Community Yard Sale

Our community yard sale is April 10 and 11, 2015. I considered joining in this year. I absolutely hate yard sales. People like to negotiate price. I don't. If it is $2, then pay $2 instead of saying "I'll give you $1.25." It's a $50 item! Okay, fine, $1.25. "Thanks. Can you break a $20?" Aaaaahhhhhh!! 

Once I was visiting a sister when they were holding a yard sale. The sign clearly said it started at 8:00 a.m. A guy rang their doorbell at 6:00 a.m.! They did not have their tables set up, but he saw something in their carport he wanted. Crazy bargain hunters stalking neighborhoods looking for old stuff. I just do not understand......

Since the notification of the dates, I read a particularly good blog about cleaning out the closet. [Sorry, I can't remember which blog.] Start by removing items of your favorite clothing. Then, add good, comfortable useful items (including seasonal clothing). Anything left that is not comfortable, old, disrepair, etc., you get rid of. Perhaps the article ended with keeping only 100 pieces of clothing. I'm not sure.

Anyway, I got the idea to give away 100 items, including old furniture. So, I sent out the word among the family first. I have a niece who is taking a coffee table, wing chair, and entryway piece. Yay! Next is an old, large, leather couch. That couch will be "free to a good home," probably listed on Craigslist. There is also a large, very heavy china cabinet we received from Jeff's parents. It is a beautiful piece, but it's too large for anywhere except a spot in the living room and we're going to put up shelves. I cannot imagine how anyone is going to haul that away.

I started sorting through cupboards and closets. It was easier than expected, like sorting through purses. Some I haven't used in years. So, the hunt continues as I add other items to the pile. I am not looking forward to the yard sale, but I am glad to declutter.

I'm back. Hopefully.

Hello again my dearest readers. Yes, I have not posted in nearly four months. I had a brain freeze. Not the writer's block that stymies many an author (although I am not currently a novelist, I would like to be one someday). Just brain freeze. Unable to cope with the world so my brain said, "I am not dealing with this. All systems shutting down." Of course, not a real brain freeze.... just my despair over the wickedness and injustices of this world.

I fell down Alice's rabbit hole and buried myself in the world of fiction. Tons of it. I came aboveground when school started. Since then, it has been busy, busy, busy. I am homeschooling all three boys, and they attend the local public schools part-time for electives. Eric plays his trombone in the band. Steven continues social personal skills, speech therapy, and drawing. Mark, for the first time(!), is taking electives - personal fitness and robotics.

I'm back. Hopefully. I need to find balance, and I am taking small baby steps toward that goal. But, please, do not discuss politics or the horrors of the world with me. You will just shove me back into the rabbit hole again. And, I am not sure if I will have the strength to pull myself back out. Certainly, it was not possible this time without the helping hands of family and friends.

"New" Patio Furniture

The doorbell rings and I think it is another teenage boy to hang out with my teenage boys. Luckily, I answered right away instead of hollering for one of the boys to answer it. Waiting for me was my next door neighbor.

They have a patio set that they do not want anymore and she asks if I want it or know someone who would. Are you kidding me? I have been shopping for patio furniture for months. The prices are ridiculous. $500 for just the table, $200 for chairs....of course that does not include cushions. I said that I would take it sight unseen. She insisted that I come next door and look at the set first. So, I did. Then, I said again that I will take it. Wooohooo!!

She gave me two lounge chairs with ottomons and a table with six chairs. Sweet! My house is the family-gathering location, especially for holidays. Before, we put chairs wherever we could. Now, I actually have a table and chairs. No more balancing the plates and cups on our laps. I am so happy with our "new" patio furniture.

I send my three teens to carry the furniture back to our house. When they are done, the neighbor lady gives them a bottle of water and $5 each for being her "movers." She told me not to get upset with giving them the money. That is very sweet, but so unnecessary. But, I thanked her and said it was okay. (So far, none of the boys have told me that they received $5 each. Ha ha!)

I have the best neighbors!! 

Replacing "The Twinkie"

It was a sad day when Hostess Brand, Inc. closed their doors for good. Very sad. Of course, it had been years since I had eaten a Twinkie, so - like millions of other people - my not purchasing their products may have something to do with their bankruptcy. Naturally, when they announced their bankruptcy, I bought Twinkies. I wanted my children to share in the institution that was The Twinkie. They did. Whew!

