Happy New Year!

Good-bye, 2008! Hello, 2009! Before I start the daily blather of my life in the slow lane, I am sending all my best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year to you and all those you love. May you realize God's blessings every day...and may He bless you richly!

It was three years ago today that my brother died in River Forest, IL. I didn't get the news until the next morning, but I do think about it. My brother was a stubborn man. I hope that he has moved on in the Hereafter and forgiven his sisters for his imagined injury. We will never know.

Meg and I went out after supper last night and bought the loft bed for Ryan. It will be delivered and set up tomorrow (yes...New Year's Day!), so we are trying to get his room cleaned out in order to make room for the workers. The bed unit will overwhelm the room, but no more so than regular furniture would. The room is tiny! The loft bed is the only way to get a bed AND a dresser in there, and still have room for the little guy to play. (He doesn't spend much time in there, but he might now.)

Meg got home from work a little after noon today for the holiday. We will be spending a quiet NYE here at home. I have been doing (the usual) laundry and putting things away, etc. I did take a trek out to shop for some things. What was supposed to be a couple of errands ended up with my making five stops!! I've been working on my bedroom...decorating, sort of...updating things with new stuff. Kohl's has been having an "art" sale...buy one, get one free...so I have taken advantage of that. I spent a little money but got some things that I like. I don't usually spend money on me. Nice to do that every once in a while!

Special thanks to all of my friends who have meant so much and done so much for Meg and me over the years. I love you all. You are the best!

Happy 2009!

What a Nice Day!

Yesterday--also a nice day--I was mostly useless. I shuffled things around here at home, but I didn't accomplish much. I guess we all need days like that, and maybe I could have predicted that I'd not get anything done after the trip to Muncie and back. I forgive me! *Here we go again with the system not letting me make paragraphs. Read between the asterisks! *Today, I was up early and working. I've done laundry and dishes and picked up stuff. There is still a lot to do! I did take a trek out to shop for some things with minor success. Looking for a loft bed for Ryan's room because he isn't going to fit in his toddler bed much longer. I might have found one that will work. Meg and I will go back to look at it when she gets off work tonight. *It's so nice to have a few days still off work after vacation. 'Tis the best of both worlds! Next year, the children will be with their father for Christmas. Meg will need a distraction. Maybe another vacation just for the two of us?? A genealogy trip? Works for me!

Be It Ever So Humble...

We are home.
Coming back, we took the trip in two days. Drove from 9:30 AM yesterday morning until we reached our motel in Marietta, GA, at about 9:30 PM. Long day.
Today, we were on the road by 9:00 AM and hit the driveway at about 6:30 PM.
God bless the children, they are champion travelers. The worst part of the trip was the last hour or two when we were all tired of riding. Everyone (but me) is now in bed and asleep. Exhausted babies! Meg has to go to work tomorrow. I will take the children to Muncie in the early afternoon to be with their father for the rest of the week.

On our Florida adventure, we did Kennedy Space Center and Disney World. The children went out on Grandpa Joe's boat and saw manatee and dolphin. They have seen wildlife that they could never have seen in Indiana. Every morning, we were at the beach at daybreak, watching the sun come up on the continent and feeding the greedy gulls. The children spent a lot of time in the surf. (Robin got a minor sting by a Portuguese Man o' War.) They spent almost as much time in the swimming pool. If you ask them what they liked best, they will tell you Disney. We loved the palm trees and the water birds and the flowers and the warm temperatures. Santa Claus found us there...although it seems somewhat ludicrous to see winter themes in a warm climate!

When we hit the house tonight, everyone helped unload. The house is now more trashed than it already was, but the children especially seemed happy to be home. As we were saying good-bye to Florida this morning, I noticed that Meg teared up. I could have. It is hard to go back to reality after a lovely break. Her whole intention for this vacation was to expose the children to things they had never seen before. We did that! She spent lots of quality time with the kids. They will never forget the trip. Time to plan the next one!

We were blessed by good weather our entire Florida stay; blessed again by driving back in good weather. Back to winter coats, but life goes on!

Home is where the heart is. I am happy to visit the rest of the world, but also happy to return to my little home. Thank you, God, for giving us this time!

Merry Christmas from Florida!

So much to say...so little time! I am on Meg's laptop computer from the Reef Ocean Resort in Vero Beach, Florida. Our patio is a couple of feet from the swimming pool and a few yards from the ocean. The weather has been great and we have had a good time! I have stories to tell but will save them for when I am home.

The highlight for me is being down on the beach at sunrise every day (a full hour earlier than at home)...and feeding the gulls. We have done Disney and Kennedy Space Center. Have played in the ocean and swum in the pool. Santa Claus found us today!

Standing on the beach watching the awesome ocean confirms for me that there is a God, and He is powerful. How can one see something so very beautiful and not believe??

Merry Christmas to all of my family and friends. May 2009 be good to you!!

Florida...Here We Come...Maybe

The children are excited. They decorated cookies at Grandma Judy's today...and both understand that we are leaving for Florida tomorrow afternoon. Heh heh...tomorrow is "pajama day" at school for Robin. She is sleeping in what she intends to wear to school. Can't get her to sleep!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the day at school tomorrow won't be a bad one for me, but I feel bad because there is soooo much to do before we can comfortably leave. I have been gathering things and packing for months. Now we are down to the last minute stuff...and I am going nuts. I've tried desperately to think of everything. Maybe things would have gone better if I hadn't!

It is raining outside now. Supposed to freeze...then thaw. We'll see how things are at commute time. We have been in deep freeze since Thanksgiving, and I'm tired of it. And it isn't even Christmas yet!

To all who read this blog, God rest ye! Merry, merry!

Peg

Adventures in Education

Yesterday (Tuesday), my colleagues and I were awaiting the bell at the end of our lunch period at 11:30 when the lights blinked off. And stayed off. Then the bell rang. Since the 7th and 8th graders were all in the windowless cafeteria, we realized we would be needed in that direction. Directives came over the PA for students to sit down...remain where they were...but they didn't. I got my door open and opened the blinds for maximum light...then took in the students that were "loose". (My room is at a hall intersection, so the light from my windows helped to light the hall a tiny bit.) Students in the hall were told to sit down where they were, etc., until we could get control of the situation. The halls were dark. The only lights were the exit signs. Little by little, students were released to return to their classrooms. Bathroom treks were supervised because we have automatic flush toilets that weren't flushing without power...and there are no windows in there. And so it went. Along about 12:30, my students noticed that the buses were gathering outside. There had been no announcement, but we had no choice but to dismiss. One assistant administrator used his locker key to unlock lockers in the darkest hall (since it was too black to see the combination dials). At 1:00, we dismissed for the day. I was thankful for the time off. I had things to do! (A couple of teachers told me that the power came back on 15 minutes later.)

When I got home, I considered a nap...but then considered that there were too many things to do in order to continue the packing for Florida. In the kids' absence, I was able to take out the wrapped packages and get them stashed in a big suitcase. Did a load of dishes and a couple loads of laundry. Etc. By this time, the mist that had been coming down was beginning to freeze on everything. It was getting slick out. Meg got home a full 30 minutes later than usual. (She had to scrape her car...and the Bursar's. Apparently the Bursar didn't have a scraper in her vehicle!) We had our supper...and so it went.

This morning, I was up getting Robin's lunch ready when I got the call that my school district was under a two-hour delay, due to icy road conditions. A few minutes later, we got an automated call from Plainfield indicating that they, too, were under a delay. With an extra two hours before school arrival time, I was able to slow down and take the morning as it came. Meg called Grandma Judy to say that the children would be later than usual and breakfasted. The kids could sleep in a little. Meg could leave for work a little earlier than normal in order to compensate for road conditions. I got everyone up and fed and delivered in plenty of time. All went well. I love it when a plan comes together!

Oh...and here's an adventure, too. When I was at my sister's over Thanksgiving, I managed to leave my Clinique (expensive) make-up base behind. I only use Clinique because Cover Girl discontinued my favorite foundation years ago, and I spent months and mucho $$ trying to find something I liked as well. I did have an old jar of foundation here with barely enough in it to cover my face for a week or two...but unfortunately, Clinique can only be purchased in the expensive department stores, the nearest of which is in Greenwood. I haven't had the time or energy to drive there just for make-up! I discovered a Clinique website from which I could order the stuff and hope that it would get here. Guess what? I ordered it on Saturday, and it was here yesterday. Yes! I'll never have to drive to find it again! I love the Internet!

Back to Florida preparations. It is getting to be Crunch Time!

Last Week of the Semester

I hate to say this, but I am just putting in time at school. Maybe the other teachers are doing that, too...but none of us are talking about it.

I am reading a book that a student (who is flunking my class, btw) gave me. Freedom Writers Diary. It is totally discouraging because the teacher in that class did so much to change the lives of her students from the inside-out, and I do so little. Once upon a time, I think I believed I could be a Ms. Gruwell, but the truth is that I failed miserably, in that regard. Life got in the way. And now it's nearly time to retire. What do I have to show for my career? A few successes, sure...but no monuments. Teachers are given more and more to do with less and less time...and fewer pats on the back. Students aren't succeeding? That's OUR fault. I'm just so tired of it all...

After school today, I took the children to get their hairs cut (Cookie Cutters. I love that place!) Then went to dinner at Chick-fil-A...then to find a movie for school for Friday...then to Penney's for shoes for Robin (and to say hi to Mommy who was getting her hair done there). The children were really very good all evening, but both went to bed way late. We'll pay for that in the morning.

My belly is on the mend, finally. Now I will have to go back to watching what I eat. For awhile there...probably four weeks...I was eating what I could tolerate and trying to rehydrate. Calories didn't matter. I scared myself a few days ago when I stepped on the scale and it showed that my weight was down ten pounds in about three days. This morning, I was up about four pounds, which is good. I need to lose weight, but when it goes down in an unhealthy way, it ain't good!

Let's See...Where Was I?

