It’s that time of year – time for Parent, Teacher, Student Conferences.

Yay!

Pan is doing great – he is a “joy” to have in class, and Mrs. M wishes she could have 25 of him in the class.  Is an excellent student – in the top percentage of his class, all A’s except for one A- in spelling… oh and he needs to work on his penmanship… yeah, so does his dad.

Tink – is doing great academically, she is very much like Pan, bright, likes to challenge herself, and prides herself in doing a a good job in what she does, she works very hard at her penmanship, and does excellent.  She just needs to grow socially.  She has problems with a student in class.

I call it bullying, the teacher says, not everyone is going to be your daughters friend.  I have to remeber she sees the other side as well Tink’s.  Even though I hear Tink’s side, it’s hard, she takes it to heart, doesn’t understand why this one little girl (B) will be her friend when the B’s friends aren’t around, but as soon as the friends are around – B wants nothing to do with Tink.  And makes fun of her, calls her names etc, says the other girls can’t play with her.   I’ve tried telling her that she should play with the other girls in her class, her friends from the neighborhood etc, but nothing I say seems to get through to her, she’ll get it figured out, I just wish it would click tomorrow.

And just to prove that’s she is still Tink – she shows us her desk and says out loud in front of her teacher… “yay, my daddy’s desk is a mess, there’s beer cans all over”…. that is when we quickly left the classroom.

Children do listen..

No one wants to hear how crappy the week went.

I don’t want to re-cap how crappy my week went.

But I’m soooo glad that today is Friday, even if it is Friday the 13th – Don’t care… It’s FRIDAY!!!
Have a great weekend!

Veterans Day – Gotham City (think very rural, small town in the heartland of our country)

Our town’s main streets are lined with American Flags – the crisp red, white and blue, waving in the breeze on a crisp fall day.    The  occasional wind gust snapping them to attention.

Our kids knew today was Veteran’s day.  They know that Momma and Daddy think that the veteran’s are very special people.  They know we have some extra special ones (Grandpa R, Grandpa M, Momma’s Daddy, & my’s Cousin H).  I’m sure school’s across America had their assemblies, and our school district is no different – even the little ones attend.

Tink’s class had a few special visitors, and she was surprised by it.  She knew Molly’s Daddy was a soldier, because when he came back from Iraq last year, he surprised Molly by showing up at school.    She didn’t know about K’s Momma.    Today, M’s Daddy and K’s Momma were classroom guests.

Tink:  Momma, K’s Mommy is a veteran

FG:  mmm uh-huh.

Tink:  She had pictures, and showed them to us, she was where it was brown and dusty*.   She was really brave too, wasn’t she?  Will she have to go back? Like M’s Daddy?

FG:  I don’t think so, she’s been out for a few years.  M’s Daddy just signed up for a few more years – (reserves), so he may go overseas again.

Tink:  oh – suddenly very sad- M will miss her Daddy, she’ll be sad again.

FG:  Yes, I’m sure she will.

Tink:  But he goes so we can be free?

FG:  Yes, he goes to protect our freedoms, and to help other people.

Tink:  He goes even though M will be sad?  And he will miss her, but he goes anyway?

FG:  Yes, …. but before I can explain she cuts me off.

Tink:  But that’s what soldiers do, isn’t it?

FG:  Yep. it’s what they do.
I think, Tink just might be starting to get it….
*K’s mommy served during Desert Storm in the 90’s.

Thank you.

The older I get the more I realize, saying “thank you” will never be enough.

Pan went as an un-named phantom.  His eyes faded on and off – in the dark the red was awesome!

Keep in mind – we live in Gotham, which means Halloween is hella-cold, and much to his dismay, he had to wear a thick coat under-neath his costume – which made it too tight… and him grumpy.

Tink – she is our little devil.  I’m not sure she really wanted to be the “devil” per-say, or if it was all the sparkles and fur on the front of the costume…  Anyway – she has a couple layers under her costume as well so she doesn’t freeze.  (and I know the purple gloves don’t match, I was informed of that when I made her put them on. )  It was in the lower 40’s and windy people…

Friday night they went downtown – and then Saturday went to a few friends houses, and in our neighborhood.  I’d say we had 300 – maybe 350 kids.  I know that we handed out the last piece of candy and closed the door as two more kids were walking up the driveway… quickly took some out of the kids pumpkins, and got the ligth shut off!

Hope you had a great Halloween.