A learning curve

"I dont wana be a cowgirl when I grow up anymore!"

"you dont?"
"nope, I wana be a republin!" "they get to throw ballons in the house!!"

"Thats great baby, but if you are a republican, you can still be what ever you want to be"
"So I can still be a hunter and be a republin?, or a princess?, or a cowgirl? "

"Yes, you can. Heck Bertha Sue, you can even be President. "
"then can I boss the boys around?"
"sure, but you might have to give them a pardon first"
and with that she went back to dancin. Hey, if all it takes is some balloons and confetti being thrown to get my kids involoved in politics then I am ALL for it!

They have actually watched most of the RNC with us. ANd they watched the DNC. They have questions, and we answer them as best we can. They dont necisarily know this is a ground breaking year, but they know that its important. And amazingly enough they ask important questions.

Anyway, that was this afternoon while we were watching the DVR. This morning was NOT alot of fun.
5:30 came WAY too early. The alarm was going off right as BR walked in the door. I had to wake up the kids. They were NOT all excited.. But there were no tears. They had laid out their clothes last night, so they just put them on and came in here and sat down. I had to make them get up and brush their teeth, then I let them go back to sleep. And I did too. The alarm was set for snooze, so it kept waking me up. In less than 4 minutes BOTH kids were dressed and ready to go.
But alseep.
At 6:10 we headed down to the hiway. I made Brett get a Dr Pepper. I never let my kids have cokes. Sprite yes, Cokes NO. But this morning I fiqured they would need one. So we loaded up and headed down. They drank the whole DR pepper between them. It was a 16 oz bottle and they had it gone in 2 minutes. I didnt even get drink! LOL

I came back home and Bow was wired. I did get him to settle down so I could take a little nap. Then Rayley woke up. So I gave up. I started cleaning up. I wasnt doing any laundry. While the boys room got searched last night for Matts belt I had found quite a bit of laundry. So they were going to have to do laundry when they got home.
At 10:30am the phone rang. It was the school. The subsitute assistant principal was calling. To tell me that Matt was in her office. I was afraid of this. He was up all night, got less than 5 hours of sleep and doesnt do well when he is tired. He is my child that will ask me if he can go to bed. He has always been this way. Very few things interest him enough to keep him awake past his bedtime.

But she assured me he wasnt in trouble. Instead he was in her office cause he wasnt wearing a belt. I told her I was aware he wasnt wearing a belt, I had written a note to his teacher this morning explaining that I couldnt find it. I was still looking. Well she went on to explain it was the dress code. I told her I realized that, but fiqured it was best to come on to school and learn, then to worry about a belt. I asked her if his pants were dragging below his rear. No, he looked real nice. a starched shirt, clean and starched jeans. A fresh hair cut. (this is a weekly occourance, and its not just cut, its shaved. to the scalp, except on the very top). I asked her what she wanted me to do. COuld I bring him a belt.
UMMMM NO. I couldnt. I dont have one. I cant afford one this week, and I live 20 plus miles from town!
But I did her one better, I offered to just come and get him.

I got both Rayley and Bow up and got them dressed, hair brushed, and ready to go. I had to get dressed too. This did NOT make me happy.

As I was walking out the door she called back. Sorry she had upset me. She would even aquire a belt for matt. That is NOT what I wanted. I would find a way to get him a belt. I just wanted to find the 25.00 cowboy belt he already has. He just had it a week ago. She begged me to let him stay. Why I am not sure. He had already made it to 10:00. thats the cut off for being counted there and them getting paid for his attendance. (convient that I didnt get teh phone call till 10:30). She stressed how she wanted him there to learn. I told her I did too. But last time I checked wearing a belt was not condusive to learning. and the fact that she had him and a dozen other kids lined up outside her office from the start of the school day until then was not exactly teaching them anything.

I am not disputing that the kid needs to follow the dress code. But there was MUCH better ways to go about this.
1.) Give him a warning. and then call me. But leave him in class
2.) Call me and remind me that he needs a belt, but dont interupt his class time

dont make these kids sit outside, like criminals because they dont have on a belt. There was over a dozen of them. I talked to a friend who had seen them. When I called her she KNEW what I was calling about. They had sat out there from the time of the Friday Pep Rally being over before 9 till after 10:30.

