working out for Disney

[HouCuseChickie]

I know the spellings of last names were shortened, but I don't think they actually changed the names. Like, they just wrote things more phonetically in some cases. Möller or Moeller became Miller, for example. I'm kind of sad that my mom wasn't taught German. I know that was the thought then....you moved to a new country, you had to give up your previous life, including the language, but what a disservice that was to the kids! They had whole families back in the originally country with whom they couldn't communicate. And a lot of their culture ended up being lost. Learn the new language, absolutely! But you don't have to change everything about yourself and you don't have to stop speaking your native language with your family. And it's such a huge benefit for kids to be bilingual. It literally affects their brains and makes them better at certain things, and it apparently decreases your risk of dementia. They didn't know that back then, but I just feel bad that people felt like they had to change so much to fit in.

They butchered some people's names. There were definitely the cases where things were changed to something based on phonetics, but I know we had close family whose name was literally cut in half because processors decided it was too long. Some people's names also became where they were from, as they didn't understand the questioning and gave their home town/city vs. their last name. I know there were people from Syracuse, Sicily (Italian = Siracusa) whose American last became "Sirgusa" because they told processors "Siracusa." I grew up with several people who were assigned generic last names simply because processors couldn't make a good name with what they were saying. I recall a friend whose family wound up researching their roots for their original family name and her last name was legally changed at some point during grade school. The original name was long and had a Russian/Slavic sound. Assimilation was definitely the name of the game back then. Those that didn't fit in as well were subjected to a lot of hate and discrimination. On the flipside, those that did usually had better job/work potential, so fitting in was also about being able to put food on the table.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So did the dogs attack each other? How did you get away? Was she already in there when you went in and just didn't see her? Or did she come in behind you? That sounds like a dangerous situation if people aren't following safety protocols. What a liability!! Why did you sign up for this specific shelter? Can you find one that's better organized and maybe a little closer to home? I'm sorry this one didn't work out, but this is valuable experience for Kendall as well. Knowing it's ok to put your safety first and that it's ok to leave a bad situation, even if you've made a commitment. You didn't commit to putting yourself in danger.

I was caught in the middle until the other woman could get a leash around her dog. Her dog, while jumpy, was less aggressive than mine. So, her dog was more of a clawing/scratch risk to me, while mine was the bite risk...another reason why I immediately got her onto a super short lead. Less leash length would mean she really couldn't lunge and possibly get me by accident. It also helped that the other dog started to show some interest in the area's exit door and all of the people on the other side. It took her a good 5-6 tries, but her dog's head was right up at the door when she got the leash on him. I had tried to tuck into the corner next to the door with my dog, because any movement from us could have triggered her dog to follow and we'd have a moving mess. The other volunteer was already inside her dog's kennel when I entered. Each kenneling area has a center hallway and kennel enclosures on both the right and left. The kennels are little rooms (about the size of a small bathroom) with full sized doors. The doors are inset a bit from the walls and windows in between each kennel door. So, from my angle at the door for the hall entry point, I couldn't see that there was a kennel with a door wide open.

We signed up for this shelter because they were the only one that allow kids under 16. Now that K is 16, she's eligible to volunteer at all of the area shelters. I presented her with the idea of trying again at my old shelter if she wants to try for what I feel will be a much more positive (and safer) experience.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Yikes!!! Guns are not a thing here, but that's definitely a huge fear...your kid calling you to tell you there's a gunman in the school. I'm glad they got it under control without anything bad happening. How did the kid get caught? Did he show it to someone? That happened a few years ago in my home school district, in the school where I did my student teaching. Some kid brought a gun intending to shoot people, but he showed it to his friend and his friend went to the school principal or counselor or something and they checked the kid's locker and found the gun. I'm sure he was mad at his friend for telling, but that friend saved some lives....must have been really hard for him to do that to his friend. Do you know if the kid intended to use it or did he just want to look cool, like prove he could get it in the building or something?

