It's been a rough week here in paradise, my current town

While I know in contrast to much other evil and tragedy that has happened recently in the world it's trivial. And if the world really did end tomorrow it would be just a speck of dust in the eyes of eternity.

But I, for one, have give my notice. To everything around me, but nothing has listened.
To the husband because he's not around to notice I'm still here.
To the kids because doing 2 4th grade projects at 9:30 the night they were due is not acceptable to me.
To the truck, who decided it's southern ca and doesn't need heat. The one am we had frost.
To the job, which I left fully 1 hour late and..... left charts to be done. I know. SO unlike me. I got home access to the computer system. I'll get to it sometime in the next 1.5 hours while it's still today. or so I tell myself.
To the neighborhood. Who are both a blessing a a frustration at times.

So. let's see. The 4th graders. THEY are going to make sure I have plenty of grey hairs and a lifetime diet of antacids. So on their homework agendas - they have vastly different teachers, as I've mentioned.. on one agenda I've had a nightly notation of "shoe box" on it. and nightly I asked "what does this mean- shoe box?" to which I was told "oh, we need a shoe box" so I get him a shoe box and say, "so you bring this to school?" uh,no, you have to have it at home. So after repeating this conversation for about 4 days I finally get to the question of "what are you supposed to be doing with this shoe box at home?"

A diorama project thing, of course.

When is it due?

Wed.

What is today?

monday.

So you mean to tell me that this whole thing is due on Wed? and tomorrow is Tues? so TOMORROW THIS ALL HAS TO BE DONE? (as the voice raises about 6 octives) This of course is after bedtime.

Go to Sonia. YOU HAVE ONE, TOO? yes. she does. Oh, yeah. it's also due wed. But she's been thinking about it and has mentally planned about20% of what she's going to get done.

So.. Tuesday we had 2 shoe boxes, which, by the way had to be covered in paper and not look like shoe boxes but represent the obscure Califonia Native American Indian tribes their projects were on. Into which we needed 10 objects that were significant to said Indian tribe so that you can represent everything about said tribe in 10 objects and 10 note cards. 

Lemme tell you, even with Wikipedia and the SDSU library it was hard to come up with 10 things, unless you count that 'there were last known 2 elders who spoke the native language in 1940' and 'they ate rabbit' as one and 'they ate acorns' as another.

I'm all for culture and all, but really. These kids don't know Connecticut is part of the United States. Shouldn't we cover the geography and history of the whole country before focusing on an essentially extinct people group? I know they think Connecticut is Canada because when the kids came home friday talking about the school shooting in Canada, it seemed very far away and remote. Suddenly when a phone call from family in CT happens, it's no longer so distant. But to the kids.. they feel safe. Guess that's what matters.

Unfortunately... MY kids know CT is in the US and knows people there, so when the news on the TV at the hospital where they were all dragged in for strep tests was on, it was all that was covered. And they were mesmerized.

I of course have hit the crazy land where I think all the good guys in life should have concealed hand guns and should just shoot the wackos who go places shooting. Frankly. Yes. It's come to that. I used to be in the 'we don't need guns' camp. Now I realize there will always be wackos and they won't stop at legal means of destruction, so I'm ok with stopping them when they go wacko and kamikaze in public. I read the Oregon mall shooting only killed 2 people because someone in the mall was packing heat. Well, dang it. I think teachers should have that right, too. And ever since my kids entered public school I thought teachers should be allowed to carry those tranquilizer dart guns the animal control people use to re-locate bears. Bears, wackos, out of control kids.. tranquilizers for all.

Anyway.. back to diorama boxes. They got done. And while I'm sure the over acheiving parents and kids had baked clay models of the type of home their assigned tribe had, we had pictures. We did have a few "real" items such as a basket, pine cones, and arrow head from Joey's now broken arrow head set (didn't take long, although he still has the bow, but the arrows just weren't meant for long term use much less actual attempt at penetrating anything thicker than a blade of grass). But for clothing.. the men wore nothing. you really want me to enclose a model of a naked male? or a topless female? Riiiight. I'd put quail meat in the box, but not sure that would smell great after a while.

We are now quail less. (speaking of quail) or rather, the cages are quail less, the quail themselves are still in the freezer.  We have 9 chickens and 2 pheasants.  No eggs they quit laying this winter.

