When You Don't Hit it off With Your Kid's Teacher

Its bound to happen sometime in your kid's educational career, you get a dud teacher. Last year was Cheyanne's turn and this year is Heather's. Heather is doing well in her class, getting all A's and excelling in everything she does but I just don't like this lady. I have tried to be understanding since she lost her husband last year, her mother in November and had two surgeries for carpel tunnel syndrome this school year but it just isn't working. At the beginning of the year we signed up to volunteer in class and since I have been unemployed I have volunteered at the kids school for wherever they need help. I even spoke to her when I was signing up, she never called. In November I spoke with her again letting her know I was available if she needed help since she was having surgery and family problems, she never called. Today she sent home the report cards with a letter stating how challenging it is to with 33 students and NO volunteers. Really? When you go to talk with her about your kid's work it is like some BIG inconvenience and she never returns a smile when I see her in the morning. I am also a little perturbed about Heather's report card, Heather received all A's and all O's except for one N in organization. This one N disqualifies her from the Honor Roll which I think is BS. her desk being messy (that is what "needs improvement") should not disqualify her. She should be recognized for her academic achievement. Oh well, at least this school year will be over with soon and hopefully next years teacher will not be so petty and unperson able.

The Prank Call

We have been trying to spend some extra one on one time with each of our girls lately and last night was Cheyanne's turn. Heather was invited to sleepover at one of her friends house (her first non-family or our best friend's kid sleepover) so we took Cheyanne out to dinner and played Mario carts with her. Cheyanne was surprised when I kicked her butt :). We laughed and joked mostly at might expense and had a real nice time. At about 10:00 the phone rang and I went to answer it knowing that it was Heather calling to say goodnight, plus I had the benefit of caller ID. It was Heather and a few other 8-9 year old girls giggling in the background, pretending they are a restaurant and talking in weird accents. I put it on speaker phone and Todd who made many prank calls in his younger days gave the girls a good show for about 10 minutes. It was so funny. Here are these little girls who really don't even know what a good prank call is trying to pull one over on their parents who were masters in their day. I can't remember the last time I heard so much giggling before.

My Little Girl

In 16 days my little girl will be turning twelve years old. My how the time has flown. She has grown up so much and everyday I see new changes in her. Cheyanne was born March 16, 1999, she was so tiny only weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. She is now almost as tall as me and skinny as a rail. When she was little she was always sick and always getting hurt. She had pneumonia, chronic sinus infections that always went to her chest. dislocated her elbow 4 times, fell and hit her head 3 times and had to have stitches on her forehead from getting hit with a toy horse. She is healthy now, almost never sick and her elbow stopped dislocating a few years back. She is an amazing girl. She is so sweet and helpful to others, always in tune with other peoples sufferings. She's shy and can't bear the thought of having to stand up and do anything in front of anyone but her closest friends. She's funny and loves little kids (except her sister), she is really amazing to watch with young kids and they gravitate to her. She loves animals although she has fear issues with horses she has worked really hard to overcome them and has come along way in one year. She is growing up to be a beautiful young lady and I am so proud and excited for her. She will grow up to do great things, although I think they will be small things. She will touch people with her kindness and and humor those are wonderful things that will make our world a better place.

Unfriending

I have always had a love hate relationship with new technology and the Internet and facebook are no exception. On the one hand the Internet and facebook has allowed me to contact and keep in touch with people who at one time in my life meant the world to me but on the other hand its also allowed me to find out just how little you might mean to someone else. I have recently been "unfriended" by one of my facebook friends and to be honest it really hurt. This isn't just someone I went to school with or an acquaintance but was my best friend for almost 20 years. She was the one close girlfriend I had through out my life, the maid of honor at my wedding, the one friend that no matter how long it had been when we got together everything just fell in place again and she didn't even say "goodbye" or anything like that. She just simply stopped sending me Christmas cards, was awkward when I did see her and then just unfriended me like I never meant anything at all.
     I guess its just me, I've never been able to simply cut off someone from my life. If you are my friend I am fiercely loyal to you forever, even if we lose touch for awhile there is always a place in my heart for you. In fact I took this email test today and it fit me like a T, this is me.
" 31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you, realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken."
I know what happened in my head, she divorced my other best friend of 20+ years and is making a new life with someone else and doesn't see me as a part of her new life anymore, but in my heart I don't understand it at all. We talked when the divorce came up (because all three of us had been such good friends for so long) and this shouldn't be an issue. I still talk to her ex all the time but never took sides, never wanted to. Her daughter spends almost every weekend with us and is best friends with my girls but she's just gone. I wish I could be like that, because then I could just cut it off too, cut out that little piece of my heart she took up residence in but I can't and well I don't know what else to say. Not a very good ending to a not very good story but....

