I've been slacking..........

and I'm going to blame it mostly on the rush of the holidays. But we all know that's not quite true since basically I sit here at work 5 nights a week for 8 hours with not a lot to do so I could be blogging.

Only I don't feel like I have much to say most of the time.

So I've decided that for the new year, I'm just gonna say whatever I feel like and let the world see how boring I am. LOL

Christmas was so wonderful at our house! All the kids were happy, which is one of the most important things to me! I know it's not about the materialistic things but I like giving my kids presents and seeing them happy with even the little things. I've seen too many sad and depressing things in the last several years to deny myself that little joy!

After the kids did the opening presents routine, we went to 12 o'clock mass at our church. My daughter is an altar server and she got the 12! First time in years that we didn't have Christmas Eve mass. But it was beautiful! And I'll admit, I cried during mass. Not a lot, just that filled up, teary kind of cry. Certain hymns always get me but this year, I just couldn't help it, my heart was kind of feeling heavy.

Without saying too much and losing my job, there is a patient in our hospital where I work. He's very sick and it made me really sad to think about him being in ICU all of Christmas. I think too much. I thought about his family. I wondered if his mother sat there and thought back to a year ago. How could she not. A year ago she didn't have a sick child. A year ago she didn't think this was going to happen. A year ago, everything was different and some things were just so damn important. I don't think those things were important this year. Most of our patients here are adults and I guess this child is considered an adult because he's 18 but in my book, you're a kid. You didn't do enough, you just graduated, you didn't live, you are a kid! It broke my heart to think of them this weekend.

And while I sat in mass, I listened to the petitions. We prayed for many things but we always pray for the deceased of our parish. This year I recognized a name. I hate that. I like to think that everyone on that list is old, lived a nice long life. But I knew this man, who was only 26, wasn't one of those old people who lived a long, happy, fulfilling life. I didn't know him personally, but I know his mother. Her youngest went to school with my oldest. She is a good mother, a good catholic and a dedicated leader to our CYO. She served our parish as our CYO director for 20 years. And she lost her oldest child to drugs. I don't know how or the details but to me, those aren't important. She did all the right things. She sent him to school and church. He went on to college. He played soccer all those years. He started to grow up and he referred games. He seemed to have all the foundation to grow up and become something, anything he wanted. But he didn't. He died. And his mother had to bury him a few days before Christmas. How do you have Christmas on Saturday when you bury your oldest child on Wednesday?

I'm hoping and praying that I never find out.

But with those two situations on my mind this week, I enjoyed every second of my over- materialistic holiday. I enjoyed every second of seeing the joy on their faces. I enjoyed the OMGs and the I can not believe its. I enjoyed the shopping, the crowds, the traffic, the going back to the store 3 times because it was the wrong one the other 2 times. I enjoyed the back breaking wrapping, the stressful pain in the ass tape, and the lost scissors.

I'm hoping that every stinking year I get to enjoy it over and over and over again, just the same exact way, with nothing changing, nothing screwing it up, nothing making it any less crazy. I want to always have 3 piles, one with blue wrapping paper, one with green wrapping paper and one with red wrapping paper.

I'll take more piles, more gifts, more wrapping paper colors, more stress but please, never less.

AMEN!

And it's the weekend....

yahoooo!

Hubby texted me today that he brought home 10 boxes of my decorations and they are in the garage. I can't wait to get started! I love decorating for Christmas. With a little luck, I'm going to have some helpers this year too. I already warned the kids! I was also promised a fixed lamp post out front and electricity out there with an outlet. Dare I dream????

Here in Philly there has been a huge new story brewing. Don't know if anyone else has heard this but the city took down the CHRISTMAS VILLAGE sign over the Christmas Village and had it just say Village because the CHRISTMAS part offended some people. Then yesterday, the mayor had it put back up. Seriously people?? I can not believe that this offended people. Are these the same people that I'm giving my green "In God We Trust" paper money to? Cause if all that offends you, why don't I just get a free cab ride or come into your store and take what I need but don't pay cause I don't want to offend you.

And really? That's what offends you? There are homeless on the street, there are children starving right in Philadelphia, there are people out of work, losing their homes, families being torn apart. We have women being assaulted, raped and then murdered. We have human beings being attacked because they are gay, we have children killing themselves because they are being tortured and bullied. And with all that, the word CHRISTMAS offends you? Seriously, get off my planet! Go do something useful with yourself because that is just pathetic!

