Irish Lassie

Thank you Santa. You are in the process of picking out a new battery for my car that died this morning due to battery failure. I also appreciate your effort in picking out the waffle iron, I am grateful that the elves had the opportunity to test it out prior to packing it up for me, no worries about the leftover grease-it cleaned up well.

My Wish Need List:

Let’s get serious Santa, I know the economy is in the toilet and money is not growing on trees this year, but there are a few things I really need. Besides, my kids have been more ‘naughty than nice’, and they are the only grandchildren…so their grandparents are more than generous to them.

1. I really need tires…after driving this morning I think I need some chains to get back home.

2. A new car battery, because the light keeps coming on and I don’t want to stall on the way home in the frigid weather.

3. A car overhall, because my check Engine light remains after several months.

4. A new rear light on my car because there is a warning light that says it is in failure, probably related to the incident earlier in the year.

5. Throw in some windshield washer fluid while your at it because that light just came on too…

6. If you want to skip all of these steps you could just get me a different vehicle with no warning lights on/ and new tires.

Please don’t think of me as greedy, I just need a working vehicle with working parts.

Thank you in advance to your prompt response, and feel free to skip the wrapping.

My latest struggle with kindergarten has fostered the arrival of new lines and wrinkles on my otherwise youthful appearance. While clearly naive, I never thought my kids would have problems in school. They have never had problems before, so what is different about kindergarten? In reflecting on the last few weeks, I realize that there is so much more to parenting then just parents and children. The simplicity of what I can remember as ‘the good ole days’ of communication between parents and caregivers has reached a new level of throwing verbal punches and defensiveness. I guess I was not ready for the first, “And what IS happening at home?” As a response to something that happened at school. And “This has got to stop!” After a scribble on paper. As a parent of a 6 year old, the expectations I have of my daughter are that she try her very hardest in school, that she learn from her mistakes and move forward as an individual. The old adage that ,”kids will be kids” should not be used as an excuse for behavior, but as a reminder to adults that kids are not miniature adults but young individuals. Throwing stickers at them for good behavior may work at 6 but it is not going to teach them life skills. This too shall pass, right! I have to continue to remind myself of this.

I have experienced some recent tests to my ego as a mother. It has put me in my place and has allowed me countless hours of reflection and perseveration.

Kelsey (my little angel) has been getting in trouble at school. I was able to pass it off as kindergarten transition for a while, but realized sometime after the second humiliating call home from school that something needed to be done. So we scheduled a doctor’s appointment to have a check-up and ensure all the physiological avenues were addressed. The appointment was last week…

The nurse asked me what kind of referrals we needed and I answered with a definitive, “I don’t know.” The nurses statement, “Well, I don’t know what you expect from us if you don’t know what you need,” put me back in my place once again. Gone are the days when a doctor’s visit has to include a specific purpose (getting a referral), I just wanted to run the behaviors past a person who has known Kelsey since she was born, her doctor. The doctor came in and was much more understanding, and indicated that there was nothing to worry about at this point.

I left with a sense that Kelsey was cured. I don’t know why? However, in a frenzy of uncontrolled energy she hit a boy at Sunday School this weekend. We realize there are no quick answers as parents, just a lot of gut-checks.