Last night was Meet the Teacher Night. It went well. Mike's new teacher was great, everything he said she was. Nice, pretty and smart. I think he is going to have an awesome 3rd grade year. Cowgirl and I are class moms so who's happier than our two fellas?

Having said that...taking a step back and observing (because that's what I do and especially now being a blogger..because EVERYONE is fair game!) the parents I must say were well...ew (profound I know, I know).

First walking into the school I felt like it was walking the Red Carpet...who was parked out front in their new shiny fill-in the-blank...BMW, Mercedes what have you. Not that I am hating on the fancy cars I want one too...but I am not going to park it practically in the front door so it/I can be "seen".

We were greeted by the Superintendent and various BOE members at the door. I have no problem with that. They know me and hubby by name mainly because they are parents too and our kids are friends and cause I am involved.

But I could feel the looks burning the back of my head as they kissed me hello and welcomed us back to school (loudly may I add). I was starting to expect a glass of champagne and a goody bag with designer makeup in it as a favor.  I also thought that maybe my top and capris had me under dressed...perhaps I should have opted for the gold sequin gown and diamonds. I digress...sorry. I genuinely like them as people. I am not a kissy kissy person. So I don't kiss just anyone hello. So Parent, instead of right away thinking I am a kiss ass (and I only air kissed the side of their face..thank you) why don't you think why noboby you who think is important knows you? Don't be giving me looks 'cause I can give you a look that would burn through your head.

Instead of walking the red carpet hoping to be seen, how about you go into the auditorium and listen to the principal or God forbid the PTA President. (a gig I will NEVER consider in this school by the way) Or go to the art room or library and say hi to the librarian? Oh I forgot the librarian is not on the who's who silly me. No, the "in" teacher who your kid had back in 2nd grade is much more important to be seen with and talk to while parents of kids he has NOW need to talk with him.

If you are not going to go into the auditorium and listen to the principal, which is fine, then can you NOT stand right at the door talking and laughing REALLY loud like you are at a cocktail party. (or the Oscar after party for example). Why don't you sign up for a lousy committee while you are cocktailing? Yes those blank sheets that are sitting there on the table are for you. Sign up for a lousy hour at the Holiday Boutique. Not really a big deal. Yes I understand some of you "work" (not like lazy me) then sign up to make a friggin' salad for the Staff Appreciation luncheon.. you can handle that.

When we are in the classroom and the teacher is speaking to us about what is going on this year with YOUR kid's classroom can you NOT talk amongst yourselves? I am embarrassed and I am not even the one talking over the teacher. Seriously.

Can we remember why we are there at MTT night? Yes, we can all go out for drinks in town afterwards but for the duration of it can we pay attention and be respectful? I try to. Maybe that's why I got handed a glass of champagne when I walked in. Cheers.

Yeah I have them. I am counting down the days. I am anxious about next week and we only have two days of school.

This summer has not been my favorite. It definitely wasn't the most fun one we have had. No exciting vacations. Very hot weather. It's been just ok. But still I am not in a hurry for it to end.

School supply shopping which is usually something I like to do, is on my last nerve this year. I apparently will have to sell a kidney to get a yellow composition notebook. The school supply list is very short this year since the schools are providing a lot of supplies. Great. So getting red, green, yellow, black & white marble compostition notebooks shouldn't be such a big deal. Well it's turning out to be.

Found them in July in Target. They were college ruled. No good. Went to Staples last week. They are out of colored composition notebooks. OUT OF THEM???? School starts next week. You are an office/school supply store? Seriously?
They have some...some yellow as a matter of fact. Yellow with pink flowers. You tell my tough guy 3rd grader he is taking a flowered notebook to school and let me know how that goes.

Which makes me ask? Do they only design school supplies around girls? There are five million peace-signed, flowered, be-dazzled notebooks. What about the boys? They don't want flowers or "I Heart my BFF" on their notebooks. I am all for girl power. I have my membership card. But what about the boys? They should be able to have a cool notebook or two as well. They don't want pencils with cutesy smiley faces on them.

Found what I thought was a red notebook in CVS today. Mike says it's pink and it's not coming to school with him. Ugh. I don't blame him. In the light of day it's pink.

And his dam backpack that I ordered two weeks ago that said IN STOCK...is apparently back ordered. 'Til when I do not know. I will be calling them today you can be sure. So now what he has to go to school with last year's backpack? Are you trying to give me apoplexy? Do they want my head to blow off my shoulders? AAACK!

So all this crap to worry about now is pain. I am enjoying waking up and not knowing for few seconds what day it is...realizing there's not much going on for a few hours...flipping the pillow over to the cool side to get in a few more winks.

Oh and it's September already. But I like September. I am going to try to enjoy it more this year. I always look at it as the end of summer...but it's really one of the most beautiful months in these here parts.

