This makes me go "Hmmmmmmm"

Not much to write about today. It was busy and boring. I worked, and worked, and took my kid to acting class, did some homework, ate dinner, played on the computer.

See nada exciting. Wait, there was one thing that piqued my curiosity...something that made me go "Hmmmmm"...

My 13 year old. He makes me go Hmmmm frequently. 13 is a tough age. Too old to be a baby, too young to get to do much, just right at the verge of major teenaged angst....a difficult tine for kids and their adults.

So my 8th grade 13 year old has this problem with his homework. Now before you go jumping to any conclusions, I will tell you that he DOES his homework. He does it on time, he does it well, and he writes so beautifully. So what is the problem you ask??? Well, the problem is my 13 year old 8th grader NEVER turns it in to the teachers!!!!!

I have had to threaten him on more than one occasion to show up at school, and help him clean out his locker to find his papers. That always does the trick. Can you imagine the horror and utter dread my kid has that his MOTHER might show up at school?? GOD FORBID!! I am like his teddy bear.... loved but best hidden in the public eye. (and for those of you who might read this and know my kid, he does not have a teddy bear). I will deny deny deny...

I am hoping that all of my yelling until I am hoarse will have a positive impact on something other than my doctr bill, and he will get his head screwed on straight and do better next semester at school. We shall see.

I may just show up at school just because. Do youthink I should show up in my slippers with curlers in my hair? Or nasty sweat oants and my makeup smeared? Which will mortify the kid the most??

Just sayin'......

School Days

So I decided to go back to college this past August. I tried to get into Old Dominion University, but I started the process late in the game, and could not get all of my transcripts there in time. Not to be defeated, I was able to enroll in Tidewater Community College, and get started in classes.

I decided to take Biology 101 with a lab and Philosophy 101. I thought to myself...Philosophy...how hard can that be...I should be able to ace that class.

Was I about to be surprised!! Philosophy is HARD!! It s kicking my butt!! I read the textbook, and listen to the recorded lecture done by my professor, but when I go to take my weekly online quiz I do horribly. I really think it is because the questions are in the double negative alot, and they confuse me. I understand the concepts, and sort of enjoy the class, but those quizzes do me in every week. I will be stoked if I get a "C" in the class. It will bring down my GPA, but at least I won't have to pay an money back to the VA.

Speaking of which I am using my Post 911 G.I. Bill money to go to school. That is an amazing program. I want to thank Senator Jim Webb for working so had to get that passed. I take online classes and the VA pays for my tuition and gives me a monthly stipend. I will get that for 36 months of school. That should be enough to finish my bachelor's degree.

I am doing well in my Biology class and my Biology Lab, but that darn Philosophy class is killing me. No more philosophy for me. I only have a few more weeks and I will be done with it thank goodness.

Next semester I think I will take Anatomy & Physiology, as well as a math class. Hopefully I can transfer to ODU in the fall of 2011, to complete my degree. Psychology Major and Women's Studies minor.

Does it count??

So does it still count if it is not midnight in the central time zone yet? And what about tomorrow when we set back our clocks?

Can I blog one minute after we set back the clocks? Will the time fly back an hour so it will actually be 59 minutes before the deadline??

So many questions! So much confusion. Could I have blogged by 12:00 am tonight? Probably, but I had a date, and that took precedence. I guess I could have blogged earlier in the evening, but I had to make an unexpected trip to Norfolk Naval Base to help a friend, and then I wanted to spend some time with a fabulous young lady for some girl time. I don't have any daughters of my own, so I borrow one now and then from a friend. :-)

So the bottom line is I missed my 12:00 am deadline to blog on November 5th. I guess I am just going to ignore that failure and try to blog every day for the month of November regardless of this hiccup.
I know you are all waiting with bated breath for my next blog, and are on the edge of your seat with anticipation about the question of the missing Halloween candy....

