Violent Kids, Left Unchecked, Will Become Violent Adults

The violence in our society is so bad and it is affecting all our children in one way or another.

Yesterday my daughter went to school as usual. She was looking forward to going to school because she had made the Honor Roll. In recognition of that, the middle school had a pizza party for those children who had worked so hard.

I have always been a parent who volunteers for these kinds of events, and I have always been happy to do so. I love to see the kids have a time to relax and enjoy a special event at school. Especially when they all deserved it and worked so very hard to achieve what they had.

There was also another event happening in my daughter's school yesterday, which was a book fair. If you're not familar, a book store is set up in the school and you give your kids money to buy whatever they would like for the amount of money you have given them.

My daughter chose a book and a Harry Potter poster. Nicole is a huge Harry Potter fan and was so excited to get this poster. Now leave it up to someone to turn a fun thing into an awful experience.

My daughter and her friend are walking out of school at the end of the day and this boy who they have known since elementary school came up to them. My daughter said to him "I just bought this Harry Potter Poster, do you want to see it?" Instead of a yes or no he grabbed the poster out of my daughter's hand and pushed her to the ground. She was so shocked. She asked him what was wrong with him and he just looked down and laughed at her.

This kid never said he was sorry or anything. Didn't try to help her up or even inquire if she was hurt.

My husband picked her up from school, and as soon as she she walked into the door and saw me she burst into tears. She said to me, "I hate school, I hate the pressure and I'm sick of people!" I was stunned. All I could say is, "What happened?" When she told me I hit the roof.

We marched right back to school and I went to see the principal. I was so upset I was shaking. It seems like when things like this happen there is never an adult present to see it actually take place. So now it becomes my daughter's word against this other kid's.

Fortunately for me and unfortunately for society this kid has a history of violent behavior. Now I'm not saying my child is perfect, but she sure doesn't hurt anyone intentionally.

My daughter has always been nice to this particular boy because she knows his history. He's a huge kid, and is built like a linebacker. And my daughter, even though she is tall, is pretty skinny and not much more than 100 pounds. This kid is probably pushing 170 at least. That alone should give this guy a clue to leave her alone, but not the case.

The other thing is, we've had a run-in with this kid before and so has my daughter's friend. In fourth grade he punched my daughter and I went to see her teacher. In sixth grade he pushed down her best friend in the hall and her parents went into school to complain. He has bullied so many people that the list goes on and on.

Yet somehow they keep letting this kid back in school. If this isn't a cry for help, I'm not sure what is. They suspend this kid and he gets right back in school again. I'm not sure what is going on in this boy's home, but it can't be good.

Not one person is getting this kid the help he is screaming for. This boy is going to hurt someone very badly, and not one person is doing a thing to prevent it. Suspension isn't getting him the professional help he clearly needs.

This is the type of child that will shoot up a school, or maybe even turn into a rapist and murderer. If someone doesn't get him the help he so clearly needs society will take care of him. However, how many people will get hurt before that happens? Why does someone have to get hurt very badly or killed before some type of action is taken?

Fortunately my daughter wasn't hurt very badly. Her knees were red and puffy, but a bag of ice can take care of that. However, a bag of ice can't help this boy and neither can looking the other way.



So on Monday my husband and I have to go back to school and complain. The principal told us to come back on Monday and talk to the the Assistant Principal because she (the principal) won't be in school. I really believe she just doesn' t want to deal with this kid and is passing along the problem to her new Assistant Principal. I guess that's fine as long as it gets positive results.

The violence in our country is everywhere. We see it on TV, read it in the newspapers and see it in our schools. The most important thing I can do is try to keep my child as safe as I can.

The other thing I hope is that this other child gets the professional help he so clearly needs. I don't want anything bad to happen to him or to anyone else. It's up to us as adults to make sure these situations are taken care of in a positive way.

It's so easy to look the other way. The most disturbing thing to me in this particular situation isn't that my daughter was physically hurt, but that this kid just looked down at her and laughed. That will haunt me for a long time.

So now it becomes my responsibility to try to get results. Obviously this boy isn't getting what he needs from his home life. I feel so bad for him on one hand, but I am also very mad.