Winter. we had actual winter today. As in a frost. As in it would have been a great day for the heat in the truck to work to DEFROST the windshield. And if I thought my husband would have answered his phone this AM, he would have gotten an earful. As it was, we managed. not well, but we did. All alive, didn't kill or run anything over. Only took til lunch time for my toes to thaw after my 30 min drive to work blowing luke-cold air on the windshield.

Usually we get 2 days of winter here, so I'm thinking 1 down, 1 to go. hopefully. Or I'll nag hubby to address the heat thing or threaten to take to to pay someone real money to get it fixed. Or maybe I'll just get out the book and fix it myself. Although he gets kinda touchy when I take something apart like a car to fix it and can't figure it out how to fix it and expect him to get it back together.

Taking things apart.. that reminds me. Last year I got Joey a target shooter thing with a basket that catches the air soft pellets or the nerf darts, which I expected him to use. Supposed to be awesome. Cept it didn't work out of the box. Tried to exchange it but I'd bought it 6 months earlier when it was on sale and it was discontinued. So it sat in the garage. And as we were cleaning out that garage (again. seems to collect crap, broken and not) he found it. I told him he could take it apart and see if he could figure out what was wrong. Suddenly... BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER. He LOVES taking things apart and fixing them, kinda like his father. So with some help from Larry, the loose wire was re-soddered and suddenly it works. This year he gets his own tool box and tools. And instructions to check with an adult and unplug it before dismembering anything. Boys.

At school they had the Jingle rock event. Used to be pancakes with Santa til cooking and Santa went out of style. This year it was cold bagels, cream cheese, donuts and the band concert (why we went. Sonia's in the band. Was in the band, I should correct). So.. the week leading up to the band concert, I asked 'hey, how's the practicing going, need help?' and she says, no, the teacher says we just have to be able to play the first 3 notes.

OK. can you play those? no. Still no sound comes out of the flute when she "plays"

We get to the "concert" and well.. none of us could hear much of anything, and then the band teacher gives a speech about how they're nervous and learning to play in front of an audience and that practices go better. uh, hello? how is that? I know for sure that 2 of the flute players can't play a note. I got confirmation from a trumpet player that he can't play the song, either. To add insult to injury the strings band (all violins and violas and such) played a real live song and sounded good. kindergarteners and all. Which leads to the question- is it self selecting that families that choose violin are more musically orientated and us 'band' parents are the under achievers of the elementary school music world?

Next time we're going with the violin. The price is the same, although we don't own a violin, yet, I've always wanted to learn how to play one. And after this year, I think this band will be totally dissolved. It was a disaster. Tonight they have another concert. We won't be going. Maybe if no one shows up, including the kids it will send a message. You want disaster proof: here it is. Just say to yourself "If you think it, you can play it" and then go rent the music man. It's in our que. And no longer such a strange and bizarre concept.

Can't recognize the tune? It's "we three kings" missing 3 kings, and a few camels. it's left a sick mooing camel and something that squeaks.

Another week gone, another night alone.

Hello computer. Thanks for waiting for me to find the time to come visit again. I know I'm not a great consistent friend. But hey, neither are you, so I guess that's why our chemistry works.

So Larry's working again. This residency thing puts a bit of a damper on the hours we actually see each other.  But we're almost 1/2 through. Or so I keep telling myself.

In other news the across the street family FINALLY left. New people moving in do not have kids, but as I figure no kids is better than bad kids. They seem nice enough.

I think we have gone 1 whole week without a hiccup in Joey's class and home work. Of course if this is going like last semester, I'll get a whole pile of failing papers in 6 weeks with the previous 6 weeks worth of work on the day of report cards so this could be a false positive report.  If she does that again, please feel free to unplug my computer and take away my car keys, because I cannot be responsible for my words and/or bridges I blow up in that case. I'm pretty sure this is the first year she's teaching 4th. I bet she was a Jr high teacher before. Her background hasn't exactly been clear other than she's married to a principle in our sister school district and that she had taught before. Details. I bet google could help me.

