Fall is here...and I'm still stewing

Most definitely, Fall is here. I can tell because the kids had to wear sweatshirts to school this morning. I'm quick with figuring things out eh?

The kids had the day off yesterday. It was a teacher workday...Pootie spent the day finishing up that STUPID summer reading project.

The more I think about it, the more infuriated I get. I really need to think about how I am going to handle this with the school. Because I do believe that something needs to be said.

But for now, I am stewing.

I am just not happy, in general, with the quality of education that Pootie is receiving at this middle school. My kid came from such an incredible learning environment at the elementary school level, and then BAM, he is smacked in the face with sub par teaching.

And yes, there is more to it then just this STUPID summer reading project.

1-Pootie was supposed to take a year of French. School didn't have a french teacher this year..He is taking modern dance. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about the Arts and what not, but seriously.....what do you think is going to help him further his goal of going to Wake Forest...um cause, yeah, that's his goal......and yes, I KNOW how much it costs and YES, I know that he could change his mind a million times...BUT he might not..and I'm just not seeing modern dance as a way in to Wake!!!!

2-Again, this year is more coloring and drawing and making "brochures" than my kid EVER had at the elementary school level. Sunday afternoon he spent 4 hours making a BROCHURE about something or other having to do with the middle east....what there diet is, clothing that type of thing. HONESTLY!!! Cut, glue, back and forth googling facts....cut, copy, paste, print..and color!!!! We are in middle school people!!! Coloring should not be an option!!!

3-Test scores. You are going to love this one. We'll use math as an example....Math test is not one big test with 20 or 30 questions- it's four or five little tests with 4 or 5 questions...each little test, counts as a big test grade. So, test 1a, four questions, you miss one, you've got a 75...test 1b 2 questions wrong, you get a 50.....get it? Now here's the kicker......YOU CAN RETAKE IT!!!! And not get a "discounted score"... You can actually retake the dang thing and score a 100!!!!!! To me, if you had one big test, and missed one, it's a good grade, no worries...

"They" say that it's broken down this way because grouping the questions according to application let's the teacher see if there is a problem with one specific application!! Example, test 1a is all addition questions. Test 1b is all subtraction, test 1c is multiplication...if student misses 1/2 of the multiplication problems, the teacher knows they are having trouble with multiplication......Really - cause they can't tell that if the questions aren't grouped in like categories...yeah, I feel really good about my kids education. Teacher can't figure out if he is making the same kind of mistakes unless they are grouped a certain way...

Think about it people!!!!!!!!! Who is this really helping? Ummm maybe the teachers and the folks who don't want bad grades to affect their JOBS!?!?

OH - and if it were such a great idea, why isn't it being used at all the middle schools in our area instead of the ones in this particular sub-district?

Blows my mind.

Computer is Fixed!!!

Seriously ya'll have no idea what a crap week this has been with the computer. Pootie spent all weekend working on a (stupid) summer reading assignment project.

(My dear cousin Lea, before you reprimand me for calling the homework stupid, let me tell ya, I'm not the only one. This huge project has 1- no rubric - 2- too many parts to it. An abstract sculpture, a written summary, a time line and a newspaper with what - articles that summarize the same thing they did in the written summary. PICK ONE THING, maybe two, FOLKS! Honst, no novel study group, just stupid work to see if they can tell if the kids read the book or not...with no rubric on how they are going to grade it, that should be interesting, don't ya think?)

I digress.

So in all this stupid work that Pootie had to do, he accidentally let a wretched 'puter virus in. Killed the puter. Ticked me off big time. And the flat screen crapped out too. So for the time being I've got the clunker monitor back out.

The virus attacked lots of different settings on my computer and I couldn't get to my blog site!!! I felt beaten!

But we are back in session folks!!! YIPPEE!!!!

I didn't even have a chance to post my menu for this week and next!! So let me summarize.

Sunday night was leftovers. Not to mention the Peanut and I were starting to get a cold.

Monday- Grilled Pork Tenderloin, peppercorn marinated, mac and cheese and peas and dinner rolls. I bought two small loins from Aldi, already marinated, they were $3.50 a piece. Sooo yummy. Two small loins is totally enough for my family.

Tuesday-Poor man's Sheppard Pie. Let me tell ya, they ate the WHOLE thing. Sam asked if I had another one hidden in the fridge and then asked when I would make it again. So easy and they were happy!!!!! Served with applesauce and rolls. (Brown and drain ground beef, add one can of cream of mushroom soup. Put in round casserole dish -sprayed with cooking spray-one can of drained green beans poured on top of meat mix. Top with "enough" mashed potatoes. USE INSTANT!!!! top with shredded cheddar cheese and some bacon bits..and cook until hot at 350. Before serving top with french fried onions, ya know, like the ones you put on the top of the green bean casserole? But you can get them at Aldi wayyyyy cheaper.) Presto. Good dinner in a casserole!!! You could probably even use ground turkey?

