Today’s question is: Why is it, oh so easy, to pull the wool over our eyes?

Background: I probably have many stories to back up this question, many. This story will be about my middle girl. How I’ve been able to pull the wool over my eyes about her reading progress. As I’ve alluded to in the past she’s a bit behind in her reading. Actually, her word recognition and high frequency words are fine, her problem lies in phonetic awareness. She is missing some phonetic stuff.

We’ve had a tutor.

She’s had extra help in school.

I’ve exhibited signs of being worried about her reading.

None of it made a difference. Now we are stuck in a spot that requires real action before/during summer. Summer could be the kiss of death. However, this wool pullin’ mom isn’t going to let her child fall behind any further.

I’ve retested her on DORA through Let’s Go Learn, which is a great program for figuring out what a struggling reader may need.

My girlfriend gave me the name of a reading guru, which is what I think we need. I spoke with her tonight and I think we will be able to get some real help this summer.

I’ve put some good additional supports in place through Let’s go Learn so I think and hope we’ll be one step ahead of the game in August when we go back to school.

Here’s to hoping I stop pulling the wool over my eyes and get with the program.

(and I start getting with the program here as well!)

Today’s question is: Why do people make things complicated?

Background: I’m sure you all read my post from the other day about the cookbook and my procrastination with it. Well, this post is basically and extension of one of my frustrations on the that post.

My little buddy had to stay in for recess a number of times to go to kindergarten reading in the last couple of weeks. This apparently bugged him. He, being a typical 6 year old, didn’t know why they were making him miss recess. I think it felt like a punishment. It would have to me.

So, when he complained about reading, I asked him questions and then wrote the classroom teacher the following email:

Any chance you could adjust recess so my little buddy could participate? It seems that the reading teacher comes when you go out to play. Makes it feel like a punishment. He no longer wants to go and I’m a little disappointed to hear it’s happening during recess.

To which his teacher replied:

Hi!

I know that has been happening the last week or two. Our schedules have been a little screwy with different things going on. We should be back to normal on Monday!

Maybe this would be good enough for some parents, but it kind of made me a little mad. She’s acting so nonchalant about it, like yeah, we had to keep your boy in but hopefully that won’t be happening again.

Yeah, you’re damn right it won’t be happening again.

I have to admit that I was shocked it had happened more than once. I just figured it was a one time thing and my little buddy was just complaining. When the teacher said it had been going on that long I figured it was my time to stand up for his fun on recess.

The very next day I called his classroom teacher and the reading teacher to say that in the future if reading pull out and recess are scheduled at the same time then I absolutely under no circumstances want my little buddy going to reading. He is to go out to play with his friends. I am not trying to make him hate reading. I thought the plan was to make it fun. This is kindergarten were talking about.

I also asked the reading teacher to give me an update on how his reading is progressing, because the report card didn’t say much.

After 5:30pm on Friday, PW received an email from the principal of our school that appeared to be addressed to me. Here it is:

Hi Celeste, I spoke with the reading teacher today about your concerns about your little buddy’s reading progress and his missing recess. She would very much like to schedule a time to speak with you about his current reading progress and was hoping to find a time in the coming week in which to meet. Could you let me know when you’re available or contact her directly at her email address.
Also, I wanted you to know that while your buddy may see other kindergartners on the playground while he’s working in his reading group, it is not his class that is out at recess. Understandably, through his eyes, it appears to his class, however, I wanted to assure you he is not missing recess for reading pull out. We agree, that would not be sending the right message.Hope that helps! Signed the principal.

I have to admit, getting my name wrong in the greeting made me roll my eyes. I just don’t get how you send a note like this to a parent and get her name wrong. Also, does anyone else wonder why on earth the reading teacher went to the principal with my issue? I don’t know why she needed to be involved or why I’d want to set up my conference through her?