Sonia of course has forgotten her homework this week. But this is Sonia we're talking about. Because getting her to get it done in a timely and un-distracted and non-doodling manner I've started waking her up in the am to finish what isn't done before bed.  Jury's out on if this is a brilliant logical parenting move or an idiotic one. But she's my night owl and hates. HATES to wake up in the AM, much less at 5:45 when I am getting up. But there are far fewer distractions for her at 5:45 and her brain is at least 1/2 asleep, so I'm guessing some of the squirrels jumping around her brain are dormant so she get it done and goes back to bed if done fast enough. The part that I'm probably an idiot parent is that a tired Sonia is like a PMS screaming banshee 80% of her waking hours at home. But the logical parent says 'well, maybe she'll just learn so we don't have to go through this too many times' Tomorrow will be morning #4 since I hatched this plan that she will be getting up with me.

Kayla makes everything look easy. And would be a perfect child if she didn't cry over every hang nail and name she's called. Today (because I think she and Sonia were keeping each other up far too late last night) she was even crying at what she thought they were going to say or do to her. "he almost hit me or he almost called me stupid" Seriously. What I didn't gain in patience dealing with Sonia and getting her homework done I'm trying to find in dealing with a histrionic 7 year old 1/2 Cuban girl. I think it's a dominant Cuban gene she's expressing. Glitter, sparkles, and hystrionics. It's there, on the back of the X chromosone, written in glitter glue.

JM. Or, Jon as his teacher thinks he is. Will go to college on a sports scholarship or not at all. Of course this is kindergarten, but since he's in a K/1 class he seems to be not the smartest kid since he isn't reading. Which isn't as big a deal as the fact that he has NO interest in reading. At all. Not with computer games, not with me, not with the teacher. Nope. You cannot make him read or try to read when he doesn't want to. Which is 90% of the time.  And he's all about wrestling, sports and tackling, so football I think would be a wise career choice for him. Minus the head injuries. I assume that's the offensive team that gets those. I'm hoping the defensive side is the ones giving the head injuries and with JM's size and love of tacking siblings, dogs, and anything else that might not appreciate being tackled, I'm thinking defense is his talent.

Other than that, I've been in family medicine again. And I have an idea for a clinical study on quality of care and patient satisfaction with the implementation of EHRs. Not that I think I can change that we've all moved to them, but I have an alternative more human intensive idea to the way we practice now. Of course I'll need a grant and once published probably need to look for another job. MY hidden talent which my parents should have steered me to is bridge demolition. I blow up bridges spectacularly. Doubly so if I'm on them. Bet the pay is good and the autonomy is better.

Heading to craigslist to look for 'part time figurative bridge demolitions specialist position'
Hey would you know, there aren't any openings? Bummer.

Sometimes I think before I type

But most of the time I don't. What you read is the stream of consciousness thought that my squirrel chasing brain thinks.  Once in a while it slows down enough for me to fix typos and spelling errors. But usually it's full of red and green underlines when I'm done.

Anyway.. I didn't really have a certain thought I wanted to share but thought it's been a while and I hadn't written anything lately. It's odd to me when I log into blogger to see that I had page views today. Odder yet to see what page they landed on. And then I look and see what those posts where and realize 'humn.. if those were just meant to vent a thought 3 or 4 years ago and are still here in cyber land maybe I should be intentional about what I am writing here in cyber land?"

On the other hand.... here I am with the what come to mind post that I think is the only type I'm capable of.

So... a brief re-cap of the month - inlaws came and went. It was a nice visit, we didn't do a whole lot, but as they were leaving they said it was better than their visit from 2.5 years ago and they actually enjoyed themselves. Stay tuned, it's entirely possible at their new visit 2.5 years from now they'll only remember terrible things from the last visit.

In preparation for their visit, I did a little shopping and bought a new mattress set. For our bed. yeah. Love that logic, huh? But we needed the guest bed to be off the floor and a second box spring did the job nicely. That and the memory foam topper we have should make my parents stop dropping hints about the mattress. I did all this while Larry was away, so I found the set at 1/2 the price we'd seen before and since he didn't answer either of this 2 phones or pager, I took it as a go-ahead on the purchase.  Because he was away and I get a little insomnia with that I also made a 2 sets of curtains on a sleepless night.

He's away now, so here I am. Additionally when he was away we had a little crime spree here in the neighborhood. Started with someone trying to break in to a home in the middle of the day to the front door. This got me a call from one neighbor and knocks on the door of other neighbors telling me I was notorious for not locking our gates and doors and that we better do it. now. go now. while I'm on the phone. And then if that wasn't enough, someone's adult child came home drunk and decided to relax in the hot tub.. of the neighbor's house. So at 3:30 am there was a naked guy in the road confused as to where he was. I don't really call that a crime spree as much as a good reason to lock the doors lest a drunk person think my room was his. I thought such things only happened in movies. Apparently not.

