Juggling Life

Slow on the Uptake Who?

Sports are an important part of growing up in the Juggling household. I think sports are a great way to learn teamwork, have fun, stay in shape and learn to push yourself. Plus, it was what our children were good at and what we enjoyed watching.

Water polo has been such a great experience for the kids. I’ve written before on how I feel about team sports and how much I’ve put into my children’s various teams. I’ve always felt that youth and high school sports were an end in themselves, not the means to an end.

I’ve been watching this boy play with great intensity since he was 10 years old.

                                    Danger Boy April 2006

Danger Boy is a high school junior. Last week a college scout came up to him after a game to get his phone number and inquire about his college plans.

I mentioned this to the coach when he saw him at Social Butterfly’s game on Sunday. I guess my surprise was evident on my face.

He said (in his Portuguese accent—which makes everything sound twice as good as it would otherwise), “You do know he should be playing D-1 water polo in college, don’t you?”

Ummm, no I didn’t, now that you mention it. MVP never wanted to play in college and while I certainly knew it might be possible for DB to play I never considered the idea that someone might actually offer him money to do so.

Wow.

So . . . very cool and something to think about. He’s totally into it. Next step (apparently) is to get busy with the video camera so we can put together the requisite DVD for recruiters.

Wow.

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it’s off to work I go . . .

Edited to add: Hahahahaha! I checked my cell phone just before I was about to leave—at 7:30 a.m. The teacher is sick and thinks he would be better if I don’t come in because she wants to be the one to introduce me.

I’m sure you’re as bored hearing about my health as I am writing about it, but I’ve bored you this long—you’ll want to hear the resolution.

It looks like part two of my illness was actually a side-effect of one (not sure which) of the drugs I was taking for my bronchitis. I’m a little annoyed that it took me a week to figure it out since the last time I was this sick (10 years ago) I had a weird, .001% of the population reaction to one of the drugs then. Note to self—remember this!

So now I’m just normal, lingering cough, wrung out from being sick, on the road to full recovery dragging, but not actually sick anymore. Yay! And my husband is thrilled because I cooked dinner two nights in a row this weekend. Then, on Sunday night, we got pizza. I need to pace myself.

In an effort to make this mean something (besides as it affects me, me, me) let me point out that this little episode entailed two doctor’s visits and three prescriptions for a total outlay of $70.00 in one week. All of which was not even on my radar as I was focused on getting better. Which is as it should be.

What if I didn’t have health insurance? Well that would be a whole different, and much less pleasant, story. It’s entirely possible, given that my school had two confirmed cases of H1N1 I would have been worried enough to show up in an emergency room—incurring huge costs and gumming up the works.

One of my favorite bloggers is breathing a sigh of relief after his daughter’s health crisis has been resolved. You can read his harrowing account of her illness here. Another favorite blogger is over at the Women’s Colony today with a provider’s take on health insurance. It’s a must-read.

Happy Monday!

Second Place Is Not Just First Loser

Room 6 was going to be first to lunch (think back—that’s a plus when you have to wait in the cafeteria line). Sadly, it was not to be so—Room 6 needed some extra practice in lining up quickly, quietly and without pushing and shoving.

Travers was the line leader for the day, so he was walking next to me when we got to the lunch area.

Travers: Look! We might not be first, but we’re second.

Mrs. Juggling: It does look that way.

Travers: You know what, Mrs. Juggling?

Mrs. Juggling: What, Travers?

Travers: Mrs. Juggling . . . second place isn’t really that bad now, is it?!

Free Stuff Friday and First Grade Fail

To all those who were worried I would serve my darling first-graders virus-ridden cupcakes—rest easy. I had some blood work done today and am going to stay home until we figure out what I have or at least what I don’t have (it is definitely not H1N1). I may actually be having a reaction to the medication that has made my bronchitis improve. How frustrating is it that rest is the answer to so many problems and so hard to find the time for?

