The Reformation Polka

Happy Reformation Day!

Rain, rain, don't go away

It's chilly and rainy...finally. Tonight Cousin came over with his kids and invited mine to spend the night. So it's just the girls and me. Poor Elektra just about comes undone if she hears someone outside. She's waiting for her two-legged, hairless puppies to come home where they belong. Poor puppy! Dora is just relieved that they're not dragging her from pillar to post.

I asked Cousin to take the suitcases with the winter clothes out of the attic and so I changed over my closet. I have to wait on the kids until they're here so I can try clothes on them. I think the Boss is in good shape because I went through his stuff before leaving Q8, but the Peanuts are another story. We got some nice hand-me-downs last night. Some are summer and some are winter clothes. The Diva is excited and would wear them all at the same time if I let her.

It's been raining since Thursday night/Friday morning. Last night on the way to taekwondo it was storming pretty bad. Big flashes of lightning and heavy rain. It was so fun! It was also a bit chilly so that's when I decided I needed a weekend project. (Like I really needed one. sigh)

After I try clothes on the twins tomorrow I'll have a better idea of what I need to buy them. There's a place I like near some other cousins. The cousin they're visiting also knows some good places to shop. The Boss has shirts coming out of his ears so I don't think we need much for him though his jeans might need to be replaced by spring.

I'm exhausted but I'm so happy that I finally get some real weather and seasonal change for a change. It could get cold in Q8 but last winter it never did and I really missed that. I could be eating my words in a few months but I don't care. I want weather!!!

Tomorrow I'm going to be naughty and skip church. I brought work home from school and didn't get to it today and was too tired tonight. Tomorrow morning is a good time to work on it and then I can go and get the kids. I wish I had a couple of Peanuts to snuggle with tonight but on the upside no one will be waking me up to tell me the sun's up.

Happy Reformation Day!

Drive by post

Just a quick post since it's been a while.

Last night as we left the supermarket I thought my brakes felt a bit different. Can't really describe it, but like a friend said once, it's like your child. You just know something's not quite right but you can't describe it in a way that makes sense to a mechanic.

This morning the brake light was on and wouldn't go off. So after school I picked up the kids and headed down to the mechanic. Thanks to the Big Prince (still need to find another name for him) we have a mechanic who specializes in our make of car and uses genuine parts. These new brakes are great! The old ones were new in June but squealed from the start. These are perfect. I can tell a real difference. Got an oil change too, while I was at it.

It's almost the weekend. The Boss has his first dance. There's a Halloween dance tomorrow night and he's going to be a clown. More Emmett style than Ronald. He's going to have to get ready at the club while the twins are doing taekwondo. It's over at 9 so I'll grab a supper for the Peanuts and me (make sure I have my new book along) and see if there's something we can do. But we'll probably have to head home. I can't really think of much to do up here in chilly weather that would be free. LOL

I love the new curtains on our terrace. The sun doesn't shine bright into the living room and since they have a lot of blue in them, it makes the terrace look cooler. It's been nice with the rain the last couple of days. I don't have to worry about my laundry getting wet again.

I still need to get a trimmer for the garden. It's getting hairy out there. I need to do something about it pretty quick before it needs an actual mower. I don't have room to store one and it's not big enough to require one. A week trimmer is all I really need out there. And maybe a rake to get rid of the cuttings. I have enough hair in the house without tracking that in.

Well, off to bed so I can get up tomorrow without too much trouble. But, hey, it's Friday. That thought alone energizes me.

You Do The Math

In honor of the upcoming Reformation Day.

How true this is.

The best wool on the sheep

Children are the most delightful pledges of a loving marriage. They are the best wool on the sheep. -Martin Luther

I certainly seem to have a lot of wool in my house. And not all of it's from the kids. I got to buy a new vacuum last night. It's fantastic! I don't have large rugs in my house...the biggest is about half the size of a bedroom. I vacuumed the first rug last night, the short runner in front of the front door, and had to empty the vacuum before I could do the next one. I had to empty it after each rug. And they literally seemed to change color in front of my eyes. That's how horrible a job the old one was doing.