I guess the people I should be mad at are his family. I know for a fact there isn't a dad involved in his life so maybe that is where the anger comes from. I'm not sure, but all I know is that this situation must be addressed and right now.

It's up to us as responsible adults to take action and get involved. Not only in our children's lives, but to help other children as well. I'm not saying stick your nose in where it doesn't belong, but we must help ALL kids -- not just our own.

In the end I hope this child and many other children go down the right path. The most important thing we can give our children is a good home life. Somewhere that they feel safe and secure.

When my daughter came to me I was happy. This meant she trusts me to take care of the situation and protect her. As a parent that is the best gift I will ever receive from my child. She knows she has my support no matter what. We have open lines of communication and I feel I have done a good job with her. My daughter didn't respond back to this kid in a violent way. She came to me so that makes me feel like I did something right bringing her up they way I have.

All our children need to know they can come to their parents and we will be there for them. If this happened more often maybe our society wouldn't be so violent. Kids need reassurance on a consistent basis. They need the support and love of their family. Growing up in our society is so hard; let's not make it harder on our kids than it already is. Never give up on your kids -- they should be the most important people in your life.

Well, it's back to school for me on Monday! Wish me luck!!!!

Let's Grade Teachers More Often; Accountability Is Lacking

What is going on in our school system? I am so tired of teachers not doing their jobs.

Maybe that is why so many parents are home-schooling their children. We have to do the teachers' jobs anyway. Might as well teach them from home.

The amount of homework that comes home each night is ridiculous. What are these teachers doing during the day?

Today was the kicker and what got me into this rant. My daughter, who's very smart, came home with science homework. She said to me, "Mom, I don't understand this." I asked her why she didn't ask the teacher. Her reply? "Because they look at you like you're stupid."

That did not make me feel good at all. Keep in mind my daughter has made the Honor Roll every semester since she started middle school. I really don't doubt her feelings on this matter. Over the years I think I have done more teaching in the evening than the majority of the teachers have done during the course of a day.

Now I'm not saying all teachers are like this, but it seems more are than aren't. A teacher's job is to teach and if you have to go over something over and over again, oh well -- isn't that your job?

We need to be grading these teachers just as they grade our kids. Just because you have a degree doesn't mean you are qualified to teach a subject. In fact, in most cases the more some of these teachers know about the subject they're teaching, the more they are unable to teach the subject at all!

The pattern I seem to always see are in the subjects of math and science. I'm sure these teachers are very smart, but they can't seem to teach others. Maybe because they find it so easy they can't relate. They have to be able to take the time and care. They also have to remember that these are children. As far as I am concerned, if the children aren't successful neither is the teacher.

Making kids take notes and rambling for an hour every day isn't teaching. You have to talk to these kids and put it in a context that is interesting and one that they can understand. Talking to them in Greek won't get the job done.

My daughter comes home each night to ask my husband and me for help. Of course we do help her, but in a way that she can understand. How come I can teach her in a way she understands, but they can't? Isn't that what we pay them to do?

Over the years I've done this time and time again. I feel my daughter's success is mostly due to what my husband and I have done at home to teach her. Now isn't that sad. This child is in school for seven hours a day and still has to come home and have us explain stuff to her. Not just once in awhile, but on a consistent basis.

I feel so sad for these kids who have no support system at home. How will they ever succeed if the teachers in school aren't doing their jobs?

We need to have some kind of system that grades these teachers and holds them accountable to some degree. That's part of why our country is going down the tubes. Most of the teachers are just not able to teach. Like I said, just because you have a degree doesn't mean you are qualified to teach our children.


Sometimes, homeschooling seems like a better and better option


Most of the teachers now don't even grade the kids' papers. They have the children do it. How in the heck can you know if a child needs help if you don't take the time to grade the papers yourself? The other way they are grading now are with these scanning machines. The child fills in the circles on a narrow sheet and they put it in a machine and it grades the paper. Again, talk about being out of touch with the children in your class! How can you possibly know what is going on, when you're relying on machines, and other students, to grade assignments?

I guess the school districts are okay with these scanning machines, otherwise they wouldn't provide them. Instead of making the teachers' jobs easier, why aren't they making things easier on our kids? Make these teachers teach and hold them responsible for a class's success or failure. They do that in the real world -- why not in the classroom?

