My Life is Based on a True Story

What Is Old Is New Again

2009-07-13T11:31:00.003-05:00

Lamb is currently obsessed. With the tv show, Happy Days. It started when we took her to see the musical. I have been borrowing the series from the library (sadly, only up to season 4 is on dvd at this moment). She's like me in that she likes to watch things in order. So you can imagine her horror when season 4 came available before season 3.

She decided to be a rebel and watch it anyway. Because she's naughty like that.

Imagine my horror when she lamented that watching the show always makes her hungry. Mrs. C makes *the* best meals and they are always homecooked. There's always good food in the fridge and pantry.Poor Lamb. She grew up in the wrong era. Instead she got stuck with a mom who can't stand to be in the kitchen. There's not enough room with all the dirty dishes that Lamb hasn't taken care of yet. (I bet Joanie never neglected her chores.) It's hot. It's stressful. And I don't produce good meals.

Oh, happy days here in the 2000's.

I Worry Myself At Times

2009-07-05T14:48:00.003-05:00

While at the Dr Pepper Museum, yes, yes, I know I have yet to share pictures. I plan to do that soon. Anyway, while there, I greatly embarrassed myself.

At the ticket counter, the lady told us there was a whale where you could guess how many Dr Peppers it could hold. At the end, I commented to the family that I didn't see the whale to guess. They looked at me dumbfounded. Then burst out laughing.

She said "well" not "whale" and I never even connected the dots.
Even though I took pictures of it.

Yes, It's Summer

2009-07-01T15:54:00.003-05:00

We have been on summer break for almost a month. A month trying to entertain a high strung/high energy child.

My kids love each other, are best friends, in fact. But, they are kids. There's been a lot of bickering back & forth. Which means room time. Ahhh, room time.

When they were younger & were sent to their rooms, Lamb would get in her closet and Bear on his wall on the other side. They'd continue to talk back & forth using their imagination. Not so anymore.

One particular afternoon, they continued to fuss & argue even in their rooms. I had to demand no talking to each other. Lamb decided to be passive aggressive. She pulled out her recorder and started playing Hot Cross Buns. Over and Over again.

Bear could be heard in his room saying: "Bear wishes someone would kill the dead rat making horrific noises in Lamb's room." Over and Over again.

I have a lot of patience but even I reach my wit's end. I might have raised my voice. I might have been angry at Bear. The details are sketchy.

A few minutes later, I received this on my cell phone.Dang. He makes it hard to stay mad.

Ah, summer time.

That's NOT My Mama

2009-06-29T11:25:00.003-05:00

You've seen this picture here and here before on my blog.

It's part of our history here in Houston and one thing I always look forward to seeing when we head downtown to an Astros game or whatnot.

So you can imagine my dismay when we headed to the Astros game Saturday night. I glanced to my left and let out an audible gasp. I scared the family, it was so loud.

Then I hear the words "That's NOT my Mama" uttered. I was so sad.

They painted her.

*I apologize for the quality of the picture. Big D was traveling fast and I had to snap it quick in the midst of my despair.

Photo Contest

2009-06-23T11:11:00.002-05:00

Voting for photos begins today at Company Girl. The winners will have their photos published in a beautiful coffee table style book about friendship. My friend, forgetfulone, has two photos I'd love you to vote for: one of her daughter and her two friends waiting to get makeovers and one of Bubba's Sis, Forgetfulone, Kris, and me (blog/facebook/real life friends) when we met for the first time. They are numbers 310 and 311. Thank you for helping out my friend!

I Want These Chairs!

2009-06-22T12:12:00.003-05:00

Last week, Big D was on vacation. We couldn't go on a big trip, but it was a nice week. On Wednesday, we drove to Waco to tour the Dr Pepper Museum (more on that later). Going back home, we drove through College Station to eat at Rosa's Cafe. Big D has eaten there before during his travels and wanted to share with us.

It was yummy food! But, I fell in love with the decor. Especially these chairs.
Big D found it all gaudy. What does he know? Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll be able to decorate our dining room like that. Sigh. It's hard to be me sometimes. ;)

Camera Critters #63

2009-06-20T13:45:00.002-05:00

Playing with the laser is one of the things that Elvis loves to do.

