Time Flies

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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.