Category Archives: School

7 Quick Takes: So Glad The Week Is Almost Over

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

A soundtrack for today. A perfect storm of sleep deprivation, Daniel being a pill, stress in my life, and PMS has left me seriously panicky and drained today. I still have to be a functional adult (!!!!!) but this would be my soundtrack to get me through the day and remind me that God is present.

Pray for me. It’s been a really hard couple of days with Daniel and I still have to get through his peds appointment tomorrow before things might let up. Prayers that we can get through it without him hitting, kicking, breaking my fingers, or having a spectacular screaming meltdown in terror would be appreciated because he has gotten to be terrified of doctors in the last few months. (Then again, he keeps having to be poked with needles so I don’t blame him.)

— 2 —

This is so true. My friend Jamie shared this image today which perfectly summed up all the stupidity I see in the blogging world and on Facebook.

All the stupidity on the Internet refuted in one image.

— 3 —

Just a heads up. One of my friends shared this on Facebook. Before the gun nuts who troll this blog dismiss it, I should probably mention that said friend is an expert marksman, knows more about guns and weaponry than probably 90% of the NRA, and teaches gun safety. 🙂 (Yes, I do have friends who disagree with me on 2nd Amendment issues. I don’t live in a bubble with only those people who agree with me — that would be stupid.)

Why you don't take your gun out in an active shooter situation.

— 4 —

Offering this in light of the events of the last 48 hours. I’m reminded of the lyric from “Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel:

“Fools,” said I, “you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you.”
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

Black lives matter.

**UPDATE** I just flipped to the local news and saw the story about the 11 officers shot in Dallas. I’m profoundly saddened, y’all. As much as I am angry about the police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, I am so utterly pissed at those who chose to pick off these police officers. Every life is precious and nobody deserves to have their life taken away –THAT’S THE EFFING POINT OF THE “BLACK LIVES MATTER” CAMPAIGN!!!!!

— 5 —

This needs to be said. I think this needs to be reiterated.

Not Islam.

— 6 —

ESY Daniel started his extended school year (ESY) this week. He’s got a class of three kids and some aides. According to his teacher, he’s been a cooperative boy and is liking it thus far. I’m happy for some normalcy in his life.

— 7 —

Why it doesn’t pay to be sanctimonious. I know this is satire but it’s pretty accurate as well. I’ve encountered a lot of people who act similarly sanctimonious and wonder why people shy away from them or who can’t understand why their kids do what they do. It may not have to with raising their kids on only wooden toys or a vegan diet — I’ve seen similar people with respect to things like homeschooling, vaccinating their kids, paleo diets, or essential oils.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 3, 2016

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For Today… July 3, 2016

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dusk. It was sunny and around 74F this afternoon.

I am thinking… about what I have on my plate this week.

I am thankful… that Daniel is falling asleep, especially as we’re out of one of his evening ADHD meds and we can’t get another supply until Tuesday because the script I have for it is written by an out-of-state doctor. Due to all the [insert expletive] who get scripts from out-of-state doctors to abuse meds or who steal prescription pads to get meds to abuse, they have to call and verify that Daniel’s psych actually wrote the prescriptions and is authorized to prescribe them. I seriously bite my thumb at these [insert expletive].

One of my favorite things… re-runs of Leverage.

I am wearing… jammies. Church clothes were a wrap dress with a camisole and a cardigan with black flats. The rest of the day, it was my “We will not be silent” shirt and jeans.

I am creating… furniture and boxes of stuff for Goodwill.

I am reading… Fear Babe still. I have a decent drive to the house where we are having dinner tomorrow so I’m hoping to get a chunk read during that time.

I am hoping… that I can do reasonably well in all the Workweek Hustle challenges for Fitbit that I am part of this week.

I am learning… how handy I actually am these days. I managed to assemble furniture largely on my own (some of the holes were badly drilled so I had to borrow my dad’s drilling skillz) and I can do some repairs on my own.

In my kitchen… dinners with family for the next couple days. Tonight was fish, potatoes, salad, and pie.

In the school room… Daniel starts ESY up here this week!

Post Script… I’m finding that this post hits every note I was trying to hit while writing a post with my reaction to things in the news.

Shared Quote…

Opinions and coffee.

A moment from my day… What can I say? I’m not even remotely a morning person.

Why you really shouldn't mess with me before my morning coffee...

Closing Notes: If you’re considering a vote for Trump this fall, read this. You need to know what your candidate and his minions support.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Getting Settled in Washington

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

*facepalm* Apparently, the phone line here got buried under the driveway when it was redone so Comcast wouldn’t be able to have Internet hooked up here for a MONTH. Dish Network can get it in next week so we’re now Dish Network customers. I’m OK with this — we had Dish Network in Montana and I’m a fan of theirs.

