"This is Halloween, This is Halloween. Pumpkins Scream in the Dead of Night..."

So, tomorrow is Halloween night. I always look forward to Halloween night for a number of reasons.

First: The kids love it. They get to dress up as anything they want. AJ is dressing as a little ladybug girl. CT will be dressing up as a Persian Knight. (And just for the record, yes Ty and I will both be dressing up. Ty is going to be an ancient Celtic King--there's a costume contest at his work. I'm going as a sort of Harry Potter/Hermione mash-up character. I'm kind of playing it by ear.)

Second: Taking the kids to my parents' house so the grandparents can see the grandkids in their cute costumes. My dad always sets up the fire bowl in the driveway. He and my mom sit outside with a big bowl of candy and socialize with their friends while handing out the candy to the kids that come trick-or-treating. At least until it gets too cold outside.

Third: Nerds. No, not the dudes with pocket protectors, I mean those tangy little Wonka candies that come in those tiny boxes. Halloween is the only time of the year that I eat them. Sugar rush!

Finally: Every year since we became parents, Ty and I have a tradition that is all our own.

We will come home from trick-or-treating (and mom and dad's house) and we all change out of our costumes. We get the kids bathed and into their pajamas and then we put them to bed. Once they're asleep, Ty and I will go downstairs to the TV room, snuggle up under a blanket, and...watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas". It's perfect for celebrating Halloween AND kicking off the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. It's the only movie in the history of the world that can do that, you know.

Sure the story and characters are just a little bit twisted, Tim Burton has that effect on...well...everything. It's pretty freaking awesome. But the music in that movie is to-die-for AMAZING! I mean, whoever first decided to pair Tim Burton's off-kelter view of the world with Danny Elfman's musical genius deserves a medal or something. Those two just go together like cookies and milk, or in their case, like skeletons and red, fur-lined coats...

I love all of the songs, but by far my favorite song is the very first one that sets the tone for the entire film. It's brilliant! Oh you don't believe me? Check this out:



See what I mean? BRIL-LI-ANT!!!

I have to admit, this tradition of watching "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on Halloween night with just Ty and me is something that I REALLY look forward to. Unfortunately, this year our little tradition will have to be put off for one extra day. Ty will be at work all night on Halloween. It's kind of a bummer, but I'm going to take the kids to see him while he's at work. It should be fun, and I'll still get my movie night with Ty in the end, so it all works out.

So, what are your Halloween traditions? If you don't do any of these types of traditions at this time in your life, what were your Halloween night traditions when you were a child? What are you dressing up as this year? What's your favorite Halloween-themed movie? How's the weather in your neck of the woods? I want to know! :)

It's Just Me...

The house is really quiet right now.

The kids are in bed, and Ty is working and won't be home until long after midnight. It's just me, a re-run of "Wipeout" going in the background, and my laptop.

This week hasn't been anything particularly special. I got a little stressed out by my Statistics homework, but even that seems to have worked out relatively well. I still haven't made a final decision about changing majors and schools, but I am at least planning to apply to the new school, get accepted, and make my ultimate decision at that point.

I don't know exactly why I keep changing my mind about what I want to earn my degree in. I have a lot of interests, and (at the risk of sounding over-confident) a lot of different talents. I guess it's just taking me some time to really find my place, the one degree that will teach me something new and fascinating, but that will also give me something practical to use in the career world. Everyone cross your fingers that I will finally be able to just pick something that I enjoy and stick with it.

It's been colder lately, and I've been a little "under the weather" as a result. It's just been the headaches, stuffy nose, and scratchy throat that I always go through at this time of the year. Hopefully it will all manage to clear itself up soon.

I screwed up this morning, though. My alarm didn't go off properly, so I ended up sleeping in until ten minutes AFTER CT was supposed to be at school. I rushed him over and checked him in. Luckily he didn't miss anything too important. There was an assembly going on, and he made it in enough time to enjoy the show that was being put on by the magician that was there. It was also the day of his class' Halloween party, so he loved that too. He really seems to be happy in his new class, and he likes his new teacher a great deal. Here's hoping this is a good sign of things to come in future years!

I don't have a whole lot left to say. As I mentioned before, this week hasn't been all that eventful.

On Monday afternoon/evening, our family carved pumpkins for Halloween. I have to give Ty his due credit: He opened and cleaned out all four pumpkins. He's a brave, brave man. He also carved three out of the four pumpkins: His own, plus the two kids' pumpkins. I designed and carved my pumpkin myself, thank you very much.

