Puppy Love

Charlie LOVES puppies. He notices them anytime we are out. He pants and barks at them on t.v. And he will try to make friends with them whenever he can.

Today, he and I were out and there were these really cute stuffed animals. Now Charlie needs another toy like a hole in the head, but these were too cute to pass up. (They were made of leather- which I thought was kind of cool and different.) I showed him the cat. No interest. I showed him the bunny. No interest. I showed him the puppy and he immediately reached for it and hugged it to him. They have been friends ever since.

Labor Day Appliance Shopping

So, for the past month, AJ and I have sworn that our microwave has been possessed. Every now and then you would turn it on and after a few seconds the light inside would start flashing- poltergeist style- and there would be this horrible buzzing sound. It was truly frightening.

We had told Shawn a few times that this was happening. And it wasn't that he didn't believe us. It was just that it never happened when he was using it. Until today.

And wouldn't you know we (meaning Shawn) had the microwave out, a new one bought and installed within 2 hours of him finally witnessing the possession. Yeah!

Sharing

This is Charlie sharing his lunch with AJ. He hand-fed AJ half the bowl of pasta.

We Can't Choose Who Our Children Love. . .

Charlie has taken to a new "Lovey". A special stuffed animal? An old blanket? Nope. He has become very attached to my label maker. If he has his way, it goes everywhere with him. And he gets VERY upset when he has to give it up to go to school.

I once heard a story of a kid that became attached to a whisk. Now that is just weird.

Soapbox Alert

I don’t usually do this, but I am so irritated right now, I just can’t get passed it.

I am not really sure why people are so upset about having the President of the United States, address the country’s youngest citizens. Especially since no one has actually HEARD the speech yet. If you want to get upset after the speech, be my guest. That is your right. But, to pass judgment on something that has not happened yet is a little ridiculous.

At the school where I teach, the administration has decided not to show the speech at all. There are so many parents worried that the President would brainwash their kids with his “socialist” ideas with this one speech. Please. I’m sorry, but wasn’t he elected?

I am a liberal that lives in a very conservative state. I do a lot of nodding politely and changing the subject during dinner parties and coffee shop conversations. It is pretty much guaranteed that I will not agree with the political views of 90% of the people I come into contact with on a daily basis. And that is ok. But even when the sitting President and I did not agree on issues, I was still respectful. I listened to his speeches. I rolled my eyes a lot and groaned, but I listened. And at the end of the day I recognized he was still my President. He had been elected to lead the country and we needed to let him speak.

I remember sitting in my own grade school listening to the President speak. And even at that young age, I recall thinking that it was nice that everyone could get a long for a few minutes and get behind a common cause- the nation’s children. Of course my thoughts were not that articulate, but you get the idea. It calmed me. I liked that the adults running my world could come together long enough to think about my friends and me. It made me feel safer in a world I had no control in. In a world I had no voice, or vote, I remember thinking I was glad someone was thinking about us kids.

It has been my observation that the children are often not thought of. And if they are remembered, it is an afterthought. They are a matter that many think can be placed on the back burner. They are not “real people” yet. Their issues can wait.

I live in a state that has had such massive education funding cuts, Shawn and I have seriously discussed moving. And we have had the discussion more than once.

In fact, the other day, Shawn and I went to a presentation about educational funding. The presenter advised us that there is a community a few miles away that is filled with retirees who consistently vote against educational bonds, etc because their children are no longer in school. My question to them would be this: “Who do you think is going to train YOUR caregivers to take care of you, when you are too weak and disabled to take care of your own needs?” The answer of course is the nations children.

And here is the thing. It is always the answer.

As I mentioned, the school where I work has chosen not to show the President’s speech. And as I have also said, the reason given was that we didn’t want to upset parents. But I don’t think that is the true reason at all. I think we are not broadcasting the speech to the student body because we don’t have enough TVs. AV equipment wasn’t in the budget.

Sibling Rivelry

AJ may be the one running for office. . . .

but Charlie still thinks he's number one!

I say, let the people decide!

Update

This update is dedicated to my brother, Jeff . He called me the other day and informed me that I hadn't written in a while and he was anxiously awaiting the next entry. I didn't have the heart to point out that he was TALKING TO ME ON THE PHONE and could get any update he wanted at that time. But, I digress. So here it is:

Heather- is actually enjoying teaching art. The paralyzing fear and nausea each Monday morning is ebbing. And Shawn no longer has to push me from a moving car to get me to work.

Shawn- has a birthday coming up. He likes things in small blue boxes with the word "Tiffany" on them. You can just send them in care of me. I will be sure to pass it along.

AJ - loves school. He is running for student council vice president. He had to get a petition signed by 2 teachers and 5 students in order to run. He asked me to sign it. I told him no. I told him that no one would take his campaign seriously if he had his mom sign the petition. He had to get a "real" teacher to do it.

And just to cover my bases, I also let him know that all the singers on American Idol that we make fun of during the auditions, are there because their mothers told them they could sing. I am not one of those mothers.

Charlie- also loves school. His teachers love him. The staff plays with him on their lunch break. If that isn't a sign that his teachers are in the right profession, I don't know what is. He is about to break out into sentences any day now. Keep your eyes open for the Charlie manifesto, coming soon. Not sure what it will cover, but I am guessing blankets, nuks, puppies and importance of snacks will be in there.

So, I think that covers everything. Until next time. . .