Always Be My Baby

A couple days ago I had one of "those moments" with Jalyn. Granted there are a ton of "those moments" in life, but this particular one really got to me.

Here's the scoop:

I had to take Sis to the doctor for her final (FINALLY!) shot required for school. Things had gotten a little off kilter with her shot records due to a dumba&& pediatrician who will not be named. That's a whole 'nother story. Anyway.... after Jalyn's appointment, I walked her in to the school office and explained why she was late. I asked the secretary if I could walk her to her class, but she gently explained that they had people who could assist her. (Apparently, the school has had WAY too many parents trying to roam the school hallways-- we received a nice little "talking to" in a letter sent home last week.). So I l leaned down to tell Sis to have a great day and bend in for a kiss....and there it was.



One of those moments.



She looked at me and I could just see in her eyes that she was thinking, "Mom I'm a big girl PLEASE don't kiss me in front of all these people I want to show what a big girl I am I can do this by myself I promise!"



Now granted, her beautiful blue four-year-old eyes likely did not say all of that in one run on sentence, but it sure felt like it. By the time my brain had even processed her expression, she was halfway down the hallway, eagerly walking to her fun-filled classroom. As I watched her wave to various friends in the hallway, skip in her light-up Disney princess shoes, with her newly bobbed hair-do bouncing, I just wanted to cry.



She'll always be my baby.

That's just how my friends roll....

Surrounded by water cooler talk today, I kept hearing the word "concert" which of course led to me interrupting the co-workers' conversation by saying "What concert???". Turns out that Robert Plant and Allison Krauss were scheduled to perform a show in Houston tomorrow night, but due to lovely Hurricane Ike, the show could not go on. With their big hearts wide open and their bank accounts closed, RP and AK decided to come to the OKC Zoo Ampitheatre instead (which is an awesome venue, btw) and put on a Hurricane Ike Relief Concert. 100% of the proceeds go to benefit Hurricane Ike victims. RP and AK are scheduled to perform this weekend at the ACL Music Festival (which I'm still bummed that I'm not going to be at:(), so I'm assuming that OKC was a logical geographical location to have this show.

Of course, I was totally psyched about this development and called my fellow concert-going pal DeAnna to see if she wanted to maybe get tickets. Well, turns out that she's going to be gone this weekend on a Boy Scout trip with her boys...which totally takes precedence over a concert, that's fo sho. So I just mentally chalked it up as a no-go. I hadn't been certain I could afford the tickets anyway since I'm trying to stockpile some money for Christmas.

As I'm driving home, DeAnna calls to tell me that she has called into a local radio station and won two tickets to the show... FOR ME!!! Seriously-- my girl Heather MADE my wedding dress and now Miss Dee is GIVING me free tickets!! How awesome are my friends????

I am so so so so so excited, my dear bloggy friends!! Not only is this going to give me a night out that I've SOOOO desperately been wanting, but I'm going to see two absolutely legendary performers. And drink some Zoo size beers while I'm at it:) Hmmm... maybe I should steal Heather's strategy of sneaking in liquor in travel size shampoo bottles under her boobs. Oh hell... I just remembered that I don't have any. Boobs OR bottles, LOL!

Watch out Zoo Amp! Here I come!!!! And for those who have not had the pleasure of enjoying a RP/AK collaboration... check out this video. Musical genuis, I tell ya!

My Happy Place

As anyone who read my self-absorbed, whiney blog from yesterday, you will know that I have been in a serious funk the past few days. So today I took my dear friend Heather's advice and searched out my happy place by implementing some of my favorite things in life into my day.

Here's a couple things I did to make myself smile today:
1. I wore my Grass perfume. GAP has recently reintroduced my all time favorite scent (still only available in outlet stores or on ebay though) to the masses. I have been rationing my supply for so long in fear that I would run out, so when we encountered a GAP outlet while on our honeymoon, I smooth stocked up. I'm not ashamed to admit that today I doused myself in the stuff. My apologies to any who walked by me at work today and wondered if someone had mown the grass and not changed their clothes. I love the smell of a freshly cut lawn, even on my body:)

2. I cleaned my kitchen. Although I hate the actual task of doing dishes, I LOVE walking into a clean kitchen the next evening when I get home.

