actually it gave me a glimpse of what many parents may not be aware of--the constant need for manners and discipline in the classroom. Last year the teachers were asked to give up their 25 minutes of lunch time to eat lunch with their students to mind them. This year I am happy that the teachers have their bathroom and lunch break (a couple of personnel were hired to monitor the lunch room and parents have been asked to volunteer--it is a great way to see the constant disciplining that has to take place and I am not even talking about cupcake manners). Many students said "thank you". Later I reiterated to my son that he must always say thank you when someone gives him something--a team snack, etc.
But here is what else I have to say about it. If teachers are to be graded based on their students' test scores for merit pay, the teachers need to grade the parents on certain parenting criteria.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
I'm So Glad I Did Not Eat a Bagel Loaded With Poppy Seeds
I had to go to a lab the other day to take a drug test which means I had to provide a urine sample in a cup.
Why did I have to do this?
Well, check out this poster I made and put on the door for the boys to see when they got home from school the other day:
WOO-HOO!!
You guys were so right in your comments in the beginning of June that I would find something better.
I am So Excited.
Thanks SO MUCH for your support and encouragement this summer!
P.S. The last item listed in green on the poster I made states we will get a new TV--we can already cross that item off the list and now we have a loud living room again.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Harvest Moon Tonight and Tomorrow
The 2011 Harvest Moon is technically in the five o'clock a.m. hour of September 12 but it can be see as full both tonight and tomorrow night. The autumnal equinox is on September 23rd and the Harvest Moon is the moon that is full closest to this date, which means that some years it occurs in October.
The moon rises earlier during the Harvest full moon and it appears to be brighter and bigger as a result of it shining lower in the sky.
The sky is bright and blue right now just as it was ten years ago and I will be taking a walk later this afternoon. I didn't think I wanted to read or watch coverage on the 9/11 ten year date. But as I sat at the computer and clicked on a Yahoo story, which led to another story, I couldn't stop reading about an incredible story of Rick Rescorla whose job was VP of Security at Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter in the South Tower that day for a reason: to help save the lives of thousands of employees working on 20 floors. He was supposed to have the day off but filled in for someone else. Only a few in his firm perished.
I will be reading several books soon about this incredible man, a colonel and a hero defined by how he lived his life before and after he became an American citizen. And who on 9/11/01 performed his last, but not his first, act of heroism. (it's easy to find many articles googling his name).
Mr. Rick Rescorla (and his best friend) told the Port Authority of NY and NJ (owner of the WTC) in 1990 that an attack on the WTC from the garage was likely and they told him to just focus on his floors of Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter and so he did. It was his job to think like a terrorist. During the terrorist attack in 1993 he evacuated all employees and was the last to remain. He knew that the terrorists would try again in the future but this time from the air. He asked his firm about moving the whole office to a different location but the lease wasn't up until 2006 and so he initiated practice evacuation drills several times a year. He always told the employees that if there is fire in a building you go down and not up. On 9/11/01 in the South Tower he ignored the Port Authority's advice to stay put after the North Tower was hit, and evacuated the 2,700 on 20 floors (including 250 visitors that day there for training). He also instructed for 1,000 employees in another nearby building to evacuate.
It wasn't easy to take investment bankers away from their computers but he did this drill for years and on 9/11/01 they were prepared. As they systematically went down the stairs in pairs he reminded the employees to "be proud to be an American," and sang "God Bless America" and other songs over his bullhorn to help evacuees stay calm as they left the building such as these words from a Celtic military song:
Men of Cornwall stand ye steady;
It cannot be ever said ye
for the battle were not ready;
Stand and never yield!
By the time the second plane hit the South Tower just 17 minutes after the first tower was attacked, most of the employees were already out of the building except for three. He and two other security men headed back up. Out of a total of 3,700 employees, six perished including Rick Rescorla. He spoke to his wife when the evacuation began and told her he was a happy man and that she had made his life.
The moon rises earlier during the Harvest full moon and it appears to be brighter and bigger as a result of it shining lower in the sky.
The sky is bright and blue right now just as it was ten years ago and I will be taking a walk later this afternoon. I didn't think I wanted to read or watch coverage on the 9/11 ten year date. But as I sat at the computer and clicked on a Yahoo story, which led to another story, I couldn't stop reading about an incredible story of Rick Rescorla whose job was VP of Security at Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter in the South Tower that day for a reason: to help save the lives of thousands of employees working on 20 floors. He was supposed to have the day off but filled in for someone else. Only a few in his firm perished.