Since then, I have been searching for a replacement for The Twinkie. It has not been a very diligent search. I tried two so far. The first was Little Debbie Cloud Cakes. These are actually better than The Twinkie. They have a smoother taste. Twinkies taste a little drier side compared to these. Little Debbie Cloud Cakes are definitely a good replacement.

Next potential candidate was Sarah Lee Golden Fudge Cakes. First, I have to mention that growing up the family dessert was Sarah Lee Pound Cake. You can add fruit on top, or ice cream, or toast a slice. It can be decorated like a regular cake too. Second, the Sarah Lee Golden Fudge Cake itself. Wow. Although by appearances it looks like a replacement Twinkie, it is not. This yummy bit of goodness actually tastes like a fudge cake. You know, a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge icing! A box of 8 did not last very long in my house (there's 5 of us, 3 of which are teenagers).

Interestingly, my 16-year-old would not eat a Twinkie or Cloud Cake. He probably did not like the look of them. I certainly can agree with that....presentation is everything with food. He did, however, leap at the box of Golden Fudge Cakes. That is probably because it is wrapped in chocolately goodness. My 16-year-old is a chocolateholic. Epic chocolateholic. No, no, no, no, trust me, he can beat any other chocolateholic. When he was little, he ate an entire pan of fudge before I could get to him. This boy eats, sleeps and breathes chocolate. And, ketchup. Chocolate and ketchup.

That is my Twinkie story. I have not looked for other replacement Twinkies because I like the two I found. Of course, if I see another possibility I'll let you know.........

I hate paper cuts.

Earlier today I got a paper cut...on a folder or magazine. I was reaching for I-don't-know-what and sliced myself on some paper. It hurt. Paper cuts were the reason for fainting couches. Get a paper cut, rest on the fainting couch, drink iced tea, fan yourself. The pain of a cut makes me nauseous. Seriously. After I get a paper cut, I am done for the day.

During dinner, I was using a fork when I noticed my right hand was shaking, my finger was throbbing, and it felt like my finger was being ripped in half. It really, really hurt. The pain was just the paper cut again. It hurt worse than when I originally cut my finger. I had Jeff cut up my food and I tried eating with my left hand. It was easier to feed my dinner to the dogs.

Now, a couple of hours later it still hurts. I put a Band-Aid over the cut to stop the throbbing. Unfortunately, the dogs do not like it and want to bite the Band-Aid off. Ouch.

I really dislike sharp objects, like knives (especially pocket knives or box cutters). So I avoid them. However, there is no way to avoid paper. Or, the computer. I use all fingers for typing. I tried not to tonight, but I could not do it. I cannot use the hunt-and-peck approach after typing all these years. Even typing this post hurts my finger.

I hate paper cuts.

Too Much Thinking

My brain is on overload, and it never stops. I have no "off" or "nighty-nite" switch. It is a freight train running at full speed 24 hours/7 days a week. I am an insomniac....my brain doesn't stop at night to let me sleep. I use sleep meds, a breathing machine, and an iPod to get some sleep. Some nights, some weeks, it just does not work. Like this week......

Of course, there are plenty of thinking items -- Benghazi, Gosnell, Santangelo, leaving babies to die or drowning them in toilets, immigration, Obamacare, Boston bombing, the religious crisis in the military - actually, all the constitutional rights and treatment of our military personnel - soldiers being killed in Afghanistan, politics, cancer, public schools, homeschooling, Algebra, t-e-e-n-a-g-e-r-s, Viagra and vasectomies, sundresses, prayer, puppies, presents, rescue dogs, Mother's Day, fixing my glasses, washing the roof, that big swooping hawk in the backyard, what's for dinner, missing friends, walking, jogging, blogging -- I have read many, many books that I have not written book reviews about because I'm iffy about the novels. They were okay.....not a positive, not a negative, just there. Do I write about such books or do I wait until I have a definite opinion? The list goes on and on and on and on and.... Well, you get the idea. You probably have a long list too.

I have even reached the point that I cannot decide what to put on the grocery list. And, would someone tell me why the dish detergent is in the bathroom? Wait! Maybe I don't want to know..... I've had too much thinking this week. I need the earth to stop rotating on its axis just for a couple of hours so the chaos in my brain will turn off and I can nap.

Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa

In the past, Lent has not been very personal for me, or the boys. Oh, I would give up coffee, chocolate or such and attend Stations of the Cross. The boys would select something and then we'd all try to remember what we weren't supposed to do. I was volunteering in the parish office, so I thought that was enough almsgiving.

Sometimes it is difficult being a newbie Catholic. I do not have family or church traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. The boys rely on me for their...um...Catholic activities. So, I read books or articles, surf through Catholic websites and blogs, and try to find something "Catholic" to bring into our lives. 

For Lent this year, I wanted something more personal for me and the boys. I wanted to bring Lent alive. It is a tremendous help that the boys and I are co-teaching Sunday School/Prep. Class for PreK4. The parish provides the materials, and, my co-teacher rocks the kiddie crafts! The children are such a joy. We've really paid attention to Lent and Easter season this year because we have to explain it to a room full of 4-year-olds!

I purchased Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle. This has been an helpful book. Each day it offers prayers, reflections, stories about Mother Teresa's life, suggestions for fasting and almsgiving. My favorite sections of the book are fasting and almsgiving - there's different suggestions for each day of the week. For fasting there's "give up a TV show, a video game, or the internet." For almsgiving there's "think of someone who is in need of love and what could be done to show love for this person." Contemporary and personal.

The boys and I read thru the day's pages and decide as a group what the fasting and almsgiving will be. One day they may give up two hours of internet before bedtime, desserts or no complaining and bickering for a day. We also pick something good to do, like random acts of kindness. Oh, one particular day was smile, and mean it. The boys had no problem  with that, but I had to face all the parents in carline. Smile and mean it? When I wanted to run them over with my car? Oh, now that was a tough day, but in the day I felt better for it.

Whenever there was "do something special for a classmate, teacher, neighbor or friend" the boys would choose do something for Nana, like taking her dinner, writing pictures or poems, offering help. It's important the boys learn to really help the family and Nana was so happy with each gift or gesture. Another win-win.

Day at Melbourne Beach

Tuckaway is the blue two-story.

View from the patio.

We had a delightful day visiting relatives at the Melbourne Beach. They had a room at the Tuckaway Shores Resort. Their room was on the first floor, facing the beach. I did not book or pay for the room, so I cannot comment about their service. But, the room was cute and the view was fantastic! www.tuckawayshores.com. If you do rent a room, ask for Room 109. I loved its location.

Boys of Summer
(Taken from the room patio.)

It is so relaxing to sit at the beach and listen to the waves crashing on the surf. The day gave me plenty of time for reading. The boys spent a lot of time on the beach. I am always so happy to see them spending a Florida day on the beach.

Because we did not want to leave the room or the beach, we had takeout for dinner. I definitely recommend the No. 1 Chinese Restaurant on Eau Gallie Boulevard.

Seton Home Study School

Today was Steven's first day as a part-time high schooler and a part-time home schooler. It was a very good day.

Recently, I was flipping through Catholic Digest and came across an ad for Seton Home Study High School. I checked out their website and was very pleased with three amazing things: (1) an accredited high school diploma, (2) a modified curriculum tailored for Steven, and (3) affordable. This was truly heaven sent!! www.setonhome.org.

It was an absolute joy to speak with the Special Services Counselor. We spent 90 minutes reviewing each course. Seton developed a program just for special needs students - modified curriculum, easier lessons, simpler tests, etc. For instance, instead of having Steven trying to write essays (very difficult), he may take multiple choice quizzes (very doable). Steven doesn't have to read as many novels as the regular curriculum, and he can take two years to complete Algebra 1. Whew! And, Steven can proceed at his own pace.

Pope John Paul II and Dr. Clark,
Director of the Seton Home Study School

Seton is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education), so Steven can earn an accredited high school diploma. Steven needs 22 high school credits for his diploma (5-6 classes per year). From his first semester at the public high school, he already earned three credits. So, Steven didn't need to take all five courses for Seton. We dropped Science and he's taking Religion, English Literature, Grammar and Algebra 1.

This morning Steven attended his regular 3rd and 4th period classes (Social Personal Skills and weight training). He stayed for lunch with his friends and then came home. He worked through his home study courses, but it only took 1 1/2 hours. He didn't want to double-up lessons for the day, so I supplemented with other things (like videos). He'll also read an extra book for personal reading too. But, every little bit helps.