It's hard work.

I Heart Faces - Sepia Edition

2009-06-16T12:10:00.002-05:00

Sibling Love

Camera Critters #62

2009-06-13T14:45:00.002-05:00

All three of those robes used to be mine. But, as each boy came into my life, he stole my robe.

Of course, the critters probably would have left them alone if I would have picked them up off the floor....

So Many Books

2009-06-11T09:37:00.002-05:00

So Little Time...

You can't tell, but the books are stacked two deep. Thank goodness it's summer so I can get busy on my reading!

And I need to stop buying/borrowing books until I catch up!

Slap of Reality

2009-06-08T10:57:00.003-05:00

Friday morning, as I was "whining" about Bear leaving me for another school, a mother I personally know was giving anything to have her oldest son just be alive.

When Lamb was in 1st grade, there was a sweet little boy who stumbled when he walked. Sometimes he'd fall for no apparent reason. As the school year went on & everyone got to know him & his family better, we learned that he had several disabilities. He would not live past his early twenties.

By the end of 2nd grade, he was in a wheelchair full time. His leg muscles ceased to work and there were times that his arms were too tired to function. Still, he remained cheerful & upbeat. He was embarrassed to have to ask for help and rarely complained of discomfort. If he did, you knew he meant it.

His mom would speak to the class while he was at a special class about what his disabilities were and to answer any questions. She only had to do that for a couple of years. Everyone knew him and everyone loved him. They accepted him.

When I became a faculty member, he was in 4th grade. I was fortunate enough to work with him & his best friend. I was able to get to know him & his mom better. As all children do, he moved on to his different schools. In his first year of high school, he became involved with the tech side of drama. The tech teacher really took him under his wing and helped tremendously.

Last Thursday, they were a family of five: two parents who loved their kids, the older brother who was Lamb's age, and two younger siblings. The mother is battling cancer while still doing everything possible to ease the comfort of her oldest and be there for the two youngest.

Last Friday, while I was sad, she was grieving. That sweet 15 yr. old boy passed away. He had been in the hospital for awhile. Complications from a surgery caused his heart to start to fail. Ever the sweet boy, he told his mother he would do it again in a heartbeat. Because the pain was gone. What a gift he gave the mother who was questioning the decision for the surgery.

And a special shout out to the wrestler, The Undertaker. The boy is a huge wrestling fan. I'm not sure how, but he ended up talking to The Undertaker on the phone for hours. The wrestler prayed with him, laughed with him, and listened. He's now all right in my book.

Yes, I'm still sad that our lives have changed. But I am so very grateful that I have a son who will come home to me at the end of the day.

Godspeed, Sweet Boy. I know you are running, jumping, dancing with the angels.

A Day of Good-Byes

2009-06-05T12:11:00.002-05:00

The last day of school is always a bittersweet day for me. In my department, we tend to work with the kids all through out their elementary years. I always tend to form an emotional attachment to most of them.

There was the boy who reminded me of Bear. If I could have adopted him, I would. He had no reason being in our department, but because of emotional issues, he was.

There was the sweet girl who was so thoughtful and caring. She always remembered our birthdays. She would bring back gifts when she went on vacation. She even came back to the school this year to give us a Christmas treat.

And this year, oh this year. There's my boy who has autism. I have worked on & off with him since kindergarten. Always quick with a smile, offering his snack & chair to me. Some days I could get him to work hard and other days I had to give him a hard time about his work. I about lost it when saying good-bye, he looked me in the eye (and if you know anything about autism, you know that's huge) and told me that he'd miss me. I know that those are just words to him. But, I also know that that part of him that is aware, meant those words. He will be missed maybe a tad bit more than the other kids who have passed in and out of my life.

There was also a sweet girl I did not service. She was quirky, punky, but oh so caring. It never mattered to her if she was partnered with one of my kids. And she made them feel like they were equal partners. She never excluded any of them.

This year I also had to say good-bye to a special friend of mine. We were partners in crime when I first started working at the school. We worked side by side for three years until she moved into the general ed. side. She is a passionate teacher and Bear was lucky to have her in 4th grade. She has a new baby now and will stay home with him. It's not a forever good-bye as we will always be friends. But, it will be sad to not see her in the hallways next year.

