Where have YOU been?

Well, let's see.

I know, I've missed you too. It's not you, it's me. Actually, it's BLOGGER, which seems to crash a lot the last couple of days (usually, when I want to post.)

I had a few of my PTA partners in crime (oooh, that just sounds bad) over on Monday night. I ran around cutting up some fresh fruit and thawing bonbons and making sure I had a cooler of soda & wine on the deck. They ate almost nothing. The funny part was Mr. C had assisted in cleaning the ENTIRE house (why do you think I invite people over? works every time) and these women literally walked in the front door and out onto the deck and stayed there the entire night. It was a working meeting, so I can understand, but.... isn't that always the way?

Tuesday was this year's Dance Recital/dress rehearsal. I help my friend take portaits of all of the little darlings. You recall, last year, I ranted about Moms who try to use our backdrops. You know, "girls, stand here and I'll take your picture". Um, no, sorry, but you can let them stand there and I will take their picture. You pay me. That's how this works. The owner of the dance school did not rent our backdrop. She allowed us to come and sell our photographs but she's not giving us any fee. This year I actually got into it with one of the Moms.

Most people PURCHASE the group shot of their little darling's tap class, for $8. But a few people stand right behind the photographer and try to shoot a quick one with their digital camera. Dammit. I do not go into your home and help myself to your stuff!! What I typically do (at the request of the photographer who owns the business) is remind the Moms when they whip their cameras out while we're getting a group lined up on the backdrop, that our
company's policy is that they not take photos on our backdrop. There are several signs posted to that effect that we politely point to. (Let me point out that a professional photographer's backdrop costs in the neighborhood of five to eight HUNDRED dollars. OK? )

SO I said my usual "Ladies, please, I need to ask you not to take pictures of the girls while they're on our backdrop" and this one bitch wheeled around and said "You don't have to yell at us." I looked her straight in the eye and said "Ma'am, I'm not yelling at anyone." At this point I flashed back to my father who would often pound his fist on the table and shout "I'm not yelling!" -- but anyway. I actually was NOT yelling. Some of you who "really know
me" have seen me pissed. I was actually amused, for the most part.

She went on and on, "yes you are, you've been yelling at people and being very rude all night and lots of people are talking about it." Kiss my curvy ass, lady, you're the one being rude right now. It was kind of funny because I'd actually only done my "please don't" thing twice the entire evening.

I then pointed out that "Ma'am, I'm just doing my job." She went on and on about how she's paying good money for photographs, and I said "then why do you need to take that picture? You will get one group photo free with any package purchased, and the photographers are just trying to earn a living, you know." At this point I was annoyed. I have to admit she did push my buttons a little bit.

Well, she asked if I owned the company. I smiled and said "I do not." The owner, who I have known since 7th grade, was standing next to me. The woman asked for her business card. (Why??? So she could call and yell some more??? D'oh.) Liz pointed out that her phone number is on all of the order forms. At that the woman stormed away. Bye now.

Last year I had someone argue with me but she at least has the class to come back a while later and say "You know, I'm really sorry, I was wrong, and I apologize." This one never did. I'm losing SO much sleep over it. Snicker. Incidentally, she still hasn't called Liz.

TIM MCGRAW AND FAITH HILL are going to be singing up in my neck of the woods soon and I'm going to make the trek with my sister. I can't freaking wait. I am bringing my daughter as a reward for her hard work all year. The school year is almost over and it has been grueling. She does homework from 3:30 to 5:30 each day and often has a test to study for after dinner. This is after being up at 6:30 to get to school by 8, home at 3. In addition she had a substantial amount of homework over Christmas, Easter, and Spring breaks, as well as most weekends. I feel like she has this giant monster on her back and she hasn't had any respite since September.

We are actually right on the edge as to whether she will pass science or not, but she did get a good grade on "the skeleton" test. It was a 96!!! Yehah! It is clear, however, that we are bound for the IEP path once again. We are currently undergoing the process of getting things in place so that she will receive assistance next year. In order to do what we need, she has to have the label of "learning disabled" and I recognize that it's necessary, but it makes me sad. As if I (or anyone else) were to blame for the complications during her birth (if they are even the cause... and we'll never really know.)

She has so many talents, and yet there are concepts she has extreme difficulty with, and it breaks my heart to see from the discouraged look on her face sometimes that she thinks she's stupid. I see her working so hard, day in and day out, trying and trying to complete the mountains of work she has, and never giving up, even though sometimes she will come home with a failing grade anyway. I never have to discipline her to get her to sit down and do her
work. But 75 is a passing grade, and sometimes she just doesn't quite make that.

She is an avid reader with good comprehension and uses voculary slightly above the average child in her grade, but when it comes to putting that to paper, she struggles with grammar and spelling and dropped words. She is quite good at solving math equations accurately, but has trouble deciphering a word problem to figure out what the necessary math equation should be.

She sings like an angel, and knows exactly what needs to be done on the altar when she serves at mass. She is unfailingly kind and protective of her little brother, and helped take care of Sicky without any complaint or disruptive behavior. But she can't tell time, and she is eleven now. I have blamed this on various things (my own laziness and bad parenting, a preponderance of digital clocks, etc.) and it doesn't help matters that a quarter of a dollar is 25 cents,
but a quarter of an hour is 15 minutes, and when you look at the clock the hand will be on the 3 but it really means 15 because you have to think "5, 10, 15" in your head. It's effed up. She just doesn't understand it.

There are a number of other "perceptual based performance issues" (educator speak) that she has including difficulty with things like jigsaw puzzles and orienting herself to get from point A to point B. I am hoping to arrange it so that she stays after school to meet with the people who are going to be providing assistance to her. I don't want her to miss regular classes OR band/choir so I am hoping that all works out.

I guess I'm writing about all of this because I am stewing over how to explain to her what we're going to be doing. I'm not sure I want her to ever know about the label. I don't know what the "right" thing is.

Hopefully this won't be as bad as when we held her back to repeat first grade. Kids can be so cruel.