What Is Her Name??

As a child I remember seeing a Family Circus Comic about these ghost that lived in their house. Their names were NOT ME and I DUNNO.

Who spilled the toys all over the floor? NOT ME
Who left their drink cup in the living room? I DUNNO

I recently realized that these ghost live in my house now. I wish they would just come to me on a dark night and make themselves visible. I have a hunch they may resemble my offspring.

I also think that my children believe that there is another ghost that lives in our house and she just makes everything magically happen. Maybe there are several...yes, there must be several because it is surely too much work for one weary ghost.

This ghost(s) that lives in our house does so much. Here are just a few of the day to day task she performs day to day. I appreciate all she does, but who else does?

• Makes sure that everyone has a clean pair of underwear for tomorrow.
• Wipes the dribbled pee off the toilet seats to spare the next poor soul from a wet rear.
• Writes checks out to utility companies, pays the house payment, car payments, insurance company, child care, dance lessons and swim lessons.
• Sweeps up the tracked in dirt/grim/grass brought into the house.
• Schedules all appointments needed.
• Keeps the refrigerator stocked with frozen pizza bites, nuggets, juice boxes, etc. as well as the pantry.
• Meets with teachers checking on progress.
• Packs daily lunches.
• Purchases clothing for each child, also makes sure they have fitting shoes.
• Signs homework folders.
• Washes sheets and make beds.
• Earns a salary to pay for all expenses occurred by the family.
• Makes sure there is a stocked medicine cabinet for those unexpected runny noses, sore throats, and boo boos.

I am pretty sure there are so many more things that this "ghost" does for our family. I am positive she has a spouse that contributes to above work when he is available, but I also have a hunch that his schedule does not allow him to always be available.

Just as I believe that the ghost named Not Me and I Dunno look a lot like my children...I bet you if the other ghost resembles myself...you think???

Wonder-rifical News

I have wonder-rifical news!!!! Want to know it??? Well, I like suspense, so I will tell a few other things first.

Mackenzie has been doing great. She is still teaching school, tonight there is a lesson on rounding numbers up or down. As I walked through the "classroom" I think I answered a question correctly. I think...

As it seems, I am now the principal. I am not really feeling well tonight so I pity any child that gets sent to me. I asked her to please send a student to the kitchen table, aka the "cafeteria" to get my phone. Hey, it worked, I got my phone without any sighs or heavy walking or rolling eyes. A girl has to do what a girl has to do.

Sheldon is on nights this weekend. Yuck. He actually is getting off at midnight tonight he has a meeting in the morning.

I haven't felt all that good all day so I tried to pull the "I don't feel good, can't you come home?" It did not work. He asked me if midnight would be good enough...like he was doing it just for me! I told him very matter a factly that no, it would not work, and I know it would not work because at midnight he was not going to tell me how pitiful I am. He LAUGHED at me. The nerve of him...

My wonder-rifical news...Chase got his progress reports today. Keep in mind that Chase has always struggled with a reading disability. I have worried every year that it would really affect him as his classes got harder with more reading in all subjects, not just in reading. The first few days of school (okay, weeks) Chase felt very overwhelmed in all his classes, mostly Science. The text just terrified him. Our elementary schools do not have text books, I think the text book itself was very intimidating. For someone who struggles in reading, to have a book that is over an inch thick...that is scary.

I am getting to my point...rambling along the way.

When I got Chase this afternoon, the defeated frown that I have come to expect, had been transformed into a very confident smile. He proudly pulled the progress reports out. He handed them to me. I choked up. Really.

Science:
Attendance: Exceeds Expectations
Behavior: Exceeds Expectations
Academics: Exceeds Expectations
Comments: "Hard Worker"

Math:
Attendance: Meets Expectations
Behavior: Meets Expectations
Academics: Meets Expectations
Comments: "Chase's average in math is 98/A at this time."

Language Arts:
Attendance: Meets Expectations
Behavior: Exceeds Expectations
Academics: Meets Expectations
Comments: "Quiz grade average is 100+ and homework has been excellent.