As for the wool on the sheep known as family, they're doing well. The Little Prince has been behaving in a very "royal" manner this week. Three days in a row saw a major tantrum with 2 on Thursday. The 2nd was very public and literally left me with bruises as I dragged him (more than once-he kept escaping) to the car. He had a talk with Baba on the phone that night and has said he won't do it again so we shall see.

I had a horrible migraine all day. I took something that usually works with breakfast this morning and it almost got rid of it but it came back as we were ready to leave for taekwondo. I took something for it and ate a small bite across from where my car was being washed. It took over an hour for it to go away. But the long walk I took while the Boss's class was working out helped quite a bit, I think.

Now we're home and after showers we're having the chicken and rice I made for lunch but started rather late. We didn't have time to eat before we left. Luckily I let the kids snack so they made it through the evening.

Elektra and Dora got good brushings today and Elektra got a bath. I've decided it's the last bath I'm giving her here. I don't clean the bathrooms on Saturdays. I get out a little early on Wednesdays and clean them then. I had to clean the bathroom today though since it was covered in hair. Then she had an accident on the terrace where she was tied up to dry since it's warmed up again. Cleaning the terrace was not on my list of things to do. I called the vet's office to find out who in the area grooms dogs. The girl who answered does. The price isn't too bad and she doesn't need bathing that frequently. Especially in winter. She's mostly inside and only spends the day outside if we're going to be gone longer than I want to risk having her in the house with no one to take her out for a bathroom trip. So from now on I'll take her on a Saturday morning when she needs a bath, pick her up, and then make sure we don't miss the weekly car wash while the kids are at taekwondo.

Tomorrow is Sunday school. They're doing something "crafty" with the Doughnut Man. Not real sure what he has to do with learning about Christ or sound doctrine, but I guess we'll see. Unless I wake up with another migraine. It'd almost be worth it to miss him. LOL I'm thinking we might go visit some cousins after lunch tomorrow. I need to call Aunt and see if she wants to go with us. We can swing by and pick her up if she does. Maybe have lunch together too.

Oh, and guess what makes up for the migraine and dog wash? Tonight we "fall back". Yep, we get an extra hour's sleep. Whoohoo!

Oh, boy!

You gotta love teenagers. It's either that or kill them. The student who "threatened" me a few weeks ago is now one of my favorites. He's now in a group that is out of the regular class, only about 5 of them, and they're rarely all there at the same time. He's like a completely different person now. He's so smart and really cares about doing a good job. I love this kid! I'm afraid they'll stick him back in the class though and he'll be back to the old one. But for now I intend to enjoy every minute I work with him. The other boy from the class that's in there with him is really growing on me too. He'll always speak out when he shouldn't but he's so sweet it's easy to overlook. He doesn't do it to disrupt or cause trouble. He just opens his mouth whenever something pops into his head but he does care a lot about doing his best. He's French-educated so his English isn't at the level of others his age in this school but he's sure working hard at it. I love him too!

There are some boys in another class of mine who decided they would show me yesterday. They broke every rule they could think of very blatantly and very loudly. I knew they wanted to draw me into something so I just went about the business of the day and then wrote them up after class. Sometimes it's best to let them just make fools out of themselves, KWIM? I figured they could just get a hard, cold reality check. They got one. I saw the mouthier one in the office later, all agitated and arms waving. Today they were much better. I think one of them actually did the work today. They were still their squirrely selves but I think they got the point.

Another boy went completely brain-dead today and had his Blackberry out during class. He knows that if he uses it any time or anywhere other outside at break (NOT inside during break) he will have it taken away for the rest of the year. He pitched a fit and refused to return to class later in the day. What exactly he thought that would get him I'm not real sure. But I sure hope it was worth it.

It was open house at the kids' school for the Boss's section. I got to meet the teachers and follow his schedule, more or less. It changes from day to day. Found out that they're not allowed to teach the country's history after 1975. OK, let's just keep the peace by ignoring a huge civil war and the problems it's still causing today. Yes, the kids will grow up able to learn from their grandparents' mistakes, right?

Then I got home and tried to iron. It kept knocking off the generator. Oh, well, I didn't really want to iron that badly anyway.