Back to being sick. Meg has a miserable cold/sinus deal. I relapsed on the digestive thing. Have become intimate with the commode. I took Wednesday off, sick as a dog. Spent the entire day (after going to school to put in lesson plans) in bed.

Thursday, I was a little better but decided to take the day off just to recupe some. It's a good thing I did! Got a call from my attorney saying that I was expected with him in court at 1:30! (This is an ancient divorce deal that has been going on for the past two years.) So...off I trudged to the City-County Building in Indy. Got back in time to pick up the children, take them to supper, get home in time to change Ryan's clothes for his Christmas program at church, and attend the program. Meg and I had an altercation that didn't make for a real pleasant time, but once home again, I got lunches ready for Friday, etc....then discovered, as everyone was in bed (and I was on my way there), that the house was getting cool. Hmmm...the pilot light for the furnace was out. No biggie. I relit it, but it didn't ignite the burner. By now, it was 10:00 PM, and I knew that we were going to get up to a cool house.

Friday, I was up at 5:00. Turned on the "fireplace" (which is a space heater) in the living room, then started the water distiller in the kitchen (which gives off considerable heat). Lit oil lamps for additional heat in Meg's and the children's bedrooms. Interestingly, it was only just below 70 degrees in the house at the time. Then it was decision time. Do I stay home and try to find someone to repair the furnace? Could Meg stay home? No matter...I had to go to school to put in lesson plans anyway...only to find that one of my classes had put the sub in tears the day before, and there were lots of subs that day. Meg was likewise somewhat stuck, so we took our chances to wait for the end of the day.

Ham radio to the rescue again! On my way to school, I was talking to a couple of radio friends, one of whom is a heating/cooling guy (Jim). The other (Adam) is a very capable and dear friend who said he would be at my house at the end of the school day--and was! Adam put in several hours working on the furnace, found a part at a hardware not too far away, drove there and back, put in the part, got the furnace going, and went on his way. He would not take any money for his efforts (which irritates me some). The part was pricey, but when you consider that I would have had to pay for that AND labor had the heating and cooling company that I called ever called me back, I am extremely grateful. Hey...this is Indiana, and it has been COLD since before Thanksgiving! Gotta have heat! (Even without heat all day, the house was only at 65 degrees although it never got over 30 outside. Amazing!)

The furnace in this little bungalow is the original, installed when the house was built in 1968, which makes it 40 years old. Time for a replacement? Jim--the other ham--armed me with the names of several capable friends who do furnace replacements reasonably. We will look at that after the first of the year.

In the meantime, I continue to be thankful for all of the help and support that I have had through the years from a "hobby" that has proved to be better than having a husband in the house!

New Family Addition

Cooper James Watts (CJ), my sister's FOURTH great-grandchild, has arrived into the world, but not without complications. Holly (his mother) was rushed for an emergency C-section when his umbilical cord presented itself for delivery before he did! Mother and baby are well, thank God.

I supervised homework and bedtime tonight because Meg is sick...and I'm tired. Grandma just doesn't hold up without a nap these days. Bed will feel good!

So much to do...so little time...

Whoa! Long Time Since Last Post!

This was written on December 7th!
Truth be known, I didn't feel well enough to work on ye olde blog! The weekend before Thanksgiving, I had an intestinal deal that didn't go away. Dehydrated and otherwise dragged out, I did minimum expectations by day and hit the sack early by night. I am only NOW feeling normal again!



Thanksgiving was nice. Traveling weather was decent. My sister's house is warm and inviting...and her food is scrumptious! (Is that because I didn't have to fix it??) We got my turn signal bulb changed...and Roger (my bro-in-law) taped up my broken headlight so the weather wouldn't get to it until I get the chance to get it fixed. I didn't get to see the whole fandamily, but I did get to visit with a big chunk of them...including most of cousin Betsy's crew. Haven't seen them in forever!



Meg purchased a DVD recorder with VHS in order to convert home videos to DVDs. It is time consuming, at best...but we have spent hours looking at Robin and Ryan as babies while the recording goes on. Strolling down Memory Lane!



We are preparing for a trip to Florida over Christmas break. The time-share condo (Meg's father's) is paid for, as are the Disney tix. The motel room on the way back SHOULD be paid for. Christmas shopping is mostly done. I am pre-packing, hoping the weather will be warm enough for beach and/or pool. Without those, things will get expensive! Santa has to find us in Florida. I hope he does!



Oh...and Happy Birthday, dear sister! I will call but waiting for the grandkids to come home to give you their birthday blessings, as well!

Toads for Thanksgiving

Ryan has a double ear infection. On meds...again. It hasn't slowed him down!

Yesterday, I spent much of the day preparing a Thanksgiving feast for when everyone got home from work/school/doctor, etc. I didn't feel well at all, but fixed turkey, dressing, smashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, relishes, and pumpkin pie, plus chips and dip. (Not all of that was from scratch, by the way!) Meg brought home corn meal muffins. I had prettied up the table, using good china and stemware and fall placemats that Meg made a few years ago...and little pumpkin-shaped napkin holders that Meg made when she was Robin's age...just to make the occasion festive. Even lit a candle! Whoop-de-doo! Meg had recorded "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" on the TiVo to occupy the children during the time between pick-up and her return. What were we thinking??? Were we expecting a Leave It to Beaver household??

First of all, the children came back from Grandma Judy's dirty. I carried Ryan to the car because his new shoes were covered in mud. Robin had mud on her pants. Ryan had written all over both hands with a black marker (washable, thank heavens). I tried to get them cleaned up a bit before Meg got home... They didn't want to watch Charlie Brown. They preferred to play (roughly) in Robin's room until I kicked them out of there...then the only thing they wanted to see on TV was Sponge Bob Squarepants. When Meg got home...before I even got the food up off the stove...they were in the kitchen, messing up the place settings, drinking their lemonade out of their little stemware glasses, and trying to blow out the candle (largely spitting all over the table in the process). Then we sat down to eat.

The kids didn't like the gravy or potatoes, didn't want any green beans, didn't touch the olives or pickles that Robin used to love, and picked at the turkey. Ryan ate a little dressing; Robin didn't want any. Robin, who was wiping her mouth with her hands, then her hands on her clothing, was admonished to use her napkin. With a grin on her face, she tried to use the placemat. Ryan started playing with his stemware glass until it was taken away from him. Robin wanted more lemonade but would only point and make baby noises, rather than ask in words. Ryan fidgeted with his napkin holder until he finally managed to break it. In short, they were toads! I think Meg was appalled, but she appreciated our feast. Everyone had pumpkin pie, then they were ingloriously packed up in the minivan to meet up with Kendra for a Thanksgiving in Muncie today. SIGH <---(relief!)

Both Meg and I hit the sack early. I'll be leaving for my sister's in Illinois today. Meg will have the house and the leftovers to herself for a couple of days. Hope she can stand the quiet!

What's up with the robins? Yet another flock in the neighborhood. I can hear some outside even now. Better hurry southward, little guys. Winter is on its way!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends. I am thankful for you!

Bad Tylenol!

When I went to pick up the grandchildren today, Ryan was totally listless and sick. He complained of a headache and an earache. I walked him to the car, hand-in-hand. Poor little guy! His mother made a doctor's appointment for him for tomorrow. In the meantime, though I didn't register a fever for him on the thermometer, I gave him some Tylenol. Bad idea! By the time his mother came home for supper, he was feeling well and wound up! (We decided that next time I should omit the Tylenol!) *Meg had a parent conference for Robin at 6:30, so I watched the kids. They are still watching cartoons, with popcorn. Sorry! I offered them games but they didn't want to do that! *Asterisks at paragraph breaks again. . *I am off tomorrow. Life is good! I will be preparing Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow for my family. We have much to be thankful for--especially considering the state of the economy. Those that have any qualms about my situation can kiss my proverbial foot! Meg and I have closed ranks and have done the best we can do under the circumstances. We have spent a bunch on the house, and things aren't great yet, but at least we aren't at risk of losing anything. My daughter and grandchildren have a place to live and food to eat. Grandma has a reason to exist. We go on. Do I regret anything? Nope! *Thanks to all who continue to support us when things seem inordinately weird. I need you all!

Still Sickies

Robin didn't go to school today, but she is better. I did go to school today, but I'm not up to snuff yet. Meg came home with an upset stomach. Ryan will be next, I suppose...

Life with a little boy in the house:
GRANDMA: Ryan, do you see that orange stuff on the floor next to the toilet?
RYAN: Yeah.
GRANDMA: That's urine. Do you know what urine is?
RYAN: No.
GRANDMA: Urine is pee-pee. When you pee-pee in the potty, you don't hit the bowl. You
need to be more careful to make sure it all goes in the bowl and not all over the
seat or the floor.
RYAN: Okay... (Then yelled from his room.) BUT THEY MAKE THOSE TOILETS TOO
SMALL!
GRANDMA: (Mumbling to herself.) I think they all say that...

Kids at school were better today than last week. I suppose they will be whacko tomorrow since it is the last day before Thanksgiving break. I hope not. I would just like to enjoy them! Hope I feel better, too. It would make the holiday so much better...

Sickness Here

I've been "puny" the last two days, making getting anything done almost out of the question. Meg and the children...and even I...did a little raking, but the job's not done. Robin started throwing up today, thankfully spread out through the day, and she seemed relatively well between bouts...although pale. Also, thankfully, she is grown up enough to make it to the proper receptacle. There is a God!

I will go to school tomorrow. I'm going to live, I think...but it will be slow going for a day or two before digestion gets back to normal. So close to Thanksgiving! Yuck!

Weekend

With the children here for the weekend, we have tried to make good use of the time. Friday, we had "movie night," complete with popcorn and lemonade. That went well. Yesterday, we took a run to Sam's Club for some things we needed. We always have Sam's pizza when we're there. The kids love it, believe it or not.

Meg had the kids sit down and go through toy catalogs to pick out what they wanted from Santa. Robin wrote a letter to Santa with her list. Ryan just circled things in the catalog--sometimes whole pages! We had some "quiet time" (mostly for Grandma's sake), then launched into putting up our Christmas tree.