The sad part is that I won’t get closure with the students I’ve been with since their first day of school—a long time in the life of a 6-year old. Hopefully, I will be able to say a proper goodbye and deliver some homemade goodies in the next week or two—the school I’m going to has a different minimum day, so the timing should work out.

Now . . . onto the Free Stuff

Five—yes, five—winners will receive a copy of this just released CD. Now I would love to tell you how great it was, but the restricted release, watermarked CD that I received won’t play on any of the computers or CD players in my house. I guess that’s one way of ensuring I don’t engage in unauthorized copying or distribution!

Leave me a comment telling me your favorite love song and I’ll pick the winners two weeks from today. Hmmmm, now that I’ve asked you I’ll have to do some thinking about what my answer would be!

Blah, blah, still sick, blah, blah

So, I’m still sick. Sick enough to go the doctor tomorrow. Sick enough that I’ve missed most of this week at school—which bums me out completely and makes me feel like a total slacker though I know the last thing anyone needs is a sick person spreading her germs.

I’m having a little trouble catching a break, too. I got up Monday and Tuesday at 5:30 and went to school—I just came home early. Wednesday is minimum day so actually sleeping in seemed the wise choice. Wouldn’t you know that the contractors redoing my next-door neighbors driveway would be jack-hammering it up and (unlike many contractors) wanted to get started bright and early?

I’m hoping for a miraculous overnight recovery—fueled by Phenergan with Codeine, Tessalon Perles, a 7:30 bedtime and no morning jack-hammers. A girl can dream, can she not?

It is my hope to take the delicious sounding cupcakes featured in the Kitchen at the Women’s Colony to the kids on Friday and to teach my super-cool social studies lesson in which we rewrite the Pledge of Allegiance in kid language.

I start a new gig on Monday—5th grade in middle school—and I hate to finish with a whimper what started with such a bang.

End of whining and general self-pity. Carry on!

The Thing About Little Girls . . .

Visit me at the WC today!

 

is that they all-too-soon grow into young women.

                          Summer 2006

 

                             Fall 2009

Vampires Are Not Just for Girls (A Giveaway Post)

Danger Boy was an avid reader (I’m sure he will be again someday—there’s something about all the assigned reading of high school that is—sadly—a bit of a turn-off to recreational reading; but I digress) when he was younger.

There have been four book series that he has treasured beyond all others. There was Harry Potter, of course, The Merlin Series, The Ender books, and his favorite of all, Darren Shan’s Cirque Du Freak books.

He discovered these books in 4th grade and it was one of those series where you had to be at the bookstore on the release date of the next book—come hell or high water. Especially exciting was when Darren Shan visited our local Barnes and Noble and he was able to have his books autographed.

These are books that are not going to end up in Mom’s future classroom. Ever.

Darren Shan was writing truly amazing vampire stories long before Twilight ever set teenage girls atwitter.

So, when I found out there was a giveaway for the October 23 movie release of A Vampire’s Assistant (rated PG-13) I actually asked to do it. I don’t ever ask for anything! They said “yes!”

The series is recommended for sixth grade and up and, having read a couple of the books myself, I’d say this is a pretty accurate estimate. Of course you know your kid better than I do, and Danger Boy was fine reading them in 4th grade.

So, here’s the giveaway.

THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT

MOVIE GIVEAWAY

One (1) Grand Prize winner receives:

• $50 Fandango.com Gift Card
• Vampire’s Assistant Backpack, T-Shirt & Locker Mirror!
• Cirque du Freak book (includes the first 3 titles from the series)

How darn cool is that?!

 

Leave me a comment telling me who you’ll go to the movie with and I’ll pick a winner two weeks from today. Good luck!

Minivan Mom and Proud of It

I am on my third (and final) minivan. Perhaps because I’m not much of a car person and content with affordability and practicality above style I always seemed to have the same minivan as everyone else.

There was the Dodge Caravan in the ubiquitous blue (I care enough about style that I would not drive a faux-wood paneled anything).

