CUST WORDS FLEW

The peace of the neighborhood was broken Friday afternoon. Bethany and I were on the front porch. I was watching the water fowl frolic. Bethany was investigating earthworms, and she discovered a millipede. When our ANGRY NEIGHBORS began an epoch battle in their driveway, the tranquility was shattered. The son and daughter were arguing over something, which escalated into screaming "cust" words of all sorts including F---, MF, b----, and some others. Lily started furiously barking at the front door. I was yelling be quiet. I started scooting Bethany inside, and she was oblivious to the situation. She didn't understand why we had to go in. The father came out and was yelling at his adult children. It was an intense situation. I was getting nervous about the whole thing, and went upstairs to call Brian to see what he thought I should do when the yelling hadn't stopped after thirty minutes. Brian had me look out the window before he was going to call someone. Just as I looked out the window three police cars arrived. I've never seen anything like it. It was just like on TV. :) The police dealt with the our ANGRY NEIGHBORS. While I had to debrief Bethany about what was going on. She wanted to know what the "cust" words were.

THE ANGRY NEIGHBORS have a grandson about Bethany's age who comes over to play on occasion. Brian had told Bethany earlier that he didn't want her playing with him very much because of the family situation. So, she was upset that she couldn't play with the little boy. We had another conversation about how we have to chose good people to be our friends. Our ANGRY NEIGHBORS have problems, which are far too complex to explain to a six year old. Bethany and I were having this conversation again in the backyard after the police left. She was not understanding the police arriving at the home, or why the people were yelling. I was doing my best to diffuse the situation. I was really struggling with how to explain all of this, when Bethany looked at me and she said, "Mom, I don't think that they know God and Jesus, or they would not be this way." Wow! Bethany is awesome. She still does not understand why we are not comfortable with her playing with the grandson. But she absolutely gets God's love. Maybe she gets it more than me, maybe she is right about wanting to play with the boy. I'm trying to protect her from bad things, and she is trying be friends with a child in a horrible situation. Maybe, I'm the one that isn't getting it.

A Friday Update

Friday morning we had a teacher meeting at 7:25 AM. There was a lecture given to the staff about various sundry items like cell phone use by students, tardies, drinks in the the classroom, and students yelling out the window. Teachers are not allowed to let students look out the windows as a result of my kid yelling policeman are pigs and they suck out the window. Good Grief! Some stupid kid ruins sunlit views and fresh air for all. The kid is suspended from school for two days. I have no idea how the principal intends to enforce this rule, but it is in place.

Teenage Insanity

I don't know how many of you have spent much time with teenagers, but they are on the level of two year olds at times. They have absolutely no impulse control. They just do stuff without thinking. For example, my duty in the morning is to monitor the hallway by the water fountain. Students are allowed to go into my room, but I can't really see what is going on in there. It makes me nervous, but I am supposed to be monitoring the water fountain. The principal does random checks to see if we are in the right place, when we are supposed to be. I do my job. So, today as the bell rang and I was entering my room I knew something was up. You can just feel when things are not quite right.The kids were hanging around the window. I told them to get in their seats it was time to start class. One kid looked like he was mad. I thought maybe they had had a little arguement or something. I started class, and was moving along fairly well, when the principal comes to me and wants to know which one of my students yelled out the window at the policeman. I, of course, had no idea. I sent the kid who looked mad out to the principal. It wasn't him. It was this other kid who has been in a lot of trouble already with the police. He yelled out the window that policemen suck, and that they were pigs. Did he not think the other kids would rat him out? Or that a policeman couldn't figure out who was bullying him? The principal took him and his things away. I doubt I will see this kid for awhile. Impulse control is a very important skill to learn in dealing with other people in society. Pray that your children develop this skill. Pray that I continue to have my own impulse control in place when dealing with teenagers for years to come. :)

A Case of Turf Ear

Today, Bethany came into my classroom at the end of the day saying that it was the worst day of her life. She was upset, but I didn't really know why. She wanted to go down to see Molly, and I said no because we were going to Dr. Gambino's right after school. She started whining around. I got on to her for whining. The bell rang, and I had to stand in the hallway to monitor the students as they were leaving. When I came into the classroom to pack up, Bethany had written on my notes for class tomorrow, which I had spent the previous forty minutes writing. I got on to her for this. We finally got into the car to head to Clarksburg. She said she hated school. I asked why, and out came some insanity. First, a kid had pushed her down on the playground and spanked her. Then, she had to go to the principal's office where this kid apologized to her for hurting her. I took a wrong turn while she was telling me the story, so I was lost in traffic while I was trying to comprehend the story. By the time, I managed to get us back on track she was telling me about a girl who put a piece of the football field in her ear. Sure, enough when we got out of the van and into the Dr. Gambino's office where I could look into her ear there was indeed a bit of something in her ear. Brian was meeting us there, and took her straight to Medbrook Urgent Care. I was getting a massage on my neck. I couldn't relax because the whole time I was irritated with the kid who put some football field in my kid's ear, and worried that Bethany had serious damage to her ear. Poor Bethany did have a pretty rotten day. The doctor did remove a piece of asphalt cinder from her ear, and everything is fine now. She was very frustrated. I hope some dinner, a bath, and a little cartoon watching will reset her mind.

