Sick of it all around here too.

If you are someone who doesn’t like to hear me gripe and complain, I suggest you go elsewhere for this post.

I’ve spent the whole day working outside, trying desperately to make our yard and driveway look decent…and it just doesn’t matter.  Because I simply can’t do it all myself.  Which means it’s never going to get done.   It’s never going to look nice.

Much less the inside.  The upstairs bathroom is never going to get remodeled, the kitchen will never get redone, and most likely, all the huge heavy junk in the basement is never going to go anywhere.

I could probably get all my cute painting projects done, and sew the curtains I’ve been wanting to do for so long…..but it seems kind of stupid to even bother with that when you’ve got the most white trash looking yard on the block and the bathroom walls are crumbling in.  Still can’t freaking have people over.

And I just don’t have the energy to do it all myself anymore.  Honestly, I don’t have the energy to do anything anymore….can barely make it through a day of normal stuff….much less anything extra.

So why is it I can’t get any help?  I know I’m already in trouble for even thinking this….that I’m going to get the BIG LIST of all the stuff Chris does around here.  Starting with earn the money.  Past that….to be truthful….Jordan does more chores around here than Chris does.  And only because I tell him to.  Why should I have to tell my husband basic things like taking out the trash, or mowing the grass….like he’s a child.  Why can’t he just see that the grass needs mowed and do it?

And worse, if he can’t see it, and I have to ask….why won’t he just freaking do it?  Two weekends ago we were out in the yard.  I’m planting stuff…the other 3 are playing ball.  I mentioned to Chris that he ought to mow the yard and I get some condescending comeback about how he’s playing with the kids.  Wonderful.  That’s nice and good and all.

But the grass doesn’t get cut.  Nor does it get cut any night that week.  The next weekend we go out of town (and we all knew the trip was coming, which is part of the reason why the grass needed cut so bad).  It’s spring.  The grass grows fast.

So that meant I had to go out and cut it.

It sounds stupid, like such a little thing.  But they all add up.  Every little thing just adds up until it gets to be too much.

And there’s the mother’s day thing.  I was too busy the week before our trip with packing and MOPS and soccer stuff to get my mom’s gift in the mail and his mom’s gift over to her.  In fact, they are STILL sitting on my dresser waiting to be dealt with.  Luckily, both of them seem pretty understanding….but that doesn’t change the fact that I still feel like utter CRAP about it.  And then I get even more angry because I know he doesn’t feel the least bit bad about not getting his mom’s gift (that I picked out, bought, and wrapped) over to her.  But I do.  And she’s not even my mom.

I didn’t exactly get anything either….other than some smiles and “Happy Mother’s Day” greetings from the security people at the Museums. We were traveling….so I tried not to expect anything.  Didn’t get anything this week though either.  And last week, like an idiot, I said something stupid like “I’m rescheduling Mother’s Day for next weekend, since we were traveling this weekend”.  Well, you know what I’ll be doing tomorrow morning?  Getting the kids ready for church by myself.  Because Chris is at the church all weekend.

I know…most of this sounds defeatist and irrational.  It probably is.  I see my doctor this week, so hopefully she’ll give me some better pills to fix it.

Or maybe she’ll just come home with me, take out the trash, mow the lawn….maybe she’ll paint a room or something…..and make the bed the right freaking way.

Do you think insurance will cover that?

Still no real closure.

Well, Chris and I went to Jordan’s school Monday morning to talk with the Dean of Students about what happened.

While we were in her office, she was appalled and horrified that one kid would say this to another….and that it would be ignored or brushed off by the bus driver. She agreed that it was bullying, and hate speech, and that since the bus would not deal with it, it would be dealt with at school.

When we left that office, her plan was to call the boys in (one at a time) to make sure the story matched up, then suspend the bully for the rest of the school year. It came as no surprise to her who the culprit was….he’s a frequent flyer in her office. And then she would call me to let me know everything was taken care of.

We felt a little better about that. (Still looking at alternative school options for next year..)

But I got no call from the school that day. And when I picked Jordan up (because he’s not riding the bus anymore) he said he hadn’t been called in. And the bully was still at school, we saw him going out and getting on the bus. (I was good. I said nothing. But I did give that little brat the stinkeye all the way there).

So Friday I call the school….the Dean tells me she was busy…didn’t have time to get to it. I’m sorry, but what?!?! Not that Jordan has had an ongoing problem with this kid or anything….this incident was actually the first time the kid has even spoken to Jordan. But when one kid says these things to another, spits at him, and threatens him…….you deal with it immediately. Even faster if said bully is the size of most of the teachers in the building!

