The never ending ? Shoes on or Off. Just me venting

Moms, you know the pain of keeping your house clean, right? Never ending and wearing you out. Well, I wanted to get your thoughts.

I personally think it is rude to wear your shoes in someone's home. Someone's home that they have probably just cleaned up to have you over (even if it is the "fake" clean). I have taught my kids to take off their shoes upon entering someone's home and they always do (in fact they kick them off and they go everywhere which perhaps is just as rude as leaving them on). I have battled with: should I ask people to take off their shoes when they come in my home? should I leave obvious signs that I would prefer that? like a sign that says, "Thank you for removing your shoes." or a basket with a sign on it that says, "I want to hold your shoes for you." or some such thing. I always have my shoes off in my home and generally ask little kids that have just tracked through my very muddy yard to take their shoes off, but feel hesitant to do the same thing to their parents.

Now, I know the argument of "you should care more about the person than your floors", and I do, really, I do. My floors will clean. It is much harder to "clean" hurt feelings. I am good with that. If someone feels strongly about it or you are uncomfortable with your socks or your feet are really diry, then please, feel free to wear your shoes.

So, I have battled this for quite some time. Even before having kids who eat things off of my floor. Is it rude to "encourage" people to take off their shoes, is it rude to just automatically take off my shoes (and my kids shoes) upon entering a home (perhaps they would rather have my dirt then be exposed to the bottom of my feet)? Tell me your thoughts and if you are a "shoe taker offer" like me, then tell me how you deal with it...

Just a mom trying to eliminate the ever increasing need to clean my floors...

Starbucks

While I do not go to Starbucks on a regular basis, I do pop in occasionally for a latte on break from work. For the last two months, I have been paying close attention to the baristas and still cannot believe what I discovered.
Wasted Shots.

Whenever they made a drink with an odd number of shots, they would simply let the odd shot run down the drain. Maybe you have seen their method. Each espresso head has two spouts. If you have a drink with 2 shots, they place your cup directly under the head to catch one shot from each spout. If you only need one shot, they would place your cup off to the side, catching only one shot from one spout. You would think they would put another cup under the other spout to catch the stray shot? NO. They callously and carelessly let the shot drain off into the sewers. This is a precious commodity that some farmer worked hard to grow, just tossed aside like trash.

Starbucks worked hard to create a new coffee culture in America, where people valued coffee. However, what value does it have when it is in the sewer? I will tell you.
Caffeine in the wild.

Over the past ten years, I have noticed a sharp drop in the number of wild sewer alligator sightings in the LA area. I always thought this was due to a combination of public education about the dangers of releasing pet alligator infants and a great effort in animal control. However, the truth seems more insidious. Imagine if you will, a host of wild sewer alligators fed a steady stream of caffeine from a plethora of Starbucks dumping shots into the sewer all day long. These hopped up gators would have extremely heightened senses. Their senses are so heightened that nary a animal control agent could get within a mile of them. Granted, they are skinny and pale gators, but a danger non the less. Especially dangerous are the hours between Starbucks closing and opening the next day. Such a gator going through caffeine withdrawals is not a sight I want to witness in person.

Solution.
Whenever you visit Starbucks and see the barista wasting a shot, ask them if they can catch that extra shot and put it in your drink. It will save a gator and make the American workforce that much more productive. In addition, it might increase the sale of anti depressant drugs and sleep aids.

Letter to my life

Dear Life,
All right, I get it! My tenacity has rubbed you the wrong way. In fact, my resilience has driven you to test me over and over and over again. Almost to the point that I feel as if I've become your official whipping post. Now, I was emphatic about starting this New Year off to a great start... all around. But alas, to no avail, because you're constantly picking on me. Don't you have any con artists and sketchy characters to teach a lesson?
It wasn't enough that you stomped on my fingers repeatedly while I was desperately hanging onto that window's ledge for leverage a couple of years ago, feet flailing beneath me... desperate for firm footing, because you wanted me to fall onto hard concrete... a broken heap. When that did not work...when I managed to pull myself up and in... Throbbing fingertips and all... you withered away, shrieking like an exorcised banshee... vowing to come back to kick my ass.

Listen, this latest kick to the gut and ribs left me rolling on the floor, clutching my sides in pain. I was not expecting that type of assault. So why continue the onslaught while I'm down? I'm struggling. Crawling, dragging myself across the floor, in an effort to ward off your attack and stand back up, and you reeled back with your stiletto heel, pointed to perfection- (hey, Karmic women should look good)-and administered one final, sharp kick. I thought that one would cause me to projectile vomit all the fight I had left in the pit of my stomach, all over the walls. I was able to choke it back down, however. I curled up in a fetal position to ward off your wild attack as best as I could... as you flailed your fists, shrieked, spat, and stomped like a petulant toddler. I'm still in shock... my ribs and sides are still quite sure from that last kick. But I was still able get back up... and stagger to a safe corner to plot my next move and get my bearings and second wind back.
I'm still mulling. I'm still plotting. A little defeated and bruised... but up and pondering my next move.

A busy week again!

Well it is week 7 and my schedule is not any better. Let's see this Wen. is my 10 year anniversary. It is unbelievable it has been 10 years. By no means has it been an easy 10 years either. No one seems to tell you how hard marriage can be, they should start. Then this Friday is my oldest son's 7th birthday. Unbelievable... 7 years ago at this time I was planning my baby shower, and I was finishing up the nursery, which by the way everyone said I was doing it way too soon. I mean after all Dominick was not due until May 11th. Well I guess he shocked us all, because 2 days after our 3 year anniversary he came into this world 12 1/2 weeks early. I know this was the most scariest time in my life (aside from my second son's 12 week early arrival). I will post a picture of Dominick when he was born with my thumb across the front of his face.