Anyway, have a nice weekend! :)

90th Post!!! (Just the usual ranting, but there's a ninja at the end!)

Hi Everybody! (Said in Dr. Nick's voice from "The Simpsons")

I haven't been around too much since my last rant, and I apologize for that. Life does happen, though. I had two tests this last week, not to mention the fact that CT AND Ty have been off school/work for a nice, long weekend. Oh, and I've been considering a change in schools/majors.

Yes. You read that right. I'm considering yet ANOTHER change in majors. I should seriously commit myself to a mental ward somewhere, because there is CLEARLY something wrong with me.

I mean, I finally settled into the Psychology program with a minor in Communications, and now I'm looking at a challenging shift that will not only change my whole course of study, it will also force me to transfer to a completely different university because the one I'm currently attending doesn't offer anything even remotely resembling this program.

What am I considering turning my whole life upside down over, you ask? It's called "Communication Sciences and Disorders". Basically, it's a perfect, practical combination of my two current courses of study. It's just a more specific, scientific approach.

This program would be preparatory for me to go on to a Master's Degree in Speech and Language Pathology. This would allow me the chance to work with people who have speech and communication problems, helping them to recover from injury, overcome stuttering, correct their speech, and so many other fascinating, amazing things. It sounds like such a rewarding, incredible line of work!

I came across this option completely by accident. I was looking for a Master's degree program in Communication at a different University, but I couldn't find one. So I typed into their search engine "Communications". It came up with this Communication Sciences and Disorders option. I read about it, and was instantly drawn in by the possibilities. Then I found the same program offered at a school that's closer to where I live.

If I were to change schools and start this program, it would only take me one semester longer than it would take me to finish the degree I'm currently working on. My only real problem is deciding that this huge shake-up is what I REALLY want to do. Is it? IS IT?!?!?!? I don't know either! GAAAHHHH!!!

Anyway, here's a funny video clip with a ninja (It's a few years old, but it's one of my all-time, personal favorite YouTube videos. And it's just as true today as it was when it was first posted. Enjoy!) :)

A Resolution...

So...I went all crazy on my keyboard yesterday. I had a lot of thoughts and emotions running rampant through my head, and it was a relief to write them down and get it all off my chest. I felt better as soon as I hit "Publish", so thank you for your patience.

Moving on...

We met with the principal today, and Ty had a talk with CT's teacher (I didn't trust myself to talk to her and remain calm, I was still too anxious about our upcoming appointment with the principal).

According to CT's teacher, he has actually made some behavioral improvements over the past few weeks, which is definitely good news. Unfortunately, their relationship seems to have been materially damaged by having such a bad experience at the beginning of the school year.

The principal agrees with us. She's moving him to a different classroom with a new teacher, starting next week. She believes that CT needs and deserves to get a second chance, and she's willing to do that for him. However, she has made it clear that she will only do this once, and I completely agree with her conviction.

Basically, what we all agree on is the fact that CT's perception of the way his teacher sees him is irreversibly negative. She insists that she doesn't have a bad opinion of him, but whether or not that's true (I know I have my doubts, whether she's aware of it or not I think her perception of him is somewhat tainted by a negative bias.)

Anyway, it all comes down to this: CT thinks she sees him as a "bad kid", so that's how he's been behaving.

I know that my son isn't exactly an angel. I believe that my view of him is pretty realistic in that I know what his flaws are. However, I know without a doubt that he CAN pull out of the spiral of difficult behavior that he's been going through, and this classroom/teacher change can be the key to helping him do that.

Overall, I've been very impressed by and grateful for the way the school has worked with us in this case. They've been very understanding, and I'm very pleased with the way things have turned out.

I really am sorry that things didn't work out in his first class, and I know that this will be an adjustment for him. However, he's very excited to go to his new class and meet his new teacher, so I have high hopes for his future...

Someone Save Me From My Own Anxiety!!!

I'm freaking out.

No, it's not the Statistics Test I was ranting about the other day. I actually talked to my professor about the big screw-up I made, and it turns out that I was closer to the right solution than I thought. I just missed a step. Luckily, he gives credit for the parts of the question you get right, so I just might not have TOTALLY screwed up on that one.

What I am freaking out about is my son. Yes, CT is pretty much at the forefront of my thoughts these days, and every time I think about his situation my heart starts going a mile a minute.

