The ICKS have hit the family

It started with Chris on Thursday night (ok, and me too). Major gastrointestinal distress. Chris was visited by the lovely Puke Fairy. I stayed home with him Friday.

Weekend progressed well, till yesterday. The rest of us got hit with the bug Chris had Thursday. I've been doing laundry like a madwoman during those few times I've been able to drag my own sorry self out of bed.

I think this is the exact same bug we all had about a year and a half ago. Excpet then Matt did not get it then. He wasn't so lucky this time around.

Remembering

Its Memorial Day weekend. 2 years ago, Dad was still with us, walking around, watching the Indy 500 with diligence.

Dad's been very much on my mind this weekend - we watched the Indy in his honor (and Parker loves all those cool cars... plus we have some 6th-degree of seperation thing going with Danika Patrick) I actually enjoyed the bits of the race that i saw...

Then, I spent most of the afternoon in the pool. Dad would have been proud... We had this barnacle-looking gunk building up along the waters edge. Its mostly calcuim and salt deposits from our lovely hard water. So, today I took a putty-knife to it and scraped it all off. It reminded me of the annual spring cleaning Dad would do of the pool in CT. Dad would have liked that I did it myself and did not ask the pool guy to do it for me.

The boys were even talking about Dad this weekend.... It makes me so glad they still remember him.

I hope your memorial day is spent reflecting on all we have and being thankful of those who have given all they have so that the Dream can live on...

Birthday Woe

Its getting to be that time again -

Birthday Party Planning for Parker.

How did birthday parties become Birthday Parties??

I had parties every year, but small ones, just a few friends (like, oh, 3 or 4) and it was at home. I think we have a unique (at least I hope its unique and not ubiquitous across the nation) "one-upping the Jones's" thing here in Scottsdale where the bigger and more extravagant the party, the better. I feel like a heel having a swim party with a barbeque in the back yard because the bar has been set to rent out this space or that space and invite 100 kids.

I refuse to participate. Parker does want his party at a place called "Line Drives" which has indoor batting cages. We will think about it, but he will be limited to 5 or 6 friends.

And while I am on the topic of things gone crazy, what's up with the favors?? Those are way out of control as well. I think its enough to invite a kid to a venue and feed them and babysit them for 2.5 hours. I know we apprecite the fact that our kid's friends actually come to the party, but must we GIVE them something as well?? Really??

I think this year our invitations will read "in lieu of gifts for the birthday boy, please bring unwrapped gifts for the children's wing of Scottsdale North Hospital" or something like that.

Perhaps I will get laughed out of town by all the ne'er-do-well moms. But then, perhaps I might just make them think.

Prophetic?

Yesterday, our school psychologist gave me an article from the Wall Street Journal that detailed out exactly why I am so unbelieably frustrated as a special ed teacher. We are powerless as teachers, administrators and schools, to do what is right, not only for the student in question, but for the community of students. What the following video fails to mention (and I find that interesting for many reasons) is that for years, the school, the psychologist and the district recommended alternative placements for this child, and the parent would have nothing to do with that. And, in the end, the parent won.

Its a rhetorical question, but I am forced to ask WHY?

Watch this - its about 3.5 minutes long.--->> Educating Eric

8 random things

I've been tagged now by Nancy and JennT. If you are not either Nancy or Jenn, then consider yourself tagged and add 8 random things to your own blog (and then send me a link!)

1) I just got new business cards for my photography biz. The baby's foot (Chris was my willing model) is adorable and I love it, but it does limit me to babies. Not that I mind, but if we go through a dry spell of pregnant women or wrinkly newborns, I'd rather not get left out in the cold. (or heat. Its officially HOT here now...)

2) There are many things I will not miss about GWB when he leaves office. Actually, there is nothing I will miss... but one thing I hope gets changed with lightening speed is our nation's thoughts about special education. This is coming from a special education teacher, to please don't flame me by telling me I have no idea what I am talking about... We've got to rethink this whole idea of including kids with regular kids when there is justifiable reason to keep them seperate. I could seriously care less about the spirit of the law on this one, but when one student who should be educated in a seperate environment is hindering the education of other students just because we don't want to "Exclude" anyone, I have a big problem with that. BIG. Its been my rant of late...

3) Same goes for this "Open Enrollment" crap that our district embraces. If we accept a thug into our school (who reason would say has not been successful in his/her home school) and we loose a good kid because of that thug, well, we are at net-zero as far as dollars go. Only, we are now left with a school of thugs because the good kids have all left for other schools.

4) I don't have enough to do, so I am joining the Board of the USC Alumni Association/Phoenix chapter.

5) Parker has only 2 baseball games left this season. Baseball has been a resounding success here!

6) Can I just mention once again that Grammar Girl is my hero??

7) Matthew has now lost 3 teeth. He looks crooked because his teeth make a right-triangle in his mouth.

8) If there is Karma in this world, can it just say I've paid my dues to society and find me a teaching gig with some "regular" kids next year??