It seems to be a very American problem. By the time K found out, the principal had already sent an email to the parents. I'm not 100% on how the school found out, but our district has an app that anyone can use to anonymously report issues. The school used the tip and had campus police locate the student, who was already inside the building. Without seeing it happen, I'm not entirely sure how it all played out, but the report did say that the kid fled the building on foot and was chased down by the officers. Upon capture, they searched his bag and did in fact find a loaded firearm. The student has been expelled and charges are pending with the city DA. Since he's a minor, we likely will only hear rumors through the grapevine. One of the early parent-based rumors was that it was a bullied choir kid, but Kendall confirmed this is false. She said she didn't know the kid, but she implied that he had a bad reputation.

 

[Sans Souci]

Good morning

Nothing workout-wise to report for today. I'm also not sure yesterday really counts, but I did move around a bit more than usual. Sam had her 2-week follow up for her hand. After the excessively long wait a few months ago to have her seen for her leg, I booked all of this hand stuff at the pediatric facility with the first appointments available...which happened to be on the other side of the city. It's one of the perks of having the girls with Texas Children's pediatricians. It makes it really easy to get them in just about anywhere for anything IF I'm flexible on location. In any event, this hand clinic is tied to the west campus hospital. Unlike the other locations, it has a massive parking lot instead of a parking garage. After spending 105 minutes in awful traffic, I dropped David and Sam off at the front door (we were late because of the traffic) and I parked on the other end of the earth. By the time I walked from my car, to the building, to the proper elevator banks...I'd easily gone close to half a mile...and I'd have to repeat it on the way out. On the plus side, Sam was cleared. He still wants her to take it easy for the next week or so, but she can start easing back into things. She was also only in this for 2 weeks, so it's not like coming back from previous breaks.

The rest of the day was between bizarre, panicked, and just all-around stressful. While we were at the dr, Kendall texted me about a kid bringing a gun to school. We've experienced our share of violence and rumors of threats over the years (which unfortunately is now quite commonplace in most schools), but this was real. Thankfully, someone had the courage to report it and campus police were able to intervene before something horrible happened. The kid fled campus when questioned, but officers chased him down and found a firearm in his backpack. He's since been expelled and charges are pending. I was still trying to wrap my head around this gun thing during the drive home...like all of the "what if's" and coming to terms that K was there, inside the building, when the kid with the gun was there. In the middle of all of this, a man in a beat up red Mitsubishi SUV (circa late 90s) pulled up along side me- on the highway- while going close to 60 MPH and started yelling and gesturing to roll down my windows. He didn't look angry, so I didn't think it was road rage and carjacking in heavy traffic seemed unlikely. He was yelling something in Spanish to me, but all I could hear was "gato." I couldn't see anything wrong with my car...my gauges were all fine... tire pressure good...and I couldn't understand what a cat (gato) had to do with any of it. I also think I'd know if I hit a cat. Nobody else around us seemed to be concerned about us either. I was completely freaked out and wanted to get some distance between me and this guy. I managed to lose him in traffic, but I still wondered what was going on. We made a quick stop home for Sam to clean up her hand. I checked out the car, but saw nothing upon this first inspection. It wasn't until later in the day that I saw this piece hanging near one of my rear wheels.

View attachment 663684View attachment 663685View attachment 663686

I have an appointment to get it checked out on Friday, but according to my car group, it's a plastic shield to keep rocks from dinging up certain areas. One of the commenters is a master technician at a Hyundai dealership and told me to just tape it up or zip tie it until I can get it in. So, you can add in crawling around on the ground for 30 minutes and rolling in and out from underneath my car to the list of physical activities for the day. Apparently, it's a very common issue and different Hyundai techs have varied opinions on the necessity of this piece. I guess at least now I know that this man was trying to help me.