There is a new boy in the neighborhood, in Joey's class. We like him so far. The people across the street have been moving out for 2 months now, but the real movers arrived here yesterday. We've heard the new person is a grandmother. So no kids. bummer. or not. depending on the kids.

We had report cards and it was 3/4ths good. And that 1/4th I have issues with. No, not ADD girl. Boy with the perpetually bad luck in teachers. This year's new teacher seems to have a perpetual case of ADD and Joey doesn't do well with staccato instructions, much less hurried staccato directions. And she blames the kids for not speaking up that they don't understand her/directions/etc when she races through and they don't know that they don't understand.  That and the books she's having them read have my 2/3 of the way going to the principle and demanding that he be in a different class. Nothing on the gay agenda, dad and mom. Just way above 4th grade level in reading level and content and too much dark/death/magic and another mom says the book in her group is very based on the occult. There are several reading groups, Joey's in a different one, and for this mom to notice the book is base on the occult, I'm pretty sure it is because she's not one that sees occult in things other than occult. I know there are some that make a lifetime of seeing the devil and occult in everything in a hyper-spiritual way, I can guarantee that isn't the case here. And if we had been assigned that book we'd have been locking horns sooner. As it is, I went to discuss my issues with her on Friday, got some answers -not totally happy but not as mad and get home, talk to Larry later and he brings up a dozen other things that he thinks I didn't address or get adequate resolution to. *sigh* it's going to be a long year at this rate.  And I threaten to homeschool regularly. This of course puts a kink in the work schedule.

Work.... sigh..... even Jesus went away from the crowds. There is so many issues. I was in a clinic with a larger percentage of english speakers this month, but with english came a greater percentage of homeless/mental health/substance abuse problems. wow. it just weighs on your soul after a while. Making tiny differences, hopefully, but just not sure how much it really matters in eternity. Of course I'm not totally comfortable doing the 'what matters most is knowing where you go after this life' speech. I'm getting better at it- practice and all. Still waiting to get called into the carpet for that. But the truth is, that it doesn't matter what we do for them medically or socially if we're not helping them spiritually. And on that side part of me really wants to start my own clinic with my own mission statement. I just don't have the resources of either money or time to do it.

In other news Sonia's band class is going about as great as the Music Man's band. I swear he is going with the 'if you think it you can play it' method. Mostly because they have a concert in 2 weeks and Sonia still can't get a note out of the flute. This concert will be one for the record books.

I started a Shutterfly account to add pictures to from now on, as the battle with loosing pictures is an ongoing one here. The hard drive they've been on has crashed repeatedly. Once I have much on there, I'll share them.  But the current site is  http://cowlesfamilysharing.shutterfly.com/ not sure if I have to make you members to see it. But if I do, email me what address to add to it.

Not that I think of it, I better finish uploading the rest of my pictures... talk to you later

Online AGAIN tonight.

This time trying to buy an infant stethoscope asap. There was 1 in San Diego but that store closed at 5. I was calling at 4:30 and Larry doesn't have the time to go get it.

So I'm looking at buying one and having is shipped. And the site I'm using is having hiccups. Or our credit card is. And considering that we had to cancel all our cards AGAIN last week because Larry's wallet walked away from his computer at work. It could be our end. Seriously. We are in the running for absolute worst luck in credit card theft.

It was eventually found/turned in, but at that point we'd cancelled everything. The one thing it did save was the process of trying to replace an expired out of state drivers' license. Larry was given an extension but was told he had to go in to the DMV to renew. In VA. This of course is a little problem. I face the same fate in 2014. We'll be looking to change residency status in the next 2 years, I think. Although this year our vote supposedly counts in a swing state. I say supposedly because the whole mail in your ballot process doesn't really give you a warm fuzzy feeling that they're actually going to count it.

But the one thing that strikes me this time of year is that life in the military, particularly life with Marines is different. Honor, patriotism, and protocol. And you see it from a young age.  For example- at the movie theater on base, before they play the movie they don't play commercials- they play the national anthem and the Marine Corps hymn. And the entire audience stands silently -from an early age. There's occasionally the random toddler that makes noise but it's not too common.   And at soccer these days, we're on the field at Colors - when they play the retiring music and lower the flag. Practice comes to a rapid halt, everyone freezes and faces one of the 2 flags on either side of the fields and stay that way until the tune that releases everyone. Sometimes the colors song has ended, but they're still folding the flag and that 'you're free to go about your business' 10 note tune seems to take for.ev.er. but no one moves. It's kinda cool in an uniquely patriotic way.

