Dishes

The dishes from last night were sitting on the table as I walked in the door at 5:45PM.  I wasn't sure what we were having for supper.  I wasn't sure what dishes were clean to cook with or what food was thawed.  I scrapped together some leftovers (my husband will be thrilled, especially since it's the 3rd? night in a row). 

But anyways, the dishes from last night were stacked on top of the dishwasher with care.  I found edible food, so our tummies are full, but tonight's dishes are still on the table.  The parishable items are in the fridge, but the frying pan is on the stove, the plates and glasses sit there covered in ketchup and orange peals. 

The counter above the dishwasher is towering with the plates and bowls from I'm guessing two or so days.  They will probably fill the dishwasher, but we'll have to wait until the clean dishes get unloaded first.  The sink has dishes in various stages of soaking.  They are the ones that aren't supposed to go in the dishwasher, but they somehow end up in there.....(darn cleaning lady!  I will have to have a talk about that again!)

My dishes and I are on the need to use program.  I need to use it, I wash it.  They sit patiently waiting for me in the dishwasher, and when I need another clean one, I get it.  Eventually the dishwasher is depleted of its clean dishes and then, in go the dirty ones.  And so the cycle continues. 

It's not like I hate doing the dishes...well the dishwasher part.  I still wish my hand dishes could wash themselves.  It's survival mode during the week.  The big kids need this, that and the other thing.  Something's up high, or "Degan hit me" or "Miri's getting into _____"!  Miri Jo is cruising around the furniture and I know that when walking happens a whole new world of challenges awaits.  I've also just desided that hanging out with my kiddos is far more important than the dishes.  I mean, I'm not out of clean ones yet!

So here I go blogging instead of cleaning up those dishes...but hey they'll wait for me.  They always do!

Diversity

I hate this question: “How many little Indian kids do you have in your class?”  I hate it for many reasons…

1.     First I have NO Indian kids in my class.  They are Native Americans.  Their people were here before your people.  That is if we are keeping score.

2.    Does it matter????? NO, it doesn’t matter.  There are many prominent issues in my school, poverty, abuse, neglect, alcoholism just to name a few.  These issues occur regardless of race. 

3.    Do you think anyone ever asks an African American or Native American teacher, “How many little white kids do you have in your class?” and if they did, would they ask it with the same preconceived notions they do about “Indian” kids?

4.    There are special things about each race.  I think Europeans (yes, us white folk) sometimes don’t get this because we often don’t identify and celebrate with a particular group.

When a student walks in my room I worry about many things, but race is not one of them.  I care about whether or not that child has had enough to eat.  Did he or she sleep well?

I care who they live with, so if they show hostility to a dad who has never existed or a mom who left them I can try to understand.  Can Grandma keep up with them?

Do they feel taken care of?

Do they feel loved?

I love all my kids, from the kindergarteners to the high schoolers.  I feel terrible when they have a bad day.  I worry when they don’t work.  I pray always that they are taken care of beyond my classroom walls.

What can I do to stop this?  Well I need to get the courage to explain to people why I don’t like that question.  I’m starting today with this blog.  Maybe after getting it out in print I’ll have the courage to say it out loud.

If you are curious about my classroom, ask me about its diversity.  Ask me about the individuals that make up my classes.  Ask me about the people, not the race.

Compliments

“You have a beautiful family,” a middle aged man sitting behind me in church says during the sign of peace.   “Thank you,” I reply with a smile.  I know this.  I know I have good kids, but it’s nice to hear it from someone else, a  stranger no less. 

Our kids are very well behaved most of the time.  They are friendly.  They are polite.  We have our moments.  I would like to strangle them at times, but I couldn’t ask for better children.  We all think this of our kids, and rightly so.  As mothers we are proud of them.   We want the best for them.  We think they are the best.

Compliments like the one I got in church today don’t come every day.  I hear it every now and again, but I don’t think people realize the impact they make on each other when they compliment.  When I receive a compliment about my children it stays with me.  It helps during the frustrating times when I’ve asked Deegan to get dressed for the thousandth time and it is 10 minutes until we need to meet the bus.  It helps when Mazee’s screaming about Deegan throwing something at her.  It helps when I’m frazzled with getting four of us out the door in the morning.

Sincere compliments are special.  They are important.  And we are humans should compliment more often and receive compliments with grace.  We often try to shrug off compliments, but we should reply thank you and accept the compliment. 

My challenge to myself and all of you, sincerely compliment one person a day.   

Mi Vida Loca

It's been awhile...life's been crazy.  All sorts of funniest has happened, but logging on to document hasn't been part of the plan.  Something about just wanting to collapse at 10PM when Miri finally goes to sleep only I still have dishes to put in the dishwasher and socks to pick up off the floor.  Truth be told, the table often still has supper dish on it in the AM and the socks just pile up until Saturdays, when Mount Laundry gets tackled.

I have found out that with Deegan in kindergarten things got way more interesting.  It should be noted that Deegan attends the school closest to us and I travel 30 mins to work, therefore I don't teach Deegan.  Which is most likely a good thing for both of us.  But it means two schedules to keep track of.  I realize that this is no different from parents who don't teach and their kids enter school, but since I'm at school and he's at school I'd like our lives to jive more than they do.

I know life with kid schedules will only get more hecktic so the other night I was tucking Deegan in and I said, "Deegan how about you just stay this size for alittle while longer?'  Deegan relied, "Mom I just can't control myself!"  I asked Mazee too.  Her answer wasn't near as cute, but she wants to keep growing too.

The girls are having a ball at daycare.  Mazee started play school one afternoon a week and LOVES it.  She's been hearing about how wonderful school is for 2 years and now she can actually go.  She has "school underwear" (her Tinkerbell unders which we have 6 pair of) that cannot be worn unless it's a school day.  Those extra 6 pair could come in super handy but they are only allowed to be used on Tuesdays. 

Miri's the bully at daycare.  She chases the baby around and pull on her pants.  She also likes to do naughty things like pull all the DVD's off the shelf.  At least I know she'll be able to hold her own with the big kids!

Today I watched my 6 week old neice for a few hours.  Sammi and Miri got hungry at the exact same time.  I knew that would happen and you can't just keep one waiting.  So I hooked Miri up (if you're new to my blog, yes Miri is my daughter) and had Mazee assist as I propped Sammi up on the other side.  Sammi sort of sat on Miri and I balanced a bottle.  Miri patted Sammi while they both ate.  Thank goodness no one was here to run the camera!