Bear's 5th grade teacher is also moving on to bigger pastures. I'm not sure what it is about Bear that makes all his teachers leave. ;) His kindergarten teacher is the only teacher who remains. He was extremely quiet in her class. Maybe that's why.

The hardest good-bye was to my Bear. It was hard when Lamb left, but I knew I had many years left with Bear. It's been the two of us for four years now. Yes, yes, I know I live with him. I know I see him every day. But, I still get choked up thinking about not seeing him in the hallways. Not being a part of his world: knowing his curriculum, knowing his students, just knowing what exactly is going on, seeing him grow & thrive. We are close and part of the reason we are close is because when he talks to me, I know who & what he is talking about. I don't want to lose that. So, I'll have to work extra hard to remain part of his world.A hard day, indeed.

And then there is this morning. Bear has a wicked headache. He's laying on the couch and asked me to tuck him in with his blanket. Maybe things won't change too drastically....at first.

My Boy and His Teacher

2009-06-03T18:24:00.004-05:00

I believe I have told you how special Bear's teacher is here and here. She is still full of clever ideas. Right now, for their math, they are running a coffee & tea shop. Teachers send in their orders and their drink is hand delivered to them. The prices are reasonable and the drinks delicious. They've been opened for business for about a week now and have raised almost $200. All proceeds will be donated to a children's charity.

What I failed to mention to ya'll is that not only is she our school's Teacher of the Year but also our district's Teacher of the Year. Up next is the Regional level. She is so humble that she doesn't like to be called TotY. She thinks all teachers are deserving of that title. True, true. But, she earned it fair and square.

Another reason why she deserves the title is this video.
I'm really not sure how it came about. All I know is that she asked if it'd be ok and if she could pick him up for rehearsals. Any quiet time at home without Bear is fine by me! ;) Seriously, they worked hard and had loads of fun together.

Today was the 5th grade Awards Ceremony (proud mama alert: My boy received recognition for Drama Club, Safety Patrol, & Student Council. He also received the Presidential Excellence award for his all A's this year, PE Fitness & Sportsmanship only given to one boy and one girl, and was a runner up for the American Legion award) and at the end the song "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts was played. The teachers walked around hugging their students. When she got to Bear, his teacher pulled him in her arms for a dance. She says that she'll remember all her students and wish for them. Bear has been blessed with some WONDERFUL teachers. He will also remember each of them.

Enjoy the video, I'm sorry about the fuzziness! I think they can take their act to Dancing with the Stars!

She is 15

2009-05-31T19:48:00.002-05:00

This girl, this quiet, unassuming, sweet,

awkward, content with her lot in life,

loving, precious, smart girl,
has made it so that I've been a Mama for 15 years today.
Fifteen incredibly short years.
Too short.

I know You Are, But What Am I?

2009-05-28T19:55:00.003-05:00

Pee Wee was pretty popular when I started dated Big D. Truth be told, Big D got a kick out of him. He would come over and my baby sisters (ages 5 & 2) would beg him to do "the dance" for them. He would laugh and decline. But the moment I left the room, he'd do it for them. They'd giggle and shriek.

I have never once seen him do it. Not once.

Flash forward to today. We recently watched Pee Wee's Big Adventure with the kids. Big D enjoyed it just as much as he did all those years ago. The kids giggled & laughed all through it.

I live with a family of quoters. They see a movie once and quote it for years. The movie sparked some of our favorites.

Oh, how we laugh at this. Whenever we travel, upon entering Texas once again, we sing the song. Once, we were singing it as we entered a rest area. A man obviously knew what we were doing because he started clapping along with us. Good times.

Another good one. Feel free to stop it after 1:50 (Unless you enjoy Pee Wee).

Holy Moly, It's Been a Week?

2009-05-23T11:56:00.004-05:00

I didn't realize it has been so long since I've blogged. That might have something to do with the boy in the above picture. He's been in rare form lately. When I asked him why he's so obnoxious, he told me that God sculpted him that way. Yeah. I'm thinking not. He also wants me to leave an adventure quest for his sister & him when I die.

