I'm bugged

... or so I think I am. Well, actually, I KNOW I'm bugged, I'm just trying to figure out if I should be or not. I posted on our family blog, (or at least I think it posts tomorrow) that Jenna has this new found love of reading. Her class has had a contest this past two months to see who could read the most minutes in month. Jenna won the first month hands down, and won this last month by a landslide as well. At parent teacher conference her teacher asked Jenna if it would be alright if she gave her a different prize other than the giant Mr. Potato head that was the prize she already got. Jenna said that would be just fine. And I am totally fine with that as well, however I am totally NOT fine with what she came home with yesterday. And no, I am not referring to the prize she got because honestly Jenna would have been happy with a sticker. I am bugged that she came home with a 2nd place certificate. Because clearly, she was not in second place. She read the most minutes, and now her certificate states otherwise.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't care about the recognition or whatever, but I am bugged at what it represents. It is as if her accomplishment has been down graded. I am sure the teacher was just thinking that perhaps the other kids might become more motivated knowing that they could have a chance to win the prize the following month. However, don't you think she could have said something like, "This month's winner was Jenna Gardner, however since she's already gotten the big prize, this month it is going to go to so and so." Don't you think the kids would have been motivated that they too could win the prize still.

It just leads me into the entire problem with schools. Why do we have to downplay what others do just so that we don't hurt people's feelings? Why can't kids just be inspired by greatness? Why have we downplayed grades? Our old school had gone to a 1,2,3 grading system. 1 means they don't really know the concept, 2 means they know it and 3 means they've mastered it. The kids new school actually does letter grades, so when my child comes home with anything but an A, I know there is room for improvement. And no I don't require my children to have all A's, I understand that some struggle, however, I also feel that when they don't get an A, I know better where I can help them.

I know that Utah is the lowest when it comes to how much we spend on Education per student, and somehow that needs to be addressed. However, why are we making matters worse by dumbing down the standards? It is so irritating. When I taught HS, the first year I had a normal grading system: 90% and above an A, 80% - 89% a B, and so on. However, the second year, as a department we decided to raise the standards, 92% and above was an A, 84% - 91% was a B, and so on. And you know what? Statistically, the number of students getting an A or a B or a C was essentially the same. Kids knew what they wanted, they knew what they needed to do it, and they acted accordingly. So why aren't we giving our kids higher standards? Why are we doping it down for them?

Argh! I feel my blood beginning to boil, so figure I should stop. However, my main delema now, is what do I do with the stupid certificate? I usually keep those things and scrapbook them, but I just don't think I can actually scrapbook this one. I'm just sayin'.


{So really, I am interested in knowing what you think on this one. Am I wrong for being bugged? How would you handle it?}

A follow-up

After Melissa's foot doctor dealio, I had my own Dr. Appt. Like I mentioned before, since we have almost met our deductible for the year, Steve thought it would be a good idea for me to go in and see if anything needs to be done for me this year. So I go into be measured and weighed, and the nurse does my height and says, "So you are 5'8"." I said, "No." And she goes, "that wasn't a question, but I can do it again to make sure." So she checked again and said, "Yeah, maybe slightly under 5'8", but I would call it 5'8"". I told her that the last time I was checked height-wise, I was five-seven, is it possible to grow after you are an adult. And she asked me when it was that I was checked and I told her right before I got married when I was 19. And she said, "Yeah, especially if you were a late bloomer..." Twice in one day...

Seriously, I hate doctors sometimes. Just sayin'.

Did you say Bunions?

Yesterday we took Melissa to an Orthopedic Doc to have her feet looked at. With all of the "extra" medical stuff this year, we are close to our deductible and figured why not. They have been bugging her quite a bit lately and so figured now is as good a time as any. After filling out the paper work at the desk and giving a brief explanation of what has been going on, they showed us into the exam room. Shortly thereafter, a nurse comes in and says I just wanted to come in and see if we are going to need x-rays of both feet or just the one. Then she took one look at Melissa's feet and says, "Oh, you've got Bunions, I think we have to do both..." and walks out.

Um what? Did you say Bunions? Bunions are for old people. And isn't a bunion just a growth on the bone that just sticks out like a big bump? But she wasn't there to ask (the nurse). The next thing we know, the X-ray tech comes in to collect Melissa and off they go for x-rays. Long story short, yep, she's got bunions. Only they aren't actually a "bump" on the bone, her big toe is all sorts of deformed. The PA comes in and starts the exam goes over all kinds of information and actually ended up being just as thorough and knowledgeable as the actual doc himself. They were telling us that they have found that by having the PA come in first and look over the patient, there are some things that he can just take care of completely by himself and then send the patient on their way, or the doc can come in at the end if the patient is insisting or requesting it, or the doc will come in for a second opinion or a more specialized opinion. That way the doc can get some other stuff taken care of and they actually see more patients that way. That's kind of a long explanation and not really pertinant to the story, but on a side note, if they can afford to hire a PA to kind of "double" up like that they must be making all kinds of money. (just sayin')