It was a pleasant day for Steven and all of his school stress was gone. No crowds, no noise, and no disruptive students. Yippee!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to family and friends who made this a lovely Christmas for my family, especially for my boys.

The past 2-3 weeks have been filled with unexpected but delightful surprises. In particular, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to the St. Stephen's Secret Santa who "adopted" my boys for Christmas. I don't know who you are, but I'm so thankful for your generosity. You took the time to shop, wrap, and deliver their presents. Now, that's an act of kindness. Thank you.

2013 is just a day away. I've decided to approach it with optimism, to relish in all the kindness I've received in the past few weeks. It was overdue and desperately needed. It was just what I needed to put me back on my feet and headed down a good path again. I must practice what I preach - Focus on the positive and be thankful. Whenever I feel like Madame Blueberry, I think of The Thankfulness Song from Veggie Tales. Every time I hear it, it puts a smile on my face.....you should try it too.

And, Happy New Year.

The Thankfulness Song

I thank God for this day, 

For the sun in the sky, 

For my mom and my dad, 

For my piece of apple pie!

For our home on the ground, 

For His love that's all around,

That's why I say thanks every day! 

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart! 

I'm glad for what I have, 

That's an easy way to start!

For the love that He shares, 

'Cause He listens to my prayers,

That's why I say thanks every day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9WCXp9VEA4

Thankful for Thanksgiving

Jeff did the cooking. The boys and I cleaned. The day before Thanksgiving we decorated the house with Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations. I have enough Christmas stuff to decorate 2 or 3 houses, but I used the decorations sparingly. I needed it to feel like "the holidays," but I didn't want to suffocate Jeff. The results were lovely. 

Thanksgiving this year was exactly what I needed to get out of the doldrums. The presidential election on November 7 really threw me into a tailspin. I was positive that Romney would win. I was positive we'd get out of this economic quagmire, but now we're further into it. So, Greece and Spain weren't good enough examples..... Twenty-five million people unemployed wasn't enough.... $16 trillion dollars in debt wasn't enough..... I should have seen it coming -- with half of the country or more booing at God, it's no wonder Obama was reelected. 

A quote from a Czechoslovakian newspaper summed it up for me: “The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president.” -Prager Zeitung

I read article after article proclaiming Onward Christian Soldiers, but I didn't feel it. I shut everything out and consumed myself with reading books. But, that finally wore me out too. {I have so many book reviews to write, but haven't had the motivation to write them.}

The day before Thanksgiving, I came across an article about singing nuns. It's a cloistered convent - the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles - that have produced a CD called Advent at Ephesus. http://benedictinesofmary.org/ From their website, "every Benedictine of Mary vows to detach herself from the ways of the world, continually turning to the ways of her Redeemer." And, I realized "That's it!" Detach from the ways of the world. So, I'm turning off all the mental noise in my head. It's time to focus on my faith, family & friends.

So, I'm very thankful for this Thanksgiving. It gave me the chance to sit back, enjoy family, and just breathe.

Friday Night Lights

I remember my high school years fondly, um, for the most part. The best part was football on Friday nights! And, nothing was better than the marching band! (Drums being the favorite, of course. Boom. Boom. Boom-boom-boom-boom!) I couldn't wait for halftime to see the marching band on the field. Their music was loud and heart-thumping. But, what's happened to the high school marching bands of today?

It seems like the band directors have forgotten the marching band's important role - firing up the football team and spectators' spirits. Give us a good song that we can clap our hands, stomp our feet, and cheer our team! Not any more....seems a lot of band directors think their program has to be artistic. Hum, no. I'm not at the ballet, or a symphonic orchestra.

For instance, in September 2012, a Pennsylvania high school marching band's halftime performance commemorated the Russian Revolution (St. Petersburg: 1917) - brandishing red flags, military uniforms, hammers and sickles. Historians and parents of students have lambasted the choice of entertainment which remembers an event that gave way to Communism and the deaths of hundreds of millions. Poor history. Poor "artistic" vision. Gee, just want their parents wanted to see at halftime. Forget the school song - Let's praise Stalin. Weird. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2208331/Pennsylvania-high-school-marching-band-commemorates-1917-Russian-Revolution-half-time.html#ixzz2AE9b8GVe.

Well, on Saturday evening, the boys and I went to a local Marching Band Festival. I went with trepidation. I just want good marching band enthusiastic songs. I was pleasantly surprised, for the most part.

