Calamity Days: Are we raising soft kids?

Most of the nation is in calamity day central.  This morning it was -10.8 F.  Now that is cold!  Add a windchill warning that is over at noon TOMORROW and we'll just say, the nose hairs are sticking together rather efficiently when breathing in through the nostrils while outside.

I have to ask though, are we raising soft children?

The first days of January gave us three days off in a row.  The first two days were beyond cold.  We were at -12 F.  I get it.  Too cold to go out.  On the third day, many school districts were out not because of the cold specifically, but because the buses wouldn't start.  Now, I'm thinking that if buses hadn't been started in over 2 weeks that someone would have the forethought to go start them BEFORE school was due back in session that next day.  Alas, they did not and that error chopped off another calamity day.

We didn't have school Friday.  They said it was cold and while it was cold, it wasn't non-functional.  We had no school yesterday.  When I went to work, it was 30 degrees.  It started lowering, but by the time the kids would have gotten out of school, it was still 20.  (Yes, I know.  Add a windchill reading to that.)  At any rate, in our area, these kids could have gone to school those two days.

Our children haven't been to school for a full week since the week before Christmas break started.

I was speaking to the retired principal of K's elementary.  I told him that I thought we were raising soft kids and he agreed.  When we went to school, we went regardless.

There was snow to my waist and we went.  We didn't call off unless the city that I'm currently living in called off and they never called off.  If they called off, you knew that it was a don't-leave-your-house day.  Throw whatever you have in a pot for soup and hope for the best.

If it was cold, you just put on more layers.

I remember being on 2 hour delay once because we had an ice storm while the leaves were still on the trees.  Much of the city was without power, but we still went to school.

Even Kent State didn't call off when we had a shooter running around.  They also didn't call off when it was -25 F (-50 F with windchill.)  They delayed classes.  You know what?  We survived it.

The suburbs have busing.  The kids go from their house to the bus to the building.  They have very little outdoor exposure.  25% of our kids are bussed.  Very few kids walk.  (We don't when it is this cold.)  Most are driven to school in warm cars and dropped within 15 - 20 feet from the door to a geothermal heated building.

We went to school in the heat.  It was hot and we weren't allowed to wear sandals or flip flops or shorts.  The windows were opened and the janitor mowed the lawn as you were trying to learn.  We survived, yet there are times that schools are closed because the AC is out.

Now obviously, there are different conditions for everything.  Acceptable road conditions for NE Ohio are different than in Williamsburg.  Acceptable cold is different in NE Ohio than it is in Georgia.

It just seems that the schools are bowing to the worry that they will be sued by parents who are afraid that their kids might get a little cold or a little sweaty.

Use calamity days.  Use them when needed.  Use weather forecasts.  However, be reasonable with it. At this rate, our kids will be in school until July.

ETA:  We have tomorrow off, too.  Right now at 8:30 PM, it is - 1.5 F and it is only getting colder.

Meet Leia.

She's around here somewhere.  

 She's under here.

 There she is.

 Come on, Leia.

 Maybe this toy will coax her out.

 Ahhhh.

 "I love my people.  I just like to keep them on their toes."

Speaking of toes, she happens to be polydactyl.  (She has 6 toes on each of her front feet rather than the usual 4.)  It makes her sort of a Hemingway cat.  He had a fondness for the polydactyls.  Though the only true Hemingway cats live at his residence in Key West.  There are about 60 of them.  

Kitty scratches.  Ahhhh.

So, who is Leia?  Leia (formerly known as Betsie) is a 9 month old tuxedo kitten that we adopted from a local Pet Smart.  She is very bendy.  We are used to a lethargic 12 1/2 pound Maine Coon.  She is not 12 1/2 pounds.  She is not lethargic.  She is not a biter.  She is a licker.  She'll lick you to death.  She is a climber.  Smudge was not a climber.  She was a defiant pooper.  She was a horrible biter.  Frankly, Smudge was not a good cat at all.

Leia is quite an extreme switch for us.

She's still trying to find her way.  She's trying to make herself comfortable.  We sat together as a family last night and hand fed her.  All Hubs wanted for his birthday to have some good quality family bonding time with Leia.  That seemed to really help.  While we slept, Leia ate the entire bowl of food, drank half a bowl of water, knocked down a gate, a Christmas center piece, a bunch of stuff off the top of the work bench and had herself squirreled away in between the floor joists of the basement ceiling.