I was sitting in our car tonight. And after all this talk of protocol, since I would *hear* the music if I was listening hard or had the windows down, I was supposed to get out of the car and stand at attention, too. But I wanted to take a picture of it, and there's no way I was going to get out of the car and do that - move? during colors? what a newbie mistake. lol. I did it before. Not colors, but I didn't realize the Marine Corps anthem was also sacrosanct. Now I know.

playing before colors star

Frozen at attention, the flag is to the Left

The other flag.

So the pictures are there.

And I'm off to finish what I was supposed to do.

Can't sleep

Which is kinda ironic because if Larry's home watching Netflix, I have no trouble going to bed to sleep. But with him gone every creak in the night makes me awake. And I make huge grandiose plans of what I'm going to organize when he's gone, get 1/3 into a wheezing and sneezing fit, sit down and turn on the computer and drink herbal tea waiting for the claritin to work it's magic.

And last night the artillery was blowing stuff up that did more than a little window rattling. However it didn't do alot of banging, so with only the window rattling, it was sleep with the light on sort of night.  I was talking with a fellow wife who said she loved having her big german shepherds when she was alone and I realize.. no. I'm ok. I don't want a dog. or 2. especially large hairy ones. I already can't breathe and the cat lives outside.

The cat. I haven't told you about that.

You see, Kayla batted her eyes and did a "daddy, I really want a cat" thing and we were finding rats outside with our neighbor's apple tree... so we went on the get a kitten hunt (think I did mention this) anyway.. kitten goes out one night and doesn't come back. Still hasn't. And another cat went missing that week also. I suspect there is a crazy cat lady somewhere.... anyway..

Because kitty was cute and sweet and I felt bad I said we could get another one. Larry, on the other hand said no, we're not going to get another and spend money on it. To which I reply, what if it's fixed already and free? To which he agreed.

So I go online a few times and find a cat. Free. Fixed, has his shots. And.. Orange.. which was the color we were originally trying to get because Kayla's fixated on her "stripey" the orange beenie baby cat she's had since she was 2.

And Violla.. She sends me a picture of this younish cute orange cat. Says he's a little shy but great with kids and playful like a kitten.  I ask, is he short hair, she says yes.they have a baby and can't devote the time to him... (really. it's a cat. how much time are you talking here?)

So I show up. The cat is long haired, 45 lbs, and nearing the end of it's life. In fact I'm pretty sure I caught a glimpse of the tunnel  of light it was supposed to travel down. Cept it was too fat and lazy to get down that tunnel.

Mistake #1. I had the kids with me, Larry was somewhere overnight and I thought maybe if the cat was settled in when he came home it would go over better.

Actually that's mistake #1 and #2.

Mistake #3. I didn't say "are you sure this is the same cat you were talking about? he looks 8 years older than his picture you sent?" and walk away. No stupid me let the girls go "AWWWHHHHHH mommmy! it's a cat! can get really have it?!"

So Cat came home with us. A sign of how "loved" he was might be when I asked his name, she said "we just call him fatty"

It stayed under the couch for a day. I'm surprised it got under the couch.  Then it went under a bed for a day when we moved the couch. And when it was under the bed (we had extra kids sleeping over, to boot) the kids got hysterical- at 11pm- that the cat smelled and they thought it pooped.

Mistake #4. having friends over the weekend the new cat comes home.

Move bed, get cat, make sure the floor is clean and move cat outside to the garage.

It's been outside since. Once I realized it did nothing but sit on the shelves in the garage he got evicted from that, also. He's now an OUTSIDE outside cat who sits at the door and meows that he thinks he's an indoor cat.

He catches nothing. But he has lost enough weight that he could climb over the lower fences in the back yard. This is an improvement- before he couldn't get 3 feet off the ground. Did I mention this cat was Obese?

And he's named Garfield now. It fits, fat orange lazy cat...

The one almost good thing he's done is to sleep at the front door and fight with the across the street cat that sprays our front door. But he's only stopped him twice in 2 months. So can't say he's really earning his keep.