It really must have been Not Me, or I didn't do it that is the culprit because the candy has still not been found ANYWHERE. I wonder if my kids' school friends got to enjoy the candy. Was it passed out there? Who knows?? Oh I know who knows.....Not Me, that's who.

The case of the Missing Halloween candy.......

So my 11 year old went trick-or treating on Halloween night. He is the youngest of 4 siblings, and the only one young enough to still go get candy. We actually have a law in our town that makes it illegal to trick-or treat after age 12.

So anyway, the boy put in his costume, and went around the neighborhood looking for some tasty treats.

He came home with his pillow case of candy, and started to evenly divide it in 5 groups, one for each of his sibs, himself, and me. :-)

Today I couldn't find my candy bag. All of the kids have finished their candy, and mine was not yet touched. It somehow mysteriously disappeared from my bedroom today.

Of course each one of my kids has denied taking the bag o' yummies, but I don't believe them. tomorrow a comprehensive exhausting search will ensue, and the jury of his or her peers will decide what happens to the one found guilty of the pilfering.

Stay tuned....this is not over yet.....

Sick of drama

So I live in a house with my partner, 4 kids, 5 animals and a 18 year old. My 18 year old Step daughter thinks it is okay to treat us however she chooses (usually badly), and not do chores, or help out in any way. She is still in high school, so there is no option of helping her to move out on her own at this time
Sometimes I think she thinks she is a fairy princess and we are her slaves. It is our duty to provide food, shelter, electricity, heat, air conditioning, cable and internet for her pleasure. We are to do all of the household chores for her, and let her come and go as she pleases. And because we are such loyal slaves, she will occasionally bestow a smile or a than you upon us which we are to eagerly and gratefully accept, much like a starving dog accepts a bone.
She will usually speak to her mother in a snotty surly tone, but every now and then she will be kind and there is a glimpse of that sweet little girl with the sparkling eyes, quick laugh and happy smile. Those glimpses are few and far between these days, and we grow weary waiting for them.
People say, "oh, that is just how teenagers are". I refuse to accept that. I have three other kids that live in my house. They don't act as if the world owes them something. They do chores and happily participate in our family.

So the bottom line is I have to wait until July 2011 to help her move out on her own, and then my partner will spend months holding her daughter's hand as she navigates the world on adult terms. We try to teach her now while she still lives in our home, but she refuses to learn anything. We are stupid, and don't know anything. so we have nothing of value to teach her.

I suppose this too shall come to be a distant memory, but while living with it, life is difficult at best. I take comfort in the fact that we are not the only parent that have ever had to deal with issues like this, and we will survive.

NABLOPOMO

Okay, so I attempted this last year.  You know the National Blog Posting Month---which is what the rest of us refer to as November.

I tried this last year, but I missed a day or two, and then it was all she wrote, I was no longer eligible to win a prize.  And I was done.  After all, if you can't win a prize, what is the point of blogging every day?? 

I blogged alot more last year.  I blogged before the month of November, but not so much since then.  I have had LOTS of interesting things happen to me, but I guess I haven't really felt like blogging much.  So today begins my journey into the world of blog for a month.  A world of trying to be witty, or funny, or interesting or informative.  Hopefully.  I guess some blogs will just be plain boring.  Sorry.

Today is the first.  Welcome to Carol's NABLOPOMO>>>  :-)

Words from my friend P.

I SHALL PASS THROUGH THIS WORLD BUT ONCE. ANY GOOD THAT I CAN DO OR ANY KINDESS THAT I CAN SHOW TO ANY HUMAN BEING LET ME DO IT NOW. LET ME NOT DEFER OR NEGLECT IT, FOR I SHALL NOT PASS THIS WAY AGAIN.  


My friend P.  sent that to me.  I like it.  I would like to live that way.  I try.  I am not always successful.


More blogging soon.  Now I am wiped out emotionally.  My kids will be home from school soon.  They deserve a mother who is available to them.  Available physically.  Available mentally. Available emotionally.  Every kid deserves no less. I need to get ready to receive them with unconditional love.