The Boss has a Math test Friday and forgot his book. He went online to the website and did the practice quizzes and chapter test. He's making silly mistakes but when he took the longer practice he didn't do too badly. It's integers, which even I can do, so he'd better do well on this test since he's much better at Math than his mom is.

Tomorrow's Thursday and I'll head down to do the big grocery shopping. I couldn't get chicken Saturday (well, I could but only breasts or wings or whole birds). The kids prefer legs/thighs and so I wanted them for what I had in mind. That's the bad thing about Saturdays...they have promotions out the whazoo and it's way too crowded. I prefer Thursdays since they still seem to have some good deals and the crowd isn't nearly so bad. I can actually get to the meat counter within 5 minutes. {sigh}

I did a decent job of Flying this week. I worked in the Peanuts' room on Monday and cleaned the bathrooms today. I'd do better if vacuuming wasn't such a chore. When you have only straight suction to try to clean dog and cat hair (you remember that the Explorer's a Persian, right?) it's just too much work to do on a daily basis, no matter how bad it needs it. I'm hoping to do something about that soon.

Well, that's about it for now. Hopefully my Flying this week will have the desired effect on my weekly Home Blessing Hour and I'll be able to enjoy my Saturday. Wouldn't that be nice?

I love the way this man talked

When the doctor had gone to bed a man came who had been sent by the widow of the pastor in Belgren to ask for a husband. He [Martin Luther] said “Give [her a husband]? She’s over seven years of age! Let her find her own husband! I can’t provide one for her.”

When the messenger had departed he said to me, laughing, “For God’s sake I’ll inquire. Write this down, Schlaginhaufen! What a bother! Am I to furnish husbands for these women? They must take me for a pimp! Fie on the world! Write it down, dear fellow, make a note of this!”

- LW v. 54, p. 155 (”Table Talk” no. 1525)

These should be in a dictionary

ADULT:
A person who has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle.

BEAUTY PARLOR:
A place where women curl up and dye.

CANNIBAL:
Someone who is fed up with people.

CHICKENS:
The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.

COMMITTEE:
A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

DUST:
Mud with the juice squeezed out.

EGOTIST:
Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

HANDKERCHIEF:
Cold Storage.

INFLATION:
Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

MOSQUITO:
An insect that makes you like flies better.

RAISIN:
Grape with a sunburn.

SECRET:
Something you tell to one person at a time.

SKELETON:
A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

TOOTHACHE:

The pain that drives you to extraction.

TOMORROW:
One of the greatest labour saving devices of today.

YAWN:
An honest opinion openly expressed.



WRINKLES:
Something other people have,
Similar to my character lines.

Another week

Well, I made it through another week. The kids are still a handful but some of my more difficult ones are coming around...a bit. They're still difficult but I'm starting to get a handle on how to work with them. Taking some of them out and teaching them in their own small class certainly helps. There are some others who are determined to show me who they think should be boss. Oh, well, come report card time, if they don't start working, they'll see that their protests weren't so successful. When you protest a quiz by refusing to take it, or sit and do your own thing during class, you miss out on some rather important grades. But some just have to learn the hard way.

The main problem with most of my problem students has nothing to do with academics. Some of my worst behavior problems are very bright and capable of so much. They just suffer from too much money and too little parental involvement in their lives. It's sad what good intentions can do to a kid. They're going to have a loooong row to hoe when they get out into the real world. Not even wasta can help some of these.

The Peanuts had a birthday party tonight at a country club. It was a beautiful place and the food was excellent. The games were fun for the kids and I barely saw mine except when they came to drink some of my water. It's kind of freaky that there were 3 or 4 of us there with 7th graders and twins in KG2. Hmmm.

The Little Prince came up to me and asked, "Is there blood on my face?" {Not a question a mom really wants to be asked.} I looked at him and he had blood from the middle of his forehead down to his left cheek. I took him to the bathroom to clean it off. I asked what happened and he said he ran into a lady with something hot (or something hard, or he ran into something hard). Anyway I asked, "Is the lady OK?" By this point it was obvious he was fine. I cleaned him off and it's just a tiny scratch on his eyebrow. He kept the wet paper towel so "when I fall again I can wipe the blood". "How about you just don't fall anymore?" He kept the paper towel but he didn't fall again.

