JPsmother

Time Flies

2010-12-09T17:42:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that I let 4 whole months pass without posting on the blog! So let's catch up... at the end of August the "teenaged one" started his junior year of college.... his broken nose healed just fine & the scar on his forehead is minimal.

September brought me a new crop of kindergarteners. We have 3 sets of twins this .... so cute ... October was pretty much uneventful, except for the weekend at the college ... the "teenaged one" & his frat buddies found a house they want to move into for senior year.... did I mention that it looks like the Bates Motel from the movie Psycho!

November just flew by.... my son is no longer "the teenaged one", he celebrated his 20th birthday & now I have to find a new knickname for him.... I guess I'll just call him tattoo-boy.... yes he got his 3rd tattoo just a week after his birthday...

The only excitement I had in December was a fender bender I was involved in last week... I was on my way home from work... just 2 miles from our house, when an SUV hit my car from behind.... we both pulled over & the other driver admitted she was on her phone... reading a text message!!!!! To top it off the police officer on the scene didn't even write her a ticket!!!!!!!!!

The All Nighter

2010-08-07T18:55:00.002-04:00

I haven't stayed out all night since my college days.... most nights I'm dozing off during the first 10 minutes of the 11 o'clock news. Last night was the exception... and what I night it was.

My son, "the teenaged one" as he is affectionately referred to in this blog is a college student. Like most kids his age he has a part time summer job that barely covers the cost of gas getting to & fro. He also tutors a young Chinese boy a few afternoons a week. My son has always been a multi-tasker so it didn't surprise me when he announced he would be doing a play at our local theatre before going back to college.

After several weeks of rehearsal, opening night had arrived. Since the the show was Rocky Horror it seemed appropriated that the play would begin around midnight. A few minutes before I was scheduled to leave the house, the "boy" calls to ask me to bring him an extra set of contact lens to the theatre. No problem... I'm on my way son.

When I got to the theatre I didn't see the boy before the show so I just gave the contacts to a cast member to deliver them to him. The show went off without a hitch & later when we met in the parking lot he informed me that he might "need stitches" . We left his car at the theatre and headed for the ER. Well it seems that BEFORE the show my little genius fell in the parking lot and hit his head on a dumpster.

From start to finish he'd had a tetanus shot, 7 stitches, an x-ray and a broken nose! Did I mention he went to the ER still wearing make-up & costume from the show. He didn't want to tell me before the show that he was injured because he knew I would freak out and wouldn't let go on stage Four hours in the emergency room was not how I imagined I'd spend a Friday night. I didn't climb into bed that night 'til about 5a.m. THAT'S MOTHERHOOD!

We're Done!

2010-06-26T23:34:00.002-04:00

The end of another school year has finally arrived.... & it was a pretty good year. It was the first time in more than 20+ years that I had a small class. I've had anywhere from 26 to 37 kids each year that I've been in Kindergarten. This group of 22 was a blessing. They behaved (most of the time), had good attendance and 21 out of 22 learned to read. Of course I'll miss them but in 10 weeks I'll have a new batch of little people to keep me busy... can't wait!

He's Back!

2010-06-20T19:33:00.002-04:00

Guess where I was today at 2 a.m.? I was at JFK airport picking up the "teenaged one" from his first study abroad experience. The youngster, a professor, her assistant and 15 students spent the past 10 days on the island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras, Central America.

The youngster said it was like Survivor meets Fantasy Island, except with dolphins and turtles. He even got scuba certified before going so he could explore the coral reef in this tropical paradise.... I'm glad he went, but also glad that he came back safely.

Family Milestones

2010-05-03T17:01:00.002-04:00

I think it was John Lennon who said "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" or something along those lines. I can't believe that in just 2 weeks the "teenaged one" will have completed his second year away at college. Wow that sure went fast!

For the past 2 months blogging has been put on the back burner. Our oldest niece made her confirmation and our youngest nephew made his first communion. Pop shared with our family the news that his book will be getting published in a few months. How exciting is that? My sweetie made the decision to return to school & get his college degree.

As for me... just 7 weeks 'til summer vacation, but who's counting?

Seussical Day

2010-03-03T21:18:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday in our kindergarten class. The kids made red & white striped hats & we made a graph of our favorite Dr. Seuss books. I was lucky to pick up the hat I'm wearing in the picture above at Target (just $2- what a buy!)

While the kids were making their graphs, I started thinking about my favorite books (by Dr. Seuss and other authors). When I got home last night I finally completed my top 10 list.... here it is!

1. Last of the Mohicans - what can I say, this is one of the greatest pieces of American literature.
2. The Godfather - family values at its best.
3. The Thorn Birds - the Australian outback, passion, family secrets & a naughty catholic priest.
4. The Count of Monte Cristo - revenge is a dish best served cold!
5. Green Eggs and Ham - message: don't be afraid to try new things.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird - another great work of American literature
7. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - great story with amazing illustrations.
8. A Time To Kill - justified homocide? what would you do if this happened to your child?
9. The Stand - no list would be complete without at least 1 Stephen King book.
10. Confessions of a Shopaholic - a kindred spirit? maybe!

I know a lot of these books have been made into movies, but they can't compare with the rich descriptive language of the printed word.... so go curl up with a great book!

Dodging the Bullet

2010-02-11T10:46:00.002-05:00

Cop: Do you know why I pulled you over ?
Me: yes officer, because I was talking on the phone.
Cop:may I have your license, registration & insurance card?

A couple of days ago, while I was driving home from work I was pulled over by a police officer. Normally I am a law abiding citizen. What treacherous act was I perpetrating just blocks from my school? Talking on my cell phone. Did I mention that in my county & state this is illegal? Did I also mention that I am constantly harping on this issue to my "teenaged one"?

While the cop was checking my license on the computer in his vehicle he got an urgent call over the police band radio. He came back to my car in a big hurry.

Cop: Today's your lucky day, I got a call about a riot at the local high school...gotta go!
Me: What? Thanks officer!

No ticket today..... Note to self ... start using your ear piece when you drive.

Report Card Week

2010-02-01T17:34:00.002-05:00

Normally I hate the end of the quarter .... lots of paper work & not enough time to do it. This is the first time in 18+ years of Kindergarten that I'm not overwhelmed with getting the report cards finished on time. During the final week of the first quarter a new teacher was hired to handle the overflow in the K classes. What a Godsend this was for me & the rest of the kindergarten staff!
With a small class , I can teach instead of babysit... kids are learning how to write sentences independently... we have kids who can read to their peers... I don't go home with a headache every day!!!!

I've probably just jinxed myself for next year... I guess I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Pampered Pets / Spoiled Kids

2010-01-18T16:06:00.003-05:00

I can't believe my first blog entry of 2010 is dedicated to dogs. Yesterday I was doing some shopping at my local mall when I encountered not one , but two women pushing strollers with their canine "babies". Maybe I've led a sheltered life, but when did it become a mandate that a pet must go every where his master goes? Unless you have a guide dog there is no need for your pet to be at the Food Court with you munching on a soft pretzel!

