Hi Mr. Blog,
I woke up thinking that
the pay-scale for motherhood stinks.
I have shopping, cooking and then
Teddy's first football game.
Something called a scrimmage.
I'm guessing it is like scrabble
only on your feet with a ball.
I've never been a football fan
because it is too violent for me,
but I'd better get over that by five
since I'm taking him up to Pop Keeney
field to get possibly
maimed for life or
killed.
Just gotta do what a mom's gotta do.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
6/11/2011 When an Orange is a Homemade Taco
Hi Mr. Blog,
Boy was that ever tough.
Pretending my orange was a homemade taco.
Yikes!
Nothing like roaming around
a house hungry and lonely
to pack it on.
So I'm back to calorie counting
and eating dinner at lunchtime.
That means my orange for dinner
has to be: pizza, tacos, lasagna, grilled cheese sandwiches
and anything else Terry and the kids have to eat.
Thank God I have
a
really
really
really good
imagination!
Boy was that ever tough.
Pretending my orange was a homemade taco.
Yikes!
Nothing like roaming around
a house hungry and lonely
to pack it on.
So I'm back to calorie counting
and eating dinner at lunchtime.
That means my orange for dinner
has to be: pizza, tacos, lasagna, grilled cheese sandwiches
and anything else Terry and the kids have to eat.
Thank God I have
a
really
really
really good
imagination!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
6/9/2011 The Best Sub Day Ever
Hi Mr. Blog,
I had such a terrific day.
The best sub day ever.
The fourth graders in my class were just adorable.
And they worked so hard for me!
We just clicked.
You know what I mean?
I led a writing assignment
to both classes
then lunch.
Next they built circuits together
to test different materials for conductivity.
We celebrated a birthday with home made cupcakes
and I put on the radio
and filled cups with water
and we had a right little party.
To top it off
we ended the day with an assembly
and the fifth and six graders
played all kinds of classical
and pop music
including a White Stripes song
and Louie Louie.
And there he was.
My young friend Shane.
I hadn't seen him since he was in third grade
and there he was,
a tall, healthy sixth grader.
I was so proud of him I could have burst.
He was the best violinist in the group!
I would have paid them
to work there that day.
It was just that good.
I had such a terrific day.
The best sub day ever.
The fourth graders in my class were just adorable.
And they worked so hard for me!
We just clicked.
You know what I mean?
I led a writing assignment
to both classes
then lunch.
Next they built circuits together
to test different materials for conductivity.
We celebrated a birthday with home made cupcakes
and I put on the radio
and filled cups with water
and we had a right little party.
To top it off
we ended the day with an assembly
and the fifth and six graders
played all kinds of classical
and pop music
including a White Stripes song
and Louie Louie.
And there he was.
My young friend Shane.
I hadn't seen him since he was in third grade
and there he was,
a tall, healthy sixth grader.
I was so proud of him I could have burst.
He was the best violinist in the group!
I would have paid them
to work there that day.
It was just that good.
Monday, May 30, 2011
5/30/2011 Feeling Buoyant
Hi Mr. Blog,
Wow was I in a dark place yesterday.
So dark that it is shocking today is the
exact opposite.
Isn't it funny how people are?
Brenda calls us Yo-Yo girls
because we change so fast.
Having those outstanding days subbing
in 6th grade caught up with me.
I love teaching
and I can get so hateful
that I can't get hired.
But you know what?
Today I just don't care!
I'm so excited!
I'm going to clean around the pool
and yard.
I feel so thrilled.
Perfect health.
I mean seriously,
what
else
matters?
Wow was I in a dark place yesterday.
So dark that it is shocking today is the
exact opposite.
Isn't it funny how people are?
Brenda calls us Yo-Yo girls
because we change so fast.
Having those outstanding days subbing
in 6th grade caught up with me.
I love teaching
and I can get so hateful
that I can't get hired.
But you know what?
Today I just don't care!
I'm so excited!
I'm going to clean around the pool
and yard.
I feel so thrilled.
Perfect health.
I mean seriously,
what
else
matters?
Saturday, May 28, 2011
5/28/2011 Subbing in 6th Grade and Loving It
Hi Mr. Blog,
I had the strangest thing happen Friday.
