Everybody knows that teachers of young children have certain inalienable rights. Such as the right to sing off key without judgement, the right to use a whole bottle of hand sanitizer in one day during flu season, and my all time favorite teacher perk: the right to wear goofy shirts that you would otherwise never dream of wearing. You know what I'm talking about.... everybody has picked up a shirt while shopping and thought to themselves " Who wears a shirt like this?". Chances are a preschool teacher does.
I have a shirt like that. Okay I probably have a couple of shirts like that, but my all time favorite hideous shirt is my turkey shirt that I only get to wear once a year on our school Thanksgiving Feast day. It has a giant multi-colored turkey embroidered across the entire front of the shirt and every year when I wear it my five-year-old students think I'm the coolest thing since Scooby-Doo fruit snacks.
Yesterday was our Feast day so it was time to break out the good-ole turkey shirt. It's getting a little thread bare since I have had it over 10 years and I swear each year it shrinks a little more(!) but I will keep it around until it falls apart.
After school I went to pick up Trey from school since he is still on strict parental control and will be until his History teacher emails dad and tells him he is the model student. Here is how our conversation went when he got into the car:
Me: Hey Trey, how was school?
Trey: Good ( yep he is a natural born conversationalist)
Me: Hey guess what? You get to go to Hobby Lobby with me!
Trey: (Heavy Sigh) Great. (Then he looks over at me) Ugh! and you have that turkey shirt on too!
Double Whammy of embarrassment! Not only did he have to go to Hobby Lobby with his mom who was wearing a crazy turkey shirt, he had to stand in line behind me and buy a cake pan so I could use both of my 40% off coupons!
I'm thinking we will be hearing from his History teacher soon on how much his behavior has improved in her class.
Never underestimate the power of public humiliation!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Cheers to Experienced Teachers
Sometimes you can just tell when a teacher has been "around the block" a time or two. I love enthusiastic new teachers with grand plans and fabulous ideas, but there is nothing better than a seasoned teacher that knows some good tricks.
Case in point: Trey's history teacher.
It seems my son was acting up and being disruptive with his buddy at the end of class yesterday. Somehow that doesn't come as a surprise to me. Anyway in her infinite wisdom ( and much experience teaching Jr. High) she explained to Trey and his partner in crime that she would be making a call to their parents and asked them which parent she should call. Of course Trey said his mother... and so the teacher knew to call dad.
Kudos to you Mrs. American History teacher!
There is nothing like a call to dad, at work to ensure that the discipline problem will be addressed.
Addressed it was!
In addition to having to apologize to his teacher ( e-mail will verify that it has been done),and being grounded for an undetermined amount of time, Trey is now on strict parental control. He gets a ride in moms loser cruiser each morning right up to the front of the school so I can watch him go straight into the building ( I stopped short of making him give me a kiss goodbye... but I considered it) and he gets to see me waiting to drive him home each day after school. Plus he is sentenced to a weekend of hard labor with his dad. He doesn't have to tell us how happy he is with this arraignment... we can see it in his body language.
So here's to wise secondary teachers everywhere who know how to use reverse psychology on teenagers! May you continue the good work!
Case in point: Trey's history teacher.
It seems my son was acting up and being disruptive with his buddy at the end of class yesterday. Somehow that doesn't come as a surprise to me. Anyway in her infinite wisdom ( and much experience teaching Jr. High) she explained to Trey and his partner in crime that she would be making a call to their parents and asked them which parent she should call. Of course Trey said his mother... and so the teacher knew to call dad.
Kudos to you Mrs. American History teacher!
There is nothing like a call to dad, at work to ensure that the discipline problem will be addressed.
Addressed it was!
In addition to having to apologize to his teacher ( e-mail will verify that it has been done),and being grounded for an undetermined amount of time, Trey is now on strict parental control. He gets a ride in moms loser cruiser each morning right up to the front of the school so I can watch him go straight into the building ( I stopped short of making him give me a kiss goodbye... but I considered it) and he gets to see me waiting to drive him home each day after school. Plus he is sentenced to a weekend of hard labor with his dad. He doesn't have to tell us how happy he is with this arraignment... we can see it in his body language.
So here's to wise secondary teachers everywhere who know how to use reverse psychology on teenagers! May you continue the good work!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Still Alive and Well
Wow it's hard to believe that it has been almost a whole month since I have posted! I guess there has not been anything blog worthy to post about.... but come to think of it, that has never stopped me from posting before, so I guess there is really no explainable reason for my absence except for the usual work,family, school reasons.