The last time I looked most dogs (& cats) had 4 legs & walked very well on their own. The same goes for school aged children... since when does a 6 year old need to be in a stroller? If your child is that tired that he can't walk through the mall then,
....GO HOME YOU NIT WIT PARENT!!!!

My apologies to all .... this was not meant to offend anyone, but when you spend all day , everyday with 5 year olds your patience might grow short. xoxo Happy 2010 to all!

A Visit from Santa

2009-12-13T12:19:00.002-05:00

Two days ago we had a holiday fundraiser at my school. Notices were sent home to the parents... "Have your child's picture taken with Santa at school" $5 for a 5" X 7" or $10 for an 8" X 10"(much cheaper than photos at the mall). When Friday came all the kids in my class were very excited to have their pictures taken with Santa. The kids were on line in the cafeteria waiting patient for their turn. About half the the kids had already taken a picture when I noticed a little girl in my class was having a really in depth conversation with Santa. The rest of the kids were getting restless. As I approached I overheard my student telling Santa the following, " ... and if you don't have enough time to make all my toys, just go to Toys - R- Us or Walmart ."

Where was my camcorder when I needed it?

FAMILY

2009-12-13T09:01:00.002-05:00

WELL FOLKS ITS THE HIGHWAY AGAIN, I GUESS THE SUBJECT OF TODAYS BLOG IS GONNA BE ,WELL FAMILY. AS THE HOLIDAYS APPROACH WE TEND TO FORGET THIS ONE SIMPLE THING. OUR LOVED ONES, WE JUST TEND TO FOCUS ON THE MATERIALISTIC END OF CHRISTMAS, AND NOT THE TRUE MEANING OF THE HOLIDAY. TO ME IT IS ABOUT OUR LOVE ,PAITENCE, UNDERSTANDING,FOR OTHERS . NOT BEING FIRST IN LINE AT BEST BUY ,OR NOT GETTING GUITAR HERO FIRST. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE WITNESSED FOLKS RUNNING AMOCK. GETTING RUDE .MEAN AND YES EVEN BEING VIOLENT. I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ONE YEAR FORGET ABOUT THE PREENTS, FORGET ABOUT THE GLITZ .I THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO ANOTHER LESS FOURTUNATE , AND HELP THAT PERSON . THAT TO ME IS REAL GIFT ,GIVING OF ONES SELF ,WITHOUT EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. IM FORTUNATE ,SUNFLOWERGRANDMA ,HAS SHOWN ME THAT HOW TO GIVE ,HOW TO HAVE HUMILITY, HOW TO HELP ANOTHER HUMANBEING WITHOUT EXPECTING A RETURN . SO FOLKS I ASK THAT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON DONT FALL INTO THE ABYSS OF COMMERCIALIZATION GIVE FROM YOUR HEART, I PROMISE THE GIFT IN RETURN IS MUCH BETTER THAN SOME TRINKET.
WELL ITS TIME FOR HIGHWAY TO RETURN TO HIS RIG CLIMB IN PUT HER IN GEAR AND GET ALITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD .

OH FOR I LEAVE I WANNA SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

LONG ROAD HOME

2009-11-11T11:02:00.002-05:00

well folks its me ,the highwayman again. i guess as most of you now know ,i have been trying to finally get my life back in order.
i guess through alot of self searching, and guidance from my peeps. i have learned that the road home is long ,it does take time to get there. its funny i spent the better part of 20 years or so screwing myself into the ground. the lost jobs , the lost relationships. i cant really even say i have done much good. thanks to -k teacher-noah hardstep-sunflowergrandma -slickman-zman-shantyman .i have finally started down the long road home .i guess what im getting at is the love and support of those around us. its funny im 44 and i finally am getting a glimpse of what it means to be a responsible mature adult. i realized sometime back that being that drifting rodeo cowboy type ,well is no life . even this week i got stupid i was ready to walk away from the k teacher. i will admit i saw that k teacher is a responsible loving mature adult, thats what i guess triggered me to grow up . sometimes it takes alot to grow and realize our faults, well hehe it took me 20 years go figure. im fortunate though ,these last few months some great opportunities have come my way . i have to really say THANK YOU to my peeps for standing behind me. its truly amazing the human spirit . its funny how instead of running from someone we give them our love and support . well that lucky person was me ,i was very lost and hurting ,then finally alot of love came into my life. so as i now move on i am gonna settle down stop running the highways ,and yes spend time with my peeps most of all learn to love again -grow again -and learn to be a responsible adult
well happy campers ,im glad this blog is here it has helped tremendously so in closing

I LOVE YOU GUYS EACH AND EVERY ONE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART

LESSONS LEARNED

2009-11-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

well happy campers its highway guest blogging one last time. today i wanna just talk about lessons we learn in life, one in particular is how we need to wisely pick and choose our battles. i have a habit of running off at the mouth and not thinking, hence i then end up having to get myself out of trouble. funny this little character defect has gotten to where i have lost jobs, family ,freinds. as i reflect on theses things i also learned that it puts a large strain on my marriage. im fortunate i have an angel for a wife.how she puts up with my childish immature behaivor ,well i will never know .i guess what im getting at is that its best to ,pick your battles wisely and not be so quick to open your mouth . its sad though im 44 years old and finally getting this point.
now i realize what the wise and knowing old timers try to teach me in the past. well campers im gonna mosey on out its time to hit the dusty trail see you all soon
highway

Taken!

2009-11-02T16:04:00.002-05:00

There's a small pet store several towns away that in addition to selling puppies & kittens also sells exotic animals as well. This place has been around for more than 25 years. A few years ago they had a horrible fire on a Friday night ... the fire fighters were still there the following Saturday morning.... so many animals were lost to smoke inhalation. The place was closed for several months, then reopened across the street in a smaller store front. I can remember taking my pre-schoolers there on a field trip... the guys who worked there were really nice to the kids & even let them touch a tarantula!

Yesterday there was an article in the local newspaper about this pet store. It seems that over the weekend someone had broken into the store and stolen a puppy & a python.... being a kindergarten teacher my mind just kept thinking: things that begin with the letter "P".... those PILFERING PUNKS ..... PRANKSTERS or PERPETRATORS?

