Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
Mama Ball Says
The meeting went well. I had a very good visit with everyone over there, and I think we are all reasonably on the same page. Time to start shopping -- for library chairs and tables and desks. Carm and I are supposed to to get a wish list together of the furniture we want (prioritized) so they can spend this year's money first, and then look to spend some of next year's maybe a little later. Weeding is going to be an intensive job, but there is money to pay both of us some days over the summer to get a jumpstart on that(hopefully we can get Janet to come help delete as we weed), and Ralph says we can start putting orders together for next year's money as soon as May. He is putting extra money toward books next year and the year after to help us get the collection in order, which is great. Other than during testing time in March, they are very willing to work the schedule around all of our little guys, so I told Steve tonight he doesn't have a choice -- he has to step up to the plate during testing time next March so I can make it to work early when they rearrange the schedule. If I have to manage the rest of the year, he can goddamn well pitch in then. On the very up side of things, I had a lot of people come up to me while I was there and tell me that they were very happy that I would be returning to EMS. Some of those folks were people whose opinions I value highly, so that meant a lot to me.
Tomorrow Jake and I are headed to a birthday party for his friend Chris, and then off to the Toys R Us to go blow his birthday money. He has a Thomas toy picked out, so hopefully they have it. Should be fun! Depending on the weather we may make a stop at the park to paly for a while. It's been cold and windy for the last week and a half -- the kind of north wind that blows right through you. If it's that kind of day, we'll avoid the park like the plague. I like him to be outside to play every day, but not when it's miserable.
We have to bake for Steve's birthday (gotta make the white trash "yellow box cake with canned frosting" that he always wants .... oooohhh, maybe that'll be breakfast so we don't screw up whatever cake Lucille wants to bring) and figure out something fun to do on Sunday .... maybe we'll head up to the zoo if he wants to do something with the kids. We haven't talked much about our birthdays this year. I think we are both kind of saving things up for the big anniversary trip in July.
Speaking of, Steve made reservations for Jet Blue and the MGM, and got tickets for us to see Elton John. I found a couple other fun looking shows and dinner places, and found a whitewater rafting trip and a ballooning trip. The ballooning thing is VERY early -- as in they pick you up at 4am at the hotel and give you champagne brunch. It did sound really cool, though. I would love to go rafting again, but the drawback is that it's an all-day thing. Maybe we could pull that off Wednesday. I think we're seeing Elton John Monday or Tuesday. I told Steve I really want to spend parts of a couple days at the spa --
Tomorrow Jake and I are headed to a birthday party for his friend Chris, and then off to the Toys R Us to go blow his birthday money. He has a Thomas toy picked out, so hopefully they have it. Should be fun! Depending on the weather we may make a stop at the park to paly for a while. It's been cold and windy for the last week and a half -- the kind of north wind that blows right through you. If it's that kind of day, we'll avoid the park like the plague. I like him to be outside to play every day, but not when it's miserable.
We have to bake for Steve's birthday (gotta make the white trash "yellow box cake with canned frosting" that he always wants .... oooohhh, maybe that'll be breakfast so we don't screw up whatever cake Lucille wants to bring) and figure out something fun to do on Sunday .... maybe we'll head up to the zoo if he wants to do something with the kids. We haven't talked much about our birthdays this year. I think we are both kind of saving things up for the big anniversary trip in July.
Speaking of, Steve made reservations for Jet Blue and the MGM, and got tickets for us to see Elton John. I found a couple other fun looking shows and dinner places, and found a whitewater rafting trip and a ballooning trip. The ballooning thing is VERY early -- as in they pick you up at 4am at the hotel and give you champagne brunch. It did sound really cool, though. I would love to go rafting again, but the drawback is that it's an all-day thing. Maybe we could pull that off Wednesday. I think we're seeing Elton John Monday or Tuesday. I told Steve I really want to spend parts of a couple days at the spa --
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Mama Ball Says
Spring has sprung, and the hormonally challenged are ever more so this time of year. At least it's still chilly enough to keep the girls at school wearing some semblance of clothing. The middle school summer reading website update is almost done -- only a few pain in the ass nitpicky things left to polish off, so hopefully I can finish that tomorrow afternoon. At that point I have to go start the update for the new and recommended reads website, which will take longer as I actually have to write more for that one.
