Scary School Drop Off

  I drove Riley to school this morning. He qualifies for a bus so it's a rare thing. What I saw amazed, shocked and scared me. Parents dropping off their kids in unsafe places with little or no regard for the other children trying to get to school.

  One parent did a u-turn! In front of the driveway about three feet from the crosswalk! With kids in the crosswalk! She didn't even seem concerned that she was a few feet from them. I guess she was in a hurry to get to work. Or go somewhere. She sure as hell had no worries about the other children's safety.

  What is wrong with people? Why do they loose their common sense when it comes to drop-offs and pick-ups for school? We are all busy. We all have places we need to be. But no one is so busy, or important, that they can put a child's life at risk when they are going to school. Not me. Not you. No one.

  So why does this happen every day? And more importantly what can the school, police and other parents do to stop this. There are teachers outside. They are visible to the drivers.  The drivers just don't seem to care. The police have shown up but the next day the parents go back to their unsafe driving habits. Nothing seems to be a long term deterrent.

  Personally I would like to place them all in a room and slap them back to sanity. Ask them what their reaction will be when they run into a child. Or when someone else runs into theirs. And it will happen. 

  Someone will get hurt and then it's too late.

  Ang

I Don't Understand

  Women baffle me.  I believe the huge majority of us are the same. We want the same things. Happiness. Good health for ourselves and family. Respect. Equality. Financial security. You know....the basics.

  Lately I'm starting to question that. At least about some women in the United States. I'm confused about your support for Donald Trump. Truly. He is an unapologetic misogynist. All his other political beliefs aside, this seems like the ultimate reason not to support him. But they are. Not in the numbers he would like you to believe but enough.

  Let's pretend you are at a dinner party. The man across the table from you calls a woman he disagrees with a fat pig. Or calls the hostess Miss Housekeeping because she is Latino. Would you let that pass? Of course not. You would instantly dislike him and thank your lucky stars he has no daily effect on your life.

  Perhaps it's Thanksgiving dinner and your Uncle Bob is at the end of the table talking about how you are a fool for staying with your husband after he had an affair, when he, himself, has had several. Or about how his daughter has a great body and if he wasn't her father well...Women everywhere would be throwing a turkey leg across the table at him!

  But he isn't a stranger or your crazy old uncle. He's on tv. He's famous. And that seems to mean we forgive a lot. That's what I don't get. Does it give him a free pass to be degrading? Or rude? Not to mention just plain mean?

  I can't think of one woman who would be okay with this man's attitude and behavior towards women who challenge him. Or the ones who don't. Not one. 
  
  Maybe we aren't as alike as I think.

  Ang

  

Aches & Pains

  Physical labor after a certain age is hard. Not so much while it's happening but the next morning...that's an entirely different story! Today both John and I are experiencing that reality.

  We are building a new walkway for our house. And while it will be beautiful and nicely clean up the side yard, it's a lot of hauling, lifting and shoveling. With more to come. Sadly, for my back, lots more to come.

  This morning I was dead to the world. I blame it on the fresh air yesterday. But when my legs swung to the floor I had an over whelming urge to just lay back down, pull the duvet up and go back to sleep. It's a school day so no such luck.

  Anyone watching me walk down the stairs would have thought I was celebrating my 90th birthday. Lots of creaks and cracks. Not all of which could be blamed on the stairs! 

  Coffee helped, not as much as a whirlpool tub would have, but some. I managed to get the kids on the bus, with food in their stomachs and a lunch for later. I'm almost positive I will make it through the day.

  Almost.

  Ang

  

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

  Tonight is the first U.S. Presidential debate. It's been a long time coming. About two years to be exact. As a country they have way more patience than we Canadians do. Never, ever, would we be okay with an election taking so long.

  One thing I saw this morning made me laugh. Donald Trump said 52 things that were false.....last week! Some were huge like his numbers with African American voters were "taking off like a skyrocket"....they haven't moved. Others small like tonight's debate moderator is a Democrat. He's not. Lestor Holt is a Republican.

  Whether a little white one or a whopper, Mr. Trump needs a fact checker. And a good one. 

  People believe politicians are dishonest. We expect them to say whatever it takes to get elected. Then pretend it's the other parties fault that you can't do everything you promised. Sadly it's a fact of life. But most don't do it as often or with such disregard.

  Maybe instead of talking about the size of his hands, his opponents should talk about the size of his nose! wink wink

  Ang

Food + Family = Happiness

  I just saw a video where they asked couples who they would like to have dinner with, dead or alive. The responses were Justin Beiber, Marilyn Monroe and Nelson Mandela....he would be a great dinner companion. All were celebrities of a sort. Then the same question was asked of their children.

  The parents were shocked because ALL the kids had the same answer....family. Mom and Dad. Every member of our family. Think about that for a second. Their parents dreamed of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Minogue. They wanted to hang out with their parents. Interesting.

  We eat dinner as a family every single day. It is very rare that we aren't all in the same room. Not necessarily at the table but all together. A meal might last three hours, thirty minutes or three but we are all in the same space. 

  Sometimes, in our busy lives, we forget that our kids just want us. Our attention. Our interest. A nod of the head that shows we are listening. Nothing dramatic. Just us. 

  Take the time to eat with your kids. Doesn't matter where you sit or what you eat. Be present. You'll be amazed at what you learn about them.

  And if I could pick someone to have dinner with....without hesitation...my Dad. 

  Ang

Make it home...

  Anthony Anderson said something on The View Wednesday that made me, as a parent, very sad. The quote " I want you to come home every night. I want you to make it home. Whatever it is that you need to do, make it home." I can not even imagine saying that to my 16 year old son. Or how painful it must be to say it.

  Of course my son isn't a sixteen year old black male living in the United States. I would imagine this is a common conversation between parent and child there. Probably as often as me telling Alex to clean his room. What a difference a border makes!

  Now I'm not saying we are perfect. Far from it. We are fighting racism daily, with a degree of success, but we still have a long way to go. And we admit it. And you know what they say.....admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving it.

  A Trump campaign official says there was no racism in the U.S. until Barack Obama became president! WTH??? She has since quit the campaign after the backlash but asked NBC "What did I say that was racist?" If you can't see it when it's right in front of your eyes well....

  Racism is real. Racial profiling is real. Police violence against African American men is real. Pretending it isn't won't help anyone.

  Ang

***Watch Blackish...Anthony Anderson is fabulous!***
  

Welcome Autumn

  It's the first day of autumn. Time to officially break out the sweaters, boots and scarves. Open the windows and let in that crisp fresh air. Soon you'll be scrapping the frost off the windshield and turning the heat on in the mornings. 

  John loves this time of year. It's evident in the amount of yard work that gets completed each year. Anything that involves heavy labor gets pushed aside til late September and he finds time daily to work on them. This year it's a new side walkway and it's going to be gorgeous.

  I'm happy for my power bill to go down. Hopefully with the air conditioner off it will drop to a more manageable amount. And if we could have a month where the furnace doesn't have to go on that would be perfect. 

  Sadly my sandals will get less wear but I'm a hold out. Sometimes til snow hits the ground. But I will buy the kids new boots and mitts before that happens. And snow pants. I always seem to be late with those.

  Whether it's your favorite time or not, at least drive around. See the changing leaves and the beautiful scenery that surrounds you. Take in all the colors Mother Nature puts on display.

  Before all that white stuff ruins it!

  Ang