THE FUNNIEST THING I EVER HEARD

2009-10-21T08:04:00.002-04:00

hello there all this is the highway time well just the other day k teacher told me something really funny she was telling me how at a staff meeting the bossman we will not metion king dingalings name he will remain anonymous for now anyways this dingaling wants the kids in the kindergarten program to know what the district mission statement is plus know what the kindergarten mission statement is well long story short wifey challenged me to write a mission statement well im an educated fella i had a hard time myself so if an educated adult had a tough time how the hell is a 5 yr old going to comprehend what a mission statement is and its purpose so i pose this question to my audience i makes me wonder the more education some have the less common sense they posses so happy campers the saga goes on i was wondering what mr potatoe head is gonna come up with next he gonna make the kids write a disertation hmmm well happy campers tune into the highway for further update im gone

Plus One, Minus One

2009-10-07T18:27:00.002-04:00

There was a kid in my class who was not adjusting well to school. There was a huge maturity gap between him and the rest of the students in my class (crying everyday after lunch , wanting his mama, not interacting well with his peers etc.). On a hunch I went to get a copy of his registration form. At the same time our school nurse was checking immunization records. She & I caught the error together.

Well, guess what? My little angel was only 4 yrs. old!!! Wasn't going to be 5 until way after the Dec. 1st cut off. Our district has registration for Pre-K and kindergarten in the same place... somehow he ended up in my classroom. The day after the 4 yr. old left I got another new student..... surprise!

LOVE OF A GOOD WOMAN

2009-09-29T19:17:00.002-04:00

WELL HEY THERE ALL THIS WEEK WE HAVE A GUEST BLOGGER LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TOO HIM LETS ALL WELCOME HIGHWAY FOR THOSE OF YOU FANS OUT THERE HIGHWAY IS K TEACHERS OTHER HALF I THINK TODAY IM GONNA DEDICATE THIS TO MY LOVING BEAUTIFUL SEXY WIFE IM A LUCKY MAN THE K TEACHER IS AN ANGEL THATS WHY I BELIEVE IN ANGELS AND KINDRED SPIRITS CALL ME SILLY ANYWAYS AS I ONCE HEARD A MUSICIAN SAY (WAS I THE ONE YOU WERE SENT TO SAVE SHE CAME UPON ME WAVE ON WAVE) WELL YES SHE WAS THESE LAST 2 YEARS HAVE BEEN A GODSEND MY ANGEL APPEARED SAVED ME FROM ME
ITS FUNNY HOW WE TAKE FOLKS FOR GRANTED AND DONT REALIZE IT WELL IM GONNA SAY THIS TO MY LOVING ANGEL I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART AND THE WORLD IS LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL LOVING ANGEL LIKE YOU SO HIGHWAYS WORD OF ADVICE TO ALL REMEMBER YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER MAY NOT BE PERFECT BUT BE PATIENT NOENE IS PERFECT WELL ENOUGH SAID TIME FOR HIGHWAY TO CLIMB INTO HIS TRUCK PUT IT IN GEAR AND GET A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD

I LOVE YOU K TEACHER NOW AND FOREVER
HIGHWAY

ACHOO!

2009-09-23T13:38:00.004-04:00

I took my first sick day of the school year today. When I woke up yesterday, I knew it was coming. My throat was scratchy & I was sneezing. This morning I could barely get out of bed to call the substitute service.

My husband states "the little germ factories" got you sick. I have to admit some of the kids have been coming to school sick. I'll have to mention that to parents when we have open house. On a positive note, I haven't gotten any new students in the past two days!

They're Here

2009-09-12T17:56:00.002-04:00

The first week of school was exhausting. The 5 year olds are eager & cute, but there's so many of them! I was given a class list with 27 names but that lasted about 3 seconds. Every time I blinked a new student was arriving at my door. On Friday I took the little ones to art class... went to the ladies room and when I returned to pick up my kids another one had been added to my class. That happened last year too!

When I returned from lunch, yet another student. At the end of the day I was told another one would be starting on Monday. Forgot to mention only about 8 of them speak English... that's less than 1/3 of the class.... that night I fell asleep on the couch (sitting up)....... it's going to be a great school year!

Tornado in room 14

2009-08-31T19:27:00.003-04:00

The first day of school is still a week away & I'm already in trouble with the "boss man". Like most of the teachers in my building (& across the country), I usually spend the last week of summer vacation in the classroom arranging the furniture, unpacking the closets and putting up bulletin boards.

When I got to school this morning there were tables stacked on top of each other, every piece of furniture was in a different place and my area rug was missing. Luckily my husband was off from work & just a phone call away. He moved furniture, boxes & carried my very heavy 9X12 rug from across the hall back to the classroom.

After almost 2 hours work, the boss paged me on the PA system... "Mrs. M. please come to the office". When I got there I got chewed out for not stopping in to say "Hi" when I arrived in the building! My new mantra for this school year will be...

Lord give me the strength to make the changes I deem necessary, grant me patience to accept the things I can not change and grant me the wisdom to hide the bodies of the idiots who piss me off between now & June.

2009-08-22T11:43:00.003-04:00

This week the "teenaged one" left for his second year at college. It was a long, long summer! There were times that I wanted to smash him in the head with one of my non-stick fry pans ( I'm not really a violent person LOL). This time he took less "stuff" with him. Since my husband & I helped him move out of his old dorm in May, this trip to the new dorm building his dad (ex-husband) was assigned the moving in task.

The night after he left, the "Boy" sent me pics of his new dorm taken with his camera phone. It's a lot more spacious than the previous dwelling. At least he keeps the dorm room neater than his room at home. Of course his favorite non educational thing to do is jumping into Lake Ontario to cool off. It's going to be a great year.... miss him & his messines.

The Grizzwolds go to the Grand Canyon

2009-08-19T16:14:00.004-04:00

Looks like the reluctant traveler (husband) had fun. After the Grand Canyon, we drove through the Navajo reservation and headed south to Tucson & Tombstone. Before our 9 day excursion was over the husband was already asking "Where should we go next year?" Can this be the same guy who didn't want to get on a plane just a week ago?

Vacation '09

2009-08-19T15:46:00.002-04:00

Just before our first anniversary , my sweetie & I started planning our first vacation together. Prior to this we had taken road trips & long weekends. We wanted to go somewhere that neither of us had been to before. This was going to be a challenge since the hubby had a bad experience on a plane 7 or 8 years ago & had not flown since.

We finally decided to go to the Grand Canyon.... but the question was, "Could I get him on a plane again?" On the morning of our trip he was out of bed by 4 a.m. (the flight was at 8:30). Luckily the flight was smooth & we got to Arizona safely. August in the southwest is like sleeping on the surface of the sun! The drive from Phoenix to Sedona and later Flagstaff was the best part of our trip... spectacular scenery & the higher altitudes made for much cooler temperatures.

Nothing could have prepared me for the moment I saw the canyon up close. Breath taking, awesome , majestic... I was speechless (for a change LOL). The husband actually enjoyed himself (even though he let me know a million time s since we met that he hates flying).

Suburban Woodstock

2009-08-02T17:34:00.003-04:00

If you were a girl growing up in the 1970"s , then you were probably a fan of David Cassidy & the Partridge Family. Last night at Burns Park on the south shore of Long Island, I got to relive my childhood. The parks dept. of my town has been sponsoring concert every Tues. & Sat. all summer long.