This semester I am only taking one class but... Horrors!!!.... It's a fitness class! OMG! I have to work out at least five times a week! Yes five times a week and strolling through the mall does not count as a work out! It's probably one of the hardest classes I have ever taken.
Okay I'm being dramatic I admit but really those people that say they love their workouts have got to be lying. I signed up for the class shortly after my break-up with Twinkie and the gang so I thought there would be some noticeable differences in my physique. HA! The workouts have made me hungrier than a horse, and well a woman on the rebound after a painful breakup doesn't always think clearly.
I have a new BFF:
I think it is ironic that it is dressed in what appears to be workout clothes. I don't know if that is to subliminally trick people into thinking Oreos are healthy, or if it is to remind you that you will have to work your butt off once you eat one. Nonetheless, they are yummy and I love them.
Since I'm starting to come down from my Halloween sugar high, I will end this post by sharing some Halloween memories. When we first moved to our block ten years ago, the dad's on the block were in charge of taking the kids trick-or-treating while the moms gathered together outside to hand out candy - and possibly indulged in a few adult type beverages. Oh those were the days when I had three little beggars out there bringing home sacks of candy! But seasons change and while we still gather outside to hand out candy, the dads no longer have to pull their beverages in a rolling cooler and instead they get to sit with the moms, and our grown children to hand out candy. Trey and his buddies are still hanging onto that one little bit of childhood and they decided to go out and see how fast, how far, and how much candy they could get. Here is a before picture of them:
I sometimes miss the days when these boys would come and play transformers or climb the tree outside for fun. Now they are into girls and trying to act cool.
Here is a picture of them ready to go hunting for candy. You can see they don't have that cool thing down yet!
Those little boogers crack me up sometimes!
Well my body tells me that this time change stuff is for the birds and even though the clock says it is only 8:30, I'm going to bed anyway! Till next time!
This semester I am only taking one class but... Horrors!!!.... It's a fitness class! OMG! I have to work out at least five times a week! Yes five times a week and strolling through the mall does not count as a work out! It's probably one of the hardest classes I have ever taken.
Okay I'm being dramatic I admit but really those people that say they love their workouts have got to be lying. I signed up for the class shortly after my break-up with Twinkie and the gang so I thought there would be some noticeable differences in my physique. HA! The workouts have made me hungrier than a horse, and well a woman on the rebound after a painful breakup doesn't always think clearly.
I have a new BFF:
I think it is ironic that it is dressed in what appears to be workout clothes. I don't know if that is to subliminally trick people into thinking Oreos are healthy, or if it is to remind you that you will have to work your butt off once you eat one. Nonetheless, they are yummy and I love them.
Since I'm starting to come down from my Halloween sugar high, I will end this post by sharing some Halloween memories. When we first moved to our block ten years ago, the dad's on the block were in charge of taking the kids trick-or-treating while the moms gathered together outside to hand out candy - and possibly indulged in a few adult type beverages. Oh those were the days when I had three little beggars out there bringing home sacks of candy! But seasons change and while we still gather outside to hand out candy, the dads no longer have to pull their beverages in a rolling cooler and instead they get to sit with the moms, and our grown children to hand out candy. Trey and his buddies are still hanging onto that one little bit of childhood and they decided to go out and see how fast, how far, and how much candy they could get. Here is a before picture of them:
I sometimes miss the days when these boys would come and play transformers or climb the tree outside for fun. Now they are into girls and trying to act cool.
Here is a picture of them ready to go hunting for candy. You can see they don't have that cool thing down yet!
Those little boogers crack me up sometimes!
Well my body tells me that this time change stuff is for the birds and even though the clock says it is only 8:30, I'm going to bed anyway! Till next time!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Homecoming
This weekend was Ciara's last Homecoming as a student. Next year if she wants to attend she will have to do so as an alumnus. I can hardly believe that! I was gone this weekend on an absolutely awesome retreat, and the only down side to that was the fact that I missed her all prettied up for the dance. Thankfully her big sis came over and took lots of pictures for me. Here are a few:
Here she is with her gigantic mum. This is only worn to school on the Friday of Homecoming, but she posed with it in the picture.
Awww aren't these sisters pretty! Just for the record, I want to thank Savannah for picking out a bridesmaid dress that her sister could actually wear twice!
Finally, here is one of her on the Homecoming float for the last time!
Just for good measure and because once you have teenagers it is your duty to embarrass them, here is one of her dressed up for nerd day:
Without a doubt I'm going to miss these days!