In other news that has kept me away, Lamb & I went to see the new Happy Days musical. The performer who portrayed Fonzie? Amazing. I believed him to be The Fonz. It also sparked a huge interest in Happy Days the show for Lamb. I put seasons 1-4 in my Netflix queue so we'll watch them this summer. I can't wait to watch this with her. I remember that show so vividly. One of my favorites. I can't wait to see Joanie & Chachi fall in love again either.

I've seen two movies in two weeks. Angels & Demons. Very good. And Star Trek. Also Very.Good. Now, I'm not a Star Trek fan. Science fiction has never been my favorite genre. My mother, on the other hand, is a Trekkie. Not a fanatical one, let me just put that out there. Having said all that, I *really* enjoyed the latest movie. It may or may not have had something to do with this guy.
Yeah. The guys have been keeping me busy this week.

I've also had Bear's last baseball game, been in charge of the 4th grade class on a field trip, worked at our P.E. Fun Day, & watched the season finales of Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol.

I am whooped. In a good way.

Camera Critters #58

2009-05-16T16:37:00.003-05:00

When we were having our house built, we had the choice between a Pine Tree and an Oak Tree. I didn't even have to think about it. I wanted the oak.

As our years and the tree have grown, the tree has become our favorite part of the yard. It's our beacon.

It has survived heavy rains and was shelter to all the spiders looking for dry land.

It has survived tropical storms and hurricanes.

It lived through a snow storm in Houston.
And it is now providing a safe place for a Mama Bird to await the hatching of her babies.

We ♥ our tree!

Celebrity Flick

2009-05-12T16:40:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Lamb was able to participate in the dance team's Spring Show. Her dance class, along with all the other dance classes, performed in a medley of songs.

I only recorded about 30 seconds of it. I realized that I could barely see over the camera so I turned it off so as to enjoy her performance live. What I didn't record (& I wish I did) is the part for which she had to audition. So proud that she was picked!

Since I am a sharer ;), here is the short clip if you are interested. She has really learned a lot in her first year of dance! We are hoping to get her into some summer classes so she can continue to grow & learn in it.

Enjoy!

What a Ride

2009-05-10T19:07:00.002-05:00

You know that joke letter from a child to a mother stating all these horrible things only to state at the end that he only flunked a class, but boy, could it have been worse? Am I making sense? Well, I've had that happen in reverse. I received some news, only to have something worse brought to my attention. Suddenly the bad news wasn't so bad. Time has passed and all's well that ends well.

To recap. It's all been about Bear.

He had scoliosis detected during the routine 5th grade screening.
Because he was sporting a black eye and has healing mosquito bites which look like bruises on his back, the dr. told the school nurse he thought Bear looked beaten. Thank the good Lord above the school nurse asked Bear and passed along the info to that dr.
I've already mentioned the whole cheater thing.

Those were the bad things. Let's move on to the good things.

Bear got out of his batting slump.
He's been fortunate enough to have more than 1 at bat these past couple of games.
He hit a ground rule double. When he connected with that ball, all I could do was watch it fly. Suddenly, I realized it was going FAR. Big D & I stood up, clutching each others' arms. All I could think was, "Please outfielder, don't catch it!" Next thing I knew, it was bouncing over the fence. So, so close to being a homerun! He was even presented with the ball. :)

We took him to the doctor about the scoliosis. The doctor was flabbergasted as to why he was even referred. She was so confident he did not have that she didn't even order an x-ray of his back.

The very best news of all? Tomorrow morning I am having what is called an ARD meeting. In that meeting, Bear will be dismissed from speech therapy. Finally. Yay!

Party On, Dude and Be Most Excellent to Each Other

2009-05-06T19:31:00.004-05:00

Working with elementary kids, I usually feel pretty hip & cool. Mainly because I hear what they are talking about and see it firsthand (for the most part) with my own kids. Of course, there are times when I definitely feel old. Mainly because they do not have the background knowledge I do since I've lived longer.

Today, one 5th grader [Melissa: K.W.] took me back to the early 90s. We were talking and her eyes lit up talking about her celebrity crush. Edward Cullen? Nah, he grosses her out. The Jonas Brothers? Ewww No!
He, as in Keanu Reeves, is her celebrity crush. Her favorite movies include Point Break, Speed, & The Replacements.