After dinner my friend Ellen, her husband & I ventured to the park to see our '70s idol David Cassidy. Besides his hits like "I'll Meet You Half Way" & "C'mon Get Happy" he wowed the crowd of more than 10,000 people with music from Cream, Hendrix & John Lennon. It was a magical night.... the perfect sunset, no humidity, very few mosquitos.... good friends & great music, what could be better?

The Cookin' Cowboy

2009-07-25T19:28:00.003-04:00

The kitchen is my least favorite place in my house.... luckily I don't have to venture into that domain too often. When I found a man who enjoys cooking & does it well I tied him to the hood of my car and raced to city hall to marry him. I keep him hand cuffed to either the BBQ grill or the stove depending on the season. He still won't divulge the ingredients to his secret marinade, but that's OK. I am truly blessed!

Class of 2009

2009-06-20T16:27:00.003-04:00

AH June! .... one of my favorite months of the year! Summer begins, school ends.

Yesterday was the kindergarten graduation at the school where I work. Some of the kids looked so cute... white button down shirts & bright ties, cute dresses with ribbons and bows. On the far end of the spectrum were the "children" who came to graduation in satin gowns wearing eye shadow and lip gloss . PARENTS WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? These kids looked like the popular "Bratz" dolls.

It causes me great concern when 5 year olds are made up to look like little floozies. Is this a growing fashion trend? Or am I just a bit conservative?

Moving Day

2009-05-16T21:40:00.002-04:00

Freshman year for the “teenaged one” ended this week. At most colleges, the last week of the semester can be a hectic time… finishing term papers, taking final exams & preparing to move out of the dorm. It can also be a hectic time for the people who are transporting the college student from dorm to home.

The hubbie & I took a day off from work to prepare for our 6 hour road trip to the college. Since my Volkswagen is not spacious enough to accommodate all the “stuff” that a college student needs, we rented an SUV (3 actually) for the trip. Before we left the county the first SUV was returned because of tire issues, the second SUV had issues with the brakes, the third & smallest SUV finally made the journey from our home on Long Island to SUNY Oswego.

One of the lessons I learned this weekend is that even in an SUV the space is limited… we had to rent a small storage unit off campus to store the items that didn’t fit in the vehicle (fridge, TV etc.). The other lesson I learned is that my child A.K.A. “the teenaged one” has an interesting philosophy regarding happiness.

According to my offspring, “You don’t need money to enjoy life”.

Isn’t it great to be young & optimistic? Enough said, he’ll have to do the next posting.

Petland

2009-05-03T16:09:00.003-04:00

Every year in the Spring the kindergarten classes in my school get newts. They're slimey & they smell bad. Plus they're boring (students & teachers agree). This year I told the curriculum coach (person in charge of newt distribution) that our class would not be participating , instead I went to the local pet store and picked out a new class pet.

I picked a cute yellow teddy bear hamster. She only cost .99cents, but then we needed a cage, cedar shavings for the bedding, hamster food & dish, exercise wheel, water bottle and plastic ball for hamster to roll around on the floor. When the whole shopping experience was completed I had spent close to $45!!!!

I took the hamster to school last Wednesday & the kids fell in love with her immediately. One little boy brought her a carrot stick the next day. They actually try to be quiet when she's asleep.

On the second day of being a class mascot, the hamster "Lolita" bit the teacher & she had to go get a tetanus shot.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T16:40:00.002-04:00

Yes, I actually went to work like this. The kids thought it was hysterical.

My Buddy Oscar

2009-02-23T16:39:00.003-05:00

I did it again .... stayed up too late on "Oscar Night"... can't help it, I love movies, old ones, new ones, mysteries, comedies & love stories. It doesn't matter if I watch them at home on a DVD, on HBO or at the local multiplex ... I'm addicted. I'll yell at the bad guys , cheer for the good guys and go through a box of kleenex if it's a tear jerker. For most of my favorites I can still remember where I saw it & who I was with that first time. Here are just a few of my favorites, with a few honorable mentions too.

1. The Godfather 2. Godfather Part 2
Great cast & few movies that are as good if not better than the book.... by the way Mario Puzo wrote both the screenplay & the book.

3. Gone With the Wind (I loved when Scarlett O'Hara makes herself a dress out of a pair of curtains when she was looking for a new man!)
4. A Few Good Men (while many will argue that 12 Angry Men was a better courtroom drama, I enjoyed Jack Nickelson's performance)
5. My Big Fat Greek Wedding ( ok, I know sappy, romantic comedy... but I never laughed so much in my life.
6. Casablanca ( oooh, black & white movies Bogie & Bergman... enough said! )
7. The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock was a genious!!! 8. Rear Window (another Hitchcock film... always watched these with mom)
9. Titanic ( before I ever saw this film my grandfather had taught me everything there was to know about the sinking of the real titanic... he would've found too many flaws in this film , but I enjoyed it anyway.)
10. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (this is a must see for anyone who must endure a house full of crazy relatives during the holidays... laugh 'til you cry)

Honorable Mentions:
11. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (a remarkable performance by my mom's favorite actor Jimmy Stewart)
12. Cat On a Hot Tin Roof ( the chemistry between Paul Newman & Elizabeth Taylor... outstanding)
13. American Graffitti ( cool cars and an awesome soundtrack)

To all the Steven Spielberg & George Lucas fans...sorry I didn't include any of your movies on my list.

More about winter

2009-02-05T17:32:00.002-05:00

Ok, so winter isn't all bad... those mid-winter sales at the mall are terrific. While the sales people are setting up displays of cruise wear and bathing suits, I'm in the discount rack looking for sweaters that have been marked down by 60%. Now that's a bargain.

My biggest problem is getting from my nice warm house to the car. Today it was 11 degrees when I left for work. Than goodness for heated seats! The person that invented those was a life saver!!!!

In a slump

2009-01-23T20:56:00.002-05:00

Everyone who knows me can attest to one thing... I HATE WINTER!!!! It bothers me that i have to wear so many layers of clothing in addition to a hat, gloves, scarf & boots every time I have to leave the house. Besides that, do you realize how long it takes to help a room full of 5 year olds get their coats zipped so they can make it to the bus on time.

Maybe I'm just getting cranky in my middle age (had a birthday this week), but I really think it's more than just the winter blues. It bothers me that I have 29 kids in my class.... I'm annoyed that my kindergarteners have to go up & down 3 flights of stairs every time I take my class to the cafeteria or to P.E.

OK enough of my whining! Most people would say "Be grateful you have a job when so many are unemployed"!

WTF?

2009-01-14T17:38:00.003-05:00

At the beginning of this school year the staff received a memo stating that all electrical appliances were banned from the classrooms. Of course that meant my little fridge had to go.... so I hauled it down the hall to the "room" (oversized closet) where the teacher's eat lunch and set it up on a small table and plugged it in.

