the smell of spring

We did it!!!! We were the first in the neighborhood to mow our yard!!!!!

Nah, normally I'm not that enthused about whether the yard gets mowed or not, as long as it is done at decent intervals. But it is the first of April and we were finishing planting the last of the spring potted flowers I had gotten at my store a couple of weeks or so ago, along with the ones Ron had gotten from the church after some service or the other. That got me in the mood for cleaning off flower beds---my back is already paying for it--it will be major motrin tonight, and Ron said not to worry about taking the waste to the compost--he just drove the mower over it, and it looked so good, he went ahead and mowed the rest of the yard. Of course by tomorrow evening all but one neighbor will have mowed theirs, and that neighbor will probably have his done by the weekend.

I have so many more flowers coming back from last year than I expected. My crocuses I planted last fall are up, but the deer ate my tulips, doggone them all to Hades and back. (see Mom I do watch my words once in a while). I even have the vinca out front coming back. Of course my annuals that I had in the big planters won't come back, but I think my black eyed susans that I filched from Mom last year may come back. My goal is to plant fewer and fewer annuals each year--just some in the hanging baskets and some planters, but to have the beds entirely of perennials. Time is premium around here, but I cannot exist without flowers around the house. And I am the rare woman who would rather have them blooming outside as to have them cut and vased inside.

Oh yeah, we also added 4 rose bushes to the rose bed between the driveway and the side porch. 2 replace 2 that had died and the other two were to replace the lilies that we did not think were coming back---surprise, Ron dug one hole and found a very much living lily bulb sprouting, so he quickly reburied it, and we are hoping it's ok now. The other was toast. So we adjusted where we were putting the one bush and now the bed needs dug up around the roses, topsoiled, and mulched, and I swear I am going to fence it off to keep the kids from running thru it when they are playing their chase games--you think the teens would at least know to stay out of it!!!!

Well Ronnie just turned the tv off, which means he is toast also, so goodnight all!!! Happy spring!

turning a problem back over to the kid....

Once again I have found myself quite completely irate at one of my children's teachers. No surprise which teacher it is, to anyone who knows me and my oldest son. Many times I have found her to be unrealistic in her demands on her students. This time is no exception. She refuses to approve my son's thesis statement for his research paper, final draft due Thursday 4/3. She has refused to approve any version of it, even those where he more or less directly copied a classmate's approved version, only changing it to include his topic's name, etc, on her suggestion, no less. So by Friday night, I was livid. He and I had stayed up til after 11:30 the night before trying out different versions, both long and short, detailed and deliberately vague, trying to find one that might suit her. None were approved.

Now I understand when a teacher refuses to accept something that is illegible, as I find a lot of my son's work to be. I have told him so, repeatedly, over the course of his school years. So when he says that that is why she refused a couple of the statements, I agreed with her. But to tell him to look at a classmate's work as an example of how to do something, and then refuse to allow him to use the same format, more than irks me.

So Chris was told, by me, to put his thesis statement together and get his rough draft done and typed this weekend. He is making good progress, although he will have to spend most of Sunday typing. I came home tonight second guessing myself on how to deal with the teacher. I didn't email her last night because I was, simply put, too furious to properly handle the issue, and would probably have ranted and accused and gotten my name blocked from her email list.

So I asked Chris how he wanted it handled. He is 15 and 1/2 yrs old and has a pretty good head on his shoulders most of the time, and after all, it is his problem and paper and teacher and grade. So he and I and his stepdad conferred and he said, without pressure from us, that he wanted to see what happened Monday and then would let us know. He also found the printout of how the points for this paper break down, and up to now, he has nearly 100% before the final draft goes in. He has an 87%--a B--in the class as of last night on Edline. So I am going to let him do what he feels he needs to, with the understanding that we will go to bat for him however we have to, should he feel he needs us to.

That may be wrong in the eyes of some, but I look at it this way--he knows we will fight the fight for him and with him when he has done the best he can do and has done it as right as he can. We know that we will not always be there to fight for him and pester the teachers, etc., so he also needs to know how to take care of things himself. We will not be the parents camping out on the professor's or dean's doorstep in college. Helicopter parents I refuse to be--and I am appalled at those who are.

I think Chris will take this seriously. He already has, by bringing his frustration to me. And I have suitably gratified him with my huge show of indignation and all the things I planned to say to this woman. He has also seen the reason behind plowing ahead with the project--and not letting her get him down.

On the lighter side, Shellie had her first T-ball practice today. She loved it!!!She is on the team with two of her cousins, and her great-uncle is the coach. She knows most of the kids thru school.
Ben also did well with the track meet yesterday--I need to go to the website to check the official results, as our local newspaper apparently finds it an unworthy sport to cover--but he says he finished in the top 50% of the runners, which is better than the last meet........

just when you thought it was safe

Just when you thought riding a school bus was a safer way for kids to get to and from school...A friend of mine whose kids attend the middle school in town where mine used to go called me yesterday and asked what I would do in the following situation. On the bus home the other day, two middle school boys decide to whip out their tallywhackers and show 'em off, apparently rubbing them on books and stuff. Her daughter was on this bus and saw the whole thing and was upset by it, as I know I sure would have been. The rumor mill has it that they were given a one week suspension off the bus. So she called to get my advice on how to deal with it, but Iwasn't available at the time, so she called the school and raised holy hell, just as I later told her I would have done. The school says it hasn't meted out the punishment yet, but that it would be appropriate to the crime and was basically none of her business.