I'm off tomorrow morning to go to EMS to meet with the admins with Carm and to take a look at the library. Should be interesting. We'll see what transpires from all this. I got my paperwork back for my attempt at taking one of my discretionary days when the kids had no day care because their teachers had staff development day, and the director of personnel denied it without explanation. This means that they are going to dock my pay for the day, which will really screw things up for me. My principal sent a firmly worded email to her that started off by saying flat out "You cannot do this." He's mad because he approved it and she denied it, and it's allowed in the contract. Hopefully they can straighten things out between the two of them -- if I have to take time off to go park my butt in her office to do that I am going to be really pissed off. Given my experience with personnel a year and a half ago when they were absolute assholes about me taking time to travel to Kathy and Jerome's wedding (time which I was contractually allowed to take), I won't feel like being nice to anyone in that office.
I'm off tomorrow morning to go to EMS to meet with the admins with Carm and to take a look at the library. Should be interesting. We'll see what transpires from all this. I got my paperwork back for my attempt at taking one of my discretionary days when the kids had no day care because their teachers had staff development day, and the director of personnel denied it without explanation. This means that they are going to dock my pay for the day, which will really screw things up for me. My principal sent a firmly worded email to her that started off by saying flat out "You cannot do this." He's mad because he approved it and she denied it, and it's allowed in the contract. Hopefully they can straighten things out between the two of them -- if I have to take time off to go park my butt in her office to do that I am going to be really pissed off. Given my experience with personnel a year and a half ago when they were absolute assholes about me taking time to travel to Kathy and Jerome's wedding (time which I was contractually allowed to take), I won't feel like being nice to anyone in that office.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Mama Ball Says
Parenting Lesson #729: Never, EVER take a not-quite-two-year-old bowling with 23 five-year-olds. You will be suicidal, homicidal, or an alcoholic by the time it is over. Aside from Sadie wreaking havoc every three minutes for two hours, the party went very well, and Jake and all of his friends had a great time. The parents had fun too, at least from what I could tell. On the good side of doing the party this way, all we had to do for the party was bring the goody bags and balloons (and write the check to the bowling alley). They did the rest (sometimes with a lot of prodding from me ... should have threatened to sic Sadie on the skinny kid they assigned to be our "party host"). I did manage to get a lot of fun pics.
Charlotte's party was Sunday, and Steve stayed home with Sadie as neither of us could stomach chasing her around that much again (plus party time was also during naptime, and no way in hell were we screwing that up two days running ... that's like inviting Satan in for drinks and hors'd). I got a lot of really adorable pics of Charlotte. I took the new school camera home (Nikon digital slr) to practice using, as I am scheduled to go photograph the 7th grade's recreation of ancient African trade gold/salt trade routes early next week.
Anyway, the pics were fantastic for the most part, and the ones that weren't were all my fault. I love being able to take a bazillion pics and the delete function is exceptionally easy to use, so I can ditch the crappy and soso pics and just keep the better ones. I did find that sometimes the ones I think look all right on the LCD screen actually are a tad out of focus once downloaded, but there weren't too many of those.
Ah, maybe next year or the year after I will be able to afford one of these for my very own.
Still on pins and needles about where Jake will go to kindergarten...couple more weeks before the big guns come out. I'm meeting with Carm and the admins at EMS end of this week to talk about the direction of the media center there for next year and the near future. We'll see ... I was thinking I should go talk to the teams there and explain a little bit about where the media curriculum is going and what they would like to see the media center doing for them in relation to that. I'll see what everyone at the meeting thinks of that idea ... we'll see where things go.