Normall, the tree goes up AFTER Thanksgiving, but since the kids will be gone Thanksgiving weekend, and we will all be in Florida for Christmas, we put it up early this year. Ry got so wound up that he ended up in bed without a movie after that chore was done.

Somewhere in the middle of the day, Robin pulled her loose front tooth. Toothless! I don't think I ever had the guts to pull my own teeth (and wouldn't let anyone else do it, either), so she is the champ! She looks cute and talks funny. Pictures will follow...

Today, the plan is to rake leaves--largely because the temps will be a little warmer than yesterday--but this is our only real chance to get it done. Hope everyone is up to the challenge.

I've been out of sorts the past 24 hours with an intestinal challenge. Not fun! At least I wasn't at school at the time it hit! Two more days of teaching before Thanksgiving. I will be preparing a mini-feast for us for Wednesday and will head to my sister's in Illinois for the holiday. Then it is an uphill slide to Christmas!

It's Friiiiidaaaaay!

Well...the bloom is off the rose with the 8th grade, as of now. All year long, I've been bragging on this year's kids...how they have been better behaved than last year's crew, in spite of admonitions from the 7th grade teachers that the group was, overall, not good. I'm not bragging anymore! Since Wednesday, I have had to write up six kids for misbehavior that was more than just classroom highjinx. And it isn't even February yet! (February is the worst month for student behavior.) I rarely send kids to the office, so they have to be pushing the limits in order to get in trouble with me. There are two days left of school before Thanksgiving break. Hope the four days off will inspire the kids to get their acts together when they get back. Otherwise, it's going to be a loooong rest of the year!

Had a strange thing happen today. One of my team members was absent, so she had a sub. During our study period, I went to her room to call out one of her kids to work with one in my room, just to be nice. (Usually, my student goes to her room to work with her student.) I stuck my head in the door and asked for the student, saying that I didn't want to send my student to her room with the "poor sub in charge". Well! The sub immediately thought I was criticizing her as a poor sub, when I was really just trying to be sympathetic...as in "poor you". She jumped on me in front of the students. "Excuse me? I take offense to that! This is game day!" I didn't have a clue who she was...and apparently she didn't know who I was, either. I was shocked. I stammered that I hadn 't meant to be offensive, then turned around and let the door slam behind me. At the end of the day, she came to me to apologize for her instant assumption that I was accusing her of being a bad sub. It ended okay, but she needs to learn that those kinds of things should NOT occur in front of students! As it turns out, she is the mother of one of my favorite former students! I felt bad about the whole deal...

Meg was home sick today. She has the intestinal heeby-jeebies that I have somewhat shared. Robin is coughing. Ryan has a nasty nose. Still, we have endeavored to have a good evening. When I picked the kids up from the other Grandma, I took them to McD's for dinner and play. They were good. At home, we had clean-up time, then "movie night". Meg has a bunch of kid shows recorded on the TiVo. The kids get in their jammies and lie down to watch movies, with popcorn and drinks. They love it! (They are enjoying the last of them now.)

We will be trying (all four of us) to get the leaves raked this weekend. Lots to do. Always lots to do!

Next Day Mop-Up

I hit the interstate at the usual time this morning and soon ran into a traffic slowdown. We began to crawl. I could see red flashing lights just ahead, but not much. I worried that I might be late for school, but OF COURSE my cell phone was dead. Fortunately, the traffic continued to move and I was on the accident site fairly quickly. Must have just happened because there was only one emergency vehicle there. What was it? A semi was jackknifed into the median--a deep ravine--with his HUGE trailer coming up out of the ravine and halfway into the passing lane. Once past that, the going was fine. I got to work on time...but figured if the accident had happened any earlier and more equipment was there, the roadway (maybe four lanes in both directions) would have been closed while they tried to drag him out of the median. Hope the driver was okay. He certainly had a bumpy ride for a second or two there... *The next thing that occurred was that the very first student who showed up for Success Period (before-school help) in my room looked like someone had hit him in the eye. Looked like pinkeye to me, so I walked him to the nurse. He got a quick ticket home. Pinkeye is highly contagious. *In short order, I began to look at the notes that yesterday's substitute left for me. I was not pleased! Apparently a number of students in one of my classes caused problems sufficient for her to send four of them to the office--something she has never had to do before. Three of them were girls! At the beginning of every school year, I promise my students that if they misbehave for a sub, they get after school detentions, no questions asked. Had to spend part of my day writing that up on the district software and filling out the appropriate forms. Time consuming, but necessary. *This evening went fairly smoothly. My grandchildren--particularly Robin--really like to play outside. On her brother's birthday last week, she did her homework after school so we could go out to dinner, but she burst into tears when she got done and I announced that it was time to go meet Mommy. "I wanted to play." I gave them ten minutes before we absolutely had to leave. That satisfied her. Yesterday and today, I let them play outside when we got home while I made supper. They played together, and they played well. Meg and I think Ryan is really making an effort to behave. He got to stay up later than usual tonight because he had "been good"...and we told him so. Twice tonight, he reminded me that old behavior (like wetting the bed) was over because "I'm five now." Please, God...let it be true!! *There are asterisks in my blog because, once again, the cursor disappears if I hit in order to create paragraphs. Either the blog is malfunctioning, or I'm doing something wrong. Oh, well!

Mental Health Day

I took today off, just to get some things done and rest some. I worked along in the house virtually all day but was flogging myself because things weren't getting done to my standard. Had to keep reminding myself that it was okay...that anything I did was progress, and that the day off wasn't supposed to be stressful. Sheesh! I think I am freaking out because next week is Thanksgiving...and then the Christmas season hits, and the trip to Florida. As prepared as I think I am, I keep feeling that I should be doing more. I keep trying, but I can't save the world!!

A Pretty Nice Party for a Special Little Guy

I didn't get Ryan's closet done last night before I went to bed, so I tackled that today...thinking that it has gone on long enough. There were some other things I needed to be doing, but enough is enough! Ran out of paint in the middle of the project so ran out for more...THEN had to try to get the shelves put back in. They didn't want to go. Apparently a single coat of paint on the walls made them too snug. Finally pounded them in. It'll be a long time before I attempt that again! I also installed the curtain rod and curtain over the door opening and declared the project done. (Actually, there are a couple of cosmetic things I still need to do, but they can wait.)

As the day wearing on, I got myself presentable and went shopping. We had allowed Ryan to open his presents on his real birthday, so there was nothing from us to open for his family party today...and he didn't really have anything from me. In short order, I was able to get a couple of things that I thought he'd like. This will sound funny, but he wanted some "cool" pajamas. I found a pair of Batman jammies with a light in the bat that lights up when moved...with a cape. Way cool! Also got a couple of other pairs of Sponge Bob pajamas, some slippers, and a Leapster 2. The Leapster is an electronic "game" of sorts, with lots of (expensive) learning cartridges. He got ONE of those. (More to add from Santa later.) Raced home, put them in bags, and headed for Chuck E. Cheese with Meg.

Robin's birthday is in August. There is never a problem finding a venue for her family party.
Twice, we have had her parties in a gazebo at Hummel Park, etc. Ryan's birthday, however, is trickier due to the time of year. He had wanted a party at Chuck E. Cheese. Meg kind of nixed the idea at first, but things are still chaotic enough here at home that she made the leap yesterday. (We had already planned to go there...just not do the official "party" routine.) As it turned out, it was a good idea!

The children had been in Muncie with Daddy and Kendra this weekend, so their arrival at Chuck E. Cheese's was a big deal. Ryan came in happy and stayed that way. The Heffelman grandparents arrived with Ryan's requested carrot cake. Chuck E. made an appearance. The children (Ryan, Robin, and Wednesday--their future step-sister) played games and bought junk with their tickets...and so it went. Except for a couple of testy moments on the way home and when we got back, all went pretty well!

Funny moments for me--Ryan got into his Batman jammies almost as soon as he got home. He loved 'em! When he saw the chain with the basketball bauble hanging down from his ceiling fan, he screamed...and came out to thank me for fixing it for him. He played with his Hot Wheels track while Robin played with his Leapster...then she played with the track while he did the Leapster. And then it was time for bed...ours and theirs. He got a little wild at times, but I think--all in all--that the little dude had a very nice birthday!

I wish tomorrow weren't Monday. I need a vacation!

Saturday!

Got up this morning to a cool house. Looked like the thermostat was turned down to 70...and that's about what the temp said. No biggie. I'll just turn the thermostat up a couple of degrees. Did that....and nothing happened! The pilot light was off. I'm not sure why that occurs.
Got it lit again, and warmth ensued! The house really needs a new furnace.

I have spent the day puttering. Have done some laundry. Have done some cleaning. Have run some errands. AND...am hoping to have Ryan's closet FINALLY done before I hit the sack tonight.

Ryan's room has a small ceiling fan. The globe that goes over the light broke several years ago. I just never replaced it, although I've been looking for a new one on my various ventures out. Wal-Mart didn't have any...so when I was in Avon today, I stopped at Lowe's. I just KNEW they'd have globes...but nooooo! One of the assistants there told me that they used to carry them, but no more. They are "reducing stock," which means, according to him, that when things are sold out, they aren't replaced. I don't like the sounds of that. I understand that financial times are tough for all businesses, but there has to be someplace that carries things that we need without resorting to the Internet. I ended up buying an overhead light fixture just for the globe. ($6.) So I paid probably twice as much as I should have for the globe, but at least I didn't have to wait for a delivery or drive any farther to find one. I also bought some extra chain and a basketball bauble so Ryan can turn on the light in there himself. He'll like that.

The closet project entails painting the inside of the closet and installing a curtain over the opening. I had the closet door removed awhile ago. It opened on the wrong side so that it interfered with the bedroom door. All of the bedroom closet doors really need to be replaced. They are heavy wooden bi-fold doors that don't half work...but that's another project entirely. For now, Ryan will have a clean and functional closet with only a curtain to hide the insides. (There was a hole in the closet ceiling where coax and antenna cables came down. Even after the radios were removed, a single TV antenna wire still hung out of the hole. It worried Ryan. I'm betting that he was afraid something would come out of that hole. It is now covered and painted. I hope he likes that!)

