My point is that Clod is stuck with the outcome, as she well knows: and she has a gameplan to help make him notice less. I think it will work.

I have been paying attention, and I don't think I'm completely insensitive to the situation. If I was, I apologize.

Absolutely Teacher could have done better, but Teacher didn't. Clod works on a game plan. That's all I meant.

Me too. group hug?


Kumbaya, my lord, kumbaya....

Talk to the hand and kumbaya yourself, k?

Bleh...:rolleyes:

"When I was a kid" speech. . ..

We were expected to show up to school with notebook paper (preferably in a notebook) and/or spiral notebooks, along with some pens and pencils. There was no such thing as a "school supply list." If we needed something particular, the teacher would say so at the time. ("OK, next week we're going to start on geometry. Everybody needs to get a protractor." etc.)

Now we get extensive, detailed lists. (3 1-inch thick binders and 1 3-inch binder.) To add insult to injury, in some cases stuff that was on the list was never used! (4x6" post-it notes??? We couldn't find any--we "made do" with 3.5x5" and then they never used them.)

I'm convinced Staples is paying off teachers.

I've spent over $300, so far, on school supplies for the coming year. Haven't bought my post it notes yet, but I use the shit out of them.

The Eagles signed Vick. :vomit: :yeldead:

Try toilet paper jinx, not quite so effective at getting the icky bits off, but much less uncomfortable.

The thing that irritates me is when they use parents to cover their janitorial supply budget. Among other things, our list included two boxes of Kleenex, two tubes of Wet Ones, and a box of quart-size Ziplock baggies with EZ sliders. But my mother-in-law (who is a preschool teacher in another city) says they have no choice--the school says they simply don't have the money to stock Kleenex for them anymore, so either the parents buy it or the teacher buys it all herself.

LOL. Really.

Working with a viral upper respiratory infection.

We get the same thing here. I think it's mildly annoying, but it doesn't bother me that much because I know they're needed and will get used. I mostly get worked up over the unused stuff, or things that seem like conformity for the sake of conformity.

No school lists here, thankfully.

Clod, you could try using the bigger backpack to "protect" the small backpack as a plan B -putting the small one inside the big one.

Oh monster. That's clever idea.

Damn, you're good, monster. That's a fantastic idea.

thanks :o ...it might work... I think... -he could also keep small/precious things separate in the little one

Rotten luck all, peeps.

My "back in the day" story - my parents could barely afford to send me to grammar school (age 12-16 state school you passed an exam to get into) because of the uniform and other requirements. I think my hockey boots cost half a week's salary. When you're paid weekly that's a huge deal.

And the school-specific duffle coat that I was forced to wear for three winters because is cost so much and I refused to grow. Let's not even mention the fact that the games sweater (jersey, I think?) had to be HAND-KNITTED in school colours! And I knew a girl who had hers machine-knitted (which was a cool machine in the 80s) and despite using the right wool, hers was a totally different colour and was SO noticeable.

Anyway.
Just saying.
Much as I'm a big follower of rules...
What a bunch of cocks.
How horrible that you have to start from scratch. Monster's plan is a good one, but if this is a school that is aware of your son's particular issues (sorry, I don't always keep up) then a stiff letter is advised.

Here's to you and your chap dealing with this.

My upset tonight is just Mum.
Nope, no criticism. Not even a veiled one.
She's so unhappy.
They're house-sitting, Dad didn't want to do it. Much as I adore him as a father, he can be a shit as a husband. He's drinking heavily (yes, it's a family trait) and not helping Mum at all. He had a bad fall - Mum had to get the gardeners to help him up - and is milking it it for all it's worth.

I mean, that's pretty damned scary in itself - my Dad fell and needed two young men to get him back on his feet. He wasn't drunk at that point, but it obviously scared the hell out of both of them - Dad's reaction being getting drunk every night now. Getting through a bottle of spirits a day Mum says (although to be completely fair, she does exaggerate.) HE thinks it's okay because it's white spirits not whisky! And yet Mum, who can have a scalpel for a tongue when she wants, and regularly berates him for his deafness (!) doesn't seem to be able to address his drinking.

God, I thought we were so normal.
Or at least I thought they were.
We're like something off Jeremy Kyle.