I will be reading several books soon about this incredible man, a colonel and a hero defined by how he lived his life before and after he became an American citizen. And who on 9/11/01 performed his last, but not his first, act of heroism. (it's easy to find many articles googling his name).
Mr. Rick Rescorla (and his best friend) told the Port Authority of NY and NJ (owner of the WTC) in 1990 that an attack on the WTC from the garage was likely and they told him to just focus on his floors of Morgan Stanley/Dean Witter and so he did. It was his job to think like a terrorist. During the terrorist attack in 1993 he evacuated all employees and was the last to remain. He knew that the terrorists would try again in the future but this time from the air. He asked his firm about moving the whole office to a different location but the lease wasn't up until 2006 and so he initiated practice evacuation drills several times a year. He always told the employees that if there is fire in a building you go down and not up. On 9/11/01 in the South Tower he ignored the Port Authority's advice to stay put after the North Tower was hit, and evacuated the 2,700 on 20 floors (including 250 visitors that day there for training). He also instructed for 1,000 employees in another nearby building to evacuate.
It wasn't easy to take investment bankers away from their computers but he did this drill for years and on 9/11/01 they were prepared. As they systematically went down the stairs in pairs he reminded the employees to "be proud to be an American," and sang "God Bless America" and other songs over his bullhorn to help evacuees stay calm as they left the building such as these words from a Celtic military song:
Men of Cornwall stand ye steady;
It cannot be ever said ye
for the battle were not ready;
Stand and never yield!
By the time the second plane hit the South Tower just 17 minutes after the first tower was attacked, most of the employees were already out of the building except for three. He and two other security men headed back up. Out of a total of 3,700 employees, six perished including Rick Rescorla. He spoke to his wife when the evacuation began and told her he was a happy man and that she had made his life.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Peeved at Teacher
I'm thinking about starting a series of blog posts on my experiences with my sons' teachers and school experiences. At first I thught I'd call it "Middle School Mondays" because I have almost six years' experience and many stories, positive and negative, but a high school teacher has been on my mind.
The good thing about having a huge blow-up with high school son on a late Saturday night when Hubs is in Florida surfing post-Hurricane Irene waves and I'm left battling with the son who likes to socialize all weekend long rather than catching up on any schoolwork--the good thing is that we ended up really, really talking about what's on his mind and since then he has been sharing some (note I say some) info with me.
With our urging--and I regret the urging at this point in time--he is taking an Advanced Placement course and it involves Lots of reading and weekly quizzes and projects. As it states in his class syllabus, this is supposed to be a college level course.
The other day I went through my son's backpack after he got home from school and looked through every paper he had in every three-ring binder, particularly for this AP class (not a normal activity for me). There are several things that bother me about the lack of respect this teacher has for his students in this "college level course" so I am going to number them in no particular order.
1). A group research project is taking place and there's a hand-out with the directions. The teacher wants the students to obtain their info from the textbook and any other research online is fine, but just icing on the cake (my words). What he wrote: "Use the information from your textbook. Once you have completed that you can go online and research your little pubescent hearts out." Condescending? I may have not noticed this one sentence in and of itself, but it is the other things my son has told me adds up to my seeing a lack of respect for these 15 and 16 year olds.
2). My son thought this was a serious class. It is tough for him. Distractions are what he struggles with at home when trying to get any schoolwork done. During multiple quizzes the teacher is in the back of the class kicking a soccer ball against the wall over and over.
3). During quizzes the the teacher is in the back of the room looking at his I-phone playing an app that involves animal noises. Kids giggle and laugh.
4). Recently my son and his group of three other students had to present a project in front of the class. One of them got up with his backpack still on his back. The teacher asked if he was going to present with the backpack on and the student took it off and the teacher stated it didn't matter to him if he wore it or not. As the students orally presented, the teacher was standing near his desk to the side of the room and he mocked the student by reaching down to the teacher's own backpack and put it on and took it off--put it on and took it off. So during their presentation, the teacher had the class giggling as a result. My son said it was extremely distracting for all four of them to keep on task presenting their project.
Can you say Immature as well as Disrespectful?
I'd like your opinions. I'd like to email the teacher and ask for a phone call, but in my lifetime of having a child in high school for 1+ years, the two times I emailed a teacher asking a question I was never answered. So I'm thinking of calling the 10th grade assistant principal. I do not want this immature teacher to single out my son in any way.
I treat teachers as professionals, giving respect to their education and experience as much as I would to any other professional specialist and I can't stand it when I hear of unprofessional behavior. He is also a coach. I bet he thinks he is a "fun" teacher but my son does not feel this way.