Still tons to do before I feel good about the weekend. The weather has turned cold. At least it's not raining right now. I witnessed what I would call a "flock" of robins in the neighborhood this afternoon. I'm taking that as a "pit stop" on their way south, but they'd better hurry! They are a couple of months late on their journey!

Meg and I made a motel reservation for the trip back from the December Florida trip tonight. I guess that means we are really going to go! I have been doing some minor planning and preparing. Guess I need to step up the process! Time's a-wastin'!

Gosh...

I haven't posted since Monday? I'm slipping up!

Okay...Tuesday, Meg took Ryan to his pediatrician for a 5-year check-up and to talk to the doc about behavior. The little guy ended up getting five shots!! His Grandma Judy spoiled him for the rest of the day, so all was well. He got a lot of attention.

Wednesday was just a day. Robin has had a string of "I forgots" about bringing assignments home. She was fearful about going to school because she/they had been told that they'd have to sit on the "curve" and do the work they didn't get done during recess. Character that she is, she said, "Maybe I won't have to sit on the curve. Isn't it supposed to rain tomorrow?" Smart kid! Ry, of course, came down with a cold just a day after being at the doctor's office...

Thursday was Ryan's birthday. We took him to Olive Garden for dinner. (He loves it!) Meg and I overate, regrettably, and came home just ready to bust. Ryan, of course, was geared up for more presents. (He got ONE to open at the restaurant since he is having a family party on Sunday...but we caved in.) In short order, it was time for bed. Meg and I just crashed after we got the kiddos to bed...still too full to be productive. This has got to stop!!

My bro-in-law had a heart catheterization yesterday to determine condition of arteries. They found one 90% blocked so put in a stent, which required an overnight stay in the horsepiddle. He is home and resting. The big issue is that, after a cath, one is required not to move for a number of hours. Roger has a bad back, so being flat and immobile almost killed him. I'm just grateful that it wasn't worse. So far, no complications other than fatigue. Please pray that it stays that way!

Technology is a wonderful thing, when it works. I gave an open book test yesterday...with Scantron. The Scantron deal provides an answer sheet for kids to fill in the "bubbles" of their chosen answers, in pencil...then all I have to do is run a key through the machine...then the answer sheets...for an immediate score. Sounds easy, right? Well...for the SECOND time, I had an error on my key...which meant that I had to go over all of the answer sheets by hand and make corrections...then make corrections in my grade book...then get on the district software to make those corrections. I did get it all done before I left for the day, but I hate when that stuff happens!

This evening, I picked up the kids and took them to Meg's workplace so we could find a place to eat...and she could leave for Muncie from there. She has a class assignment that is due tonight at midnight, so wanted to leave earlier than usual. It was raining and dark. If I were a good mommy, I would have offered to take the children like I did the last time she had an assignment due...but I don't see all that well at night, and rain on the windshield and pavement complicates things. Sorry, Meg!

The birthday party on Sunday will be at Chuck E. Cheese. God help us all!

So It Goes...

I am old, and I keep on wondering when I will get a break in life. It just doesn't seem to happen! I'm not normally a whiner--okay, so I am a little bit--but all I want out of my existence is contentment. I tried to get to that tonight, but my daugher was distraught about other things..and I'm not totally sure what. She was inconsolable...so I got no satisfaction.

Meg wants to be a perfect Mom. There ain't no such thing. When her children express emotions that she isn't ready for, there is hell to pay. We just need to stay constant. The rest will happen, in time.

Are you listening to me? Ain't I the absolute expert??
Nightie. I'm done for the day.

So Much for My Nap!

When I last posted, I was looking forward to an afternoon nap at the end of the day yesterday (Friday). Since the kids were gone, my plan was to go to Papa Murphy's for pizza, then come home and snooze for a bit. I really needed the snooze. I have fought fatigue in the evenings all week.

Did the Papa Murphy's thing. Got back on US 40 headed west, moving into the left turn lane at Dan Jones Road, in traffic, when a car came out of Hardee's, across all three lanes, turning east on 40. I didn't see her because of traffic on my right. Obviously, she didn't see me, either. (Traffic on 40 at that hour is sufficiently heavy that making a left turn onto it when there is no light can be tricky...as she found out. She was making a run for it because she thought she had a break.) I slammed on my brakes, but there was no missing her. We crunched. I hit her driver's side door at about the hinges with my driver's side bumper. We weren't hurt. I was actually kind of amazed that the damage wasn't more than it was... That side of my bumper is punched in, putting a wrinkle in the fender, and the headlight is broken, but still works. The other driver is a Hardee's employee who kept saying, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

It took the motorcycle cop almost ten minutes to get there. Unheard of for Plainfield, that has more police per capita than any other community I've ever lived in! In any case, I shook as I called the police on the cell phone. Was still shaky when I got home a bit later--too shaky to get my nap. Wine to the rescue! I got into my nightgown after dinner and laid down on my bed to watch TV for a bit. Meg told me I'd conk out, since I was horizontal...and I figured I would...but the time was--what? 7:30? 8:00? She closed up the house and went to bed when the spirit moved her. I, of course, was awake at 12:15 with heartburn. Got up, took a Tums, and forced myself to stay in bed the rest of the night...but I only dozed. Was up at 5:30 this morning for the day. Have been cleaning and doing laundry--kind of. I am so used to having huge piles of laundry that what I have done today seems like clothing is missing. That's what happens when one gets caught up!

In any case, all is well here...and life goes on.

Details!

Megan complained several mornings ago that the smoke alarm had been chirping in the night. Funny...it didn't chirp in the daytime at all, so I failed to get the battery replaced. Well, this morning, as I was about to walk out the door for school, it decided to chirp. I got the stepstool out and took down the alarm, took the battery out, and laid it on the kitchen table. THAT would remind me to get a new battery...which I did. It seems like such a little thing, but I do feel better when the tiny details get attended to. They do add up! I actually need to get a second alarm to put outside my bedroom door...but that puts it in the kitchen, which is always risky due to steam and cooking smoke, etc. We'll see! Since I am on the other end of the house from the first one, we have to have another...no matter what.

Had to correct a whole class's Scantron sheets for a test today. The machine usually checks them, but I made a mistake on the key. I hate when that happens! Fortunately, the mistake was in everyone's favor, so grades improved considerably. Believe it or not, next Friday is the midterm already. End of the semester is December 19th. The time sure flies!

This year was the first one since I've lived in Indiana that we went with Daylight Savings Time...but in the Eastern Time Zone. As energized as I was on Sunday, looking at the clock every couple of hours thinking that it should be later than it was, I have been dragging my tail feathers every evening this week. I'm convinced it's because my body hasn't adjusted yet. My bod says it is 10:30 when the clock says only 9:30. Guess it will be a couple of weeks before I get can get with the program...

After school today, I went to the grocery store, then picked up the children. Took them to Cookie Cutters for a haircut, then to Chick-fil-A (which has a play place) to eat and wait for Meg to meet us. The kids were largely good. When we left, Meg took the kids to meet Kendra (their step-mommy to be). The kids are in Muncie tonight but will go to the Chicago area with her tomorrow to visit a friend for the weekend. (The kids know the friend and her children.) Yes, Meg took the children out of school for the event...which is a no-no, and a decision not taken lightly...but 'tis easier to do it at their ages than later. Which means, in essence, that I can get my much-needed afternoon nap tomorrow after school in order to be fresh to do housework in the evening. Yay!

It sure is quiet in the house tonight...heh heh. Time for the boudoir!

Lord, Save Me From Little Boys!

After school, I went to the other grandparents' to pick up the children. Typically, I am not met well. Either Robin or Ryan, or both, aren't happy that I am there "already," so I end up having to cajole and joke them along to get them both in the car to go home and fix supper. It isn't fun.

Today, they were outside playing in the leaves again. (Robin was raking and Ryan was in the shed, up to no good.) When he came out, he had a scowl on his face and a little shovel in his hands that he began waving around, as he often does when he has ANYTHING that could be interpreted as a weapon. Grandma Judy reached over and took it away from him, then started for the minibarn to put it away...when he hauled off and hit her hard on the bottom. I came unglued! I grabbed his hands, got in his face, and yelled, "Don't you EVER hit your grandmother! You tell her you are sorry!" He was not at all contrite...continued to have the thundercloud on his face. So I ordered the apology again. He said he already said it. I said, "Grandma and I didn't hear it. Say it again!"--which, of course, he refused to do.

I decided to march him to the car immediately. He decided to throw himself to the ground and not walk. I decided to carry him to the car. He decided to make it difficult. Halfway there, he decided he would walk...until we got to the car, then went limp again. Ugh!! Got him in the car and buckled up. Took a piece of candy away from him that he had left in the car. "You don't get a reward for bad behavior!" And so it went... He settled down by the time we got home...sort of. I got started on supper while the children played outside for a bit. I kept hearing a strange noise, so I looked out the door and saw Ryan jumping up and down ON THE ROOF OF MY CAR!

And then there is the small issue of not being able to hit the inside of the commode when going like a "big boy"...

This after dealing with 8th graders all day. One of my young darlings got out of his seat while I was reading to the class...walked all around the room with his eyes closed...then sat back down again. Another started making mouth noises in the middle of class, just to get my attention. (When I told him to stop, he did...but he was grinning.) And so it goes.

I'm dead tired tonight, so am signing off to hit the sack. I just hope it doesn't hit back!

Obama Wins!

I was going to bed, but the politics of the evening caught me.
Barack Obama is the new President of the United States! I am so excited, I am in tears!
Please, dear God, don' t let the idiots of the world decide to assassinate him.
All we are asking, is "give [him] a chance".

The naysayers of the world now have a new purpose.
God Bless the USA!

It's All Over But the Shouting

Election Day, 2008. I voted. (So did everyone else in the US, it seems!) I have no idea how the election will turn out. I know how I WANT it to turn out. We'll see. Will I stay up to watch the returns? Not on your life! I've been so weary this evening that I'm moving on fumes now...