You have to have patience as a teacher and be able to instruct children in a way they understand. Our school system is broken and someone needs to fix it and quickly. How will we remain a super power when we fail our kids on a regular basis?

Our children's future success is in all of our hands and teachers need to do their part too! You chose this profession so be the best you can be -- just like you expect from the kids.

Today's Homework: Book Sense Outweighs Common Sense

I can't say this any simpler: there is just too much homework for our kids! Someone has got to do something about this.

Yes, they should have some homework, but there is such a thing as overload. I think the amount of homework my child comes home with is completely unacceptable.

On top of all the homework is the weight of the books they bring home in their backpacks. I am so worried about my child's back. I'm afraid she's going to do damage to it. I told her, that if a book is too heavy, to carry it in her arms to more evenly distribute the weight.

You would think someone would use common sense when they're making these text books. Remember, these are children carrying these books. Can't someone use their heads and maybe break up the book in sections? Instead of one book for the whole year, maybe there should be three or four smaller ones. Am I the only person who thinks of these things?



I know everyone is always worried about cost. Do they ever think, What about the cost to our children's well being and health? Isn't that worth anything anymore?

The stress our kids are under is simply too much. Someone has got to say enough is enough. Not to mention the stress the parents feel -- especially responsible parents who work with their children and make sure they have good work habits.

The kids need a little downtime and also time for outside activities. They need balance in their lives. They need family time.

Also, think of the parents. We work outside the home, as well as inside it. We have to make dinner and be able to have time to sit and eat. We need time with our kids; it's important for our family. They need time with us as well.

We're multi-tasking all the time, so why do we have to multi-task time spent with our children? Then people wonder why there is a breakdown of the family. This sure doesn't help!

Another excuse I've heard for all the homework is kids have to be able to deal with stress. Well, maybe that's true, but isn't it our job as adults to protect them from stress -- not cause more? When the kids become adults they'll have enough stress. Why do we have to intoduce it to them sooner than necessary?

Here is another thing I've heard: "We have to be able to compete with other countries." This is a lot of nonsense. Why put our kids through all this stress to compete only to have the CEOs of this country outsource American jobs anyway? All they care about is the cheap labor they can get in other countries. They don't care about the American worker or the American family.

All I know is, Halloween is this Wednesday and I'm sure there will be a heavy load of homework. For one day can't they ease the load a bit? Let these kids enjoy going out without being worried about homework.

Also, let the parents be able to enjoy our kids for at least one night. We have to cook dinner, clean up and get the costumes on them, which includes makeup most of the time. Have a little pity on all of us this Wednesday!

Have a wonderful and spooky Halloween!!!! BOO!

A Dying Breed: People With Manners, Morals

Other than my immediate family, does anyone today have manners? Is there someone who just does something for someone else without an agenda? If these people exist I'd sure like to know who they are.

You see it every day and it seems to be happening more and more. I'd like to think I'm one of the few people who have manners and actually care about others.

I speak from experience. This is where it all began for me. Many years ago, when my daughter was in first grade, her school was looking for a parent to be Treasurer of the PTO. I was at the meeting and thought it would be something nice for me to do. After the meeting was over one of my neighbors pulled me aside and said, "Are you nuts?!" I had no idea what she meant at the time. Well, I found out pretty quickly. This is when my eyes were opened.

After I became Treasurer, it all began. Some of the women in the PTO started talking behind my back. Keep in mind, I was a new parent in this school and had never been involved in PTO. The reason I know they were talking behind my back is because they did it right in front of me without realizing. These two women were talking about me and it so happened I was walking right behind them. Unfortunately, my daughter and husband happened to be with me and heard everything they said. The funny thing about this incident was the reaction when these two particular women realized I was walking right behind them. The expressions on their faces were priceless. I thought they would both die of embarrassment. By rights they should have. The most heartbreaking thing for me however was when my child looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said; "Mommy why are they talking like that about you?" I was honest and said the only thing I could at the time and that was "I'm not sure."

They had been talking about something they thought I hadn't been doing, like the previous treasurer. Instead of coming to me and speaking to me about it like adults should, they chose to talk behind my back, and make fun of me. Well, thats fine I'm an adult and I can handle it, but what made me so mad was my child happened to hear also.

