What a long strange trip it's been....

I can't believe I haven't been on here since last August. How many seasons have come and gone?! Wow. Since then my son has surpassed my own height by 4 inches and made the middle school baseball team. My daughter has enjoyed every single minute of kindergarten and is a veracious reader! And Robbie....well, he's still Robbie! Here's a few pics to keep the fires burning until next time:

Summer is Pulling to a Close....

As a teacher, one's days are numbered for summer vacation. In between 6 sessions of training, curriculum meetings, Promethean Board Training, Mentor Training, and Camp Invention, we FINALLY squeezed in a last romp to South Carolina's Grand Strand this final week before having to return to teacher workdays next Wednesday. It has been a FABULOUS time. Our oldest is on a cruise with his mom's family, so it has been just the 3 of us. However, the 5 year old has been enough for the 2 of us. In just a few days we've done so much. And even though my parents' beach place is one we come to often, we rarely go beyond the circle of convenient places nearby. We've played Putt-Putt, went to the Ripley's Aquarium, spent time by the Barefoot Resort Pool with friends, went to restaurants we never venture (and they were good!) and all the time never minding to a schedule!! It's been wonderful! Here are just a few pics to enjoy!

Shift Happens....

Whos Funnier....Teachers or Cops?

WHO'S FUNNIER: TEACHERS OR COPS ?... I think it's a draw

For the teachers out there, former or present you will chuckle at these actual comments made on student report cards by teachers in the New York City public school system. All teachers were reprimanded but, some of these are really funny!

1. Since my last report, your child has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.

2. I would not allow this student to breed.

3. Your child has delusions of adequacy.

4. Your son is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.

5. Your son sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them.

6. The student has a 'full six-pack' but lacks the plastic thingie to hold it all together.

7. This child has been working with glue too much.

8. When your daughter's IQ reaches 50, she should sell.

9. The gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.

10. If this student were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week.

11. It's impossible to believe the sperm that created this child beat out 1,000,000 others.

12. The wheel is turning but the hamster is definitely dead.

Cops, (and yes, there is one of those in my household, so I am double laughing at this post)...These 16 Police Comments were taken off actual police car videos around the country. Thank goodness, in spite of the perils of the job, they still have a sense of humor!

16. 'You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through.'

15. 'Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while.' (.....my husband swears he's used this one a time or two on a few drunks in holding and they just look at him like he knows what he's talking about!!)

14. 'If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document.'

13. 'If you run, you'll only go to jail tired.'

12. 'Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you.'

11. 'You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?'

10. 'Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?'

9. 'Warning! You want a warning? O.K, I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket.'

8. 'The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not....Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?'

7. 'Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey poo.'

6. 'Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven.'

5. 'In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC.'

4. 'How big were those 'two beers' you say you had?'

3. 'No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can.'

2. 'I'm glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail..'

AND THE WINNER IS....
1. 'You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here. ( In Calif.)

New Preamble??

"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavi or, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights."

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care without helping to buy into the program yourself first.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!)

ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness... Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (Lastly....)

ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!
If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you if you don't. I just think it's about time common sense is allowed to flourish. Sensible people of the United States speak out because if you do not, who will?

Xan's a Graduate!

All grown up and ready for Kindergarten!! At this point she will be driving tomorrow and ready for the Senior Prom next week. Where did the time go?...I blinked.

Teachers' Top Ten for the Last Ten Days....

10. You are so tired, you now want to answer students' questions with "shut up".

9. Your friends call to ask how you've been and you immediately scream "Stop asking me all these questions."

8. Your garbage can is now your "IN BOX"

7. The next kid who asks you for a pencil is going to hear "Don't you ever have anything? Do you see Wal-Mart tattooed on my forehead?"

6. You fantasize about how relaxing it would be if you were in jail right now!

5. Your recess jumps from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.

4. The only thing in your classroom to eat is chocolate with a soda chaser.

3. Math lesson consists of "calculate how many days we have left, hours, minutes, no wait, seconds..."

2. You find yourself saying "This is May, you should know the rules by now" way too many times a day.

1. You start turning the teachers of the next grade level into big scary monsters who "will NOT accept this kind of behavior at all next year!"