When I went to pick up the grandchildren this afternoon, after voting, they were outside "helping" Grandma and Grandpa Heffelman remove leaves via tarp to the front yard. They have such a blast playing in the leaves, I couldn't really get them to leave. (No pun intended.) The fun continued after we got to my house. Leaves to rake here, too...although not as many yet. I am blessed with outdoor grandchildren! I don't look forward to winter months when we are all cooped up. Like them, I am an outdoor person, myself...

I am toying with the idea of retiring at the end of this school year. I don't know how I can do it, financially, but it is an attractive idea. All it would really do is uncomplicate my life. I won't have the funds to travel far or live in luxury, but I will have the time to keep house and enjoy my daughter and grandchildren for as long as God lets me. I'd also like to finish one--JUST ONE--scrapbook before I croak. I've been working on one for years!

We are gearing up for Ryan's birthday in the middle of the month. I am thinking we'll just have it here. God help me! I can have the rest of the house ready, if I take a day or two off...but I can't have the kitchen floor replaced or my room organized by then. We'll just do it and beg forgiveness for the way the kitchen floor looks, and close the door to my bedroom!

I know there are tons more things I wanted to write in my blathering blog tonight, but I'm done in. May the best man win the election. History will decide who the best man is!

What Gorgeous Days!

These last three days have been absolutely wonderful, weatherwise. Warm in the daytime, with sun and colorful leaves. What a treat!

I have worked very hard this weekend at getting things done. Made lots of discoveries.
Discovery #1: Never work in a dirty house wearing black. It's a lint magnet!
Discovery #2: I am somewhat compulsive about laundry. I want it all done at once. I don't feel satisfied if a single stitch of anything is left in the hamper, including the clothes we are wearing!
Discovery #3: The weekends aren't long enoough. Every time I clean out a new space, the rest of the house goes to crap. Most of the junk ends up in my bedroom. That is the last place that ever gets cleaned.
Discovery #4: I have no clue where we will put a twin-size bed in Ryan's room. The room is tiny. He needs a loft bed, but I'm not sure how that will work, either. He's in a toddler bed now, but that's not going to last much longer.

Meg went to a baby shower for her best friend Tiffany today. Tiff is Meg's age but has a "partitioned uterus" so is considered high risk. She will have a C-section in early December. They have already named the little dude based on ultrasound pictures. Cole Hanford. Not bad!

Back to work here. Meg has already left to meet Nathan for a kid trade. Need to keep on pluggin'!

Trick or Treat!

What a blessing that Halloween fell on Friday this year...and it was a 70-degree day! Interestingly, we don't get tons of trick-or-treaters here. I'm guessing maybe 50 darkened our doorstep. Most were little ones and as cute as they could be. My own urchins were cute, too. Robin was a classy witch and Ryan was Wolverine. Both were in store-bought costumes. (They're making those a WHOLE lot nicer than they used to!) And both picked out their own. We were willing to make costumes, but if the kids wanted what they picked, 'twas easier for us!

So how has the "holiday" changed since I was a kid? First of all, the word had an apostrophe in it (Hallowe'en), and when it appeared on a spelling test, the teacher marked it WRONG if the apostrophe wasn't there. Now, you can't find the word with an apostrophe anywhere! Secondly, store-bought costumes were so poor that we would have died rather than wear one. Our costumes were all put together at home with whatever we had. I can remember being a Chinese person one year (wearing the Chinese pajamas that Dad brought home from the Orient). Another year, I was a Japanese girl, wearing the kimono that was made for me when we lived in Japan. I don't remember others. (Hey...that was a long time ago!) Megan always had homemade costumes. People gave homemade things like popcorn balls and apples and, of course, candy. Then evil people started with product tampering, making it imperative that treats be store-bought and inspected before eaten. Also, my sister and I were allowed to go trick-or-treating without an adult escort when I was quite young. We would never dream of allowing that now! Too many perverts in the world!

School parties have changed, too. Ryan goes to a private preschool three half-days a week. They had a Halloween party with costumes (but no masks or weapons). First-grader Robin, however, had a "fall" party--no costumes at all. Gone are the days of the Halloween costume parade through the classrooms. Also gone are the days of providing yummy homemade treats for birthdays or school parties. (Remember when you were considered a bad mommy if you sent store-bought treats to school???) It's sad, really, that we have come to this...

Last night was Dad's Night at the Plainfield United Methodist Preschool. Grandpa Phil substituted for Nathan. (Meg took Robin to the library for their Halloween event, then shopping.) I was to meet Phil at the church to collect Ryan so Phil could go to choir practice after the Dad's event. When I got there, Ryan was in line to pet animals. Apparently, the preschool had a nature dude there with critters. Ryan got to pet a dog, a hedgehog, a 25-lb. python, some kind of orange frog/toad, and bearded dragon lizard. (Apparently Grandpa and Ryan also got to assist with holding the python for the demonstration.) They also carved pumpkins. I think Ryan was expected a movie because he misunderstood about a field trip, so he was disappointed when I showed up...but Grandpa had a good time!

I'm still trying to get used to the new blog protocols. Be patient with me!

Joys and Concerns

In church, we are always encouraged to share our happy and sad moments. Today was one of "those" during which I had both.

I went directly from school to my hairdresser's for a hairscut, then directly from there to pick up the children from the other grandparents'. Ryan was dead asleep when I got there, again. It took some doing to get him awake. (He doesn't wake up happy.) Grandpa Phil joked him out of his surly mood...but then said something about how he would never catch up to Robin in age. Apparently that set Ry off. He kicked a chair over and was made to pick it up. We got to the front stoop where he shoved me. I nearly fell off the stoop. I grabbed him by the coat collar and got in his face and yelled at him never to do that again. All that netted me was a scowling face that lasted the whole way home.

By this time, I was kind of honked off. I had done NOTHING to him to warrant the treatment I got. Things settled down at home for a few minutes. Robin went out to play and Ryan had a child's pushbroom to sweep leaves. At one point, I saw him dash off with the broom and assumed there would be trouble. (I went to the bathroom, having had no opportunity to take care of that little item until then.) Then I heard him come in crying. I asked three or four times what the problem was, but got no answer. When I came out of the bathroom, he had kicked over the computer chair that had my jacket on it, and was kicking my jacket and the once-contents of the pockets around the living room. When I demanded that he pick the contents up, he threw it. When I then demanded that he hand it to me, he crushed it. I lost my cool! He went to his room until he could control himself.

He came out while I was cooking supper. Spongebob Squarepants somewhat saved the time. He was entranced, as was Robin. Then Meg came home, and the rounds started all over again at supper. (sigh) I felt bad because I vented on Meg. I'm sure she had hoped to come home to a happy household. (double-sigh). So did I!

On another note, Ryan is reading! He is excited about it, which Robin isn't. Whatever life brings, we will deal with. It's just tough to do all of that on the deficit of stressful days. The little dude is sharp. We have always known that. Now, if we could just control the tantrums...

One of my students today made a point of telling me that his mother was born the year after my first year of teaching. Okay, I said...so what's your point...that I'm old?? I am beginning to think that it's time to retire, for sure!

Good Grief!

I have worked my proverbial buns off this four-day weekend, and I'm happy about what got done...but there is so much more to be done, it isn't funny.

The endless laundry is done and put away. The living room is clean. The kitchen is mostly clean. The new computer is installed in my bedroom. The kitchen cabinets are washed down. Garbage, garbage, garbage is in the trash cans. My car has new oil and new brakes. That is the good news.

The bad news is that I didn't get to any of the things that have been hanging over my head. The children's rooms still aren't done. The front of the house is still trashed. My bedroom is a disaster (because it collects whatever has no place anywhere else). And the long weekend is over! We are looking to having Ryan's birthday party here in the middle of November, but there is so much left to do. We'll see.

Meg is emotional tonight because the children weren't back in the house 15 minutes before the tantrums began. I have to admit, it is pretty formidable. Ryan had a secret. Robin wanted to tell it. He threw a fit. Both told the same story: Ryan "risked his life" to get a bird's nest out of their "club tree" in Muncie. He didn't fall out of the tree, but he "almost did"...and apparently step-sister-to-be made a big deal about the risk. In any case, we endured a hissy fit about whyo should tell whom what.

The house is quiet now. I don't think Robin is asleep yet, but I'm ready to cave in. Tomorrow is another day!

Where's My Whaaaaat??

Okay...so I was sitting on the commode tonight. Meg was doing some computer work for me. From the living room, she yelled, "Where's your dongle?" I don't hear all that well, so I asked her to repeat it. "Where's your DONGLE?" Long silence. I thought she was poking fun at what I was doing...or perhaps a body part. It's none of her business where my dongle was at that moment! Well...silly me. As it turns out, a dongle is a doo-hickey that attaches to the USB port of the computer and allows something else to work. That's all the explanation you're gonna get because that's all I know about it! (I dare you to look this up and tell me what it says! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongle) I'm sure glad she told me, though...because if I'd heard one of my students talking about a dongle, I might have written him/her up for inappropriate language!

Speaking of computers, I broke down and bought a new one this evening. My old 'puter, in spite of several efforts to resuscitate it, just couldn't get going. (It was 5-6 years old. Ancient in computer years.) I am amazed at how cheap computers can be these days. The very first one we bought in this household--with all components--cost $1,500 back in 1994. I walked out of Wal-Mart tonight with one--no peripherals--for $300. It's up and running, but downloading stuff at the moment. I'm just happy because it brings me closer to actually being "installed" in my bedroom--radios, computer, furniture, and all.

I'll be depressed tomorrow because it will be the end of my "vacation"...but I have gotten a lot done. I feel good about that. I just don't want to go back to school on Monday!

Fall Break?

I know one is supposed to rest on a school break, but my idea of resting is having the chance to bring order to our disarray here at home. The last several weekends have had Saturday activities, so my time to get things done has been limited. This week, I had a four-day weekend to do some of that...so I have been making hay while the sun shines!