After school today I was loading the Peanuts in the car. The Little Prince climbed in on my side and scooted over to the other side, where the Diva was about to get in. I told him to come back over but he refused so I told his sister to just climb over him and if he got hurt it was his fault.

She eagerly climbed over him, stepping on him on purpose. Then I about wet myself. She said, "Did I hurt you?" in a very concerned voice. Then followed it with a cheerful, "It's your fault." What a little tease.

Tomorrow we're (hopefully) sleeping in and then I'm cleaning house. I need a vacuum but will have to wait a bit on it. This straight suction just doesn't cut it on Persian cat hair mixed with German Shepherd. Yuck!

Graffiti

Enjoy!

Shourabit Laham Mizankal (Meatball Soup)

1 small onion, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. allspice
1-lb. ground beef or lamb
1/4 c. parsley (I used some dried flakes since I didn't have fresh)
1/4 c. butter
8-10 c. water
1 cinnamon stick (I used powder since I didn't have sticks...just to taste)
1/2 c. rice (I only use brown and it was soft and fluffy)
salt to taste
cinnamon

Place first 4 ingredients in bowl and mix, working the seasonings into the onions. Add meat and parsley (or flakes). Mix well then form into balls the size of a walnut.

Brown meatballs in butter in a large saucepan in the butter. Add a 1/2 c. of the water and stir a bit to unstick any that need it. Add the rest of the water, cinnamon stick, salt to taste, and rice. Bring to boil and then lower to simmer for about 40-45 minutes. No need to cover.

Serve with a dash of cinnamon on top.

Sahtayn!

The Power of Alcohol

Thanks, S!

A man is waiting for his wife to give birth. The doctor comes in and informs the dad that his son was born without torso, arms or legs. The son is just a head! But the dad loves his son and raises him as well as he can, with love and compassion.

After 21 years, the son is now old enough for his first drink. Dad takes him to the bar, tearfully tells the son he is proud of him and orders up the biggest, strongest drink for his boy. With all the bar patrons looking on curiously and the bartender shaking his head in disbelief, the boy takes his first sip of alcohol.

Swoooosh! Plop! A torso pops out! The bar is dead silent; then bursts into whoops of joy. The father, shocked, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant, "Take another drink!"

The bartender continues to shake his head in dismay . Swoooosh! Plip! Plop! Two arms pop out.

The bar goes wild. The father, crying and wailing, begs his son to drink again. The patrons chant, "Take another drink! Take another drink!"
The bartender ignores the whole affair and goes back to polishing glasses, shaking his head, clearly unimpressed by the amazing scenes.

By now the boy is getting tipsy, but with his new hands he reaches down, grabs his drink and guzzles the last of it. Plop! Plip! Two legs pop out. The bar is in chaos.

The father falls to his knees and tearfully thanks God. The boy stands up on his new legs and stumbles to the left then staggers to the right through the front door, into the street, where a truck runs over him and kills him instantly. The bar falls silent.

The father moans in grief. The bartender sighs and says,



*



*

(Wait for it.)



*

*
(Ya ready?)



*



*
*



* (Take a deep breath)



*



*



*
" He should've quit while he was a head!"

When a Woman Lies

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?"

The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.





"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river..

He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.



"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. Again,

The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.



"

Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "Yes."

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.



Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water.

When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?''

"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney. "Is this your husband? The Lord asked.



"Yes," cried the seamstress.

The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord.

It is a misunderstanding.

You see, if I had said "no" to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt.



Then if I said "no" to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said "yes," you would have given me all three.

Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said "yes" to George Clooney. And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is:

Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others.

That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

Wordless Wednesday

POLITICALLY CORRECT HALLOWEEN

Political correctness is taking its toll on Halloween. Consider some old Halloween activities, for example:

WITCH BURNING: Just singe one around the edges today and the ERA types will be on you like gangbusters. What 30 centuries of white male authors used to call witches, are today respected as complexion-impaired, wardrobe-challenged wom... uh, womyn.