3. I pre-programmed a huge pot of coffee to be waiting for me when I wake tomorrow.

4. I talked to the kids about their very first Open House at school tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to seeing where they spend their days, and they are really looking forward to showing me absolutely EVERYTHING:)

5. I drank a Bud Lime (seriously.. how can anyone NOT love this stuff??) and sang karaoke in my (clean) kitchen. Although Jalyn's room technically has the best acoustics in the house, she was trying to go to sleep, so I turned up my tunes in the kitchen and sang my little heart out. Ironically, Heather, one of the first songs I belted was "Anyway". Closed my eyes and pretended I was in Laughlin with all my buds.

6. I searched out some fantastic new music to listen to while I worked. AOL has two great sites that put up new cds every Monday for your listening pleasure before they are released the next day. I've discovered many many great artists this way. Today I stumbled across a girl named Lenka. Wonderful stuff. Google her if you'd like.. she has a lot of music posted on her myspace page as well.

7. I went and had Chinese food for lunch with my good friend Allison. I also lent her two books (YEAH!!). This may seem like a small thing, but Allison isn't much of a reader really. So when she told me last week that she had recently devoured the entire Twilight series, I made it my personal mission in life to introduce her to some other books that she will enjoy. I've got my fingers crossed that she will enjoy the ones I chose for her.

So there you have it. Small, simple things in life... but what can I say? They all make me happy. What about you? Do you have certain things that push your happy button and pull you out of a funk?

Ants in My Pants

I feel like I haven't blogged in a while, but in reality it has only been a few days. It probably feels that way cause I have been BORED OUT OF MY GODFORSAKEN MIND!!!!!!

Ugh.

I haven't written cause there simply has not been anything to report. Been home all weekend doing nothing except laundry, dishes, etc etc. We ventured out and went to a great bar-b-que place last night, but other than that, it's been the same ole' same ole'. Tried to get a sitter, but no go. God, I need to get out of the house. I've been fiending to just go sit at the casino for a couple hours. It shouldn't be so hard to get us there, but as all of you mothers know, it is. Sometimes I TRULY wish we lived in my hometown where my folks and my sister live. For the most part, we don't really have a back-up system here when it comes to babysitting. I have one friend that has watched the kids for many years, but she's got her own stuff going these days. Which is great, don't get me wrong... but I have been unable to find another sitter that I trust as much. My in-laws are always going going going, so even when they do watch the kids, I almost feel guilty for having even asked them. So this is the result that often occurs. I sit here feeling like I have ants in my pants, needing to just get out for a mere few "childless" hours, and it doesn't happen that often these days.

*sigh* Man, I sound super duper whiney, don't I? Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for my family- my beautiful, smart, creative children and my handsome, funny, loving husband. But man. Sometimes a little veg out time is just NEEDED! Let me modify that to say: a little veg out time NOT AT HOME is needed.

So I'm done... I've fulfilled my blogging quota for the day and I've gotten my bitchiness off my chest. Back to my book. Hope everyone else is having a great weekend!!

Too Many Books, Too Little Time

I've seen this on quite a few pages while browsing blogger recently and found it to be interesting. The idea is to see how many of the "classics" you've read. And before you ask, I have absolutely no idea who compiled this list or who deemed them classics. Although I would say I agree with that status for most of them.

Here's the instructions:

Check out the list. Bold those you have read. (You can italicize those you intend to read if you wish. To see why I did not, jump to end of blog.)


1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series- J.K. Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. 1984 - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo


Wow. That's pretty sad... only 21 out of 100. (Or should it be 27 if you count the HP series as 7 books??? Hmmm...) A few of these I haven't even ever heard of, which I find surprising. I worked at B. Dalten and B&N for 7 years, so even if I haven't read something, I've usually at least heard of it. Guess this just goes to show ya.. I'm not as well read as I think I am. I would like to say that I'm going to start plowing my way through the classics to remedy this situation...but I highly doubt I do. Why? Because there are just too many books, too little time.:)

Tuesday Teaser

While browsing random blogs yesterday (which I spend entirely too much time doing:)), I ran across a great meme entitled Teaser Tuesday. And yes, I am aware that it is now Wednesday...but hey, what can I say? I'm a little behind sometimes.

Here's how it works. Open up the book you are currently reading to any random page and type two sentences from that page. The idea is share a tantalizing teaser from the book that will possibly, maybe, hopefully encourage someone to explore the book you are currently reading.