Exploring Careers:
Attendance: Exceeds Expectations
Behavior: Exceeds Expectations
Academics: Exceeds Expectations
Comments: "Chase has an A in my class."

We did not get his social studies report, his teacher was out today...but did you see those reports?? I am so proud of him. He is proud of himself. That is very important for him. I hope this will be a huge boost to his self esteem.

I have only called 3 people to brag...that is all.

Happenings in the Perkins House

Things have been going pretty good lately. Pretty uneventful, which I like. Here is a quick update...

Mackenzie:

• Well, she gave up her dance teacher career, now she is school teacher. Whether it is dance teaching or school teaching, she is hard core. I think she must be the teacher for the behavioral problem children.
• She got her "camouflaged" lyrical shoes tonight. They are pretty cute, should be for $19.00 they should be, huh?
• She is doing well in school. She loves her teacher. The papers that I have seen leads me to believe she is doing good.
• She dances two nights a week. She is on The Company at her studio. This year she is taking Tap, Ballet, Jazz, and Lyrical. She seems to much more into it this year, or maybe she expresses it more this year.
• Being a child of a policeman, Mac hears some vocabulary that most kids are not always exposed to. We try to divert the questions sometimes, but Sheldon saw the perfect opportunity to have a little fun at her expense. Thanks to her Daddy, she thinks that a serial killer is a "cereal killer." He has convinced her that there is this "thing" that has killed some characters, so far, Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, Fred Flintstone have all been spared. Yesterday in the car she asked me if there was a "snack" killer too. When I looked at her with a cocked eyebrow, she said, "You know, like the cereal killer, is there something out there that might kill snack people, like Chester Cheeto?" How a little girl will believe anything her daddy says and doubt everything her mother says is beyond me.

Chase:

• School is getting better. Even if he refuses to believes it, or admit it. He seems to be doing good as well. He has brought home quite a few papers with 100's or even 105's. Go Chase.
• Swimming has not started yet, or, maybe I should say, we haven't signed him back up just yet. We felt like he really needed to get a handle on this middle school jazz before we added something on top of it.
• This past weekend he went to his first high school football game. Remembering how I use to go to these games every weekend, and remembering how "grown up" I felt, it made me sad that he was there. Last Friday night he was at a school dance, this past Friday night he was at a football game!!
• Everyday I am seeing glimpses of him being a teenager. I am proud of him, but sad too! If he continues to act as he is now, he will be such a good teen. (fingers, toes, and eyes crossed)

Sheldon:

• Being a Sgt at the police department is going well for him. It does mean he leaves for work a bit earlier and gets home a little later. I guess that goes along with the territory of being a supervisor.
• Unfortunately, he threw his back out last week, he has been pretty uncomfortable for days now. I did get him in to see a chiropractor yesterday, hopefully he will be all better soon.
• He still loves his career. It is so awesome to see such passion about a job...I don't think I have ever had passion like his about a job.
• His favorite season is upon us. He absolutely loves fall. He has commented on it right much.

Michelle:

• I am still working at the same company. Unfortunately I do not have the same passion Sheldon does.
• I spend most of my time carting children around. I use to laugh at those mini-vans that would have some stupid sticker about being the taxi driver for your kids...yeah, that is me.
• I am passing the sixth grade so far. I have (re) learned the definition for many scientific terms, more vocabulary words for literature class, and I am reading a book about the Holocaust. It has been several (okay, many) years since I have been in middle school. I did not care about this stuff then, and guess what? It is still boring crap and I don't know when one would ever use this stuff in life. But I can't tell my son this!
• I have given Pepsi up...for the most part. I was doing really good, but for some reason, (PMS) I have been really wanting it with my dinner. I have justified it these past few nights like this: I use to drink 4-5 cans a day, now one glass is not "that" bad. *yes i know that this is like an alcoholic saying one drink is not that bad!*

That is about all right now. Oh, I forgot the dang dog....

