Friday, October 28, 2011

Got my lunch packed up...

Did I tell you? I am back in school. I pretty sure the decision to finish my degree spawned out of boredom. It seemed like a fantastic idea until I actually had to do homework and study. Although, I would be lying if I tried to pretend like I didn't like it.

See the thing is I love winning. And being the winner. And being better than everyone else. It makes me happy. In a sick, sad way. My first time in college, I was not the winner. Sure, I passed Calc II, but barely. But now? I kick school's ass. I don't know if the classes are easier or if actually caring about attending classes and doing the work makes a difference. Who knew you should actually show up to class. Sober. And while I know I am putting in much more effort this time around, I am pretty sure this school is just slightly easier.


Take my management class for example. We get bonus points. For wearing orange to school on Fridays. Like it is Kindergarten. So every Friday I rock my orange, so I can have a 112 average. Except, I couldn't just wear my free Friday shirt like everyone else.


Bleh. Friday shirt.


Nope. I had to be the Friday orange winner. So I turned mine into a scarf. While you fools are in your orange shirt and sweatpants, I have on real pants.



Friday shirt + scissors + elastic thread = Friday scarf

And. Oh my God. School makes me look sleepy.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

I think I am back. But I may forget to write again for another year.

Hello, Old Friend. I mean this blog. Not you. I wouldn't call you old. To your face.

Where does one pick up after writing twice in the past year? Do bullet points work as an update on everything that has happened? I think so.

In no particular order, Dec 2010 through now.


  • Moved. Same neighborhood. Different house. And it has a craft/sewing room that is all mine. I like to hide in there.

  • Ran a bunch of races. Running my second Half Marathon in three weeks. Running 10 for Texas in one week.

  • Went back to college. Already changed my major once. Contemplating changing my minor again. Turns out I love Accounting. The numbers line up in such pretty little rows.

  • We bought another landscaping company.

  • Jill is no longer in elementary school. I swear she just started Kindergarten.

  • A bunch of other random crap. I can't really remember it, so that means you really won't give a shit about it either.

The End.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Mrs. Lunatic

As Kenny and I were driving past the elementary school today, it dawned on me that I had forgotten to add money to Jill's lunch account. Jill's lunch was in twenty minutes. I had no time to make an online payment, so we stopped by the school. As I walked into the cafeteria, I realized it was right in the middle of Emmi's lunch time. I was definitely not getting away without stopping by her lunch table. As I hugged her hello, the other children clamored for my attention. Behind me, I could here one of Emmi's playmates attempting to get my attention.

"Excuse me! Mrs...... Mrs..... What is Emmi's last name," Emmi's playmate asked, turning to the child next to her. The child next to her (let's call her The Instigator) whispers something.

"Mrs. Lunatic," Emmi's playmate called out to me, completely unaware of what she has just said. As I turned toward her, several of Emmi's classmates started to snicker. A few children start to chant led by The Instigator, "Emmi Lun-a-tic!" They, obviously, did know what they were saying.

For a few seconds I stood perfectly still, not quite knowing how to react. This is how these children were treating Emmi to a parent's face? How were they treating Emmi when I was not around? Honestly, I have been expecting this moment for years.

Emmi is different. She does not talk as well as the other children due to her cleft palate. She does not understand everything they say due to the language delays. Her flashing cochlear implants over her ears make her an easy target. Bullying happens. It doesn't take being deaf or having a cleft palate to make a child a target of bullying. It could simply be your shoes or the style of your hair. But when a child is so clearly different, you can almost guarantee they will be the target of bullying at some point in time. This is something I have come to accept as a fact. My child is different, she will be bullied at some point. I just wasn't expecting to be faced with it quite so head on.

After I recovered my composure, I looked the child who had so clearly started the attack in the eye. I squatted down on her level and calmly said, "What you are saying is rude and can not be tolerated." I watched as the look of defiance transformed to fear. In reality this was just another first grader. A six-year-old child who just realized that she was seriously in trouble. For a brief moment, I felt sorry for her. But only briefly. For this was also the child that lead several children to taunt my child in the lunch room. She may have realized she was in trouble, but did she really understand the ramifications of what she was doing?

I know bullying existed when I was child. It existed before I was a child. It will continue to exist, until we, as a society, stop tolerating it. We blow off little things. We chalk name calling and taunting up to simply being a kid. But why? Have we not had enough proof that these "innocent" behaviors are not all that innocent? Have we not watched as children suffer from depression, fear going to school, even go so far as to commit suicide? How far will we continue to allow it go?

I made the choice today to not tolerate it. I spoke directly to the child. I informed the office staff. Together we made a plan. A plan that is based around educating the children in both the effects of bullying and the acceptance of difference. I plan to face this head on. I will not tolerate what I saw today.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Snow Day

Minus the snow.

But we did get some ice, which is really all one needs to slide down a hill.