Petty

I would love to be able to say that all the teachers I work with treat students with special needs fairly--but I can't.

There is a core group of teachers that won't make modifications and won't teach to this population.

A friend of mine teaches the students with emotional disabilities.

He teaches them skills and strategies and slowly mainstreams them back out into regular ed.

He works with the teachers and provides them with help and guidance.

There is one teacher who refuses to help these students.

This teachers complains and shames these students.

My friend had had enough and called her on it.

He went to the administration and force her to stop discriminating.

She wasn't happy and said she wasn't done.

She is well connected in the town my friend lives in.

For the past 4 years he has coached his son's baseball team.

Last year they went to the finals.

This teacher called the head of the town rec department and blocked him coaching this year.

Can you believe how petty people can be?

DC

We took the kids to DC last week.

The weather was nice and we had a good time.

We saw Dorothy's Ruby slippers, The Capital, The White House, the monuments, and the zoo.

The zoo was the only disappointment.

While at the capital we sat in the Galley seats. The kids were excited to see our Senator. I was excited because I knew what they were discussing.

While at the Jefferson monument, we saw Marine 1 and it 3 escorts flew over--very cool.

The Arlington cemetery was humbling. The story of Robert E. Lee's house was mind blowing.

The government basically stole it from him.

A good time was had by all.

Hugging

I have noticed an increase of " hugging" among the students in my school.

Correction--among the middle schoolers.

They hug when they greet each other.

They hug when they say Good Bye.

They run after each other to give hugs.

It is not all the students--it is girls.

Girls hug girls, girls hug boys.

I have not seen boys hugging boys--they high five or bump each other.

Sometimes girls keep hugging as they walk down the hall. Kindof a hug walk thing.

When a girl and a guy are " going out together" they hold hands. They don't hug.

Sometimes a girl will drop the hand of her " boyfriend" to hug a friend and then resume hand holding.

I thought this was just happening at my school, but I saw it at Daughter's school too.

Don't get me wrong--I don't mind it--(Actually, I think it kindof sweet)

I am just wondering when it started being the norm.

Today

Rainy Day in May made a list of the things she did on one day.

I thought I'd give it a try!

I am going to use Monday because this morning was not typical!

On Monday I:

Got up

Took out the dogs

Feed the dogs

Made coffee

Checked emails and posted blog( written the night before)

Took a shower

Drank coffee

Got Daughter up

Got dressed

Drank more coffee

Got Son's snack ready

Drank coffee

Woke up hubby and got his coffee

Drank coffee

Dropped car off at garage to have brakes fixed

Meet Mel there and we drove into work together

Bought Mel a coffee as a Thank you for driving me in

Hubby called-Son sick --he will stay home with him

Arrived at school

Meet with first student--video taped lessons for class

Went to elementary school for a transition meeting

Got upset at the end of meeting--sped teacher there doesn't know what she is talking about

Went back to school-

Dropped off meeting notes

Back to classroom

Three more meetings with teachers about transition meeting

Hubby called I have to be late tomorrow he has a conference call China at 7am

Taught 1 more classes

Lunch

Taught 2 more classes

Made arrangements for students in the am

Prep for classes tomorrow

Road home with Mel

Walked in the door

Hubby hands a list of things to find for the taxes

Garage called

Hubby takes me to get car--he has to the office to get ready for conference call

Dishes

Found the things on Hubby's list

Check homework

Dinner

Put away 1/ the laundry

Made 2 phone calls

Walk dogs

Comb out Daughters hair

Watch TV--Chuck--with family

Tuck kids in

Read for 10 minutes

Fall asleep

Signs of Spring

Spring is starting to arrive in the Happy Valley.

Temps during the day are reaching 50's this week.

The Robins have returned.

The trees have buds.

It's lighter in the morning.

And the daffodils are Waking up!

Holidays

We been through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and some birthdays so..

Why am I having such a hard time with Easter?

Easter was the first holiday I spent with Hubby's family after we got engaged.

ML and I went shopping for Easter outfits.