39 OMG He's Almost 40!

January 22nd will be my baby's 39th birthday, I can't believe its almost here. When we got married, way back in 1998 I swear 40 looked so far off and now (sigh) it is just around the corner. Of course I am 1 year, 2 months and 27 days younger than him but still it is all happening so fast. He's definitely still the man I want to grow old with and spend the rest of my life with its just that 13 years ago growing old still seemed pretty far off. Todd's mom told me when I turned 32 that I was pushing 40 and I laughed at her because by her logic she was pushing 100 but now we really are pushing 40. Ahhhhh! I can tell I am not going to age gracefully or willfully. Most of the time we still act like we are in our 20's, we still like to party with our friends (but now we want to be in bed no latter than midnight or it takes 2 days to recover), we still like toys and doing active things. but sitting down and talking is good now too. We still look pretty good, (I hope) but it definitely takes more effort (and in my case money) than it used to. (Sigh again) I wish we could pick our favorite age and remain that forever. I would be 25 forever because I still looked good with no effort, I could stay up all night and still get through the next day. I was young but had been through enough to not be stupid anymore like in my teens and early 20's. Coincidentally that was when we got married and other than my kids being born it was the happiest time of my life. Oh well I think the fountain of youth is about as out of reach as winning the lottery but just so y'all know I ain't going down fighting (unless I fall and can't get up :).

Things I Will Miss

I have a really good lead on a job right now, probably the best lead/ chance I have had in over 1 and a half years and I am hopeful but trying really hard not to get my hopes up too high (sometimes it is crushing to not get it). I started thinking though of the last 2 1/2 years of "vacation" and there are definitely some things I will miss about being home so I am writing this poem in my head as I type. Forgive me if it doesn't come out right.

When I go back to work I will miss having alone time and reading lots of books.
I will miss school awards, spelling bees and class parties.
I will miss the alone time I have by myself to read or write or just sit and veg.
I will miss picking up my girls from school everyday and holding their hand while we walk to the car.
I will miss taking a shower at noon on those days it is 20 degrees outside and only 60 in the house.
I will miss games of Mario Cart after homework is done and having a good dinner ready at 5:30.
I will miss playing my I Pod at top volume and singing out loud because there is no one to hear.
I will miss a lot of stuff just off the top of my head and I am sure there is more that I just haven't said.
When i go back to work I will miss a lot but the time I've had with my kids, well I'll miss that the most.
CF 1-14-11

Something New

     Well today was Cheyanne's school conference which I am usually a pro at only this year we did something new. Cheyanne's middle school does what is called a student led conference. The students and teachers put together a packet of her work from last semester, her report card and they have a script telling them how to go over things with the parents. So at 9:30 this morning I went to the school gym and my child walked me through her packet and grades. We discussed her strengths and weaknesses and what she needs to improve on for the next semester. I think I prefer meeting with the actual teacher but I understand that this is difficult when they have 6 different periods and different teachers so it was still a good idea. I was impressed however with how Cheyanne handled it. I think her having to put it all together was a good thing and made her more aware of her responsibilities as a student and helped her see what she needs to work on. All in all her grades were pretty good, she had all A's and B's except for Math which has always been a struggle that was a C. She didn't make her pay point this quarter as her deal was to have nothing lower than a B- in any subject but she seems eager to work on it.