The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[betty rose]

No, the parents never get called in. We generally go directly to the parents when there are recurring problems with one particular kid because the school never does anything about it. DH marched over to the school this morning though and demanded that DS be allowed to play inside if he wants to, to keep him safe, until they have a plan in place to protect him, because it's happening at least once a week now, usually more. And that's just what he tells us about, usually because DD hears him crying and then we ask what happened. Yesterday, I found out about because he was covered in mud and I asked him how he got so dirty. Who knows what's going on that he hasn't told us and there was no one to witness and no visible evidence? I suspect he's getting bullied daily and the school chalks it up to his emotional development and the fact that he cries...the bullies do it BECAUSE they know he'll react. Which is true...I know that's why they do it, but until the school makes the price for that entertainment not worth it, it will continue. They KEEP doing it, because they know they can.

So sad. Why don't teacher's take responsibility for their classroom, and outside. We had monitor's on the playground and before and after school. They came from the teacher's at the school. I never got bullied, as a result. But things changed over the years...DD had some incidents of bullying.

 

[betty rose]

Well, this has been going on for 3 years or more...it's not always the same teacher. It's this dang method they have that is supposed to teach kids how to interact with each other. In theory, it's good, but it doesn't work. Basically, the premise is that there are 4 types of hats..White, yellow, black, and red. White is good...those are the kids who play nicely. Red means that they kind of go along with the crowd...laughing at things...they aren't necessarily the ring leaders, but they don't try to stop bullying either. Yellow is like...being a whiner, crying...feeling entitled I guess. Black is the group that bullies. The idea is that when someone exhibits a certain behavior, the other kids can remind them of how they are SUPPOSED to interact by asking what color hat they are wearing. So like, someone who is being bossy is wearing a black hat. And the "white hats" are the ones who will call them out on that, and try to get the red hats to stand with them against whoever is being a black hat. And the victim of the bullying is supposed to try to handle it themselves first...so they are supposed to set the boundary and say "Stop. I don't like what you are doing to me." They are supposed to be able to talk it out. The kid has to try 3 times to get the behavior to stop before going to a teacher. If it gets to that point, the teacher is supposed to facilitate a conversation between the two. If it continues after the conversation, then there is supposed to be action taken. In our experience, it never gets past the stage of the teacher having them talk it out. It just keeps happening and they consider each thing a new incident, rather than connecting it all. Like...if last week, the kid was kicking a ball at DS, and this week he pushes him in the mud, that's not considered continuing the bad behavior...it's a new incident, so they talk it out again. And then nothing happens for a week and then the kid does something again, and it's a new incident. They don't see it as a pattern of the kid bullying DS, because it's not exactly the same every time.

Your system stinks, bullying is the repeated action of one student against another, over and over. I can't see how this will ever change until attitudes change about what bullying really is. I'm so sorry for your son. I always felt sorry for kids being bullied. I picked the person being bullied as my friend. Does your son have someone to hang out with. That might help. People are just so uncaring anymore....I will pray he can find a friend.

 

[betty rose]

We'll see if you still feel the same when the threat of broken hips are looming at the first snowfall. Age has a way of tempering the most ardent joys. As I say, we'll see! Well, perhaps I won't, but, remember where you heard it first.

Hadn't even thought of that. Those famous sudden, sideways downpours would make short work of those cabanas even if they upgrade them later to more permanent structures. And what if you are on the other side of the park when one of those lovely things sneaks in. All you would have then is a spot to watch blowing away while you stand there in very wet designer clothing. All I really wish is that all those people that can throw away $700.00 a day, would just throw some my way. I'd hold up an umbrella all day for that kind of money.

You are so kind and helpful @Goofyernmost! Can I join you, we can take turns...helping out the new rich!

 

[betty rose]

Praying for Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge. I have an aunt that lives about 30 miles northeast of there and the smoke is clinging in the air.

View attachment 176999 Twitter pic of Gatlinburg (this isn't night time)
View attachment 177000 Twitter pic of fire right outside Dollywood parking lot

That is horrible. Wildfires are nothing to ignore. Was this set by someone? I went to Gatlinburg when we were first married. I loved that little town...

 

[betty rose]

So the school called and I went in for a meeting and we have a plan. The first part of recess seems to go pretty well, but recess just lasts a LITTLE too long and the boys get restless and start picking on him for entertainment, so they are going to let him go inside for the last bit to avoid problems. And they talked to 3 of the boys who he mentioned and those 3 boys said they don't "bully" him, they "tease" him, which is something that is fun. So the teacher said she thinks they are reading him wrong on that, that he obviously DOESN'T think it's fun, so they aren't to "tease" him anymore. Then one of the teachers talked to DS and told him to be more specific about what the behavior is that he doesn't like and instead of just saying "Stop", he's to say "Stop chasing me" or "Stop pushing me" or whatever it is. To which DS replied "But why do I have to say what they are doing? They KNOW what they are doing!" But, she told him sometimes they need to hear that specifically. And then if they continue that, he's supposed to look for his "mates" and go play with them instead, and if THAT doesn't work, he is to go to the teacher. They also talked in general in his class about including everyone and someone mentioned DS's crying and the teacher reminded them that EVERYONE has SOMETHING. One person struggles with math, another one is clumsy, and DS has problems controlling emotions. They need to HELP each other with those things. And one boy stood up for DS and said "Hey, if I pushed YOU down, would YOU like it? You can't be mad that he gets upset when you do stuff to him!" So that was good. And I got all the forms to fill in for the Therapy, so I can turn that in tonight or tomorrow and get the ball rolling on that. Crossing fingers and toes and everything else and if you all have some pixie dust to spare, we'd really appreciate it!! If this doesn't work, we might have to look for a different school

Thank God something is happening. I posted before I read your post. I hope the boy that stood up, can become his friend. Prayers for you and your son. No child deserves this.

