Back to work...

Well Summer is over...The pool is drained and it is time to get back to work/school. I will be working at a different building in the same district this year. The building I am moving from houses all the pre-k to 2nd grade students in the district. The building I am moving to has the children that are 3rd to 5th grade. Excited..Not so much... I have a few concerns about the move. My job for the last 2 years has been a 1 on 1 aide position to an Autistic boy. The Autism makes him very rigid and difficult when it comes to change and in turn makes for a very hard few months until he gets in to a routine but, that is something that we have dealt with in the past and we will surely get through. The building that we are moving to has a cat walk that leads from the playground directly into his neighborhood just 2 blocks from his home. No big deal right....Wrong when he gets upset he runs, and let me just tell ya the boy can run. Another concern is that he has some behaviors that may not be so well received with kids that are getting older, for example he likes to touch girls hair..AH NO..and he says things like "Your pretty"..well that kinda creeps little girls out.. So I guess it is going to be an adjustment. He is such a sweet boy and it is going to break my heart see the same kids that have been his friends pull away from him because he is different. I hope all my worries are for nothing and everything will work out just fine.

Julie

MY*SPACE

O K I have allowed my kids to have a My*Space page...Before the lynch mob starts to form yes I know that they are not "old" enough and I have lied to secure said page. With that being said I just want to say I Love it. I Love it. I Looooove it, Both kids have them and had gotten them at roughly the start of 5th grade. They do not know their own log in info so no unauthorized spacin and they are obviously set to private with all comments needing my approval. I feel like it is a really valuable parenting tool, it's like a window into their friends home. The little turds act like no one else can see the info that they put out there. On a couple of different occasions I have been shocked by what I saw on the pages of kids that I have known since my kiddies were in preschool, kids who by all appearances came from good homes. I guess my shock at behavior may not fall into line with other peoples. I am shocked by swearing out of a 10 or 12 year old and certain graphics that have a sexual reference. The greater majority of time the pages are appropriate and the ones who aren't just give me a kind of "watch list" so I have some idea what they are thinking even if they are just trying something out. I find it is pretty close to what they are when you start really paying attention. Be careful what you put out there kiddies someones momma might be watching..

Julie

I'm no liar.. I'm a prevaricator...

It's really hard to be taken serious when your kid has a better vocabulary than you...This exchange really happened when I was trying to pin my son down about why he hadn't done his chores.

Me: Did you do your chores?

Monkey: What?

Me: I said did you do your chores?

Monkey: Huh?

Me: Turn off the game and answer me!

Monkey: Hold on I gotta finish this level.

Me: Turn it off....*Through gritted teeth*

Monkey: K geesh

Me: Can you hear me now?

Monkey: Mmmhmmm

Me: Did you do your chores?

Monkey: Yes

Me: All of them? Are you sure?

Monkey: Yeah

Me: Really...Cuz I noticed that the bathroom still has laundry in the floor and the Kitchen has NOT been swept...

Monkey: Oh K I'll do it.

Me: Why did you Lie to me it's not like I won't notice?

Monkey: I don't like the word lie.... I prefer prevaricate...

Me: Go do your chores....*sneaking off to check the online dictionary*


Prevaricate: prevaricate ( ) intr.v. , -cated , -cating , -cates . To stray from or evade the truth; equivocate. See synonyms at lie.


It's true you really do learn something new every day....

Julie

My baby is in Middle School....sniff.....

I remember like it was yesterday holding that little wriggling pink bundle of absolute love. She wasn't cute like other people's babies this one was special. I had always heard people talk about how much they loved their child, but I really couldn't grasp the sheer force of the feelings that you experience, it is truly life changing. It has been said it's the moment that your heart starts to beat in someone else's chest. I couldn't possibly say it any better, she stole my heart and I have never been the same. I look at her and I am stricken by how beautiful, talented, intelligent and genuinely kind she is and as I watch her grow into the person she will ultimately be, I am humbled by how much she has taught me about who I am and who I should be. I watch her as she grows and meets challenges with a grace and serenity that has to be God given because she has surely not learned it from her Momma. She is growing up and pulling away wanting to be more independent and the desire to protect her from all the awful things I know are waiting out in the world is almost too much. All I can do is give her what little wisdom I have and trust that this person I have created has the strength of character to look at all those temptations and know in her heart she will never be less of a person for saying no. I have to allow her to go out and make choices and use all of the skills I know she has and it's killing me.....But I will smile, ask if her cell phone is charged and tell her to have fun! I wonder is this ever gonna get easier?
I hope not.....