For the past 5 months I've been brown bagging lunch from Monday to Thursday , then eating out with my colleagues on Fridays. Every morning before going to my classroom I leave my lunch & 1 or 2 bottles of water in the fridge. Well at lunchtime yesterday I made a shocking discovery... my water bottles were in the fridge but my lunch was missing.... at first I started second guessing myself....did I forget it at home? or did I leave it in my car?....no, the bag I brought the lunch in was sitting on the table next to the fridge! No lunch in sight.....

I've lost faith in humanity.... who would take someone else's lunch?

A Year in Review

2008-12-31T00:34:00.002-05:00

Since today is the last day of the year, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on the journey that was 2008. The first six months of the year went by quicker than I could have imagined.... the "teenaged one" got accepted to all the colleges that he applied to.... my sweetie & I spent all our free time planning a wedding.... by the time summer came life was a great big blur... in the span of 4 weeks we had graduation, a wedding & college orientation.... the last week of summer was probably the most stressful part of this year... we moved to a new house & took the "teenaged one" to college... saying good-bye & untying those apron strings was not easy.

Life slowed down in the Fall... we were getting used to our new home ( still have some boxes to unpack)... I grew up in this house, so it feels familiar but at the same time it looks totally different from the way it looked when I was a kid.... we didn't get our Christmas tree this year until 2 days before Christmas... spending time with family & friends made us remember what Christmas is all about.... giving & receiving the most most precious gift.... LOVE.... I am truly blessed!

military option

2008-08-03T01:37:00.004-04:00

Today my son, also known as the "teenaged one" attended the graduation/going away party of his friend Darnell. The two of them have known each other since junior high when they played on the school soccer team. When they started high school they joined the varsity track team together. During their high schools days both of them participated in numerous plays and sang together in the choir. They even co-hosted the final variety show in their senior year.

While one of them gets ready to go to college, the other is leaving for basic training and a four year stint in the army. This really scares me... this young man just turned 18 a few months ago, who knows where he'll spend his next birthday... maybe Iraq? I'm not even sure why "we" (USA/ our troops) are there ... Saddam Hussein is dead & who knows where the hell Bin Laden is now.

I guess I'm just hoping that he won't become another casualty of war... Godspeed Darnelito y que Dios te bendiga.

Campus Life

2008-07-22T20:11:00.002-04:00

Hi folks... it's been a while. Today's posting is coming to you from beautiful Oswego, N.Y. right here on Lake Ontario. We've been here for the past 2 days attending freshman orientation. In just 4 short weeks "the teenaged one" will be moving into his dorm room. Today while the parents were at a seminar on parental separation anxiety, the kids had their ID photos taken & made their fall class schedules.

The "teenaged one" is really looking forward to being on his own.... I'll promise not to call him everyday.... time for the little bird to fly the nest.

the timetable

2008-06-16T23:56:00.003-04:00

Anybody got a pair of rollerblades? I'll need them with the crazy schedule for summer 2008. The "teenaged one" graduates in 11 days, then 5 days later his mother gets married... the graduation party is 10 days after the wedding then freshman orientation for college is a week later... catch my breath for 2 weeks then its moving day (luckily the new house is only 6 miles away). We'll have 3 weeks to unpack the new place & then we're off to Lake Ontario to take the "teenaged one" to move into his new dorm... I'll have a week before its time to report back to kindergarten..... it'll probably take from Sept to June just to recuperate from my "summer vacation".

Looking forward to all of it!!!!

Almost Crunch Time

2008-05-27T23:17:00.002-04:00

Well folks, it's just 5 weeks 'til the big day. My sweetie & I went to Town Hall to get our marriage license today! We also went to order the wedding cake (yummy). My sweetie got me some "shiny stuff" as an early wedding present... he treats me like a princess...I'm so lucky.
The teenaged one still hasn't gotten a haircut, but he got awarded the PTA scholarship this week.
Win some , lose some?

Super- Heroes

2008-05-13T17:34:00.003-04:00

When you mention super heroes most people think of the usual suspects like Batman, Spiderman, Captain America etc. This year I've been fortunate to meet some of the real super heroes of Long Island. Most of my kindergarten students are from "economically challenged" neighborhoods... they wear hand-me -down clothes, they don't have the luxury of designer sneakers.

This school year my students were blessed with 2 guardian angels... the first one is a retired grandmother who likes to shop at the dollar store... she has given them teddy bears , cars & trucks and pretty plastic jewelry. The other angel is a wonderful man who prefers to remain anonymous...he gives the kids books and has even donated a bike to a little girl who didn't have one of her own.

These are the true heroes... you'll probably never read about them in the newspaper, but they are the ones who know how to put a smile on a child's face. God Bless them always!!!

Grandma, Tito Puente & the Hard Rock Cafe

2008-05-11T01:07:00.002-04:00

My grandmother was always an adventurous woman. When she was a kid, she would ride her father's horse bareback to school. When she was in her 20's she was the first person in our family to fly in a plane (with her 9 month old baby). During the years she was raising her children, her love of travel & adventure would continue to flourish. At any given moment she might be in Oceanside, California or in San Antonio & Fort Worth visiting her her siblings.

Even in her 80's & 90's she continued to travel and her quest for new experiences. In the summer of 1997 we traveled to Spain on a family. One day after several hours of sight seeing grandma complained that if she had to look at another museum or old church she was going to hop on the next plane home! That afternoon we went to the Hard Rock Cafe (Madrid) for lunch. While we were waiting for our table grandma wandered off & and met Tito Puente who was giving an interview for a Spanish television station. After his interview, "Tito" came over to say hello to grandma and let her take pictures. He even joked with her saying he was going to charge her $5 per picture. This would be a tale she would repeat to her friends & family members for years to come.

Her life had many sad moments... her mother died when grandma was only 12 years old. She outlived 2 brothers and 2 sisters (all younger than her), and after 58 years together she buried her husband... the only man she ever loved. Despite all these hardships she was always loving, caring & generous. Last Fall, just a few months after my mom died, my grandma decided to join her in Heaven.

We miss you both, Happy Mother's Day

One year later

2008-05-08T16:04:00.005-04:00

The hardest part of losing a loved one is when you forget they're gone. This happens to me occasionally... something funny happens at work & my first reaction is to pick up the phone and start dialing 541-5.... Oh shit! Mom, you're not here anymore. I miss the sound of your voice, the Saturday afternoon shopping sprees and most of all I miss hearing you & grandma argue in the kitchen while making Sunday dinner.... but I guess we were lucky , we saw each other every day for the past 44 years & when we didn't see each other there was always the phone. We had all those great trips San Diego, Alburquerque, our road trips to Florida even Cooperstown and the baseball hall of fame was fun. Can't believe that you went to Paris without me! But then again I went to Ireland with the" boys" while you & grandma spent the summer going to garage sales.