Thursday, Grandma Judy had something she needed to do, so I kept the kids. We made a craft in the morning, took baths, and generally got ready for the weekend. I had taken my car to the shop for an oil change, winterizing, and a brake job on Wednesday night. A friend took us over to pick it up in the mid-afternoon on Thursday. That worked out nicely. Robin was to have a sleepover at friend Mariah's house, so we got her ready to go in the late afternoon. In between, I did laundry and cooked a corned "beeth" because Robin loves it so. When Meg got home, Robin was delivered to Mariah's and Ryan went to bed. No biggie. (This was a first sleepover for Robin. I fully expected to get a phone call...but no. She had fun, I guess. Didn't come home until 4:00 on Friday...in time to get supper and go to Muncie.)

Friday, Grandma Judy and I were going to trade off with Ryan...but it didn't happen. I just decided to keep him. Figured if things got out of hand, I'd call Judy...but things didn't get that bad. Ryan was probably bored out of his skull because I really didn't spent much time with him since I was doing laundry, but we got by. He was surly a few times, but when his mother got home at supper time, he turned into Mr. Sweetness and Light. Kept saying how much he loved us and how delicious dinner was, with many kisses and hugs, etc. Huh??? Is this MY Ryan?

In the meantime on Friday, Meg came down with something. She was running a temp of 101.8 at work and feeling lousy, but she wasn't allowed to leave because other managers and supervisors were gone. When she got home, she felt really bad...but had to take the children to Muncie. If I hadn't had the kids and/or been doing non-stop laundry, I could have been a nice mommy and offered to take them...but she didn't ask, and I didn't offer. I will always feel guilty about that. I am torn between wanting to be helpful and NOT wanting to be TOO helpful. I'm sorry, Meggy!

I am within just a couple of loads of being DONE with laundry! You don't understand, perhaps. Our space is already challenged...plus we are at a season change. As laundry is done, some things are thrown to the "donate" pile...outgrown. Some things are stored...may be worn next season. (Find a place to put them.) Then there is the "regular" laundry. Over the last three days, I may have done 10 loads or more. We are clean--and getting organized. Talk to me again next season when I will be doing this again!

The weekend was not without fun. I'll leave that up to everyone's imagination. You'll never know!

Weird Day

Because of the whole parent conference deal, and trying to keep hours the same for the entire district, today was a half-day with students...but they didn't come in until 11:30. We had meetings in the AM. The rest of the day went okay...but there has been no real teaching this week. Tomorrow is yet another half day, but I get to come home at the end of it! Then two days off for fall break. I guess fall break used to be a statewide teacher's institute...long since gone. Now, we just get to enjoy the days. *Um....this post will be all one paragraph because I can't get the "enter" button to skip down, for some reason. Sorry about that! I'll put asterisks where paragraphs should be. *As a result of last night's conferences, I made some changes in scheduling. One young man is being switched to another class. He is a "special needs" kid who really needs to be in the class with the special needs aide. He didn't seem to care much, but his mother does. I think she's desperate to see him succeed. He just isn't succeeding now! *Meanwhile, our inservice this morning dealt with a new law in Special Ed that is affective this year...and means a tremendous amount of work above and beyond what we already do. I told my team yesterday that it is probably time for me to retire because I KNOW that all of what is happening now will revert back to what we have been doing in education forever. It just takes time for the general populace to understand that only God can make a tree! Perhaps I have the wrong perspective... *Time for bed. One more day!

Loooong Day

Students were dismissed at 11:00 today. Teachers had an hour for lunch on their own. Conferences started at noon. Then supper on the district between 4:00 and 5:00 (pizza), and conferences thereafter. The conferences were supposed to end at 7:00, but I still had parents waiting to see me. I finally got out about 7:40. Got home about 8:15 after making a short grocery stop. Ahm tard! I feel like I've been talking all day long, when (in fact) I have!

Parent conferences are a necessary evil. I never regret touching bases with the parents because I always gain insight into their children. Some of the stories are heart-wrenching. One "parent" is actually an aunt who left Texas to come and raise her sister's two boys who were orphaned when a car wreck killed their mother and sister. I admire the dickens out of her for what she has done for those boys--both good kids. Another of my students lost his father to cancer 1 1/2 years ago, only a year after he lost his grandfather to cancer. This is his first year in public school after being homeschooled since the beginning. He is still grieving and adjusting...and I didn't know all of this until tonight. Young'uns dealing with adult issues that even adults probably wouldn't handle well! God bless them all!

I don't have to be at school tomorrow until 8:00. Good! I can use the extra 30 minutes of sleep!

Dirty Jobs

Where's Mike Rowe when I need him?
SOMEONE has piddled on the bathroom floor...apparently more than once. Ryan claims that it wasn't him, although he's the only male in the house AND I stood and watched him piddle THROUGH the toilet seat to the under side of the toilet lid this evening. I'm told that the bathroom smells like urine. (I have no sense of smell.) Okay...so it was on my list of things to do today to get the bathroom floor washed with bleach. But before I could get it done, Nathan brought the children home...and, you guessed it...needed to use the restroom. How embarrassing! I tell myself that their house was no cleaner when Meg and Nate were together, but it still bothers me...

The children came home early today so Meg and Robin could attend a Girl Scout event at Camp Dellwood in Speedway. In the meantime, Ryan and I went shopping for sheets and a mattress pad for his new bed (that isn't purchased yet) and new shoes. (The new shoes that were purchased for school already have major holes in them. They lasted a whopping two months!) We were gone two hours, which put a kink in my efforts to get the rest of the laundry done, etc. At least everyone has underwear, socks, and a clean outfit for a couple of days. Whoop-de-doo!

I have parent conferences all afternoon and some of the evening tomorrow. There has been no communication about mealtimes--if the district is feeding us or we are expected to provide our own...or even if there is time built into the schedule to eat lunch and supper. Meg is on her own with the children for supper tomorrow. Unfortunately, the kitchen is a mess (as usual) so it won't be fun.

Colts lost. :(

We have fruit flies. I've been killing them at a rapid pace, and some have committed suicide in my wine glass...but I'm tired of the little critters in my space. Die, you dirty gnats!

Off to finish my last dirty job--making lunches. I HATE making lunches! Why do I do it? Because life is a three-ring circus around here. There aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done! My lot in life is to do laundry and provide food in a timely manner. And yes, Meg pays handsomely for it. Maybe when/if I retire, it will get easier. In the meantime, we do the best we can. It is ever thus!

Done!

Meg is now officially and totally OUT of her storage unit! Grandpa Phil came over with his "big brue truck" today, and with his help, we got everything out of the unit. (We are still finding places for things, but--as usual--that will take time.) In any case, that saves Meg $55 a month and contributes to the family larder and her pocketbook. Storage units, in spite of need, are hard on furnishings. Meg's belongings came out horribly dirty and spidery. Dust finds a way to get into those deals. I'm glad she is done with that.

We weighed in this morning. In spite of my cheating, I was still down. I've officially lost 12.4 pounds; Meg, over 21. We are both paying $40 a month to belong to Weight Watchers...which seems stupid considering that we KNOW what to do to stay "legal"...but there is something about the official weigh-in and system rewards that makes it worth it. I will continue to stay with it until I FINALLY succeed in getting off the weight that I've allowed myself to put on over the years. Of course, my metabolism has changed due to my age, so I need to consider stepping up my physical activity to help jump-start my losses. I have a long way to go, but I'm just going to keep on pluggin'.

We took stuff to Goodwill from the storage unit today...but in the process of working in my room, came up with a whole bunch more. We have sent hundreds of dollars to Goodwill this year alone. I can't prove any of it, so don't know how it will work with taxes. I'm just glad to be shed of it. Now, if I could just get rid of bunches of radio crap, I'd be ahead of the game!

I did get a nap this afternoon. Like that!
Back to work here. It never ends!

Fall Fun Night?

The eighth grade core teachers (four of us) were assigned to plan the "fun night" for the middle school which took place this afternoon. We've done it three or four other times, so it is somewhat down to a fine science. The social studies teacher does more of the work than the rest of us, but I think the kids enjoy it. There was food for sale, board games (which no one did), a volleyball tournament (which a large majority of kids participated in), and a hayless hay-ride pulled by a tractor along the fitness trail at school...also popular. There was music to dance to, but no one danced. Every class is different! The event lasted until 4:30...and as soon as I could scoot out, I left in order to pick up the grandchildren. As with the last two days, when I arrived at the Heffelmans, Robin and Ryan were raking leaves and playing in the piles. Better than TV as an entertainment source!

I took the kids to McD's for supper. Ryan was being sweet and using his manners...but that soon ended. When it was time to go, he wasn't a happy camper...and his sister didn't help things...but there were no huge tantrums. Whew!

After Meg left for Muncie with the children (hasn't returned yet), I left to go do some grocery shopping in order to relieve tomorrow's responsibilities. We are cleaning out Meg's storage unit, once and for all, with Grandpa Phil's truck, etc. Also have to weigh in at WW...and laundry. Ever laundry!

Oh! The shopping bill at Meijer in Mooresville today came to $275. Why? I bought a winter jacket...and two electric blankets for the children, plus groceries. Ryan's room is usually warm during heating season, but Robin's isn't. Can't give one without giving the other. I have no clue how my bedroom will be. Haven't been there through a cold season yet!

Next week will be interesting, at best. Parent conferences on Monday...and two half-days with students thereafter...then fall break. Come on, fall break!

Typical Thursday Exhaustion

The boil order at school was rescinded today. Hallelujah! Some of the kids still don't trust the water. Can't say that I blame them. I did tell them to check the source of the bottled water they were bringing in. I checked a bottle I had purchased some time ago. It said, "Municipal water supply of Greenwood, Indiana." In other words, tap water. I could have done that myself!