— 2 —

Unpacking. Daniel and I got up here on Friday, the movers came with furniture on Saturday, and we finally moved into the house yesterday when the beds were finally put together and able to be made. I’m currently sleeping in the guest room as we don’t have a bed (or really any furniture) for my room yet. I ordered what I needed on the IKEA website and it will be here next Tuesday… which is the same day as we get Internet installed here. (We’re making do with a mobile hotspot at the moment.) In the meantime, we’re unpacking every possible box and probably have more than my weight in cardboard and packing paper!

— 3 —

Daniel and school. I had the luck of finding all the necessary paperwork online for the school district here and filled it all out while I was still in San Jose. The good news: I’m apparently so detail-oriented that I filled out every possible piece of paperwork that was necessary with the exception of a records release that I had to pick up from Daniel’s home elementary school up here. (There were also 5 BIG emails of papers sent to Special Education for his IEP, evaluations, etc.) I have him signed up and set-up for ESY (extended school year — basically summer school) up here and that takes place in July. I had a meeting with Daniel’s team (12 people!!!!!) this morning and based on how thorough they were about getting every possible person to this meeting, I’m feeling pretty good about the next school year.

— 4 —

Guest cats. While we were trying to get unpacked and beds were being set up, we were staying at my grandmother’s house and my parents put their two cats in my grandmother’s room downstairs as it was the biggest room. (My grandmother is in an assisted living place here so she wasn’t displaced for this.) My grandmother’s cat Mandy would sit in front of the sliding glass door outside her room and watch my parents’ cats puff up and throw themselves at the window. It was like she was sitting there and watching the floor show while eating popcorn! When I’d let her into the house, I would pick her up and stroke her and tell her that she was evil. (She looks like a clone of my former cat Freya except with a bushier tail — same football shape and coloring. It’s fitting because Freya was (and still is) evil.)

— 5 —

Fitbit. I’m seriously loving my Fitbit Surge. It’s good to see some of the biological data that I keep getting asked to record but can’t for whatever reason. (How am I supposed to know how much sleep I’m getting if I don’t know exactly when I’m falling asleep!?!?!?) It’s kind of humbling to know that I’m getting so little sleep (though it explains a lot) and I’m kind of bummed that it isn’t picking up all my steps, especially when I’m in a challenge against other people based on step count.

On the other hand, it tracks how many flights of stairs I’ve climbed and that has been a lot in the last few days. Yesterday, it gave me the Redwood Badge for 25 flights of stairs! This is a new thing for me as I haven’t lived in a place with stairs in 6 years.

— 6 —

Thunderation! We had a pretty nice storm system blow through yesterday and I was dealing with thunder and lightning while trying to unload all my stuff at the new house. Another time, I was dealing with a pretty intense squall while driving. I haven’t had weather like that since some mountain thunderstorms hit last year in Claremont a couple of the times while I was driving home! The last time I had regular weather like that was Minnesota 11 years ago.

— 7 —

A Daniel story. I’ve been teaching him how to say “I am cute” and he finally said it a couple nights ago at dinner. Ironically, it was when he was *NOT* being cute but it definitely provided some levity.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: June 5, 2016

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For Today… June 5, 2016

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… hot hot hot. 90F at the moment and I can’t wait to move to a colder climate!

I am thinking… about what is on my plate tomorrow as far as packing up the contents of my closets as well as my clothes. There will definitely be laundry involved.

I am thankful… that lectoring went well this morning. I was “in the zone” and made it through with only one tiny mistake.

One of my favorite things… rain. So excited to head to Washington and have some. (We’ve been in drought for the last few years in California, last year pretty intensely.)

I am wearing… blue-green shirt and black shorts. I wore a wrap dress with a camisole under it this morning for church.

I am creating packing lists for the things I need to take north with me in my car.

I am reading… The Fear Babe still. I haven’t had a lot of time to read lately.

I am hoping… everything goes smoothly with the move.

I am learning… about various requirements for establishing residency in Washington.

In my kitchen… I’m heading to a potluck for choir in a few minutes so I don’t know what my parents and Daniel are going to be doing tonight.

In the school room… Daniel finished school last Thursday!

Post Script… Voting for the 2016 MLB All-Star game is still going on. If you aren’t sure who to pick, any player with “SEA” by their name in the American League or “SF” by their name in the National League are fabulous choices. 😉

Shared Quote… “Never once did Jesus scan the room for the best example of ?holy living and send that person out to tell others about him. He always sent stumblers and sinners. I find that comforting.” — Nadia Bolz-Weber

A moment from my day… a channel full of music from The Chieftains — it’s one of my happy places.