Lucky:

• He still likes to get into the trash when no one is looking.
• He dreads seeing Mac come home, since she recently started carrying him around like a baby, tossing him on the couch, dragging him on walks in the yard, trying to hand feed him cause he looks "hungry" and making him dance on his hind legs by holding his paws up in the air.
• He currently has green feet because Mac drug him all over the yard while I mowed the other day, (Sheldon-back out, can't mow, yeah me)
• He lives a life of luxury. Lies around all day, in the peace and quiet, snuggles up to Chase at bedtime, always looks pitiful enough to be handed pieces of food from the dinner table, and when he is done with one of the children, he just growls at them and snips their hands, and they leave him alone. (Wonder if that will work for me, growl then bite...hmm, wonder if I could get some me time if I tried that?)

Yep, that is about all here.

Oh No You Did Not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today has been...well a day. I worked this morning, actually until 2pm. I had to leave early to take Chase to the doctor for a "required" immunization he needed for middle school.

When I picked him up, the minute I saw him I could tell that something was wrong. He had that "look". I finally got him to talk to me, only to find out that a teacher, a new teacher, she had started on Monday of this week, had upset him, telling him that he had to re-do a whole assignment...because he did not write his name on the paper. He made a 90 on the assignment, but she was making him do this over his weekend. Now, I believe in punishment for things that my kids deserve punishment on. What I don't believe in is calling a child, a child that has freaking severe anxiety out in class. I could not get the entire scope on the situation so I called her. She is out there. Seriously. I made sure that I was not accusing, AT ALL. Chase is the kind of child that you can just talk to him and he can be heart broken. You just cannot be harsh on him. He also learns from his mistakes, by God, he is all about pleasing someone. He certainly is not going to do anything that will make an elder upset with him.

A lot was said...back and forth, , but I got really upset when I told her that Sheldon and I were very involved in Chase's education. (Most teachers have appreciated this about us.) I explained that this was the first week that Chase has not vomited every morning, had started eating again, and seemed a little more at ease.

THIS lady had the nerve to tell me that her son had anxiety disorder and OCD. She then told me that she had always thought she was helping him by being involved, but now he is 22 and she can tell that she really did not help him. She said I might want to think about this. I was furious. MY SON IS 11. I will be involved, and I will protect him right now. I will stay involved as long as he needs me to be. I know that I can not hoover over him forever, but he is still a child. I don't care if he is in middle school, he is still just a child.

I immediately called his EC teacher and vented. She is such a sweet lady. Chase loves her. She is the perfect liaison for him. She is in most of his classes with him, (and other kids that have learning disabilities) and she helps him when he does not quite understand. I truly believe that she has been a huge reason he has relaxed some. She totally agreed that this teacher was not considering his IEP. (Which by the way, I asked THIS teacher if she had even read the IEP, her answer was that she had read a lot, she did not know if she read his or not!! HELLO? Wrong answer! She could have at least lied and said yes she had read it.) Mrs B, the EC teacher was going to have a chit chat with THIS teacher on Monday morning. Mrs B commented on the fact that if Chase go anxious about something, he did not just get over it, he would think about it all day, so how could he focus? Chase has her early in the day, and I picked him up at 2:15 and he was a mess. I will not allow her to ruin Chase's 6th grade experience.

On a happier note, Mrs B told me that she just loved Chase, that he was such a good child and she really enjoyed working with him. She continued to tell me little stories about him and just how he brightens her day. That is my boy.

May You Please

• "May you please pour me some juice mommy?"

I don't know why but I love it when Mackenzie ask me a question that starts like this. Any time she want me to do something, she says, "May you please...whatever she wants?"

Chase and Mackenzie are getting older and their grammar has certainly improved over the years. I miss the days when they had their own words for something, or their own way to ask for something.

Of course I am sitting here knowing over the years Sheldon and I have giggled, discussed, or even told others about something one of our kids have said, but of course I am drawing a blank now. I am going to think on this, and blog it later, if for no other reason, I want to document these words out of babe's mouths.

Not Quite Grown, Just Yet

Nasty, sweaty, hot, loud, and crowded. That was what I saw, smelled, heard when I walked into the middle school gym to pick my preteen up from his first school dance.

