These are Not my Children

Both Taylor and Mandy received awards at school last week. However, I believe the awards were actually meant for someone else's children, not mine, because of the awards that they received.  

Exhibit A:

Mandy received the Random Acts of Kindness award for, "Making sure her teacher never has to clean a messy science lab alone and for gladly looking for ways to help out in the classroom."

Wait!! The child who, at home, will NEVER help clean?? The one who can't be bothered to help out at all and she gets an award at school for cleaning and for helping??

Very eerily weird.

Exhibit 2:

Taylor received an award for, "Always on task, respectful, and follows rules."

Wow! So the child who starts fights, can't remember the rules of our house, and rolls her eyes at me is awesome at school.  What the hell?!

Well, in the big scheme of life, I guess that it's great my children are wonderful in public. Ok, ok, it's awesome that my children are so amazing in public and that they are making great choices in life. 

Mandy also received her medal for the Science Fair - Second Place!! Whoo-hoo!! She did her board all by herself, which made Ken and I cringe because it was not aesthetically pleasing. However, the teachers loved her idea and her data and she was the one that you could tell did her work herself.  Haha!!

First Week Back

Oh, holy hell!! The first week after a Break always seems to be the worst. I am already slammed with work, and my piles are already insane!! The California Department of Education's requirements are also making it almost impossible for me to get anything done. Thank GOD!! that I will soon be training a new Transition Specialist. She was hired over the Break and will start officially next week. 

As an example of my insane caseload, here is the stack that needs to be completed in the next two weeks:

And here is the rest of the month and the first part of February. Now, these are only the ones I know about. More are being scheduled daily. There is not enough coffee on the planet to help me with this!

The best part of "going back to school" was the new shoes the girls got. Each of them was SO very excited to get boots for school. Now they look "cute and stylish."

Ken spent the week in Las Vegas for the Big Rock Sports show and he returned home last night. He got the ammo that the Club Members wanted and raffle prizes for the banquet again. I hated not going with him, but I had too much work to do, and we really couldn't afford the sitter for overnights.

Rex, Matt, Fred and Rose all went with Ken to Vegas, so he had people to help him. I was amazed when Ken said that the Crossman guy remembered me from last year, and he is donating two more rifles again this year. Wow!! I knew I made an impression on people, but it's usually negative. HA!

It was great when he finally arrived home. Once again, I was finally able to breathe, and I was completely looking forward to actually getting some sleep - which sadly did not happen due to my brain refusing to shut off. Ugh!

This morning, however, the girls got a huge treat - the rain storm we had this morning turned into snow on their way to school. They were screaming and giggling with delight while I moaned and screamed "NO!" 

Living in the High Desert means that we have no snow plows. It doesn't normally snow here. We have a plethora of dirt plows which apparently cannot be used with snow. Therefore, the local school districts have a rule that if it gets to half and inch to an inch of snow - no school. I have far too much to get done to have the girls home all day.  

Sadly, I waited over 45 minutes, but it just kept snowing: Snowing in the Desert
Before Ken left for Vegas, he asked me if I could cross-stitch a quail for this Saturday's banquet for the High Desert Quail Forever. I wasn't sure I would be able to get it done in time, but I actually got it completed. Now, I'm going to stress that no one likes it. 

I managed to get everything done on the little quail. He is ready to go. Getting a frame for it is my plan for tomorrow - which may not happen if it's still snowing! Ugh!!

Winter is Here

Winter finally decided to join us. We weren't totally prepared for it like we should have been, but then, it is mid-December and we were still enjoying summer temperatures. We have had a couple really good rain storms, and I'm getting an ice warning from my car each morning. The girls were hoping for snow, and we did get close but it just didn't happen.  

On Friday, December 14th, I actually went to the range with Ken after getting my hair trimmed, but the weather was so bad that we didn't shoot very much. He spent most of his time at the indoor range because of the cold, but he wanted me to shoot his new AR as well. 

Ironically and sadly, at the same time we were at the Gun Club there was a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut. The entire U.S. has gone insane again about gun control, and no one wants to look at the mental illness problem in this country or that blaming the pistol that was used is like blaming the car for the drunk driver. This shooting killed 27 people and 20 of those were small children. Now, we are being faced with new gun laws, political description of what "evil" looks like, etc. It's ridiculous to me that so many are happy to give up their rights and be subjected to government control, but hopefully, these new laws will not go into effect. I'm so sad for the families, and I cannot imagine the grief of losing my children. The entire Nation is mourning the loss of these people right now

The Hobbit opened in theaters last week, so we took the girls to see the movie for our Friday Night Family Night. They loved going to supper first and then to the show. It is obvious to them that they can't stay up late because towards the end of the movie, they were complaining about being tired. 