But here we are 7 years later and traveling down to WV this week. I am very excited to see my family. It has been over a year since I have seen my brother and his family. It is hard being in MI with no family around. You would think that after 10 years I would be used to it, however I am not, by no means.

The problem with the education system

I was just flipping through the channels during a late breakfast about an hour or so ago and came across this news segment (headline news) reading face book comments from individuals about how graduating high school students are not prepared for college. My experience has confirmed this amongst my friends and I after high school. This whole 'no child left behind' mess for k-12 of the previous administration was one of the worst things done in the school system that I can remember, as one of the face book commenter’s (a former college educator) wrote in "there isn't a success story for everyone."

Upon reading this initially it sounds harsh...very harsh. HOWEVER, the problem is that it is not incorrect or false, it is just incomplete. What should have been stated is that "there isn't an IDENTICAL success story for everyone IN THE SAME FIELD IN THE SAME WAY." I am in no way trying to state that education is not for everyone because I believe whole-heartedly that it is. However, what I am saying is that 'success' in formal education will be different and is relative for each student. There is no catch all programs for education to make everyone a straight 'A' student that is not everyone's path. Most importantly, that is not success for every student that is not what education is about.
School has become this institution to teach memorization and not how to apply the knowledge that is being gained. True success is being able to take what you learn and synthesize it into something useful...NOT simply to be valedictorian.

Ever had one of those days, a day that nothing goes right? Every day, I seem to be living one of those days. The washer will not spin off, the dryer will not work correct, bills keep getting more and more, and jobs are harder to find in this horrible state. I cannot seem to keep the boys healthy for a solid week. Dominick is more than likely going to have to have surgery again and he is far from happy. It never fails I try to make things work between my husband but, that also does not look well. I wish sometimes I could close my eyes and wake up. People are the time telling me to have faith, But what they do not understand is I lost my faith after Dominick was born, then more when Caleb and all together when I almost died on my birthday. How can someone have faith in something or someone when they are constantly putting him or her through heartbreak? It is hard for me to believe that someone or something that is supposed to be so good, have one person go through so many awful things.

But on a lighter note, My brother and his family seem to be getting settled down in Ohio with the rest of my family, since their move from HI. I sure cannot wait to see them. It is hard to be so far away from the ones you love.

Can it get worse?

I always ask myself why. but is that the question I should be asking? Maybe, I should be asking, how much more can I take. I finally won the fight with Kaplan to fix my grade. Tech. support had to get involved and explain "Hey, it wasn't her fault, the testing site allowed her to take the test, it just did not grade it". I mean come on... how hard is it to look and see gee, she answered all of the questions on the final correct, but for some reason the system is not grading them. They actually wanted me to take A&P 2 over again. Oh, I was mad, I worked really hard in that class and had not missed but one point until the final. But, it is alright now, they fixed it so I finished with 999/1000 points.

My other problem is that, they seem to be moving my children's school to the main campus. This poses a problem in so many ways. First, my children go to a multi-age school. That means that the classes are set up lie this K-1, 2-3 ,4-5. They have the same teacher for 2 years. The school they are moving them too is huge, and will house other children not under the same curriculum. I will post a picture. Second, how are they supposed to have two schools, two principles, in one building and make it work. Not to mention it will now be right beside the high school.

I just realized you all must think I complain allot. I am so sorry.

How can adults be so rude and allow their children to be cruel?

I need to find a happy place to post from but for goodness sake it is January! In Michigan! I have even held off from posting because I have too much whining to do :) So to get this off my chest...
I was talking with one of my friends who son Ben, was also born premature and suffers from CP. Ben is a very bright 7 year old who has come a long way in the short 7 years of his life. They were told he would never walk or even hold his head up, folks this is far from the case. He learned to walk with braces on his legs and a walker. These days he only uses his walker for long distance traveling. Our boys are in the same class and it burns me up and breaks my heart to know that parents do not teach their children how to be nice. Heck, what makes me even angrier is some adults do not even know the meaning of self-control or even manners.
The front seat of the bus...you know, where Ben's adaptive seat is strapped down, and he is strapped in? That is the one. Well the extra spot next to Ben SHOULDN'T BE USED AS THE "IN TROUBLE" SEAT! Ben should not tell his mother that his friend did not get to sit with him because "blank" was in trouble and had to sit there. How is the seat Ben (that is too strapped down in to get in trouble) is sitting in, THE TROUBLE SEAT? Come on folks! Think! That is just rude!
Just in case you did not know, it is not nice for your children to get together and yell "Hey Ben! Bet you're too slow to catch us!" then run away. Stop them! It is mean! In addition, I do not care if Ben is smiling. It still sucks!
Back to the bus (love the bus) when kids say things ranging from "Ben can't get out of his seat" to "Since you can't walk down the steps very well, you should try to fly!" it is not nice. Stop them. Please keep your ears open for what children are saying to other children. It is so wrong that a 7 year old child says things like "I'm just too slow to play", "I guess I'm just not strong", "Mom, I don't think I am strong enough to be seven", "Maybe my legs just have to be crooked", and "I want to go to the hospital so they can fix my brain". These comments are wrong out of anyone’s mouth, let alone a developmentally challenged child.

In the absence of obvious assistance, we face anger. Anger, judgment, exasperation, fear, frustration, impatience, annoyance, and invisibility are words that should never be pressed on a child. As much as I do not, like that, I have to explain the bad behavior of children to my children, I do it because it is what it is, and we can pretend that children know how to deal but that will not make it true. I should not have to explain the bad behavior of adults though. It really makes me wonder if the adults that are so rude were ever taught the meaning of knack and respecting others. OK, that is enough venting for today.