Kristen sent goodies that included a cookie mix in a bandanna with a cowboy boot cookie cutter, so Jake is now asking when are we making the cookies every five minutes. It reminds me of the Dunkin Donuts commercials from many years ago: "Time to make the donuts." Maybe this weekend we will get to that.
Charlotte's party was Sunday, and Steve stayed home with Sadie as neither of us could stomach chasing her around that much again (plus party time was also during naptime, and no way in hell were we screwing that up two days running ... that's like inviting Satan in for drinks and hors'd). I got a lot of really adorable pics of Charlotte. I took the new school camera home (Nikon digital slr) to practice using, as I am scheduled to go photograph the 7th grade's recreation of ancient African trade gold/salt trade routes early next week.
Anyway, the pics were fantastic for the most part, and the ones that weren't were all my fault. I love being able to take a bazillion pics and the delete function is exceptionally easy to use, so I can ditch the crappy and soso pics and just keep the better ones. I did find that sometimes the ones I think look all right on the LCD screen actually are a tad out of focus once downloaded, but there weren't too many of those.
Ah, maybe next year or the year after I will be able to afford one of these for my very own.
Still on pins and needles about where Jake will go to kindergarten...couple more weeks before the big guns come out. I'm meeting with Carm and the admins at EMS end of this week to talk about the direction of the media center there for next year and the near future. We'll see ... I was thinking I should go talk to the teams there and explain a little bit about where the media curriculum is going and what they would like to see the media center doing for them in relation to that. I'll see what everyone at the meeting thinks of that idea ... we'll see where things go.
Kristen sent goodies that included a cookie mix in a bandanna with a cowboy boot cookie cutter, so Jake is now asking when are we making the cookies every five minutes. It reminds me of the Dunkin Donuts commercials from many years ago: "Time to make the donuts." Maybe this weekend we will get to that.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Mama Ball Says
Hoo-wah, the boy is FIVE!!! The kids were home today as daycare had staff development today, so I took the day off, spent the morning at the park with them, and did birthday stuff in the afternoon with Jake while Sadie slept. We made a birthday cake, opened up Aunt Kathy and Uncle Wome's presents (the Playmobil grocery store set and grocery delivery van), read some of Granny's Thomas book, and Jake rested on the couch while I cleaned the kitchen (read: did everything short of sandblasting the floor ... damn, do I need a cleaning service) The weather was chilly, but it was bright and sunny and we had a nice day.
UJ came over after work, and Mimi and Pop-pop came over for pizza and corned beef and cabbage (Italians are so damn strange about St Paddy's day). Jake got one of those battery-powered cars -- one he can ride in and drive -- from them. That's what Steve wanted for him last year, but I wouldn't let him have it last year. I caved this year. It went well overall, even with Sadie ruining the birthday cake. I had set it up on the bar between the living room and dining room to finish cooling, and she crawled up to the top of the couch and took a couple fistfuls out of the top of the cake. Jake was more than a little pissed, until I covered the whole top with ice cream and then you couldn't see any of the mess she made. After everyone left tonight and Sadie passed out, Steve and Jake worked on setting up the pieces to the grocery store. There are a lot of stickers for all the parts, and Jake was really good about putting them on correctly by himself.
Tomorrow should be easier (somewhat) as the bowling alley provides everything. I did want to get some balloons, so I am going to go out in the morning and go get a couple dozen to bring with us. I have to go drop by Freya's and pick up the camera to use, too. I have the goodie bags all taken care of, so that should be no problem, and Mom and Kristen both sent thank-you notes. The only other thing tomorrow is that Big C is coming by about noontime, and Steve asked him to take pics of the four grandkids together in hopes of getting one he could blow up and give to Lucille for her birthday in a few weeks. We'll see. She apparently also told him that she does want an all-family picture, so he is going to have to call Bea and get the name of the photographer that handled her family portrait sessions. Hopefully he will get that done soon so he can get a time for the photo session as soon as possible.
