We were in the car today and Colm told Liam that he wanted to marry him. Liam then informed Colm that they couldn’t get married because two boys can’t get married, it has to be a boy and a girl. Right, Dad? There was a pause and Sean and I looked at each other and gave each other that knowing grin and mumbled something about well…if you live in Vermont… We then told him he was right…it has to be a boy and a girl. He’s six and I am not ready to go there, especially with Colm listening in.
I would do just about anything if it meant that Liam would no longer have to have asthma. I hate it!!! I hate that I have to worry about it. I hate that he has to worry about it. I hate that we have to make other people, like his teachers, worry about it. I hate that he has to take so much medicine. I hate that we have to go to the doctor all the time. I hate that he can’t just get a simple cold and be over it…it always ends up being something much more complicated. I hate how all that coughing wipes him out and makes him look like a zombie he’s so tired. I hate that he can’t just be a kid sometimes. I hate that his asthma ostracizes him at times. I hate that he doesn’t freak out about riding in an ambulance because he has done it so many times. I hate that he knows that he needs to bring a book with him when we go to the hospital because we’re going to be there a long time. And I hate how I am still not always sure what to do when he gets asthma. I know there a lot worse things he could have, but I still hate that he has asthma.
It is so much fun to be a parent on the days when your kids are learning something new. To see their eyes light up with pride is enough to make any parent’s day. Colm came home from school today reading. He was SO proud of himself and he read those same words over and over and over again to me in the car and then to Sean when he came home from work. It was great! There were high fives all around. Then to see Liam at Tae Kwon Do today. He is working really hard to get his first stripe. He is going to try and get it next week and I think he will. One more thing and then I will stop bragging about our children…Colm is a rock star ice skater. I am serious. He isn’t going to be in the Olympics any time soon, but he is doing awesome. Even if he wasn’t doing great, what makes me smile from ear to ear is that he is trying something new and he loves it. Being a parent can be the hardest job on the planet, but there are days like today when you get paid in smiles, hugs, high fives and accomplishments that make it all worth it.
I have taught in four different schools, in two different states and in two different grades and there are some things that you can be pretty certain of no matter where you teach or what grade you teach. I subbed again today in the same class I was in yesterday and I could see little bits of former students in these kids. Almost every year I taught there was someone who I lovingly referred to (only to myself and obviously never to the child) as pigpen. This is the poor, sweet dear child whose desk is a complete pit even though you JUST had them clean it out yesterday and whose shirt looks like they used it for a napkin during a very messy spaghetti dinner even though it is 10a.m. and you haven’t even gone to lunch yet. Their shirt is always untucked and their fly is usually down. There is usually a student who has their own agenda…these are the ones that drive me BATTY because I also have an agenda and since the teacher (that would be me) is in charge, they should be following my agenda, not their own. There is the student that no matter what you do just doesn’t seem to be able to get their work done. Sometimes they are really trying and just can’t get it together and then there are the ones who aren’t trying because they are either in la-la land or they are too busy messing around. There are usually a couple of girls whose mission it is to please the teacher at all costs…I would like a whole classroom of these please. 🙂 There is the child, usually a boy, who feels it is his job to entertain the rest of the class. (If you can get this kid to come around and be your ally life is a lot easier.) Then there is at least one boy who is super smart, but not too cocky about it and usually very sweet. I’ll take a couple of those, too, please. Obviously there are all kinds of children that make up a classroom, but I couldn’t help but notice today that the kids in that class reminded me WAY TOO MUCH of kids I have seen before…it’s like I never left.
I subbed for the first time yesterday in a second grade class. It was only for the afternoon and there were only twelve kids in the class and two of them were absent, so I can’t complain. I miss teaching and having my own class in a lot of ways, but yesterday reminded me of why I am not going to jump back into my own classroom anytime soon unless I really have to or unless an opportunity I can’t resist comes my way. Like I said, I miss teaching…it’s all the other crud that goes along with teaching that I don’t miss. I just can’t imagine spending my whole day with other peoples’ kids and then having enough energy to love on my own kids at the end of the day. At the end of each school day I would still have to get ready for the next school day, go to meetings, shuttle my kids wherever they need to go after school, grade papers, return parent phone calls/e-mails, cook dinner, clean up, get everyone ready for bed, pack lunches and on and on. There are only so many hours in the day! I am going back to the same classroom today for another two hour stint…wish me luck! 🙂
For part of his homework this weekend Liam had to make a list of about twelve things that he is thankful for. They are going to use this list for a project at school. Liam listed the cats, Colm, me, Sean, the dog and some other things. I would have assumed that some family member would have made the top spot. Nope, the first thing he was thankful for was the television. I came in a close second…at least I know where I stand.
We had a lot of firsts happen at our house this weekend. Liam had his first Tae Kwon Do lesson. He really liked it and he looks adorable in his outfit. Liam also was diagnosed with strep throat on Sunday; this is a first for him. Lastly, Colm had his first ice skating lesson on Sunday. I wasn’t there for it (I was at the dr. with Liam) but from what I understand from Sean is that he was cold and wet by the end. He fell down a lot, but he did well enough that they didn’t feel like he needed a walker thingy.
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| From November 2008 |
He has wanted to do TKD for over a year now. I hope it was as fun as he anticipated. He was a little overwhelmed since there is a lot to know and some of it is in Korean. I assured him that, in time, he will know exactly what is going on and that no one expects him to know anything at this point…he’s only got one lesson under his belt..literally!!!
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| From November 2008 |
This is what Liam did for most of the weekend. The strep throat bug wiped him out completely.
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| From November 2008 |
I don’t know if you can tell from this video, but his pants were VERY wet. Next time he is going to wear his ski pants. 🙂 Again, we’re not expecting miracles here…this was his first lesson. He really wants to play hockey though, so he has to start somewhere.
Monday-Pasta with leftover chicken spedini
Tuesday-Chili and Cornbread
Wednesday-Birthday Party
Thursday-Oven Fried Chicken, Biscuits, Cole Slaw
Friday-Hot Italian Sausage and Peppers with Italian Diced Tomatoes
Saturday-Salmon, Bread and Butter, Asparagus
It is my dear hubby’s birthday today and I am afraid to say it has probably not been his best. Not only did he have to deal with me still being sick, but Liam woke up in the middle of the night throwing up. For the past few days he has not only had to be him (which is more than a full-time job) he has also had to be me. He has been driving the kids to school, picking them up, doing the dishes, picking up the house, putting the kids to bed, feeding them, making their lunches, dealing with the pets and sitting with me in the hospital and at the doctor’s. This is a man who works more than sixty hours a week and work does not stop just because I am sick. So, on top of all the stuff we have been dishing out as a family he has been trying to get some work accomplished, but I don’t think we have been much help. So, sometime this weekend, hopefully, he is going to get a much deserved redo birthday with a cake, presents, a nice dinner and a healthy family. You deserve it, honey.
I will spare you the gory details, but let’s just say I had some fairly serious complications from the surgery I had on Friday and this morning started with an ambulance and more blood than you ever want to see come out of one person all at the same time. I am fine now and am at home resting, but I never ever want to go to a hospital again. I never want a catheter. I never want a nurse to tell me that she blew my vein. I never want to hear a doctor tell me that I may have to have surgery again even though I just had that surgery four days ago. I never want to have two sonograms in a row after they have deliberately filled my bladder to capacity and then clamped my catheter so I can’t pee. Oh, and I never want to have to hear that those sonograms, after all that trouble, were inconclusive. And yes, I have still spared you the gory details.