Hi. It doesn't look like anyone has posted for awhile since this thread isn't even showing up on the first page of threads. How is everyone doing? I recommitted myself to eating healthy and exercising on Jan. 2 and so far I have lost 15 pounds. I am hoping to lose at least 10 pounds every month this year so I can get to my goal by Jan. 2007.

Hi Robyn and everyone

I teach 4th grade, with a focus on the science class. I work in an upper middle class community, which has both its upside and down. I rarely have to deal with some of the socioeconomic issues, or with battling IEPS (these parents all have enough lawyers to take care of that!) I instead deal with parents who see thier child as perfect, and as all going to Harvard. (yes in fourth grade!) They also act more like lawyers than parents! Defending thier child regardless of guilt or innocence! I love when I call a parent and thier reply is that they will ask thier child "what REALLY happened! " are you kidding me, your right 10 year olds always tell the truth!

My other problem is there is a large set of very involved Stay at home mommies that obviously care about thier children and are constantly around...bringing food and treats (they see the fat teacher and think the way to an A is through a cake!)

Well small baby steps!

Survived bus cleaning today.....basically 3 hours of torture (I had done a ton of it before today). Anyway, gotta go back to my spotless vehicle.........

Summer- if you are a AAAmember (and I assumed you were if you used their travel agency) they give directions online for free. And they are pretty good.
A lot more reliable than mapquest..who when you ask for directions to Hershey Pa, might get you to the Pa/Nj border and assume you know the rest or something dumb like that. Hope you have a good day, despite all the idiots.

Pam- well, did they use every glass in the house???? Sounds like my gang.
Congrats on getting some cleaning done. I did none...........

Robyn-well, you happy with the game results or sad? (I fell asleep, but heard the refs were awful, and I wanted the Steelers to win anyway......hate bad refs.

Kerry- Happy Monday!!!!!!! How are you?

Hi to everyone else.........sorry to be so brief.

Gotta go. See ya!
Ginny

Hello Hello Hello!
What a day today was! ...and it isn't over yet!
...didn't go to school...instead went into the big city of Norfolk ....amen for the MidTownTunnel and the "back door in"! Took oldest to see one of his specialists. 1+ hour there (no traffic!) 2.5 hours there, 2+ hours back (there was traffic!) Then up 30 minutes to get youngest from school....
WHEW!
I'm tired and I've done NOTHING!
Gonna run! Hello to all! Perhaps I'll be back...once this gang settles down for a bit! ...like THAT is gonna happen!

ChestnutLass, I hear you loud and clear.... and I am also one of THOSE mothers who travels with an advocate for my kid!

Take care ya'll!
meeee

Hello again!
Chestnut lass- your community sounds a lot like mine- with one exception. On the outskirts (and it is technically another town but districted for the same school as us) a large HUD low income housing unit. So we have a majority of "haves" (and the SAHM issues you mentioned) and then a strong minority (small in number, but strong in influence) from this housing group.
Oh, does it make for some interesting dynamics. Anyway- bless you for teaching 4th grade- in my book an "interesting" age group.

Robyn- how did the specialist visit go?????

Dinner awaits.
See ya!
Ginny

Happy Monday!
I just typed a long post which disappeared into cyberspace....Ughhh Went to my first tanning bed appointment today. Felt great, except the whole laying on my back thing. Tailbone still hurts.

Ginny: Lord girl, we have glasses galore here...I want to know what happened to all the spoons? They have disappeared....I hate to go into oldest son's room. I may never be found again.....You'll have to send out the dogs.

Robyn: How was the appointment in Nahfulk? Yankeeeeee Do you believe I had an argument about how Virginia was not a Southern State and fought for the union? ONe was a Social Studies teacher....I said girl please go to Petersburg and visit.....They think anyone north of our county is a yankee....Yikes.....No offense meant to you yankee sistas! I'm married to one! Ha!

Mouse: Gotten any swimming in lately? How is your ankle by the way?

Summer: How's the cold? I hope you are feeling better.