She had a busy night.  The previous morning, Hubs found her in one of the work bench drawers.  Inside the drawer.  Only the black fur of the tail hung out to give indication of where she was at.

She is stealth-like.  She is super quiet, except that we did put a bell on her.  With all of the adventures she had last night, I'm surprised that none of us woke up.

She's starting to warm up to the family.  She's starting to feel at home.  I think it'll all be okay.  :)

Accidental private swimming lessons.

Every year, we sign K up for swimming lessons at the local university.  This year her level of swimming was at the same time on Saturdays that she has archery.

Now that wasn't going to work.

For the first time, we consented to a sport during the week with the stipulation that all homework must be accomplished before going-- without issue-- and that there be no drama.

Well, yesterday was a rough start. 

We assembled for dinner, had a discussion about the days events and we've nailed it down to grief at the loss of yet another hamster (Oreo died on Monday, even though he was a baby we waited for and we had him less than a month) and the fact that K has a touch of something-- a rotten stomach ache, but nothing else-- and that she needs to soldier on.  

We arrived at the pool.  Lessons were to start in 5 minutes.  3 ladies were sprawled across the bleachers that are big enough to hold 21 people.  I put the swim bag down on a small square and said to K, "I'm just going to put our things here."  One lady moved over 6 ".  Nice.  Another older lady barks at me and says, "Is she in level 5?!"  

"Yes."  

"Well, they are looking to change the class."

"I didn't get an e-mail.  Are they canceling?  I didn't know."

"Well I didn't get an e-mail either, but they are looking at changing the class to [35 minutes before the scheduled time].  That's okay with you, right?"

"Um, no."

She looked stunned.

"Ma'am, we work."

She now looked ticked.

K wanted to go on over to the lane and I went with her.  Her instructor introduced herself to me, but was kind of back-peddling.  Apparently, she had started the lesson 35 minutes prior to our arriving on time for our scheduled block for class.  

"Hi.  I'm K's mom and I had a lady over in the stands kind of momming everyone and wondered, is the class time changing?" 

"I'm M and we need to talk about class times, but we can do that after class.  You can go upstairs to pay for the class and well, normally people sign up and don't show up and . . . well, I started class about 35 minutes ago and I need to see what I'm going to do."

"M, I understand.  I can't do an earlier time because both of us work and my husband works [a far ways away] and this truly is the time block we can do.  I know that you started the lesson already and unfortunately, if it can't be at this time, we can't do it.  I'm sorry for that, but if K is to do lessons, then I'm hoping that she gets the 45 minute block we're assigned to, because we were here in time for the lesson and it is scheduled to go from [this time to that time]."

Grandma came back over and haggled a bit with M.  I felt bad for M, but no notice was given and we were there at our allotted time slot and ready to go.

Before paying, I confirmed that the time would remain as advertised.  After class, M told me that she'll just hold two private lessons.  K will get her own because the other lady (Grandma) has children scheduled for two back-to-back 45 minute sessions, leaving her to sit for an hour and a half.  

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Grandma knew that when she signed the kids up or was told that by their parents.  

So there you have it.  My child gets private swim lessons twice a week for a month for $50 total.  Hooray!

Incidentally, when Grandma left, she totally snubbed us.  I can't wait to see how her attitude improves over the next month.  

A Sunday School surprise.

Each of us received a copy of this with a post-it on the front listing some pages that specifically referred to things that she knew about us. Sheila's post-it to me listed the different adoption pages.  I told her that I would have read them then, but it would make me cry.  Such a thoughtful gift!  Such a wonderful personalized gift.

Sheila and her husband are both retired principals.  Her husband was the previous principal of K's elementary.  Sheila was raised Quaker and her father was a minister.  I know that Mr. G was raised in a very Christian household, too.

She is on my list to send a thank you.  What a wonderful thing for her to do for all of us.

:)

Disjointed chicken wings and other odd foodstuffs.

Do people really think when they label packages?  I mean, I'm all for telling it like it is, but you might want to soften things a bit when labeling "disjointed chicken wings."  I don't like chicken wings.  I've had them once and they were as I thought-- a lot of work and a waste of time with a lot of licking on parts that I'm not fond of licking and chewing on.  Still, the "disjointed" label would not entice me to purchase them even if I were considering retrying chicken wings.  Yuck.

You see, when I go to the store and find odd things such as this, Rachael is my text victim.  World Market is a treasure trove, as is the Bent and Dent down in Amish Country.

I've sent her a photo of Liver Pudding.