Of course the most confusing part of the email comes where she says my little buddy was in fact wrong, that he has never missed recess because of reading. He must not be the sharpest lad out there huh? I wonder how she’d explain the email I received from his classroom teacher the day before?

oh wait, I’ll tell you. At 9:30am on Monday morning I received yet another email from the principal (to the right email address with my name correct). Have a look:

Good morning, Colette,
{meeting about placement portions removed}I also spoke with the classroom teacher this morning regarding her recess schedule. It seems I gave you some erroneous information regarding your son’s reading pull-out. With the change in the specials’ schedule and the window installations, the teachers were forced to do some flip-flopping of their schedule and your buddy did have a couple of times where he received reading support instead of recess. I did not know this when I emailed you on Friday. I discussed my concern with this change in the schedule and was assured that won’t happen again. Quite honestly, this is the last week of reading support services anyways, as we are beginning our end of the year reading assessments. However, I wanted you to know that I misspoke earlier.
I will wait to hear from you regarding the time for our meeting. In the meantime, I’m going to get an update on your buddy’s reading progress as well.

So, it seems she was wrong. I figured that. But honestly, what’s with making everything all complicated? All I wanted was to make sure my little buddy got to go out for recess? What’s with bringing in the principal?

People really freak me out.

Today’s question is: Why do we come up with grand plans and then feel the crunch (and urge to procrastinate) when it’s time to execute?

Background: By nature I am a procrastinator. I procrastinate. There, I’ve admitted it. I could put off just about anything, phone calls, projects around the house (you all remember my poj problem), making dinner and painfully doing projects.

I came up with this grand plan for my little boys kindergarten teacher. She’s getting married and I thought it would be such a great idea to put together a cookbook with recipes from all the families in her classes. I’d add some artwork, some pictures and it will be this totally great cookbook. The kind I wish I had when I first got married. It is going to be cool, really, really, cool. The thing is I’m feeling the crunch.

The crunch is made worse by the fact that the teacher is making me a *wee* bit mad. She basically refused to set up a conference with me, because none of the days she had allotted worked for me. Originally, when I told her none of the days worked, she said she’d get back to me with some other dates. A week went by and I didn’t hear a thing, so I asked her. Clearly agitated, she said she had 5 conferences to make up and she just didn’t know what she was going to do. All I could think was, “this is my fault because…..???” I didn’t say that out loud, I just told her I’d take his evaluation then and screwforget the conference.

So that was bad enough.

Then yesterday my little buddy was complaining that he didn’t want to go to reading anymore because he’s missing recess (he gets a little reading help). I looked at him skeptically and said, “what do you mean buddy?” He said just that, he’s been missing recess. My boy is in kindergarten, there is no reason I can think of that would put reading for a kindergartner in front of physical exercise, especially fun recess. If the schedule has changed, skip the reading, don’t turn it into a punishment. That’s practically the sure fire way to get a kid to hate reading. When I asked her about it in an email, she said “I know it’s been happening the last week or two, hopefully it will be back to normal next week”. All I can say is, wow, I can’t believe he’s had to miss recess for a week or two, I feel kinda sorry for him (but I didn’t tell him that).

Of course, all this is making the cookbook book even harder. It’s going to be so great (that’s me convincing myself) I just hope she appreciates it.

So I’m off to work on the book (and by the way blurb is great for this stuff you anyone is looking for a great online book maker) and de toy the basement. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch.

Today’s question is: Why do we let ourselves worry over things we can’t control?

Background: I am the queen of not getting worked up over things, the queen. I have this incredibly ability to make everything seem like it’s no big deal, even when it is. My nonchalant attitude works for me.

Truth be known, there are a few things I get worried about.

For instance…….

Just over seven years ago, I loaded my two very little girls into the car early in the morning and headed out to my mom’s house. She needed some help touching up some paint on her dining room ceiling to get the house ready to sell, I was her woman. (she was my sitter.) About 15 minutes into my work my younger sister called to say something was wrong with her 28 week pregnancy and the doc was sending her to the hospital for a stress test. It wasn’t looking too good. I was worried. I don’t freak when I’m worried. I talk, I offer help and suggestions on how it might actually be OK. That day was long. It ended with a new baby girl in our family. She was 12 weeks early, and at 7 is a spunky, fun loving gal that has no indication whatsoever that she arrived in our world just over 2lbs needing a blood transfusion. It all worked out fine in the long run.

You’ve all heard my whole cancer story before, I was worried about that. Who wouldn’t be? But I was under the firm belief that it could be worse. It could always be worse.