Kerry: Where are you girl?

Melody: Welcome! I think you will find much needed support here.

Chesnutlass: Welcome also! I am a sixth grade math teacher at a rural Middle School. I have a son in fourth grade....and a twenty year old...

Robyn: I need to borrow your tape....I have managed to eat two pieces of pizza and 2 crazy bread sticks. I am drowning my guilt with water. Tons and tons of water...

Have a great night...

Pam

Evening All,
Hope everyone had a great day! I had a snow day due to the icy roads in the back woods of my school district. So I enjoyed a nice relaxing day at home. Not much new going on here. Need to kick my butt into gear and get my two alternate assessments done this month and start working on my 6 IEP's for April 6th when I have my annual reviews with my special ed. supervisior and my parents.
Hope everyone has a good week. I think I will go watch some tv since I am usually running around the house at this time trying to get things done before going to bed. Check in with everyone tomorrow sometime. I have my TOPS meeting tomorrow evening. So I am hoping to have another loss. Time will tell I guess.
Have a great evening!
Kerry

Evening, all....

Now you see the Mouse, now you don't!

Ginny: You don't ask MapQuest for directions to Hershey, PA. You ask your resident Mouse! I'm better friends with the walking chocolate bars than I am with THE MOUSE. I was once offered a job as a walking chocolate bar. Unfortunately, I didn't have a car and no way to get there daily.

Robyn: Blech! Traffic! Specialists! BLECH, BLECH, BLECH!

Kerry: AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! Why'd you have to mention alternate assessments????? I have one due the beginning of March on my chronic absentee who has started coming to school since the end of 2nd quarter, but still fights over having to do work. I have no idea what I'm putting in her binder!

Pam: YES! I got to swim today! Lost my lane to the water aerobics class, but I got in a good 45-50 minutes before that happened. I've never thought about a tanning bed; I used to tan, but haven't seen the endocrine disorder kicked in. Part of it is that all the meds carry "direct sunlight" warnings, but I also used to be olive skinned. Not sure what happened there.

Chestnutlass: Been there, done that. I've never taught in a district like that, but we had a good mix at my last school since we drew kids from all over the state of Maryland. My current school has a interesting mix too, but I'm not sure how many, if any, are considered upper middle class. I do, however, hear the "I'll ask my child" statement rather often... and I teach kids with mental ******ation. I have at least two that are chronic liars. One kid just lies everytime he opens his mouth. I don't understand how. Like, today, I asked him to read what he'd written on the computer to me. He read the three sentences, and I'm giving him praise because they answered the question and he'd done it so quickly! Then I realized that what he READ to me wasn't what was on the screen by a long shot! He filled in the 3 blanks, with sentences... but two of the sentences didn't come close to answering the question I'd asked him! Since he got the first one correct, AND its a talking word-processor, I know he knew what the question was. What I don't know is why he didn't just read what was on the danged screen! And his mother just tells me "Well, soandso told him to do it!" Even when her son and so-and-so aren't in the same class!!!!!!

Hey everyone!

Robyn--so your one of THOSE mother huh?

ECmom----At least I typically have only one set of problems to deal with. We too have an apartment complex that does welfare housing, so there is a few kids. Fortunately the one thing my over indulgent moms do is help out a lot with those kids. They never have to miss out, thier trips and such are always PTA paid for.

Pam- wow that is quite a spread! I have 2 families this year that have students in my class, and "older kids"...older than me! It can be hard to be the authority when the parents remind you (mid conference) that they raised someone my age.....

Kerry-- a snow day sounds like HEAVEN.....Good luck today

mouse--same struggle different student. I think out and out defiance is the hardest to handle. And sometimes they are so intelligent in thier manuvers. If only they used that power for good instead of trying to get one over on the teacher.......

I hope everyone is having a great day! It is cold today...I am praying with all my heart that they GO OUTSIDE....4th graders and indoor recess is a nasty combo! Work Hard, Eat Smart!

Mari

Well just a quick note to say that I am home again today. But today is because I have a sore throat. My dh is going to take me to Urgent Care here in a couple minutes. I just want to rule out that it is strep throat since that seems to be running rampted through my school right now. Three or four staff members have it along with a bunch of kids. So I don't know if I will make it to my weigh-in for TOPS tonight or just stay home. I guess it all depends on what I found out at the doctor's here in a little while. Talk to you all later. Maybe I can personally address you all later.
Kerry

Kerry- hugs and feell better!!!!!! Get lots of rest- and if you have to miss the meeting tonite, I am sure you will get there next week. (how nice about the snow day!) Hope they can give you something to heal you quickly, you must be feeling awful if you are going to a Dr.

Pam- the darned spoons migrated to my Ds's room. (he has a stockpile of glasses and spoons in his room.....until the maid realizes that there are no more in the kitchen ) So you too have prehistoric dust in his room...just be sure to wear a Scott Air pack if you go in.....and of course have a life rope on you in case they have to pull you out!

Chestnut- yup I hear ya, 4th graders with indoor recess is not a pretty site!
Did yours get the ya-ya's out of their legs today and go out?

Mouse- well, I used the Hershey thing as a dumb example. (I can find Hershey without AAA or Mapquest......just close my eyes and sniff......ah, the smell of chocolate!) So glad you got some swimming time in!

Robyn- rest up my friend.........hugs to you after a stressful day.

They pulled my yellow tin can for inspection. Sure hope it passes.
I had an awful time sleeping last nite, and thus resulting the headache from you know where. Bring on the tylenol.............lots of it.
Better go resume cleaning my messy house.
See ya later!
Ginny

I got strep throat. So I am very tired and achey. So I will probably only be dropping in one and awhile to say hi. But can't really think to straight right now to post personal messages to you all. The doctor told me that I have to take tomorrow off too. I am so bored out of my mind right now. I can only read and watch so much tv. I am use to being busy all the time. Well I am off to take my third nap for the day. Talk to you later.
Kerry

Quiet here..........busy up to my eyeballs......hope everyone is ok!
Ginny

BTW- feel better Kerry!

Good afternoon All!
Tomorrow is Friday....Yipppeeee. Been a long long week. Had a slight run in with m&m's during a circle graph activity today. To which the principal said: "You're not supposed to be eating candy..You're dieting.!" Ha He's really quite a nice guy, I think a lot of him. Very down to earth...Ok, so it was a fun size pack, not too much damage done.

DS had a terrible day at school today. He is really hating fourth grade. He got in trouble twice today, and came home crying saying he hates going to afterschool care, he hates school, he hates his teacher....This is just not like him. He is normally so academic. I think he is trying to be popular....By getting in trouble. He was talking about how everyone wanted to be popular and have kids like them.....He said someone at the YMCA was calling him fat and calling his mother names too....SO, instead of telling the teacher, he refuses to be a tattle tale....He tackled the kid, and now he is on punishment. I don't know what to do. He also told his teacher today that he didn't like her. I know he doesn't mean that. I just don't know what is wrong with him today. It's just so sad. He never wants to go to school at all. The teacher says he should be making straight A's because he is the smartest one in her class, but instead he has decided not to do his work. School is BORING.....Geez..... He is having a bad bad day. What can I do? I am making him write an apology letter to his teacher and I told him that even if he doesn't like her(which I know he does) that he better suck it up and act like she is the best teacher he has ever had.....Now, he's mad at me....Oh well, what can a mom do?

Kerry: Hope you are feeling better. I used to get strep throat like five or six times a year. To the point where, they were ready to take out my tonsils. INsurance wouldn't pay. However, I haven't had it in a long time. It would just make me feel like I got run over by a car. Drink lots of cold stuff and get some popsicles. Hugs to you.

Ginny: Sounds like you have had a busy day.....I did peep into my oldest ds room today looking for spoons. I couldn't go in. I need back up.....

Robyn: Hope your week is improving.......

Mouse: How's everything your way? Hope you've been able to get some swimming in.....

GOtta go cook.

Pam