Opposites

2008-04-15T22:00:00.002-04:00

Everyone has heard the expression OPPOSITES ATTRACT..... this might be true, but can they co-exist? Well I can't comment for other couples but in the mcC/mcD household life is never boring. He gets up early & I stay up late. He's neat & orderly and I'm disorganized (just look at my desk!). He likes country music I'm into rock & roll. He eats his veggies , I'd rather eat M & M's.

Despite these and other more obvious differences, we do manage some common ground. Both of us value our time off together. We both like empanadas & Texas BBQ. Both of us snore , but he denies it. Regardless of the differences there's nowhere else I'd rather be & no one else I'd rather play opposite to.

taco night

2008-04-06T22:50:00.002-04:00

My sweetie is full of surprises... he & I take turns making dinner and he always does a better in the kitchen than I do. Tonight he made us tacos (which I had never had before), they were yummy! I must repeat myself one more time "I'm definitely marrying this man!!"

P.S. wedding update: the invitations have arrived, the dress fitting is 2 weeks away (still haven't gotten the shoes), honeymoon weekend is booked. We have 2 months & 3 weeks left & john still hasn't cut his hair!. More to follow.

can you hear me now?

2008-03-30T23:30:00.002-04:00

Today my sweetie & I went shopping for a new cell (for him). Within 30 seconds of walking into the t-mobile store the salesperson (who looked young enough to have been born in this century) was at our side. The kid (salesperson) started talking about all the new features available and began rattling off so many technical terms that we thought he was reading to us from a text printed a MIT . When he started talking about a "hotspot" , I began to think this conversation is getting way too personal for me (lol).

Needless to say, we didn't buy a new phone today.... next time we go shopping for anything techy we will take a teenager with us so he can translate the jargon into English.

Puerto Rican Day Care

2008-03-23T22:35:00.002-04:00

Once again my sweetie highwayman has outdone himself in the kitchen... the man has skills!!!! Our Easter dinner was delicious, especially the roasted turkey breast.

All day today I've been thinking about how we spent last Easter (which happened to be our first holiday together). After mass last Easter Sunday I headed for the hospital, it would be the last holiday I would spend with my mother. Before going to the hospital , we went to see my grandmother. I asked Matt & John to stay with grandma since at 91 she should not be alone on any holiday.

I spent most of the day with mom... at that point she only had a few weeks left and I was spending most of my non-working hours with her. Back at grandma's John & Matt were enjoying the rice & beans that my grandmother made for them and the lasagna that matt made. Grandma really liked my matty because he enjoyed her cooking. He always teases me that I left him at grandma's like a kid going to daycare, but it was a good way for him & grandma to get to know each other.

computer nerd

2008-03-02T19:22:00.001-05:00

this is a test

the family

2008-02-25T21:04:00.005-05:00

The Rodriguez girls... Sheila, Liz & Nora... we're more like sisters than cousins... the girls and my son are half Irish & half Puerto Rican.. what a great combination!

Once you become associated with the Rodriguez-McCoy clan either by marriage, friendship or close proximity you become "one of us" we love you to death! .... its like the mafia, once you're in we don't let you go..... as my cousin Adam puts it, "Loyalty runs deep in our family, if you kill someone, we're there to help you bury the body!"... he actually said this as part of my mother's eulogy to emphasize how close we are. (Don't be afraid we are not disposing of any corpses in the Pine Barrens.) I think that the main reason I wanted to do this blog was to get to know the McD's while letting them get to know the Rodriguez-McCoy family.

mccoy/mcdermott wedding update

2008-02-24T22:37:00.003-05:00

As of today, we are 4 months & 1 week from the "big day"...am i nervous? not really. excited? yes! I got the important stuff taken care of...i got the man, the dress & the location.... still haven't gone shoe shopping yet (what do you think white sandals or cowgirl boots?)

Underpaid

2008-02-07T20:20:00.000-05:00

Most of us are familiar with the Taylor Law, which prohibits public employees ( teachers included) from going on strike. This law makes sense because of the public safety issues that could arise. Recently I read an article from my union newspaper about a possible teacher's strike in Puerto Rico. There are approximately 32,000 public school teachers in P.R. ... they will lose 2 days pay for every day they are on strike.

The main reason for the possible strike is salary. Most people will say teachers only work 10 months a year & get tons of days off during the school year, but my colleagues in Puerto Rico are at a severe disadvantage. Most schools on the island are not air conditioned even though the average daily temperature hovers around 80 degrees all year long. Also the average starting salary for a first year teacher is only $18,000 (this is obscene for a college graduate!) It's hard to believe this is part of the U.S.

After reading the article about the Puerto Rican teachers, I feel really fortunate that I was able to get a job teaching in NY where teachers are compensated fairly well. Despite low salaries & poor working conditions these educators ( in P.R.) do an excellent job. I should know because I am a product of the Puerto Rican school system. (high school grad).

!Viva las maestras! Long live the teachers!

Pushing 40

2008-02-05T18:36:00.000-05:00

A woman I know is turning 40 next month. She isn't distressed about it, in fact she she's very accepting of the fact that time passes for all of us. She is , however, freakin' out because just a few months from now she will become a GRANDMOTHER!!

Yes, her son got his teenaged girlfriend pregnant. Why did this happen? If I'm not mistaken there is a planned parenthood in almost every county across this country. The answer is simple.... people (teens in particular) think they are invincible & they don't think about the consequences of their actions.

Any thoughts?

Can't believe it!

2008-02-02T19:05:00.000-05:00

Two days ago I received a letter from a source that will remain nameless regarding one of my students. About two months ago I referred my student because she had been absent from school several times & when I called the home no adult was there . It seems that my student & her 8 yr. old sister were home alone.

I filled out the necessary paperwork & reported this incident to the proper authorities. It seems children are not a top priority in Nassau county. The matter was investigated , but by the time someone checked on the kids an adult was finally home. How many hours, days were they home alone?

leave of absence

2008-01-27T12:23:00.000-05:00

This week JP'smother will be on hiatus due to mid -year progress monitoring. Tons of paper work both at school & at home. I'll be back on Feb. 2 (ground hog day).

Eating in public

2008-01-26T19:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our monthly "Student of the Month" assembly at my school. Parents were invited to school for breakfast and to attend the ceremony in which one child from each class received a certificate for academic achievement & positive social interaction with peers.

I was seated in the 3rd row with my student & her dad. Ahead of us a woman in her mid to late twenties was sitting with a baby in her lap. When the ceremony was about to begin my principal came over & asked me to take pictures of the event using his digital camera. As was taking pictures I noticed some of my colleagues whispering & pointing in my direction. It seems they were concerned about the woman in the row in front of me who was breast feeding her baby without covering herself.

Anybody care to comment on this? I really don't understand all the controversy, but it seemed to be the hot topic at lunch on Friday.