Band #1 - This band director went for artistic. Their program was for King Arthur. Hum. They know we're Americans and he was a British king, right? We have lots of patriotic songs. How about a performance for George Washington? 

Band #2 - This band director also went for the artistic. The program was entitled, "What If?" Hum.....well..... I have absolutely no idea what this was about. Truly. It was really cool that the tuba players actually held their tubas on their shoulders while they marched and played. Cool.

Band #3 - This program was Jake & Elwood, you know, The Blues Brothers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! It was loud, it was peppy, it was foot-stomping. The crowd went wild! We danced, clapped and sang our way through this performance. Whew! Finally...a real high school marching band.

Band #4 - Another fantastic high school marching band performance. Their program was The Incredibles. The audience really cheered when their mascot saved the damsel in distress from the evil-masked-guy-in-black. This band was loud, and fun! Great entertainment. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Band #5 - This band director chose artistic with Fantasia Hispaniola. The music would have been better for an orchestra. It was too classical for a marching band, though some seemed familiar. I did enjoy their performance, though. Their dancers were fantastic! I paid attention to them the entire time. Lovely.

Band #6 - Another favorite of the evening. Their performance was Seminole Supermen. They played amazing renditions of Spiderman and Batman themes, with "I need a hero" thrown in between. When their dancers created the Batman symbol at the end, the crowd went wild. This performance was fun, fun, fun. Thank you!

Band #7 - Thank you to another great band. Their theme was Rock And Roll All Night. Yes, great rocks songs that their parents knew and enjoyed. It started with a trombone soloist playing the beginning stance to "Renegade," a 1979 hit song by Styx. ... "Hangman is coming down from the gallows and I don't have very long." Unbelievable performance. I could hear this young man's solo, yet couldn't hear other full bands as well. This was another fun performance of the night. It has to be more fun for the marching band when the audience is so into their performance. It makes everybody happy! And, this marching band is huge....three times the size of the other marching bands. Naturally, they were good and loud. Add their dancers into the mix and they covered the football field from end zone to end zone. Wicked cool. Oh, and, they have the most awesome red, white & blue minutemen costumes.

Band #8 - This band director chose artistic "Revolution...In the future." Hum. The band and dancers are "the rebels fighting a revolution in the future." Seriously. Don't think Star Wars (which would have been great), but Buck Rogers. I have no idea what the music was. The dancers were dressed in...black and silver...um, space-aged outfits. They jumped around like they were fighting. It was silly. I felt so sorry for the students. It was a difficult performance and they obviously had worked very hard.

The band directors who went for "artistic" seem more concerned with marching band competitions than actual halftime performances. This is sad. As a parent of a trombone player and future high school marching band student, I wouldn't want that for my child. I want him to have fun, and if the spectators are cheering, singing and dancing with the songs they're playing, then that makes it all worthwhile....at least, as my point of view as a parent.

Rambling thoughts.....

I haven't been a very good blogger recently. I was spending a ton of time volunteering at the local middle school. The band teacher has 325 students; one of them is mine. I enjoy helping the teacher. I just didn't realize how much it was wearing me down until (1) the school was closed for Rosh Hashanah and I thoroughly enjoyed my "day off" and (2) there was a substitute teacher this week for the band students. 

I've written a couple of book reviews, but they just didn't seem right yet for publishing. Silly, I know. It's just my blog..... The short of it is read No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of The Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden (The Autobiography of a Navy Seal) by Mark Owen. An awesome book. The jury is still out on September Fair (A Murder-by-Month Mystery) by Jess Lourey. I'll probably read October Fest before writing a review of her books. 

I'm completely over politics and the election. It seems like it has been going forever and ever. I just want it to end - with Romney winning. Our country can't stand another four of years of "no President." It's been especially disappointing lately with Obama's handling of the terrorist attacks on our embassies and the reports of Obama's missing intelligent briefings while he parties with David Letterman and Beyonce. Enough already. Let's put someone in the White House who will show up everyday for work. 

Once again, the mainstream media does not fail to disappoint. Their handling of the "topless Kate Middleton" story was horrid. There was no story..... A peeping tom with a telephoto lens invaded their privacy. Sick and creepy. So, the media decided to berate Kate. What!?! Thank goodness France has a privacy law, so perhaps the couple will have justice. The photographer should be arrested and put in jail for a very long time. And, whatever happened to not publishing someone's photograph without their permission? The Irish and Italian papers - and any others - certainly do not have written permission from Kate to publish nude photographs of herself. Stop buying that trash and the photographers will not spend their time sneaking around in bushes trying to get illicit photos. Disgusting.