I brought tulips--she hated Easter Lillies.

I helped with dinner and for the first time felt like I was part of the family.

Traditions were big with ML.

She had several for Easter.

It was at her her house that the ham dinner with fresh asparagus was served.

When we lived in the Eastern part of the state we would spend Easter weekend at her house.

The kids would wake up Easter morning to a jellybean trail that lead them to their Easter Baskets.

There would be egg hunts in her backyard.

Every year she would find at least one still hidden when she did the fall clean up.

Hubby's and Mark's birthdays are around Easter so she always including a birthday cake as part of the celebration.

This Easter we are having dinner at Mark's house.

I am bringing dessert.

I mention birthday cake and Mary's response was

" Why would we have birthday cake at Easter?"

I know we have to move now but I am having a hard time with this one.

I want a little of ML's traditions .

I thought about doing a jellybean trail but I am no sure that Freckles won't eat them.

Hmmmmm...

Who would have thought that Easter would be this difficult?

How Did I Get So Lucky?

Daughter usually gets home from school before I do.
She is old enough to be home by herself and she is responsible.

Yesterday I opened the door and there was Daughter sitting on the floor-starring back at me with a VERY GUILTY look on her face.

Thoughts went through my head--"Oh, what is this about?"

" I know I am suspose to be doing my homework but I HAVE find out how this book ends!"
"I will start my homework as soon as I finish--Ionly have 20 pages left."

Finish reading a book--she was apologizing for reading a book instead of doing her homework!

She is such a good kid!

FYI-The book was The Host by Stephanie Meyer ( Twight author)
She said the book took a little while to get into and then she couldn't put it down.

Roller Coaster Rides

I haven't been blogging.

I have written a few but I haven't posted them.

I have been waiting for today.

It could see it, feel it, dread it.

It kept marching on and I knew it would get here.

I knew it wouldn't stop. I just waited.

Today is Hubby's birthday.

I could write about that--but I can't.

Today is April Fool's Day--I could write about that--but there in nothing funny about today.

April first will forever be changed in my mind and heart.

One year ago, at 2:20 am ( will technically it was April 2nd) the phone rang.

I usually don't answer it , but I did.

It was Hubby's brother--Steven.

" Oh, Hi C . Is J there?"

" Steven it's 2:30 in the morning. We have to work tomorrow!", I replied.

Silence.

" Good bye" he said.

And then he hung up.

I went back to bed.

I lay there

Good bye.

Steven never says good bye.

The next morning Hubby had 4 text messages from Steven.

They didn't make sense.

I checked my emails-

Jules emailed to say Steve was acting up again and they had a rough night.

Steve had called her several times.

He was yelling and ranting.

Later we heard that two of Steve's friends received weird text messages from Steve.

Steve also called his mom around 11 and was told she was asleep.

He was suppose to meet Jules at 1 for an appointment.

He no showed.

Jules called his cell several times.

No answer.

Silence all day.

The next day, the same thing -- silence.

On the third day Jules drove by his house.

His car was there.

She called the police.

They did a well check.

But all was not well.

Steven had killed himself.

He had been dead for several days.

The was April 4th-Jay's brother Mark's birthday.

And so started the Roller Coaster ride.

Within SIX months only 1 brother ( Mark) would be still be alive from Hubby's family.

By all accounts I was the last one to speak to Steven--I think about that more than I care admit.

I feel like we didn't have a chance to mourn Steven.

That even though it was been a year--

---a whole year--

We didn't get a chance to truly experience a year without Steven because the loss of Joe, Gena and Bruce, got in the way.

And so I sit.

I brace myself.

Will we get a chance to truly mourn Steven or will something else get in the way--I wonder.

I feel cheated.

I feel like I wasn't given a chance to "properly" experience the "firsts" without Steven because there wasn't just a hole. The hole grew and it had become a cave.

A cave full of loss.

Even now, I can't seem to separate his loss from all the others.

And so it is here.

The anniversary of Steven's death.

The anniversary of the last time I heard his voice.

And... it's Hubby's birthday.......