OK, class, it’s time for your geography lesson!

Don’t worry–this isn’t a flashback from elementary school; it’s a quick local current events post.  I’ve been hearing the flooding is bad, but I didn’t realize how bad.  I was planning a trip to see my sister today–now I’m thinking we’ll be postponing it.  To get there, I have to get from one of the above green-shaded areas to another.  This map is from the Wisconsin DOT, and as you can see…there’s a swath of road closings all across the state.  The flooding in Iowa and Minnesota isn’t represented, but it’s there, obviously.  You know, we had some very bad flooding last August and a lot of the people who are affected right now hadn’t yet recovered from the flooding and mudslides we had then. Lake Delton had cancelled their participation in the FEMA flood program.  It’s not a pretty place to be right now.  Please, keep all those affected in your thoughts this weekend–while we’re sitting on our decks or playing in the sand with our kids, they’re watching their dreams be sucked away in the water, again.

Maybe I have a sensitive nose.  Maybe I don’t.  All I know is that I’m coming THIS CLOSE to having the showering with soap and following with antiperspirant and clean clothes talk with a few 16 and 17-year-olds.

Seriously, I have no idea where these female teachers accused of having inappropriate relationships with their students could possibly be coming from.  Most of the boys boys, at least, usually don’t stink once they get past their freshman (or at the latest, sophomore) year, but they’re pretty much scraggly and unkempt looking until some magical moment after they leave high school.  No wonder I was happy to worship from afar while  I was in high school–it had to be from afar because otherwise I’d be smelling some offensive odor or noticing that their faces need some Clearasil applications and the worship would be no longer.

OK.  I know half of you were wondering why I couldn’t just get up off the couch and take J to the library or the park or just somewhere.  Truthfully, some of it is my own personal issues and then there’s the rest of it–well, just like I can’t know what it would have been like to grow up in an urban area, some of you can’t imagine what it’s like to be a mom an hour away from the closest Kindermusik group.

Absolutely no sarcasm intended, by the way.

I’ve tried looking at the local library, and they do have a group, but not until he’s 3 and not until September.  The groups only run in fall and spring…I’m not sure why, but that’s what it is.  We can, however, go to the toy-lending library, but every time I’ve been there, we’ve been the only people and I’d really like him to have some interaction with others. 

There is a great waterpark, and we do plan on going, but not soon.  I need some time away from the high school kids, and that’s who works there…ALL day, EVERY day.

I would love to be able to actually use a mommy and me group or something from meetup.com, but again, we’re talking about a 60-mile drive.  I’m very gas-aware.  Read: cheap and easily guilted into green-ness.  There is a mom’s group in a local church basement once a month, but it’s at night and only for moms, no kids.  That’s the only formal group…and although it sounds nice, I don’t know if it’s my cup of tea.

Local parks and rec?  Nothing, until he’s four at the youngest.  Getting neighborhood people together?  Um.  I live in the country.  People VALUE their private time, and they’re not used to seeing people outside their high school friend group and family more than once every few weeks or so…and I didn’t grow up here, so I’m not in a family group or have high school friends (shudder) to hang out with.  YMCA?  Hah.  VBS? Too young. Zoos or museums?  Again, an hour away.

Yes, we’re doing the zoo and the children’s museum, but only once or twice this summer.  You know what I think my biggest problem is?  I really miss the spontenaity of college, when I could hang out with my friends all day long, and if I really wanted to, meet like-minded people in a billion and two different ways. I’d like something like that now, but with people who either like kids or like them and have a few of their own and live next door–or close enough to hang out in the yard with the kids and the cheapie plastic pool.

Sometimes minor tragedies can lead to minor miracles.  Today was the first day of summer school, and since this weekend was a mess–not only did I want to relax with my best buddy J now that the regular school year was over, but I also couldn’t get into school because the fob system wasn’t working–I didn’t do much but roughly plan the the week of remedial summer school ahead and get some handouts together.

So, when I got to school at 6:30 this morning, I made a beeline to the copier.  I was bright, energetic and ready to go, even though I knew the plans I had made were only useful for this one, last year since we’re going to a computer program next year for teaching and assessing the course.

Until the first copier jammed four times.  And the second copier didn’t have a functioning touchpad.  The third and last?  More jamming.  Humid weather plus the heavy usage last week took their toll, but I wasn’t getting a break, so I had to do something.

Normally, I work by butt off to do something fun for this too-short session of remedial summer school. After spending almost an hour trying to find a functioning copier, I gave up, ran to my room (which has already been emptied for cleaning), grabbed the old textbooks and quickly jotted down a list of assignments that I would expect that a student who finished the class would be able to complete, an essay topic and a reading. 

Not exactly the most interesting work, but considering we’ve only got five days to get it all done, well…maybe not such a bad idea.