I ended my evening helping Sam with a reading/language arts assignment. She was given the first 6 pages of an unfinished short story and was tasked with completing the story...minimum of 1,000 words. The story had the potential of going in a number of directions, but she chose horror/thriller. I can't recall her having a lot of creative writing assignments in the past, so she needed a lot of hand holding. Helping your child channel her inner horror writer after the day I had put my brain into overdrive. It was after 1am when I fell asleep, up on and off all night, and then up just before 6am to get K to an early tutoring session at school. I'm not sure if I want to nap or hit the gym tonight to destress!

Good grief. How frightening. That would have upset me greatly, too, just thinking about if things had gone differently. I hate that these things have become commonplace here and it feels like we've come to accept this as part of living here. I hope you have a relaxing holiday weekend coming up. Between cranky dog people, a potentially distressing situation and a concerning-looking car issue, you deserve to chill out with a glass of wine and some burgers.

 

[Sans Souci]

So are you flying out to see your grandmother today? When does your MIL get there? And are you just visiting your grandmother for the day? It sounds like a lot of stress for you...please make sure you take some time for yourself to do something you enjoy doing.

No. My husband talked to my brother and he said she is stable. She is still in hospice, but I know people can linger in hospice care. He also said he is not going until the end of the month. I am no longer taking his advice or information as trustworthy. We booked flights thinking she could pass anyway now. My husband bumped our trip to the end of the month. Plus when my husband talked to my brother on Tuesday, he said we'd likely be on the hook for a burial and funeral, because my gram has just enough in the bank for a cremation and nothing more. And my brother, who posts photos of new trucks and jet skis on Facebook with regularity, said he is unable to help out. My mother has said the same. I can't keep flying back and forth now on a whim knowing I am going to have to pay for these things. Tbh, every time I have visited my grandmother, I have treated every visit as potentially her last. So, if she does pass before I can see her once again, I am at peace. Since they reopened the nursing home to visitors, I have made three trips. We would order food in and when the weather was nice, eat outside. We would sit and talk until she felt like she wanted to call it a day. I brought her homemade cakes and I ordered her clothes because the place she was in was always losing hers. I did the best I could given the distance between us and a pandemic that closed her off from the world for over a year.

 

[Sans Souci]

Wow, so scary about the kid bringing a gun to school. I'm so glad nothing bad happened, and I hope nothing will. And the car thing is crazy too. Good thing you could do a temporary fix.

You must do a fair bit of training in case this happens in your school?

 

[Sans Souci]

Nobody said a word...although, I must admit that everything was kind of a blur after I got to safety. I guess that happens when you go on high alert defense mode. My expression/demeanor after the fact was probably not the most inviting thing either. I've started composing a rather detailed letter to the volunteer coordinator. I have a habit of anger-writing to get out my frustrations, so what I currently have is a small novel. I'm sure my husband would say that it's too long, but Kendall is on board with sending it as is. In the end, it'll be longer than what he'd send, but more edited than its current state.

Good. Someone should be made aware of the other volunteer's refusal to follow protocol. That's could have been an ugly situation. I write when I am angry, too, then I winnow it down so it's more factual vs emotional.

 

[Sans Souci]

Ugh, I hate that! I don't go to gyms anymore, but there was one we went to for a while, and there were these 3 people who would go sit on the equipment right next to each other, but wouldn't actually use it. They'd just sit there and talk. Every once in a while they might do a rep or 3, but that was it, and they'd sit there taking up those machines for an hour. When you only HAVE an hour to work out, you end up having to just skip using those machines because you don't have time to wait for them to be done. I don't understand why people can't just be courteous. If you want to sit and chat, go find a cafe and have a cup of coffee together. If you want to work out, work out. If you want to have exclusive use of gym equipment, buy your own and work out at home so you won't have to take turns or share!

Yeah or when people sit there and mess around on their phone. I know people follow a certain training regimens where you rest for so many minutes between sets, but if you see people are waiting, get off of the machine. It's rude and it's another reason I workout at home.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Good grief. How frightening. That would have upset me greatly, too, just thinking about if things had gone differently. I hate that these things have become commonplace here and it feels like we've come to accept this as part of living here. I hope you have a relaxing holiday weekend coming up. Between cranky dog people, a potentially distressing situation and a concerning-looking car issue, you deserve to chill out with a glass of wine and some burgers.