I waited til just a few minutes before 9, not wanting to show up and embarrass him. (However, on my ride over, I giggled thinking that I should have went in my pj pants, worn out t-shirt, and fuzzy slippers, just to embarrass him, I know, I am evil!) I parked my van, walked across the grassy area, all the while having flash backs from my own days at this school, and I went in through the entrance of the cafeteria.

I was immediately hit with a stench of sweaty preteens. It was horrible. Of course me being so OCD these days, I thought about the fact that Monday this sweaty dance floor would transform back to a cafeteria. Yuck!

Then, I am not sure if anyone else noticed, but the music was entirely too loud. Haven't they ever heard of soft yoga-like music?

I surely have not been to an establishment where dancing is involved lately, (heck, I never really went to them even as a young adult) but this thing they called "dancing", looked more like a bunch of jumping and flinging to me. Sort of like a cafeteria/dance floor full of epileptic kids.

I spotted my child immediately. He and his friends were sitting on the stage watching all the commotion. It was a little humorous to me since that is exactly how I acted at my dances.

I made my way to the back of the cafeteria where I saw some parents, okay, Mommies, that were not quite as brave, or stupid as me. They had stayed the entire time. Actually, maybe I was the smart one by not volunteering to chaperon. It was a little humorous that when I said hello to them, they pretty much yelled back at me their greetings. Their ear drums were surely paying for this racket.

As far as Chase goes, he seemed to have a good time. I could tell that he was a little taken back from the whole event, but still I could see a little happiness in his eyes. We drove home and he chatted the whole way home.

I was so proud of him, yet sad as a Mommy when he said this to me, "Mom, I left some of my books in my locker today, (which was a whole other ordeal with this whole middle school thing) and I sort of feel like, I don't know, maybe more like a grown up, you know, using my locker, going to a dance, stuff like that. So proud...but wait...where is my baby.

Aw yeah, there he is, a few minutes later in his room, with a wrestling figurine in each hand, fighting each other, flying all over his room, making all these silly noises. Not quite grown yet...thank God.

THE School Dance

Tonight is another first in our lives...THE School Dance. You know, like drop your child off and come back several hours later, kind of thing. This morning Chase stood in front of his closet, looking for the right shirt and then the right shorts. He packed his matching Rainbow flip flops. We were off. We went to his best friends, "J", house to deposit the apparel for tonight. He is going home after school with J, then J's mom will take them to the dance.

I think I recall these dances, which never turn out to be an actual "dance". Everyone will be standing with their group of friends, which means little groups of giggling girls, and little groups o f "too cool for my own good" boys.

I am actually hoping that this will be a fun event that will help Chase "like" his school a little more. A school dance....he is surely growing up too fast, right in front of my eyes.

THE Shoes...

Yeah...I should have went straight to my computer last night and tell you the Mac's big news. Truth is, I was so exhausted from the past few weeks of practicing for this accomplishment, and so happy that it finally happened, I think I may have temporally put it out of my mind.

All those dance classes Mac has been teaching, and her own classes at the studio, she finally earned her lyrical shoes. The way it works is when the girls start taking lyrical, they must earn their shoes by getting their pirouettes just perfect. Apparently Mac was having trouble with her foot being "sickled". Don't ask me, I have no idea, I actually thought she was mispronouncing a word until I heard some of the other girls saying it too.

These shoes were a big deal, but since they literally look like very miniature underwear, I am not sure why but what do I know? I am just the mommy. The girls have been waiting forever to earn these, some had already gotten them.

As mentioned on my bestest friend's post, they cost freakin $17.00. And...that is not all, they are the nude colored ones. Miss L was out of the printed ones, the big rage, the "I have to have those because everyone else does" ones. We were told she could order them, no problem...but oh no, we just could not leave with out our prize!!!

