We should love all Gods creatures, even the kids

If I hadnt known better I would have sworn that Steve Irwins ghost took over my house yesterday.

The kids got up and Brett asked if he could play the playstation. Actually he started out by saying "mom, we wont fight, we will ONLY do it if 2 can do it and noone will get their feelings hurt. I promise"
At first I was confused. I was hopeing it was him turning over a new leaf and would apply to the rest of the day.

NOPE. he finally told me "if I let them play the playstation". I told him he could.

He was shocked for a full 5 minutes. Then convinced Matt I really did say yes. I told them ONE HOUR.

It was less than 45 minutes later and Brett was already changing games. To one where only one person can play at a time. Matt doesnt stick around long to play the games anyway. He just doesnt like them. which is fine with me. I bet that thing hasnt been turned on in 4 or 5 months. I forget we have it.

Once we turned off the games the kids went outside. They came back with a horney toad. Horney toads are VERY rare up here, but they said this was the 3rd one they had found. They wanted to keep it, but I made them take it back outside. I dont want the cat to eat it!

yesterday evening we went to my mother in laws. The kids immediatly found the critter keepers that they got for Matts birthday. I didnt know what they were doing, till I heard my mother in law screaming bloody murder. Then I knew. They were lizard hunting. They love to torture her. She lives in the woods like we do, so they just go out and play to thier hearts content.

At one time Matt had 4 lizards in his little kritter cage thing.

When it was time to go he loaded up and brought home his lizards. I told him that he wasnt allowed to bring them in the house. I didnt see Rayleys cage or Bretts.

Hoover was disapointed that I wouldnt let him keep them in the house, but said he understood. I also told him NOT to let them loose in the truck. He swore he wouldnt . When we got home and I got everyone unloaded I happened to look up. I saw something green and quick out of the corner of my eye.

So I started hollering at kids! I told them I wanted everyone of the lizards OUT of the house. RIGHT THEN!

They grumbled and moaned. And once the 4th one was caught I realized that BRett and Rayley had brought in their own stash.

SO I asked them HOW many lizards were brought in. They couldnt remmeber. I told them I had counted every one in the keepers and they better tell me the truth. They swore they didnt know. SO I picked the number 9. I told them they better find 9 lizards pretty quick.

I swear it was awful in here. There were kids going everywhere trying to catch lizards that DIDNT want to be caught.

We did end up with 9. I dont know how many more are in here. BUT I did make them empty their pockets BEFORE putting their clothes in the washing machine. They have been known to leave something in them!

I know there is at least one more in here. Cause the cat has been going crazy since last night. But if it will stay out of site it will be okay. I dont mind A lizard in the house. they eat bugs and such. I'd MUCH rather have a lizard. BUT the cat doesnt like them.

One time yesterday Matt was in the floor watching TV and playing with something. He had been down there for over an hour and it dawned on us. He was just playing with a lizard. Loving it and petting it. When he started trying to teach it to balance on one of Bow's toys I drew the line. I told him that I didnt want lizard poo on the baby's toys. He said "oh he doesnt need to poop. he did it about 30 minutes ago"
I asked him what he meant. "when I asked you to pause the TV so I could go to the bathroom it was to wash my hands and make sure he was clean. Can I keep him? He's real tame."

NO! you cant keep a lizard. MO-RON!


I found their report cards last night. Somehow Matt has went from a 85 in conduct to a 72. The last report I had was a 85! I was pissed! His next lowest grade was a 87. EVERYTHING else was high 90's. How do you make almost all A's and have a 72 in CONDUCT?
NEvermind this is my idiot... I mean kid we are talking about.
I wrote a note to his teacher. Asking her to call me.

Then it was on to Bretts report card. Where I found his progress report. Where I had written a note to his teacher to please let me know how he could bring up a C in Social Studies.