I don't know if I've ever shared this with the group, but after the Parkland shooting, I bought the girls bulletproof shield inserts for their backpacks. They give me a little more peace of mind, but they are only good for handgun and shotgun ammo. I always feel crazy talking about this, but with the way things have been, even a little extra protection is something. If the weather holds out, we're supposed to go to Brenham, TX for some softball stuff with Sam's new team. One of the dads suggested burgers, so I think we're going to do a bit of a softball picnic.

 

[Sans Souci]

They butchered some people's names. There were definitely the cases where things were changed to something based on phonetics, but I know we had close family whose name was literally cut in half because processors decided it was too long. Some people's names also became where they were from, as they didn't understand the questioning and gave their home town/city vs. their last name. I know there were people from Syracuse, Sicily (Italian = Siracusa) whose American last became "Sirgusa" because they told processors "Siracusa." I grew up with several people who were assigned generic last names simply because processors couldn't make a good name with what they were saying. I recall a friend whose family wound up researching their roots for their original family name and her last name was legally changed at some point during grade school. The original name was long and had a Russian/Slavic sound. Assimilation was definitely the name of the game back then. Those that didn't fit in as well were subjected to a lot of hate and discrimination. On the flipside, those that did usually had better job/work potential, so fitting in was also about being able to put food on the table.

I have no idea how my great-grandfather's name didn't get changed. It's an absolute mouthful that begins with three consonants and has the "gn" that is pronounced like a "n'y" and then a bunch of vowels.

As I was posting this, I did some googling. I found this interesting article.

Did Ellis Island Officials Really Change the Names of Immigrants?

On the 125th anniversary of the famous portal to the U.S., history shows inspectors were not the ones changing people's names

www.smithsonianmag.com

 

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

I did a 45 minute kettle bell video from YouTube. I went for a walk at lunch with my husband.

I told my husband I am done cleaning. Everything is clean enough--the guest room, the bathroom. I am opting for "good enough." I go to my MIL's house and nothing is clean. I have to put sheets on the bed after a transatlantic flight. I cleaned my husband's apartment the other day, too. I've done enough. She is not going to go around, looking for dust. So, I am letting this go. lol

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

You must do a fair bit of training in case this happens in your school?

We do have trainings, there were two different things we had to complete as teachers during inservice. In the next week or two we will have a practice drill with students but we will talk about evacuation and other procedures the day before with them. I hate that the kids nowadays can't just have fire and tornado drills like I had in school, but it is best to be prepared and hope for the best.

 

[Songbird76]

They butchered some people's names. There were definitely the cases where things were changed to something based on phonetics, but I know we had close family whose name was literally cut in half because processors decided it was too long. Some people's names also became where they were from, as they didn't understand the questioning and gave their home town/city vs. their last name. I know there were people from Syracuse, Sicily (Italian = Siracusa) whose American last became "Sirgusa" because they told processors "Siracusa." I grew up with several people who were assigned generic last names simply because processors couldn't make a good name with what they were saying. I recall a friend whose family wound up researching their roots for their original family name and her last name was legally changed at some point during grade school. The original name was long and had a Russian/Slavic sound. Assimilation was definitely the name of the game back then. Those that didn't fit in as well were subjected to a lot of hate and discrimination. On the flipside, those that did usually had better job/work potential, so fitting in was also about being able to put food on the table.

Yeah, my ex's family name was changed from Van Zigenweid to Zigwied when they moved to America. Whether that was done by choice or what, I don't know. But it's weird to me that some names that aren't that complicated were changed, and some that were more difficult were left alone. Like Muller was changed to Miller, but Spohnholz was left as is. It doesn't make much sense.