Talked to Kathy for a while this afternoon. Apparently she and Jerome have decided that he will go work for a contractor in Baghdad, setting up computer network infrastructure for the new Iraqi government. He'll be working in the middle of the Green Zone which is supposed to be the most secure area, surrounded by Marines etc... but still. The money is phenomenal, but I guess it has to be to attract the kind of talent they need and give them a reason to put up with having to be there for months and months. He's going in April to help finish up work on one contract, and then will stay on for a full contract period. Yeeeeeeeeeeeee.. I told her to load his bags up with Neosporin. Forgot to tell her about the flea collars. I'll tell her tomorrow. Shit, and I thought I had a lot on my plate. Kathy is going to work on starting her own business, which I think she will like a lot.
UJ came over after work, and Mimi and Pop-pop came over for pizza and corned beef and cabbage (Italians are so damn strange about St Paddy's day). Jake got one of those battery-powered cars -- one he can ride in and drive -- from them. That's what Steve wanted for him last year, but I wouldn't let him have it last year. I caved this year. It went well overall, even with Sadie ruining the birthday cake. I had set it up on the bar between the living room and dining room to finish cooling, and she crawled up to the top of the couch and took a couple fistfuls out of the top of the cake. Jake was more than a little pissed, until I covered the whole top with ice cream and then you couldn't see any of the mess she made. After everyone left tonight and Sadie passed out, Steve and Jake worked on setting up the pieces to the grocery store. There are a lot of stickers for all the parts, and Jake was really good about putting them on correctly by himself.
Tomorrow should be easier (somewhat) as the bowling alley provides everything. I did want to get some balloons, so I am going to go out in the morning and go get a couple dozen to bring with us. I have to go drop by Freya's and pick up the camera to use, too. I have the goodie bags all taken care of, so that should be no problem, and Mom and Kristen both sent thank-you notes. The only other thing tomorrow is that Big C is coming by about noontime, and Steve asked him to take pics of the four grandkids together in hopes of getting one he could blow up and give to Lucille for her birthday in a few weeks. We'll see. She apparently also told him that she does want an all-family picture, so he is going to have to call Bea and get the name of the photographer that handled her family portrait sessions. Hopefully he will get that done soon so he can get a time for the photo session as soon as possible.
Talked to Kathy for a while this afternoon. Apparently she and Jerome have decided that he will go work for a contractor in Baghdad, setting up computer network infrastructure for the new Iraqi government. He'll be working in the middle of the Green Zone which is supposed to be the most secure area, surrounded by Marines etc... but still. The money is phenomenal, but I guess it has to be to attract the kind of talent they need and give them a reason to put up with having to be there for months and months. He's going in April to help finish up work on one contract, and then will stay on for a full contract period. Yeeeeeeeeeeeee.. I told her to load his bags up with Neosporin. Forgot to tell her about the flea collars. I'll tell her tomorrow. Shit, and I thought I had a lot on my plate. Kathy is going to work on starting her own business, which I think she will like a lot.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Mama Ball Says
All I have to say is "holy cow." Kindergarten parent orientation was ... interesting. I think aside from the elementary school staff in the cafeteria, there were probably about a dozen or so other people who appeared to be relatively normal. The rest of the people filling up the place were a bunch of Barbie doll clones with designer shoes and bags, and expensive clothes that had OBVIOUSLY never had any kind of child-generated bodily fluid on them. The clique sitting in the row behind me were busy discussing their nannies and manicures before the principal got started. Aside from the parents with whom I am doubtful I will have anything in common with, the meeting went well. The staff there seems to be a great group, the principal is a nice man who appears to know his parent community (as in they have an opening day ceremony that involves leaving the parents at the curb). The kicker is that they have 107 kids that the district knows about living in the school's assigned area ... so Jake will be 108. There are four teachers, and max number of kids per class is 23, so if they hit 92 registrations, he will have to ask the district for another kindergarten teacher. It just depends on how many parents choose to send their kids to private schools. If I can get him in, it will make things easier, as Steve has announced he will not be helping. Pain in my ass. I'll have to leave work to go pick Jake up, and bring him back to work with me if I can't get him in to the after programs (which are not year round and never on Wednesdays).