Wednesday-We were going to have Cheesy Chicken again, but Hubby suggested we go to CiCi's. So after my HAIRCUT, we all went to CiCi's. Talk about cheap! My kids love that place. And honestly, for the price, ya can't beat it. Plus we used a buy one get one free coupon.

Thursday- tonight, I am using the chicken from the cheesy chicken and doing a chicken pasta dish. Again, tonight is our anniversary. Both boys have soccer practice. Not a big deal, really. We will have dinner together in the next couple of weeks.

Friday-A little up in the air about this one. Might be leftovers and salad. It was supposed to be sausage pasta, but we are doing chicken pasta tonight so.......

Saturday-we have a team dinner with Pootie's soccer team.

Sunday -Sub sandwiches

Monday- a pork roast, with gravy and mashed potatoes, beans and applesauce.

Tuesday-Spaghetti and salad

Wednesday-Chicken Salsa over rice - this is a recipe zaar recipe that we really like. Serve it with chips and they LOVE it!

Thursday-breakfast for dinner. Waffles, bacon and grits....yummy!

A friend of mine asked why I was doing this. So just in case you want to know too, here's why.

Reason 1-We were spending way too much eating out. Grabbing something quick...or running into the Harris Teeter every other day to get "stuff for dinner". It just got to be ridiculous.

Reason 2-I am home now, more than I have been in a long time (baby, not pta president, things like that.) there is NO good reason for me to NOT get the grocery bill back to reasonable!!! If I plan things out, it really does work. I stick to my lists at the stores. Which by the way, one of the worst things to do is go into the grocery store without a list!! You pick up way too much crap!!!!

Reason 3-I am enjoying it. I like finding new things that we can try. The kids are enjoying it. My husband is enjoying it. So far, the thing that he likes the least, which he said he likes it, just not as much as he liked some of the other stuff, is the ravioli....

My tips:

I try to make simpler things on Tuesday and Thursday nights, which are soccer practice nights.

Plan ahead. Keep certain things in the pantry always. Rice, instant mashed potatoes, canned tomatoes, broth, peas, green beans, stuffing, frozen Texas toast. Shop the ads, who has what on sale. Shop at Aldi!!! Shop at Bi-Lo! Keep a list. Don't send hubby to store. He buys all kinds of crap!!! Pack every one's lunches. Crash was the only one still buying his lunch until this year. He's a bagger now, and finally gets it. He figured out he has more time to eat if I pack his lunch. Sorry school cafeteria, he was spending way too much on nothing. OH! Don't laugh, seriously, this one is funny for those who know me well.....I'm baking freaking cookies once maybe twice a week. (frozen sliced kind from Aldi.) for their lunches!!! So much cheaper than bagged cookies! OH and I make muffins. Great for a quick breakfast (you already know how I feel about that) and a snack. The add water or milk kind. Super easy and yuumy!!!!

I'm exhausted from this brain dump. I have more, that's what almost a week with blogspot has done to me!!!!!! EEEEKKKKK

OH, one more thing. Ya know my friend Martha? I've said she has the most beautiful boys ever and they are so freaking photogenic it kills me...the youngest, oh, he is just so smoochable!! I love him. Anywho - Martha sent me the funniest picture of her lil'un ever...had to share it. I just love this kid.

Is this not the cutest thing ever?

A virus and happy thought and prayer requests

My computer has a virus, so until I get it fixed, my postings will be fewer and farther between. I'm at work right now posting this. Dad will be so happy to know how I am spending these few moments this morning. But I came in a tad early to do just this. When I get home this afternoon I will have a chance to call a HELP desk and try to tinker around with things...


I have a head cold - no swine flu, so that's two viruses! Bummer.

The happy thought for the day is that TOMORROW (the 24th) Hubby and I will have been married ("yes, mar-ried". Movie line please!) for 15 years!!! Happy Anniversary to my dear hubby. He gets to go coach Crash's team at practice.


Please pray for my friend Ginger. Her Daddy just passed away. (Ginger's link is on the left hand side. )

Please pray for my friend Maria tomorrow. As Hubby and I celebrate our union, my friend Maria remembers her dear hubby that passed away 4 years ago on the same day. She is such a strong woman and I just adore her.

Please pray for Kevin and Mandy and their new baby Devin. They are first time parents and just rejoicing in their son's safe arrival. (Mandy ended up having an emergency c-section on Monday late afternoon). I've know Kevin since he was a little "twerp" bugging me and his sister, Kelly....he and Mandy tried for a long time to have this little guy! So very happy for them and the family!!!