 

[Songbird76]

No. My husband talked to my brother and he said she is stable. She is still in hospice, but I know people can linger in hospice care. He also said he is not going until the end of the month. I am no longer taking his advice or information as trustworthy. We booked flights thinking she could pass anyway now. My husband bumped our trip to the end of the month. Plus when my husband talked to my brother on Tuesday, he said we'd likely be on the hook for a burial and funeral, because my gram has just enough in the bank for a cremation and nothing more. And my brother, who posts photos of new trucks and jet skis on Facebook with regularity, said he is unable to help out. My mother has said the same. I can't keep flying back and forth now on a whim knowing I am going to have to pay for these things. Tbh, every time I have visited my grandmother, I have treated every visit as potentially her last. So, if she does pass before I can see her once again, I am at peace. Since they reopened the nursing home to visitors, I have made three trips. We would order food in and when the weather was nice, eat outside. We would sit and talk until she felt like she wanted to call it a day. I brought her homemade cakes and I ordered her clothes because the place she was in was always losing hers. I did the best I could given the distance between us and a pandemic that closed her off from the world for over a year.

I'm sorry this is happening in this way, but I'm glad you have made peace with it, whatever happens. It sounds like when your brother says he is "unable" to help, he means "Unwilling" to help. I recognize this behavior....my brother will make every excuse in the book not to have to pay for something. And some of his excuses really don't add up. Like, he'll tell me that the automatic withdrawl for his insurance didn't get withdrawn on time, so he thought he had more money than he did and he went and bought a ton of diapers for his daughter with the money he thought he had, and now he couldn't afford to drive me up to my dad's unless I paid for all the gas and his meals. Automatic withdrawls are done on the specific date. If there was something wrong with the system, he would have gotten a notification. There's no way that's true. And who buys HUNDREDS of dollars worth of diapers at one time? Babies grow and need the next size up. You're not going to buy that many all at once because you don't know how many you'll need. And the only reason he was giving me a ride was because he was headed that way anyway for some function he was participating in. He was still planning on going even if I didn't go with him. So how could he afford the gas and meals for himself, but not if I went with him? Some people just won't take responsibility for things because it means they get less for themselves. In the end, it sounds like maybe your brother isn't as close to your grandmother as you are? Maybe because he lives closer, he takes it for granted that he can see her whenever, so he's never had to make an effort for that relationship. Does he take after your mom? I'm sorry it will be left to you, but I guess that just means it will be done how you think it should. If they aren't contributing financially, they don't get a vote.

 

[Songbird76]

I don't know if I've ever shared this with the group, but after the Parkland shooting, I bought the girls bulletproof shield inserts for their backpacks. They give me a little more peace of mind, but they are only good for handgun and shotgun ammo. I always feel crazy talking about this, but with the way things have been, even a little extra protection is something. If the weather holds out, we're supposed to go to Brenham, TX for some softball stuff with Sam's new team. One of the dads suggested burgers, so I think we're going to do a bit of a softball picnic.

That's a really cool idea. I've never heard of those. Do the girls carry their backpacks with them the whole day? My kids do, but I remember we kept everything in our lockers and just grabbed what we needed for each class every hour. But if they carry their bags with them, that's a great solution, and I would imagine the contents of a backpack itself would offer a bit of resistance if it was a larger style gun than just a handgun. That plus the inserts would probably help at least keep them alive in the event of a shooting. How scary is it to need to think about these things though!!

 

[Songbird76]

We do have trainings, there were two different things we had to complete as teachers during inservice. In the next week or two we will have a practice drill with students but we will talk about evacuation and other procedures the day before with them. I hate that the kids nowadays can't just have fire and tornado drills like I had in school, but it is best to be prepared and hope for the best.