Then came the even more ubiquitous white Plymouth Voyager. OMomK drove the same van and we both spent a lot of time waving to people who thought we were each other.

When my Voyager gave up the ghost a couple of years ago I knew I didn’t need a van that I would be driving for many years—with the youngest of my children the only one not yet driving I know my carpool days are waning. I wanted something reliable that I could pay cash for. Enter the Toyota Sienna.

The next time I write about a car of mine I’m thinking it will be a sedan something with good gas mileage and a modicum of luxury. But that day has not yet arrived.

I have had many parents tell me over the years that they refuse to buy anything larger than a small sedan because they don’t want to drive other people’s kids around. Now if you only have one or two children and are environmentally conscious and drive a Prius I totally respect where you’re coming from. But when you just don’t want to drive on other people’s kids? There’s another name for “other people’s kids".” It’s “your kid’s friends.” And boy howdy are you missing out by not being the Minivan Mom (or Dad).

Because my husband and I are the “ready, willing and able to drive anywhere, just about anytime parents” I got to spend my time last night (pried off my deathbed I grant you) being privy to all the preparations and fun of homecoming. Yes, I spent several hours driving to and fro, picking kids up, sitting outside a restaurant while they ate, even running one girl home for a forgotten id card after the dance started. But I had my brand-new O magazine, my iPod, a bottle of water and a bag of Ricola Cherry-Honey throat drops. It was all good.

 

                            The getting-ready group

                                            The dinner group

 

Social Butterfly and her date (she ditched her shoes for the photos—how is it possible that tall drink of water is my daughter?!)

Yep, I’m going to hang onto that minivan for a couple more years.

Teacher! Teacher!

Mrs. Juggling: Boys and girls—room 6 did not have the best day ever yesterday, did we?

Students (in unison): No!

Mrs. Juggling: What are we going to do today to make sure we have a better day today and that nobody has to miss out on Fun Friday activities?

Various students raise hands. They respond when called upon.

Student 1: Listen to the teacher.

Student 2: Work hard.

Student 3: Do our best.

Student 4: Raise our hands. Don’t call out.

Mrs. Juggling: Excellent answers. I think we're . . .

Adorable little girl who pulls at Mrs. Juggling’s heartstrings (interrupting and shouting out): Teacher! You look beautiful today!

Mrs. Juggling: Adorable little girl, we can’t just interrupt the teacher—even if it is to say very nice things.

This and That (cough, cough, cough)

Thanks for all the well-wishes for my health—I’m ever-so-slowly (you’d think I wasn’t young anymore or something) on the mend. Talking 7 hours a day doesn’t do much to give your voice a rest. Also, it’s a total bummer when your Robitussin with Codeine wears off at 3 a.m. and you can’t take more because you have to get up in 2+1/2 hours, so you just stay awake hacking up half a lung, unable to read because your eyes vibrate with every wracking cough. I know—melodramatic who?!

I’ve got a full weekend planned—dinner with a friend from out of town on Friday night (I was upfront about my 8:30ish bedtime—I think I’d turn into a pumpkin if I wasn’t drugged and in bed by then), Saturday I’m going to put on my chauffer’s hat and just go where the Homecoming crew tells me to drive and Sunday I’m going to handcuff myself to my laptop and work on jumping through a little 15-page hoop called the California Teacher’s Performance Assessment Task 3. It’s NEW! and IMPROVED! and I can’t wait to get to it!

Enough about me though—onto the winner of last week’s Winter’s Tail drawing. The random number generator choose #13.

Wow this looks like a great book and even if I don't win it I will probably buy it for my 10yo daughter who wants to be a marine biologist. She is so into animal studies that the Internet isn't enough for her current report, she "needs to go library because the Intenet isn't as good as reading a book."

Posted by: Patti Flesher | October 02, 2009 at 10:41 AM

It looks like the giveaway is going to just the right place! Send me your contact info Patti and I will pass it on. It looks like I’m going to do some more giveaways/reviews from the same people, so keep checking back for your chance to win.