Am I embarrassed to be involved this way with a 15 year old's school classes? Not at all. Hubs and I are all over our kids on a daily basis on our expectations for their behavior to us, to the household, to others and to their schoolwork and...... they know that occasionally we will have their back when we see less than appropriate behavior from adults. I have stories, people.
So please let me know your advice for how to phrase this to the 10th grade principal.
The good thing about having a huge blow-up with high school son on a late Saturday night when Hubs is in Florida surfing post-Hurricane Irene waves and I'm left battling with the son who likes to socialize all weekend long rather than catching up on any schoolwork--the good thing is that we ended up really, really talking about what's on his mind and since then he has been sharing some (note I say some) info with me.
With our urging--and I regret the urging at this point in time--he is taking an Advanced Placement course and it involves Lots of reading and weekly quizzes and projects. As it states in his class syllabus, this is supposed to be a college level course.
The other day I went through my son's backpack after he got home from school and looked through every paper he had in every three-ring binder, particularly for this AP class (not a normal activity for me). There are several things that bother me about the lack of respect this teacher has for his students in this "college level course" so I am going to number them in no particular order.
1). A group research project is taking place and there's a hand-out with the directions. The teacher wants the students to obtain their info from the textbook and any other research online is fine, but just icing on the cake (my words). What he wrote: "Use the information from your textbook. Once you have completed that you can go online and research your little pubescent hearts out." Condescending? I may have not noticed this one sentence in and of itself, but it is the other things my son has told me adds up to my seeing a lack of respect for these 15 and 16 year olds.
2). My son thought this was a serious class. It is tough for him. Distractions are what he struggles with at home when trying to get any schoolwork done. During multiple quizzes the teacher is in the back of the class kicking a soccer ball against the wall over and over.
3). During quizzes the the teacher is in the back of the room looking at his I-phone playing an app that involves animal noises. Kids giggle and laugh.
4). Recently my son and his group of three other students had to present a project in front of the class. One of them got up with his backpack still on his back. The teacher asked if he was going to present with the backpack on and the student took it off and the teacher stated it didn't matter to him if he wore it or not. As the students orally presented, the teacher was standing near his desk to the side of the room and he mocked the student by reaching down to the teacher's own backpack and put it on and took it off--put it on and took it off. So during their presentation, the teacher had the class giggling as a result. My son said it was extremely distracting for all four of them to keep on task presenting their project.
Can you say Immature as well as Disrespectful?
I'd like your opinions. I'd like to email the teacher and ask for a phone call, but in my lifetime of having a child in high school for 1+ years, the two times I emailed a teacher asking a question I was never answered. So I'm thinking of calling the 10th grade assistant principal. I do not want this immature teacher to single out my son in any way.
I treat teachers as professionals, giving respect to their education and experience as much as I would to any other professional specialist and I can't stand it when I hear of unprofessional behavior. He is also a coach. I bet he thinks he is a "fun" teacher but my son does not feel this way.
Am I embarrassed to be involved this way with a 15 year old's school classes? Not at all. Hubs and I are all over our kids on a daily basis on our expectations for their behavior to us, to the household, to others and to their schoolwork and...... they know that occasionally we will have their back when we see less than appropriate behavior from adults. I have stories, people.
So please let me know your advice for how to phrase this to the 10th grade principal.
Friday, September 2, 2011
On the Eve of a Three-Day Weekend I'm Feeling Grumpy
Today I've had a case of the downers.
To get caught up, I have not yet been told yes or no about my status as a candidate for two jobs. Since I last mentioned some interviews on August 2nd, Job #1 is still a potential option....but the length of time it's taken to have three phone interviews is insane. I did get moved along to have a phone call with the big boss, which made a total of 3 phone interviews, which is the last of the process. That went well as far as I could tell and he said he'd give his feedback to mgr #1 I spoke to.......about 5 weeks ago! I follow up weekly with the recruiter, as is the protocol, and she informed me that she would be talking to the mgr #1 (that is the actual hiring mgr) this week as she was on vacation last week. Well, this week is over and no update. I'll be following up again on Tuesday.