WINDOW WAXING: These days you'll only set off the light-, noise-, motion-, and aroma-sensitive burglar alarm, and quickly exit in cuffs and revolving lights, if you're lucky enough not to leave prime filet of leg with the neighborhood rottweiler.

TRICK-OR-TREATING: This obviously would be prosecuted as a violation of federal RICO [racketeering] statutes, except that most of the perpetrators are juveniles, and thus have the civil right to thumb their noses at the law and be back on the street before the candy runs out.

And then there are the treats themselves:

Candy should be dispensed only with balancing doses of Ritalin, soft-bristle toothbrushes and an effective (but fluoride-free) dentifrice.

Apples should be organic, Alar-free, union-packed, washed in genuine American Zephyrhills water, and X-rayed before being handed out. Any worms should be housed, fed, read their rights, then returned to their native soil, or, if they so choose, given refugee status in yours.

Certain traditional Halloween games are not politically correct:

That icky old "autopsy" game in which you blindfold little kids and tell them a plate of spaghetti is guts and a bowl of peeled grapes is eyeballs will cost you your homeowners insurance because of the choking hazard, and due to the risk of suits for emotional damage.

Pin the tail on the donkey, with a real pin? Uh uh, cruelty to animals or their depiction is a no-no.

Bobbing for apples is permitted, as long as there's an equal (and not separate) opportunity to jane for them, too.

Jill-o'-lanterns are encouraged, after 2009 they will be mandatory.

And, finally, costumes:

Ghosts are out of date. Casper is clearly a dead, white male, probably European, and full of hot air to boot.

Fairy princess costumes might offend both gays and feminists.

Frankenstein monster costumes will offend transplant recipients, not to mention employment-producing neck-bolt manufacturers.

Dracula outfits will bring stern warning letters from the Transylvanian consulate.

Those neat masks with jaws rotted away, eyes bulging on distended optic stalks and massive, oozing wounds will get you in trouble with lawyers who specialize in representing accident victims on contingency bases. Which is to say, all of them.

Disney costumes. Sleepy and Dopey will anger the vertically-impaired,

Cinderella the adoption agencies, and Aladdin the Arab-American lobby.

Uncle Remus? You might as well wear your robe and pointy hat.

A cowperson? Perhaps, but don't pack a gun. And don't even think about punching a cow.

So there you are. The scariest thing about Halloween these days is that you're not allowed to offend or scare anyone. And if someone scares you, you can't scream. In some communities, any auditory emissions over 75 decibels is a zoning violation punishable by a fine and/or jail term. Whether you can react instead with a sullen but non-denominational moment of silence will be considered later this term by the Supreme Court. Until then, do so at your own risk.

Yeah!

I noticed this morning while getting dressed for church that my jeans were a bit loose. On a lark I decided to try on some jeans I bought in Q8 a few months after we moved there, after I'd lost weight with the South Beach Diet. (Btw, Lebanese food is naturally SBD-friendly...just use brown rice, brown pita, and watch the amount of potato dishes you use.) I haven't worn these jeans for well over a year. Almost two?

Guess what?! They fit me! Whoohoo! So I tried on a favorite skirt of mine I haven't been able to zip in almost as long. I wore it to church today! I'm so happy!

Friday night we were exhausted after a full day of school and then taekwondo. On Fridays there's an hour between the Peanuts' class and the Boss's. So we eat at a little sajj near the club. The Boss asked the owner if he could work there and he said maybe next summer when they're busier if he has our permission. If we're not in the States he might have something to do.

Then we got home and started getting ready for bed. But the Little Prince insisted on doing his homework before bed. It was 10:30! Ugh! Like father...like son.

Oh, and it gets worse. Tonight he found the empty Purex bottle I had near the trash. He took it in the living room and managed to pour about half a cap more detergent in it. We poured it into the new bottle. Then he insisted upon trying to pour out more. Good night! I've got 2 of them now!

Tomorrow I should get that new schedule. I'll cook a big meal for supper so we have leftovers to eat Tuesday before heading off to taekwondo. I'm chatting with Baba now but will head to bed soon. It'll be a nice change since I've been up late every night since school started.

Yawn!

