Workus Interruptus

Dear Fellow County School Workers (at my son’s school),

Allow me to start by thanking you for calling me today to come get my son, your student, from school today. I understand that he was not feeling well, and that he wasn’t doing much in the way of work. It makes me feel good that your concern for him is so great that when he starts doing less work, you feel the need to call me right away, and implore me to come collect my son so that he may recuperate at home, away from the other students, so as not to infect them with his non-work ethic (and his cold). We are truly blessed that you have such concern for us.

However, did you forget the rule I made that said you don’t call me unless he is dying? Unless he’s coughing up that lung, and you can see it, don’t call me. No blood being spilled? Great! Don’t call me. He tells you he’s seeing double? Look around for twins before you call me, okay? Unless you are calling me to meet the ambulance at the hospital, there should really be no reason I get called out of class to come get my son. Well, unless there is projectile vomit. Then I can make an exception.

You know how hard it is for you to leave your classroom to go get your child when someone calls you? Well, your employer is my employer and even though we are at different locations; the rules still apply. You should have realized this the last time you did this to me and I couldn’t pick him up for several hours. It’s not easy to get coverage in my line of work (you should know this all too well). Oh, and did I mention there is usually a good chance I’m leaving someone in the lurch and calling in a favor just to get out the door? Yep. I’ll be smooching someone’s behind for today, I assure you.

So, in the future if he is coughing and not doing his work, but still able to sit quietly in class… prop the boy up (those binders pull double duty, don’t they?) and let him soldier on, for pete’s sake! Or, try to let me know without raising the alarm at my school; (i.e.: having the office staff page me over the loudspeaker; scaring the begeesus out of me.) and as soon as my workday is over I will come and get him. Don’t make me feel like I have to get there rightnow because he is just sitting in class not doing much. I’ll keep him home tomorrow. Just let me get through today, you know?

Of course you do. You’re in education too.

I’m glad we had this little chat.

Remember – cough: keep him; vomit and fever and gaping wounds: I’ll race right over. I’ll even call 911 for you.

Thanks so much.

Sincerely,

Another working parent like yourself

P.S. I’m just kidding. Seriously. But it IS difficult to leave work to pick up your sick child when you work in education. I’m just grateful the staff at my school are AWESOME and help out in a pinch. Thanks, guys! I’m also grateful for the staff at my son’s school; they do take really good care of him. I just had to write this though, and I’m glad I got it off my chest.

A Genius in the Making

(Me, preparing cough medicine for both boys who have been coughing all weekend)

Mom: Scamp, come take this medicine on the counter.

Scamp: Why?

Scamp: COUGH COUGH COUGH COOOUUUGGHHH!!!!

Mom: Well, that might have something to do with it.

Said Much More Eloquently Than I Did

Julie,

Thank you.

“No mother brings a child into the world hoping to give him psychiatric drugs. It is always a last resort, approached in fear and trembling, after research and alternatives and every other intervention have been exhausted. The potential side effects and possible links to dangerous behavior, we know, and we wring our hands over them. We watch vigilantly, we monitor, we seek ongoing professional follow-up.”

“How does it feel to be a mother faced with this alternative: a child who will never fit into society, succeed in school, have friends, or be happy, or a medicated child with a much better shot at success in those areas, yet a slight risk of violence or suicide? Until you’ve faced that modern Sophie’s choice, don’t suppose you know best.

And just because you can point to some success stories involving alternative therapies, don’t assume they’re universal cures.”

Read Julie’s entire piece here. It’s worth the click.

My Child Is Not To Be Feared

Okay, so I’m sure that many of you know the sad situation in Sudbury, Massachusetts at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. A 16 year-old student who has Asperger’s Syndrome and other psychological issues stabbed to death in a school bathroom a 15 year-old student.

This is incredibly tragic. My heart goes out to both families because, well, as a parent of a child with Asperger’s, I am by default stuck in the middle.

But don’t mistake anything, I’m also fighting mad too.

The media is already locking on the fact that the accused has Asperger’s Syndrome and has been on medication for many emotional issues, and need they say more? ; case closed.

