It Genuinely Irks me . . .

. . . that my husbands alarm can go off at 3:30 am and I don't hear it. 

So, what's the problem??

What I DO hear - is when he opens the bathroom door as if everyone is now awake.  The light streaming out, the sound of the door knob turning, the woosh of the door being tossed back. . . Then, as the light (AND fan) are still on, I hear drawers slamming as he pulls out his undergarments then plops on the bed to put his socks on, and bounces back up again.  He flicks on the light to the closet (which is right in front of my face) to yank his shirt and pants off their hangers, gets dressed in the closet with the light on and door wide open.  He stomps around to turn off the bathroom lights before turning off the closet light - which he does after he ever so sweetly kisses me good-bye.  Hmpf.

When MY alarm goes off an hour later - I'm thoroughly irritated, and irked.

Now, when HE is sleeping during the day (if he's on mids) and I have to take a shower - I hold my breath, turn the door knob at a rate so slow I'm going blue, tip toe in, and close the door in the same fashion I opened it.  I halt!  I watch to see if he has stirred.  If not, I attempt to control my breathing and lightly tip toe my way to the closet and gather all necessary clothing before tip toeing my way to the bathroom.  I turn the water on slowly, don't use the fan, close the curtain quietly, etc. 

Do I NOT deserve the same consideration???  I would love to hear that my man is no different than any other - it would make me feel so much better.

I see a mid-morning nap in my future!

Overweight Woman Pole Dancing - really pretty!

She's not fat by any means.  But, she does appear to be a plus-size woman.  Plus, I like the music and the dance is beautifully done.  I'd love to be her size.  Very pretty!

This second video here is her journey.  I don't know anything about this lady - but I like what she's doing.  And, these are probably old videos.  I came across the top one on a friends Facebook page from several months ago and looked the vid up on YouTube.  I would love to pole dance because I think it's pretty.  I could see my self doing it (though, I couldn't see anyone watching me doing it - LOL!)  Kudos to this lady!

Cleaning Window Screens

     So I looked online for 'how to clean window screens' and though I didn't look hard I kept coming across sites with long supply lists and multiple-step procedures.  I decided I could condense the supplies & procedure and after I got started I thought others might like to know how I cleaned my window screens.

     I cleaned off my island and laid down a towel. I poured 1/2 cup of ammonia in a small bowl with 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water. I laid my screen on the towel and began gently scrubbing the frame and screen with a toothbrush using the ammonia mix.   At this point the screen was laying down.

     Then, I'd stand the screen up and gently get the other side the same way but not as well as the first side. It just wasn't necessary. I then got a wash rag and wet it with water from the faucet and did not ring it out well. I gently wiped the frame and screen on each side.

 

     Finally, I used the blow dryer to dry the screen. This is important as the water that stays there can attract dust and dirt. Plus, though its April, we still have snow on the ground and its cold so it could freeze - and wouldn't look very nice.

 

     I held up two screens to see the difference. My fridge is acting as a backdrop. I didn't plan on doing this today. But often, my inspiration for cleaning is rearranging furniture or digging into some deep cleaning. So the rest of my house is a wreck and I didn't want to get too much of the 'mess' in my pictures.

Here are some before and after pics.

Don't forget to clean the windows, front and back, top and bottom.  It took me a while but I finally figured that the top window folds out the same way as the bottom window.  Use a vacuum to suck up dead lady bugs (which I think are actually Japanese Beetles that bite) and wasps.  Once the debris is out you may want to use the same ammonia mixture to clean the window where the dead bugs were - dirt, etc.  I found a lot of mold on my windows - apparently, we need new ones because they aren't sealing well in winter.  That will come later.  You can take your storm windows out to clean them front and back, too.  It makes a huge difference having windows out of which you can see clearly.  :)

I Propose a 4 Day School Week!

     So, our school district referendum didn't pass - for the 2nd time.  I'm realy disappointed by that but a writer for the Our Kids, Our Future page (a Pulaski page on Facebook) eloquently stated that our school district is a large, rural district covering 4 counties and numerous cities/villages.  Though Pulaski is a very successful school district and the pride runs deep - it's hard for those without kids in the district, especially in those most rural towns, to feel connected.  I'm frustrated, I can partially understand - but mostly I don't. 

 

     At any rate, due to extreme lack of funding we are facing, as a worst-case scenario, losing up to 35 teachers in our district, one of our elementary schools being abandoned and those kids bleeding into the most crowded elementary school in our district, because it's the closest to the school that would close.  It's also a consideration that one elementary school will become a k-2 and another a 3-5, resulting in families divided by two schools - and one very disastrous highway. 

 

     At the Board of Education meeting I was very frustrated that so many people offered reasons why NOT to proceed with options presented by our Superintendent.  Two people did come up with ideas, though.  One was to look into split grade classrooms.  Two principals spoke to their teachers and came up with a list of why that wouldn't work.  Again, this disappointed me because my children attended a choice school in Green Bay that had split grade classrooms - and it worked very well.  My oldest son, soon to be 15, was at the meeting and I asked him how he liked the split grade classes at Aldo.  He said he enjoyed it very much and would encourage that option.  I think it would be something new and different and after learning how to plan for a split grade classroom - teachers could make it work.  If it offers a cost savings, then the teachers having to learn a new technique and teaching skills is advisable.   Another suggestion was to write to the Joint Finance Committee members.  I did send a letter to Ellis and Olsen. 

 

     But, I've also made another suggestion.  Below is the email I sent to all of our Board of Education members about the possibility of a 4 day school week. 

 

If you - whoever happens to come by my page - have experience with a 4 day school week, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone,

I propose adopting a 4-day school week. I have done some looking around on the internet to see how that is working in other school districts. Some main points I have found are that money is saved on transportation, cafeteria, and facilities operations, as well as fewer need for substitutes. There have been other positives in regards to academics as well.