Update: 9/25/12 - If you read this previously, you'll recognize that I deleted a paragraph. I did that of my own volition. I thought about it last night and again this morning. I could hear my father's words, "Remember where your from." Meaning, what you say and do reflects not only on yourself, but your family and your faith.

However, this blog contains my thoughts and feelings only. It IS titled, "The Daily Life of Carol: My Thoughts, Rants & Raves." They do not represent those of the band teacher, the school, or anyone else. While I still can't imagine how my little blog is making the rounds locally, it is mine and mine only. If you are going to be offended or feel it necessary to whine or complain to the school, stop reading and find something else to do with your time. 

Why I always call school administrators.

Eric looking at the camera,
standing between two high school
band students in uniform.

Update: 9/24/12 - The following are my thoughts and feelings only. They do not represent those of the band teacher or the school. While I still can't imagine how my little blog is making the rounds locally, it is mine and mine only. If you are going to be offended or feel it necessary to complain to the school, stop reading and find something else to do with your time.

There's a reason why I always call school administrators....because I can. As a parent, I can call a principal or vice principal and ask why something in particular happened. A teacher cannot. A teacher cannot call his/her principal and ask why administration screwed up. So, I won't hesitate to call. Because it's my child. And, I want to now what went wrong. Let me give you an example.

Friday evening, Eric's middle school band was invited to attend High School/Middle School Night. The middle school band practices with the high school band, then have pizza, then sit with the high school band in the stands, and finally get to march and play with the high school band during half-time. Sounds like fun. Unless it goes horribly wrong. Okay, maybe not horribly, but it did go wrong.

Originally, I had planned to attend High School/Middle School Night just as a parent. But, at the last minute, one of the chaperones advised that she wasn't coming so I was drafted, er, happily volunteered. Now, I'm not only responsible for my child, but the rest of the middle school band too. This ended up being a good thing...because I was with the band for the entire evening....so I knew everything that happened with the band. This would come in handy.

The evening was progressing well. However, almost immediately after the high school and middle school bands marched into the stadium and onto the bleachers, it started raining. {It is still summertime in Florida, so afternoon/evening rains shouldn't have been a surprise to anybody. Especially, since we could see the nasty clouds headed in our direction.} I'll cut to the short version. Our middle school band director immediately took her students out of the stadium. We took cover under a covered walkway, but we were still out in the rain. {Florida rain tends to blow sideways.} And, their hallway flooded pretty quickly. The middle schoolers were left out there for at least a half an hour, and probably closer to an hour or more. {I left my watch at home.}  Because the outdoor hallway was flooded, the students could not put down their instruments. I was standing with the drum line of 6-7 boys. Two of the boys were holding 50-lb. snare drums...for the entire time. Everybody else - high school bands, football teams, cheerleaders, dancing squads, whatever, were taken inside while the middle schoolers were left outside in the rain.....with thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars worth of equipment. We had 34 students come for High School/Middle School Night. Eric was just one student....and he had a $2,000 trombone getting wet. Mommy wasn't happy.

On Monday morning, I called the high school and asked for the principal. He was out for the day at a meeting. Whatever. So, I spoke to a vice principal. My question was simple - Who was the administrator in charge of the middle schoolers? Easy right? Wrong. She hemmed and hawed, and finally tried throwing the band directors under the bus. Epic failure. The following is an abbreviated version of the conversation that I had with the vice principal.

Eric, again, walking between
two high school band students.