Oh, worse than that--this is a teacher who only teaches the preschool disabilities class. 75% of her students are autistic, and the others certainly have some ritualistic tendencies peculiar to their own conditions. But like I said, the request for a full-size backpack is a completely valid one. It's just that she didn't bother to send the list out until a week and a half before school starts.

Anyway, at this point I've gotten the bigger one (a slightly different design, but still Cars-themed) and sneakily replaced his social story with another copy containing the updated photo. Both backpacks are still hiding in the closet until I can see how he reacts to the new picture.

I'm sure it'll be fine, one way or another. I'm mostly freaking out about everything because I'm about to have to put my kid in someone else's hands for 4 hours a day, and that's kind of terrifying.

I followed the schoolbus on Hebe's first day and cried all the way for no apparent reason -and she'd already been to preschool for 4 years....

it might not all be fine, initially, but it will get there, eventually, and sooner rather than later, I suspect, with all the careful planning and thought you've given it. There's no point telling you not to panic or be terrified, but there's every point in reminding you how awesome you are in the parenting field. :)

You might point that out to her for future reference, she might not have thought of that as being a problem.

A big second on that. :thumb:

Again I am late . . . thirded for sure. It'll all work out just fine.

After an extensive drought, it has rained every fucking day since I started my vacation last Friday. New motorcycle under the carport.

My sister called last night to tell me that my Mom's cancer is getting worse and they cannot put her back on chemo. She's gotten too frail. They give her ~3 mo.

Fuck Cancer.

My sister took Dad on vacation with her, he had 5 "episodes" yesterday... FUCK Alzheimers!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCK CANCER!

So sorry to hear that dar... :(

Oh dar, and Griff - that's crap.
I'm finding that the older I get the more I am aware that everyone bears a burden of tragedy and sorrow in their life. It is so hard to face the aging and decline of one's parents ...

There may be good news coming on the Dad front. The follow-up after the emergency room with the neurologist is throwing doubt on the Altzheimer's diagnosis. I was pushing for a second opinion which he was going to get in September this may be a blessing in disguise.

Hoping and praying for you and your dad.

Alzheimers killed my Dad... 4 years before his body died. :(

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

Mum again :(
But differently and less selfishly than usual.

She was SO down yesterday.
I know she had a rotten time with Dads when they were away.
I know he can drink too much, spend too much and be a selfish git.
But Mum usually gives more than as good as she gets (in a rare, intimate conversation, Dad said he drinks to deal with her).

But yesterday she was just hurt and bewildered.
It wasn't in response to anything done or said - and she admitted that.
She just felt tearful and down.
Mum NEVER cries. She was the one who taught me that tears are overly-dramatic and should never be indulged. The reason I didn't cry at Nanny's funeral was because Mum stood next to me not crying and I couldn't let the side down - something that was noted and praised (then again, I only wanted to cry from self-pity - I was imagining my own funeral)

One of the reasons I've brought my issues with Mum here rather than addressing them with her is that I know she's her own person, with her own problems, and never ever meant to hurt or damage me in any way.

It's horrible to see her like this.

I did what I could yesterday. Mum's more about practical gestures than words.
I prepared the vegetables for tea (something she has no issue with, but as gestures go it was there to be done)
I sat in the kitchen and talked to her during the rest of prep, putting on Come Dine With Me, something she only watches with me but loves, especially because we bitch about the contestants.
Dad and I always clear when Mum has cooked, but I brought her a cup of tea too.

Today I heard her worry that she hadn't changed Grandad's bedding, so I went over to do that (10 minute, sweaty job, but I know she'll appreciate the thought).

I don't know. She has a lot of external stresses. Auntie Alice's house sale STILL isn't resolved. I talked her into going to the Doctors but they cancelled the appointment due to illness. So she isn't sleeping and is worrying far too much. Her Uncle is close to death, and although I don't know him, he is Mum's last link with her mother. And their mortgage is coming to term, with the worry that the endowment won't cover it. Lots of things.

I bitch about her, but I love her.
It's small beer compared to other people's problems.
I just wanted to get it out of my head.

Lightning came in my house last night.
Victims: Big screen tv, dvd player, 300 watt stereo amp, VCR, Playstation, and small BR tv. Fuck.
At least it spared my computer.