Alice is coming to take Jake to the movies this afternoon, so that should be fun for him. He and Sadie were digging holes in the garden this morning and getting muddy -- they were so filthy we stripped them down in the driveway and took them down to the basement bathroom for a bath. They were both exhausted, but they had a really good time.
I need to get out of here at some point.
Staff development yesterday was good -- we have the game plan for the next year, until things change and we get rid of the scheduled classes. After that, it'll be a whole different ballgame. Should be interesting. Talked to my compadre for next year, and we are going to meet some evening this coming week and go out for dinner to discuss the battle plan before we meet with the admins. THAT will definitely be interesting. I hope the team plan idea I have in mind will actually work.
Alice is coming to take Jake to the movies this afternoon, so that should be fun for him. He and Sadie were digging holes in the garden this morning and getting muddy -- they were so filthy we stripped them down in the driveway and took them down to the basement bathroom for a bath. They were both exhausted, but they had a really good time.
I need to get out of here at some point.
Staff development yesterday was good -- we have the game plan for the next year, until things change and we get rid of the scheduled classes. After that, it'll be a whole different ballgame. Should be interesting. Talked to my compadre for next year, and we are going to meet some evening this coming week and go out for dinner to discuss the battle plan before we meet with the admins. THAT will definitely be interesting. I hope the team plan idea I have in mind will actually work.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Mama Ball Says
Another big whew -- I think I have all the appointments lined up for the next month. Thurs afternoon is parent orientation for kindergarten. Monday I go meet the principal and lobby for a spot. Next Friday I have to take my discretionary day as it's staff development for daycare and I have no one to watch the kids...and it's Jake's birthday, so it's not like I mind!! Jake's party is Saturday, then Charlotte's is Sunday, and then the following Friday I go over to Eastern to spend the morning getting the battle plans ready to go. Rumor has it that a major renovation is in the cards for the media center there. I don't know if that's a reality or someone's wishful thinking, but I guess I will find out soon enough. We are loaded for bear the next couple weeks.
Emma is home, and hopefully they will get her set up with enough adaptive equipment so that she can remain at home and independent like she wants to be. We'll be checking on her more frequently now ... 92 years old and still refusing the "I've fallen and I can't get up" button on a necklace because "those are for old people." She's a pip, our Emma!
Looks like it will warm up a bit this week. Good thing, as the kids need to get outside and play. Daycare is VERY good about getting them out at least for walks every day unless the weather is absolutely hideous or the windchill hits the dangerous level. They have both come home absolutely filthy from the playground the last two days! I told the teachers I really don't care if they get dirty -- it tells me they've been having a good time, and that's all I really care about. Tide can take care of the rest for me.
The cats have been eating us out of house and home -- you would think that the famine of the world was coming. If Daisy gets any wider she's not going to fit through the cat door anymore, and then we'll REALLY have problems.
Emma is home, and hopefully they will get her set up with enough adaptive equipment so that she can remain at home and independent like she wants to be. We'll be checking on her more frequently now ... 92 years old and still refusing the "I've fallen and I can't get up" button on a necklace because "those are for old people." She's a pip, our Emma!
Looks like it will warm up a bit this week. Good thing, as the kids need to get outside and play. Daycare is VERY good about getting them out at least for walks every day unless the weather is absolutely hideous or the windchill hits the dangerous level. They have both come home absolutely filthy from the playground the last two days! I told the teachers I really don't care if they get dirty -- it tells me they've been having a good time, and that's all I really care about. Tide can take care of the rest for me.
