A Belated Thank You

As I get older, and hang out in my sons classroom, I have come to realize that I had some amazing teachers when I was in school. It saddens me to realize that I never once thought that these wonderful men and women would have a lasting effect on my life. Many of them are gone now, but I did get a chance to personally thank one of them recently.

Mr. K was my High School Business Math Teacher (and yes, I totally opted out of Algebra 2 by 10th grade, and it was a huge mistake my bad!). Mr. K taught me how to balance a checkbook, and is that not one of the absolute essential skills of everyday life? I saw him about a week ago, and he is looking older (as we all are, after-all 10th grade was 28 years ago eek!). I asked him how he was, when he retired and if he missed teaching. Amazingly, he missed it, AND remembered me! Nobody remembers me, and I had one of those moments of stunned disbelief. We chatted for about 20 minutes, with him asking me questions about my life, my family and if I ever decided to study History as I had dreamed of (which, regrettably I didn't)....How on earth does someone remember a student from nearly 20 years ago, out of literally thousands? I guess I am not as forgettable as I thought.

So today I would like to Thank not only Mr. K, but a few other teachers that took the time to make an impression on me:

Mrs. M, my 9th and 12th Grade English Teacher, who not only let me chew gum in class, but made me a READER! I came to enjoy Shakespeare, diagramming sentences, and realized writing could be fun!

Mr. B, my 9th Grade History Teacher, who took my love of numbers and made History so much fun I had a dream of becoming a History Teacher.....wish I had followed through on that, but life doesn't always give us what we think we want I guess ;)

Ms. H, my 9th and 10th Grade Science Teacher, who made the Periodic Table less intimidating and protested along with her students when we decided we would NOT dissect a frog, a baby pig OR a sheep brain. (Yes, sheep brain, eww! a Scientist I was NOT destined to be!)

Thank You all for giving of your time and sometimes money to educate me, not only "according to the books" but giving me the freedom to leave those books occasionally and explore the world. All of you took the time to TALK to your students. And that? Is the biggest lesson of all, because we were PEOPLE and you saw that.

Teachers are a rare and gifted breed, often making the lowest wages, with the biggest challenges. If anyone reading this is a teacher, I would like to say with utmost sincerity:

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Mid-Life Crisis or not???

I was 33 when my first and only child was born, and since that time? I have accumulated 4 tattoos and today? I got my nose pierced. EEK! I am now almost 42 and have finally decided to be who I want to be. I wanted tattoos in my 20's but never had the nerve. Though I did get each ear pierced 4 times before I had my son...heck, before I turned 25 that was the only thing I ever did for ME!

Now though, I love being able to say I want to do something and do it! I am pretty sure I am finished with the tattoos, but only because I am not comfortable with having them anywhere but my ankles. I have two on each leg, one inside and one outside near my ankles. I wanted my nose pierced a long time ago but thought it would look ridiculous. Though it may still LOOK ridiculous, I love it!

So, if you are wanting to do something, be it piercing, tattooing, skydiving or learning to knit? I say go for it, cause our time on earth is finite and we should be able to be who we are don't you think?

WHat am I gonna do now?

So now that the Fund raiser is over, I have been thinking I don't have anything to do til the end of the school year! Sad, but true. As much stress as I have felt over the last few months, I feel like I am useless now that it is over.

ALMOST over anyway. I still have those lovely Thank You Letters to churn out. But once that's done?

I got nothing!

OR WAIT! Maybe I do! Let's see:
Monthly Board Meetings
Monthly Parent Council Meetings
Weekly Reading in Class
Three Field Trips left this year
One Parent Teacher Conference
End of the Year BBQ and Celebration

OH Yeah! I DO have stuff to do *grins*

So I guess I better enjoy the lull huh?

Generosity and Community

I am awaiting bookkeeping figures from our huge end-of-year Fundraiser that I got conned into Chairing for my sons school. I have survived the endless meetings, discussions, disagreements, planning, etc. We lived through the 3 plus weeks of ALL donations being piled up at my house. The event was last Saturday, and I have to say I am proud of both myself and the few (and I mean very few) other parents helped me accomplish. My husband, son and myself had one of the longest days of our collective lives that day. SO! Now, the final item to check-off my myriad lists:

The Thank You Letters!

Sheesh, you'd think I was writing a dissertation, but I can't seem to get it QUITE right. I have drafter approximately 11 versions. I have tried cheating off of last years version, but felt like I was being dishonest. SO! I am in the process of trying to come up with the proper words to thank over 175 businesses and individuals for their generosity. Lemme tell you it ain't easy.

