Monday, September 24, 2007

I'll Try Again Next Year

Do you think I am effectively cleansing my soul on Yom Kippur when I spend much of the day distracted by the need to send this ecard to some guy sitting a few rows behind me?

Getting Closer

Thank you to everyone who has helped with the wristband search!  I've finally gotten a lead.  I have to give credit to Robyne who didn't find the exact one, but sent me a link for a type of bracelet called namelets which eventually led me to google "namebands"  which got me to the manufacturer  (History and Heraldry)  which led me to this site where I can buy an complete floor display containing 256 names.  But the only place I can find to buy an individual band online is this British ebay seller.  So, I emailed the company headquarters to see if they could tell me of a store in my area that carries the display.  I had an email first thing this morning from a lovely woman named Abby who didn't have anything here but told me to send her more cities and zip codes, so now I'm having her check the entire states of Oregon and Washington. 

In the meantime, if any of you go to a gift type store and see one of these displays, pick me up one with David's name on it and I will happy reimburse you!




Friday, September 14, 2007

This Kid Makes Me Laugh

This morning David woke up early and, as rarely happens any more, he came into my room to snuggle for a bit.  But since he's a 10 year old boy, there were not going to be any outward terms of endearment, so here's the conversation we had.

"Mom, can I give you a bruise?"

"Only if I can break one of your bones."

"You couldn't break my bones.  You aren't strong enough."

"I could decapitate you with my bare hands."

<giggling>  "But you don't have bear hands.  You have human hands."

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

While I'm Soliciting Help

When I went to Seattle in May, I brought David back one of those rubber bracelets, like a Livestrong bracelet but this one had his name already on it and a bunch of words like "loyal" "respect" "smart" and things like that.  It was a green camouflage color and he wore it every single day since I got it for him.  Last Friday, we were at an ice cream social at the school and when we were leaving, he realized he had lost it.  He was heartbroken (we're talking actual tears) and he and Ritu went back to look for it, but it was dark and he'd been playing down on the great big grass field. Did I mention it was a green camouflage color?

Sooooo, I've been trying to find another one.  I've googled every word combination I could think of.  I've found a zillion sites when you can customize bracelets, but none that are pre-printed like his.  You know how you see displays of pencils or keychains with common names printed on them?  It was that sort of a display, only rubber wristbands.  If anybody has some time and likes a google challenge, David and I would be forever in your debt if you could find a place to get a new one.

Help!

You may scoff at my dilemma, but I need your help!  Let me first set the stage for you.  I have an overdeveloped respect for authority to the extent that it took a couple of years before I was able to address teachers at my kids' school by their first names.  My friend gave me great advice when I was struggling with this.  She said always to address a teacher as Mrs. Whatever in front of the children, but to go to a first name basis in private.  I remember the first time I ever addressed a teacher by name in an email.  I sat there at the computer and kept changing it to Mrs. and then back again.  (Can't imagine why I never get anything done around here when I am clearly using my time and energy so wisely.)  I finally made the plunge and I've been fine with it ever since. 

 Ok, we're almost to my dilemma, but first you need the second bit of information.  In striking contrast to the  blackness in my soul, I am a surprisingly perky emailer.  I'll be the first to admit that I probably make use of the exclamation point more than I should, but I like to set a light, friendly tone.  In fact, most of my emails to teachers start with "Hi Mary!" or whatever the teacher's name is. 

Now we arrive at my current problem.  David's teacher, who has a perfectly good first name, chooses instead to go by initials.  Let's call her P.J.  So, now when I email her, what do I do?

This looks weird to me:  Hi P.J.!
This looks wrong.:  Hi P.J!

Last time I went with this:  Hi PJ! which looked and felt better to me except for the residual guilt that came from having edited her name.

Aside from dialing down my perkiness (not an option!!) or only speaking to her in person, what should I do? 

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Someecards

Have you all seen these?  I spent way too long today looking at them.  Here are a few of my favorites:  A sweet apology, a kind word of encouragement, and a workplace sentiment we can all get behind.    If you don't have any friends you can send these to, then I suggest you get some new friends. 

School!!!!!!!!!

You may recall that on the first day of school last year, I was a mess.  It was Juliana's first time being gone all day and it hit me hard.  Well, I got over that.  This year I counted down the days waiting for the school to open wide its glorious doors.  We'd been having a great summer, but I was tired of dragging kids everywhere I went.  Oh, that and the bickering.  (Who knew there was only one "good" place to sit in the entire family room?)  I celebrated the first week of school by going out to lunch twice and browsing leisurely in every shop just because I could.  I think I got more done last Thursday than I did the entire month of August.

The kids are both off to great starts.  At our school, all the 3rd and 4th grades are blended classrooms as are all the 5th and 6th grades.  For David, as a fifth grader, that meant a brand new teacher after two years with the same one.  Juliana also got a new  teacher for second grade, but we'd had a chance for a "meet and greet" the week before school started where she got to visit her classroom, meet the teacher, find her desk and put away all her school supplies.  Her entire circle of friends are in her class which made for a nice, smooth transition.  She spent the first few afternoons flopping on the couch with a book when she got home, worn out from putting in a full day. 

David got the teacher I was hoping for but none of his close friends ended up in his class.  He spent the weekend stressing over that and when I left him the first day he was looking somewhat overwhelmed.  It doesn't help that he's a wee little fifth grader and he's in there with some Amazon-type 6th grade girls.  I needn't have worried, though, because the minute school let out he started telling me everything that happened that day.  He talked so much that I practically relived the day in real time.  His teacher was "silly and funny" and the day was "great" and his teacher has a really cute baby and the baby isn't scared of anything except for when her mom sneezes because she has really loud sneezes and when his class goes downstairs for music or P.E. they get to walk on the outside stairs and they can make noise because they aren't in the halls and they can even do that when it's raining or snowing and his teacher has a key for the outside door and HOW COOL IS THAT?

Here are some first day pictures.  My camera was accidentally set to some weird setting like "Panoramas of Neptune" so the pictures aren't that great.

David tolerating my yearly ritual:


My big girl:


This is why I needed them to go back to school: