Showing posts with label updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label updates. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Busy time

It's 7:10 AM.  High schooler left 20 minutes ago. Getting middle schooler ready to leave in 5 minutes.  Two more kids to go.  Morning is a busy time.  This week, every moment seems crazy.  Count down to my son's Confirmation on Saturday.  Missing you all.  I will check in with you next week.

Is it too early for chocolate??? Never!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Worn down

On Friday, a mistrial was declared. After days and days of intense debate surrounding a manslaughter charge, we had to hang our heads low and report that we could not come to a unanimous agreement. For those five days, I tried to help the two stubborn jurors see the recklessness of the defendant's acts that led to a young man's death. I felt compelled to fight for justice when I saw how those 2 jurors refused to engage in discussion and consider the evidence seriously as human beings. My heart aches for the victim and his family. I feel so raw and hollow inside these past two days. I never expected this kind of grief to hit me with such power. Many of us cried in the open courtroom. I find it hard to even talk about the whole process right now. I guess all those hours of passionate appeals to those stubborn jurors have taken a toll on me. I'm having trouble trying to purge all those feelings and arguments out of my head. I worry that justice will not happen in this case when another trial begins in the fall. Second to my father's illness and death, this has been a spiritually, physically and emotionally exhausting experience. I'm glad that I fought with all of my being to voice what I believed was right. I'm frustrated because those 2 men closed their minds even after many of us presented arguments based on the facts, the law, and the call of humanity to value all life. I don't even know if my words are sufficient here.

I'm trying to get into my normal routine again. I need to turn my mind away from these past 4 weeks for awhile. I have to revisit what all this meant in my life at another time. I pray for justice. I pray for the victim's family. I pray for me.

My kids couldn't understand why I cried when I came home on Friday evening. I couldn't even verbalize anything to them.

I will be visiting you all later on today. You bring the sunshine that I need.

Monday, October 26, 2009

In case you were wondering...

Here are a few updates:

My first grader and his classroom: My usually sweet Joe is still acting up a lot at home. He cries easily, and fights everything. My mother's intuition tells me that he's not happy in his daily classroom experience. He is getting all his work done, but he's way too tense for a 6 year old. I try to find out about his day from him. He really doesn't give me much information. At his age, he should be happier in his day. I expect mood swings from my 12 year old!

I'm still hearing reports about the teacher being very rule-oriented. I hear that many parents complained about her lack of nurturing last year. I also heard that she is great at helping the kids with their reading and writing skills, but I don't think the kids should feel pressure and stress as they try to reach those goals. As class mom this year, I'm hoping to get a better sense of the classroom environment when I visit the class for parties and special activities. I think I'm also going to try and take Joe on a special one on one day with me. Maybe he'll relax and open up more with me about what is upsetting him.

Block tension: Gratefully, we have not had any confrontations or altercations with that older boy lately. It is still tense for me with his mother when we run into each other. You should see how fast she zooms by me in her truck. When she's coming, I tell the kids to stay close to me. I try to wave hello when she goes by. I don't think she'll ever turn her head in my direction :) She drives by me a little too aggressively. After a year of bullying, I'm glad that my son at least has some peace on the block. Hopefully, things will cool down someday. I'm really not a fan of confrontation and tension.

Kelly's romper room: Well, we're almost done with month two of babysitting my 3 year old nephew as my sister goes to school. You would laugh to see Jillian acting like a little wife all day. She'll say these kind of things to her cousin: "Clean up your stuff in my room." or "Why do you always put your shoes in my way?" or "You want to watch too much TV." Overall, it's a day filled with activity, little tantrums, giggles and singing. One of these days, I'm going to take a picture of myself after surviving an especially hectic day with the two of them. I must be a sight for sure!

Why does gray hair love me?: Sorry to say that gray is still trying to overtake my head. I want to get it colored at a salon, but money is tight so I'm holding off for now. Maybe I'll start wearing fashionable hats? I think a Yankee hat would be a great idea!! Yankee fever is here in my house:)

By the time I get an Ipod... I can remember to buy socks, underwear, hockey pucks, (I live with boys who love hockey), but I seem to forget to get my longed for Ipod. When the Santa of my house gets home, I think I'll have to tattoo "Wife needs Ipod" to his forehead :)

Well, that's all I have to report for now. This week, I'm up to my ears in school Halloween craft projects. We painted a pumpkin green to look like Franklin, the turtle. When I think about it, I did get some hair color this weekend. Jillian accidentally hit my crazy curls with green paint. Maybe it's time for me to go punk :) Back to the romper room!

Enjoy your Monday!