Here's my Tuesday Teaser...albeit a day late.

"Piper noted with grudging approval that Cornelia didn't flinch, the way some people did after saying the word 'die' in front of Elizabeth. On her last (and, if Piper had her way, final) visit, Connie Abernathy had actually apologized for the phrase 'drop-dead gorgeous.'"

From page 121 of Belong to Me by Marisa de Los Santos.

What are you reading?? Tease me!!

The Right Road Home

Today marks the seven year anniversary of when Darrell and I began dating. To this day, I'm still amazed at how the smallest decisions in life can create such a ripple effect so that you are forever touched by the outcome.
My life as I know it began the day I walked into a little bar named Don Quixotes. I wonder what I would have said then if you had come up and told me that seven years from then, I would be married and have two children with the hot guy leaned over the pool table. And that the guy standing next to him would be my brother-in-law. And that he would marry and be the father of three children with the beautiful brunette girl sitting a couple tables over. Or that the dashing man and spunky blonde who owned the place would be my beloved in-laws.

I probably would have laughed in your face-- and then we would have had another shot:) Buttery nipple, please!

That fateful entrance into that particular bar changed my life forever, and confirmed for me once again-- that yes, everything happens for a reason. As I sit here tonight and think about the crazy turns life takes, I keep thinking of the words to a Lori McKenna song. And since she can say things so eloquently, in clever, clear ways in which I could never convey my feelings... I'm going to let her finish this out for me.

This one's for you, Darrell, should you actually stumble over to the OB and read this:) I love you. Here's to the next 7.



Someone was crying and the bells rang,
then I don't remember a thing.
you were talking but the words came -- from somebody else.

Someone said kiss her and so you did
I was smiling like a little kid.
you kissed my teeth and then we both hid-- inside each other's arms

All you really need is someone to be here,
Someone who'll never let you disappear.
This may be just a softer place to fall,
but someone will answer when you call.
And I will be that witness to your life.

Got that job and joined the Union
Fought every urge that told you to run.
Stared down the barrel of an empty gun-- and wondered a bit.
Stopped listening to all your friends,
they think this is where life begins and ends.
No one reaches, no one transcends,
They just learn to live with it.

All you really need is someone to be here
Someone who'll never let you disappear
And I will be that witness to your life.
You should never have to be alone
someone will always call you home.
and I will be that witness to your life.

Up the road, your car comes into view
and from our front lawn I just smile at you...
another day I thank the Lord that you
took the right road home.

The Time Has Come

(Disclaimer #1: This is a very self-involved blog, so please proceed with caution.)

It's time.

I've been saying for YEARS that I want to cut off my hair, but now, I think the time has finally arrived. This may not seem like a monumental decision to anyone else, but let me tell you a few things about my hair and the thoughts going through my blonde-tressed brain.

1. I have not had any type of short hair do since ... oh say... 1997. And I hated it. I fought with it every single day. I have Patty Duke hair. You know what I'm talking about, right?? The hair that does a little flip at the bottom the shorter it gets. But, my hair has changed drastically since having children, and to be honest, I just really don't have time in my life to worry about it if my hair does flip when it's shorter. My daily battles with the Duke-Do were also long before I discovered the joy of a flat-iron, so I think I could tackle the problem these days.

2. At my bachelorette party, my bff Heather composed a really fun questionairre for all guests to complete to see how much they knew about me. One question was "What is Jessica's favorite feature on herself?". The point of this little game was for all my guests to tell me what THEY thought my answer would be, and then I would tell me what the answer actually was. I didn't keep an exact count, but I think it is a fair estimate to say that at least 75% of the girls said that my hair was my best feature. Apparently, everyone else loves my hair WAY more than I do.

3. (DISCLAIMER #2: DAD... DO NOT READ THIS PORTION) I have this thing about long hair being sexy. I've always thought that during love-making, there was nothing hotter than flipping the hair back and it cascading down the middle of my back. As true as that may have felt at the time, let me tell you straight up than when we do make love these days, I certainly don't have my hair down. It gets caught in all sorts of uncomfortable situations and/or body parts, so it's piled on top of my head anyway.

4. I know rationally that the difference between long and short hair is this: Long Hair= can get away with air drying for work, but Short Hair= must fix. I think I'm ready to tackle this though, simply because the less hair I have, the less amount of time it will take to dry it. And THAT is the sole reason I don't flat-iron my hair every morning. It takes too stinkin' long to dry before doing so.

