12.18.2002 | 8:30 pm

I had to send Matthew to the Responsibility Center today. I really dreaded doing it, but he left me with no other choice. At our school, we have a place for kids to go and reflect, rethink and write an improvement plan, so they can actually set their sites on a goal to improve their behavior. To go to the RC, a student needs to have committed a fairly serious offence like: bad language, physical violence, blatant disregard for school and classroom rules etc. I have been on the case of all the male squirrels this week to keep their hands to themselves. Today the same problems were occurring. Matthew and Justin were �pretend fighting� in line and wouldn�t you know...sweet little Ethan gets it right in the eye! Poor Ethan was crying big, huge crocodile tears, not to mention the black-eye that was forming almost immediately. Matthew and Justin blamed each other for the incident, but I didn�t believe either of them. Neither one bothered to say even a simple, �sorry� either. They both had to take their math to the computer lab and do that instead of computers. I thought that taking away their computer privileges would solve the problem, but I was wrong. Matthew kept up the horsing around every time he moved during the early afternoon. Finally, when he was playing tug-o-war with a chair... I was FINISHED! I wrote him up, called the RC, and off he went. Of course, now Matthew was in tears, denying each offence, all the way down the hall. Later on, when the kids were out to recess, I checked in with the gals taking care of the RC. When he was left behind by me, he quickly fessed-up to all his shenanigans. Later on he said to me, �I am SO busted tonight!� Funny how Matthew still never thought about the hurt he caused Ethan.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way... Yes, I have purchased some more gifts for the clan. Tonight it was book buying. ooo, I spent too much...more than $100!

In our family, since time began, we have always prayed for �the sick and afflicted.� This week I have felt like I was really in the club... with all the bladder trouble, fatigue form tending mom at the hospital, and another problem that I haven�t mentioned. I had a hip replacement three years ago. I am very careful not to do anything foolish like run, jump or twist the wrong way. Monday night I just wasn�t thinking. I bent over to unbuckle my shoe. I stretched just a tad too far and I heard a muffled �pop.� Popping sounds in artificial joints are NOT good. I was sure I had done major damage. All day yesterday I was planning an early retirement from the nut tree, in order to have the surgery redone. Breath a *sigh* of relief! After a GOOD night�s sleep, deep massage therapy with Aspercream, and a personal prayer for me, my hip is doing much better. I am so glad to be off the �sick and afflicted list." So I say, �Hip-Hooray for Aspercream, the RC and the end to Christmas Shopping!�

catsnapples~ in first grade and at life

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