A few weeks ago a new job presented itself to me by a recruiter who called me and it is a good company, nearby. I first had to meet with the recruiter and she was all thrilled over me. Seriously--maybe I should see her again to get all perky. So I met the hiring mgr at this job and all went well. Then I got invited back in for meeting #2 to meet the big boss and then "the group" a week ago today. It was 4 people across the table from me and the manager whom I'd met the last time I was there. They didn't ask me anything I couldn't handle. I'm actually overqualified I believe. Read: salary issue. But it went well, and of course I sent fabulously well-written thank you notes. The independent recruiter who found me for this job did have the decency to give me an update this week.....that they haven't decided yet. And I'm one of three people who could do the job but not sure if he wants an experienced person (me) or not very experienced (funny, that is not how he presented his job needs to me).
So both of these could end up being no jobs...and there is not a whole lot else out there. Or if there is, I know that employers are taking their SWEET ASS TIME with candidates.
BTW, Hubs has made a list of all the projects we need done around this old house....once I get a salary again.
The other reason I'm grumpy is that I am so HOT!!!! As in sweaty, all-encompassing HOT Flash city over here! I am now waking up several times a night--a problem I never had before. I'm looking like a hot mess with horrible circles under my eyes. Driving around doing errands is good because the AC blasts on me. I have discovered that small electric fans are my best friend at home. I practically have one attached to me at all times and it goes where I go like a walking epidural. At bedtime I have to have a fan blasting about 12 inches from my body. At the computer it is on the floor behind me. I keep a second one in the kitchen--it is a godsend on the kitchen counter.
I'm about to unplug the fan next to me and carry it downstairs and watch a Netflix dvd on our One and Only TV that's located in the basement-- after I throw a son off the PS3. The TV in our main family room died last month because TVs hardly last 5 years anymore and these words have been spoken: we get a new TV when Mom gets a job.
Something has to happen this month.
To get caught up, I have not yet been told yes or no about my status as a candidate for two jobs. Since I last mentioned some interviews on August 2nd, Job #1 is still a potential option....but the length of time it's taken to have three phone interviews is insane. I did get moved along to have a phone call with the big boss, which made a total of 3 phone interviews, which is the last of the process. That went well as far as I could tell and he said he'd give his feedback to mgr #1 I spoke to.......about 5 weeks ago! I follow up weekly with the recruiter, as is the protocol, and she informed me that she would be talking to the mgr #1 (that is the actual hiring mgr) this week as she was on vacation last week. Well, this week is over and no update. I'll be following up again on Tuesday.
A few weeks ago a new job presented itself to me by a recruiter who called me and it is a good company, nearby. I first had to meet with the recruiter and she was all thrilled over me. Seriously--maybe I should see her again to get all perky. So I met the hiring mgr at this job and all went well. Then I got invited back in for meeting #2 to meet the big boss and then "the group" a week ago today. It was 4 people across the table from me and the manager whom I'd met the last time I was there. They didn't ask me anything I couldn't handle. I'm actually overqualified I believe. Read: salary issue. But it went well, and of course I sent fabulously well-written thank you notes. The independent recruiter who found me for this job did have the decency to give me an update this week.....that they haven't decided yet. And I'm one of three people who could do the job but not sure if he wants an experienced person (me) or not very experienced (funny, that is not how he presented his job needs to me).
So both of these could end up being no jobs...and there is not a whole lot else out there. Or if there is, I know that employers are taking their SWEET ASS TIME with candidates.
BTW, Hubs has made a list of all the projects we need done around this old house....once I get a salary again.
The other reason I'm grumpy is that I am so HOT!!!! As in sweaty, all-encompassing HOT Flash city over here! I am now waking up several times a night--a problem I never had before. I'm looking like a hot mess with horrible circles under my eyes. Driving around doing errands is good because the AC blasts on me. I have discovered that small electric fans are my best friend at home. I practically have one attached to me at all times and it goes where I go like a walking epidural. At bedtime I have to have a fan blasting about 12 inches from my body. At the computer it is on the floor behind me. I keep a second one in the kitchen--it is a godsend on the kitchen counter.
I'm about to unplug the fan next to me and carry it downstairs and watch a Netflix dvd on our One and Only TV that's located in the basement-- after I throw a son off the PS3. The TV in our main family room died last month because TVs hardly last 5 years anymore and these words have been spoken: we get a new TV when Mom gets a job.
Something has to happen this month.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
My Thirteen and His Age Thirteen
During the first week of school last week my middle son's eighth grade Language Arts teacher asked her students to interview a parent about his or her own memories from age 13. He had some specific questions such as --
· What was your favorite TV show?
· What musical artists did you like?
· What TV or movie star did you have a crush on?
· What was your favorite candy bar?
· What did you want to do as an adult?
· What do you remember about your childhood home?