This is Amanda's face when she saw the sundaes. 

Ken was supposed to be gone all this week, but fate allowed me to keep him at home. It's not that I don't want him to go out and have fun, but I really hate not having him around. Plus, it allowed me some time with our eldest son as well which was really cool!

Ken was supposed to take off early Monday morning for an overnight hike with Sean and Justin. Unfortunately, the weather went totally winter, and there was no way that Ken wanted to be camping in 10* weather with rain forecasted. So, Sean decided to spend the couple of days at our house since he had them off work anyway. My favorite part was that Sean wanted me to actually go with him and Ken to lunch on Monday AND he wanted a picture with all three of us. I know, I'm a sap, but it's the little things that make a difference, right? After going through the phase with these boys about how I'm NOT their mother, and all that crap, it's a great feeling.

Lunch was sushi for the men and Chicken teriaki for me along with a lot of laughing and talking. It's the time together that makes it the most fun for me.

Jordan had her Christmas performance at school on Tuesday. Ken and I were thrilled that it was our only school event to deal with. I don't mind celebrating my children, but I do hate fighting with the other parents to do it.  What a difference there has been in Jordan though!! She is behaving in school which is such a relief! I hated visiting her principal so much, and you could tell that she has been finding her centre during this performance. She was not acting out, but she was full of her acting and drama during the performance. Jordan was the only child who used acting for each and every song. You could tell that Jordan was "in to" her performance.

 Mandy loved hanging out with Samara before the show.

There just aren't words to describe Justin's face!

 I loved watching Jordan perform and then getting a picture of the kids all together!

For my last official day of work, I chose to have a "Team Building" meeting with my counterpart, Jen Hubbard. We met at Victoria Gardens, got pedicures and then lunch. She had some Christmas shopping to do, so I tagged along with her while she finished it up.  Sadly, I'm a complete dork and failed to take ANY pictures of us together. 

We had a great time catching up with each other's lives and we did talk about work a little bit so we could justify the work time. Ha!! After she had to get going, I ran the errands that needed to be done in a more civilized location - they have stores we just don't including Trader Joe's. God, I would LOVE to get a Trader Joe's by us!! 

As I was waiting out the traffic and the nasty weather, I got a text message from Gary Stiles (Old Costa friend) who was actually thinking he could meet with me. Ken was cool with it, so I hung around a little longer and met Gary for a drink. 

Yesterday, I enjoyed doing the last of the work stuff that HAD to be done before the Break and then shutting down my computer. Oh what a relief that is!! My boss was able to convince the higher-ups that we needed another full time Transition Specialist and we got one!! It's going to be crazy when we return with all of the staff changes and incoming students and then I'll have training a newbie on top of it, but I'm hoping that it will all work out well. I'm also looking forward to taking some of the load from Jen's and my shoulders and actually breathing during this next semester.

Last night, we watched a movie since it was the girls' last day of school for the year as well. I purchased the new Tinkerbell movie, and they loved it! Jordan's reaction was typical after the movie - she sang and danced with the ending song which always entertains us. This time, I managed to be ready with the camera because Addie got involved.

Now, it's time to seriously prepare for Christmas!! I've also got to mentally prepare myself for Ken's youngest who actually wants to join us for the two week break but left here hating me. Oh the fun!!

Back to Normal

As much as it can be deemed so, our house is back to normal. I went to Ontario Airport yesterday and picked Ken up. His flight home was horrible - delays and a broken plane - but he made it home safely. No one cared that he was "late." Because of the delay, I had to get supper since my blood sugar had crashed, so we enjoyed a salad at T.G.I Friday's and then ran some errands while we were Down the Hill.  

Michael Gallagher was a doll and picked up the girls from school for me as well as watched them until we got home.  His "payment" for his troubles was a bottle of Pendleton from Ken and me. 

To say that it's "nice" or "great" having Ken home would be a humongous understatement. It was so great having him home. Not only is it marvelous to know he's safe, but it is great knowing that my partner in this world is back to support me and work with me at home. I finally got a good night's sleep since Ken was there. I am completely pathetic without him, and once his smell is out of his pillow, nothing helps me to sleep. 

Ken had a great time on his trip. He loved seeing as much of his family and friends as he could in this short trip. Mike Donovan was glad that Ken could make it to his party, and Dad was totally happy to have fishing time with Ken. Sadly, Ken did not take ONE picture while he was back there. I am now at the mercy of my father-in-law to get pictures. I know that Mike will get me the pictures as soon as he has them, but talk about frustrating.