I've sent her a photo of Spotted Dick, because the thought took me to giggle like a 12 year old.  I know, real mature.

My coworker eats Digestives.

K likes Yan Yan, but Hello Pandas are her favorite.  We find those at Target in the dollar aisle and I make her sing through the store for them.  She'll always sing for Hello Pandas!

What about Happy Hippos?  I think I'll have to find some of those.  They just look too delightful to pass up!

Tabasco Spicy Chocolate?  Yuck.

There's always Vegemite.  I've heard that it is something that if you aren't from Australia, you just wouldn't understand.  I'm kind of glad that I don't understand it.

Tomato paste.  Literally.  Paste.  In a tube.

Olives stuffed with anchovies?  They are available in a can!

Vine leaves stuffed with rice?  Those come in a can, too.  Wow.  Who would have thought?

Mini Wini.  Needs no other explanation.

Currywurst.  Huh.

Wasabi Seaweed Snacks.  An 8 count pack.

Do share your weird foodness.  Any goofy things that you've spotted?  Come on Heidi, you have odd sodas to add to the list!  I know!  ;)

PTA: The changing of the guard.

I, in all of my craziness, agreed to be PTA president two years ago.  I have 6 more months of presidency before I hand it off to another individual.

I'm really quite okay with that.

Two board members have taken on double board responsibilities this year.  Our recording secretary has also taken care of corresponding secretary duties.  Though it is unadvertised, I have been doing the responsibilities of the 2nd VP, which is creating, printing and distributing the monthly newsletter. Just the other night, I spent 5 hours typesetting it.

Obviously, I've also been doing the president gig, but also membership chair, co-chair of Birthday Book Club, co-chair of Scholastic Book Fairs, Red Ribbon Week chair, 100 Book Challenge chair, Garden Fair chair and the chair of the non-perishable food drive that benefits the area food bank that benefits many of our northeast Ohio food pantries.  I've helped with Santa Shop.  I've helped with 5th grade concessions during Santa Shop despite not having a 5th grader.

My reasoning for giving that laundry list is not to get some gold pin, but to illustrate that at some point, you must have "the birth of no."  You see someone vacating, no one steps up and you think, "Gee, that won't take very long."  It always takes longer than you thought.  You say yes to a bunch of little things and in the end, your head is spinning and you don't know which end is up.

We have what appears to be a mass exodus from our PTA board.  I just printed and distributed the latest edition of our school newsletter.  I just can't wait to see the reaction when people find out that 6 of 8 positions are open.  I did have a board member tell me last night that one of our PTA members asked why we were leaving the positions.  "Well, most of us have children that are on the edge of aging out."  "So."  Excuse me?

We have advertised that the board members are happy to be advisors to those taking the vacancies.  We've also said that we are having chair shadowing positions next year so that we may be able to efficiently hand over the PTA to a new group of volunteers.  We also have current board members that are looking at the possibility of shuffling on to beefier positions, while vacating the positions that are easier to get green members to take.

We are not doing a service to the PTA if we don't have a progressive hand-off.  Our PTA is 260+ members (though probably only 35-40 are truly regularly "active") for a school of 530+ kids.  We have 60+ staff members.  We have a lot of people who depend upon us to carry out what we've promised and even if that is just having Popcorn Fridays, it is something that we have obligated ourselves to and we will carry that out.

I think that the PTA is a grand organization.  At least in my experience at K's school, we really try to adhere to the Mission of the PTA:

To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children.  To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children.  To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.  

You'll always fall into the 80/20 rule no matter where a volunteer organization is concerned.  (80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.)  No matter what you do and no matter how you handle it, I've come to the conclusion that there will always, ALWAYS be someone dissatisfied.  Usually, the ones who feel that their child has been slighted are the very same individuals I haven't seen or heard from all year other than to complain.  Good times.

I pray that people will come forward.  They have to.  Many of us are burned out from being on board for so many years.  We have worked hard on avoiding the notion of (P)arents (T)o (A)void.  I just hope that people see that.

The Valentine Rag Wreath

Take two fabrics that definitely don't go together in regard to theme.  (An Asian inspired fabric and cherries.)  Go for only color, cut into strips and voila!  A Valentine's wreath for all of $1.74.  Hooray! 

Never mind that I need to fluff a little at the top right, but from the back, you can see that everything is pretty tight to make it a really full wreath.  It took a few hours and a scant amount of materials.  It makes me happy.  A pink wreath on the door with snow all around.  Not a bad thing!