People like this are cowardly and gutless. After only one year as treasurer I stepped down. It wasn't just this incident, but one of many. It also just wasn't me; they would talk about other moms behind their backs too. I am just not into talking and gossiping behind people's backs. Mainly because it sets a rotten example for my child, but also because that is just not the kind of person I am.

I thought this kind of stuff just happened with women, but over the years I have come to realize it happens to men too. Maybe not in the same way, but it has manifested in our lives over the last seven months twice.

My husband has been stabbed in the back by men he thought he could trust. The problem is not only did they hurt him, but they hurt me and my daughter in the process. One of the individuals, we had treated exremely nicely. We had him over for dinner many times, and my daughter looked up to him. We treated him like a member of the family, but all he did was use my husband and toss him aside. My husband was hurt, I was hurt and the most heartbreaking thing for me was my daughter was hurt. As a parent, nothing makes you more mad than when your child is hurt.

The strange thing is these people seem to be able to live with themselves without any remorse. They also seem to be able to justify themselves. Well, I guess they think if they convince themselves they were justified everyone else will see it the same way. Well that's just not so. Just ask my daughter.

Well, I guess if you can live with yourself more power to you. I, however, am glad I don't hurt or use people. I happen to be the kind of person who can't live with herself if I hurt or use someone on purpose.

Yes, I'm sure I've hurt people, but it wasn't intentional. If I do hurt someone it bothers me, and yes I am a big enough person to apologize. The one thing I don't do is talk behind people's backs. You know the old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." Why would you want to hurt or use someone intentionally? I can't figure that out.


If you do nothing else this weekend, try to do something nice for someone. Whether it's as simple as letting someone in during heavy traffic or simply holding a door open for someone. That little gesture can make someone's outlook and day just a little happier. Don't we at least owe that to each other? Just show some human kindness; it may have a trickle down effect.

Have a great weekend!

Contraception For Middle Schoolers: Treating A Symptom, Not The Problem

I heard on the news yesterday, which completely blew my mind, about a school district in Maine making birth control available to children in middle school. These kids are in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

This means children ages 11-13 being able to get a full range of contraception. The types of contraception would include pills, patches, injections, and the "morning after" pill.

I don't agree with schools getting involved with the distribution of contraceptives. As parents, we're losing more and more of our parental rights. This is not taking care of the problem; all this is doing is encouraging children to have sex at a young age. Children at this age are just not ready for sex.

This also doesn't mean they won't be able to contract HIV/AIDS or any other sexually transmitted disease. All this does is prevent pregnancy and even that is not 100% guaranteed.

When our children come home with a sexually transmitted disease are the schools going to pay the bills? No, of course not. When a child dies of AIDS, is someone from the school going to be holding that child's hand? I doubt it.

Whatever happend to educating them? That's what schools are supposed to do -- not hand out contraception. Show them people dying of AIDS. Fear and the truth are great motivators. Education, education, education.

We educate them to not take drugs. Still, kids use drugs every day. Does this mean we start handing out drugs in school? I mean, if some kids use anyway, why not make that available to them too? It's the same premise.


Birth control patches, like the one pictured above, would be made available to middle schoolers, if a Maine school district gets its way

We also educate kids not to smoke. Again, some kids will still smoke. So why not hand out packs of cigarettes too? Where do we draw the line?

This contraception in middle schools proposal is just a way for lazy parents to get out of their responsibility. It's another example of the breakdown of the family. It seems it takes two incomes to make ends meet today, but this is no reason to shirk your responsibility as a parent.

Take time to talk to your kids. Get to know their friends. It's our right as parents to know where our kids are all the time. The schools have no right to get involved. This is a personal family matter. Whatever happened to educating and advocating abstinence?

Here's something else: You can't mention God in schools, but you can hand out birth control. What's going on in this country? Where are our moral values?

Another concern I have is, who knows what kind of effect these drugs will have on a child's developing body? Somewhere down the line when they are older maybe we'll find out the adverse effect of these contraceptives, but by that time the damage will be done.

My husband and I brought our daughter into this world and it's our responsiblity as parents to make sure she doesn't go down the wrong path. This proposal in Maine doesn't help our plight. As a matter of fact, it makes it worse. Why listen to your parents when you can go to school and get birth control behind their backs?