So anyway, back to the story. I don't know how many times the doctor said that he was shocked after "peeking" at the x-rays that Melissa was only 12. He said that in his 20+ years of being a surgeon, he's only had 1 case of juvenile bunions. So here's the kicker. Melissa needs surgery. Ony we have to decide when. The doc says there are several kinds of bunion surgery. The kind that Melissa needs now is a somewhat "simple" procedure. However since she is not skeletally mature yet, she most likely will have to have it done AGAIN when she is "mature". So we could wait until she is "mature" and then do it. However, the draw back to that is if we do wait, it will get worse and may get to the point that she will need a different kind of bunion surgery that entails dislocating her big toe from her foot and cutting into the foot bone from the top, rearranging a bunch of stuff and then putting the toe back on. So basically it comes down to making a decision and not knowing for three more years if we made the right decision. That stinks. Just sayin' (agian).

On another side note, I asked the doctor how long until she is skeletally mature. He said, "Oh probably in about 2 to 3 years. Generally they say 24 months after you have your first period." The PA starts to laugh and says, "If you could only see your face right now." And it's true because I was in some sort of a shock. I am not prepared for Melissa to be starting anything of whatever anytime soon. Do the Math! 2 to 3 years from now means she could start any time now. After I explained my shock to the doctor he said that generally nowadays, the average age is 12! TWELVE I tell you! as in one two. As in not even an official teenager. Then he said, "Well how old were you when you started?" I told him (I'll spare you all the details- you're welcome). And he said, "Well, then you matured with the boys." And yes, that stinks too. Just sayin' (again).

One question...

How am I supposed to be a good Mom when my kids drive me crazy all the time?

Take a Chill Pill People!

Can you feel it?

Or maybe it's just me...

Today I have been a witness to several people, just losing it...

First of all, there was the lady at the grocery store yelling at the checker that the "kind" of treat she likes wasn't all sale. "All of the others like it are on sale, why not the one I actually like." {Cause maybe the kind that you like are the same kind that everyone else likes, and they are trying to even out their inventory... duh!} Only the lady didn't say it so nice. And as if the checker had anything to do with it!

Then there was the lady in the carpool line at the kids school... Who pulled her car in front of another, gets out and proceeds to yell at a Dad for not following the proper "carpool protocol". Seriously? It was probably his first time ever doing it, and give him credit for actually being around to pick his kids up from school. Not to mention he wasn't even in the carpool area, he was parked on the side of the street waiting for his kids to walk to the car. I do the same thing.

Then there are my kids, losing it over the tiniest thing... Jayden looked at me... Yeah, you are quite a site to see when you are throwing a fit! But he wasn't looking at me very nice... How was he looking at you? He was smiling! Yeah, that isn't very nice is it? You know, that kind of stuff.

But I have to admit, I'm not in a very good mood today either. I think you could even say that I'm a little mad today too. Not sure why, just am...

As I have been observing all this kind of stuff, I couldn't help but think that perhaps we are all being inundated by some negative thoughts from unseen "forces". And perhaps we would all be better off if we just "chill out". Don't allow the negativity to get to us. We are better than that. So I am telling myself that I refuse to give in to the negative thoughts, and I am going to choose to be happy. Right now. And so should the rest of you. Just sayin'.

The Geek vs. The Nerd

My Sister-in-law and I took my niece out for frozen yogurt the other day... In the process, she was telling us about a boy who is interested in her, but she's not sure about. So I asked her what was the hang up. Here's our conversation:

Neice: He's a nerd.

Me: Nerds are good. Nerds are rich. Its the nerd who ends up being the boss of the jock.

Neice: Not that kind of a nerd, the kind that are in to Star Wars and super heroes.

Me: Oh, well those aren't nerds, those are geeks, so run!

Just sayin'.

I'm proud of you Brett...

I just have to do a quick shout out to my Brother-in-law Brett. I heard from my sister this week that he did a major shake up in the callings in their ward. {Did I mention he's the Bishop?} I love shake ups. I think that they are a healthy and necessary thing for every ward.

My thought is that if you leave people in their callings too much, they start to get too comfortable, and then they start to relax a little, and then they just kind of stop doing their job. And if they don't actually stop doing their job, they start not doing it right. You start to notice that "burned out" feeling eminating from them. You ask them politely in the hall at church how things are going in whatever area they are over and the first thing you get is a sigh followed by, "It's going..." Then I say, get them out of there. It isn't good for the people they are supposed to be serving, or the people they are serving with who have to pick up their slack.

Have you ever noticed too that when there is a major shake up in a ward, there is a little bit of electricity in the air. There is so much talking and laughing and hugging and comraderie going on in the halls after sacrament meeting, that just seems to energize a ward. People are excited to be doing something else, they are ready to give it their all, they are excited for a new start, a fresh start, and a clean slate. Who doesn't love that. And the more often that you shake up Primary especially, you don't hear the phrase, "I got stuck in Primary" so often either.

So, Brett I'm proud of you, good job! And here's to hoping for a shake up in our ward sometime in the near future... just don't shake me up 'cause I've been shook up quite a bit in the last little while... just sayin'.