04.07.2003 | 8:24 pm

We said our family prayer this morning, with hopes that Mom (me) could make it through the day without breaking down. The family is slim right now�just hubby and me. I am actually grateful for this time of peace and quiet before the next storm of weekend visitors, wedding hullabaloo and falderal. If you all haven�t guessed by now, I am a true believer in the power of prayer to change the hearts of those who are angry. Indeed that was the case today.

All morning long I had to keep running to the potty. I was so nervous. Finally, I got the squirrels through the lunch line and headed down to the office. I drew a deep breath, and entered the fray. Mom was sitting with the principal, teary eyed and submissive. Dad was silent. I could tell immediately that I would be able to talk to her and get things worked out. I said my apologies and listened to her. She was very embarrassed, I think, about her yelling behavior on the phone last Friday after school. She was very kind to give me the benefit of the doubt about my misunderstanding that I had been labeled �mean� and that I was being unfair to her child. I told her that I had spent much time thinking through things, and felt that the problem stemmed from her daughter�s stress level during math. The poor little thing struggles, and has taken to shutting down completely during math lessons. As we begin math, Katie refuses to open her book, try to pay attention, even pick up her pencil at times. She is also a very dramatic child in describing circumstances accurately. Thus, a nasty stew of misunderstanding and frustration boiled over, causing my troubled weekend. We decided to get a sixth grader in during math to sit with her and give her some one-on-one. I also told mom that I would try to give Katie a little more time to get settled and ready for math. I hope it all works out.

Later, when I was back in knee room, the principal came down to talk. She was very kind to tell me she felt everything went well. Then�she had to tell me about yet, ANOTHER complaint. The daddy of the�Queen Bee� came in to complain that I wasn�t giving credence to his wife�s complaints about the little playground tiffs of a month ago. GEEEZZZZ! I asked principal, �Do I need to call and smooth things over�AGAIN???� �No,� she said... Hallelujah! Now, it seems, I can�t even speak without some little six-year old squirrel tattling to daddy, �It�s unfair!� Mind you, these are the parents that wanted the principal, me, themselves and the parents of the �other child� in on a �war council� about swings and monkey bars on the playground. Get a grip folks! This only FIRST GRADE! OK�all done.

Here is a cute picture of my newest baby�McKay.

catsnapples~ in first grade and at life

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