Pardon me, I understand privacy issues and all that, but it will make the rounds of the students and the local community so why not put parents minds at ease and let them know what happened and how it was dealt with. I, as a parent, would not necessarily need the kids' names, although I am sure that my kids would tell me who it was, but I think an acknowledgement of the issue would be a good thing, as it would let the community--I mean the school's kids and parents--know such acts were taken seriously and dealt with.

Quite honestly, I view such an act as an act of sexual harassment. And should be dealt with as such. If an adult did that to another adult or a kid, it would be. There is no tolerance for taking an aspirin to school to take in case of menstrual cramps, heck, you can't even go to the bathroom half the time without an act of Congress, so why should this BS be allowed to go on without being addressed?

And I know my friend----she will keep raising hell until she gets the answers she seeks. She is trying to protect her children, after all. And if she doesn;t look out for them, who will?

general random thoughts

Pet peeve---people who refuse to read what the ad paper says---such as "styles will vary by store"

'Nuff said on that--I'm sure you all know where that one would be headed......

I'm taking a personal day to take care of my 6 yr old who has been off school all week. Took her to the doc yesterday b/c a rash broke out on her and was not going away. Strep throat and related rash. Can't go back to school until tomorrow. I didn't bother calling the school today b/c I called after the doctor visit yesterday to request her homework be sent home via neighbor kid and that she wouldn't be in and what she had. Child is supposedly watching "Nancy Drew" but she keeps flopping in here to see what I am up to. Funny how being online will attract every kid in the house to see what you are up to. It is only supposed to be the other way around....LOL....like I am going to visit sites I wouldn't want them to visit.........

Then we have the mini war b/w neighbors--not us----over what appears to us to be pretty much a non-issue. Sheriff called multiple times over the last couple years, both told to play nice, etc. Now one has filed a complaint against the other over said non-issue, and we will have to wait and see where it goes I suppose. Personally I believe he is barking up the wrong tree, so to speak, and completely wasting his and everyone else's time, but I guess it is his choice to act like a dweeb. Oh well. Shame to see two grown men who can't be mature enough to settle their differences calmly. Especially with the amount of land plus a fence b/w the two properties. Lord give me the wisdom to keep my mouth shut.

Report cards came out yesterday. As usual Chris brought his home, Ben left his in his locker. I don't know why---not like I am going to yell at him---his grades are really good and I am reduced to yelling about low b's vs high b's. Chris did not have anything lower than a b even in his honors English, which usually gives him fits. his lowest was an 86 in science. I've already given him grief over that one.Ben has already had what grief he is going to get, unless something is different on the actual grade card from what I have seen on edline.

Well, pretty day so I am going to get the sheets out of the washer and hang them on the line. Hopefully get them all done and dried before the "chance" of showers moves in..........

reuseable shopping bags.....

Ooh ooh ooh Mr KotterI have a quest-ione? Why do stores supply "environmentally friendly" reuseable cloth shopping bags for a minimal cost, and then get snotty when you want to actually use the things?

A few months ago, I saw an endcap at the registers at WM of black shopping bags. I thought Ok, I'll get a few, as my supply of plastic bags is enough to supply a Family Dollar store for a month's worth of first-of-the-month shoppers. I used them that day, the cashier was a little taken aback, but had no problem loading the bags up as full as she could get them--I have teenage boys who like to eat, remember. Then I promptly forgot to take them in every trip after that.

Well this week at my store we got in a big box of even bigger bags in our stores' signature color. So I bought a couple and used them for that day's purchases. Yesterday when I left work I was stocking up on what I could buy there, ended up with a buggy full of food, so I parked my cart at the service desk and ran out to get all my bags out of the car. Filled them up and bought another to finish the deal.

So last night I took the boys to call their dad and do the grocery shopping as usual. I had no problem using the bags at Foodfair, although the bagger looked mighty confused until he figured the method for my madness in how I was packing them. Even Kroger was cool, although I was not using their cloth bags, they didn't say a word--just "how would you like these packed?"

Then I go to WM to finish up. I told the greeter that I was bringing my own bags in--no problem. I hit the cold medicine section since Shellie and I seem determined to get sick this weekend. Then straight to groceries---not even a side trip to fabrics, believe it or not---got what I needed and then some, and headed for the checkout. On a Friday evening I got right to the cashier without waiting---amazing for the time of evening, and the fact that,gasp, snow was in the forecast. As I started to load the belt up I told the cashier that I had my own bags, and she just gave me that look that said "So?" She said "What?" So I repeated that I had brought my own bags to use, and she kid of huffed a little, so I told the boys to load the items onto the belt so I could start loading the bags. The cashier's buddy from the next register over started to bag and just as I was explaining that I had my own to use, the cashier snapped, "SHE has her OWN bags."