Jenn's two cents:  I got you covered - I bought two sets of colored notebooks in July - you are welcome to the yellow and red if needed - no stress - my new motto! I am happy to get back to routine but sad to see summer go...I am not looking forward to early morning wake-up calls or crabby kids who won't get out of bed.

Today is voting day for our school budget.  It is one of those things that happens every year.  People gripe and complain about their taxes going up.  The senior citizens in our community gather in force to try to vote it down. This year it is more important for it to pass than fail.  Our local administrators have done a remarkable job in keeping the rate down. To vote No would end up costing us more money than to vote Yes.  It doesn't make sense, I know, but the contingency budget is higher than the proposed budget. Exercise your constitutional right and go out and vote. 

Our state and federal government are failing our children.  Cutting school aid is like rationing food and water. Education is what makes the world-go-round.  We need our children to grow-up with some kind of background knowledge.  With skills that can make them valuable assets to the work force.  School was different when I was a kid.  We didn't have hours of homework every day or monumental projects.  We focused more broad knowledge and less on geometry.  I could name the capital of every state and draw a map of the US in 4th grade - I remember I hated that project - but I still remember most of capitals which impresses my kids when they ask. So much of the work my kids bring home now, I know they won't use.  It is great my daughter knows everything there is to know about ancient Greece and Rome? Sure.  Will she use this knowledge later in life? Unless she becomes a historian, I don't think so. What she does need to know are her times tables - something we use everyday in life - and something which is no longer taught the way we learned.  In third or fourth grade, I remember spending  time every day in the classroom repeating the times tables.  We did this until everyone in the classroom knew them by heart.  Now we get a letter home in third grade asking us to practice at home with our child. Penmanship is no longer taught - another life skill out the window.  My kids spent three weeks on script in fourth grade. My eighth grader prints faster than he writes script.  My sixth grader has to look at a letter chart to remember how to form her letters in script.  I am working with my second grader on my own. Spelling is another thing we have lost to this generation.  Spelling doesn't count!  It is no longer a graded curriculum.  It's not on the report card!  Are  you kidding me?  I think the only reason I spell as well as I do is all the weekly spelling bees at school and all the hours of writing our words ten times each - until 8th grade I can remember doing this.  But times change and needs change.  I hope our educators know what they are doing.

I am going to step off my soapbox now - I didn't know I had all that in me - and go and vote.  

Cara's two cents: I voted this morning. I am hoping the rain keeps the seniors home, with their coach bus. I never want to smack an elderly person until this day. They don't get it. They want to be able to sell their homes in the near future, the ones that they paid $35,000 for in the year of the flood for $600G or better then they need to get a clue. A town without a good school district brings down the property value.  I will be back again tonight to let Mike vote for school spirit day and hear my Diva sing. A great idea our town does to get the parents out to vote. Keeping my fingers crossed. Austerity is a drag.

No more pencils, no more books. Well, not true. I would take a book...at the beach, with a cup of coffee and my feet in the sand. Aaaaahhhh......

Jenn's two cents: So over homework and state tests and projects and now comes regents and finals AAhh - just hurry up and be done so we can get on with summer!

Since Mae moved to her new ballet school 35 minutes away, we have had a lot of togetherness. Driving each way 5 days a week gives us a lot of time. A LOT OF TIME together. Mae thinks all this time needs to be spent talking. She hasn't learned the art of just sitting and being. I am thinking its probably a good thing because I am hearing about all sorts of things we never really discussed before. Some of it silly school stuff and some of it more life related questions. Sometimes though those deep discussions are hard in the car. I am trying to concentrate on the road and she is asking me the meaning of life. Other times she is asking me history or math questions that I can't possibly answer without google - it has been a lot of years since I was in middle school. I don't remember my Greek Mythology. It kinda sucks when your kid knows something you don't.

Competition and School are much different than when I was a kid. The math my kids are doing in 6th and 8th grade is math I did in H.S. and college. Even my 2nd grader is being taught differently - same concept different words and layout. A lot of what they learn they won't use in the real world - I don't tell them that. A lot of what they need to learn they aren't being taught. Spelling is no longer a graded subject in our school district. In fact, it isn't even required curriculum. My two older children are terrible spellers - my youngest is headed in the same direction. Spelling is an afterthought - because of computers and spell check. The problem is that spell check sees words not context - so it will not catch if there, their or they're is spelled correctly but used in the wrong context. It won't catch super if you meant supper. Mae recently had a reading log come home and there were several misspellings - because her teacher doesn't check for spelling. I want my kids to be able to spell. This is important. It is the same with times tables - my kids are expected to learn it at home. I remember sitting in the classroom continually repeating my times tables - we did this everyday for a year - first thing in the morning and it worked. My kids struggle with their times tables because they are allowed to use calculators once they get to 5th grade. I know times have changed since I was a kid - big changes - I guess I liked the "old" ways better.

From Hello Cupcake cookbook.Sam and friends spent all day making these over the summer!