Makes me want to call Oprah or 20/20

I will end this post on a happy note, I promise, but just to explain to those who have asked or expressed interest, I teach children with SEVERE and PROFOUND intellectual disabilities. I don't want to downplay their potential, but these kids are working on skills such as blinking for yes/no, self-feeding, grasp/release, participating in daily hygiene routines (maybe by opening their mouth for me to brush) and the like. No sh*%#, I am supposed to be teaching them physics and geometry per some genius' law. I can't blame George W., he's not writing the rule book, but someone out there must hear from PARENTS who are annoyed. Unless all the Severe/Profound teachers revolt and threaten to walk (which, ironically, we would never do because we love our kids too much), no one cares.

Okay, so Frannie did have a great time in Florida and here are some more photos. Laura, by the way, she loved that little dog! Thanks to my cousin Judy for being the greatest hostess (unlike myself when I'm a hostess, she is calm and her hair is all in place and she smiles AND has a clean house and great food). Frannie's kidney scans are back, by the way, and she has two, but they are not symmetrical, but they both appear to be functional!). Happy birthday Jane A!

P.S. Don't you just love the picture of Frannie kicking the crap out of her two cousins? Ha ha

I have to get this off my chest

I have no way of knowing who looks at this blog and I can't control that and today I really don't care who reads this....

My job as a special ed teacher has been peed on by whoever is responsible for the changes made to the GAA -- I'm not even going to explain what this is, but the gist of it is this: I took this job because I love my students, period. My first principal, God love her, Jean, told me that if that was #1 on my reasons for teaching then I'll probably do ok. She taught me that all else after that falls into the "other" category. At this stage of my life, I wish I could afford to quit. Apparently the bureaucrats who made these changes could care LESS about who is teaching these kids -- why should they? Their kids, I'm sure, have IQs above 70. If they cared one teeny bit, they would come visit our school, come to work with me one day and realize that TEACHING MY STUDENTS PHYSICS IS THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE EVER HEARD. The entire point of an IEP is the operative word "individual" which means that due to my students being unique in their abilities/disabilities, they need to be taught what is FUNCTIONAL, not what society thinks that all kids should know. "Oh yeah, we forgot about those retarded kids. Whatever." Does anyone else see the insanity in this? I spent half my day working on this paperwork that is completely meaningless and it is making my head hurt and my back hurt and makes me want to quit my job. We are all made to lie in order to please the administration and THEN we have to sign a document stating we have not lied. I might as well go back to working with lawyers.....

I think of the faces of my students and it makes me want to cry. Music and silliness and swinging and songs make them love school and want to stay awake for our lessons, not the History of Western Civ. In the meantime, Frannie is doing great -- she has two kidneys, thanks be to God and Kevin and I have our health. Have a nice day.

Trip to the Beach

Frannie Does Boston

Frannie and I went to Boston this weekend to help surprise our Aunt and Uncle for their 50th wedding anniversary. It was great to see everyone! Frannie was very well-behaved and had a great time on the duck tour. I wish I had had my camera ready when the amphibious vehicle dove into the water -- she was ecstatic! We were so glad to spend even this short time with all the Mullins clan and to see my Mom, Dad and Peggy. Although we are spending Thanksgiving with everyone in St. Augustine (we are leaving this evening), it was a real treat to spend some time away in Boston. Doesn't it look like Marissa is whistling "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man?"

Check out my Slide Show!

Frannie's Birthday

Frannie's Birthday

We could not have asked for a better girl. She wakes up all tossled, puffy-eyed and grinning and she completely cracks us up. For a birthday treat, I thought I would get her her first Krispy Kreme doughnut, I mean, carpe diem. Since I was there too.... well, you know. I wanted to wait until we got home for her to eat it, but it was close to nap-time and she started to nod off in the back seat so I said "FRANNIE!! Try this." She grabbed the sticky little piece and just looked at it (she hates anything stuck to her fingers and of course it was gooey and warm -- it doesn't get much better than that, but she didn't know that!) so I assured her she would like it and almost the instant she stuck it in her mouth, she stared at me in the rear-view mirror and signed more more more so it went on like this until we got home and I could take these pictures. She had a great day, despite Dad being in Gainesville for work (poor, poor guy). We had a great birthday dinner with Cheryl and her family at Los Hermanos, toasting Frannie's third year of life :)

Chicken Little

She got lots of candy and this is her buddy Jacob!