Apparently even the Scientologists are getting in on the action too. (Um, guys? Glass Houses; stones. I saw the 48 Hours episode about you and your “methods”, and I’m not at all impressed.)

I can’t begin to tell you how this has affected me. As soon as I read the news, I thought; Great, now all the parents of kids who were in my son’s classes at some point will read this and think back to the time my son was in their child’s class and wonder if my child could have been capable of such a thing. And then they will panic, and go off and speak to administrators to have any child who is mainstreamed with Asperger’s (or other disabilities) removed from the classroom.

All because of this tragic event.

There will be no research, no discussions, just “put them all where they can’t hurt anyone else ever again”. ( I really hope this isn’t the case.)

For the record, my son, who takes several different medications so he can function up to “societal standards”, is not capable of something like this. Simply put, Asperger’s didn’t cause this reaction in this child. Something else did. They need to find out what that thing was.

Yes, Asperger’s makes social situations difficult, but that is only because society makes it difficult; the pressure to constantly be “on”. This situation is not the norm, and the media (or the child’s lawyer) shouldn’t perpetrate the perception that it is. Asperger’s is not an excuse for this act; it cannot be. The reality is that children who have Asperger’s are usually the victim of this type of crime, not the perpetrator. Somehow even mentioning that terrible fact doesn’t make me feel better. No one seems to win in this situation, do they?

I have read about this event to discover that students have mentioned that the perpetrator dressed in a trench coat; similar to the student(s) from Columbine High who shot and killed several of their fellow classmates. They also mention that he spoke of weapons, and killing people. All this, and yet not a single one of them discussed what this child said with a teacher, a parent, or an administrator until after the fact. That scares the hell out of me.

Has the horror of Columbine been so dulled over time that we have forgotten to teach our kids to speak up when they see or hear something that is of concern? Whether this child has AS or not, this behavior deserved reporting to an adult. Once that occurred, the staff that works with him and the administration of the school should have had a meeting to address the allegations and called the parents in to discuss it. A solution could have been reached that might have avoided this tragic event.

This could be armchair quarterbacked all day. But that’s not the thing to do right now.

Right now I need to remind everyone that Asperger’s Syndrome is not the cause of this tragedy.

People who have Asperger’s should not be feared in the mainstream; they should be celebrated because it takes them twice as long to get there as the neurotypical counterparts. They work so hard to be a part of society and play by the rules that their efforts should be applauded. Many people have Asperger’s have gone on to do great things, and changed the world for the better.

So please, when you look at this horrible incident, fear the crime itself and take into account the Asperger’s, but then do some research and understand that it wasn’t the cause. Then, using this tragedy, let’s all work together to make our schools a safe place for all who attend. That is what should happen; what needs to happen.

For my son. For your daughter. For all of us.

We’ve Been Wii’d

Hi!! Still here? I’m SO glad to see you!

So between the sick kid, the migraines, the getting my period every two weeks, and the working, my neighbor (whom I will be nominating for sainthood) lent us his Nintendo Wii for a week.

An entire week! He’s my new favorite person.

I kept looking out the window (with my drapes closed) wondering when he was going to return and re-possess the Wii. In between my paranoia I played some pretty awesome games. My arms hurt from all the bowling my family and I did. It probably didn’t help with all the hours of Zelda: Twilight Princess gametime. This was the most moving we have done with a game system since we brought home DDR Max and stomped on the dance pad for hours on end.

That fad ended quicker than I thought it would. I guess it didn’t help that Scamp wanted to step on the pad while I was trying to dance, confusing the computer, but no matter. It’s in the past.

There’s a Wii to be had.

This past Friday my neighbor took back his Wii. A tear might have been shed. Okay, maybe two. The Hubby took pity on me and offered to go to Toys R Us and buy me one so that I might handle the withdrawal a bit better. That and stop the mournful screaming. Even Scamp woke up Sunday and the first thing he said to his dad was;

“Daddy, can we go get a Wii?”

That boy has earned his sports car when he turns sixteen. Now if only Nintendo would ship out some more of those darn things so Toys R Us can stock them (we may have a few gift cards that are burning a hole in our pockets…) all will be right with the world.