This morning, the girls were ecstatic to see Ken! They each ran to him as soon as he was up, and they had huge smiles on their faces.  Today was Superhero Day at school, and with only a couple days' notice, all I could find in our budget range were some hooded capes. The girls used their imaginations to come up with their identities, and they had a great day.

Mandy and Taylor attended their school dance, and then we found out that Jordan ran in the Cross-Country meet. UGH!! She told me she wasn't going to run since it would be a difficult course and Mandy wasn't going. So, I wasn't there to see her run her first race. As is typical for Jordan, she wasn't phased by the fact that I wasn't there. She said, "Oh! I forgot to call you. No big." 

Ken surprised this afternoon as I received a deliver of gorgeous flowers. I've never been one to want flowers. I always felt that the money was wasted because the flowers would die, but Ken used to buy them for me all of the time. I had told him that I would love to get flowers, and he had them delivered to me today. What perfect timing and how beautiful! (And you can tell that Ken wrote the message by himself - misspelling and all.)

Work has been crazy for me - nothing like having a caseload of 301 and climbing. I have no idea how my school thinks that I'm going to get everything done let alone do everything well. I know I'm not alone in feeling overwhelmed, but this constant headache is really getting to me. I'm hoping to be able to get some stitching done tonight and relax. Hmmmmmm. It may not happen since my living room, kitchen and dining room are covered in backpacking supplies from Ken. 

Yep, life is back to normal....

BACK TO SCHOOL!

It is that wonderful time of the summer.....when my children all return to school.  Today was their first day, and Ken & I are currently skipping around the house enjoying the quiet.  For those of you who have never seen it, check out this amazing Staples commercial for Back to  School time:

Staples: Best Back to School Commercial EVER!

Last night, I noticed that my daughters' hair accessories were all.over.the.place! Holy crap! I purchase them cute things so they can be "cool and popular" in school, and they're shoved in a drawer, left on the counter, fall on the floor - whatever happens. I decided that I was taking action on this one.

I spent time at Target and some other stores trying to find a cute holder, but there just wasn't anything that would work, and I refused to pay the $20+ that was being asked for some of the ones I saw online - well, they money and the fact I wouldn't have it here tonight. So, I went through my office and looked at everything I had on hand.  Because here was my problem:

Here were the materials I found:

And here's what I made:

Finally, I attached the clips, headbands and bands.  The girls were so excited when they got up this morning and saw them.

The girls were so excited for their first day of school that they 1) remembered to set their alarm clock, 2) actually got out of bed when the alarm went off, and 3) were ready for school before I had my first cup of coffee! How cool is that?! Ken and I are taking bets on how long it lasts before we're dragging them out of bed, but I was really happy not to have to fight with them this morning.

So, I made some scones for the girls to have - a little something special on their morning of their first day, and I got the customary First Day of School pictures:

Ken and I walked them to the temporary bus stop this morning. We're going to have to prepare them for the long walk to school or drive them to school since the District is not going to relent on their "one air mile" radius from the school, but for now, we're being allowed to use the bus. It was already 80* when we walked them at 7:30 this morning. I do not envy the girls having to be outside at all today. This weather sucks!

When I returned home, it was so great to sit down at work and NOT hear the girls screaming or fighting. Wow!! As much as I love my Little People, it is nice to have the quiet and space from them again. 

Now, we wait to pick them up later and hear all about their first day of school over supper. 

Irrational & Bitchy

The title of this post is what I have been officially labelled by the school district in which my girls' attend.  Apparently, the school district did not anticipate anything other than whining about the removal of Transportation Services from parents with less than one week's notice.  Last night, I left voicemails and sent emails with my outrage over this, and this morning, I faxed the following letter:

August 03, 2012


Thomas Hoegerman, Superintendent
Board Members, et al
Apple Valley Unified School District
12555 Navajo Road
Apple Valley, CA 


RE: Letter from Pat Shelby (rec'd 8/02/12) for Sandia Elementary


Mr. Hoegerman, et al:


I have received the letter from Ms. Shelby and amongst her Welcome Back to School information was received the news that the Bus Stop that my daughters have always used has been removed as a new policy was enacted that if students live within a mile of the school, they will not have Transportation Services.


Now, I am sure that you are aware that the ruler and compass method for determining a one-mile radius from the school is valid only for those students who live in a direct line from the school. I can agree that if a student lives on Sandia or Mohawk Roads, then they would live within a mile. However, my home location was included in this when there is no physical way that my children would have less than a one-mile walk to school considering that there are houses in the way, and given the circular nature of our housing development, there is no clear and easy walking path to the school.