The cats have been eating us out of house and home -- you would think that the famine of the world was coming. If Daisy gets any wider she's not going to fit through the cat door anymore, and then we'll REALLY have problems.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Mama Ball Says
Whew. Some of next year is now officially a done deal -- I am going back to Eastern to work with Carmela (and Janet, Gina and Doris), so that's now less to worry about. It didn't quite go over like a lead balloon at Central, but it was close. I still have to meet with the principal over at Riverside and see if I can get Jake in there for kindergarten, and I am still waffling over moving Sadie to the Riverside campus of Children's Day. Does the geography of having her closer translate into less actual stress, or is it really worth keeping her a little further away in a place where she's happy and knows the staff best??? I'm leaning toward keeping her where she is, as her class is a fantastic group (and the parents are normal) and the teachers she will have over the next couple years are all amazing people. The difficulty is coordinating the dropoffs and pickups if she is further away. It'll be a tough call if they actually have a space open up there in the class where she could go.
Kindergarten orientation for parents is (holy cow!) THIS Thursday the 9th at 3:30. I guess I have to try to go see what the scoop is even if I haven't spoken to the principal yet. Kindergarten orientation for Jake will be May 11. I printed the forms off Riverside's website that they say I should have for him -- can't do the health form until the summer when he's due for his annual. Eeeeewwww... it's the appointment with all the shots. I'm going to have to arrange to take him for that without Sadie and then take him for ice cream afterwards. Part of me can't believe he's almost big enough for kindergarten, and part of me says " 'Bout damn time!"
Steve took Jake with him to JFK this morning to pick up Terry, and while Steve went to go help Mike move furniture (their house is going to be under major renovations shortly so they are moving to a rental temporarily) I took Terry and the kids to Stop & Shop. Sadie didn't cooperate with napping, and ended up falling asleep much later than normal, so I just took the truck keys over to Terry and told him to go see Emma and not worry about waiting on us. Emma's supposed to come home tomorrow, and Terry's got Enterprise coming to pick him up to go get his rental car tomorrow morning, so they ought to be okay.
Lucille is doing okay at home for now -- we will see what comes next, but right now we are in a window where, while she is very frail and easily exhausted, she is still with it and managing to stay home with just partial day help. We are avoiding the oncologist at this point, but that, like everything else, will come to an end at some point.
Amazingly, I almost have the laundry all done this weekend. That never happens. Maybe I'll find the surface of the pool table in the basement tonight. It hasn't been seen since Steve moved it down there right next to the washer/dryer. ;) Holy crap -- my life really IS starting to come together!
Kindergarten orientation for parents is (holy cow!) THIS Thursday the 9th at 3:30. I guess I have to try to go see what the scoop is even if I haven't spoken to the principal yet. Kindergarten orientation for Jake will be May 11. I printed the forms off Riverside's website that they say I should have for him -- can't do the health form until the summer when he's due for his annual. Eeeeewwww... it's the appointment with all the shots. I'm going to have to arrange to take him for that without Sadie and then take him for ice cream afterwards. Part of me can't believe he's almost big enough for kindergarten, and part of me says " 'Bout damn time!"
Steve took Jake with him to JFK this morning to pick up Terry, and while Steve went to go help Mike move furniture (their house is going to be under major renovations shortly so they are moving to a rental temporarily) I took Terry and the kids to Stop & Shop. Sadie didn't cooperate with napping, and ended up falling asleep much later than normal, so I just took the truck keys over to Terry and told him to go see Emma and not worry about waiting on us. Emma's supposed to come home tomorrow, and Terry's got Enterprise coming to pick him up to go get his rental car tomorrow morning, so they ought to be okay.
Lucille is doing okay at home for now -- we will see what comes next, but right now we are in a window where, while she is very frail and easily exhausted, she is still with it and managing to stay home with just partial day help. We are avoiding the oncologist at this point, but that, like everything else, will come to an end at some point.
Amazingly, I almost have the laundry all done this weekend. That never happens. Maybe I'll find the surface of the pool table in the basement tonight. It hasn't been seen since Steve moved it down there right next to the washer/dryer. ;) Holy crap -- my life really IS starting to come together!
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