Here she is with her gigantic mum. This is only worn to school on the Friday of Homecoming, but she posed with it in the picture.
Awww aren't these sisters pretty! Just for the record, I want to thank Savannah for picking out a bridesmaid dress that her sister could actually wear twice!
Finally, here is one of her on the Homecoming float for the last time!
Just for good measure and because once you have teenagers it is your duty to embarrass them, here is one of her dressed up for nerd day:
Without a doubt I'm going to miss these days!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Mall Madness
Trey and I went to the mall together last week. That sounds so inconsequential, but trust me it was a big deal that he asked to go shopping for clothes! The boy usually follows his dad's fashion advice which is "let the woman in your life buy your clothes, and wear whatever she brings home". So things must have been desperate for him to initiate a shopping trip.
With the girls a "shopping trip" is an event that usually involves lunch at the tea room, stops at numerous stores, much trying on, and searching for matching accessories. I guess it was silly of me to hope that Trey might want to spend the day at the mall with his mom. My first idea that this was a desperation trip and not a pleasure outing was when we exited our neighborhood and stopped at the gas station. There were some girls about his age hanging around and he immediately slouched down into the seat. Since he is a guy and I'm not, it is understood that he is the gas station attendant when he is with me but apparently it is not cool to be seen in a Volvo station wagon with your mom on a Saturday afternoon. ( or at any other time which is why my kids refer to my car as the loser cruiser) Who knew??? So I spared him the social suicide that he would be committing by pumping my gas and did it myself while he cowered low in his seat.
Apparently my son inherited his fathers shopping prowess because it took us approximately 30 minutes and two stores and we were back in the car with enough clothes to last him the whole school year.
There was no tea room, he never came out of the dressing room to ask my opinion, and he was not a bit interested in any matching accessories. But on the upside I made it home in time to catch the Michigan game so it turned out to be a pretty good afternoon.
With the girls a "shopping trip" is an event that usually involves lunch at the tea room, stops at numerous stores, much trying on, and searching for matching accessories. I guess it was silly of me to hope that Trey might want to spend the day at the mall with his mom. My first idea that this was a desperation trip and not a pleasure outing was when we exited our neighborhood and stopped at the gas station. There were some girls about his age hanging around and he immediately slouched down into the seat. Since he is a guy and I'm not, it is understood that he is the gas station attendant when he is with me but apparently it is not cool to be seen in a Volvo station wagon with your mom on a Saturday afternoon. ( or at any other time which is why my kids refer to my car as the loser cruiser) Who knew??? So I spared him the social suicide that he would be committing by pumping my gas and did it myself while he cowered low in his seat.
Apparently my son inherited his fathers shopping prowess because it took us approximately 30 minutes and two stores and we were back in the car with enough clothes to last him the whole school year.
There was no tea room, he never came out of the dressing room to ask my opinion, and he was not a bit interested in any matching accessories. But on the upside I made it home in time to catch the Michigan game so it turned out to be a pretty good afternoon.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
I do one healthy thing for my body each morning. I make a kefir shake with blueberries and flax oil,acai powder, omega 3 fish oil, and any other healthy sounding thing that I can throw in there for good measure.
After that I party like a rock star with my BFF's Little Debbie, Frito Bandito, and Twinkie the Kid.
Sadly Twinkie and I have partied together so much over the past few years, that I'm starting to resemble him.
He pulls off the whole western wear thing so much better than I do.
So I've decided that it's time to part ways with my pals and try to find new healthier friends before my family puts me on an episode of Intervention.
So goodbye Deb,Frito and Twinkie! We had some good times together, but our relationship is not a healthy one. Please don't take it personally when I pass right by you at the grocery store and pretend I don't even know you. You see I can't even stop to admire you because I might be tempted to bring you home... and well... we know what that will lead to. So it's best to just wish you a fond farewell.
I won't forget you..... mostly because the evidence of our trysts lingers on my rear end and jelly belly but non-the-less, it was a good run while it lasted.
After that I party like a rock star with my BFF's Little Debbie, Frito Bandito, and Twinkie the Kid.
Sadly Twinkie and I have partied together so much over the past few years, that I'm starting to resemble him.
He pulls off the whole western wear thing so much better than I do.
So I've decided that it's time to part ways with my pals and try to find new healthier friends before my family puts me on an episode of Intervention.