He had 2 C's. My kids have NEVER made C's. I am LIVID! I wrote his teacher a LONG note. Asking her to PLEASE have him sit out recess and instead study. SInce he wasnt able to bring home any of the homework that I had requested back at week 3.

Fast Forward to today. I got up and went to the school. I had to cut out 500 cards for mothersday. Luckily we have a die cut machine. And since the card is almost the size of a 8 and a half by 11 and our die cut machine isnt. I had to hit each one twice after scooting it down.

I was in the middle of this. Trying to keep Rayley and Bow happy and occupied when Bretts Teachers AIde came in. She handed me the envolope that his report card came in and said "did you see this?" I said "yes" "well why didnt you sign it?"
I told her I did. and wrote a note. I pulled it out. She said "But you didnt sign the outside and you KEEP the report, you dont send it back."

SO explain to me WHY the report card has a signature line ON it if I am NOT supposed to sign it? I asked her if the teacher had even looked. She said no.

So I decided to take it down to her. Maybe talk to her for a second. I went down there and Brett was in his desk, literly facing the wall. with his back to the rest of the class. And a kid is standing there talking to him. When his teacher walked out into the hall I started talking to her and she called Brett out. I finnished explaining that I had seen the report card and wrote her a note. same with the progress report. ( how do they KNOW I got it if I dont send it back? there is no place on the envolope to SIGN for it) When I was in school we didnt get recess if we didnt bring the dang things back the next day!! And they say parents are NOT involoved. GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRR.
ANYWAY. I told her that I wanted BRett to NOT go to recess. I wanted him to do work instead. In the 2 subjects that he was having problems with. She didnt look happy and told me there was no homework for those subjects. So I told her he could instead read his books. That would be fine.

Then I had to ask Brett if that was the SAME kid that he had been in trouble with 3 days last week for throwing pencils, and erasers with. He said yes. I asked him WHY ON EARTH that kid was UP, all the way across the room, at HIS desk, talking to him.
"he wanted to borrow a pencil"
"so he can THROW it back at you later?"
"probebly, thats why I got in trouble last time, he was throwing them back at me. I told you that." And he did. he told me that. BUT I really didnt think that a teacher would allow the kid to do it. seriously.
"tell him to get his OWN. That is why you stay in trouble."

I told him to NOT look at the kid. NOT talk to the kid and NOT let the kid borrow ANYTHING. There is NO sense in giving him ammunition!

Heck even in High School I cant imagine us ever just getting up and walking around the classroom to borrow something. EVER. and in elemetery school? We had to raise our hand to go to the pencil sharpener. And we better have a good excuse as to why our extra 3 pencils were not sharp BEFORE class started. There were kids milling all around. For no reason.

I really didnt delve into the problems I saw. I just didnt feel it was worth it. I have a feeling that I need to have a heart to heart with Brett. I think he does act up in class. BUT now I also think that he gets pulled into a lot of stuff that isnt really his fault. And I hate that. I have been on him SO hard this year. SO hard. And I see that maybe its not all his fault.

I am begining to think that its more of a personality conflict. ANd I know how that is. Ironicly my 3rd grade teacher hated me. ANd I was such a shy child noone could ever fiqure out why. But she did. She would purposely not include me in stuff. Or I woulnt get the notes sent home for school functions. I remember noone beliving me. I hope we can fix this. I really do. I guess next year is a new year. Dont get me wrong. he is no angel. I could ring his neck sometimes. But it seems there is a side to him there that NOONE else ever see's except her. I really wonder if this isnt what has been wrong with him ALL year. Cause I am not kidding when I say that HE was NOT like this last year. AT ALL. They have tried to blame it on everything from me loosing my job (so I was home more... being a fulltime mom), to having a baby, to Rayley not being as dependant on them, and learning to do things on her own, to.... all of it.