We've only been in school 2 weeks and I'm rethinking the staying home idea. I had a talk with my principal yesterday and something has to give. They're reworking the schedule so when I go in Monday I should have a new one and a different class list. The more disruptive students will (hopefully) be in individualized instruction while they get help with their behavior. One of them spent a day at the local police station where he was instructed on the downfalls of threatening women and another found out the hard way that you really do NOT want to physically attack a gym teacher. (Especially one as athletic and buff as ours.) Not to mention a principal who does not live in a country where he can be sued for self-defense.

If this new schedule works out I'll be so happy. I like my job, I've never felt so wanted at a school before, and the money will help us out quite a bit. I've been miserable for the last week but I'm hoping that will change soon. I need to be able to get more done at school (or at home before the kids get here) so I'm not writing lesson plans at 11 p.m.

It'll be nice, too, if I can have enough energy to get through my Flylady lists most days. The house is clean for the moment but that's because it's Saturday. I've been home all day except for getting water and taking the kids to taekwondo. I need to keep it this way during the week without killing myself.

Here's to revamped schedules.

Tired but good

I'm finally starting to think I might get a routine going at school and home. I've ignored my Flylady lists so far this week but for good cause. Cousin came yesterday and we waited quite a while for his friend to come and measure the terrace for the curtains. It was fun but I got nothing done. Nice for a change. Tonight was taekwondo and then a long chat with Baba on the phone. Tomorrow the kids are dismissed early so I'm scooting out as soon as school's out to pick them up. I really like Wednesday.

Tomorrow I should be able to knock off some of my detailed cleaning list. We've had a good supply of water lately and since I had a full tank at bedtime last night with no laundry today, I should be able to do a couple of loads tomorrow. I had to leave the last loads hanging in the living room since it was raining off and on all day today. Luckily I've gotten in the habit of bringing them in at night if they're not dry just in case it rains. I woke up to the sound of rain this morning and my first thought was, "Where's my laundry?!" See, I can use my noodle sometimes.

Yesterday was a good day with *that bunch*. Two were absent and one of my talkers (a really nice boy, just very social) had just lost a friend in a really stupid accident. {sigh} I would have enjoyed the quiet more if I hadn't been so horribly aware of the reason behind it. Poor kid. He was better today. He smiled more and seemed more focused. Yesterday the poor guy was just shell shocked.

Today went pretty well until the end. One of the *two* was back but he was focused, on-task, and asking questions. I don't know how long it'll last but I'll take it when I can get it. LOL The other was his usual self. One of my colleagues knew him at their old school. Apparently he's restraining himself so far. God help us all.

Bye Bye, Bandit

See that big, fierce guard dog? Yep, the kind that chases off those dastardly rabbits and would invite a burglar in for tea if he knew how to work the stove. LOL

We love you, Bandit, and miss you. The farm won't be the same without you.

The Ant and the Grasshopper

CLASSIC VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MODERN VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less fortunate are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit, the Frog, appears on Oprah with the
grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing "It's Not Easy Being Green."

Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house,where the news stations film the group singing "We shall overcome."

Al Gore exclaims in an interview with Peter Jennings that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his "fair share".

Finally, the EEOC drafts the "Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act", retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the
government.

Hillary gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal judges that Bill appointed from a list of single-parent welfare recipients.

The ant loses the case.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful
neighborhood.

Got this from a friend on WT. It's so true it's scary.

So far so good

Things are going well so far. The boys in that one class (and one girl) are still being pains and think they got away with something yesterday. I just documented everything and left it for my head of section for Monday morning when she's back. I also have a little bit of info about one kids. He's new this year but another head of section knew him last year at her old school. She says he's restraining himself so far. This is restraint?!

I have some ideas for this week. We'll see how they go.

The Peanuts started taekwondo last night. They had a lot of fun. The Little Prince had cold feet at first but finally joined in and did very well. I'm very proud of all of them. They did their homework while they waited in my classroom for me to finish my meeting (the Peanuts finished theirs) and the Boss got his mostly done. He finished it today.

Well, now that the house is (mostly) clean we'd better get showers out of the way and get to the cousins' house. We're having a sleepover here tonight. Wonder what we'll watch tonight.