So goodbye Deb,Frito and Twinkie! We had some good times together, but our relationship is not a healthy one. Please don't take it personally when I pass right by you at the grocery store and pretend I don't even know you. You see I can't even stop to admire you because I might be tempted to bring you home... and well... we know what that will lead to. So it's best to just wish you a fond farewell.
I won't forget you..... mostly because the evidence of our trysts lingers on my rear end and jelly belly but non-the-less, it was a good run while it lasted.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Some Things Get Better With Age
Tomorrow my husband and I will be married for 24 years. I would love to go back and ask the people at our wedding if they thought we would make it to 24 years. I'd be willing to bet a number of them would have said no. But here we are all these years later still hanging in there. Last night in celebration he took me to a fondue restaurant with some friends. It was fun and yummy and I recognize the sacrifice on his part because I know he would have preferred a side of beef cooked over a fire and served man-style instead of having to skewer little tidbits of vegetables and meat and cook them in a pot on the table. So in honor of 24 years, I give you 24 reasons I love my husband not in any particular order. Just a side note, I left out the many "personal" reasons I love him so as not to gross out my children.
1. He played a major role in the production of our three terrific children.
2. He has seen me at my best and my worst and has never made me feel less attractive or desirable to him.
3. He can fix just about anything.
4. He is a talented guitar player.
5. I love the way he is passionate about his faith and beliefs.
6. He is a great artist and can see potential in just about anything.
7. I love how he will help anyone who needs a hand with something.
8. He is a great cook.
9. I love how he loves our country and never fails to thank our military personnel for their service.
10. I love the logical side of him. It offsets my irrational side.
11. He sometimes rubs my feet after a long day.
12. He always gives people the benefit of the doubt when I tend to question motives and reasons.
13. He can keep his cool in stressful situations.
14. He has patience when teaching someone something new.
15. I love how he doesn't gross out when having to do yucky stuff like burying dead animals or playing doctor to a hurt dog.
16. He never complains that the house is messy but will tell me it looks good when I have spent the day cleaning it.
17. He is a loyal friend,brother,son etc.
18. I love how he is quick to forgive and never holds a grudge.
19. He has wicked-mad computer skills.
20. I love how he makes me laugh.
21. He is an awesome dad and loves our children more than life itself.
22. I love how he loves to be home with his family. He rarely if ever goes out after work or on weekends.
23. I love how I can volunteer him to do things and make things for church and school and he never complains about it.
24. I love how he has stuck with me and put up with my stuff for the last 24 years!
I could have written many more reasons, but I will save them for the next anniversary post. Here is a wedding picture of us. Remember it was the 80's so you must excuse the fashion choices, and for the record, P had a much more pronounced mullet, but he photo-shopped a majority of it off! That is totally not fair because he should have photo-shopped that flying saucer off of my head while he was at it!!! I love you honey! Happy Anniversary!!
1. He played a major role in the production of our three terrific children.
2. He has seen me at my best and my worst and has never made me feel less attractive or desirable to him.
3. He can fix just about anything.
4. He is a talented guitar player.
5. I love the way he is passionate about his faith and beliefs.
6. He is a great artist and can see potential in just about anything.
7. I love how he will help anyone who needs a hand with something.
8. He is a great cook.
9. I love how he loves our country and never fails to thank our military personnel for their service.
10. I love the logical side of him. It offsets my irrational side.
11. He sometimes rubs my feet after a long day.
12. He always gives people the benefit of the doubt when I tend to question motives and reasons.
13. He can keep his cool in stressful situations.
14. He has patience when teaching someone something new.
15. I love how he doesn't gross out when having to do yucky stuff like burying dead animals or playing doctor to a hurt dog.
16. He never complains that the house is messy but will tell me it looks good when I have spent the day cleaning it.
17. He is a loyal friend,brother,son etc.
18. I love how he is quick to forgive and never holds a grudge.
19. He has wicked-mad computer skills.
20. I love how he makes me laugh.
21. He is an awesome dad and loves our children more than life itself.
22. I love how he loves to be home with his family. He rarely if ever goes out after work or on weekends.
23. I love how I can volunteer him to do things and make things for church and school and he never complains about it.
24. I love how he has stuck with me and put up with my stuff for the last 24 years!
I could have written many more reasons, but I will save them for the next anniversary post. Here is a wedding picture of us. Remember it was the 80's so you must excuse the fashion choices, and for the record, P had a much more pronounced mullet, but he photo-shopped a majority of it off! That is totally not fair because he should have photo-shopped that flying saucer off of my head while he was at it!!! I love you honey! Happy Anniversary!!
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