I also informed her that I wasnt happy about all the homework last night. She tried to give me the crap about knowing it was hard cause the kids were still on a summer schedule, and the week out cause of the huricanne didnt help. My kids DIDNT get off schedule cause of the huricanne. they still went to bed at 8. My kids got off because the teachers expected them to do 5 days worth of work in ONE night. Less than 3 hours as a matter of fact.

I also told her that I am VERY picky about what my children wear, and they had been wearing belts to school every day LONG before it was part of the dress code that they tuck in their shirts and wear a belt. That they dont get to wear T shirts EXCEPT on friday, and have ALWAYS tucked in their shirts. She agree'd that he did look nice, and then told me that she understood kids loosing stuff. Cause just last night she had driven to walamrt at 10:00 just to buy her nephew who is living with her a belt. Cause he had already lost his.
Well, I am glad that she is able to
1.) afford to buy something on a whim. AND the gas to go and get it
B.) doesnt have 4 kids that she has to take everywhere with her cause she is the only one at home at 10 at night and
3.) lives close enough to consider a trip to walmart as a 'quick trip'.

But I cant.

I agree'd to leave Matt at school. But only cause BRett had gotten Bulldog of the week. and if I pick up one, I have to pick up the other. And he was the big man is his class today so I didnt want to disturb him. PLUS I have dealt with these kids for over a week. when they should have been in school. If I brought him home I would have a tired, whiney kid on my hands. And since it was the teachers who wanted that homework done, they should have to put up with them.

But I went on to town. Went to the western store, woke up both kids and got them out, went in, found the belts, and got Matt a new belt. Loaded the kids back up, drove to the school, got the kids BACK out having to rewake Bow, walked in, NICELY put it on the desk, and wisely decided NOT to ask to speak to the principal, had it sent to his class, and took the kids BACK out, strapped them BACK in, MUCH to Bow's displeasure, and drove home. That is 1/4 of a tank of deisel. around 6 gallons, a new belt and wasted time. Because a BELT was keeping my child from learning. On the 8th day of school.

I do plan to speak to the acting principal when I go in for my PTA meeting. Our regular principal is out sick, so our assistant has taken over her job, wth a retired principal coming in to work in her position.

I try very hard to make sure my children respect the rules, and dont make a fool of me. I work very hard at the schools. Spending my time and money to help them. I am one of the VERY few volunteers up there. And honestly, I think part of the reason we dont have more is because of the way they treat parents. They are so tired of having to deal with stupid crap that they dont even want to come up and better the school for their children. I dont expect special treatment for my children because of it. I really dont. When they are bad, bust them for it. But you need to think before you waste the time and money of the parents for something so trivial as a belt. His pants were NOT down around his knees. he was very nicely dressed, he just didnt have a peice of leather wrapped around his waiste.

I havent decided yet what we are going to do when one of them looses their belt again. I know it will happen. Its inevitable. I have 2 options. A.) tie a peice of twine around his waiste and send another note.
OR 2.) keep him home, and write a note stating:
"Please excuse Matt/Brett for missing school yesterday, He was unable to learn due to the lack of a belt. We have since located it and therefor he was qualified to return to school."

Of course this will result in an unexcused absense. But thats okay. They already get one a year. On Presidents day. I refuse for them to go to school that day.


The Boys did come home and do a load or two of laundry. Nothing major, Towells and socks. And Brett was VERY proud of his Bulldog of the week award. I am too. Last year he got it at the very end of the year. I fiqure it was given to him then 'cause you are supposed to give each child the honor at least once. I am hoping that this time he earned it. He has gotten a few complement tickets. Those are tickets you get for doing something nice and you get to turn them in for a prize.

Oh and According to the 'cone of uncertainty' Huricanne Ike is headed into the gulf. I am guessing enough of the media prayed or sold their souls that it has changed course and is headed for the New Orleans area. Unfortunatly, we are JUST CLOSE enough that if it gets off course just a little bit, we could be hit. Not a good thing..