5 yr. olds

2008-01-24T19:22:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone.... it's been a relatively uneventful week, except for today. As all of you know , I spend my days with five year olds. This afternoon I took the 5 year olds down to the gym for phys. ed. class. After 35 minutes I went back to pick them up & found 2 boys sitting in chairs while the rest of the kids were playing basketball. When I questioned the boys they told me they were not allowed to play because they were biting their friends.

When we got back to our classroom I had to give the whole class a lecture about not hurting our classmates & treating others with kindess. Before the kids went home today I made them repeat a new mantra, " We wll not bite our friends...... friends are not food!"

Tragedy at school

2008-01-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

Imagine you're a high school student. It's after an hour after school has ended on a Friday afternoon. You're playing handball with 2 friends behind your high school. This sounds like a typical scene at any suburban high school in America, doesn't it?

Unfortunately if you live in Hempstead , NY this story does not have a happy ending. The day before yesterday a gang of thugs (7 in all) robbed some high school students after school. They stole money, a couple of cell phones & an MP3 player, but that wasn't enough as they were leaving one of these punks stabbed repeatedly one of the three boys that were playing handball.

By the next morning Michael was dead from his wounds. He was only 15 years old. He had been my student when he was a kindergartener. He was murdered less than a mile from his home. He was on the school grounds when it happened. As I read the newspaper account this morning I was shocked, saddened & angry. I don't understand how anyone could have such little regard for the life of another human being.

Top of the World

2008-01-11T21:44:00.000-05:00

I saw on the internet & heard it on TV and the radio that Sir Edmund Hillary died yesterday. Of course most will people remember him as the first man to reach the peak of Mount Everest.... the highest point on earth. He was, as he described himself, a simple bee keeper from New Zealand.

When I read his obituary this morning I started thinking about my own mortality... how will I be remembered when I'm gone? Have I made a difference in lives of the people who knew me? Have I done anything for the good of humanity? I don't have any of the answers, but I do know that there are people who love me and I love them... that's all that really matters isn't it?

sleeping angels

2008-01-08T22:06:00.000-05:00

The guys at the McCoy/McDermott wake up early from Mon. to Fri...... my sweetie has to be at work by 7 a.m. so he's usually up before 5 and the teenager leaves for school at 7 so he's up before 6 a.m..... luckily I don't have to be at work 'til 8:15 so I'm not getting up as early as the guys... tonight while the guys are in dreamland i'm enjoying the quiet time as I watch Law & Order.

While I enjoy the peace & quiet for an hour or so, I can't imagine how some people can live alone. I definitely enjoy our noisy times, especially when my sweetie & the teenager are playing practical jokes on each other. Sleep well my angels!

Cowboys in Manhattan

2008-01-06T01:51:00.000-05:00

As part of my sweetie's Christmas present I got tickets to the PBR (that's Professional Bull Riding tournament for all the civilians out there). So we took the train into NYC this afternoon & had some dinner (Puerto Rican food of course!) After dinner we headed to, of all places, Madison Square Garden to see an indoor rodeo. I had never done this before so I didn't know what to expect, but my sweetie was like a kid on his first trip to the circus.

I'm sure all the football fans out there will think a 280 lbs. linebacker tackling the guy with the ball is exciting, but exciting is watching a man riding bareback on a 2000 lb. raging bull. As usual date night with my sweetie was a lot of fun! Hope you enjoyed yourself honey, I know I did!!!!

am open letter to my guy

2008-01-04T23:54:00.000-05:00

hey sweetie....just a quick note to tell you how much i love you.....i can't believe how quickly the past 11 months have gone by.... do you realize that in just 6 months we will be walking down the aisle ( 7/3/08 can"t wait)!!!! xoxo, liz

Best of times...worst of times

2008-01-01T01:45:00.000-05:00

2007 proved to be bittersweet... after a long illness my mom left us in May, then over the summer my grandmother suffered 2 strokes...she lingered for a couple of months, then she died as well (she probably died of a broken heart). OK maybe I'm feeling a little sorry for myself, but on top of all this my brother isn't talking to my dad and my dad isn't talking to my uncle... I'm close to all three & they're driving me crazy...luckily they each live in a different state.

No more whining, I promise! I have so many things to be thankful for ... I have a man who loves me & tells me so everyday....my son is healthy & on his way to college in a few months... my friends are more caring than I deserve..... so I guess 2008 will be better than the previous year.

God Bless everyone & Happy New Year.

DATE NIGHT

2007-12-28T01:37:00.000-05:00

Since the day before Thanksgiving when he got his car, my son John & I have not spent much time together. He's usually headed to rehearsal for one of his shows , going to band practice or on the way to a girl's house. So I was a bit surprised when he asked, "hey mom, do you want to go see a movie one night this week since we're both off from school?"

When he was a little kid we would do "date night" maybe once a month. Our evenings out usually consisted of a gourmet meal at Wendy's followed by a trip to the local video game arcade. My favorite "date night" with John was the time when he was about 7 yrs old when we just decided at the spur of the moment to hop on the LIRR and go into NYC. It was the Friday before Christmas and the city was incredibly crowded. I don't remember where we had dinner or what we ate, but I do remember going to see Santa at Macys/ Herald Square. He was probably the best looking Santa I had ever seen & in those days John was still a believer...I still have the picture of John & Santa and I display it every year during the holidays.

Sweets for my sweetie

2007-12-26T21:00:00.000-05:00

At least once a week or once a day I say to Matt, "Nobody loves you more than me... except your mom & dad...oh yeah and your brothers". After 10 months together I still get the urge now & then to tease this man that I love so much.... today he decided that he had to go on a diet because he feels he's starting to get round.

Usually Matt has ice cream every night for dessert about an hour after dinner. Tonight there was no ice cream in the freezer so he had 2 Hershey's kisses instead. I know he was tempted to hop in his car & head over to the supermarket but he had enormous will power. Any bets on how long Matt will last without ice cream?

Luv you sweetie!

The Ghost of Christmas Past

2007-12-25T23:35:00.000-05:00

Matt is convinced we have ghost/s in our house..... he keeps hearing wierd noises in the basement, but I think it's just my guardian angels (mom & grandma)...he says as long as they don't empty the fridge they can stay.

Enough about ghosts, over the past few days I've been trying to recall my favorite Christmas memory, of course going to grandma's tops the list...but getting there took almost as long as Moses crossing the desert from Egypt to the Promised Land. When I was 10 or 11 yrs. old my dad came home from work on Dec 23rd and announced we were going to Puerto Rico to spend Christmas with the grandparents. Mom wondered how we were going to get there since we didn't have any plane tickets...no tickets, no problem dad had everything figured out, we would fly standby... we were given an hour to pack our luggage & get to Kennedy airport.. after a 3 hour flight (around midnight) my dad was able to find a rental car (no reservation) for the 2 hour drive from the airport to the farm (grandma's)...the grandparents were surprised when we showed up that night/ morning... the last thing I remember about that night was my grandfather's command to grandma "Our family is here, go cook something!" It was 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve!

