surprise packages

I love getting presents! Especially surprise presents that come in the mail. There's nothing better than opening the mailbox to find a key to one of the bigger lock boxes and know you didn't order something, yet there's a box waiting for you. The kind that contain something personal - a luxury just for me. I had one of those surprise packages waiting for me yesterday. (I'm sure it was actually there on Thursday, but since I completely had the DAY FROM HELL that day, I never bothered to stop and check for mail.)

When we FINALLY got home last night after making countless stops to pick things up on the way home - trust me, DO NOT plan errand running on a Friday evening - I grabbed the mail, and my surprise package, unloaded the car, put everything away, checked email, and got on the phone. Never even opened the box. Yeah, I'm weird like that.

Around 8:30pm my mother calls. "Did you get the box I sent, or did the USPS lose it?"

I told her it was here but I hadn't opened it yet. She couldn't understand what in hell I was waiting for. Frankly, neither could I, but as I mentioned, I'm weird like that. So she pushes and says "Go open it now." {sigh} If I must.

Sometimes my mom's pushing and prodding drives me crazy but was I ever happy she pushed me to open the box. Take a look what was inside.....

My mom ROCKS!!! Buh-bye my old friends, you've been replaced.

sunday sweep - volume IV

Do you know how long it took me over the past two days to catch up on reading and commenting on all your blogs? Damn! How the hell are you all so prolific throughout the week? By the time I get home from work, take care of reviewing/working on homework, figure out what sustenance we'll be having and make said sustenance, make whatever phone calls need making, and get the little man off to bed, my brain just can't handle writing or most nights even reading everything posted out there.

Today's Sunday Sweep is pretty much gonna be an update of last weeks Sunday Sweep, cuz that's pretty much been my week. So, if you haven't read last weeks spoutings you might want to go now so you have some sort of clue what I'm talking about.

Precariously perched on the fence (update)
Wednesday night was the meeting with the school accreditation team. Sadly I'm still sitting on that fence and after having read through the 115 page self study yesterday have more than two pages of notes on subjects I need to have more information on. Apparently the accreditation team didn't feel the same need for more info as they told us at the end of the meeting they were "very impressed" and would be putting in their recommendation for accreditation. Don't get me wrong, I want the school to be accredited, but I really want it to be accredited for the right reasons - like we deserve it - rather than because we didn't really let the cat out of the bag and made ourselves look like we're something other than we really are. Is that too much to ask?

My biggest pet peeve of the night shares my biggest pet peeve for the school community in general - only a handful of parents felt it worthwhile to show up. From what I was told, twenty-five parents were invited to attend this meeting. Guess how many bothered. Four. Well, actually five if you count the husband of one of the four who I'm sure wasn't invited since they were only having one representative per family of those families that were invited. Anyway, besides us five there was the PA president (also a parent, but representing the PA), one board member, and a teacher (also a parent, but she already had her say when the staff meet with the accreditation team earlier in the day so WTH?). What a sad way to represent the school! Not surprised though since we pretty much have less than 10% of the school community involved and carrying the weight of the other 90% each and every year anyway. Still. Gah!

So what am I going to do about all of this rather than just sitting her complaining? Well, I'm still trying to figure that one out it its entirety but to start I plan on filling in the blanks for all the questions I have from the notes I made. A few weeks ago I was thinking of maybe running for a board position, except 1) I'm not sure there are any open board positions to run for this year, and 2) the board is pretty much the least liked group at school, except by the group of superficial blindfold wearing lemmings. Have any of you sat on a board of directors before? What was your experience? Was it school related or other? I did note they presented a notion of creating a parent action committee to develop a financial plan for the school over the next few years. I'm thinking this would serve me, and the school, much better so for now I'm gonna get more info on that one and see what comes of it. Not throwing the BOD idea totally out the window yet, though, so if you've got any input, please let me know.