When I picked up the grandchildren from the other grandparents' this afternoon, they were out raking leaves. Ryan got into the pile they had raked, then picked up a handful and dumped it on me...then started chasing Grandma Judy (who was running away in baby steps). It was great fun. I don't have as many leaves down in my yard yet, but the kids continued their play at our house...until Ryan hit Robin in the arm with a stick or something. That ended that. I ordered him in. He wanted to give me a hard time about it but complied. I was busy fixing supper and so wasn't in a good position to supervise a tantrum. Fortunately, the tantrum didn't happen.

Did I say supper? There is a zucchini casserole recipe that Meg and I like which is low in WW points, so I got busy fixing that. I knew the kids wouldn't eat it, so I filled them up with fruit and chicken. Robin eats next to nothing at lunchtime at school. It kind of concerns me, actually. For awhile, she was eating everything I packed. Now, most of what I pack comes back home at the end of the day. We have enlisted the children in packing their own lunches, as time permits...but it doesn't always help. God bless the little toads. They don't seem to be losing weight, so I guess they aren't starving!

Just as a point of interest, the genus and species of the American Robin (for whom my granddaughter is named) is Turdus Migratorius. How appropriate! heh heh.

I did an analysis of my classes' first term grades today. I have one class that only has 68% of the students passing. My "honors" class is passing 100%. The rest fall somewhere in between. It isn't pretty. I have told some of them not to plan on being pilots or surgeons because their work ethic is such that I wouldn't want to put my life in their hands. I'm not sure they get it...

I'm just blathering here. Need to go to bed. I've been pooped all evening. Typical for Thursday. Nightie-night.

Boil Order

I forgot to mention in my last blog that our school has been in line for a "boil order" due to a water main break since the weekend. We have water. We just can't drink it. After the first day, the admin. gave the kids permission to bring water....then they delivered 10 bottles of water per day with drinking cups to the classrooms. I don't think it has mattered much. I haven't had a rush on water. It's there if they need it. Still, it is an inconvenience.

The last of my grades went in today for the first grading period. Hard to believe that the term is over already. I had two students who conveniently "forgot" that we took a test on Friday and never made it up. I should have given them a zero, but made as I am, decided to excuse them from that score and make it show up on next term's grades. I know....I'm a softie.

I don't know why October is such a stressful month. I had radio club on Monday night. Then Grandparents' open house for Robin on Tuesday. Friday, my team is sponsoring a fall fun night at school. Monday night is parent conferences. This weekend has some stuff. I just need a few days without any commitments. NOW!

Next week is fall break. I have to figure things out. I'll have the children part of the time. The rest will be up to schedule.

Robin is resisting bedtime right now. The little toad is still up. Ugh! I told her I'd be going to bed, so--since everyone else has crashed for the night--she'd be alone in the house. That seemed to settle her. Time will tell...

Grandma Time!

Monday, Monday...

Tonight, for the first time in two months, I went to my radio club meeting because Ryan doesn't have soccer anymore. It was a Daisy Girl Scout meeting night, however, so Meg did the honors. The Daisies meet at the Plainfield Public Library. The Children's Room is a great place to play, so Meg took Robin to her meeting, then took Ryan there for an hour to wait for Robin. All was going well until, just before they left, Meg told Ryan that she wasn't going to borrow a movie...then The Meltdown occurred before she could even tell him why. He apparently threw a screaming, kicking, biting fit that both embarrassed her and Robin both. When I got home from radio club, I found Meg in tears saying that she will never take him there again. He was ensconced in bed with clothes and shoes and everything...past bedtime. (This is not the first time for a library Meltdown with him.)

Of course, I felt guilty because I wasn't there to help. And then there is the issue of Robin's Grandparents' Open House at school tomorrow afternoon, which occurs when Meg isn't home from work. Do I go and take Ryan with me? Do I stay home with Ryan and let the other grandparents go? Robin needs not suffer because of her brother's temper...but she does. At this point, we all feel like we are walking on eggshells around Ryan just to keep him on an even keel...and we aren't happy doing that with an almost-5-year-old.

Some of you may think that beating his bottom is the cure. We've done that. We've also done soap in the mouth for wicked words. He's had time-outs, loss of privileges, and a structured existence (that can't always be accommodated), but he remains defiant and sometimes out of control. The first sign of this behavior occurred last December. It hasn't gotten better. Our once sweet little boy has become a monster. We are looking for answers.

My students also weren't that well behaved today. They had a sub on Friday. She attempted to grade their spelling tests...and I applaud her attempt...but they were poorly graded. I found most corrections to have 1-2 mistakes. Ugh! Grades are due tomorrow. I have a set of tests to run through the Scantron machine before I can assure grades. Looks like a late day at the computer tomorrow!

Some things never change.

Laundry, Meltdowns, and Other Local Disasters

Since the children were in Muncie, Meg and I both slept in this morning...a welcome thing. Thereafter, we did some work--Meg on schoolwork and me on laundry. Laundry? Did I say laundry? Late in the day, I did a dark load. BLACK, to be exact. But when the stuff came out of the washer, it was clear that I had washed a tissue with the load. We all know what that means. Then, the same load in the dryer got noisy. Rocks. Pretty rocks that the children got at Blue
Spring Caverns last weekend. SOMEONE put their rocks in a pocket, and I didn't check. I have taken over a dozen rocks, one at a time, out of the dryer.

About the same time that the black load was drying (with rocks), I realized that I couldn't find my car key anywhere...and the car was locked. Hmmm...had to be in the house somewhere. I looked in all of the obvious places, then began to wonder if I had left it in the BLACK pants that I wore yesterday. (Are you beginning the get the picture here?) When I transferred the load from the washer to the dryer, there was the key...in the pocket of my black britches. This isn't merely a key. This is a key on a keyless entry fob that I paid $72 for just over the summer. It has an electronic circuit board in it. Probably doesn't take well to being in the washer. Oops! The minute I found it, I tried it out on the car. It worked! Thank you, GM!!

The children got home just after the Colts game. (Colts won. Yee-haa!) We always hold our collective breath to see what mood they are in when they get here. Robin is pretty predictable. Ryan, however, is the one to watch. He was fine...and then the evening went to crap. I had Meg in my bedroom asking her questions about what I should do about furniture arrangements while Ryan was (apparently) yelling to be taken out of the bathtub. That started the "I hate you" stuff...and thing deteriorated from there. Major meltdown. He finally settled down, but it wasn't pretty...and he went to bed far earlier than he should have, just because he was out of control. Both children came home sick. Ry had a cough on his way to Muncie on Friday. Both sound nasal and "coughy" tonight. 'Tis no excuse for abusive behavior, however...

Apparently the step-sister-to-be said some things to Ryan that scared him. There were issues. It kind of surprises me because he acts like nothing on earth scares him! In any case, we just keep on keepin' on.

On another note, congratulations and best wishes to friend Mike and his bride. You deserve all the happiness in the world!

My granddaughter pulled a joke on me tonight:
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Spell.
Spell who?
W. H. O.

Pretty cute!

Blog Posting

I didn't realize that this new blogspot has an auto-save function. The last time I wrote in this missive, the computer shut down with a "serious error". I though all was lost. Meg showed me that it wasn't...but when I reviewed what I had written, I deleted it because it wasn't all that interesting AND it was already old news. Blah!

The week finished without me. I took Friday off in order to accomplish some things, but really got nothing more done than some R and R before the weekend. Since Meg had a class assignment due on Friday night (sometime around 11:00 PM), she had already forewarned me that she probably couldn't take the children to Muncie until Saturday morning...and we had spent Thursday evening doing other things to get her ready for her assignment as well as a big-deal party at her work. (I worked with the children; she worked on homework...then she worked on homework while I fixed party food.) In any case, I volunteered to take the children to Muncie on Friday evening...in her vehicle because it has a DVD player in it...and because we really did need for the children to be gone in order to get through the rest of the weekend.

Today, I was up early for Coats for Kids. Have posted about this event in previous years. Coats for Kids is an event that is sponsored by Tuchman Cleaners (who cleans donated coats), WTHR Channel 13 (which provides news celebrities and advertising), and The Salvation Army (which provides hundred of volunteers, the venue, and the can-do experience to bring it all together to provide thousands of winter coats, free, to thousands of Indiana's children. SATERN, of which I am a part, provides communications for the event. Today was the day. I only had three radio operators on both shifts, but we managed. Everything went very smoothly! It was a warm day, so 'twas probably hard for parents to shift gears in looking down the road for winter temps, but there was a loooong line at the beginning of the day. It dwindled as the day went on, but we were serving folks until 4:00. My guys (and me) left at 3:00 because things were totally under control.

The SATERN operators that have worked with me on this event for probably 5-6 years now are the best! One fellow, N9XOQ, has to be commanded to take a break. KG9QJ and his wife are faithful and professional. This year, we had N9JPS with us. He has added a lot to the radio club and to our missions. Good guy! (And I don't think he is even a SATERN ham! Will have to fix that...)

Although I dread events such as these because I am overstressed at home and work, I always come home feeling good that I have done something to help others. I suppose they can function without radio communications, but it would be tougher. I know that there are thousands of children in the Indianapolis area who now have winter coats...and I helped in a very small way.

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

AOL informs me that they are shutting down the blogs.  Will be moving this daily diatribe to whatever before the end of the month. 

Also, the last of our fishies went the way that all fishies eventually go...  Don't know how the little thing could be expected to live in a mixing bowl for long.  He looked so depressed.  Nathan wanted the children to have their fish HERE because THIS is where they live and they could see them every day.  Well...I had to tell the kids that the fish was dead.  That's how much they paid attention to it!  It was belly-up for a day before I told them, just to see if they'd notice.  They didn't.  So much for that!

Meg has been getting Ryan in bed by 7:30 each evening this week.  He hasn't been napping at Grandma's, and we really do believe that (so far, at least) it has made a difference in his behavior to get the extra sleep.  He resists, of course, but generally not for long.  In any case, it sure is easier to have a decent evening once he is down for the night.  He really is a sweet little guy, until the Demon of Holy Terrors takes over... 

We are down to the last three days of the first grading period at school.  I have been grading and entering scores on Harmony like mad.  (Harmony is a software program that allows parents to get online and see how their kids are doing.)  Week after next, we will have parent conferences, then Fall Break.  I look forward to getting that busy week over with!