Who was the administrator in charge of the middle school students? "Your middle school band director." -- And, she did an excellent job of looking after her middle school band, but she has no authority on your campus. Who was the administrator in charge of the middle school students? "The high school band director." {Buzz! Wrong again.} -- He's a teacher, and not in charge of the campus. Who was the administrator in charge of your invited guests? Who was in charge of the welfare of 11-, 12-, 13-, and 14-year-old students? Who, by the way, are still children. "Well, the principal was there, along with all five vice principals, two athletic directors, and five police officers." -- Yes, and who was the administrator in charge of the middle schoolers? Who was the administrator who left the middle schoolers, including my 13-year-old son and his $2,000 trombone, out in the rain? "Well, I was in charge of the football team." -- Oh, okay, then could you explain to me why your football team was sitting in the auditorium, in their uniforms including pads and helmets, and not in their locker room, while the middle schoolers stood out in the rain? "Oh, well, by the time I got off the field and into the auditorium, the middle school students were already inside." -- Fine. But, who was the administrator in charge of the middle school band? "Well, the Dean of Students is in charge of student activities." -- So, the Dean was the administrator in charge of taking care of the middle school band? "Um, well, no. But, I'll have to do some investigation and call you back." Okay, fine.

When she did call me back, she couldn't be apologetic enough. "Oh, Mrs. Haddock, you are absolutely right. We dropped the ball. We didn't have an administrator in charge of the middle school band. We screwed up. Tomorrow, there is an administrators' meeting. And, I'll tell {the principal} and bring it up at the administrators' meeting that we need to change what we do for next year." Well, I certainly appreciate your calling me back and taking care of this. Because you see, I have another son in the middle school band. And, if he asks me next year if he can attend High School/Middle School Night, I have to be able to say "yes," and not "No, honey, they're not responsible enough to take care of you. So, I really appreciate your calling me back.

And, that's why I always call school administrators.

The problem with being a Mom and being sick.

The problem with being a Mom and being sick is that we're now allowed to do both at the same time. Moms are never sick. Right....... You can't tell that a Mom is sick when she has to do everything, as usual, as always.

For instance, yesterday I came home from my volunteer work for the middle school band teacher. -- So far, for the last three weeks, I have been there all day. One of my sons plays for two groups - Symphonic Band and Jazz Band. Not only do I want to help the teacher because she's a sweet lady and needs the help, but because it's the only way I'll ever know what's happening with both bands. Teenagers are not good at communication vital information, at least not in a timely manner. They like to wait until you're walking into the building and then say, "Mom! I needed such-and-such or a get a zero for today." or some other urgently needed item or task. For instance at a fundraiser at the school, I pull into carline to drop Eric off. Hum. All the other kids are carrying lawn chairs. So, I ask "Why do the other kids have lawn chairs?" Reply, "Oh, yeah, I forgot. We're each supposed to bring a lawn chair." Ugh. -- But, I digress. 

So, back to yesterday. I woke up in the morning feeling terrible. But, it felt like allergies. So, I showered, took the boys to school, and went about my volunteering day. By the fourth class, I felt like I couldn't hold up my head up anymore. The teacher gave me orange juice in a desperate attempt to revive me. It helped carry me to the end of the day. It was all I could do to pack up and the boys and c-r-a-w-l home. I collapsed into my bed.

My husband was so kind to bring me dinner in bed, hot tea, and anything else I might need. {Of course, I had to yell with my croaked voice as loudly as I could to get his attention. But, he still helped nonetheless. I even heard him instructing the boys to empty the dishwasher. Oh nice.} Seems like everything's going okay. -- Or, so I forgot. -- When I woke up this morning {because the dogs were being totally obnoxious just because they wanted food and water and apparently I'm the only one who can do that}, I stagger into the kitchen. To my horror, it looked like every single dish and utensil that we've ever owned were piled up in the sink or on the counter, including a broken glass. I open the dishwasher and discover that, yes, it was empty. But, apparently nobody had the thought to fill it up again. I call for two boys to take care of the doggies' food and water and then proceed to load the dishwasher. Miracle of all miracles the amount of dishes along over the kitchen fit perfectly into the dishwasher for just one load. Amazing! 

Now I'm trying to decide whether to collapse back into bed and get whatever limited number of minutes sleeping that I can or taking a shower and going to the grocery store. Heck, I'll take the little bit of sleep. We'll still need groceries when I wake up....... 

Volunteering in the classroom.

Update: 9/24/12 - The following are my thoughts and feelings only. They do not represent those of the band teacher or the school. While I still can't imagine how my little blog is making the rounds locally, it is mine and mine only. If you are going to be offended or feel it necessary to complain to the school, stop reading and find something else to do with your time.

This week, I assisted the band teacher at my son's middle school. It was insane. Each student had four papers for their parents to complete and return by the end of the week. Four days....four days! And, some students still didn't have their paperwork returned on-time or their parents completed only a portion of it. To save paper, the teacher printed back-to-back. Much of the paperwork was missing page two. Why? The teacher also sent home instructions that all four pages, with their titles, needed to be completed. Why did so many parents think "1, 3, 4...okay, I'm finished!"