I know we went to the beach every day (80 degrees daily)...but the rest of that Christmas trip is a blur.

Christmas cookies

2007-12-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

The house is quiet tonight.... Matt is already asleep (work tomorrow) and John is at a friend's house. This is probably the only time of the year that I attempt to bake.... the last few weeks have been so hectic, the stores & shoppers have been insane... even people in their cars have been a little nuts!

Nights like this give me time to reflect on the fact that there are still a few truly good and noble people left in the world. One of them is my friend Raquel.... she lost her husband a few years ago and a year later she lost her son as well, yet every Saturday she's at a local nursing home reading to the "older folks" or playing bingo and letting them win.... every time I start feeling cynical about the lack of humanity that some people show...I think about the people I know who do good for others without expecting anything in return.

Accepted!

2007-12-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

Most of the time I'm convinced that all teenagers are crazy...... living proof of this is my son John, who this week added several gray hairs to my head. In the past five days he has locked his keys in his car, left the house & garage keys attached to the garage door (OUTSIDE) for more than a day and last Thursday night he also fell asleep on the couch and left the oven on for over 3 hours...(burnt cookies!)

Today however, I have no complaints..... the "kid" got his first college acceptance letter and now it's starting to hit me that in a few short months he'll be leaving home.... just hope his roommate is not a neat freak.

Angel

2007-12-16T17:57:00.000-05:00

Today the youngest McDermott got baptized. Olivia is such a good baby, an angel. What a good girl she was in church... didn't cry not even once. After church we headed over to Joey & Mary's house.... all the kids playing in every room of the house.... all the adults talking & eating & eating some more. Matt ate at least 3 sandwiches... maybe I'm not feeding him enough at home?

PB&J

2007-12-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

Every night Matt makes his lunch to take to work the next day, he lays out his clothes and is ready for the next day.... I'm usually running around like an idiot in the morning trying to have my Captain Crunch, get dressed & pack a lunch all at once.. I could go on & on about the differences between us but despite them we seem to go together, like peanut butter and jelly.... he's the nutty one & I'm the sweet ( just kidding sweetheart)

You cook, I clean

2007-12-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

There is an unspoken rule at the McCoy/McDermott house that whoever does the cooking does not have to wash dishes. Usually John sets & clears the table and Matt & I take turns making dinner. When I cook the kitchen doesn't get too messy.... but when Matt does the cooking the kitchen sometimes looks like a tornado (lol) but the food always tastes better when he cooks. Tonight he made a most excellent beef stew (carrots, celery, potato etc.)..... I'm definitely marrying this guy!!!!!!

Field Trip

2007-12-06T20:29:00.000-05:00

This week I have the priviledge of a few days of peace & quiet while my son John is away in Williamsburg, VA with his AP social studies class. Did I say peace & quiet? He still sends me text messages reminding me to take good care of his car & a list of errands that he hopes I will be able to do for him in his absence.... miss him anyway!

Today I took my class to see a play at Hofstra University... for most of "my kids" this was the first time going anywhere other than the laundromat or supermarket with mommy. It's amazing see to see how excited they were to see some of their favorite stories acted out in a live theatre...... just another day in the kinder corner.

oh Christmas tree!

2007-12-03T23:02:00.000-05:00

30 seconds after my son John came home from his dad's house , he was ready to go buy our tree. "Can we go now, can we?" It sounded like he was 8 yrs old again. We drove down to our local fire house, where we've been getting our trees for as long as I can remember. This year John did the driving. Of course he picked the biggest tree in the lot (almost). The fire dept. is nice enough to deliver it every year.

When the tree was delivered we realized it wouldn't fit in the living room (too tall). So the tree spent the night out in the yard & this afternoon Matt took out his tools and played lumber jack... he removed at least a foot from each end. After dinner John took all the decorations out the attic & started trimming our tree. Now he's asleep on the couch & only half the decorations are up. He's good out of the gate, but the kid lacks stamina.

Retail Therapy

2007-12-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the first Saturday in more than a year that I had completely to myself. During the time that my mom was sick I was at her side almost every day after work and every weekend. This weekend however, John was at his dad's , Matt was working O.T., and mom has been gone more than 6 months. She & I spent many Saturday afternoons at the mall ..."helping the economy", was one of her favorite pastimes.

After doing my errands (bank, post office, gas station), I headed to the mall by myself. I wandered in & out of the stores aimlessly for an hour or two. All I had to show for my effort was 2 pairs of socks (boring) and 1 or 2 Christmas presents. I saw a pretty party dress in one the store displays but didn't bother to give it a second glance. If mom had been with me, she would have insisted that we go into the store and try on the dress. She was always so persistent... "try it on, get it for the Christmas party at work"( I can hear her voice as I write this) .... maybe I'll go back for the dress this week.

Girls Night Out

2007-11-24T22:41:00.000-05:00

The title is a bit decieving.... my days of all night partying are decades old...I spent yesterday afternoon with my favorite little girl, my neice Sarah.... she & I went to the nail salon, then to see the movie Enchanted.... wow this kid can eat!!!! she had a bag of popcorn, a red slushy and a bag of M&M's... Matt picked us up after he was through with work and he took us out for pizza...can you believe the niece gobbled up a slice of sicilian pizza on top of everything she ate 2 hrs. earlier!!!!!

The great thing about nieces & nephews is that you can feed them junk food & indulge them and at the end of the day you can send them back to their parents.

p.s. to my brother Jeff... I still haven't forgotten the time you took my son to Hooters (when he was 3) to pick up women...uncles are incorrigible! ( LOL)... luv ya!

A day at the DMV

2007-11-23T20:42:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there was an adoreable little boy who played with his ninja turtles, read Dr. Seuss books and ocasionally played video games. Then I woke up this morning, and I was mysteriously transported to the DMV where the "little boy" had turned into a 17 year old "almost man" was registering his first car. It was almost surreal, one minute I'm watching pee-wee soccer and the next I'm at the DMV getting plates for a teenaged driver. It was at that point that I started wishing that I could put him back in the playpen!

Now I understand why my mom went prematurely gray. She always said, "My grandchildren will be my revenge". Thanks mom!! I guess the moral of this story is that all the grief you gave your parents when you were a teen is nothing compared to what's waiting for you when your kids hit puberty so beware.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-22T23:54:00.000-05:00

The leftovers are in the fridge, the dishes are washed and the guests have gone home (except for the teenagers in my basement), and Matt is peacefully snoring in our bedroom.... everything went fairly smoothly for our first holiday in the McCoy-McDermott household. The food came out great (especially Matt's sausage & apple stuffing) he did all the cooking & I did the dishes, I'm definitely marrying this man!!!

The day might have been better if the "crazies" I'm related had arrived on time for dinner. Instead the relatives arrived more than an hour late & didn't bother to call or answer their cell phones when I called them. I really had to supress the urge to use a string of 4 - letter words today!