5. I'm married. And my poor husband has been looking at my hair piled on top of my head (as soon as I walk in the door, that's where it goes) for 7 years now. Maybe it's time to shake things up and give him something else to look at.

There you have it. The randomness that is me. This inward discussion is a prime example of why it takes me so long to make decisions at times. I have to fight with the "young" me and the "getting older" me. And for some reason... cutting off my hair is striking me as an "older" thing to do. I know it's just hair. I know it will grow back if I hate it. I just need to work up the courage to walk into the hair salon, face Jessica (yes, my hair girl's name is Jessica:)), and say it once again- It's Time. She's been witnessing my battle with this decision for so long now... I'm sure she'll know what I'm talking about:)

So get ready for a chocolate brown with red highlights stacked bob Jess headed your way in the future. If only I can get my mid-back long ashey blonde with dark brown underneath self to stick to my guns.

True Conversation from the Hall House

Mom: "Jaxen, your arms sure are starting to get a lot of hair on them."

Jaxen: "Mom...that's not hair! It's cherry fur!"

(Five year old brain translation: Cherry Fur = Peach Fuzz)

Good stuff.

The Books that Bind

The library. As a child, I spent a LOT of time at our local library. It was beautiful, cozy, and had the best children's librarian of all time, Mr. Dixon. The children's portion of our library was on the bottom level of a wonderful old building. So although it's not technically underground, it felt that way, which definitely added to appeal of the place.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.elkcity.com/Library/library.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.elkcity.com/library/&h=1072&w=1600&sz=299&hl=en&start=2&sig2=gKfDI38v4m_vEwdkDGVSmQ&um=1&usg=__8bJ5attwvH5P1Xryg90qcmSjb94=&tbnid=2vbxJGWIna7S9M:&tbnh=101&tbnw=150&ei=DkLLSJH4Gon6MrzFpZMB&prev=/images%3Fq%3Delk%2Bcity%2Blibrary%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

I would stay for hours, walking along the shelves, trailing my fingers along the spines of all the books that were just calling my name. I can still remember the layout of the categories. Now, as an adult, I work just a few blocks from our beautiful downtown library branch.

It is spacious, full of light, and very modern looking, all very different from the library of my childhood, but the appeal is the same. I visit it at least once a week. And yes, I still trail my fingers along the book spines.

Now it's your turn-- what's your library like? Do you have "good" library memories from your childhood?

Why I Blog

I just ran across a really intriguing meme over at http://www.callapidderdays.com/ . So I thought I would give it a whirl. I'm interested to hear everyone else's responses!!



5 Ways Blogging Has Affected Me:



1. Through blogging, I have met some really cool people. Although some of the blogs on my list are written by people that I actually know here in the real world, I have a few virtual buddies that have developed as well. Specifically, Kathy over at 2Kids3Martinis is just a laugh a minute. Love that crazy girl! And I've had the opportunity to connect with JessicaH. over at Fustian that I sadly only got to spend time with on one occasion while she lived here in OKC. Really, Jessica...what's up with that??? I think you're crazysupercool (and we all know you have an awesome name!), and only got to chill with you circa St. Paddy's Day 2006. Bummer. God bless blogger for letting me get to know you a "wee" bit better:)

2. This blog allows me to share some of my brain process with my dear ole' dad. I get busy at work and don't communicate via e-mail as often as I should. And I HATE to talk on the phone, so I certainly don't call as much as I should either. Via my blog, my dad can keep up with what's up in this crazy brain. And hey... if he likes what he reads, he can comment. If not, he can ignore it. Gotta love that, LOL! There's always a certain danger to allowing your parents to read what you write...but I figure I'm 30 years old (Oh crap, I just turned 31- and totally forgot!!). Anyways, there comes an age at which you just have to say, "This is who I am" and just try not to reveal any deep dark childhood secrets via blog:) PS Love you, Dad!

3. I have always loved to write, but have fallen off the journaling bandwagon since having kids. Since I am much faster at typing than writing, blogging is a much more efficient way to release my thoughts. Most of the time, they aren't even important thoughts, but I can sleep better knowing that I've released them into the blogging void for any and all who are to read them.