I was subbing in sixth grade at Parkwood elementary
for the Language Arts teacher,
and when I opened her teacher's manual
guess what I was going to teach?
Roman history!
I was so excited.
I love teaching the classics.
I was president of the Junior Classical League
in 1975 at Roosevelt High School.
Miss Engle used to go on and on about Roman history
and she'd get all excited.
She looked a like a robin with a juicy worm
the way she'd dance around the room with delight.
So, anyway,
that is not what is strange about teaching that particular lesson.
What is strange,
is that I taught the preceding Greek lesson
the last time I subbed
from the Houghton Mifflin text book
two weeks ago at Canyon Creek elementary!
Of course,
being superstitious and all,
I took it as a sign.
A sign that I'll get
a full time teaching job
this fall.
I know, I know,
it is irrational and silly.
But maybe there is a principal somewhere
that will see my seven years of loyal substitute service
and decide to give me a break.
I had the strangest thing happen Friday.
I was subbing in sixth grade at Parkwood elementary
for the Language Arts teacher,
and when I opened her teacher's manual
guess what I was going to teach?
Roman history!
I was so excited.
I love teaching the classics.
I was president of the Junior Classical League
in 1975 at Roosevelt High School.
Miss Engle used to go on and on about Roman history
and she'd get all excited.
She looked a like a robin with a juicy worm
the way she'd dance around the room with delight.
So, anyway,
that is not what is strange about teaching that particular lesson.
What is strange,
is that I taught the preceding Greek lesson
the last time I subbed
from the Houghton Mifflin text book
two weeks ago at Canyon Creek elementary!
Of course,
being superstitious and all,
I took it as a sign.
A sign that I'll get
a full time teaching job
this fall.
I know, I know,
it is irrational and silly.
But maybe there is a principal somewhere
that will see my seven years of loyal substitute service
and decide to give me a break.
Friday, May 27, 2011
5/27/2011 How to Raise Siblings That Are Best Friends
Hi Mr. Blog,
Wow it is so quiet.
Teddy and Troy just jumped on the bus
to go to downtown Seattle to the Folk Life Festival.
I asked Troy if I could go with them but he said no.
I'm just so thrilled they went together.
And probably Car too.
Safety in numbers and all that.
I know usually I come to you with everything
I've done wrong
but today I want to tell you about one of the
few things that I did right.
I tortured my son.
AND myself.
When Teddy was born
Troy was two and a half.
After we got Teddy in the house,
Troy was furious.
He shouted at me,
"Take it back!"
He had such perfect elocution
even as a toddler if you can believe that.
He hated Teddy
and I can see why.
Here I was thinking Troy was the cutest
little blue-eyed blond baby in history,
and dying for another one exactly the same,
when Teddy showed up.
I nearly died
in the hospital
from love
when I looked in his little eyes.
My eyes.
My mom's eyes.
My grandmother's eyes.
So it would be darn tough not to love him too much.
I knew by then that I was close to ruining Troy
by loving him too much.
My Auntie Jean warned me.
She said she and Uncle Frank did it with my cousin Carolyn.
So once I got over the shock of having two babies
I knew I had one long row to hoe.
My nickname growing up was Stupid.
Or Tag-a-Long.
I was the most annoying little sister in the world.
Still am.
Can't help it.
But I just couldn't stand the thought of my sons being enemies.
I know some adult brothers that are.
So, for the next six years I fought the exhaustion
and put Troy in time out
whenever he popped Teddy upside the head
or called him a name.
I think Troy spent 90%
of his childhood in time out
and I nearly had a nervous breakdown.
But you know what Mr. Blog?
IT WAS WORTH IT.
Even if I'm a tired old-choker mom
with teenagers under my feet all the time.
I would have done the same thing if I had to do it again.
Wow it is so quiet.
Teddy and Troy just jumped on the bus
to go to downtown Seattle to the Folk Life Festival.
I asked Troy if I could go with them but he said no.
I'm just so thrilled they went together.
And probably Car too.
Safety in numbers and all that.
I know usually I come to you with everything
I've done wrong
but today I want to tell you about one of the
few things that I did right.
