۞Sweet Interruption۞ 36

Sometimes it's rough being a mom!!

Laura, all my sisters, except for one, are stay-home moms for their kids. Their sacrifices made are evident in their kids' achievements at school.
The one that chose a career, do hire a full time tutor :(

Phyllis no phones allowed on campus period!! Does that stop them? No. if caught they have to have a parent come in and pay a fine which gets steeper every time. So what happens? Parents get irrate they took their little darlins' cell phone. Give me a break please!!! Why do they need it to begin with.

Tinky, Couch, remember look behind the couch!!!!!

It's rich in rewards to be a stay home mom, but tough on the emotional state and pocket book.

I agree. I was fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom. Good thing too as hubby traveled a lots and I was there for the kids. Did work outside the home until they were in college.

Ok, sorry ladies.. sounds like I opened up a can of worms...
I'm just peeved that they're cutting vital personnel in our schools, when we're behind already... all because someone, or some one(s) didn't know how to spend school district money. We've all got the same thoughts about what the students are and are not allowed to do in the classroom... it's disgusting some of the things our schools have to do because parents have lost control of their kids. For instance, one school district near Dallas has a "no baggy pants" rule, all because some parents let their kids go around looking like tramps.

But, that's not what I was all up in the air about this morning... it was all about the stupidity of some board members that miss spent the money, so now they're going to cause more suffering on the schools.

Here's one story that came out recently over all this. One guy in one of the elementary schools works part time... teaches horticulture to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. He actually teaches the kids to plan, plant, cultivate, and harvest a garden... ok, so far, that sounds like something that can be cut... BUT,. in the two years since he's been doing this, 100% of his students have excelled in math, english, history, and sociology studies. He actually teaches them where the plants came to America from, and when... and shows them on the map. He also teaches how to figure how many plants will thrive in a certain amount of garden area... they have to keep notebooks on their studies... write a thesis at the end of the semester. PLUS... everyone of those kids are growing something at home...
This man no longer has a job.

All because somebody spent his salary (part time) on something else.

That's what I'm peeved about.

Marion, Sage has a cell phone. It allows me to contact her to come home, either when she needs to be in or if something comes up, or have her check in, without having to do a lot of running around. It also gives me peace of mind that if she does get hurt or feels threatened she can call me no matter where she is and I can come right away, rather than her or someone else having to get to a phone. We already tested that several times, earlier this year she tried to knock her front teeth out and I knew before the parents who lived in the house, she tried to knock herself out on the playground, not to mention numerous bike crashes.

When she starts going to school I will let her bring the phone to school, with the threat that if she uses it during school she’ll lose the phone and be walking to school with me holding her hand. But, for the same reasons that I allow her to have the phone when she plays I want her to have the phone on the way to and from school. It’s easy to find out if she has used the phone because of phone logs on the phone. We checked those regularly after she got the phone to make sure she wasn’t calling her mom, she’s not allowed to even talk on the phone with her mom unsupervised.

What I do have a problem with is people who don’t pay attention to where their kids are except for if they have their phones on, or allow their kids to call or text people that are in the same house as them.

Oh I did understand what you were upset about BJ. It's I just get angy about the whole picture from carelessly or otherwise mismangement of funds to dumb thing that are allowed. It is going to have to change!!!

I wish we could hire him, sounds like he has some great ideas!

I understand where you are coming rom Laura. But do you call her during class? That is what my daughter has dealt with. Parents calling just to talk to their child.

I've always said that some kids learn differently than others... some can't learn in the classroom, sitting at a desk... but take him out in the yard, and describe it to him differently, using things that make sense to him... and he'll learn it...

My middle son had a really hard time with multiplication tables in the third grade. I took him in the kitchen, and we doubled and halved recipes... we place 4 rows of 3 biscuits on a cookie sheet... and he learned his tables a lot faster...
To this day, when he's faced with 8 X 6, he thinks meatballs...

I agree with the concept BJ. It is very hard for some to learn in the classroom just as all students shouldn't be expected to be college prep. Why put them through that for the sake of "scores" and such? Put them in a good technical school or atleast classes where they can learn things to atleast get a job in the working world. Like the Hort classes.

Exactly... but all they're teaching our kids in the classroom is to PASS the standardized tests... TAKS here in Texas...
Our kids are not being taught... they're being herded...

You won't get any argument here on that one. It is nation wide. It is a fact that not all students test well so why all the push? People who dream up these ideas need to be put in the school to watch and observe for a period of not less than 1 year!!!! Think that will open their eyes? Probably not.