Most of you know by now that CT is in First Grade. You may also know that he is a very VERY intelligent boy. He has always been leaps and bounds ahead of his peers in mental maturity. He learns things quickly and effortlessly, it's like breathing for him. He doesn't even have to try to learn something, he just picks it up instantly. He has always amazed me, and everyone he's ever met. He makes friends with kids of all ages, both younger and older than himself. And by older than himself, I mean teenagers and adults. He's a natural leader, kids just seem to congregate around him, and he loves being around people. He's curious and inquisitive, always asking questions and wanting to know more about things. All in all, he's an incredible kid.

So why am I so anxious and upset, you ask? Well, I'll tell you as well as I can.

CT, although extremely bright, also seems to be a bit of a troublemaker in class. He talks to his friends, gets up out of his seat without permission, and just generally makes his teacher's life very difficult. At least, that's what she's been telling us since school started back in August.

His teacher has actually had the school psychologist come and observe CT in class, monitoring his behavior. The psychologist sent home an evaluation for Ty and me to fill out, to test for ADHD, at his teacher's request. The way these evaluations work is that the child's parents fill one out, and his teacher fills one out. Then the two sets of data are analyzed and set against national statistics and standards. Combining this information with her in-class observations, the school psychologist has come up with a definitive conclusion:

CT does NOT have ADHD. In fact, in all of the times that she has observed CT in class, this psychologist has never once seen any kind of behavior that she would consider to be a serious problem. She says that he does show some very active tendencies, but that he is very able to focus on his work. He actually does his work very quickly, and moves on to the next step before the teacher has even finished talking the other kids through the first step. This, according to the psychologist's observations, causes a great deal of frustration in CT's teacher. CT starts acting up during these times when he's finished the work, and is being forced to wait for the other kids to catch up.

The thing that has me the most anxious, however, is the fact that CT's teacher seems to resent him, deeply. I noticed this after CT had been in her class for no more than one week. He's giving her a hard time, and she has completely written him off as a troublemaker and a "bad kid". She won't listen to me when I try to tell her that this is not the case. CT is not, nor has he ever been, the type of kid that seeks after negative attention. Whenever I try to talk to her about my son and the type of kid I know he is, she just shakes her head and dismisses my comments without a second thought. Her mind is made up, CT is down in her book as a bad kid, and she will take that negative perception to her grave.

The psychologist has noticed this too. She actually told us that CT's teacher's responses on the ADHD evaluation are negative. In fact, her responses are so deeply negative, that her results are not considered to be valid.

The psychologist and I have both tried to explain to this teacher that CT's behavior is linked to boredom, but she won't listen to either of us. She bristled at our comments, and immediately dismissed them. To me, she said: "There is no reason why he should be bored in this class. He needs to get engaged and find interest." She had a similar reaction to the psychologist's recommendations. Her opinion of my son is fixed, immovable, and extremely negative.

Now you can see what I'm so anxious about. Sending CT to school is basically sending him into a dragon's den of negativity. It's become a toxic environment for him. Have you ever heard of self-fulfilling prophecy? A child is going to live up to the expectations that we as adults are setting for them. If CT's teacher believes he is a bad kid, he will eventually become that kid. Ty and I have no intention of allowing that to happen.

We have set up an appointment with the school's principal for tomorrow afternoon. We are going to present our case to her, and get CT removed from this teacher's classroom. He deserves the chance to be in a positive learning environment. We are also going to ask her about testing him for a gifted and talented program, one that will be more challenging and engaging for him. If he qualifies, we will probably go that route.

Anyway, I hope you don't think I'm trying to make his teacher into a villain. I know she's doing the best she can, I just don't think that she is a good match for my son. Their personalities clash too much, and they have since day one.

Everyone, please send positive thoughts our way so we can get CT into a situation where he can learn and be seen for the great kid that he really is.

Thank you for allowing me to rant.

Have a nice day.

Okay, I've Tried, But I Just Can't Let it Go!!!

I took my Statistics test this past week. There are two parts to every exam in this class: Computational and Conceptual.

The Computational part is the pencil and paper, show-your-work, mathematical section of the test. This is what shows the professor that I know how to do the math. The Conceptual part is on the computer, multiple choice. It's basically the part of the test that allows me to show the teacher that I know what everything means.

I hate math. I think I've expressed this many times before, and in different contexts. However, this statistics class really hasn't been horrible. The only math that's been required is pretty basic, and I can do basic math. Even better? The professor doesn't expect us to memorize any of the formulas. He just gives us a packet to take into the test with us that actually gives us the appropriate mathematical formulas.

Doing all of the practice work for this section of the class, I did pretty well. I could usually come up with the right answer. However, when I went in to take the exam, my confidence evaporated when I came to Question #3 on the Computational part of the test.