That sucks, at least your house didn't burn down. Sorry to hear it.

:eek:

So how did it happen? How did it get in?

and I am glad you are all ok.


sweet

What does an episode look like? We are thinking my mom has Alzheimers but the doctor won't tell us kids anything.

Why is that?

I'm sorry
I miss my mom the way she could be too. :(

TV cable lines.

eczema flare up :(

*hugs Monster very carefully*

Oh honey. You have my sympathy. Any idea what's triggered it? Or is it just one of those unpredictable ones?

What's upsetting me is I sent myself off on a trip down memory lane. Almost wilfully. Why do I do that? It's like messing with a sore tooth. You notice it and instead of thinking 'oww that's sore' and then leaving it the fuck alone you probe around with tongue until it really hurts.

late august is always nasty, so i'm guessing seasonal allergies, but what exactly ... no idea. i know the humidy helpeth not, though....

That sure sucks, doesn't it? I hate it when I do that too. I always end smoking, and I don't even like doing it. I know I'm weird. :neutral:

Dealing with a psycho, lying ex who is a money-grubbing piece of crap. Nothing is ever her fault, not the lying, cheating, stealing money from her own children, the forgery, drinking/drug ABUSE, not even her trying to impersonate someone else to takle out a loan in their name.

I'm sorry classic, you have to keep your strength up. Take a break, count to 10, break a few (inexpensive) things, and then get back in the game. We're all on your side.

Thanks mtp - I'm not giving in nor giving up. I am in this game for every play!

Just had to get all that resentment O-U-T. Some people never change - its really sad. Thats partly what upsets me so much.

Sounds like a dry drunk, classic.

Grrrr, keep fightin' dude!

http://www.minnesotarecovery.info/li...e/drydrunk.htm

HA HA HA HA!

I wanted to take the sprogs to Cedar point today because it was cheap, but the forecast for Sandusky was shite so we didn't go. It has been raining here ALL day, but it was just fine there. grrr.

Jebus Cripes fuckity fuck fuck...

Capital One freaking SUCKS..SUCKS SUCKS.

Is there anything, ANYTHING, at all, where one can process business without getting fucked?

... not with that company, apparently. What happened?

Oh bah...everything I touch...

Anyhoo, I paid it off, like I always do, and they're sitting around on the funds (because you know, it takes electronics 500 days to clear, though my bank AND the C1 website show I paid the balance off...I guess they use Pony Freaking Express) and so I tried to order some floor mats for my car and they said my card was declined. So I call and get all kinds of options, none of which were helpful, but they confirmed 1) My huge payment and 2) I had no available credit.

WTF?

Anyway, it's resolved. grrrrrrrrr

it's rained all fucking day here and I'm pre-fucking-menstrual. TMI? tough!

Hahahah, I'm just coming off that pre-f-m slope. SUCKS, don't it? ;)

aand the grilled cheese I just made to comfort myself is nasty

:yum:

Pilau got into a fight with a dog in the woods today. No serious injuries, but his ear's torn up. Got bloody tooth holes in it. Bled like a mother fucker. *shakes head* So now he reeks of teatree oil and is feeling sorry for himself.

That sweet doggie got into a doggie fight? Naw...
;)

heheheh yeah....sweet...sweet and slightly psychotic :P

Not sure which of them started it. One minute it's friendly sniffs the next thing an explosion of doggy rage. Dog fights are so damned dramatic. All teeth and up on their back legs. T'other dog seemed unhurt. I doubt it was attempting to do a whole lot of damage to Pil. Most dog fights aren't really about doing damage, they're more about establishing dominance. But those flappy ears of his are such an easy biting target. be difficult not to bite them with all that jaw clashing. In fact I suspect that the other dog wasn't actually trying to bite the ear so much as the ear went into a closing jaw. Would have been more of a rip otherwise I think. Had to drag Pil away by his fur to stop him going after the dog once the owner had got him away. For such a clever dog he really can be a stupid little sod.

I bet the other dog was a capitalist.

snork

My baby girl's been having some unexplained diarrhea, and tonight among the latest explosion was a very small wood chip.

I am concerned that it may be only part of a larger ingested item.

Sounds like playground mulch. Would explain the diarrhea too.