Schooldaze (update)
I know most of you chose option #7 during last weeks discussion, and while I really wanted that option too and hate to disappoint, I went with option #4 instead. On Tuesday afternoon the little man and I went to visit the principal. I started off the discussion with a basic "this is why we're here" and then let him do all the talking from there. As I would expect, she made notes while she talked to him, explained her course of action (talking to the recess duty people, and then talking to the little shit himself), then following up with my little man later in the week. Per the little man, he visited her office again at the end of the week and she said she'd done all of the above. I assume she must have done something cuz the little shit hasn't bothered my little man all week. She also said she'd email me with an update (this part I haven't seen.....yet) so all in all we're on the right track. Good not only for the safety of my child but good dry run of our new bullying and harrassment policy.

Funny aside on the little shit: He's apparently having a birthday party next month and has invited all the boys he routinely picks on every day. Uh, yeah! Going to the party? Notsomuch.

Daddy, they're on the way (update)
Quick update on my Dad. The doc says he's got prostate cancer. My poor dad! I swear if it's not one sickness/ailment/disease it's another. The good news (if there is such thing when talking about cancer) is it's at the T1 stage (which for those of you who don't know cancer like I know cancer means it's the level right after pre-cancerous). Anyway, due to his medical history and age, the doc won't do surgery and has given Dad a month to make a decision on three or four other courses of action including radiation and pretty much doing nothing at all. So far he seems to be okay with the news, all things considered. Keeping those positive vibes, thoughts and magic wand waving going for him is certainly appreciated.

So there you have it, the updates from the week. Over the past week I've been tagged by Jenny and Nicki, so you'll see those coming up this week. Other than that not much going on. Watch, now that I said that all hell's gonna break loose.

Enjoyable "saying good-bye to January and welcoming February al-freakin-ready" wishes to you all!

and the blood spew forth from the spawn in rivers

There's this little game called basketball. The one where you take a round, orange ball and hurl it towards this little hoop hoping to make it in. Have you heard of it? Here in our house we have three forms of said game: 1) watching it on TV, 2) shooting with a regulation sized hard ball into the hoop purchased by The Rents residing in our garage, and 3) shooting the mini sized Nerf soft ball into the mini hoop hanging on the laundry room door. The latter being the most used at this time of the year and apparently also the most dangerous of all.

Last month, after donning the house with Christmas cheer, I entered the family room to find WJ sitting on the couch, extremely upset and fighting back tears. After asking what the problem was I was told about how the soft Nerf basketball had bounced off the rim of the cheap plastic hoop hanging off aforementioned door and careened into one of the equally cheap plastic candles adorning the mantle. Said candle then toppled off the mantle, crashed to the floor, and smashed the glass bulb to smithereens. Was WJ hurt? Had glass shards ricocheted off the train table and flown into his eyes causing him sudden and permanent blindness? Of course not. The problem wasn't pain inflicted by the breaking of the bulb, or the candle for that matter. It was fear that the revered hoop would be removed, dismantled, and potentially thrown away because this soft Nerf basketball had smashed the cheap ass piece of shit candle. If you haven't gotten the correlation yet, maybe last night's incident of epic proportions will clear things up for you.

After playing a few rounds of "first to ten" on the cheap plastic hoop with the soft Nerf basketball, I retreated to the comforts of my barstool. No. I do not have a bar in my house. It's what I sit on while working on the computer that's perched on the breakfast bar between the kitchen and family room. Though putting in a bar isn't a bad idea. Anyway, I digress. The TV was playing some college basketball game and WJ continued to shoot hoops while occassionally glancing at the screen. I lost myself in the world of Internet surfing and tuned out the dull noises permeating from the background.

I vaguely remember WJ telling me he needed a Kleenex and telling him to go to the bathroom to get one. But when your kid steps out of the bathroom door and says, "Hey Mom! There's blood on my Kleenex." your entire being jumps to ready attention and heightened sense of alert. I got up, wandered into the bathroom to investigate, and just as I turned to look at his nose the river of bright red blood spew forth dropping onto the floor. Thank God for linoleum. I grabbed a tissue, held it to his nose, and saw the pristine white paper product turn into a soggy red mess in my hands. WTF? How did this happen with a soft Nerf basketball? And more important, how the hell do I get it to stop?