Closing Notes: Please pray for me on my move north. I’ll be leaving on Tuesday and doing the drive over three days.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: May 29, 2016

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For Today…

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… dark. It was in the 80’s today which is not to my taste as I hate hot weather and it’s only supposed to get hotter this week.

I am thinking… about the move.

I am thankful… for a nice dinner with family friends last night.

One of my favorite things… the San Francisco Giants winning and the LA Dodgers losing games

I am wearing… jammies. Today’s outfit for both church and afterwards was the same as it was Folk Choir Sunday which tends to be more casual with people wearing jeans. I went with a blue-green fitted tee from Old Navy and black capris from Kohl’s.

I am creating change-of-address postcards

I am reading… The Fear Babe: Shattering Vani Hari’s Glass House by by Marc Draco, Kavin Senapathy, and Mark Alsip. I haven’t gotten a chance to read this weekend but I’m enjoying the book.

I am hoping… Daniel sleeps through tonight and let’s me sleep in tomorrow morning. Getting by on an average of 6 hours of sleep a night is not doing good things for me.

I am learning… about all the disability services in Washington state.

In my kitchen… hamburgers tonight.

In the school room… Daniel’s last week of school. He finishes on Thursday.

Post Script… for anyone who read this article, there is good news.

Shared Quote…

Some sage advice.

A moment from my day… Another amazing version of Baba Yetu.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: May 22, 2016

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For Today…

Simple Woman's Daybook

Looking out my window… cloudy and in the 60’s. It’s been cool all day and threatening to rain. Given how much I hate hot weather, I’m all in favor of it even if it gives me migraines.

I am thinking… about the move in 2 1/2 weeks.

Oh yeah… this is what the vague-blogging has been about. My parents and Daniel and I are moving to Washington in June. It’s been in works since November. We had to be out of the house for two weeks in April while the floors were redone, the doors replaced, and the trim replaced. After that, we had a week of realtor showings that required vacating the house at a moment’s notice. The house sold fast and Mom and Dad spent a couple days in Washington house-shopping. They put in an offer which was accepted and closing is on June 3rd.

I am thankful… for today’s choir anthem going well.

One of my favorite things… office supply stores. Staples is my idea of nirvana.

I am wearing… long-sleeved green striped shirt and jeans. For church this morning, I traded my jeans for my black dress slacks and black flats.

I am creating change-of-address postcards.

I am reading… The Fear Babe: Shattering Vani Hari’s Glass House by Marc Draco, Kavin Senapathy, and Mark Alsip. The book takes all of the Food Babe’s pseudo-scientific stupidity and deconstructs it using facts, actual science, and logic.

I am hoping… a friend comes home from his missions trip safely.

I am learning… about the various state agencies that work with kiddos like Daniel in Washington.

In my kitchen… Dad is making hot dogs tonight.

In the school room… Daniel has two weeks left and I’m starting to scan paperwork to send to the school district in Washington.

Post Script… if you know someone with fibromyalgia, I recommend reading this.

Shared Quote… From Facebook…

I couldn't resist sharing this one from Facebook...

A moment from my day… As it is Trinity Sunday I thought I’d share this.

Closing Notes: I saw a blog post shared on Facebook this weekend in which a mommy blogger who had done lots of giveaways and earned money from her blog was telling all the other mommy bloggers to give up their blogs because she had seen the error of her ways and, like, nobody cares or is reading mommy blogs anymore. I’d disagree that mommy bloggers need to stop writing and give up their blogs. Readership of blogs is down across the board but if it brings you joy to blog and scratches that itch, go for it. Unless you are saying something dangerous, something seriously untrue, or being a complete and utter Sanctimommy, I’ll generally ignore you if your blog has too many sponsored posts or if you bore me to pieces.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

Laughing Over Here

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I saw this on Jamie’s Facebook and had to laugh.

As we approach graduation, people keep asking me about how our high school senior got into university.
“What was the process like? How did he decide where to apply? Was the essay hard? When were applications due?
And I’m like, “I have no idea. You’d have to ask him.”

And then they’re all, ” 🙁 🙁 🙁 ”

We just figured if our kid couldn’t handle getting himself into college, he probably doesn’t belong there. Crazy, I know.

Why am I laughing? I have read so many blog entries, articles, and pieces about parents who fill out college apps for their kids, fill out the FAFSA for their kids, decide where their kid should go, etc. It is so wonderful to see parents who are encouraging their kids to do this stuff themselves like the rest of us had to do 20(!) years ago!