But it's minimal upkeep, throw some food and water in a dish once a day.

Still have most of our other animals - Pet rabbit, 9 chickens remaining after rooster was re-homed and 2 died in the 110+ heat we had last month. I haven't counted the quail. Cages get opened and not re-hooked good so we've lost to nature probably 15 that way.  Some wild animal has attacked and killed another 12 and another 6 went in the heat and 12 went in the freezer... But we still have dozens of quail left.

But really.. farm life is messy. It's not all cute cuddly creatures and yummy veggies. It's life and death and vermin and weeds and bugs and, and, and... kinda like Genesis says life would be difficult to live on the land.  As much as I live in paradise, we still live in a fallen world.

So I won't blog about the kids today

Lemme take a minute to tell anyone out there that thinks electronic medical records will improve life for doctors a little story.

There was once medicine. It was practiced where the doctor looked at the patient when they were talking, maybe took a few notes.  The patient and doctor did their best to figure out what was best for the patient and sometimes lab results went missing, and charts took time to file, but that was part of life.

Now, the computer screen is being watched, the "provider" is not seeing the patient because they're looking for the 6pt clicky box to check for each symptom the patient is mentionings, and in going between screens missing about 10 symptoms- both in documenting and in hearing.

The computer crashes and there is nothing you can do aside from scribble notes on a piece of paper. You can't write prescriptions because no one has prescription paper pads anymore and the controlled medication prescription papers need to be filled out by computer.  And if you need to go over labs or results... for get it.

And then.. the best part... you get rated on "quality of care" no longer do you get to discuss the options with your patient and decide what's best for them- nope. You get graded on percentage of your patients that have government clicky-boxes checked. When you hear the president talk about "we're going to pay the most efficient doctors" or that sort of wording, just remember they're treating you like a multiple choice clicky box and if you refuse the flu shot your doctor will be graded as incompetent.

As you might guess, there's a bit of a bee in my bonnet this week. I got my "random audit" of my August visits. And would you believe I failed 100% at giving my patient the flu vaccine in August. uh, HELLO? govt audit agency? We don't HAVE the vaccine to give in August.   And today, of 15 patients, I had 3 say "yes, I'd love to pay an extra $20 and get the flu vaccine" the rest said "are you kidding me? it's 100 degrees out, I can't think of the flu right now and I never get the vaccine and I never get sick" so my audit this month will be crap, too.

Not to mention that 11% of the patients I saw had a Hgb A1c of >9%. uh... for 1, I'm seeing the person for the first time, so it's not like anything I did had any effect on the previous 3 months and their current A1c. For 2, dear govt agency, do you realize that a vast majority of our patients show up with meds from other countries and cross the border all the time for their care?

For example, I saw an immigrant who brought in her metformin and glyburide and tells me she's taking 1000mg of metformin bid and 20 mg of the glyburide bid. yep. When was the last time her sugar was checked? 1997? We've seen her for 4 years and never before had she mentioned she had diabetes, but her overseas source of her med dried up and suddenly she's got a random glucose of 300+ and would like her meds refilled. Oh, yeah, and she doesn't feel good.

Don't cha think mentioning to your doctor that you have diabetes might be a good idea?

Similarly, a woman presents for a mammogram. Ask, are you having any problems. "well, yes, I'm having pain" (this is of course in spanish) ok, well, let's take a look and WHOA nelly.. uh, this is a surgical site. did you have surgery here? Yes, 2 days ago.

For one... dear MA's rooming patients, I know you're pressed for time and don't have time to find the right clicky boxes in the medical records for this, but alittle heads up of "she had surgery 2 days ago" helps. ESPECIALLY if she's there for you to re-dress it and thinks you're taking her sutures out. A little help with my spanish to explain you don't take sutures out of anything 2 days after major surgery.  And if you think this is rare... it isn't. This is in fact the second time in 6 months that this has happened. Apparently you go to mexico to have the lump removed, the doctor there says you need a mammogram, but in mexico  you pay for your mammograms. If you come to CA, the state pays for it.

No one should wonder why we're bankrupt as a state here. no one.

BUT back to our dear government standards... so they're going to require medical persons to do testing and treat beyond side effects and patient desires to get numbers where they are, they're going to require us to put everyone on certain meds because that's what certain studies say is best, regardless if the patient wants it or not, and then they're going to make sure the government taxes us to pay for it. I mean I understand there's some logic there, but not really. Can't some of us make decisions for ourselves?