Then, there were the parents who wrote notes on the paperwork to the teacher. Let's see, there were the stupid ones..... "It says to go to website xyz.com and read the handbook. So, what should I do?" Hum, go to website xyz.com and read the handbook?? "I checked off that I would like be a chaperone on field-trips. What does this entail?" Hum, that you chaperone on a field-trip?? "Why do I have to sign a permission slip for Billy to go on field-trips?" Hum, maybe we cannot take Billy off-campus with your p-e-r-m-i-s-s-i-o-n?? Maybe you wouldn't want your child to leave campus without your p-e-r-m-i-s-s-i-o-n??

Much to my surprise were the nasty comments. My favorite was the dad who complained that he sent three emails to the teacher last year and never received the band notification emails in return. Hum, your child was in band for an entire school year and you didn't once bother to schedule a teacher's conference?? Or, how about a quick phone call?? How about checking your spam folder?? How about providing a legible email address to the teacher?! I know...I inputted all the parental email addresses for this school year. For this particular dad I could not read his handwriting, so I asked his daughter to read his address for me. Apparently, she didn't know it and couldn't read his handwriting either. So, she guessed what she thought it was. I told her that I would input that into the address book. If  he doesn't get the test email this weekend then something's wrong and we need to work through the problem to get it fixed. Like, checking your spam folder. 

So, I sent a test email. It had paragraphs numbered 1-4. Clearly from the email - or so I thought - no response was required. She has 325 students. Most students provided email addresses for both parents. {Guilty!!} The parents must know their child is not the only one in band. Okay. But, do some people really need to send a reply, "Thanks! Have a great weekend" or whatever?? Paragraph two said that "Paperwork was due this week. If your student is missing any paperwork, he/she has been advised and an additional copy of the paperwork needed was sent home with them." Immediately, one parent replied, "Susie Lou turned in her papers this week. If she's missing anything, please let me know." Seriously??

Of course, there's the teenagers. They make a lot of noise, without their instruments. I certainly hope the noise switches to something that actually sounds like music when they all start playing. Band 2 and Band 3 were the most interesting ones. She asks them to warm up, and it sounds like a bunch of screeching monkeys.** Everybody can't start playing basic scales?? No, let's just blow thru our instruments and make the most obnoxious noise possible. 

I do not know how this teacher does it. She's so sweet, and kind, and nice, and polite yet she rules those classes with an iron fist...without seeming like she's doing it. Unreal. If you do not appreciate your child's teachers, or hear someone complaining about the public school system - then spend a day or two - or a whole friggin' week - helping out in the classroom.


**These remarks were made during the first week of school. Of course, the kids are better, and they've learned to respect their instruments more. Again, if you're going to be offended by my personal thoughts and feelings, read something else. It's like turning the dial if you don't like the television program. Or, better yet, why don't you volunteer at the school.....you obviously have a lot of time on your hands.

Generous community gives school supplies.

I am always astonished by the generosity of the congregation of St. Stephen's Catholic Community in Winter Springs, Fla. Today was back-to-school "shopping" for those who needed help with school supplies. I wasn't sure how we were going to afford three new backpacks, a scientific calculator, and the pile of school supplies requested every year. I burst into tears when I walked into the cafeteria and saw the tables stacked with school supplies. Everything was brand new. I even found the scientific calculator my youngest who need in middle school.

To my even greater surprise was the table stacked with backpacks. The boys (15, 13 and 11) go thru at least two backpacks per school year. If you do not have children in school, then you may not know that they are no longer assigned lockers. In fact, the schools don't even have them anymore. So, the kids are forced to lug ridiculously heavy backpacks each school day. This wear-and-tear can quickly break zippers and rip holes in them. My 13-year-old's backpack consistently weighed 20+ lbs. last school year.

It is very difficult to ask for help when we're the ones who usually help others. It's not pride that keeps me from asking for help - It's embarassment. But, everything is always held in confidence. I wasn't going to write this point, but I am just so thrilled with the generosity of the people at St. Stephen's Catholic Community. That's probably why it's called "community" instead of "church." They contribute beyond the borders of their walls and parking lot. God bless you.