She tells me she’s going to deal with it that day (Friday) and will call me.

3:00 rolls around and still no phone call. I go pick Jordan up. Both he and his friends who witnessed it were called in. The Dean said their stories matched up, and she would wait until the end of the day to call the bully in….just so the kid wouldn’t give Jordan any problems.

Did that happen? Who knows. Saw the kid getting on his bus again (repeat of the stinkeye).

Jordan did take the whole thing better than I did….but on the way home Friday he mentioned that he WAS scared. That’s what we’re trying to avoid with this whole safe schools act and zero tolerance policy. Kids should not be scared to go to school.

Anyway….like I said. We’re looking at options for next year. Public school just isn’t cutting it anymore…academically or socially.

I also found a really good website for tweens….that deals with all kinds of issues…including dealing with a bully. I’m going to have Jordan look around on it.

Also, it’s got a bunch of kid appropriate info on things like puberty (for both boys and girls), crushes, clique’s, health stuff, and safety.

Starting to think it’s not worth it…

I’ve always been a big public school advocate. I have a teaching degree for goodness sake.

And I JUST, like, last week, had a conversation about how public schools HAVE to work, because they are what’s educating the majority of the kids in our nation. About how it’s turning into the downwards spiral because so many of the parents who are willing to be an advocate for their kids, are willing to help teachers and spend time in the classroom….those parents are becoming frustrated and pulling their kids out of public school. One less advocate for kids (as a whole).

Three things have happened in the past month that just leave me thinking it’s no longer worth the struggle….especially at my kid’s expense.

First, three weeks ago I got a call from the Dean of Students at Jordan’s school. He was in trouble….in ISS (In School Suspension). I was shocked!! And terrified. I thought he got in a fight or something! Unimaginable.

Turns out, he was just goofing off in class. I really wish I would have been there to see this….because I’ve always thought it takes an awful lot for a kid to get ISS. But I wasn’t there, so I trust his teachers and the administration, and I back them up. Apparently, he was screaming and running around (with another boy) playing hide and seek in the library. So he served his time at school, and at home, we took away all of his tv,video game, computer, and social privileges for two weeks.

Second…last week I logged on to Edline to check his grades, and he has a 47% in math. A FORTY FREAKING SEVEN!!! So I read him the riot act, explained that he would NOT get his privileges back until that grade came up to a C….and if that meant he didn’t have privileges this summer, so be it. But I’m also HIGHLY irritated with the school. NO ONE sends a note home or anything when a good kid starts failing??? Nothing? To make it worse, this is NOT the first time this has happened. Last nine weeks he had a failing grade, we talked to the teacher, we talked to the principal. The principal said that she totally understood…..and that all teachers are supposed to be checking the kid’s daily planners and writing notes if necessary in those. There’s nothing in Jordan’s planner about this math grade. We got plenty of information tat WESTEST was this week….but nothing about my kid slacking off in class.

Third….this happened today…..and is really just the straw that breaks the camel’s back….but it a biggie.

Jordan got off the bus. Where he gets off there is a line of busses waiting for more students. While walking down the sidewalk, he saw a friend on another bus (with the window open) and stopped to chat with him. Or, knowing Jordan, laugh and act like a monkey. Whatever.

Well a kid in the next seat up, a year older than Jordan, put his window up and yelled down to Jordan (and it honestly hurts me to even repeat this):

“You’re a f*cking f*g. I’m going to (or you’re going to, Jordan isn’t sure) f*ck your mother. You better stay away from me if you know what’s good for you”

He then tried to spit on Jordan.

Needless to say, I’m just FURIOUS. All kinds of furious. Called the school immediately, and was told I needed to call the bus garage.

Call down there and get some guy trying to give me the brush off. I told him that wasn’t acceptable, that I wanted this dealt with, he took my name and had the bus driver call me.

Bus driver called. His story is that he’s a sub and doesn’t know the kids anyway. Even if he did, from the front of the bus he can’t hear what kids yell out the windows. And honestly, that he has a bus full of kids from preschool age through 8th grade that he’s just trying to keep from killing each other before they get to where they are going. There’s nothing he can do.

Greeeeeeat. If you thin I’m mad about this…imagine how some preschooler’s mom is probably feeling right now, having her kid overhear those words!!!