We really have had some pleasant days.  Cool in the mornings but warm in the afternoons.  Haven't had to turn the heat on yet.  (There were a couple of days when I thought I would have to because the house seemed too cold when I came home in the afternoon...but the process of cooking dinner and getting everyone back home warmed things up.)  "Dr. Dirt"--a horticulturist on WIBC radio--says we have had perfect conditions for brilliant fall colors...and the trees are turning.  I can't believe that this coming weekend is the first weekend of the Covered Bridge Festival in central Indiana.  How the time doth fly!

One of my colleagues, the 7th grade English teacher in the room right next to mine, has what his doctors call terminal cancer that began in a kidney.  He and his wife (who teaches French in the adjoining high school) are absolutely charming people with 3-year-old twins and an infant.  Rich was telling me today that we were being given an extra year of an online paper-grading software item because the company that we bought our new textbooks from was slow in getting information to us.  He said, "That means we will have it for eight years."  I looked at him and said, "I hope I live that long."  He said, "Yeah...me, too."  We tapped knuckles in a kind of pact.  All things considered, I hope I can retire or give up the ghost before he loses his fight.  He's only 35.

One of my ham friends came over tonight with a nightstand that goes with a bed that he gave us for Robin.  He was accompanied by his fiancee.  Long-time bachelor, KB9RDO, is getting married this month!  It will be a huge adjustment for him, but he deserves the companionship.  Best wishes, Mike!

Gotta go figure out how to transfer my blog to the new blog space.  Stay tuned...   

The Town Crier Says...

"Eight-thirty and all's well!" 

After a horrific morning with Ryan...to the extent that Meg finally had to just pick him up and carry him to the car...the rest of the day went swimmingly.  Sort of.  Ryan had a thundercloud over his head (Grandpa called it a "surly mood") when I picked them up at the end of the day.  In short order, however, he settled down.  The rest of the evening went okay.  Ryan was in bed, never to be heard from again, by 7:30.  Robin, an hour later.  Meg is ensconced in her room desperately trying to finish projects for work and school. 

Meg and I have been grasping at straws about Ry's behavior.  Here's what we know:

1.  As an infant, he loved being swaddled...restricted by blankets, etc.  2.  He had no self-comforters.  Never sucked his thumb or used a pacifier.  3.  He did well in regular day care where the schedule was exact...meals and naps at regular times.  4.  He keeps score about what he gets vs. what Robin gets.   For instance, Robin's school shoes failed.  We had to get new ones.  He objected that she had new shoes and he didn't...  I wonder sometimes if I'm the problem.  I spent more time with him after school today.  He responded.  I don't have any answers!  I think fatigue plays a big factor in his behavior.  We just have to find the secret to getting him to nap when it's time.

Speaking of time to nap, Grandma is tired!  Off to La-La-Land for me. 

Four Down; One to Go

Four little fishies have been "promoted to Glory," as my Salvation Army friends say.  I probably sound like a terrible person, but we are patiently awaiting the last one's demise so we can reclaim the kitchen counter space where they have lived in a HUGE mixing bowl for a week.  I love animals.  Really, I do!  I just didn't want these fish, in the same way that I didn't want the dog...and I have Nathan to thank for both.  Oh...and Nathan, if you are reading this...you will be interested to know that the children have paid NO attention to the fish, whatsoever.  I had to show them that they were dead!  So much for that!

Friday evening, we went to the Fun Festival at Robin's school.  Grandma Judy joined us.  All was going somewhat well until Ryan started acting up.  Meg pulled him aside on three occasions to warn him that he needed to straighten up, to no avail.  In short order, he was in a full-blown tantrum and had to be removed.  Poor Judy volunteered to take him home so Robin could finish with the festival.  (Grandpa Phil was probably quite surprised to see them BOTH show up on the doorstep at that hour!)  When we went to pick him up, things got worse and worse.  By the time we got home, he was totally and completely out of control...screaming, crying, saying nasty things, kicking, hitting...you get the picture.  He was immediately put to bed amid stressed out feelings on everyone's part.  The crying might have lasted a couple of  minutes...then silence.  He was pooped...as were we all...but he had already lost his parade privileges for today.

Oh yes, the parade!  Every year, Plainfield has Quaker Day.  (We have the Quaker Western Yearly Meeting House here.)  The Girl Scouts were marching.  We tried to discourage Robin, telling her that if she was marching in the parade, she wouldn't actually see it or be able to rake in the candy, as in other years, but she would not be deterred.  It was a 2.5 mile route.  Never mind!  Soooo...since I had already signed up to help line up the parade via amateur radio, I was elected to take Robin.  It was pretty chilly this morning.  I soon figured out that the little jacket we had taken wasn't going to be enough for her, but (luckily) her fleece sweatshirt was in her bookbag in the car.  That worked.  THEN,her name was drawn out of a lottery to wear one of the five Girl Scout cookie costumes for the occasion.  She just grinned and grinned!  She was the only Daisy Girl Scout that showed up, so I was very pleased that she got to have some distinction. 

After standing around for the 1 1/2 hours that it took to line everyone up, my back was bothering me.  I decided not to walk the parade route with Robin.  There were lots of other parents and she didn't seem to be bothered that I wouldn't be there...so after the parade got off, I got a folding chair out of my car (leftover from Ryan's soccer days) and walked around the school to sit where the parade would come back to the point of origin.  An hour later, here came the prettiest "cookie" in the parade!  Was I proud?  You betcha!

Meg and I had originally planned to go to the State Museum with the children today, after the parade.  I think we both figured out at the same time that we were overbooked.  After lunch, Ryan went down for a nap.  Robin and I escaped to do the craft fair at the Quaker Western Yearly Meeting House.  We bought some things, then went to get her some new shoes.  (The last "new shoes" didn't even make it through two months!)  When we got home, Grandma needed a nap.  Do you think I could fall asleep??  Nooo....

Robin wanted to go to the park.  Once we got Ryan up and everyone going in the same direction at the same time, we went to Swinford.  Well....that didn't work out.  Ryan wanted to play with Robin.  Robin didn't want to play with Ryan.  He kept chasing her and she kept running away from him.  He would collapse on the ground and throw grass at ME, telling me to "get away".  I told Ry not to chase his sister.  I told Robin not to run from her brother.  With all of that playground equipment and all of the children there, I figured we could work things out.  Silly me!  After thirty minutes, we left to get a Subway supper.  Things quieted down after that.

We decided that tonight would be movie night...along about 8:00.  I took the kids to Hollywood Video for their pre-selected choices.  We couldn't find them all  so came home with other entertaining movies.  True to form, eventually Ryan acted up.  Meg got upset.  The evening ended way late for them.  I would be nice if we could have one evening without trauma!  We don't have the children on the weekends often.  I actually like having them here IF we could do without the tantrums.  Ugh! 

We need a thermometer that will tell us what is going on in Ryan's brain from one minute to the next.  He can be the sweetest child on the planet one minute, and a horrific demon the next.  Meg and I are both working on understanding his behavior.  God save us from little boys!  Robin is such a joy.  They both have their quirks, but right now, the biggest quirks come from the master more than the miss.  God bless them both...and grant us mind-reading abilities!   

All's Quiet...I Think

Meg is in her room preparing an assignment for one of her courses...due tomorrow.  I was Chief Cook and Bottlewasher most of the evening for the children.  I confess that I used the computer and the TV to keep things quiet while Robin did her homework, and thereafter.  Bad Grandma!

Would you believe that the first grading period is over next Friday at school?  That means that the school year is officially 25% gone.  It flies by!  October is a busy month with parent conferences and that sort of thing.  So is May.  The months in between have their challenges, too, but seemingly not as bad.  I just wish there was more time to sit back and smell the roses.  Roses??  It's October, for Pete's sake!

Tomorrow evening, we will be doing the Fall Fun Festival at Van Buren Elementary School.  Whoop-de-doo!  It's a fundraiser for the PTO, for good causes.  Still...on Fridays, I usually am pooped enough just to want to veg out.  Not this weekend!

Be well and prosper!

 

I Think I Got a Compliment Today

One of my special ed. kids with dyslexia told me today that she is usually pulled out of English class to work with resource people, but that she liked me so much, she asked not to be.  That's fantastic...HOWEVER, her skills are so low that I virtually have nothing to give to her at her level.  One spec. ed. teacher sent me a couple of links to sites that provide spelling words at other levels.  Went to both of them...clicked on third grade, and found out in short order that even third grade words are too difficult.  <Sigh> 

The grandchildren will be with us this weekend.  Robin is going to walk in the Quaker Day parade with her Daisy Girl Scouts...and we have other things planned.  I'm tired already!

We are still in the throes of getting rid of things.  Trying to find surfaces.  I don't look for this process to end until summer.  Come on, summer!

EOD

End of Day.

We have a new living room.  My friends Mark and Beth came with a pickup truck to take away our living room furniture.  Meg and Grandpa Phil...plus a ham friend, Travis...and both children...went to the storage unit to bring home Meg's futon and futon chair, plus an end table.  The vibrant colors really warm up the room!  The futon furniture is big...probably too big for the room...but we like it.  Tune in later to see how much we like it later.  Still have adjustments to make.

Meg is quite stressed.  She doesn't know how to separate things into small steps.  She has things to do for classes and things to do for work...and she joins that with the usual mother-guilt of not spending enough quality time with the children (she thinks) and the messy house.  We work full tilt.  She doesn't quite get it that the children will and do survive quite nicely, thankyouverymuch.  Hey, Meg...does that mean I have THREE children??

Part of her stress is that the children will be with us this weekend.  That means no time to do homework for her classes, and no real time for me to catch up on laundry.  I'll keep working on that.  'Tis a "forever" job. 

Life goes on.  We will have Meg out of her storage unit by the end of the month...and maybe we will be ready to have a "reveal" of home changes by Ryan's birthday in mid-November.  I'll just keep pluggin' on that!