Because Kim was wondering...

Here is Don singing with the chorus. He is the one with the walker. The video turned out better than I thought. Remember this was unrehearsed and the song was agreed on a minute before they began to sing. He really gets into toward the end. Pretty good considering after the entire thing he felt like he couldn't stand up another minute. Enjoy!

My head is still spinning...

For those of you who assumed I abandoned my blog to raise llamas in the Andes Mountains, you 1. don't know how difficult raising llamas can be and 2. you don't read my husband's blog which would have made you question why he was picking up his mail order bride at the airport.

Seriously, I had to get these past two weeks behind me to think clearly enough to make sentences that you would enjoy to read. Between working a lot for Don, writing two major papers for my last two weeks of class, starting my new job with Drama Kids, and trying to get better from a horrible sinus infection, I've been a little overwhelmed.

Now that is behind me. On Monday, Don went to his assisted living home. There is a good chance he won't like it so I may work occasionally for him if he does come back home, but I can't give up every weekend like I've been doing. I started a new class which means it will be nine weeks before I have to kill myself over another 1,700 word paper. I have these weird periods through the day where my head feel foggy and a little dizzy and nauseous but I'm functional. I work for Drama Kids every Monday and Friday and I love it. I think the director thought I'd be able to just take the class over, but there is a strict curriculum to follow of which I know nothing about. He will have me start to take over in the next few weeks after observing and training.

The day I started feeling better was the day I took Don to a luncheon being given for his barbershop quartet group. He has sang with them for the past 30 years and each year they host a get together at the William Penn Inn in Blue Bell, Pa. In this area, that's like the creme de la creme. I told Don my family had been there once when I was little. They saw the prices and quickly walked out. It was a dress up luncheon, if you can tell from the picture. Women were supposed to wear 1950s hat and gloves, men wore crazy ties. This was the only crazy one we could find for Don. So we enter the banquet room and I'm the youngest person there by 30 years. I got many compliments on my hat (which was a donation) and the hostess told me in a snide voice, "There are three women here who aren't wearing hats..." So I'm glad I enjoy dressing up and made a good impression at the same time.

We had such a good lunch and a fun time. I think he was trying to pass me off as his date which the older women at our table didn't really appreciate. Afterall, this is the first year Marian didn't attend. Most of the men (except Don) were put into groups to sing a song. A lot of the men hadn't sung together before because of always being with their own group. They had to all agree on a song to sing. Half the men knew one song, the other half didn't know that one. It was cute to see them remember songs like recalling old friends. Then their voices just fell into place. It got a laugh during the one group's performance, they forgot the words. I have a new appreciation for barbershop singing. It turns a 90 year old man into an ageless crooner. Don finally got to sing at the end when the entire group of men sang for the ladies. I wanted to give you a sample, if like me, you've never heard a quartet perform. I thought it was beautiful. Give them a few seconds to fully harmonize, since they didn't practice beforehand. It's a wonderful memory to have of Don and the precious time I spent with him. I will definitely be visiting him wherever he decides to go, but it won't be the same.

The Good, the Bad and the Neglected

Friday was my first day since last April that I've worked in the school district. It was so nice to be back working with kids. I've been stuck in the office the last few times I subbed. I was assigned to a fourth grade boy. When I looked at what he was working on I was surprised. Normally, I help a child concentrate on the task at hand and whatnot. This student was working on being respectful and not having a meltdown when he was doing his work. He didn't have ADHD or Autism or anything like that. As his story unfolded to me, it sounded like a case of bad parenting, or neglect. There was another boy who was far more disrespectful than the child I was in charge of. He rolled his eyes at me and had a whatever attitude. I told him it was very disrespectful to talk to me like that, he really didn't care. In his case, it was a problem of clueless parenting. What little time he does spend with his parents, they think everything he does is cute.

How do I know these children's back stories? Because the teacher knows all. The teacher noticed alcohol on the breath of the one parent. The teacher made note how the parents said they would attend parent teacher night, only to skip it and go out somewhere else. This left the child I was in charge of, to try not to shed tears when he didn't see a note from his parents on his desk the next day. The teacher knows how much time each child spends in childcare and the quality of care they receive. She told me about all her problem children. How embarrassed I would be, to be one of those parents that the teacher scoffs at internally when her student tells her he was up till all hours watching TV...and we're not talking about the Disney channel type of shows.

Rest assured your child's teacher has an opinion about you when it comes to your parenting. I didn't say a bad opinion, but a definite opinion. They talk in the teachers' lounge with the other teachers about your child. If your child causes problems it's not malicious, it's in a concerned way. But if you are one of those neglectful parents, those teachers air out their frustration over you for those in closed doors to hear. I'm saying these things just as an FYI. If I never worked in a school, I would want to know what goes on everyday.