When I was first starting out with teaching, we had to do lockdown drills. It was just a couple of years after the columbine shooting, where it pretty much started. So I remember thinking it was ridiculous because usually the school shootings are committed by students at the school, who all had to practice these shooter drills and knew how they went. One of the things was we were supposed to lock the classroom door, and there would be screens on the windows that you would pull down so the shooter couldn't see into the room. And then you'd slide either a green or red paper under the door to indicate whether there were any injuries sustained in your classroom. But if the door is shut and the screen is pulled down, that tells the shooter that there are people in that room. That red or green paper tells them there are people inside. So how is that supposed to HELP the situation? The whole point of closing the doors and such was to make it look like it wasn't in use so the shooter would go on to the next room. If a shooter is a student, they know all those things to look for. They know the places in the classrooms where people are likely to be hiding. It just makes no sense and it seems like a lot of the things are designed to make people think they are safer when they really aren't. Granted, this was 20 years ago...I hope protocol has improved since then!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Yeah, my ex's family name was changed from Van Zigenweid to Zigwied when they moved to America. Whether that was done by choice or what, I don't know. But it's weird to me that some names that aren't that complicated were changed, and some that were more difficult were left alone. Like Muller was changed to Miller, but Spohnholz was left as is. It doesn't make much sense.

I know "Katz" was removed from the front of my maternal grandmother's family's name. I'm certain it wasn't done by choice...just the way certain things were said in conversation. Enough original family had died or hit a point where they were older and had other concerns by the time they realized it could be legally changed to the original family name. I think there was always that blend of fear and pride over their American citizenship that kept them from trying to change it in the early days. The name died out because there were no male-born children to carry on the name.

As part of my Bar/Bat Mitzvah class, we had to do a mock Ellis Island day. Much of what we used was collected from congregation families, so we were reenacting many of their family Ellis Island immigration scenarios. As a result, the experience was primarily Jews fleeing various areas and not the other countries and cultures that also came through those doors. Still, while I was not a fan of the bulk of the kids in my class, it was a very enlightening and educational experience.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

That's a really cool idea. I've never heard of those. Do the girls carry their backpacks with them the whole day? My kids do, but I remember we kept everything in our lockers and just grabbed what we needed for each class every hour. But if they carry their bags with them, that's a great solution, and I would imagine the contents of a backpack itself would offer a bit of resistance if it was a larger style gun than just a handgun. That plus the inserts would probably help at least keep them alive in the event of a shooting. How scary is it to need to think about these things though!!

I had been torn between the insert shield and a full backpack. Unfortunately, the stuff that can handle higher caliber ammo/weapons is more tactical gear intended for first responders and not something suitable for school. Backpacks also wear out and styles go in and out of fashion, so the insert seemed like the better investment. When I first got them, Sam was in elementary and K was in middle school. Sam's backpack would be in her cubby area and K was required to leave hers in her locker. Needless to say, I felt a little silly buying something that might be impossible for them to access in a midday active shooter situation, but it helped my mental state knowing they'd have some added protection some of the time. Because of Covid and cleaning measures, kids are now allowed to carry their backpacks at all times. So, since fall 2020, both girls have been able to have their backpacks and shields with them at all times. Some schools have talked about moving to clear backpacks, but these inserts will still work should that happen. They kind of look like notebooks. We have the yellow and green ones in the second picture. But yeah, I hate having to even think about any of this.

Bulletproof Backpack Insert

BULLETPROOF Backpack Insert Man-PACK Backpack Insert- Absorbs multiple magazines of ammunition from handguns or shotguns without ricochet or injury. Insert into any backpack, briefcase or handbag, Manufactured with Dyneema® (a high performance polyethylene fiber) for the most lightweight armor...

www.man-pack.com

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

When I was first starting out with teaching, we had to do lockdown drills. It was just a couple of years after the columbine shooting, where it pretty much started. So I remember thinking it was ridiculous because usually the school shootings are committed by students at the school, who all had to practice these shooter drills and knew how they went. One of the things was we were supposed to lock the classroom door, and there would be screens on the windows that you would pull down so the shooter couldn't see into the room. And then you'd slide either a green or red paper under the door to indicate whether there were any injuries sustained in your classroom. But if the door is shut and the screen is pulled down, that tells the shooter that there are people in that room. That red or green paper tells them there are people inside. So how is that supposed to HELP the situation? The whole point of closing the doors and such was to make it look like it wasn't in use so the shooter would go on to the next room. If a shooter is a student, they know all those things to look for. They know the places in the classrooms where people are likely to be hiding. It just makes no sense and it seems like a lot of the things are designed to make people think they are safer when they really aren't. Granted, this was 20 years ago...I hope protocol has improved since then!