Maybe if kids feel safe, secure, and loved at home they won't want to have sex at such an early age. Let kids know they are special. Tell them to have respect for their bodies. It may not be cool, but neither is a crying baby at 2:00 a.m. Dying from a sexually transmitted disease isn't too cool either.

Our kids need to feel special and loved. I'm not saying that some kids won't have sex, but it's a parent's decision after consulting with a family doctor to decide on birth control if their child is having sex.

The primary concern is to make sure our children feel loved, so they won't have to seek love anywhere else. They need to come to their parents first. We need to have open lines of communcation with our children on any subject and they have to be able to trust us. The more you talk to your kids the easier this becomes.

The 1970s: A Much Simpler, Safer Time

I grew up in the 1970s, and I believe that it was such a different world back then. I remember Saturday morning cartoons. It was an exciting morning because usually the only time you could watch cartoons for hours was on Saturday morning.

Today cartoons are on all hours of the day and night with cable TV. It isn't quite as special as it used to be -- getting up on Saturday and staying in your pajamas for hours. Of course, until one of your friends called for you thru the door, yelling, "SHAR---ON!"

In the '70s on our block at least, there was always someone to hang out with. The funny thing is none of us ever seemed to get into too much trouble. Kids were always outside playing and the parents were usually working in the yard or not too far away.

Front & back doors were left open and you didn't have to worry about some crazy nut just walking in your house to do harm to anyone. I also remember all the parents on our block being friends and knowing each other pretty well. My dad would go sit on a neighbors porch with them. It seemed before you knew it, seven or eight dads and moms were together talking and laughing.

The boys would be playing baseball in the street. Of course, you would have an occasional window break now and then. The girls would be playing Barbies on someone's porch or with their other dolls. As we got older, 2 and 4 Square use to keep us entertained for hours. We used to ride our bikes to the park without our parents. You felt safe. It was a much simpler time.

We were one of the few families on our block that had a pool and kids were always over swimming. I also remember my mom feeding other people's kids lunch on a daily basis, especially if they had been over swimming. In the evenings I would have the occasional pool party, and my dad would barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs ; we would also roast marshmallows. Dad would hook up a light to the side of the garage so we could swim in the dark until sometimes 10:00 pm at night. He would be sitting right there watching us to make sure no one got hurt.

Do you remember the big blue "helping hands" in families' picture windows? The big blue helping hand meant if you were in trouble or needed help you could run to that home. At that time you didn't have a fear that someone in that house may harm you.


Sadly, signs like this aren't needed much anymore in this country's neighborhoods

We ate dinner as a family every night, and my mom made sure of that. I also remember wanting to eat dinner so fast so I could go outside to play with my friends. My mom would occasionally get mad because she knew I wouldn't eat as well as I should, being in such a hurry as I was.

The food even seemed better back then. I cook pretty much the same stuff my mom did, but to me it just doesn't seem to taste as good. No one cooks like mom!

The homework wasn't as much as the kids have today. We had time to play after school. Not today -- the homework load is so heavy the kids have no time to just be kids.

The world is so different now and our innocence has been lost right along with our children. No one trusts anyone anymore. You never see boys playing baseball in the street. As for the girls, when was the last time you saw five or six girls playing Barbies or dolls on someone's porch? I see the occational kid riding a bike, but not like in the '70s. We would ride our bikes to 7-Eleven to get a Slurpee or to the corner store to get candy and bubble gum.

What do the kids do now? After the massive amount of homework they want to play video games. Maybe the video games they play relieves some of the stress they feel. We didn't have too much stress when I was growing up.

I feel sorry for our kids because they have so much stress and let's face it -- we bring them up to not trust too many people. School isn't even safe for them anymore. I keep reading about teachers doing unspeakable things to these kids. My daughter hears about all this because it's on TV and in the newspapers. That just adds to her stress.

Someone has to figure out why these kids are going crazy and shooting up schools. When I was a kid, we were ALL picked on at one time or another. I certainly don't remember any kids shooting up schools back when I grew up. There has to be more to this phenomenon than just being picked on. Being picked on may just be one of the reasons; there has to be more to it than that. It is the symptom of a much bigger problem.