How do you make people understand that what they donated will literally assure that MY SON (and 75 other children) will get the education they deserve. I may have mentioned before that my son attends a Public Charter School that uses the Montessori Method of Teaching. It's a small school in a community of 15,000 people. There are two schools down the street from my house that we could send our son, but short of sending him to a Private school? This was our best choice. We wanted him to go to a school that teaches about community, individuality, free-thinking. And public elementary schools were not going to do that.

In a small community, 175 people literally opened their pocketbooks and said, sure we would LOVE to support your son and your school, because it's part of OUR community. Many of those merchants send their children to public schools, but never once did anyone we asked bat an eyelash at our request.

Maybe that is what I need to emphasize in my Thank You Letter. Unselfishness DOES exist in our society. I just had to look to my neighbors to remember.

Maybe I also need to remember that I did this for my son, and one day he will be the community member asked to give of himself to help others. I hope that he will.

Exhausted!

After six plus months of planning, meetings and organizing? The Fundraiser for my son's school is FINALLY over! All I have to say is that is is a relief.

I worked approximately 50 hours in the last 3 days.....it was worth it, raising money to make sure my son and every other student at this school get the best education possible.

BUT.

I am pooped! Every donation we received has been at my house (and it's actually a duplex so think NOT A LOT OF ROOM)....We ended up with over 150 items, 50-something gift certificates....and in the small town I live in? It really made me realize that community IS what it is all about.

It's not a private school, but it is an alternative school (Montessori system) and while we are state-funded, it's a little intimidating asking merchants to donate. However, the response always exceeds my expectations.

SO! After all the hard work (with only the Thank You letters left THANK GAWD!). I can honestly say I am happy it's over but I am already planning next years event. Yes, I am a masochist lol! There was a core of about 7 other parents helping from beginning to end, and about half of the schools parents either donated something or solicited for a donation.

I am hoping that our numbers are good this year, but in the long run I can finish this with the knowledge that I try to do whatever I can to make my son's educational experience the absolute BEST it can be....and as parents, isn't that all we always try to do no matter how big or small our contribution at their school?

NOW! I am going to sit back and relax...for about 2 days, and then write about 175 (or more) Thank You Letters.

Have a wonderful week!

YEESH

So, the boy-child went back to school this morning.

Let's just say mamma AND son had it rough *grins*. He is SO much like me it's scary. His daddy rolls outta bed at 4 AM (yes, I said 4 freaking AM!) as soon as the alarm goes off, ready for the day. Me and the boy-child, require at least "5 more minutes!"....EVERY MORNING. Those 5 minutes turn into 30 without either of us realizing it. So off we go to school with yours truly in her pj's and the boy-child not speaking. It's SO fun! NOT!...However, when I pick him up after school? He and I both realize that getting up wasn't as bad as we thought cause life and school are fun...we just need to be eased into the morning.

And also, Mondays suck the life out of everyone right?

I don't know many Monday mornings ROCK people....please tell me you aren't one...please!

Have a great week, and don't forget to set your clock 15 minutes ahead so you have to do math first thing in the morning, gets the old brain waves moving *insert evil laugh here* !

What vacation???

As a stay-at-home mom, most people think I am on vacation all the time.
This? Is so very not true! This week is Spring Break at my son's school. Many of his classmates have been at my house this week....I have had one stay the night ALL WEEK, two come over for play dates EACH DAY, and my nieces (two of em) have been here all week also. In addition to that a friend asked me to watch his two-year old for a few weeks while his daycare provider bonded with her newborn. So, at last count, I have had 5-6 kids in my house from 7:30 am til 5:20 pm for THREE. DAYS. This also means I have been up at the ass-crack of dawn everyday too! Cause WHY on earth would two 8 year-olds sleep in on THEIR vacation. Monday is gonna be a kick in our house cause for the first time in 9 days I will hear the words: "but mom, can I just sleep for 5 more minutes before I get up to go to school?".....yeesh! Also, I will be getting up at 6am three days a week til school gets out cause another friend works early and I take her two kids to school for her. I don't mind, because once all the kids are at school, I will have the chance to nap...which I haven't done since watching the two year old a month ago *grins*.....it's a good thing that you never forget how to do some things huh?

So my vacation is technically every weekday that my son is at school from about 10am til noon....unless I am driving for a field trip, reading in class, helping with a class project, doing fundraising stuff, etc., etc.

GAWD! I really DO love being a stay-at-home mom! I only hope the boy-child doesn't hate me by the time he is in High School....not many people get to spend so much time with their kids.

So, napping when I have the time REALLY IS MY VACATION my friends, it really IS!