I am sure that the Apple Valley Unified SD did not intend for Elementary School children and their parents to be unconvenienced in such a horrific manner.  I cannot imagine that my children would walk no less than one mile to and one mile (see included Google Map form) from school each day in our harsh weather environment here in the High Desert not to mention that there are absolutely no sidewalks anywhere on their route which would open them to harm from a motorist. 


If my children - and please keep in mind that I have three daughters -were to walk to and from school each and every day, they would not only be fighting the harsh elements and potential motorists as well but the other children that they endure at school each day.  They would be open to the harassment and torment from other students who have and could harm my children since they would be unsupervised for no less than one mile twice a day.


The Sandia personnel is also aware that there is a custody issue with my three daughters. What assurances and promises will the Apple Valley School District provide to me in the event that on any occasion where my daughters are forced to walk to and/or from school and they are abducted by their non-custodial father because he learned that there is no longer a bus stop for them. Is the Apple Valley Unified School District going to pay all of the legal expenses required by me in this instance?


Lastly, there is the added concern that in the one mile radius from Sandia Elementary School, in the DIRECT path of their shortest walk lives two (2) Registered Sex Offenders per the Megan's Law site. Now, I am realistic and I know that this site is not updated regularly, and given that there is not adequate State Funding for the proper personnel, we can agree that there are probably more sexual offenders living in this area that are not currently on the list. 


As an underemployed American citizen who receives no financial support from my daughters’ father with Victorville Court approval, is the Apple Valley Unified School District going to provide the additional, proper shoes for my daughters?  They will require more shoes than I can afford in a school year because of the added requirement FROM the AVUSD to walk to and/or from school each day in order to attend school which is mandated and compulsory AND they will need shoes that are updated for the weather changes and patterns.  They will also required the additional clothing and accessories to protect them against the elements to attend school. What plan did Apple Valley Unified School Disctrict enact when they removed the Transportation Services for my three daughters, and what is the process for applying for this coverage?


Additionally, given that the only alternative to provide for the safety of my daughters is to drive them to school each day and to pick them up, I would like to know what steps the Apple Valley Unified School District is going to take in order to allow me to drive them to school in the mornings when I will be required to travel for my employer beforehand. Is the school going to provide Before School Care starting at approximately 6:00 am to accommodate myself and other parents in this same situation? Is the school going to ensure that the additional costs of fuel for this is met by the District because I fail to see how it is my burden given that Education from Grades 1 - 12 is mandatory and compulsory under Federal and State Education Law?


How can the Apple Valley Unified School District abide by the Laws of our Country and require that my daughters attend school each and every day but make it a financial burden and a safety hazard for my children to attend? 


I am assuming that when the decision was made to remove the Transportation Services for my daughters - and let me remind you at this point we are speaking of ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN - the statement was made by you or someone else in the room that since Transportation was removed, that the School District would not be held liable for anything that happens to children.


This, simply, is not a correct line of logic. 


It is my contention that by removing the Transportation Services coupled with the fact that this removal was not provided to parents with an acceptable timeline of proper and legal notification, that the Apple Valley School District still falls under the liability case law as noted in Hoyem v. Manhattan Beach City Sch.Dist., Rodriguez v. Inglewood Unified School Dist., Ziegler v. Santa Cruz City High Sch. Dist. and under Joyce v. Simi Valley Unified School District. 


Apple Valley Unified School District is aware there are no sidewalks at all in my location except for those immediately in front of the school.  The School District made the decision to force my daughters to have to walk in the street to and/or from school which constitutes a safety hazard. This above-named cases all support a school's liability for the physical and emotional harm to the student and the parents even when the students were not on school grounds or during school hours.  Schools are responsible for students until the parent regains physical custody, Sir, because, "(d)ue to the special relationship between a school district and its students and their families, there is an affirmative duty on the district to take all reasonable steps to protect its students." (Glaeser & Calcagnie, 2005) And this duty, Sir, stems in part because of the compulsory nature of education in America.


Due to the aforementioned reasons and explanations, if the School District is not going to re-establish the bus route for my daughters, then I demand that the School District provide personal transportation as they would under Special Education Mandates - to and from my door - for the DURATION of my daughters' attendance at Sandia Elementary.  The youngest of my children is Third Grade.