Yes, I believe our innocence has been lost and that is so sad. I wish my child could have been born in a much simpler time. Where did it all go wrong? I have no idea, but it is tragic. Maybe it's as simple as the breakdown of the family. Because if we aren't secure at home, how can we feel secure anyplace else?

Our job as parents is to keep our children safe and secure. Part of it may just be talking and having dinner as a family together each night. That way our kids know us and we know our kids. Children should be able to talk to their parents about anything and not fear they will be judged. We need to talk and help our kids through everything in their life and they have to be able to trust us.

Parents can't be perfect and may not always have the right answers, but we owe it to our kids to at least be there for them.

MEAP Test Retaken; Another Waste Of Our Tax Dollars

I recently mentioned the other day about the MEAP testing and the stress it puts on children -- at least on my child, and I assume on other children as well. Apparently a reporter who was allowed in an elementary school in Jackson, basically divulged what the fifth and sixth grade prompts were on the MEAP. Now all the fifth and sixth grade students in the state of Michigan must retake a portion of the MEAPS test. This doesn't affect my daughter as far as the test because she is in 8th grade, but financially we are all going to pay again in the state of Michigan.

This is the sort of story that just makes me absolutely crazy and mad. My husband is currently out of work, and believe me he has a lot of company in the state of Michigan. Yet these people who have jobs are allowed to have major screw ups that cost people in this state money and stress. These MEAP test questions were printed Tuesday in an article in the newspaper, as well as, on the newspaper's Web site on Thursday. Where was the editor and where is the common sense of this reporter?

This is going to cost our state hundreds of thousands of dollars. Not to mention the stress these kids are going to have to go through all over again. This state is in a terrible financial mess as it is and now it is going to cost us more money that we just don't have. The governor just raised our taxes in Michigan, plus added lots of new taxes. Who does this hurt? The middle class and poor of course, which has no voice. The rich certainly don't feel it!

CHOOL

Right now the middle class and poor are stretched as far as we can go. Rising prices on gasoline, natural gas, and electricity, a lack of health insurance, and the list goes on and on. People in the state of Michigan are losing their homes to foreclosure at an average rate of 1 in 6. That statistic scares me. Everything goes up in price except our paychecks. How do they expect us to survive?

I keep hearing from President Bush how great the economy is right now. Who does he think he is fooling? The middle class are slowly being eliminated, and we pay the majority of the taxes in this country. We know what is going on; we are not ignorant peasants!

I stretch my food budget every day just to keep my family fed, and with my husband out of work it is nearly impossible. If the middle class are going through this, I can't imagine how the poor can even survive. Don't we have a voice in this society any more? Congress sure doesn't hear our cries.

I am a middle class housewife who has worked outside of her home most of my marriage. The sad part is now with all the hard work over the years on the part of both my husband and myself we may become just part of another statistic. We are becoming a society of the Haves and Have nots! Can you guess which category most of us will fall under?

Right now I don't see much difference in the Republican or Democratic Parties. No one is helping the middle class or the poor. We're too busy fighting a war we were lied to about! It costs so much money to keep this war running yet people's families are being torn apart. Isn't anyone willing to fight for the middle class and the poor in this country? I am sure there are many children going to bed hungry in our country and that is shameful!

My grandparents and great-grandparents came to this country from Italy and Poland to make a better life for future generations, but I feel like it was all for nothing.

MEAP Test and An Easy & Quick Breakfast for Kids

If you are from Michigan and a parent of a school aged child, I am sure you are aware of the MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) Testing.

My daughter is a very good student, but she gets stressed out every year during the MEAP tests. The one thing I do is make sure she has a good breakfast every morning, and especially during the MEAPS.

All it requires me to do is get up 15 minutes before her, and I feel at least I got her off to a good start. She has always done well on the MEAPS, and I contribute some of that to a good breakfast before leaving home. Also, I try to calm her down and talk to her each morning before she leaves for school. I usually do this as she eats her breakfast, by taking just a few minutes and sitting with her at the table.

Me being half Italian and half Polish, I have always been around good food. My mom is Italian and my dad was Polish. Even though he passed away before my daughter was born I still fix many Polish meals.