Wild About Water Fowl

Last summer when we were looking for houses to buy, I would drive around Maple Lake hoping something would be for sale. I would see the Great Blue Herring standing patiently by the lake waiting for something. Every time I came I saw the Herring, and I decided he would bring me luck. A house did become available for us, but by the time we moved in it was two weeks before Christmas. The Herring had left for warm regions. He came home this week, and was standing directly across from my driveway when I took this picture. I am just wild about him. He is still waiting for something, maybe I'll figure out what this summer. He is beautiful. He does not look so big in the picture, but his wing span is huge when he flies down the lake. I hope I can get some better pictures of him to show you soon.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patricks Day! This evening our community had a dinner to celebrate the day. The dinner was held in the clubhouse. The inside was decorated with much creativity. I could not get many pictures of the inside because the sun was setting, and the light was shining through all the windows.
We had pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, baked beans, maccaroni and cheese, cup cakes, and green punch. There was a door prize drawing every, so often. Bethany won a prize. She was very disappointed because she won a jar of red peppers and a jar of corn relish. She didn't quite get that it is a chance game we were playing, and the door prize wasn't necessarily kid friendly. Does anybody want a jar of corn relish?

The clubhouse has a swimming area in front of it with slides and diving boards. There is also a playground for the kids to play. The community has three playgrounds randomly placed around for the little ones. This was one of the selling points with me when deciding to live here. I basically live in a park. And there is all this land for me to enjoy with no mowing.

This is the view of the lake from my house this evening. I was very happy as we walked home from our little community dinner with a stomach full of yummy food I didn't have to make. I am really excited about living in a place where I am going to not only know my neighbors, but actually enjoy their company from time to time. Happy Saint Patricks Day!

Wild Woman Weekend

Cooking Competition

Tammy texting Alan

The Stone Wall Resort



Friday was a Friday the 13th. It was the start of a girlfriends weekend get away for me, Tammy, and Trina. Thursday night Trina had to go to the emergency room because she was in severe pain. It turned out that she had kidney stones, and she is on the mend. She could not, however, attend our Wild Woman Weekend at Stonewall Resort.

Bethany and I arrived home Friday evening to find Lily holding her paw up in the most pitful manner, whimpering, and shivering with pain. Somehow, she had gotten hurt. Bethany was very upset, and said "She didn't want to have a puppy funeral." I assured her that we would not have a puppy funeral, maybe just a puppy cast on her paw. I wasn't sure what had happened to our dog, but I was sure she wasn't going to die. I took Lily and Bethany to the vet, and waited for Brian. I was going to meet Tammy at five o'clock at my house. Luckily, Tammy was running late. Tammy and I met up around six, and headed for some dinner at a Mexican place in town called El Ricon. We arrived at the resort later that evening, and enjoyed a relaxing time at the pool. Bethany called later in the evening in tears wanting me to come home. She told me Lily had "sprung her paw", and had an x-ray to say that it was not broken. Tammy and I gossiped the rest of the evening with her occassionally texting her new friend, Alan. The next morning we enjoyed a lovely breakfast buffet in the gorgeous dining area of the resort. Then we watched a "Throw Down" cooking competition by a chef from Cannan Valley and one from the cooking school at Fairmont State College in the Grand Hall of the resort. The chefs had one hour to prepare three courses for a panel of judges. After the competition Tammy and I traveled home happy that we had a Wild Woman Weekend together.

Minard's

When Gigi and Poppa were here last, we discovered a really awesome Italian resturant in Clarksburg. It is called Minard's, and is a family owned business that began in the depression with an Italian family who needed extra money. The family started the business in their kitchen. The resturant is still in the family home, with lots of additions. The family kitchen table is available for customers. The history of the place is a drawing card, as well as, the interior. There are lots of little dining areas, so it doesn't feel like you are in a big resturant. It feels like you are in your dining room. The specials are great for families too. If you go Monday through Thursday and order the special, kids under ten eat free. You get a salad, pasta, and bread for $8.95. Our gang of Bridgeport friends went this past Monday. We might make a habit out of it. We had a lot of fun together.

A Spring Weekend

Flowers in Grandma Hull's Backyard

Natalie and Bethany at the Park

Girls Avoiding the Camera

Natalie Thinking

Spring is not officially here until March 21, but this past weekend was a perfect! Bethany and I enjoyed the Hurricane City Park with Jeanne and Natalie on Saturday. I took some flower pictures on Sunday. Spring is here when there are flowers, even if the calendar says it is still ten days away. The girls didn't want their picture taken. I had to chase them around with the camera, and wait until they forgot I was there. Here are some photographs of the weekend.

A Budding Chemical Engineer

Being a science teacher, I am always proud when Bethany makes a scientific observation. I relish the chance to teach her a scientific concept. I wait for the opportunity, so that the information I give her is relevant to her universe. This evening we were walking out of Kroger after purchasing Foot Loops and Guinea Pig food, when Bethany said, "Mom, Do you know what H20 is?" I was so excited. It was a chance to teach about atoms and compounds and dissolving agents, and molecular geometry, and solutions, and, and, and... so many great chemistry things. So, I said "Yes, it is the formula for water." Bethany responded, "No Mommy! It is a show on TV about mermaids and their boyfriends." All I could do was laugh. No science lesson today. She went on to tell me about the show. I'll have to wait until the next scientific discovery to infuse some scientific literacy into Bethany's world.

More Signs of Spring

Brian, Bethany, and I were driving to church in our van on Sunday. As we were passing the church Bethany said, "Look Mommy, there is a bird we don't see too much around here." I looked over to where she was pointing and saw a robin. Yes, indeed spring is on its way! I have also noticed in the last day or two that the trees seem to be warming up for some budding activity. They have a bit of a brownish-reddish hew about them, opposed to the sullen gray of winter. We only have a few more calendar days unitl the official start of spring. It is currently thirty-nine degrees and sunny in Bridgeport following a low of ten last night. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm in the fifties here. I can't wait!