I wrote the other day about the tragedy of losing a child and how different people handle that loss.  John Walsh became an advocate for missing and abused children.  Cindy Sheehan became a pitiful, glory-seeking psycho.  I read a post in Chez Diva (via BlackFive) about a mom whose daughter was severely injured in Iraq.  It’s an inspiring story. 

Some stories just make you cringe at the stupidity of some people.  Just awful!

I finished up my dental work this morning.  Fun fun!  I had the nitrous oxide thing on my nose and made sure to breath deeply throughout. If I’m going to go the drug route, I want to make sure I get maximum benefits.  I’m not sure what the N.O. does except perhaps make me a little more relaxed. I was aware of the shots and drilling and file-poking, but it didn’t seem like a major deal at the time - which is a major improvement over my former attitude at the dentist. The dentist finished the root canal from last time - what DO they do with those files?  I have no clue what the procedure is, but I see those files and it just sends shivers through my spine.  Then he drilled and filled two cavities on the other side of my mouth.  That resulted in my walking out with both sides of my mouth numb.  I had difficulty talking clearly, and my smile looked more like a grimace. 

I took care of a couple errands on my way home, and then took a three-hour nap!  I’m sure going to miss summer vacation when school starts next week!  I woke up with the numbness gone but the soreness will probably last a few more days. 

Resolution:  I WILL brush and floss my teeth religiously multiple times each day so I won’t have to go through this experience again for a long time.

RT and I are babysitting Sunshine and Sweet Stuff this weekend.  I’m very tired right now.  However, that’s not the topic of this post.

The other day I wrote about an email my daughter sent me telling me about a bedtime battle she had with Sweet Stuff.  Sweet Stuff wanted to sleep in the play room, and my daughter was determined to stick to the rules that the girls sleep in their own rooms on school nights. 

Last night Sweet Stuff decided it was time to spill the beans and tell on her mommy.

We (RT, me, Sweet Stuff and Sunshine) had just started home from Kroger, and her little voice came from the back seat, “Grandma Carol, your baby was mean to me.”

“My baby?”  I asked.  I had no babies that I knew of.

“Yes.  Your child - your daughter - my mommy.”

“Your mommy was mean to you?”

“Yes!  She made me very angry.  She hurt my feelings.”

Sweet Stuff went on to “tell on” her mommy - giving me exactly the same story I had received in the email.  Her feelings were hurt because she didn’t get her way.  It was obvious that she wanted me and RT to do something about this grave injustice.  How should I handle this ?

“Sweet Stuff, you know your mommy loves you very much and she just wanted you to get a good night’s sleep.”

“I could sleep good in the play room,” she replied.

“Well, if your mommy made you angry and hurt your feelings, you need to talk to her about it.  She’ll understand and she’ll talk with you about it,” I said.

“Oh!”  Long pause as she thought that over for a few minutes, and then she started telling me about how her friend, Connor, at school had hurt her feelings (Can you tell she’s five years old when “hurt feelings” are the main topic of converstion - for girls anyway?)  Then she stopped and said, “But I will talk to him about that.”

Now if ONLY she can remember that lesson and talk to people when she feels wronged and express her feelings.  Wow!  Here I am at 56 and I’m still working on that skill.

Beth at Blue Star Chronicles tagged me with the THREES meme.  So. . . here goes:

Here are Three–

1. –things that scare me:
a. violence
b. anger
c.  liberals (because many of them seriously believe the things they say)

2. –people who make me laugh:
a. RT
b. my two children
c. my group of teacher friends

3. –things I hate the most:
a. clutter
b. dirty kitchens
c. roaches

4. –things I don’t understand:
a. child abuse
b. terrorism
c. most technology

5. –things I’m doing right now:
a.  listening to crickets outside
b.  sitting here hoping my granddaughters in the bed behind me will both go to sleep (one down, one to go)
c. thinking about all I SHOULD do tomorrow that I won’t do

6. –things I want to do before I die:
a. visit Italy
b. finish the house RT and I are building - move in and live happily ever after
c. get skinny

7. –things I can do:
a. teach children to read
b. cook a good meal
c. ride a bike

8. –ways to describe my personality:
a. everyone thinks I’m introverted, but I don’t think I really am. I’m just selective about who I’m extroverted with.
b. introspective
c. funny

9. –things I can’t do:
a. stay in the sun very long
b. get away with anything
c. get caught up with paperwork

10. –things I think you should listen to:
a. gospel music
b. nature
c. the wisdom of people older than yourself

11. –things you should never listen to:
a. negativity
b. liberals
c. most rap and rock music

12. –absolute favorite foods
a. Blue Bell Banana Split ice cream
b. pizza
c. Snickers

13. –things I’d like to learn:
a. how to dance splendidly
b. how to be organized all the time
c. how to stick to a diet without giving in to cravings

14. –beverages I drink regularly:
a. Water
b. diet coke
c. coffee

15. –shows I watched as a kid:
a. The Howdie Doody Show
b. Roy Rogers
c. Bonanza

16. People I’m tagging.
No one because if you want to participate all you have to do is copy the meme and add your own answers. 

