Let's Stay in Touch

My wife teaches social skills for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and one of her kids, William, has warned her all year long that the telephone list on her wall was out of date. "That's going to be a problem, Skipper," he says, and the other day he was right. One of the students had a little meltdown requiring an administrator's support, but for some reason there was no answer in the main office when she called. Deciding to phone the assistant principal directly, she looked at her list and realized that neither he, nor his office were in the building last year, and so, William was right.

William's mom is a colleague of ours, and so we knew right away when her father-in-law passed away over the weekend. Extending my condolences to her, I asked how William was taking it since he was very close to his grandfather. "It's beginning to sink in," she told me, "but when we told him the news, the first thing he said was, We'll have to take him off our contact list."

We laughed at the pragmatism of such a reaction; it's that kind of quirkiness that makes even the most challenging middle schoolers so much fun.

Just a few minutes ago, I clicked over to my Facebook account and was presented with a memory from three years ago today, when we went out to celebrate our wedding with a friend from out of town. It was a lovely evening, a memory to treasure, made even more so by the fact that our friend passed away unexpectedly a few months later.

Apologies to William, but I'm glad he's still on my contact list.

Community Outreach

I crossed paths with a bundled-up woman being pulled along by a perky black and white dog on my way out of school this afternoon.

"Ms. S!" she hailed me. "I'm Connor's mom!"

I peered a little more closely at the rosy face beneath the crochet beret. "Hello!" I greeted her warmly. "This must be Piper!" I continued, leaning down and patting the dog.

"Yes!" she answered, "but how do you know? We just got her Sunday."

"Oh, Connor wrote all about it for the writing challenge," I explained. "It was a pretty exciting event."

She beamed. "I'm so happy he's doing that," she told me, "and he told me he really likes it so far."

It was my turn to smile. "Thanks for letting me know!" Just then the puppy gave an energetic yank on the leash. "Enjoy your walk!" I waved. "Nice to meet you, Piper!"

28 Day Warranty

It’s always hard to leave the beach, and today it was especially difficult since

our brand new car wouldn’t start!

Half of our group was already gone when the nifty trick of simply placing my foot on the brake and pushing the button yielded no results, not even the click click of the key in the ignition. There was no explanation on the  fancy screen; it too remained blank and powerless.

How could a 4 week old battery be dead? You ask. We asked the same, but luckily my nephews had jumper cables, and  after considerable searching I found the hood release. By then a work crew had arrived to replace a deck on the house and the others in our party had returned. Once connected , power immediately returned to the dash and display, and a few tries later the engine turned over.

We all agreed I should keep it running until we got home, and we made it without further mishap. It’s starting just fine now, and I have a courtesy visit already scheduled with the dealer for Saturday. You bet we’re going to have a few things to discuss. 

Just, Wow

When it comes to vacations, especially those involving rental homes, I am usually sooo organized. But this time? Getting organized for our Oscar weekend away was extremely challenging for me. Maybe it was the wind, or trying to coordinate with all our far-flung folks, or the little head cold I was battling, but I pulled out of my parking lot with a full car which was lacking a few essentials. Oh, we made do without the cumin, the coffee grinder, and the tinder and kindling, but when it came to the actual Oscar ballots, well... the pool must go on.

Problem solvers that we are, I grabbed my phone and packed up my laptop for an extra measure and headed north to the nearest town and its office supply store. Once in the copy section, I must have looked a little lost, because a clerk hailed me from behind the counter. "Do you have some questions, ma'am?"

"I need to print a file from my phone, or computer," I told her somewhat helplessly, "what's the best way?"

"You can email it to that address," she gestured with her thumb over her shoulder, "and then follow the prompts on the copy machine."

What! I was shocked at this amazing technology. I did as she suggested and then stepped to the machine. What awaited me there was even more amazing. I could actually connect to my Google drive and print any document there.

Mind?

Blown!

Ballots?

Printed!

In color, no less.

Star Bright

Time with family is wonderful, and yet... coordinating 10 people and 3 dogs can be a challenge. Still, we are nothing if not a congenial bunch, and so we hatched a plan that included activities and options for everyone. We all explored Leonardtown had a fun lunch in a restaurant in a converted Victorian home. After some shopping and coffee, we split into two groups, half heading home to walk the beach with the dogs, and the other half off to explore thrift shops and discounters and pick up some groceries. Back home again, we snapped into action as a cooperative team, some building a fire, others putting out snacks and drinks, and some starting dinner. At one point, my part of the well-oiled machine involved going out to the car to fetch a bag that had been inadvertently behind. Closing the door purposefully behind me, I strode to the car and then paused midstep to look up at the night sky. Oh! The stars! How they shine out here! All the hectic energy of the day drained away beneath them. The warm light of the house beckoned me, and with a full heart and light step, I headed back inside.

March Miracle

As the years pass and the kids in our family grow up, Oscar weekend at the beach becomes an increasingly complicated affair. This year, our getaway is for 10 people and three dogs, and although the fabulous bay house we have rented is a little less than two hours from home, the overall logistics of our gathering included a flight from Minnesota and one from Florida, a road trip from Western Massachusetts, trading the second half of a double shift at the last minute, and a three car caravan through the gusting winds of Winter Storm Riley. With so many moving pieces, it seems like sheer luck that 9 out of 10 of us are here, with one boy left to arrive tomorrow. Sure, the wind is howling and the surf is pounding (all the better to stir up those shark teeth and sea glass), but inside we are together and warm, with sixty-four hours of mini-vacation to look forward to.

Student View

On the last day of our enrichment session a group of students preformed the drama circle they had written. Entitled "A Day in the Life of a Dolphin Student" it took us through a typical sixth grade schedule. They hilariously captured the essence of each one of the team teachers, poking fun at us without crossing the line into disrespect.

Here's how they dramatized my class:

Person 1) Good morning Ms. S (wave)

Ms S) Get you log checked, record your log, clear your desk, get into canvas, and enter Modules. (list on fingers, across like it’s an on-going list)

Ms S) 5. (shout)

Ms S) You better hurry up! (shout)

Ms S ) 3 (shout)

Ms S)If not you will have lunch detention! (shout)

Ms S) 0 (shout)

Ms S) Done! You should be in modules, modules! MODULES!!! and then I’d like you to click on…

Person 1) But I’m not done! (frustrated shout)

Ms S) I gave you a bunch of time… (act nonchalant, smart alecky)

Person 1) You didn’t even count even numbers!! (frustrated shout, throw arms in air)

Ms S) Life isn’t always fair… Ahahahahahaha (start laughing maniacally)

Person 4). Um, Why are you laughing at you own joke? (act really confused)

Ms S) Hahahahahahahahaha (laugh uncontrollably, maniacally)

S) It’s funny! (throws arms into the air)

Person 1) (roll eyes)

Sound effects) *Bringggg*

For the record? Although I am known for laughing at my own jokes (only when they're funny!), I do not skip numbers or give lunch detention.