Ok, apparently I mortally sinned, by using the very bags they sold to be used for that purpose.

Hmmmm....

Guess next time I won't use their cloth bags.

I'll use the ones I got from my store----bigger than theirs, and also their competitor---at least in our home office's minds----and I'll use theirs at the other stores.

I'm not a tree hugger by any means. I don't see the need to waste what we have though. And to top it all off---using the bags saves money---it' s that many more plastic bags they do not have to order, thereby saving money of supplies---a very controllable bottom line item. Trust me, I look at my controllable profit report each month, and besides payroll, supplies is one of the easiest items to control---just watch your usage of supplies. Don't put a greeting card in a bag too big for it---put it in a card size bag. Don't use 15 small bags when one large one will do the job--unless the customer wants it that way, of course--some cannot lift heavier bags.

Now I'm am going back to bed, I think. I have benadrylled both me and Shellie

Cough, hack, gasp for air. Yep just how I wanted to spend my 3day weekend.......

Sometimes.......

Sometimes I just wonder what on earth people are thinking---or if they think before they ask a question. Like me standing at the register, in my uniform, dealing with customers, and getting the "do you work here?" line..........DOH!!!!As Homer Simpson would say.

I don't mind answering an honest to goodness question, but the rank stupidity of some folks just makes me shake my head and roll my eyes. This afternoon it was the guy standing by our live trees for sale, watching me gather carts off the parking lot, who then asked me if I worked here. Duh.....

Of course there is always the life story teller. One every day has to come in with a refund and proceed to give you their entire life history, which of course has nothing to do with the reason they are returning the item, but we are still supposed to care that their great aunt Fanny as a Confederate spy or something. Sorry guys, it may be entertaining under different circumstances, but not when I have a line of people waiting to be waited on, and all I really need to to are two things--do you have your receipt for the item and is it defective or just not wanted? Other than that, my conversational skills are sorely lacking. Get the lead out so I can move my customers thru, b/c all anyone really wants to do once they hit the checkout line is check out and leave.

And it is not just in my store this happens. I have behind, beside, three lanes away from someone who is holding up progress. Do your business and leave. Go socialize elsewhere. Especially if you are one of those who think family reunions should happen in the most crowded aisles in WM. Get the heck out of the way and let me by. I need milk and bread, not to stand there with 3-4 kids in tow, waiting for the moon to eclipse or whatever. Reunionize in the parking lot----and don';t block traffic there either. Morons.

I feel a dose of Nyquil is severely needed. Goodnight.....

no other way to say it

It is a pull your head out of your butt day. Started out with me getting up to make sure everyone was on track to getting ready for school. Chris seemed to be the only one. Shellie was eating breakfast, so she was ok at the moment, but Chris was ready to walk out the door to the bus stop and Ben was nowhere in sight. I asked Chris if Ben had packed his lunch yet, and he said no. So I hollered for Ben. 5 minutes til the bus comes and he is lunchless, sockless and shoeless, still trying to get his track stuff together. He got ripped a new one and I will be laying it out on the line for him. You never saw a kid move so fast that early in the morning in all your life..........

I am back to emailing teachers about grades showing up as missing---this one teacher of Ben's still shows 3 missing grades from this six weeks. Ben has no answers so I emailed her this morning. Again putting it in the " Do I need to kick my kid's butt or what?" tone, even though I honestly believe this one is her fault. Ben has told me that the test grade from weeks ago is in and he did well, but I have seen no paper and it is not on edline, so.......grading period ends next week.......

Our inventory at work was yesterday, and so far so good. I hate to be really optimistic, but I am hoping the final number shows us beating last year's . It looked good with the flash right after it was over, but we think we found a glitch that may make it even better. So keeping my fingers crossed......

Ah yeah, the other head up butt today did turn out to be Shellie. I told her to make her bed--actually just to straighten her covers---while I got her clothes together for school. I came back into the room and she had 15,000 things in the middle of the floor. So I took care of her bed and then dumped some stuff out of her closet and the drawer where I keep her spare blankets, since she had seen fit to junk both of them up after we cleaned them out earlier in the week.

I told Ron I am going on strike. These kids can flipping take care of themselves and see how well they like it. Just the teens though. I know I cannot back off on Shellie--she is 6, not 16. I am not completely serious, but it's the little stuff---like the PB jar dropping on my toe because one kid cannot tighten the lid. Or the bread being smashed up because whoever put it away just piled it wherever they felt like it. Or the trail of dirty clothes all over the house, after I have washed the last load. Just general laziness. We all suffer from it time to time, but it seems like it is a constant battle. And I am worn out, and just cannot do it all for them anymore. They are all able to pick up after themselves---Shel with some help maybe---but I have to yell and threaten and everything to get it done.

Maybe after I get some good, uninterrupted sleep, I will feel better.........