I don't remember doing lockdown drills until after a couple years of teaching but maybe we did, that was all the way back in 2000. But the first lockdowns drills were a little similar to what you mentioned. It was lock the door, barricade, and hide somewhere in the room. The advice was to all huddle in a corner. I thought that was insane to hide all huddled together so if there was a shooter they could get us all in one shot. My secret plan was that if something came up that I would close the door (it was always locked) , barricade it, and we would all try to escape out the windows. Now the experts seem to agree with me that huddling in a corner of the classroom is just being sitting ducks and the plan is now ALICE: ALERT, LOCKDOWN, INFORM, COUNTER, EVACUATE. Or basically as our district administrator said "really the plan is to survive, do what you need to do for yourself and the students to survive". Sure if a kid in our school is the shooter they do know the plan so if they follow to our meeting point at least we are all outside and can have a better run for it.

 

[Songbird76]

I had been torn between the insert shield and a full backpack. Unfortunately, the stuff that can handle higher caliber ammo/weapons is more tactical gear intended for first responders and not something suitable for school. Backpacks also wear out and styles go in and out of fashion, so the insert seemed like the better investment. When I first got them, Sam was in elementary and K was in middle school. Sam's backpack would be in her cubby area and K was required to leave hers in her locker. Needless to say, I felt a little silly buying something that might be impossible for them to access in a midday active shooter situation, but it helped my mental state knowing they'd have some added protection some of the time. Because of Covid and cleaning measures, kids are now allowed to carry their backpacks at all times. So, since fall 2020, both girls have been able to have their backpacks and shields with them at all times. Some schools have talked about moving to clear backpacks, but these inserts will still work should that happen. They kind of look like notebooks. We have the yellow and green ones in the second picture. But yeah, I hate having to even think about any of this.

Bulletproof Backpack Insert

BULLETPROOF Backpack Insert Man-PACK Backpack Insert- Absorbs multiple magazines of ammunition from handguns or shotguns without ricochet or injury. Insert into any backpack, briefcase or handbag, Manufactured with Dyneema® (a high performance polyethylene fiber) for the most lightweight armor...

www.man-pack.com

I've never really understood that rule that you aren't allowed to carry your backpack with you....is it because they are afraid of what kids will hide in it? Like the gun? I'm assuming it was a handgun because a rifle wouldn't fit in a backpack. But maybe just because guns aren't a thing over here, I have a false sense of security? E was saying some kid in her class this year just spent a year on exchange in the States, and I guess it was scary because of that aspect. There was a shooting in the next state over (E doesn't remember which state he said he was in) and he found it really scary. And when I was home this summer, I was talking to some people I went to college with and they had spent some time in Spain doing field research about Spanish music, and their kids said that their classmates would tell them their parents wouldn't let them go to the US because they didn't think it was safe. It's interesting because there are all these places that American parents say no way, my kid isn't going to that place because it's not safe, and here are other parents thinking they don't want their kids going to the US.
But over here, the kids just take their backpacks with them the whole day. They don't have full-size lockers for all their books and such. They have just a small locker to put their coat into because they aren't allowed to wear their coats to class, which I also find strange. I can't figure that rule out....what's the purpose of that? But the lockers are for the coat and maybe a lunch, because there's also no lunch program in schools here. So they have to put all the books they need for the day into their backpack and carry it from one class to the next.

How heavy are the inserts? Not that we need them here, but I'm just thinking, if you have to carry it around all day, you'd want it to be light.