Now, I’ve told you about the failing of the mammogram. I failed and had to go back for a diagnostic and ultrasound. Before the diagnostic I asked the doctor what they found. She informed me there was a 4 mm spot they were concerned about. No biggie, that’s pretty little, I wasn’t too worried. When I showed up, right there on the screen in front of me was the mammogram picture. I noticed two areas were circled, one small practically non existent spot and then this big huge area and under it it read something like large mass. I’d be lying if I said that didn’t freak me out. It did, totally. I sat there and waited for the technician to come back and tell me my days were numbered, that mass, that large mass (that no one told me about) was going to be the death of me. But, lucky for me, she came back and said that it was nothing and that they just wanted to do an ultrasound to check out the little one. Whew, lucky me.

The result was I had to go back in 6 months. I did go back in October and again I was told I had to go back in 6 months. So in March I went again and I, once again failed and have to go back for another diagnostic in October. However, after this March mammo I spoke to the doctor and I said, “they are only watching that wee little 4 mm spot right?” and she hesitated for a second and then said, “well no, actually there is another spot they are watching that’s bigger, but I really trust this radiologist and I think if she says 6 months than you don’t need to worry about it.” Now that’s exactly what I like to hear, don’t worry about it. That is practically my motto.

It’s been nearly 2 months and I haven’t spent one day worrying about it. Then, last week I had lunch with a bunch of friends and they all started talking about how they are behind on their mammograms. I chimed in with “well, I’m not, I keep failing so I’m on the 6 month program.” They started questioning me and I ended up telling them what happened this last time and they all agreed that I need a second opinion. This makes me a little nervous, even slightly worried.

My inclination is to not listen to any of them and just wait it out. However, that little voice in my head says to at least call my doctor and get the story on it again (when she called last time my oldest daughters friend had decided that me not answering the call waiting was no good and preceded to call here 4 times in a row, that’s 8 beeps, while I tried to figure out what the doctor was saying). The point is, it’s making me feel a little worried, and I don’t like that feeling much. I like to ride the waves and be carefree, it’s really much more fun.

(For the record I will call the doc this week, I’m doing the Avon Breast Cancer walk in Chicago in 25 days so breast cancer is on my mind anyway.)

Today’s question is: Why do people expect you to re invent the wheel???

Background: Remember months ago when I had a little rant about how I said no to doing any volunteer work in the PTA this year and then I got assigned to the 1 day job of Bike Safety Day coordinator? (that’s a freaking joke, it’s more than a day of work.) Well, tomorrow is the big day. Thankfully it’s going to be a beautiful day and I don’t have to worry about rescheduling.

So, I’m probably the worst Bike Safety Day coordinator to date. I’ve been so busy with my trip to Napa last weekend and getting my oldest ready for her heritage day last week and my middle girl ready for her First Holy Communion (catholic) on Saturday that I hadn’t done much to get ready. So today I had to re invent the wheel and it was annoying as hell all get out.

Why can’t people just forward all word correspondence on to the next worker bee when transitioning jobs? Clearly, the person who had this job last year had typed up every piece of correspondence. Today I had to re type practically everything. What a pain. (if I was a good bike safety day coordinator I would have done it weeks ago, but alas, I suck.)

In an effort to keep re inventing the wheel low, I’ve done the gal who is taking my job next year a favor. I’ve already emailed every single thing I’ve typed up to her. I’ll keep them for a year in case she misplaces them, I’m all about keeping inventing low.

Today’s question is: Why do the people we trust the most end up being the ones that screw us?

Background: I probably have more than one story that could complete this blog post, however, I’m going to share with you a story I heard from my favorite (and only)dry cleaner the other day. They have an employee who has worked for them for years. She has been treated like family. She’s made more money than any other employee. She has been dependable. But it seems………….

She’s been stealing.

That’s right stealing, as in cash.

As with any small business, usually you can tell when someone is stealing after a little while. The drawers end up short, consistently. It’s not the first time this has happened to this cleaner, and most likely not the last.

But this time it’s more painful because the employee is so close to them. This time they had the police come and arrest her.

She admitted to taking money up to 20 separate occasions. Which means she’s probably taken over $1000 from people that trusted her.

Now, who does this? I mean I understand the stupid high school student that is trying, desperately, to get attention from his/her parents. But a grown woman who is married (to a guy with a great job) and two children? Why steal? Why? And how on earth do you explain that one to your kids? (I guess you just lie, because stealing and lying go together, right?)

Boy, this world needs more peace, don’t you think?

Of course, as Ann pointed out in my “peace” comments, there is always greed. Peace and greed do not coexist, unfortunately.