Julie

Football...

Monkey #13 our 10yr old son plays full contact football and his Momma LOVES it! I go with them (Hubby aka Coach and Monkey) to practice every day and have a great time just watching my "men" bond and be all manly. This is Monkeys 3rd year and it is still so much fun...except this year there's a boy on the team who's father is Hmmm how to put this nicely... a registered perv. I have no idea of the circumstances that led to this man being registered and I try not to allow this to enter into any of the dealings that I have with him, But he is going out of his way to argue with me and I am not sure why or how to deal with him. He has made me so angry on a couple of occasions that I have gotten up and moved my chair away from him. Hubby and I are always at least 30min. early for each practice cuz people have a habit of dropping their kids off WAAAAY early and we don't like them to be left unattended. This means I am always the first one to set up my chair and this man deliberately brings his ignorance up in MY space. The latest incident went like this.

Perv: Bought this cool game for my Son...

Me: mmmhmm

Perv: Grand Theft Auto IV (craning his neck to look at me for reaction)

Me: K...

Perv: Stupid Ass ex-wife doesn't want him to have it tho...

Me: Raised eyebrows "Wow"

Perv: What! You prolly wouldn't let your kid have it Huh....

Me: Nope...

Perv: Their gonna see all that shit on the playground...I mean their gonna learn it...

Me: Really...On the playground...at school? Ya suppose they will be having sex with a prostitute, shoot her in the face and steal her money....on the playground...at school...K

Perv: F**k you, your just like my ex.....

Me: I assume you mean intelligent, well spoken and a GOOD parent....Thank you...

Perv: Ya know you can't protect your kid's forever...

Me: No, I agree you can't and it is possible that my Son could be exposed to a game like that at some point but I sure as hell do not have to put my stamp of approval on it in my home... I cannot control the fact that some parents feel like it makes them cool to give in to a childish demand for something that is so obviously not appropriate...your right I can't protect them forever but I will sure as hell try. (all said while moving my chair)


What I really don't understand is did he think that he would change how I feel about exposing my child to something that I find disgusting... just because he said it was cool? I mean him of all people the one who obviously makes BAD life choices. I should just run right out and buy that game now cuz Mr. life skills said it's OK. The absolute nerve...that a registered sex offender would think that because he tells me that I can't protect my kid's forever I should just let them go, it's people like him are the reason that parents DO have to be so vigilant....GRRR

Julie

School time again....BLAH

Most parents get almost get giddy when you mention the start of a new school year. I am not one of those parents I know what the kids feel like. We are exactly 1 week from the start of school and I am sad and grumpy, it feels like we just got out. *whining* The one part I do like about the start of another year is SCHOOL SUPPLIES I just love em'. I must have a tote full of every kind of eraser, pencil and marker. Every year I go on an absolute tear and buy enough to outfit a small army and yet still I continue to buy them with happy abandon. What is it about the 20 cent boxes of Crayola crayons that makes me lose control? Does anyone else suffer this affliction or am I as big a freak as my hubby says! At one time the entire top of our closet was full of spiral notebooks and hubby felt it was time for an intervention and suggested *kindly* that he thought it might be a fire hazard to have that much paper just sitting around and I *might* consider donating it to the school...but we might NEED it I cried, in a firm but gentle voice he reminded me that the hall closet also had spiral notebooks in it... I happen to think that there may be an under lying genetic link because my father suffers with the affliction as well. All I can say is at least I still have school aged kids to hide my shame....for now.

Julie

First day

My name is Julie and I should probably tell you that I have really horrible punctuation so if this is a big deal to you then you should prolly just head out now. I am the Queen of the run on sentence and will put very little effort into changing my bad habits. I am 35 years old and I live in Michigan with my husband and 2 kids. We have been married for 14 years and I can't imagine going one day without him! (Gag!) Sorry just puked a little bit right in my mouth. Our daughter (Mouse) is 11 going on 25 and our son (Monkey) is 10. They are the reason I get up in the morning! No really they are the reason... I can't get them to be quiet! I work in the same School district that my children attend..Makes for some interesting parent teacher conferences! Stay tuned Kiddies for more updates.


Julie