Domestic Psychology

more winter guard pics

// February 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // flickr, school

She said: I need a blanket

// February 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Doug, marriage, me, sleep

Last night, Doug and I had two children AND two dogs in our bed. We were packed in the bed like Charlie Bucket’s grandparents IF they had added two small horses to their overcrowded bed. I was relegated to a tiny space on the edge of the bed and pinned down by 100+ pounds of German Shepherd. Eventually, I nodded off to sleep.

I usually forget my dreams shortly after waking. I only remember bits and pieces. The only thing I remember about my dream last night is the bees. A few ordinary bees were buzzing about the room, but there was also a jar of bees. The bees in the jar were getting larger by the second and I was so increasingly panicked by the impending escape of the mutant bees that I woke myself up, swinging my arms wildly to keep the bees away from me. Except, I wasn’t really awake at all. I was frantically trying to pull the covers over myself to hide from the bees when the children and dogs had claimed all the covers. I cursed like a sailor and begged for a blanket. At some point, I realized there were no bees, but I was still unable to focus on anything except the dog pinning me down and my need for a blanket. I was aware that Doug was out of bed, seeking a blanket, but in my mind, he was moving in slow motion and mumbling to himself that I should get my own *&%# blanket. Doug tossed the blanket on me and grumbled at the dogs to move over while I hid under the blanket and uncharacteristically fell back into a deep slumber.

I would claim that I wasn’t awake for any of my bad behavior, except I remember the entire incident vividly. I apologize for the bizarre stream of profanities, but someone needs to be faster with the blanket when I’m being attacked by bees dagnabit.

hypno dogs

// February 26th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // flickr, pets

“You will throw the ball. You want to throw the ball. You are going to throw the ball.”

sad Evan

// February 25th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // flickr, health

good thing February is short

// February 24th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // life, local, people

At the beginning of February, the house at the end of our cove had a chimney fire. It was very expensive for the owner, but no people or animals were injured. A little over a week later, a giant tree fell in the street in front of the fire survivor’s house. It blocked off traffic and everyone in the neighborhood was without power for 23 hours. For a week, everything was peaceful. This morning, we woke up to a full creek and tracked it to a water break at Northshore. Northshore was closed and our typically quiet neighborhood became a major traffic area. For no good reason, people circled through our cove all day. Then, as suddenly as the loud, fast, dangerous traffic started – it stopped. Except, the scene out the front and back windows showed a stream of cars and trucks. Cars and trucks that were not moving and annoyed people who were getting out of the cars to find the source of the problem. Apparently, an 18-wheeler that shouldn’t have been on our narrow little residential roads was stuck. Guess where? Right in front of the neighbor who survived a fire and just missed getting squished by a fallen tree. Guess why? Did you look at the picture of the downed tree from last week? See those utility lines that were pulled down? Well, Comcast never came by to get those lines back where they belonged, so the big truck that was already struggling on a tiny street became tangled in Comcast cables. The police eventually made it to the scene of the problem and the entire path through our neighborhood had to be cleared so an 18-wheeler could BACK UP the entire route. That truck driver deserves a gold medal for driving under difficult conditions.

I’m starting to wonder if the neighbor who survived the fire is living in a house built over an Indian cemetery. I’m certain that he is glad February is almost over.

my Friday & Sunday drive

// February 22nd, 2009 // No Comments » // flickr, me, TN, travel

I love this drive. The drive up the Interstate is hectic and the journey through the small town is painfully slow, but from that moment on, the drive just makes me happy. It is calm, quiet and beautiful. I drive past pastures filled with cows, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, buffalo and camels. Based on the road debris, there is a skunk farm with poor security somewhere near the other farms. The skunks don’t lessen the peace that I feel on this journey. There are beautiful homes and abandoned trailers. I occasionally lower my eyebrows at the giant trucks filled with trees going to the mills, but I just can’t get stuck worrying about anything when I am surrounded by the mountains. I live in a quiet city with a downtown community that seethes with disgust for people who live in the suburbs (or anything they label as the West part of town). I couldn’t stand to live downtown. I would suffocate on the street. I love my quiet neighborhood of tiny homes and big hearted people, but someday . . . maybe . . . if I’m very lucky . . . I can live in the mountains. If not, well, you know where to throw my ashes.

If I had stimulus dollars (for schools)…

// February 21st, 2009 // 4 Comments » // local, politics, school

Our school system could benefit from a lot of things. Old, decrepit buildings need repairs and shiny new buildings need basic supplies. We have students with multiple disabilities who need adaptive equipment and gifted students who need advanced tools and information. Maybe our new Super would like to put his STEM high school in a poverty stricken community to access the stimulus money.

We can keep putting buckets under leaky roofs and porta-potties at schools with only one functioning bathroom. We can sit on floors when we don’t have enough chairs. We can continue sharing books and technology. We can fill the hallways with parent volunteers and we can hold an endless stream of fundraisers. What we can’t replace are teachers. Without teachers, there is no school.

What if we put a handful more teachers in each and every school? There would be more class options for high school students. Classes would have smaller teacher-student ratios. Team teaching and individual help would be the norm instead of the exception. Students wouldn’t fall through the cracks as easily when they are under the watchful eye of a teacher who isn’t completely overwhelmed and exhausted.

I am probably very alone in imagining the stimulus money spent on teacher salaries. This money will only exist for two years. It is nearly impossible to have the budget to keep these extra teachers after the two years of extra funding. I still think that the two years of benefits would make the risk of spending money on something other than supplies worthwhile.

Friday night fun

// February 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // flickr, pets, play

falling like dominos

// February 19th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // health, parenting, preschoolers, siblings

The plague is slowly working its’ way through our house. Sarah was the first to spike the fever that never ends and sleep like Rip Van Winkle. The only sign remaining that she was sick is her hacking cough and crotchety disposition. Now it’s Evan’s turn. His fever peaks in the wee hours of the night and I hold him close, trying to will the fever out of his body. Amy and Noah ignore my pleas to give Evan a wide berth. Noah has to hug Evan every time he walks past him. During the breaks in the fever, Evan will be calmly playing with toys and Noah will still feel compelled to give Evan a worried hug. “No hugs. I busy.” Within ten minutes, Noah will be hugging Evan again. Amy is just as determined to be the next sick person. If Evan is playing, she is two inches from his face – quizzing him. “How do you feel NOW?” “I fine.” “No. You are SICK!” At least she is more compassionate during his feverish times. She brings him stuffed animal after stuffed animal. This would be fine except that as mentioned earlier, I hold Evan whenever his fever is high. It’s very difficult to hold a dozen furry toys when you are also holding a human heating pad who is talking about sharks biting him.

sick day

// February 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // flickr, health, preschoolers