I tortured my son.
AND myself.
When Teddy was born
Troy was two and a half.
After we got Teddy in the house,
Troy was furious.
He shouted at me,
"Take it back!"
He had such perfect elocution
even as a toddler if you can believe that.
He hated Teddy
and I can see why.
Here I was thinking Troy was the cutest
little blue-eyed blond baby in history,
and dying for another one exactly the same,
when Teddy showed up.
I nearly died
in the hospital
from love
when I looked in his little eyes.
My eyes.
My mom's eyes.
My grandmother's eyes.
So it would be darn tough not to love him too much.
I knew by then that I was close to ruining Troy
by loving him too much.
My Auntie Jean warned me.
She said she and Uncle Frank did it with my cousin Carolyn.
So once I got over the shock of having two babies
I knew I had one long row to hoe.
My nickname growing up was Stupid.
Or Tag-a-Long.
I was the most annoying little sister in the world.
Still am.
Can't help it.
But I just couldn't stand the thought of my sons being enemies.
I know some adult brothers that are.
So, for the next six years I fought the exhaustion
and put Troy in time out
whenever he popped Teddy upside the head
or called him a name.
I think Troy spent 90%
of his childhood in time out
and I nearly had a nervous breakdown.
But you know what Mr. Blog?
IT WAS WORTH IT.
Even if I'm a tired old-choker mom
with teenagers under my feet all the time.
I would have done the same thing if I had to do it again.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
5/24/2011 When Things Go Well, They Go Very Very Well
Hi Mr. Blog,
What a difference a good night's sleep makes!
I zipped right on up to Lake City Walgrens
and picked up my ship pics
and a dandy album to put them in
and I was off to Inglemoor High school.
I was early and who walks up to to me
but Troy.
Hahaha. He works in the office last period.
He said hi and told me where the restrooms are.
What a cute kid.
I dropped off his yearbook check
and went to the activities center to
pick up football forms for Teddy and his pal Michael.
The football coach, Frank Nash is also Troy's math teacher
so we had a brief pow wow about that, football and
the state of the economy.
Troy's counselor, Julie Barrett,
worth her weight in gold!
We reviewed his current grades
and talked about college programs
and looked at what he signed up for
for his senior year of high school.
It just seems impossible that he'll finish
high school next year.
She did her magic to make sure
his classes will fill his graduation requirements
AND classes he will like too.
Like team sports and videography.
Videography will fulfill his occupational education
requirement and lead into a neat
new video degree over at Shoreline community college.
I'd like him to go straight up to Western
but Terry is balking at the price tag.
Motherhood is so complex on so many levels
and I usually think I'm flunking.
But not today.
Today I spent the day making sure
my kid, my sweetie, my departed mom's Golden Boy,
got all the classes he needs next year.
And classes that will be fun.
Because you only get to be a senior
in high school one time.
What a difference a good night's sleep makes!
I zipped right on up to Lake City Walgrens
and picked up my ship pics
and a dandy album to put them in
and I was off to Inglemoor High school.
I was early and who walks up to to me
but Troy.
Hahaha. He works in the office last period.
He said hi and told me where the restrooms are.
What a cute kid.
I dropped off his yearbook check
and went to the activities center to
pick up football forms for Teddy and his pal Michael.
The football coach, Frank Nash is also Troy's math teacher
so we had a brief pow wow about that, football and
the state of the economy.
Troy's counselor, Julie Barrett,
worth her weight in gold!
We reviewed his current grades
and talked about college programs
and looked at what he signed up for
for his senior year of high school.
It just seems impossible that he'll finish
high school next year.
She did her magic to make sure
his classes will fill his graduation requirements
AND classes he will like too.
Like team sports and videography.
Videography will fulfill his occupational education
requirement and lead into a neat
new video degree over at Shoreline community college.
I'd like him to go straight up to Western
but Terry is balking at the price tag.
Motherhood is so complex on so many levels
and I usually think I'm flunking.
But not today.
Today I spent the day making sure
my kid, my sweetie, my departed mom's Golden Boy,
got all the classes he needs next year.
And classes that will be fun.
Because you only get to be a senior
in high school one time.
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