Well. my world anyway.

So, how have you been?

Someone Needs to Come And Calibrate My Work/Life Balance Scale

My eyelids are locking down as I type this, so more on the quickness, less on the making sense:

• Someone tell me why I’m so exhausted every freakin’ day when I get home from work. It’s not like I do anything all day, right? I’m just chasing after a group of kids, teaching them, cheering them on, guiding them….oh, wait…

• I’m well on my way to securing that pension, let me tell you. Nothing says job security than the principal seeing you calling a parent to discuss why their child came home wearing pants that weren’t theirs and the ones that were soaked with urine. Yep, I see a long and happy future with this job.
• The kids love me. I give them recess. They throw rose petals as I walk down the hallways.
• The resolutions are going well. I have many shows on TiVo to watch, and the chances of catching up before the next week’s shows record are slim and none; and slim just left the building.

Must sleep. Will hopefully update more later.

Words I Never Thought I’d Ever Say

There goes the kids’ college funds

At least it will be going to a good cause.

Rumors swirl about possible Police reunion
Source says talks underway for 2007 tour of U.S., Britain
By Jonathan Cohen, Billboard

NEW YORK – Rumors are swirling that the Police will reunite for 2007 dates in England and the United States, which would be the rock trio’s first since disbanding in 1986.

Sources told Billboard.com the reports — in the British press — were legitimate, but they would not publicly comment until final details are nearer to completion. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of “Roxanne,” the single that broke the Police in the United States.“Discussions have been underway as to how this will be commemorated,” reads a post on Sting’s Web site (http://www.sting.com) attributed to a spokesperson at the band’s A&M Records label. “While we can confirm that there will indeed be something special done to mark the occasion, the depth of the band’s involvement still remains undetermined.” Sources say in addition to DVD releases, A&M is planning another multi-disc collection in the vein of 1993’s “Message in a Box,” which featured the band’s complete studio recordings and a handful of rarities.

A Police reunion has been the concert industry’s dream for two decades, as it is believed the band could play stadiums internationally should it choose to reunite. But besides an impromptu set at Sting’s 1992 wedding to Trudie Styler, the Police’s only other post-breakup performance was in celebration of its 2003 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

And while Sting has repeatedly expressed reluctance at reuniting, drummer Stewart Copeland and guitarist Andy Summers have kept the flame alive. This summer, Summers told Billboard he was certain the group could have continued past its 1983 commercial peak with “Synchronicity.”

“The more rational approach would have been, ‘OK, Sting, go make a solo record, and let’s get back together in two or three years,”’ he said. “I’m certain we could have done that. Of course we could have. We were definitely not in a creative dry space. We could have easily carried on, and we could probably still be there. That wasn’t to be our fate. It went in another way. I regret we never paid it off with a last tour.”

© 2006 Billboard

Click here to view the article. (Thanks MSNBC)

Oh my internet friends, THIS is what I wanted for Christmas!

Knowing my luck, they won’t play an arena anywhere near me because that is the kind of relationship Murphy and I have, but no matter. I will go to the closest city just for them. Heck, I’ll even bring The Hubby. Whatever it takes. I’ll be there.

Please, please, please let this be true! According to Sting’s fan club website, something is in the works. Hopefully that something will also happen stateside.

OMG!!!! I feel like I’m fifteen again! I hope this happens! *Squee*

I resolve to break many resolutions..probably even some of these…

I do this every year… I sit down and take stock of the year that has passed and remind myself of the things I wanted to do, then things I DID do, and the things I should have done, and didn’t. Then I crack open a bottle of wine and finish the entire bottle (Hi Laura!) and I forget what I was doing in the first place. Viola!

This year, it’s going to be different. I’m leaving the wine on the counter, I drank my limit during Christmas anyway. YES! (good times…good times) It’s a New Year, and with it comes hope and faith and delusions of grandeur. So in that spirit, I give you:

A Photographic Christmas Journey

Here they are, as promised. Some are blurry, some are amazing, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide which one is which.

A blast was had by all. Enjoy.