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2012/10/15/educators-at-some-high-schools-tout-benefits-of-4-day-week This is an article from US News written in October of 2012. According to this article there are approximately 300 districts across the nation adhering to the 4 day school week with many more making the consideration as a result of budget constraints. A Georgia school has been able to save $800,000 each year since it began the 4 day school week in 2010.

“U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has spoken out against four-day weeks, and school boards in several states have shot down attempts in their districts to move to shorter school weeks. Critics of the shorter week argue high school students should spend more days in school to prepare themselves for college and the workforce. But teachers and administrators immersed in the schedule say students are more focused while in school thanks to the three-day weekend, and the free day allows high schoolers to intern or enroll in college courses.”

Apparently, student absences and discipline problems have decreased as a result of this 4 day school week as well.

http://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2010/12/rural-minnesota-11-school-districts-4-day-weeks-hope-less-doesnt-mean-lesser This is an article written in 2010 regarding several school districts in Minnesota who’ve adopted the 4 day school week. Cost savings are significantly less than the school in Georgia but I would be willing to bet that has to do with population and the cost to expense ratio for the area. Some quotes from the article:

“This year, a typical day at the junior-senior high begins at 8:20 a.m. and ends at 3:50 p.m. A year ago, school started at 8:35 a.m. and ended at 2:55 p.m. Class periods are now 58 minutes long rather than 48 minutes.

School Board chairwoman Judy Raske says the longer days can be taxing for students, especially those on the far edges of the district who may get on the bus around 7:15 a.m. and return home around 5 p.m. On the other hand, she says some teachers have told her they are further along in their curriculum than they were a year ago under the standard five-day week.

Instruction time will actually increase by 518 minutes (about 8½ hours) this year over last, according to district figures.”

“State tests administered in the spring could shed light on whether the changes have affected student performance in the classroom. "At that point, we will evaluate it," Raske says. "But I would say that if things work well, we probably wouldn't go back to five days."”

http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/educ/school-calendar-four-day-school-week-overview.aspx National Conference of State Legislatures (I can’t find a publication date)

“Overview: With strapped state budgets and alluring promises of significant reductions in overhead and transportation costs, the four-day school week has been an increasingly attractive option for legislators seeking to cut education costs. For small, remote school districts, instituting a four-day school week may provide a savings by reducing transportation, heating, and staff costs. Supporters of the shortened week also boast of improved morale and increased attendance (by both students and teachers), open Fridays for sporting events and doctor appointments, and more time to spend with loved ones. Opponents of the four-day school week cite problems with long, exhausting class days and finding day care for children whose parents work outside the home. Additionally, educational experts worry longer weekends could lead to a regression in learned concepts while also making it more difficult to offer elective classes. However, the jury is still out on many of these issues, as there is a lack of comprehensive studies.”

This is just some information I’ve been able to find online. Frankly, the idea seems brilliant to me and I would really enjoy a 4 day school week. Taking a quick look through the district calendar for the whole year I was able to spot 4 half-days, 6 Friday’s and 6 Monday’s off of school (though some of the whole days are holidays). On one website I looked at where Monday was a holiday they had school on that week’s Friday. We could easily eliminate the half-day (it seems like we’ve had so many more) and some of those whole days. The extension of the school day wouldn’t equate to hours but about 45 minutes, give or take. It’s not that much of an extension.

As for the dilemma of childcare on the 5th day I propose training many of the high school students in CPR and babysitting, putting their names on a list to be found on our district website with information such as: do they drive, what hours are they available, experience, and general location, a contact number, and a list of references.

Change is inevitable and that goes for parents as well as staff. So, the argument of childcare, in my opinion, is negligible.

Please, at the very least, run some numbers and see if it is an option and share what you’ve found in regards to this suggestion. I’m quite stoked about it and would love to know if it’s a possibility. It would be a much greater option than having to see many of our staff leave the district, programs cut, and buildings abandoned. It might not be enough by itself but in conjunction with other options – it could be just what our community and our school district needs.

Thank you very much for the work you do.

Robbie at her first Who-con as Amy Pond

The Apache

Tyler and Mitchell's project on the Apache Indians.

Justin & Elvis

Aren't they cute?!

The Science if Lightning!

This is Joshua's third science fair.

The Schenk's

Well, my mom did it. She got hitched for the third time. He's a really nice guy, though. So congrats to the Schenk's!

Scared Mother

Okay - knowing how I feel right now, how am I going to survive my son learning to drive? The only thing I can think of is to get a lifetime supply of Ativan and to learn not to care.  Sick, sick, sick.  I know it happens but when I'm in my home I can seperate myself from the knowledge that accidents happen, people get hurt and die.  When I drive by them - they affect me very, very differently!  It's also that I contemplate how it affects others and THAT affects me!

I had to drive Tyler & Mitchell to school this morning with a project and got detoured because of a head on collision.  Now it's been reported a body was moved from the scene.  Some of the thoughts going through my mind are, are they young?  A high school student?  A child in a car with an adult driver?  A grandparent who loss will tumultously affect a young person?  A young mom?  A new dad?  Just married?  Just off to college?  It goes on. . .

I feel it and it's awful. 

How do I let go and allow my child the right to learn to drive and take his life in his own hands?  Of course, I imagine worrying about him just as much being a new driver as I do with him being a college driver, a career-minded driver, a young, married driver, a new dad driver, a middle-aged driver.  I think I will worry every single day I know he will be on his own.  Maybe I won't be so worried when the other two reach driving age???? 

Horse and carriage, people.  That's what I think we should go back to.  (With seatbelts!)  (And, maybe helmets, too.)

Best Day Ever!