I’m *this* close to pulling him out of school. He won’t be riding the bus anymore. Chris and I are taking him to school tomorrow morning and will be staying there until we talk to an administrator. If that’s not acceptable, I’ll be going to the board office. And if I don’t get a resolution or action on someone’s part….my kid won’t be in school Friday. WESTEST or no WESTEST. Honestly, that stupid test is the only reason I’m even taking him tomorrow anyway….and he may not stay for anything except the test.

I’m just….flabbergasted. How can my kid get (a totally deserved, but still) ISS for being a goofball, and some other kid can fling hate speech and foul language out a bus window without repercussion??

Where is the right in that?

Walk around the White House and the Mall

Sunday we got up, packed (got in trouble with the Valets for sneaking our bags into the car without permission, whoops) and rode the Metro to the stop closest to the White House. You can actually get much closer from the back than from the front:

There were also some anti-war protesters at the back, but they were of the quiet variety, so they didn’t freak Chris out much. He’s scared of social demonstration. From the front, this is the closest you can get:

Luckily, our camera has zoom:

We also got to see the Eisenhower building (where the VP’s office is) and it’s a really ominous looking place:

After that, we stopping at the White House Visitor Center to look at some pics and history, then went to the National Aquarium. It’s small….but worth it. The kids really enjoyed it. Not too pricey either ($5 a person I think, less for the kids):

Then we headed over to the Museum of Natural History. A big favorite.

Had to stop for some $4 boxes of organic milk:

Found the bugs section, and Celia got to hold an enormous grasshopper. Jordan wouldn’t even look at it.

Caught a glimpse of the Hope Diamond:

Then, the stuffed animals. By “stuffed” I mean “used to be alive and not they are stuffed but still look alive”. They crack me up.

Don’t they make you just want to bust out into your redition of “Circle of Life”? I wanted to, but I held back.

This little river otter is my favorite. He’s all posed like “Heyyyyy. How YOU doin’?”

We were getting hungry and the one high point of the trolley bus tour was the driver mentioning that the History of the Native Americans Museum had good food….so we wanted to eat there for lunch. Had to walk across the mall:

And make a stop for the carousel. Yes, I am riding on a horse. You can’t go on there with your kid unless you pay, and if I’m paying, I’m going to ride me a house. Just so’s you know, I was not the only grown up on there. In fact, there was a couple right behind me that didn’t even have kids. So there.

We finally made it and had lunch (buffalo burgers…hmmm). We looked around the Native American museum a little…but honestly….much of it was over my head. In my defense, I was really tired. The building is pretty though. The domed roof:

I wanted to walk through the botanical gardens….but I just couldn’t do it. I was SO tired and my feet hurt SO bad. We just went back to the hotel and got in the car to come home. Good thing too…because not 5 minutes after we were safely in the car, the rain started.

At the National Zoo.

Once we finally made it to the zoo……it was great. This is somewhere we would definitely go to again…preferably first thing in the morning when we weren’t so tired. We didn’t even make it through half of the zoo on this trip.

First, the big cats.

Celia and I could have watched them lazing in the sun for hours, but Chris was ALL kinds of freaked out. “Did you hear about that cheetah that ate that kid at the zoo? Look at that one. He’s pacing. It’s making me nervous. I think the fence is shorting out. Let’s get out of here”. Like we’d be any safer looking in th next pen if those cats got out!

Some gazelle:

A funny emu who was just trying to press himself THROUGH the fence and get out.

He actually made me a little sad. “Please get me out of here!”

Next, the panda house. This is one panda who just lurves his bamboo. He was just rolling around with that huge branch, really enjoying that bamboo. It was hilarious.

Then, the bird atrium. I don’t remember what these birds were, but they were just prancing along the railing. I think my kids really freaked them out.

Uh, that’s not flash red eye. It’s eyes are really red.

There was another bird atrium….and I turned the corner to find this guy on the path!

I actually gasped, he was so pretty. He didn’t last long there…and if I thought my kids were freaking the birds out with their giggling in the other bird house…I was sadly mistaken as there we a few really wild kids just running and screaming and chasing the birds in this one. The peacock didn’t last long on the path!

Check out those feathers!

Next we found some flamingos. Celia was at the delirious point in her day, so tired she couldn’t think straight, and she started running in circles babbling “pink feathers, pink feathers, pinky pinky feathers”……

So we took a few final pictures and called it a day.

We didn’t even bother trying to get back to the trolley bus (5 blocks down the hill, plus it was almost 6). We just grabbed a cab and went back to the hotel!!!