4. I can share my love (or dislike) of books with others. Although I love Darrell dearly, we are definitely opposites in a lot of ways. Darrell likes to hunt and work on his old trucks. I like to read and sing. I'm definitely the more artsy-fartsy one in the relationship. I've bought him a couple books, but the only one he actually read was The DaVinci Code. (Funny sidenote: While reading DVC, he was so caught up in the book, you couldn't even speak to him without him snapping at you. He totally ignored all of us until he finished the last page. *Hmmmm* Guess it was good to get a taste of my own medicine:)) I recently bought him a Bear Grylls book thinking that it would capture his interest since BG is his tv boyfriend, but it's still sitting in the bag. Occasionally I will try to share my opinions about a book with him, but suffice to say, he doesn't give a shit. But he pretends to listen, and I guess that is what really matters:)

5. Blogging gives me something to do. Now that the wedding is over, I don't know what to do with my evenings. Some days I feel like life is anticlimactic now. I've had the kids. Bought the house. Gotten married. What's next??? I know there's always some endeavor right around the corner, but right now, I just can't seem to see it. I need a goal!!!! Oh wait. I do! Finishing this blog!!

So there you have it. That's why I do this crazy thing called blogging. What about you?? I'm curious!

A reesponse from the mostest smarterest man I knowed

Here is my dad's reply to my last blog re: the letter my son's teacher sent home.

Enjoy!!



Subject: Condensation with Jessica
I inn joyed your remakes about the teacher letter. Hear is my humorless response too it. LOL (lots of luck) 6 read sons she might have made that many miss steaks. This might be perfect spelling but I did not spell check it. LOL

1. Did not have her glasses on
2. Had a migrain from the stress
3. assumed spell check was never wrong . LOL ,or due to lack of supplies had a computer without spellcheck.
4. Under duress to get the newsletter out with 20 screaming kids nearby
5. No one else was there to 100 % (Jack Daniels)proof it. LOL
6. After all of the above she just didn't care to proof it. LOL (?? lots of luck)


Now really... Is there any wonder why I'm a daddy's girl?!! I told Dad he should start a blog:)

The First Letter Home: Or How NOT to Use a Spell Check Program

I am saddened. Disheartened. And just plain frustrated.
That being said... let me explain why.

This evening I sat down to read the first letter that has been sent home from my son's kindergarten teacher. Let me now provide you with a few quotes:

1. "Now they feel safe in their new surrounding and convertible with the adult in charge."

2. "Using shoestring as away to accidentally pop others in the back."

3. "They are aol (absent with out leave)."

4. "Each parent is encouraged to send snack for the whole class (currently there is 28 students)."

5. "Unless a parent request that I don't."

6. "Thank you for your patients."

Now. Let me break these offenses down for you (just to provide an example of how my brain works).

1. Seriously. Is there any way at all that convertible could possible mean the same as comfortable?? This is a prime example of a spell check program error... it was apparently misspelled to begin with, and then the wrong selection was chosen in the spell check options. But when re-reading the letter for proofing (before distributing to PARENTS???) would you not notice this HUGE error??

2. Yet another spell check error--- away does not mean the same as a way.

3. Is there really ANY confusion in this world that AOL (internet provider) and AWOL (commonly known acronym throughout the world) could possibly mean the same thing?

4. Snack. Is. Come on-- it's simple elementary grammar to know that your noun and verb must match. Singular noun = singular verb. Plural noun= plural verb.

5. *sigh* RequestSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! Not request.

6. Probably the most painful error of all. This sentence occurred at the end of the letter and by this point, I was about to scream.

Let me insert here, please, that I do NOT read blogs (and/or letters) with the intention of editing them as I go. It's just something that my brain has always done. I think I was an editor in a previous life. Nor am I saying that I never make errors, or that I'm not guilty of stupid grammatical mistakes, especially while blogging.
But really folks. This is from a TEACHER!! This is the FIRST correspondence distributed to almost thirty parents and this is how you want to come across???
Let me also insert that both my mother and father taught elementary school for almost 25 years. I majored in elementary education, made it to student teaching, and then realized that it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I have a tremendous amount of respect for teachers. But I also go into this new parent/teacher relationship with high hopes and expectations. I know it's unrealistic to expect every teacher I encounter to be as intelligent or giving as my parents were to their students. But I DO expect my kids' teachers to be able to form grammatically correct sentences on paper.

*Sigh* I should have finished my degree.