A nose bleeder I am not. Never had one in my life. Not even after getting smacked so hard in the nose with an elbow coming straight down on the bridge during a (say it with me now) basketball game. I had no freakin clue how to get the river to subside, so after bringing WJ out to the couch, having him lay down while holding several more pristine white tissues to his nose, I returned to my post at the computer to search for some advice. I also sent an IM to a friend I'd been chatting with only minutes before. No response. And trying to read the various do this but don't do that articles online was taking too long when your kid is asking if he's going to die and you feel like you've just been dealt a hand you have no idea how to play.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I made the panic call. The oh my God, WJ's got a river of blood spewing from his nose and I have no idea in hell how to stop it call. I called the only person I could think might have a solution. A friend who's kid plays sports and, by the way, who's wife is a nurse. It's great to have friends in high places. Cold compress, light pressure. Seemed so logical after hearing it. And guess what? It worked. Within minutes the incident of epic proportions was over and peace was once again restored to our little kingdom.

Oh, one last thing. I think Nerf needs to come up with a different adjective to describe their toys because soft just ain't doing it in this household.

open house

Another busy holiday day for us. The Rents and I headed across the bridge to Barb and Steve's pre-Christmas Eve open house. It's the first time I've been out that direction. Beautiful area. Right on the water and very rustic.

Barb had so much food it looked like she was feeding an army. And it seemed that an army of people were streaming in and out all afternoon. Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I won't be needing dinner tonight after all the nibbling I did all afternoon.

She also gave us two bags - one for The Rents and one for WJ and I - of homemade peanut brittle. I've never been a big fan of the stuff, but her's is to die for. Oh, the holiday season is murder on my waistline!

Hope you've all had an enjoyable pre-Christmas Eve day!

almost ready

I figured I'd better get a post up this morning before things start to get hectic around here. We're picking up the Rents today. They'll be here for the next two weeks, so my blogging time (and computer time in general) will be at a minimum.

Yesterday was spent playing catch up (again!) after having been without power for over 24 hours. It's truly amazing all the normal, everyday stuff you cannot do without power. Aside from computer time and TV time I mean. Things like laundry, vacuuming, running the dishwasher. Hell, even taking a shower. My neighbor pointed out that it (electricity) is really what separates us from the 19th century. I have to agree.

This morning we're almost ready. Just a few last minute things to take care of before heading to the airport. Blogging being one of them.

Before all the weather related setbacks, WJ had his Christmas program (Thursday night). It was the usual singing of Christmas songs by each of the classes. Off key. Off beat. But cute all the same. I tried to get pics of WJ singing, but every time he'd look at me with the camera aimed his direction, he'd look away before I could snap the pic. I couldn't believe it. My "camera hound" kid had suddenly turned shy. So, the only pics I actually got that are worth a damned are the one's I took before the performance.

The first one is Mrs. Farrimond (our school principal) and WJ. The second is WJ and "the two Jacks".

The most disappointing thing about losing power was missing school on Friday. WJ's class was to perform a play after mass, and he had a speaking part that he'd been preparing for all week. They were also supposed to have their Christmas party and ornament exchange. Plus, the books I'd ordered at the last minute were supposed to be there for pick up. I called his teacher yesterday to see if by some chance she'd gotten them, but no. The post office is still without power. Then she told me about the damage at school. Our classroom had a tree branch come through the roof... right over her desk. Thankfully (she said) she'd moved all of the children's things to a bookshelf on the other side of the room, but she lost some of her stuff due to water damage. The computer lab and science lab also sustained damage. It all sucks! I'm just happy the kids weren't at school when it happened.

Well, that brings you up to date for now. I gotta run and finish up some stuff around here. Enjoy your Sunday!

i'm back... warm and thankful

Well, I guess yesterday was one of those unforeseeable (and uncontrollable) Holidailies non-posting days!! We lost power at midnight Thursday night and went without until approximately 1:15am today.

As awful (and cold) as it was, I'm back... warm and thankful!!

More to come later today, but for now I've got a mountain of things to get done before the Rents arrive tomorrow.