If any of my kids tell me they want to go into medicine, I'm going to steer them to plumbing- the hours might be worse but the autonomy and pay is better.

Why don't I blog anymore?

In case you're wondering and haven't asked:

I'm more unplugged from the computer these days. Sure I have one, but I don't have to BE on it with the business stuff and not turning it on is the first step in getting unplugged from it. It's a good thing as far as time management goes. 

I'm not at home to be on the computer- this whole start a job thing means I'm dropping kids off at school, going straight to work, going from work to the store to buy a gallon of milk and bread, dropping that off at home and getting back in the car for pick up time. We get home, get snacks, changed and suddenly we're back in the car and on our way to soccer. Then dinner, finishing homework, bathing, bedtime for kids then laundry, cleaning and bedtime for me. The second I throw the computer in there my bedtime gets pushed back an hour, if not more. Since I'm getting up before the sun these days, late bedtimes are not good.

I have less to say, or perhaps more accurately less positive things to say. I have alot of stuff to rant about but in an effort to not be NancyNegativity I try not to dwell and write about that. Try. Go ahead and point me to the archives here, I know. This is a work in progress.

But today we don't have Soccer, Sonia is getting a ride home from band practice and the remaining 3 are at the neighbor's house and I have 15 minutes where I turned on the computer.

So in a real quick synopsis of the time since school started:
JM has moved from his kindergarten class to a K/1 class- not that it is necessarily more advanced than a K class, it did get him out of the class of 30 kids with the teacher that seemed like she was 6 months past ready to retire. His new class only has 24 kids. Their school does these combo classes when they have too many students for the grades but not enough to fill a full classroom- so they had 1/2 a classroom of K and 1/2 a classroom of 1 so they combined it to a K/1 class. They also have a 2/3 class. His teacher still calls him Jon. As does his coach. And he forgets that's him, so he tends to ignore them. He also ignores me when I call him JonMichael, so perhaps it's more than the wrong name thing.

Soccer has hit full swing. And Sonia actually LIKES soccer this year- and runs and puts in effort. She's in better shape than I am at this point. Kayla also likes soccer (after the whole protest that the girls didn't' want to play when I was signing them up...) and is one of the 2 better players on the team. JonMichael is a born athlete, so it's ok that he's not past his first sight word list, I guess. We all have different strengths. And he hangs out on the side of the soccer field playing with the other siblings during his sibling practices so he's gotten a ton more practice. As has Kayla who's played along with Sonia/Joey's team. Sonia and Joey's team is VERY competitive. I guess this is the first year they have playoffs and rankings so winning is everything. They're ranked #2 and still undefeated. They have a great coach and I think that helps alot with Sonia liking soccer. Joey's always liked soccer and excels in pretty much any sport he tries. Except baseball. We didn't go great there, but a big part of that was we don't have a backyard for practice. In fact our neighborhood kids are here playing all the time and we've had near misses in neighbor windows up to 2 yards over. Thus anything harder than a pom pom has been confiscated.

School this year aside from JM- Kayla has Sonia's 2nd grade teacher who she adores. Joey had a new to the district teacher and so far loves that he gets 1/2 the nightly homework he used to get last year. This is the first year he gets less homework than Sonia on a regular basis. He thinks this is awesome. Sonia has a young teacher, but she seems to be doing fine. She's still mostly a loner when it comes to playing with kids at school, but I think I'd prefer a loner to some of the nonsense the 4th grade girls are getting into already. Besides she's a smart loner and doesn't think this is a problem. 

JM lost his first tooth, and in a miracle it wasn't from him jumping off the top bunk- it was just a normal wiggle loose tooth. Joey has his first orthodontist apt this week.

For fun we went to the Air Show again. Joey took tons of pictures.

I'm now on Shutterfly because that's where we share team and class info, so my pictures are there. If I can figure how to get them to share with a link, I'll be posting it. I could put up a share site and invite whoever, so that might happen next.  ok, we'll see if this works  shutterfly pictures link

ok if it doens't work let me know. it takes a year and a day for me to get pictures to loan on the blog and it's now 5 min past my 15 minutes of allotted time, Sonia is walking in so it's time to start to hit the homework before dinner and growth group.