There were 5 questions on this section of the exam. All of them had multiple parts within the question. Because of this, Question #3 was worth 30 POINTS. Yes, you read that right 30 FREAKING POINTS!!!

I'd done this particular computation several times before in the homework. And as I said before, I always came up with the correct answer. The formula was kind of hairy, but I always did it right. Unfortunately, for this particular concept, there are actually TWO FORMULAS. I'd only practiced ONE of these formulas. My professor had told us that he would be looking for the second of these two formulas on the test, but no matter where I looked in the book, I couldn't find it. So I never practiced it. I figured that since the professor would be giving us the formulas to use in the test, that I would be able to figure it out.

I was wrong.

I came to Question #3, and did the first 3 parts of the question without any problems. Then I came to the part where I would have to use this "other formula". And can I just tell you, IT THREW ME FOR A FREAKING LOOP!!! It's like my brain just shut down, refusing to comprehend the letters and numbers in front of me.

Oh I tried. I literally spent an HOUR on this one question, doing it over and over and OVER again. I tried the formula in a number of different ways, and no matter what I tried, I could only come up with numbers that COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE THE RIGHT ANSWER!!!

Finally I just gave up and moved on to the rest of the computational test. It went well, but I just HAD to go back and try Question #3 one more time before abandoning a huge chunk of that 30 points. I still came up with a crap answer, but by that time I had been in the test for an hour and a half and I had a baby to get home to, and the second half of the test to take. So I just submitted it as it was and kissed those points goodbye. I hate walking away from something like that, I knew it would haunt me for days, if not weeks.

I took the second part of the exam, and when it was over I trudged through the rain to the on campus shuttle that would take me to my van. Wet and cold, I started the half hour drive that would take me home to AJ, relieving my dear Mom from the duty of babysitting her.

It was when I was well on my way home, and it was FAAARRRR too late to fix anything, that the right way to solve that b***h of a Question #3 finally popped into my head! It was SO SIMPLE!!! I wanted to bang my forehead on the steering wheel. I spent the rest of the drive yelling out loud, verbally berating myself for making something so simple a thousand times harder than it had to be.

I ranted to Ty about it after I got home that day and he called me from work. (Telling me in the process that he got the promotion he had been waiting for! Yay for Ty!)

Ty, always the voice of reason, told me that I just needed to let it go. That beating myself up wasn't going to change the past. That I would do better next time. I knew he was right, and I want to let it go, but I JUST FREAKING CAN'T!!! I HAD the answer, I KNEW how to do the problem, but I just couldn't get past the unfamiliar formula and allowed myself to stand in my own way and overcomplicate the whole thing.

AAAARRRRRGHHHH!!!! It's been 3 days and I still can't let this go! It was such a stupid mistake, and it's going to completely destroy my grade for that test!!! It sucks, plain and simple! Grrrr...

Okay, I'm going to go eat some cookies now. I've gotten all upset again.

Just Stuff...

I have to go to the dentist today. I got a checkup last week, and apparently that whole flossing thing has come back and bitten me in the butt again, because I have two small cavities between two of my teeth. I take pretty darn good care of my teeth, but I just can't get myself to floss regularly. It's a real problem. And it's kind of annoying. Stupid flossing. (Don't tell my big sister I said that. She's a dental hygienist. She might disown me.)

Anyway, I've got to be at my appointment in about an hour and a half. Blech. Wish me luck. I didn't always hate dentists, but I kind of do now. I had a rather traumatizing experience a few years ago, but I REALLY don't want to go into THAT story right before I go in to get my teeth drilled.

Moving on...

My brother KT is officially gone now. He e-mailed us from New Zealand and his time as a full-time missionary for our church is well under way. He's such a great kid, and we're going to miss him for the next two years, but he's where he wants to be, and I know that he is going to be a positive influence on a lot of people. I'm really proud of him.

By the way, if any of you happen to go to New Zealand in the next two years and you come face to face with this young man wearing a suit, tie, and nametag, be polite and say "Hi" to him. He's my little brother, and he's one of the best people you'll ever meet.



Last but not least: My other little brother, MC, (6 years older than Kevin, but 4 years younger than me) is famous in our family for finding the best of YouTube's gems for hilarious random comedy. He showed me these videos the other day, and they cracked me up. I hope you'll all enjoy them too. (Warning: I'm not kidding when I say this is VERY RANDOM HUMOR, so prepare yourself!)

Guy on a Buffalo Episode 1

Guy on a Buffalo Episode 2

Yep. I know. You're welcome.