Teachers are cut from a special cloth.  They have the toughest jobs that requires more pattience and understanding than any other job.  They are often not paid a lot and yet are expected to shape the minds of future generations.

My situation is not that intense yet.  I have a 3 year old that attends a Non Profit Montessori School here in town.  Shaping his education, self care, self reliance and much more basic survival is his current curiculum.  His teachers deal with coughs, runny noses, allergies, stomach bugs (vomit), flu, fevers, potty training, “accidents”, and so on.  To deal with all of this with your own child is one thing, but, someone elses kid ?

Today my three year old had a really bad bloody nose.  His teacher sat him on her lap trying to calm his fears and stop the bleeding.  While he was seated on her lap she felt this warm sensation cover her leg.  Yep !  He had an “accident” while on her lap.  I was mortified when she told me.  She laughed when telling me the story saying,”It’s ok.  He was just upset and didn’t pay attention.”  Really ?  Some folks would be handing you their clothes or dry cleaning bills if that happened to them.  

I say all this to give a big Thanks to all the teachers out there.  The ones who make a child feel safe, feel special, feel loved.  You are amazing people whose shoes I could NEVER walk in. so, “Praise be to the Teachers” out there

My son attends a wonderful school.  We attend a loving church. The people that are around him are positive, encouraging and very kind. 

You can send your kid to the kindest play school or the most loving church, but, if the parents of  the other children ignore their kids or let them watch television thats not age appropriate, your kids will be exposed to stuff you normally wouldn’t want them to be exposed to.  I say this, because, at times our 3 year old says things that blow us away - OR quotes things we know he hasn’t seen in our home (ex: SNL skits).  What do you do ?

We try to instill decent morals leading by example.  We are kind to each other and don’t argue.  We most certainly don’t yell in this house. So, I hope that our son will absorb more of that than what he may encounter out there in the world.  It’s kind of like food.  If you don’t feed your kids vegetables and healthy food at home, they certainly won’t make those choices  when they are away from you.  

So I guess the saying “it starts at home” makes sense.  We can only do our best and pray that the right things stick with our kids.

This has been sent around to Mom friends.  I had to share

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

- Six married men will be dropped on an island with 1 car and 3 kids each

for 6 weeks

- Each kid will play 2 sports and take either music or dance classes

- THERE IS NO FAST FOOD

- Each man must take care of his 3 kids,  Keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework and complete science projects, cook, do laundry

- Pay a list of “pretend” bills with NOT ENOUGH MONEY

- In additional, each man will have to budget in money for groceries every week

- The men must  REMEMBER THE BIRTHDAYS of all their friends, relative and send out cards ON TIME - NO EMAILS

- Men must take EACH child to a doctors apt, dentist apt and haircut apt.

- He must make an UNSCHEDULED and INCONVENIENT visit to the urgent care

- He will have to make cupcakes or cookies for a social function

- Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, plating flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

- The men will ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO  TV WHEN CHILDREN ARE ASLEEP and chores are done.

- The Men MUST : shave their legs, wear makeup daily, wear UNcomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep finger nails polished, eyebrows groomed and weight down.

- During ONE of the six weeks men will have to endure SEVERE abdominal cramping, back aches and have extreme, unexplained mood swings.  Not complain or slow down from other duties

- They MUST attend weekly school meetings, church, parent conferences

- They will need to bath, dress and read a book to kids each night

- Each morning they need to wake the kids, dress them, brush their teeth, FEED them and comb their hair BY 7am

- They will have to do this WHILE HOLDING DOWN A JOB

- A TEST WILL BE GIVEN at the end of six weeks. Each will be required to know: Each Childs Birthday, Height, Weight, Shoe Size, Clothes Size, Doctors name and #. Also, weight of child at birth, time, length of  baby and hours of labor.  EACH CHILDS favorite color, middle name, social security #, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite Drink, Favorite Toy, Biggest Fear and what they want to be when they grow up.

- Kids will vote them off the island based on performance.

- The last man wins ONLY IF… He has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moments notice.

- IF HE DOES WIN - he can play the game OVER and OVER for the next 18 - 25 yrs.

Eventually, earning the right to be called “MOTHER””!

Persistence with a three year may have it’s downside.   Say in the case of the cookie.  My Son is not big on sweets.  Though occasionally, he will ask for something.  ( He never finishes it).  When I am in this type of situation with him, It leads me to ask, “Is my 3 year old persistent or relentless?”

“Mom, can I have a cookie, please?”

“Lets wait until after dinner, sweetheart.”

“Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  Cookie, please.  ”

I think that my child believes if he asks enough times, that somehow, the cookie is going to magically appear.  He may even try to be creative and rephrase the exact same request.

“Cookie, cookie, coooookie, cooookie,  I would like a coooookie,   I would like a coooookie,   I would like a coooookie,  ”

You get the point.  

These types of conversations or “requests” can go on for an entire car ride.  So in this case, is my child being persistent or relentless?  You tell me

I got an Iphone 4S because I saw a friend of mines music video that she recorded on her IPhone.  With the 4S there are several applications and options that help with my scheduling, navigation, weather to monitor outdoor shows.  It’s quite handy.  My favorite use of this phone is the camera.  It takes amazing pictures and video.  I can send them or save them at the touch of a button.

My husband also got the IPhone 4S.  That is funny, because, he hates technology. That part of my husband is like a 90 year old man.  He’d rather read the newspaper then have news delivered to his phone.  HIS favorite part of the Iphone ?   Siri.  Siri is the voice on the phone that you can ask any question and she will offer guidance.  ”Is it going to rain?” Pow ! she gets you the forcast for where you are.  ”How many inches in a foot?”  Bam! she tells you.  It’s quite helpful.

My husband, on the other hand, uses Siri for his entertainment.(THIS part of my husband would be like a 9 yr old).  Occasionally, he asks her silly questions just to see her response.  ”What are you wearing?” He asks her.   Being programmed for such smarty pants questions, she responds with “I’m not that kind of personal assistant”.  ”What’s your favorite drink?” he asks.  She responds with “I’m not allowed to divulge that information”. “Do you want to go on a date?” He asks.   Her response “I try to be satisfied with what I have.” “No shit” he says.  She comes back with “No need for profanity”.  He asks “How old are you?”  The voice responds “I don’t see why that should matter.”  ”Who invented you?”  ”I was created by Apple in California.”  At times he will actually argue with this computer voice.

Today, my husband was, apparently, overcome with boredom on his way to WoodCraft. He decided he would once again try to “stump” Siri.  He asked…

“How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”

Her response ?  ”A woodchuck would chuck as much as a woodchuck could chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood”

Really ???  All that technology, wasted

My son has this little prayer they say at his Montessori School as “thanks” before they eat. It is so simple, but, so true…

We are thankful for the food before us

We are thankful for the friends beside us

We are thankful for the love among us

We are thankful