Speaking of teacher lounges, I try to stay clear of teachers' lounges when I sub. Just for the fact, that I usually eat my lunch alone, or have the painstaking task of making small talk. One time I got some strange looks for talking on my cell phone (quietly) in one. Actually, I'll be working tomorrow at that same school. I'll have to brown bag it and head to the car to eat in peace.

I did have a really great time Friday. The student and I had created a bond when I sat with him and listened. I could tell he really liked showing me the one book he was into. That goes to show you can't substitute time invested in a child for anything. The teacher liked me so much she called her buddy to tell him about me. Who is her buddy? Just the superintendent of the school district...

Our Family

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Who doesn't love pictures of animals and kids? If you don't, there's something wrong...

I recently took some cute pictures and thought I'd share them with you. This first one is Don's cats lying on his bed. Their names are Corky and Smokey. This pose was too good to pass up.

Our good friends have two chihuahuas that had three puppies. My kids have grown so attached to them as they've taken care of them and watched them grow. Being with them made their summer all the more special. I had to get some pictures of them being together because two of them were being sold, one will stay within the family. The one had already been taken the day before.

These were just too cute to not share with you. You can rest assured you will receive your regular dose of Karen commentary in the next post.

First Day of School

Yesterday was Madeleine's first day of kindergarten, and Julian's first day of fifth grade. I wasn't sure how I would react. After all, it was Madeleine who would cry year after year seeing her brother get on the bus and not very thrilled to be coming back home with me. She was an independent explorer that having a mother around could only mean limits were set and fences put in place. As the days grew closer, I could see she was starting to grasp what it really meant to be away from home: venturing out without anyone to really lean on, and without someone who is carrying your snacks in her purse. We shared a heightened bond her last month before school. We regressed a little back to her toddler days of singing baby songs I made up and extra snuggles. Normally she would have been like, "Ok, enough is enough." But that was not the case. Thank God, because I knew her life away from me would begin the moment she stepped on the bus. The life experiences she would have would start to not have me included in them. How I've wished to be a fly on the wall of my children's school just to see what their day is like.

Like I mentioned, she was nervous but excited. I told her sometimes it feels like there is butterflies in your tummy. She said, "I think I have two butterflies in my tummy." Our bus driver, Tom, was there all those years seeing her cry when she couldn't get on the bus. Sometimes he would let her come on the bus for a minute because he felt so bad. So both kids kissed me goodbye and walked on the bus. I didn't start to cry until the bus drove away. I felt empty, naked. Another strong emotion surfaced at the same time: I was so grateful for the time we did have together. Thankful for leaving that dentist job so long ago, that took so much time from her when she was little. Thankful for having the ability to turn down jobs that would take too much time from me being a mother. I feel for those moms forced to work 40+ work weeks and be away from their young children. For moms working 40+ hour work weeks that don't have to, but choose to, you made the wrong decision. Childhood is gone in the blink of an eye. It is something that the parent should savor and enjoy.

Instead of my ramblings, I'm sure you want to know how her first day went. She liked it a lot. She was nervous that no one would tell her where to go or what to do. Now she's an old pro. From getting to know various people over the years because of Julian, Madeleine already had a buddy to go into kindergarten with named Jenna. Her teacher is just as sweet as they come so I'm very excited for her and for me when I start volenteering in her class.

Julian was calm about this year and was happy when he came home. He likes his teacher and has no complaints so far. I'm just waiting for all that homework to come home and it'll be a different story then. I'm just sad our summer is over...

Last Week Before School

I set my hopes too high for this last week before they have to go back. I was just hoping to cram in a week of fun, but a little was better than nothing. Monday was supposed to be Dorney Park, our local toned down Six Flags. Julio got sick. Julio was up for a local place instead called Jungle Wonder that now offers kid bowling, black light mini golf, and something called Ballidium which is a room where you shoot foam balls at your opponents (Julio and Julian). No one else was there and the owners were more than generous with our family. Thursday was supposed to be Ocean City, NJ. Madeleine caught a cold Tuesday and still wasn't better. Sometimes things work out, because later that day the news said medical waste washed on shore there. They had to close part of the beach. Hmm, not good. For those who have been with me since I started this blog over three years ago, you will recall my August 06 entry entitled: What can't you find off the coast of NJ? I guess not much has changed. I don't want to offend any NJ relatives, it's just a shame because another stretch of beach was closed nearby a few days ago as well. Part of me just wanted to put my feet in the water one last time this year, but I'm caught up on all my shots, thanks.

So, I bought Julian a Jimmie Johnson backpack at his favorite NASCAR store, and Madeleine chose a princess backpack at Target. Then, I get a call from my boss saying that her dad wants to go into a retirement home instead of having private care. That puts me out of a job within the month. That will free up my weekends at least. I start teaching with Drama Kids in a month working Mondays so that will fill a little of the void. School starts in four days...