That's a good idea... we all talk about how our kids are out of control, and a certain amount of the blame is put on the schools... as well as the parents.
BUT... the schools (school districts, to point fingers) are out of control too...

Yes because they are worried about pleasing the public and the all mighty vote. Or are yours appointed?

They're elected... which kinda makes me even more pissed off.

In totally agreement with you! BTW watch the mailman come and go. LOL

I am off to bed, my day of work has caught up to me and I have another long list for tomorrow. Plus have to pick up son from work as he has been out of town and doesn't have transportation home. Wife and girls at beach at Grandpa's time share.

Good night eveyone. Sleep well.

from what I have observed here in Tyler it is just like back in Belvidere IL...money talks ...the schools with the families with money do good and have things better and those that don't suffer.
Bu I've also been told that this is one of the richest communities in the area and yet they do not support or back the schools.


now I am off to bed and to think we have no school Monday but I still have to go in for a silly meeting

A bit off topic.

I found some Fiskars spring action snips and scissors today at Walmart... bought both of them... and just finished snipping through 2 layers of denim, 2 layers of flannel, and 2 layers of cotton... like it was honey....
THANKS everyone for letting me know about these...

OH, and...

Night Marion... Night Phyllis... Night Laura...



Night John Boy.

Night BJ...

night jim bob, night mary ellen, ....LOL ok now I am gone ......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Marion, no I wouldn’t do that and if parents do they should be fined.

Bj, “Our kids are not being taught... they're being herded..” I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry, unfortunately it’s far too true. Same deal with schools being out of control.

..lol lgoodnight! Jimbob, and Sistahs!


can't beleive I am even still up...

Laura-we are betting on when I will open the early Bday present I got on Sat-I say that I am holding out til at least Monday....the gals are betting things-you wanna get in on the pool?? This is what they are betting and the dates they bet on:

LK-10/5-choccies-LOST;)
Cindy-10/7-one of those cool jar oil candle things-LOST;)
Marion-10/8-a quillow
Jaye-10/9-a Xmas Cactus
Bon-10/8-an iris
Kathy 10/7-not sure what she is betting-maybe a baby chick??-LOST;)



Also, DH and I have talked about how when we have children ideally for me to work part time or at least be able to cut back on my hours to have more home time is what we'd like to do-we don't need all the expensive fancy things, but I think if I didn't work at all I would go nuts-I NEED human interaction-I am a "social butterfly"LOL

I have seen that teacher on Gardening by the Yard I think-he was way cool as was the program!!

Hi All
Thought I stop bye for a second waitting for rain to stop have 8:30 start its going to be a long day
I was looking on the home page and there is a flamingocarole kind of shocked me I thought Iwas the only one that liked Flamingo I guess there is others
I am doing much better after my little spell Sunday I should know better I always get so Upset with Him I might have to save My money and pay for the Divorce instead of waitting for the jerk to do it I wood be better off
Ok I want to stay in a great Mood its also Pay Day for me Save Save Save so I can come and see you all in the Winter HA HA ^_^
Have a grat day and lets be Happy NO Worries
Dimmer(AKA) Kim Flamingo Kim

"To this day, when he's faced with 8 X 6, he thinks meatballs..."

Spewed coffee when I read that, Marion. Too funny. But I understand. Didn't know until I was taking education classes for my BA in Elem. Ed. that I was a visual learner. Makes perfect sense! Your son my be like me - difficult to remember someone's name unless he sees it written, thinks of money and time in terms of 'blocks', etc. A big clue someone is a visual learner is they will look off at a distance when trying to recall something - we are trying to 'see' it.

I went back to college and got my degree after a divorce and my DD was in first grade. I did my student teaching in what was supposed to be some of the best elementary schools in Little Rock. I was horrified at what I saw. Took my DD out of public school and put her into private schools. I never worked as a teacher - Stacey, I need adult interaction too - but the degree did allow me to get a good job with an insurance company, buy my own home, be independant, etc. (getting off track) It's not just schools here, it's all over this country. It's shameful that our teachers don't make enough money to support them and our kids go to schools where they fear for their personal safety and graduate not being able to compose a paragraph. Ok, that's all I'll say. Missed the discussion yesterday so was catching up. lol!

Good Mawwwwwww'nin!

Hi Kim, we cross posted. Glad you are feeling better. And, yes, if you need to save $$ to save your sanity and self esteem, then you do it girlfriend! It adds up quicker when you have a goal and that's a pretty darn good goal.