I fiqure that if he was still the same happy go lucky kid when his house burned, his grandma died, and his sister was born all with in 5 months of each other, me stopping work and being home all the time and him getting the baby he asked for (NOT my idea...) would make him even MORE happy. They used to BEG me to quit my job! LOL

After I got all of that over with and I was back to cutting out all those mothers day cards (I could kill the person who thought of this... sadly, it was partly me...) I got a call from Matts teacher. Of course with a 72 in conduct, he misses the last right choice celebration. I asked her HOW, when I get a folder EVERY night that says if he got in trouble that day I didnt know he was getting in trouble. she thinks she forgot sometimes to write it in there.
Or maybe it was on days he forgot his folder at home. Okay, if he DOESNT bring his folder does he still go to recess? yes, he just looses another point. -- He could give a rats ass about a point. Recess is where the fun is. Its instant gratification. why not take THAT away. ?? It seems he is talking in class.

I told her that I wanted to know EVERYDAY, ON the day when he was bad and lost a point. So far he is like at a 99. This kid has missed the A honor roll EVERY 6 weeks this year. even the AB honor roll. AND last 6 weeks he had a 92 in conduct. To me that is a red flag. He has kept HIGH 80's and 90's all year in conduct. All of a sudden its a 72 and we dont call home? I am confused. But it does no good to question them. It really doesnt.

Anyway, Even when he had A's in conduct, like last time, he was A honor roll. Except he had a U in handwriting. So that keeps him off the honor roll. he would average out as a A student ALL year. except he always gets a U. I have made him write sentence after sentence. hour after hour. then I see the work he brings home. Its in NO WAY legible. I would swear the 3 year old wrote it. BUT it is graded and accepted. If you dont LIKE his handwriting, then refuse to accept it. Make him do it over. I have asked for this. Begged for it.

I told her today. DONT let him go to recess. Make him sit and write. EVERY day. He CAN write neat. I have seen him. But if you let him get away with NOT doing it he will. He's 8. And already can game the system.

I really dont know what to do. I really dont. They are actually to the point that they could care less. Matt says there is no sense in even trying. He knows he will average out a passing grade if he does hardly ANY work this 6 weeks. and since he wont get a AB honoroll medal he doesnt care.
And Brett aced his taks test on reading (and managed to get a 70 in reading), missed one problem on the math 6 weeks test and has passed the taks practice math test with flying colors. So he see's no point in even attempting to do better.


Anyway. tonight Matt had baseball. And we found his bat. One of his coaches had gotten it out of the dugout. It seems that Matt had went to the bathroom and hadnt gotten the bat, the coach thought he had left and forgotten it. and when Matt came back the bat and that coach were gone. I am SO releaved. I was SO scared he wouldnt ever get it back. He did decent tonight. Oh he acted like he had never seen a ball headed at him on short stop, but he did stop a few. he didnt look near as good as he did in practice on Saturday. But at least he did get a hit. And made it to second. well he made it home. But got a double. THey lost. But I dont care. I am JUST THRILLED we found the bat!! OH and I dont have anymore 'double' games. Every game I go to now is either JUST matt, or JUST brett. No running between feilds.


Between school and baseball I came home today. One time I 'lost' Rayley. Come to find out she was in my laundry closet and was digging under clothes. I asked her what she was doing. I had them all in piles.
"lookin for geiko"
"who the hell is geiko and why did you get him dirty enough that I need to wash him?"
she just kept digging.
I told her it was fruitless. I hadnt washed any stuffed animals lately but if I came across him I would be sure to wash him and give him back. If she promised to QUIT taking stuffed animals outside.
"he aint stuffed!"
"okay, if you will quit taking your friends outside"
"but thats where I found him!"
"well its not my fault you left him out there one day, if you wouldnt take them out to begin with it wouldnt happen"
"NOOOO MOOOOOOOM. Geiko isnt a pretend animal. He's the lizard I hid yesterday when you said I had to put all of them outside. I hid him under these clothes"

OH GREAT! I just hope he escaped. BEFORE I traipsed through there doing 3 loads last night and this morning.