I had to giggle to myself and give her a hug for making my day.

Bliss #2

2009-04-30T18:18:00.001-05:00

Today I dropped Bear off at practice. Came home and changed into my comfy clothes.

I was able to do this because I knew his daddy would be able to pick him up. That's right, Girls and Boys, his DADDY is going to pick him up.

Big D now has normal hours. Somewhat. Mon, Tues, Thurs, & Fridays he'll get off between 4:30 and 5:00. Wednesdays he'll work evenings.

Sweet Bliss!

Senseless

2009-04-29T18:04:00.003-05:00

In our school family, we have a volunteer who is the sweetest, kindest, nicest, most loving thing. She is the most beautiful person. Her children are all kind and respectful. She truly feels that it's her job to serve US. She won't accept any gifts of thanks.

The evening of our flood, her family went out to eat. Afterward, the two older boys decided to walk home while the rest of the family ran an errand.

One the way home, the boys were both attacked. The older son (early twenties) was beaten so severely that he needed surgery to remove his spleen. He is home now and recovering well.

The attackers are still at large. All they got that night? Two dollars.

Be careful out there. There have been a rash of crimes in our area. I imagine in yours as well. People are getting desperate and reacting in a negative way.

Camera Critters #55

2009-04-25T16:23:00.002-05:00

Remember how, in later years, Elvis the man was, um, a tad large?

Elvis the cat is getting a tad large himself. The boy loves to eat!

Poor Cleo is looking very puny next to him.

He's always been a clumsy kitty, but he's even more so now. His muscles just haven't caught up to his weight yet. He likes to stalk Cleo. Sometimes he'll even surprise tackle her. She is not amused in the slightest. Luckily, she has the advantage because she can jump up high. Elvis just can't get to her yet. But when he does? Oh boy. That might not be fun. Good thing he's so cute & sweet.

Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

2009-04-23T16:58:00.002-05:00

That's the simple rule for winning the game of Survivor.

Next week, the 5th graders of Texas take their last TAKS test of the year. It's also the first time they will take this particular test. Science. And not just 5th grade science, but science they have learned all through elementary school.

To get them geared up & excited, the assistant principal came up with Survivor Science Camp. Each day, they rotate as a homeroom to a different teacher for an activity in a different science category.

And, in the morning announcements, there is an immunity challenge. A science question is read and the 1st one to turn in the correct answer wins. The rules are simple. ONE class representative and the answer & teacher's name on a piece of paper.

The first day, the kids ran through the halls as if their lives depended on it. The teachers rooted them on. Well, some of them. There were complaints but the administration backed them up. Bear's class ended up winning.

The assistant principal told them to be creative. So Bear's teacher (who won Teacher of the Year on our campus, btw) came up with a clever plan. She asked the a.p. if they could use technology. She was told the only rules are: one class rep & everything on a piece of paper.

Bear was sent to the front office with her cell phone, pencil, & piece of paper. When the class got the answer, a student called him. He wrote it down and turned it in. They won! Again.

And all hell broke loose.

He was called a dirty rotten scoundrel and the class was accused of cheating.

All day long he had to listen to this. After school, he & I were walking down the hall & I witnessed it for myself. For Earth Day, the 5th grade teachers told the kids to meet them at the theater to watch Disney's Earth. After the movie, in the restroom, he got called a cheater once again.

Ridiculous. If it wasn't such a character assassination, I wouldn't be as upset. Bear may be A LOT of things, but a cheater is so not one of them.

The teachers were cool with it (once they calmed down & thought about it) and started thinking of ways to one up his teacher. But, they weren't really solving the problem of the other students' way of thinking.

I stewed & worried all night last night. It's true that tomorrow is another day. Thank God, today, Bear was not called any names nor anyone in his class.

And another class won immunity.

Seriously?

2009-04-21T20:57:00.003-05:00

This week, Lamb and I decided to exercise our right to vote. For American Idol contestant, Kris Allen. He's an Arkansas boy who has a sincere & subtle talent. Adore him!
I am on the cell phone and Lamb is on the land line. After a few attempts, Lamb tells me that the phone is making an "anh anh anh anh" noise.

Um, dear. That is called a busy signal!

I feel like I should worry about her. ;)