I think the holidays are a time that people should just celebrate whatever they are, how ever they choose, without having to answer, explain and conform to anyone else. Go do something good, helpful, useful. Don't go to the CHRISTMAS village if it offends you. Use that money to buy a coat, hat and scarf, blanket, or some food and donate it. Spread some joy instead of being miserable.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox!

For the first time since.....

my oldest son was in first grade, I am going to a parent teacher conference.

Now, to some that may sound horrible. I always hear parents going to conferences even when their child is doing well and that's fine, but that's not how our schools work it.

I found this out in first grade. I went to my son's first grade conference and the teacher, who was not a pleasant woman and had been teaching for 30 years, says come in, why are you here?

I told her I was G's mother and I just wanted to meet with her. She said well, he's doing fine and that's about it. Okay. So I waited for the gushing praise that she was bound to tell me about my wonderful son. I mean the kids is smart and funny and talented and well, let's face it, he's just brilliant. But she told me that he's just fine and there was no need for her to meet with me. Then she explained how the whole process worked. Okay, that would have been helpful BEFORE I signed up to meet with you. She told us that these meetings were for the kids having trouble or for the parents of the children who had no idea that their child was having trouble. So basically we wasted her time. She was just such a lovely woman and I was never so happy when she retired at the end of the year so that neither of my other two children had to be around her.

So, we learned our lesson. Besides that, I was a regular at the school with volunteering and other things so most of my kids teachers knew me and knew that they could stop me at any time to discuss anything with my children.

I now have a son who is in 11th grade. He is an honors student and is always in the top 20 of his class. Told ya he was brilliant Mrs. F!

And he's the child that I now have to go up to the high school and have a parent teacher conference with the head of the English Department. My son had a wonderful man teaching is AP English Language course. That man blew a ton of sunshine up my butt on back to school night telling me all about how my child and the others were going to come out of this course writing like Shakespeare. This was important to my son since he loves to write. THIS was his course!

That twerp decided to leave the school 2 weeks later to take an administrative position in a charter school. He did this before and then came back, now he has done it again and it's really starting to irritate me. So, we get the new AP English teacher. And that is the reason I have to go to a conference with the head of the department.

The new teacher started in the beginning of October and was absent on Monday, Oct. 11th which was Columbus day. Yeah, she went camping with her friends on the weekend and was just too tired to come to work! Now, not only does she do this, but she tells a class full of 18 boys. Mind you, I'm paying approximately $5300 a year for my son's education in this school and this chick couldn't get her ass out of bed? Sweetie, if I'm out of bed, so are you! I get it if you are sick, we all get to be sick. But do NOT tell a class that the reason you were out was because you were too tired. Is this chick serious?

Then the last semester papers finally came home. Now, my son had a 96 for the report card so that's not the problem. But I'm having a problem with other issues he's told me about her and then when I see a big red underline with SPELLING written next to it under the word "persuasive". I'm about ready to blow. My son says how can she mark this wrong, it's right, it didn't come up as misspelled when I typed it in Microsoft Word. Then I whipped out not one but TWO dictionaries and guess what????

Now, I misspell and use the wrong grammar etc. all the time. But I'm not a high school AP English Teacher and if I'm thinking something is spelled wrong, I'm double checking it!

Then today they were reading from the text book, a lesson you would think she would have prepared, and they come to the word "infinitesimal". The teacher can't say it. Ok, we all have that happen, it gets stuck. A student says it for her and she says "what does that mean?", the student tells her "very small". She says "how did you know that?" Ok, seriously??? If you don't know as the English teacher, how about faking it! Or better yet, before you teach this lesson, look it over and if you see one of those big words on the page........LOOK IT UP!

This girl is not qualified to teach this course. This is an AP course, college level. My son and 17 other boys had to apply and be accepted to take this course. They had to meet certain qualifications...........why doesn't the teacher??

I would love to know how many other parents are there to discuss this teacher. I've heard I'm not alone in my concerns since I'm friendly with a few of the teachers and administration up there. This should be interesting.

And that is why I now get to go to Parent Teacher Conference night for the first time in 10 years!!!