If these measures will not be met, then I demand to know the Liability Coverage of the Apple Valley Unified School District, the Carrier, the Address and Contact Phone number as well as the Name and Contact information for the Attorney or Law Firm that represents the School District in the event that I should have to file suit against the District in the event of harm of one or more of my children.
I demand an immediate response, 


Kasey Koehler

Now, for the record (because I print this blog every year), here was the District's response:



Ms. Koehler,

We received your fax today.  Mr. Matthew Schulenberg, Asst. Superintendent will be responding to you next week as he is not in the office today.  Thank you.
Sandy Dillman
Apple Valley Unified School District



Wow! Well I feel all warm and fuzzy about their obvious concern for my children. I know that I don't usually post "venting" material in my blog, but I really needed to get this out and in the open. I have called all over my Town Offices in order to find someone who will help to prepare for the safety of the children now having to walk to school, but it's a Friday, and apparently, no one is working.  Of course, the Town Offices are closed every other Friday, and it's impossible to tell if today is that Friday.


I have always understood why people choose Charter Schools and Schooling at Home for their children.  This just further substantiates the problem, and to make matters worse, I AM a teacher in this State and I get no better treatment than anyone else.  In fact, I'm asked why I'm "making waves" when I "understand how it is." Um, the schools and its personnel have more rights and influence on how I parent my children under the current laws, so shouldn't I be able to hold them accountable in this situation?


OK, so the rant is over for now. I have to return to my trainings and preparations for this next school year in my capacity of "School employee" and deal with worrying about my own daughters' safety starting next week later.


**Update: In all fairness, I have no note that Mr. Hoegerman did contact me late yesterday. He informed me that due to budget cuts, the school district had no choice, but he was concerned because parents were supposed to be notified back in the Spring. He stated that the information was on the school's website (which I later found - it was buried under "budget cuts" and not highlighted as Transportation Ending or something similar). Mr. Hoegerman said they are looking into the information that I gave them, and that he will personally call me back Monday afternoon with a solution.  


As cynical as I am, I am certain that they are looking into the legal ramifications against the District if something should happen to a child walking to school and THAT will determine their "solution."


In the meantime, I'm going to continue to pursue the planning and building of sidewalks, curbs, and the painting of crosswalks within a mile of each and every school in my Town.

Welcome August

It is finally August!! There are 7 days until the girls return to school, and I plan to bask in the quiet that first morning. Then, I'll probably turn to mush with Ken as we miss having them around - but for now, the quiet is sounding good.


My day completely got away from me yesterday, and I found myself unable to stitch until late at night. I was determined to finish the Month of August, which I did - just after midnight. Yay!


Here is it before the buttons:

 Now with the buttons:

 And now framed:

I had to spend my morning in a Welcome Back meeting for work - today was the first day returning for me, and while I was sitting there listening to a whole lot that did not pertain to me, I got my August basket ready.

Summer Break - Official

Well, 9 1/2 weeks of insanity has begun in this house. The girls enjoyed their last day of school yesterday, and they are now officially on  Summer Break! I, sadly, have one more week of torture left, and then I will be enjoying myself as well.  


As soon as I picked up the girls, I knew they had a great final day of school. It was Field Day on campus which is a great idea sparked somewhere AFTER I finished school myself - just play on the final day. You can see why I didn't have to ask if they had fun:

 The afternoon winds here suck in the High Desert, so I made the girls take another picture while holding their hair back/down so the wind would not take it everywhere.  Of course, the picture of Jordan's hair flying around is pretty funny.

We picked up the pizza for the Friday Family Night.  I splurged and ordered out from Nick's Pizza II. I would have taken the girls there, but the service SUCKS! and we won't go into the restaurant anymore.  However, it was great to call ahead the order, have it ready right away and enjoy it at home. Since Ken was with his buddies all day, I made sure to get a picture of the girls on my phone to text to him.

During my morning errands, I thought it would be cool to celebrate with the girls on their promotion to the next grade levels. The Cake Shop was busy with their orders for the weekend, but they still had a Black Forest cake in the cooler. 


The girls LOVED having a celebration of their hard work throughout the year. They had already peeked at their report cards, so they were certain that I wouldn't be too angry about them, and they had each seen that they were, in fact, promoted to the next grade level.

Now, we'll spend the summer working on their summer packets, and I will get to double-check and see if the report cards are correct. Mandy got straight 4's and one 5 which is all at grade level and one above which is good. Taylor is still struggling, but she is holding at grade level, and Jordan is off the chart with everything.  Her behavior section was straight E's for the first time EVER which is nice to see! She is still struggling to behave, but she's been working hard.  I know that yelling at her teacher during the year helped out (there was a conversation between her and me where I explained if she kept making excuses about how many students in her class - it was time to quit, etc.).


Math still seems to be an area where all three are struggling, so that will be where I focus on this summer with them as well as maintaining their writing structure/abilities and reading for fun.  Whew! It will be busy, but luckily they like the Summer Break Schedule.