 

[betty rose]

Out for me....hubby brought home a gingerbread kit for me to play around with. I'll post a picture if it's worth seeing. I have never done one of these. And I'm getting a little shaky in my hands.....who know,s it could turn out like a haunted house.

 

[Gabe1]

I hope you are safe. Don't live in Noah's day without an ark!

It is pretty nice by the end of November standards. I was cleaning up around the house, putting out some evergreen branches on the empty planters, putting a few winter decorations, pulling out the ground ones from summer. We were fine but the ground is really mushie.

 

[Gabe1]

I'm glad there's a silver lining but stay safe!

I was just back on the riverwalk...it had spilled over maybe 20 feet in the lower areas. It has already receded about 7 feet. Only half the walkway is now under water width wise, should be better by tomorrow. I do have a pretty big, non-main branch down in my yard though. That surprised me. Wonder if it was a dead branch already.

 

[Gabe1]

Good evening to everyone. I'm out it's getting very cold in our house. I need to go undercover!

You should ask Santa for an iPad for Christmas. You could stay undercover for the winter.

 

[Gabe1]

Thank you he really likes his chorus group. He enjoys the music and male to female ratio

Hmmm...as did my son.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

What a lovely meal for 4 could be had at the Cali Grill too in lieu of a plastic tent. I've yet to try the pork two ways, the tenderloin and the lacquer belly ($37) that @donaldtoo speaks of so often. Beats the bags of chips on the counter and soda in the fridge in the guest refugee tents.

I've had the pork two ways at California Grill as well, and it is amazing!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Well we are back from our trip, we got in last night around midnight. It was a fantastic time, I will do a trip report about it later. I got a cold our last day there, so I stayed home today to recoup. After napping most of the morning, I played ketchup on here and it sounds like you all had a nice Thanksgiving!

 

[Gabe1]

Good morning and thank you @Gabe1 for the rain you're sending, we can use it.

Better than snow.

 

[Cesar R M]

I actually looked this up and there are many smaller docking harbors in Juneau not near the cruise port.

that makes sense!

 

[Gabe1]

Ha! I have a set of "guilt" china, too. An elderly aunt gave the entire set to me years ago. The pattern is just so "not" me. I never wanted it, and don't use it. It's a pain in the butt to have hauled it around in storage bins, to all the various places I've lived in, since I moved away from home in my early 20s. I'd love to get rid of it, but I have all this guilt about it . . .

Now, I do have a smaller amount of Lenox Christmas china that I love. Bought all the pieces myself, over the years. It's not a complete set (I don't need that), but enough for 6 place settings, and a few nice serving pieces. I use it once a year at Christmas and that's enough for me. (I even use a linen tablecloth & napkins, Gabe! Now that's what I call downright civilized behavior once a year!! )

Awesome! Something you wanted and enjoy. As it should be. I wonder when it became the norm stock a new couple up with fancy china. You seem to understand me pretty well, I needed a $150 gravy boat why? A $125 wine glass x 12 why? I love my crate and barrel stuff, my Disney-non matching dinner plates, my Disney mugs that do not have said saucer.

I do have my Christmas Plates, bowls, mugs, platers, tea pot. Haven't had them out in the last couple of years. But they did before my kids went off to college for a month each year. Cheerful.

I'm sorry there is guilt China in your family too. They don't want it so they unload it on others. My Mom did that to me by hiring a truck and delivering a piano to my new home 30 years ago. She didn't want it, I didn't want it, my sis lives out of state. She resolved it by hiring movers and I was surprised when the doorbell rang. I eventually gave it to a piano store for free if they would just get it out of my house. The China my Mom is trying to unload on my DD is still in stores, very popular, so freak'n ugly. What is it with China, the uglier the more expensive it is?

 

[Cesar R M]

NOAA regulates fishing timeframes and quotas. You might have hit it when they had hit their quota already or out of the window of the dates. Maybe???

perhaps, but Moxo already mentioned the small boat areas are far away from the main docks.
Kinda very different from.. say... Ketchikan.. where the main dock area is right next to the yatch and fishing dock area.

 

[Cesar R M]

Me either . It's too silly to contemplate... but a fool and his money are soon parted...as some smart person said...

the only way these tents make sense in my mind.. is also when people have big parties..and have a cake etc.. vs sitting or making reservations at sit down restaurants.
other than that.. I do not see the appeal.

 

[Cesar R M]

in other news, back from my doc, I'm still ill but recovering.. I hope to be allright by next week.
in the other hand, I'm falling asleep and these meds gives me nightmares. Didnt sleep yesterday with some very weird WDW dreams.

 

[Gabe1]

Oh, and the silverware, too!! I remember as a kid, that my mother, sister, and I would be polishing the "good" silverware for whenever we had company over during the year. I hated that!!

Me too. Not sure where my Mom's good silverware is. I should look in the breakfront or cabinet and see if it still exists. I hated on Christmas being tired with small kids, drying plates squeaky clean and drying each piece of silver so it could go back in its velvet lined box. I don't understand the whys??? I wonder what will become of my MIL 2 sets of china. She doesn't have daughters, her DILs all have China, 2 of the 3 granddaughters are married with their own stuff. That leaves my DD or maybe my great niece-her great grand daughter will get saddled with it a 2 years old.

 

[Gabe1]

Out for me....hubby brought home a gingerbread kit for me to play around with. I'll post a picture if it's worth seeing. I have new done one of these. And I'm getting a little shaky in my hands.....who know, it could turn out like a haunted house.

Well that would be fun! Turn it into the Haunted Mansion, purple and black frostings, dark candies. WooHoo.

Wouldn't your hubby be surprised to wake up to that.