Today's the day!

I am NOT a whiner! I abhor drama!  I firmly dislike anyone who airs their private challenges on any social media and today I'm a hypocrite!
Yesterday was "National Daughter's Day" declared someone, somewhere!  Face Book was stormed by loving parental wishes and cozy, heart-warming photos.  I cringed with jealousy at each one. They say you can't choose your family. Wrong! I chose mine and got the highs and lows.  I am embarrassed to call her my daughter.  There, I've said it.  She is weak and has little regard for anything or anyone but her worthless, deadbeat boyfriend.  I've heard others talk about their children and their choices. I've wondered how anyone could feel that way about their child much less say it openly.  I get it!  Loud and clear.

My child, who's actually a 37-year-old adult, sold her home (the only home my granddaughter has ever known,) quit her job and left the state without a goodbye, without leaving any forwarding information, without leaving an insurance card for her child, signing a guardianship agreement with a provision that she "WOULD PAY NO SUPPORT  and never contacted her until she finally answered a message from her daughter weeks later.

Now,  a call from Mom and OD (short for overdose) has them filling her head with pictures of sandy beaches, ocean waves, warm temperatures and a life of peace and frivolity. SO...who wants to be with Mom, despite the baggage of a dirtball bf who has hauled you from sleep in the middle of the night to buy drugs, brought you along to buy pot, told tales of possibly murdering someone....twice and has declared 3 times ( in hearings) that he has a disability and he can't work.....no car, no license, no job (although brags of one now!..Wait, he told NY courts that he was disabled!!)

So, let's take a bright, almost teen from a positive, structured environment with people who love her and want only the best for her and take her to the "sunshine state" where...when the money stops flowing, will be exactly in the same situation they've always been in.........only 1300 miles away.  This rescue mission has been an unmitigated failure and is O-V-E-R!   I am old, tired and sad but someone wise once told me that you can't fix stupid. Wise indeed!!

Seriously, you look fine!

I just don't get the whole big deal about how you look!!!  I understand it's great to be clean and neat and have your hair combed and your teeth brushed. I understand the premise that if you look good you feel good and vice versa!  But I can tell you unequivocally, we DON'T need to see your photo in the bathroom mirror.....all the time.  That is purely a narcissistic obsession.   I also don't understand the need to erase your face and paint on a new one.  Obviously, I'm not a makeup aficionado,,shocker...but I, for the life of me, can't understand why girls erase the eyebrows and draw on new ones.  I had someone say sarcastically, to someone else not long ago, "Nice sneakers"...I wanted to turn and say, "Nice eyebrows!"  I can see highlighting them a tad if you're a blond and have light brows or possible snipping a few follicles if you have a uni brow....but a whole new color and shape is stupid and quite frankly a waste of time.  Do they really think that enhances their beauty???? My hairdresser often says, "Can I trim some of those long, gray hairs in your brows?"  I laugh and agree and am thankful they aren't growing out of my nose or chin.....I guess that's the difference in a 20-30 something regime and a 60-70 regime.  Honestly, I'm exhausted after washing my face and brushing my teeth.  If the lips get a hint of color, it's in the car and on the way to the funeral or wedding!

Vanity has always been something I kept my sink in and never, ever a virtue I was born with. What you see is what you get....Most likely it won't improve with age so take a look at your girlfriend's Mom and Grandma and see if you think you can handle sleeping with that down the road.  Think of all the extra time you could have enjoying life rather than changing what your mirror sees.  Seriously, you look fine!

She's off!!!

Last, first day of eighth grade for Miss Bailee.  Last night's Open House and orientation was great. Some new faces, some older faces but all were smiling faces.  Her year will be jam-packed and full of interesting, albeit tough courses.  She's taking regents Bio and Algebra!  You go, girl... Last year ended on a bit of a rocky note but all was "fixed and completed" and she's in Advanced math and science again. New teachers in Spanish, Bio and Algebra but a great homeroom teacher and motivator is still there! I know she will be successful😉 and I've thrown in a few motivators myself.

This is a big year culminating with a graduation (bridging) ceremony to high school and a class trip to Washington, D.C.  I'm a little jealous as I think my favorite class trip.....60+ years ago, was to the Shriner's Circus where I took pictures of Michael Landon and sold them to my classmates. There was an entrepreneurial bone in my little body somewhere!!!

Life certainly was different then.  Teachers in their shirts, ties and dresses (although 2 teachers last night wore ties...I was impressed) and we weren't allowed to wear shorts. Phones are allowed in school anytime but during actual teaching times.  Our cords didn't quite reach that far.  Kids today have 2 beautiful schools to spend their 13+ years in and each is given a laptop computer to use.  I went to 5 different buldings in my 13 years! The new STEM classroom even has FIVE brand new, state of the art 3D printers.  I was giddy when our teachers wheeled in the AV cart with an overhead projector.  No more dusty blackboards or assigned eraser cleanings... Prometheus boards have taken their place and just a tap of a finger brings them to life.  WOW!

These technological advances are just every day for these kids. The world is certainly their oyster and they can/will go as far as their ambition takes them. I hope they know how very lucky they are and take advantage of every single resource.

I still have a modicum of disappointment as many still do not (and won't ever) know the beauty in cursive, correct grammar and punctuation skills and where Mongolia is but I guess if they need to know, they can Google it.  If Alexa doesn't know, or Siri doesn't know....ask Grandma! She knows everything!!!