This is where I think the story gets funny. Her best friend, who I should also congratulate, not only did she win the shoes, she also made her goal, which was her right split. Way to go A. Anyway, Miss L tries a pair of shoes on Mac, they fit. A has gone to change her clothes, when she returns she tries the same pair on A. They fit. Miss L then says, well girls, the problem is I only have one pair, I can order more and they will be here Thursday. Ummmm...no! Miss L seeing the fear of not taking shoes home in both of the girls eyes, she then suggest that each one of them take one shoe, and on Thursday they could get the other shoe. Without any hesitation, this was a perfect idea to the girls. Which, by the way, I was very proud of them, both being generous enough to allow this one shoe deal without a fuss.

Mac stared at her one foot all the way home. She took a picture to send Aunt J. She sent a text message to cousin C. She DID NOT call her Daddy, she was itching to SHOW him. (Which is another funny story, since Sheldon has never seen, or paid attention to what shoes the lyrical dancers wear, his response to this little nude thing on her foot, "OMG Baby, what happened, did you hurt your foot at dance?" REALLY...have you not heard about the shoes 5000 times these past few weeks??? Luckily Mac thought he was only playing, so he got off. How do dads always get off?)

So we have the shoes, the nude ones...$17.00...and we have the printed ones on order. What? Ridiculous? Well, how many times does one earn her lyrical shoes for the first time???

5...6...7...8----Dear Lord Jesus

This weekend, Mackenzie, in her own world, became a dance teacher. A very loud one at that. And bossy! I know she is imitating her own dance teacher to a point, but Miss L, she is very patient with the class and always so sweet. I think Miss L could teach a very uncoordinated person, such as myself to dance, with a smile on her face too.

Miss Mackenzie, however, I don't want to take class from her, and no one can make me! She claps her hands at her imaginary class, she stomps her feet when they just don't get the steps, she makes them repeat over and over, then she says things like, "Do you think we can add on now?" Very condescending I might add. Those little imaginary dancers, they must feel like losers.

Apparently she is teaching a class where the students have hearing problems, since she yells these commands to them, she claps very loudly to every beat she is counting off. I am not sure but I think she is teaching lyrical. I did not ask. I was scared to ask.

As exhausted as I am from hearing this "class" take place 24/7, I am thrilled to see her excited about dance. Mackenzie does not show emotion very well. She believes that nonchalant is the way to go. We see happy from her, but that is about as far as it goes.

If anyone is interested in learning to dance, I know just the place. However, you should remember this is a hard core, unsympathetic teacher, and be ready to hear "5...6...7...8, a million and two times.

Middle School Might Not Be So Bad...

Well, things are getting a little better for Chase. He actually said one day this week that he had fun at school. He is still trying to get the hang of his locker. It is not the actual lock, that is perfected. It is his fear of putting something in his locker he might need, or not getting something out that he might need. It is really worrying me, since his book bag is so heavy. Mac can't even lift it. Hopefully soon he will feel confident enough to start switching things out and not bringing home every single thing he owns.

I am so glad this is getting better. It has been a loooooooong 8 days of school.

I am thinking I will have to get a second job, just to pay for his lunches. I did not know how much things were, so I started out giving him $3.00 a day. I did not want that to be another stress, I wanted him to have what he needed. I asked him yesterday morning if he was using all the money each day, he told me mostly, sometimes he would have a little bit of change left over. Okay, I will quit eating lunch before I let him go without, $3.00 a day it is.

Last night at dinner, he looks up with me with the "I really need to tell you something, but I don't know how you will react" look. What is it Chase....what is wrong now, this is what I am thinking. The conversation went something like this:

C-"Mom, everyday, I have been giving "L" about 75 cents cause his mom doesn't have the money to give him. Is that okay?"
M-(With watery eyes) "Sure baby. And it is very kind of you to be so generous."

"L" is one of Chase's very good friends. I had the opportunity to meet his mom on an outing with church. She is a single mom of 3, maybe 4 kids, I don't remember exactly. This child's father also lives far away so she really is on her own.

Maybe Chase was put in this child's life for a reason. I would hope that if my child was in a situation of this kind that someone would be put in his path to help him through a very hard time.

That Chase, he is a good kid.