I have tremendous sympathy for anyone who loses a child.  It’s a pain of unimaginable proportions.  Unfortunately, it is something that happens every day. 

I admire people like John Walsh, a father who turned his grief over the murder of his young son, Adam, into a decades-long effort to help prevent other parents from going through the same hell.  There is no telling how many children’s lives have been saved because of his work.

Cindy Sheehan, on the other hand, has used her grief to further her own agenda and to work against her own country and against our own soldiers.  Now she has purchased land in Crawford, Texas so she can get more attention.  I wonder when the media will get tired of giving this pitiful excuse of a mother coverage.  Unlike John Walsh who turned his grief to better the world, Cindy has made it more dangerous.  There’s no telling how many of our soldiers - her son’s buddies - have been killed because of her mean-spirited anti-American, terrorist associations.

My two granddaughters will be spending the weekend with RT (no more PawPaw - I’ll call him RT) and me.  It’ll be exhausting, but we’re looking forward to it.  My daughter and her husband are taking off for a much-needed weekend of being together with no friends and no children.

Last night I got an email from my daughter.  Here it is:

Hi Mom,

You will get a kick out of this.  Sweet Stuff was really mad at me earlier because I wouldn’t let them sleep in the playroom.   The rule is on a school night they can’t because they have to get up early.   Anyway she was going on and on and on about it.   At one point I said, “Sweet Stuff, it is my job to make sure that you get a good night’s sleep and aren’t tired the next day - and you will get a better night’s sleep in your room. ”

Sweet Stuff says,  ”No! Your job is to make me happy.” 

I said, “No, my job is to make sure you are healthy and you grow up into a responsible adult.  Part of that is knowing that when someone tells you “No” you don’t keep on and on.”  Probably a little deep but hey.

Then she says, “I can’t wait till tomorrow when Pa Pa and Grandma Carol are the boss of me and you aren’t!  Because they LOVE to make me happy!” 

Mind you after another 30 minutes or so of “you’re so mean to me”  “You don’t ever want me to be happy” “you make me so sad” and even “I’m so over you right now”  (don’t know where she got that one, but it was a little funny).

Anyway, she cried in her room for 30 minutes or so and then emerged wanting me.  Steve was upset because she wouldn’t even talk with him.  He kept saying, “How is it you make her mad and then she still wants you”.  Needless to say she was exhausted and is now asleep in HER Room. 

He he!  She sure has MY number, doesn’t she? 

I just finished a 4-day workshop led by teachers from the NY Teachers College Reading and Writing Project.  I have to say that it was THE best professional development experience I’ve had in recent memory.  The four days flew past, and I learned so much.

Stephanie, a fourth grade teacher at my school, was my “writing partner” for the workshop.  We each wrote several pieces during the week, we read what we’d written to each other, we discussed information that the presenter gave us, and we practiced skills that we had been taught.  By the end of the four days we were much better friends and colleagues.  That kind of work and sharing develops trust.

We had a common bond.  Stephanie wrote a personal narrative about her grandmother - her “rock”, and I wrote one about my granddaughters.

Today was our last day, and as part of our “celebration” we each were to give our writing partner a gift - something to do with writing - preferably homemade.  Stephanie gave me a notebook with some of her favorite quotations inside - written by hand.

Here is my favorite.  It is taken from Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson:

Life is a game in which you are juggling 5 balls.  The balls are called work, family,health, friends, and integrity.  And you’re keeping all of them in the air.  But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball.  If you drop it, it will bounce back.  The other four balls - family, health, friends, integrity - are made of glass.  If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.  And once you truly understand the lesson of the 5 balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.

Stephanie keeps a notebook of her favorite quotes and adds to it whenever she finds a quote that is particularly meaningful to her.  I never thought of keeping a quotation notebook, but I’m excited to begin one.  And the one she gave me is adorable - with a little yellow and pink angel on the front.

Here’s another quote Stephanie put in the notebook she gave me:

“Some people believe that time is money.  I believe that time is much more precious than that.  Money, as with any other object, can be found again when lost.  Time, on the other hand, is a permanently lost gift if it is not used wisely.”

~Duy Huynh~

A quotation notebook! I’m so glad I have one now.  I’m looking forward to filling it with my favorites.

Forty-two of the last 100 visitors to THE MEDIAN SIB have one thing in common.  Any guesses?

Here it is:  They arrived here as a result of an internet search for information about the Winkler murder case. 

“Listen!” I hushed the talking as soon as I heard the sound.  It was gone so quickly I wasn’t sure I had even heard it - a fleeting, almost-mewing sound.  Holding my finger to my lips, I motioned the others to listen.  Despite the bustle of people in the corridor, we shamelessly pressed our ears to the door.  There it was again!  We looked at each other.  Was it what we thought it was?  Suddenly it came again.  This time sustained and strong.  There was no doubt - it was a baby’s cry.  We looked at each other, tears filled our eyes, and grins spread across our faces.  A new life had just entered the world on the other side of the door.  My first grandchild was born.

Note:  I’m attending a 4-day writing workshop (how to teach writing), and this was one of the things I wrote on the first day.  We had to try different leads.  This was my “dialogue” lead.