On that last question before waiting for an answer he interjected that he knew that one would be hard to answer because he “ knew I moved frequently and had many different homes”. For example, I’ve told the boys how I went into 7th grade it was my seventh school.
When he asked me these questions, right away my answers were short, and with a frustrated tone such as “How should I remember that?” or “I have no memory of that” and with the easy going good humor that he has, he’d answer, “I know, what does she expect these parents to be as young as just 25 years old or something”. (Hmmm, anyway). So I lightened up and told him what I remembered
Picturing where we lived that year I remembered Happy Days on TV, my first album that age was Elton John, I thought Leif Garrett was cute, I bought that square candy bar called Chunky, I wanted to be a writer, and I had my own room when I was little with a pretty red and pink floral bedspread.
Later that night the memories became more fluid and what I didn’t tell him is that when I was 13 I once saw my stepfather have a slugfest fight with my 15 year old brother while my mother stood there and watched and didn’t do anything and I heard screams and realized they were mine.
When I was 13 I started my period and apparently one day unbeknownst to me a tiny smear got on an armchair and my stepfather went into a rage with the seat cushion two inches from my face. He had issues.
In my 8th grade year we lived in a tiny apartment yet I went to a private school with kids who lived in mansions (not all but those in my carpool certainly did) and a girl in our carpool actually had a butler drive us to school in a limo. And made fun of my family. (fortunately I found great friends and we're friends today since age 13, especially one).
I was caught in two worlds between that world and the kids on my block. Not knowing who to be I pretended I was newly arrived from France and spoke with an accent and tried to search for the correct English word when we spoke (I kept this up for a couple months then came clean and they still liked me—it was boys—obviously I was desperate for attention). But I was me at school.
* * * * * * * * *
The other night Hubs and I sat in our son’s language arts class as part of curriculum night and on the walls were poems the students wrote after interviewing a parent. My middle son had put together the memories I shared into a poem called “Where I’m From”.
It was so hard not to cry while reading it.
Back at home I told him I loved his poem and that he did a great job. I asked if he had a copy but he didn’t as the teacher likes them to write in class only. I asked if he would eventually bring the printed poem home. He said, “Are you going to blog about it?”
My kids don’t know exactly where I’m from but, but I think they get me. Even though some of the memories aren’t the best, where I’m from makes me who I am and I'm proud of who my kids are. And so glad not to be thirteen!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Baseball Season -- the Fifteen Year Old Son Edition
Our oldest son who's 15 is playing baseball on a recreation league for 15, 16 and 17 year olds (you know things are different when the boys you've seen for years are driving their families' vehicles to the park).
There are so many positives of children getting older (I need to remind myself of these things!) and one of them is sports.
It has been a while since we have arrived at the ball field and find out a piece of equipment has been forgotten at home.
The baseball games go by fast when boys can throw, hit, catch and make lots of double plays.
There is no assigned day for me to bring a drink and snacks for everyone. Our son fills up his own water bottle at home and he knows to eat breakfast before we leave and knows we eat lunch later--end of story! And I saw he brought his own bag of sunflower seeds for a snack.
The coach has older sons--in fact the coach has his college aged sons do the coaching most of the time--and there is no game ball that is given to a "star" player after the game. They play as a team, right?
The parents are awesome--they introduce themselves, are friendly, and they watch the game!
The parents of this new team are smart. We arrived for the first game this past Saturday at 10:30 a.m. it was already a scorcher. And look what two families had already set up at our bleachers:
They brought canopies they popped open and set up over the bleachers and all of us parents of 13 boys had shade. It was genius.
There are so many positives of children getting older (I need to remind myself of these things!) and one of them is sports.
It has been a while since we have arrived at the ball field and find out a piece of equipment has been forgotten at home.
The baseball games go by fast when boys can throw, hit, catch and make lots of double plays.
There is no assigned day for me to bring a drink and snacks for everyone. Our son fills up his own water bottle at home and he knows to eat breakfast before we leave and knows we eat lunch later--end of story! And I saw he brought his own bag of sunflower seeds for a snack.
The coach has older sons--in fact the coach has his college aged sons do the coaching most of the time--and there is no game ball that is given to a "star" player after the game. They play as a team, right?
The parents are awesome--they introduce themselves, are friendly, and they watch the game!
The parents of this new team are smart. We arrived for the first game this past Saturday at 10:30 a.m. it was already a scorcher. And look what two families had already set up at our bleachers:
They brought canopies they popped open and set up over the bleachers and all of us parents of 13 boys had shade. It was genius.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)