Self Imposed Punishment

Now, I thought this would make me feel all...honorable. Chaste. Pure.

Not!

Since I've failed miserably to accommodate our wonderful new teachers in their transition to our school by not finishing the paperwork goals I'd set, I have decreed that there will be NO KNITTING until those goals are met.

I'm such an ass.

I've been stomping around like a 2 year old who has been denied dessert, and still not accomplishing much of anything.

But we did take the kids to the Fair.

We go to this really small event every year, The Blue Hill Fair, in Blue Hill, Maine. It's sort of lost it's appeal for me over the years, as we've attended 16 years in a row, and only the last 7 of them with kids (the significance of this being that we now have to endure those ridiculous rides).

This year, I was especially keen to see who was there for vendors (yarn vendors, I mean) and to hopefully see some spinning in action.

There was one vendor. Cosy Cat Farm, from right around where I live, in Southwest Harbor, Maine. (I can't get that link to work, either! Must not be running any longer.)

There was quite a bit of handspun, and a wheel for sale, but no spinning happening.

Ah well. It befit my self imposed punishment, and it was a beautiful day. We played with the animals all afternoon, and tried to talk The Big Guy into buying a lamb. He's having no part of it, on the grounds that I just evicted our half-dead 20 year old cat from the house because she refuses to learn to use the toilet. (I'm done with kitty litter. Just done.)

I don't know why I want a small sheep creature; I just do. 

I think I said the same of babies, once upon a time. Maybe I should re-think this idea!

I'll leave you with some pictures of the fair:

It's Happening Again.

Did you know I was on the Frenchboro School Board for 5 years, until 2004? That I went to meetings with both of my kids as nursing infants, and yes, pulled out the ol'boobie to feed them in the middle of meetings? (We're pretty informal around here, but still, yikes!)

And one night I came home from one of these meetings, ranting about something-or-other, and the Big Guy said, "No More.". 

What? No more coffee? No more dinner? What the hell are you talking about (and how dare you interrupt a perfectly good rant!?)?

"No More School Board."

He proceeded to re-cap the last 5 or 6 school board meetings, and how much work it all entailed; the phone calls, and letters, and research, and budget planning...and how all of this was volunteer work. I was board Chair. And I had a newborn and a 22 month old.

And I saw the light.

And I resigned.

For one year.

This is my second year back on the board. And I'm Chair again. And it's taking over my life.

And it's still volunteer. And this time, it's worse than ever.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that we have troubles at our school; that is very much not the case! The school is very well run, we have great support staff, and we've just hired new teachers that we are very, very excited about. We'll have 12 kids in school this year, and 2 teachers. It's a great school. We just don't seem to know who does certain jobs. And it seems that I get left 'holding the bag'.

It's stuff like this that gets me down (and crazy):

1. The first day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 2nd. There has not been a calendar mailed to the parents of the enrolled students. Apparently they are supposed to intuit when the start date is.(Even I don't have one!)

Also, we live on an island. Making appointments means coordinating months and months in advance, as we are only able to be on the mainland for a small window of time. Parents cannot make appointments around the school schedule, if they do not have it. (I myself have not yet made appointments for well-child checks this year, and we won't go off again until the week before christmas. At which time we have to try to squeeze in 2 doc appts, Xmas shopping, Xmas dinner shopping, and-oh yeah, an Executive School Board meting at 7pm. I have 5 hours to do all of that. How do I not drink more?)

2. The parents of school-aged children met informally last year to discuss beginning a voluntary lunch program at school. Our kids come home from 11-12 for lunch. Or, as I say, they wander the island aimlessly for an hour while they are supposed to be eating lunch. We had issues with this last year, and need to change this policy. 

I heard the other day, Wednesday, to be exact, that the Union does not think this is possible. You know, less than a week before school starts.

Oh. My. God. 

Mothers are going to freak.

3. We are the only school in our union that does not provide full-day Kindergarten. We don't know why.  The board agreed to change that policy. We thought that was a done deal. Today I heard that our school does not, in fact, have full day Kindergarten in the works. (In fact, tomorrow I will make 482 phone calls to confirm that info. You know, in my spare time; when I get done running the Post Office.)

News to me, parent of an incoming Kindergartener. I don't have any idea what time my kid will be released on Tuesday. And I'm the Chair of the School Board!

See what I mean? Good thing this job is volunteer, imagine the unspeakable things I would wish upon my boss, if I had one!

Ok, rant over.

Go about your business.

I have to go make 482 phone calls and try to set school up for Tuesday.

I wonder if Homeschooling is more work, or less?

Walk for a different cure...

My cousin Stacie:

who deserves much sympathy, as she is married to this:

Stacie provided a MUCH better shot of them, with the kiddos included. How cute are they??

   Stacie has entered a walk-a-thon- type fundraiser for Huntington's Disease. Lots of info explained in a nice, concise manner can be found here.

Please donate to fund, if not a cure, at least some research into some treatment.

I know some of you have kids who have begun school already. We start on the 2nd, next Tuesday. I have just experienced a 'lightbulb moment'. 

I DO NOT have to have all of the kids fall clothes hung and pressed BY THE 2nd! They will be wearing Summer clothes (though not shorts...I don't think shorts should be worn to school unless they're Bermuda shorts), through most of September, right?

So, there are some too small clothes that need to be culled out for donations, and new socks and undies to be put away, but the rest of it? The sweaters, the corduroys? Faggeddaboutit!!

My week just improved immensely.