My mom always got up and fixed me breakfast before school each morning, and I have continued that tradition with my own child. Now I'm not saying I'm June Cleaver by any stretch of the imagination, but I do make my child breakfast every morning to make sure she eats and gets off to a good start. Of course, there is the occational bowl of cereal, donut etc., but I try to at least make her a nice breakfast 3-4 times a week.


I wonder if Beaver's mom was half-Italian and half-Polish; ya think?

This morning I made her a breakfast called Birds In a Nest. I believe this is an Italian breakfast, but I may be wrong. Well, the only thing I know is I learned how to make this from the Italian side of my family. I timed myself this morning, and it took me about 10 minutes from start to finish.

Here is how to make a quick breakfast for your kids too:

BIRDS IN A NEST

Italian or French Bread
1 Egg Per Slice of Bread
2 Tablespoons Margarine or Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste


Heat skillet at medium temperature; melt margarine or butter. Hollow out some of the bread on the inside to create a small hole like a nest. Place bread in skillet and crack egg inside the nest, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and turn up heat slightly to around medium high. It should take about 1-2 minutes to cook on the one side. Flip over, making sure the yolk breaks, and cook on opposite side. You may want to salt & pepper this side also. This can be served plain or with syrup.

This is a fast and nutritious breakfast and the kids love it. I serve it with a glass of milk or juice and it takes no time to eat at all. If they are late you can wrap it up in a piece of paper towel and it is easy to eat on the run.

I also love the non-stick skillets -- it makes clean up a breeze. By the time she is finished eating I am finished with a quick clean up. She gets dressed and ready to leave while I start making her lunch and get ready to drive her to school. We both have this down to a science now. The best part is I feel like I've done something for my child to make her day a little smoother.

Try it and see how it works in your family. Well, at least during MEAPS.

Have a great day!!!

The School Parking Lot: Our Own Little Indy 500

My husband has been after me to start a blog for quite a long time. He has two successful blogs and is a very successful writer. I on the other hand am not a writer and this is very new territory for me. I am a private person, but after this morning an incident happened at school when I dropped off my daughter, which left me very upset. I came home and told my husband and he said that would make a good blog entry. So now here I am, sitting at the computer and writing my first entry.

One reason I decided to do this is to let other moms know they are not alone. Even though being a good wife and mother can be very frustrating it is also the most fulfilling and selfless thing I believe a woman can do. I don't want this to just be a blog for complaining, but also for recipes, ideas, helpful hints, and for other moms like myself to not feel so alone and isolated.

This morning I drove my daughter to school as usual. Also, as usual are the same offenders who won't follow the rules when dropping of their children. They put their children at risk, as well as being rude and not bothering to think about other parents who have to get their children to school. They drop their kids off in the middle of the street, in front of stop signs, and they cut you off and make u-turns where ever they feel like it. These people never seem to get tickets or caught and amazingly their children haven't gotten hit by a car. On the other hand, I follow the rules and get waved over by a security guard this morning in the school parking lot. This is enough to make you want to scream! I followed the rules, and still I get called to task for it. I pulled in the school parking lot, got my daughter out of the car and walked her across safely. In the meantime, cars are roaring through the parking lot to drop off their own kids and not giving my child a chance to cross. So my usual daily thing is to throw my body into the front of one of these wonderful parent's 40 mph cars so my daughter can get across the lot safetly and get to school. Needless to say, I on the other hand give their children more consideration. When I see any child I make sure I stop my car so they can cross. I also don't drive 40 mph in the street or in the parking lot. I am very mindful of other people's children even if my child doesn't seem to be given the same consideration. So I return to my car, again throwing myself in front of the cars of one these terrific and caring parents. I get in my car, carefully back out of the parking space, only to be pulled over by a security guard and asked where I had dropped off my child. I told the security guard I had parked and walked my child across the lot. She said to me "that's okay then." Well, duh! How come you don't notice the repeat offenders morning after morning, yet you hassle me! That's seems what usually happens to me: I follow the rules, yet I still get nailed for something I never would have done.

Well, I look at it this way: at least I am a good example to my daughter even if no one else seems to take notice. All that really matters is what my daughter thinks of me. I know I have done my job and been a good parent not just to my child, but to other people's children even if they don't respect the rules, their own children, or anyone else's child.


Our school parking lot during drop off. Happy Monday!!