One of my best friends loves flamingos. She's one getting a Razorback rag purse next week. I'll make her a flamingo bag next.

LOL Debra!! I agree 100%-why is it that politicians and such make 100's of thousands a year when teachers make like $25-30 K a year?? How does that fare?? Or the fact that the people that work for one of the car companies on the line makes more than a teacher?? I think teachers should be one of the highest paid jobs in the US-I mean seriously-isn't our future important enough to make a priority??

Kim-got a fairy room all ready for yua;)

Stacey, I don't know but am guessing two main reasons : 1) we don't value education in this country like they do in other countries and, 2) teachers are paid with taxpayers dollars and we all know what happens when we are asked to pay more taxes. Seems our govt would figure it out and shift those dollars from those 'bridges to nowhere' and like to teacher pay.

Hey, you tricked me! No more talk of schools and education!

I just thought it should be reallocated-that's all

HERE, HERE.... and good morning sistahs...

Debra, that was my son and the meatballs... I'm sure Marion has similar stories to tell how she helped her children learn... but my son understood food really well, and that's how I figured he'd learn better than sitting at a desk with paper and pencil. BTW... he also enjoyed music... so to help him learn his spelling words... we made songs out of the list each week... same tune, different words, every week... but, he' a good speller today...

To back up just a bit... that son was born with a LOT of health problems, and was thought to be deaf. His doctor even told me he would be "special ed" his whole life, and would always need someone to take care of him... At 3 years old, a doctor found the problem, fixed his hearing... we spent 2 years at the Shriner's Hosp in therapy just to get him up to speed to start Kindergarten on time... he's never skipped a beat keeping up with his class... but it took a lot of work everyday to help him learn and keep up with the others... he just was NOT a classroom learner... so I had to get really creative.

Curtain Rods

She spent the first day packing her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.
On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.
On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining room table by candle-light, put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.
When she had finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimp shells dipped in caviar into the hollow of the curtain rods.
She then cleaned up the kitchen and left. When the husband returned with his new girlfriend, all was bliss for the first few days.

Then slowly, the house began to smell.


They tried everything; cleaning, mopping and airing the place out.


Vents were checked for dead rodents and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which they had to move out for a few days and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.
Nothing worked!!!


People stopped coming over to visit.
Repairmen refused to work in the house.
The maid quit.


Finally, they could not take the stench any longer and decided to move.

A month later, even though they had cut their price in half, they could not find a buyer for their stinky house.

Word got out and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.


Finally, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

The ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for getting the house back.

Knowing his ex-wife had no idea how bad the smell was, he agreed on a price that was about 1/10th of what the house had been worth, but only if she were to sign the papers that very day.

She agreed and within the hour his lawyers delivered the paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home.........

And to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods!!!!!!

On the UP side... my youngest son got involved in some of our "learning play", and as a result was way advanced for his age when he started school... he turned out to be the brain of the bunch.

OH, CINDY.... that's hilarious....

ROFLMAO...thanks Cindy I needed a good laugh...just got done talking to one of the people in the office and found out that the field trips I did lat month are not going to be on this months check throwing me totally off now on bills that are already made out and 2 sent out ....ggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Oh and I go for my interview for the Team Leader job at 10am tomorrow (thurs) .....there were about 6 of us I think that put in for it.

Dimmer was just wondering is he a real bad jerk of can things be "worked out" between the two of you without attorneys?
If the two of you can agree on things ...I know from my divorce in IL that anything given to you as a gift is yours he can not touch it an vice versa ...but if you can settle the his an hers stuff and anything you acquired together and get it put on paper and take it and get it notarized with both of you signing then go and get a court date it would be a whole lot cheaper then using attorneys.
Wish mine would have been as easy as that but it wasn't with kids involved.

That is too funny!!LOL It shows you that what you put out into the world comes back 10fold!!

BJ-that is neat about the crative learning-and it is a great example of how everyone is smart, they just learn differently-I have always been visual-show me something and I am great, try to explain it and not so much...I think that is part of the issue-children are not robots and can't all learn the exact same way-teachers and parents that understand this are a treasure!!

BJ you are to be commended for your work!! If more parents now a days would do that I think we might see a difference. Oops, don't go there!!

Cindy, that is to funny. Gotta cut/paste and send to some friends.

Morning everyone. Quick check in and now off to pickup son to take him to get his car. Oh the things we Moms will do for our children. Age doesn't matter.