The kids ended up working quietly for the entire time and I got a chance to grade the work as it came in, help them out when needed and find ways around killing off a few extra trees.

Most importantly? I didn’t have to go completely insane twisting myself into a pretzel in an attempt to nine weeks of material in only five days. 

Life has been a lot like that lately.  Being a mom has taught me to be a lot calmer than I used to be.  Stuff happens, life interrupts and people aren’t ever going to be perfect.  I deal.  Usually, it all turns out…if not for the better, at least for the different.

With just a few days left until I’m trapped in the house with a small child all day, every day, I’m starting to think more about what we need to do over the summer to keep us all sane.

Don’t get me wrong; I love my son deeply, and I’m not at all a person who needs to run here, there and everywhere constantly.  On the other hand, J needs child-age companions, and although I may act like one from time to time, I’m not a good enough substitute.  As a result, I’m on the hunt for some alternative, possibly weekly plans for the summer.

We’re covered for a few weeks…mostly because T has to be the one to deal with it next week as I’m teaching summer school for most of the day.  Then, there’s the fact that as soon as I’m done with that next Friday afternoon, I’m picking up J and we’re driving to Cousin E’s house so that I can spend some quality days with my sis and J can play with one of his favorite cousins.

After that, though, I’m drawing a blank.

I’ve joined a local online group run by a post-adoption resource center, and although I was hoping I’d get an instant response from several parents that they’d love to befriend my son and I, it’s a pretty low-key group, and no one has answered back.  They do have a playdate in July that I’m planning on going to, but it’s an hour away, so it’s not something I want to do frequently.

The local Parks and Rec department isn’t offering anything for the under 4 crowd.  Kindermusik or anything else like it doesn’t seem to be available anywhere nearby.

Are we destined for a summer of 2-people pool parties and archaeology digs in the sandbox?

Tags: friends, playdates, summer

I don’t know if this is an issue everywhere, but ever since we bought the house, I’ve found out how difficult it can be to find someone who will bother to return phone calls or write up estimates for work.

Example:  A month ago I broke down and finally decided to make T happy and get some gravel for the driveway. I called a hauling company who was recommended to me by a few other homeowners in the area and spoke to a really nice guy who said he’d get back to me.  I waited a week.  I called back and left a message that said, basically, that if he didn’t call me back in another week I’d have to move on to someone else.  I waited another week.  Nothing.  Finally, a month later, we’ve got gravel…after calling four different companies.

Example 2:  Last fall we thought we needed electrical work done, so I started calling around to local electricians.  Every single one of them had an answering machine message that said something like, “I’m sorry, but we’re not taking new clients.”  I know that they’re busy, but wouldn’t you think there’d be one, somewhere?

Example 3:  Now, we’re looking at replacing our old windows.  They’re single pane, drafty and the sashes need to be propped open with sticks.  Not good for a two-year-old boy, you know?  We had someone come out to do an estimate on Mother’s Day.  Still, no estimate.  I’ve called someone else who will hopefully work out, but wouldn’t you think it would be simple to just get an estimate?

Apparently not.

I wish I was that busy with my photo card business–I might even be able to raise prices enough to cover my time ;)

Tags: business, contractors, contruction, etsy, photo cards

‘Cause this is the last week of school, and I’d rather skip it.  Horrible to admit, isn’t it?  I am a teacher, after all.  I’m supposed to want to wring every last drop of learnin’ out of every single minute.  Hah.  Maybe I would, if the kids hadn’t spent all of last week trying to invent new and unique ways to get out of their seats.

I’m tired.

Yeah, here I am, whining, when many of you are either looking forward to having a full summer at home with kidlets who leave toy and sand-laced detritus trails of their own all over your house OR actually have to get up most mornings of the summer to go to work.

After next week’s round of summer school, J will be my alarm clock most mornings, which is way better than the shrill screech I normally wake up to at 5 a.m.

(Maybe that’s why I’m tired…getting up at 5 a.m., working until 3:30, rushing around after J for a few hours at home and then settling back in for homework by 7 p.m, it’s a long day.  Maybe not the longest in the world, but I’m a whiner at heart.)

I’m looking forward to my days at home:  gardening (which, at this point, is mostly just tilling and pulling weeds), strawberry jam-making, photo card designing, camera-toting, blog reading and playing Sims 2.  And taking care of the J man, of course.

My lord.  If that’s all that happens this summer, you’re in for a load of boredom if you plan on reading this during the next few months.

Wait.

Strike that.

Beginning the first day after summer school, we’re starting a new chapter in our lives.

Potty training.

Yeah.  Poop, pee and angst.  I’m sure it’ll be not only disgusting, but strangely fascinating for you all, too.  Stay tuned.

Tags: potty training, summer, toddler