GM's thread about nothing (33 Viewers)

[Henry Ford]

I think I mentioned it before but if you forced me to generalize I would say that Indian (7-11, not casino) parents are the greatest.

I have this exact conversation about 3 or 4 times every year at parent/teacher conferences:

Me: Your son is doing great. He has a 99% in the class and there are no behavioral issues. He's a very positive addition to the class.

Parent: Thank you. That's very good to hear. But you be sure to let me know right away if there is any problem at all.

Me: I will do that.

Parent: No, I mean it. Let me know right away if he gives you any problem at all or if he starts to slack-off. We'll fix that right away.

I'm generally in constant contact with Cal's teachers so I always know what that jerkoff is doing. Of course he's been really good the last 3 months or so which has been nice.

Dylan got into trouble three days in a row about a month ago so the teacher sent a not home and requested I sign it as proof I saw it. Why she doesn't use e-mail, I don't know. So I signed my name and wrote "this will be fixed" on it. I told Dylan if he ever wanted to play Minecraft again, this stopped now. Then I bribed his teacher with 8 dozen glue sticks.

Worked pretty well.

Those things are like cartons of smokes in a prison yard.

 

[T Bell]

It is. And I'm not being sexist here. Right now your hormones are about as stable as a drunk 5 year old on stilts.

Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, I've got a six-year old but that gives me an idea!

 

[YSR]

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Spoiler

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

Probably a natural reaction. You're doing the grunt work for the majority of the day and then when Romo gets home, you probably just want to take a break...whereas he's at "real work" and seeing the kid is something awesome to look forward to.

I know Mrs. TF had planned all along to stay home with the boys; but after 3 weeks decided she wanted to go back to work. She's much better for it. Not saying you're the same way, but maybe there's an absence makes the heart grow fonder thing going on.

Just my $.02, but you need to figure out some sort of "network" for you to latch on to. You need communication with other adults or you're going to go crazy.

I agree. As much as I loathe some aspects of my office, I want to get back there. I'm actually dropping off daycare applications today, if I can get around to it (of course all of the good ones have major wait lists, but we can hope). Another great thing about that? These day cares have art time and music time and all kinds of things that I'm just not doing. So I'm pumped for her to get into that kind of environment.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

There is nothing wrong with seeing your kid as special. There is nothing wrong with wanting to defend/protect your kid. There is nothing wrong with being your kid's strongest advocate.

But you have to be realistic. Kids, all kids, can be rapey dickmittens at times. I just love it when I hear parents say stupid crap like "my daughter doesn't lie" or "my child doesn't use that kind of language" or "my child would never do [insert whatever]". Bull####. Some kids are better than others but to pretend that your child is perfect is ridiculous.

We've got one of these moms on my son's hockey team. Kid has gotten into it with at least 10 different teammates on and off the ice.. but he's not the problem.

Last night was the final night of tryouts for next season. She found out a bunch of returning players already had been offered spots on the team but not her little angel. She flipped out. Way to live in reality, Toots.

I think I mentioned it before but if you forced me to generalize I would say that Indian (7-11, not casino) parents are the greatest.

I have this exact conversation about 3 or 4 times every year at parent/teacher conferences:

Me: Your son is doing great. He has a 99% in the class and there are no behavioral issues. He's a very positive addition to the class.

Parent: Thank you. That's very good to hear. But you be sure to let me know right away if there is any problem at all.

Me: I will do that.

Parent: No, I mean it. Let me know right away if he gives you any problem at all or if he starts to slack-off. We'll fix that right away.

I'm generally in constant contact with Cal's teachers so I always know what that jerkoff is doing. Of course he's been really good the last 3 months or so which has been nice.

Dylan got into trouble three days in a row about a month ago so the teacher sent a not home and requested I sign it as proof I saw it. Why she doesn't use e-mail, I don't know. So I signed my name and wrote "this will be fixed" on it. I told Dylan if he ever wanted to play Minecraft again, this stopped now. Then I bribed his teacher with 8 dozen glue sticks.

Worked pretty well.

You're a good dad. Although you might be setting a dangerous precedent by "bribing" the teachers.

"Mr. H? Dylan brought an Uzi to school today. Nobody saw it but me and he'll deny it of course. And BTW I could really use a new lap-top. "

 

[T Bell]

There is nothing wrong with seeing your kid as special. There is nothing wrong with wanting to defend/protect your kid. There is nothing wrong with being your kid's strongest advocate.

But you have to be realistic. Kids, all kids, can be rapey dickmittens at times. I just love it when I hear parents say stupid crap like "my daughter doesn't lie" or "my child doesn't use that kind of language" or "my child would never do [insert whatever]". Bull####. Some kids are better than others but to pretend that your child is perfect is ridiculous.

Maybe teachers should have the parallel of dashboard cams that cops have.

"Oh, well yes then... let's review the video compilation that I put together of Sally..."

 

[YSR]

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Spoiler

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

Spoiler

tl;dr for everyone: I don't think I've "bonded" with my kid yet and it's kind of bumming me out.

Spoiler

I'm pretty sure my wife actually hated our daughter for the first 18-24 mos. Between hormones and constantly having to give attention to something that has completely uprooted a life/lifestyle, routine, and marriage to which you've grown accustomed, I don't think it's an uncommon thing. He's a part-time parent. This thing that didn't even exist a few months ago now monopolizes your time. I didn't get it at all at the time, and it caused LOTS of issues for us. You'll get there eventually. There are lights at the end of the tunnel. She'll develop a personality that you'll completely see that you've helped mold. And that'll be awesome. She'll become less needy over time and start being abl to do some things for herself. And that'll help. And worst case, at the point she gets into school, she'll make friends who will force you to interact with people with whom you currently do not have easy introductions. Even daycares are excellent for that, if you can swing a decent one even a day or two per week.

Spoiler

Thank you. It's supremely helpful to hear I'm not alone in this. I agree with everything you've said for the most part. But, one little note is that Romo stayed home with her while I worked for the first 8.5 months of her life. He misses her terribly when he's on the road and he genuinely believes that every moment with her is valuable. So when I begin to complain about being exhausted at 8:30 PM when she's in bed, I get a "you do realize how lucky you are to be with her all day, right"? I swear it's not emotional warfare - he really feels this way.

And I just don't yet.

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

Some of this is mommy guilt, but some of this is just you. You strike me as someone who's going to enjoy your daughter more as she gets older and can talk and interact with you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just understand that with kids, it keeps getting better and better as you watch them and their lives and personalities develop.

I think you're right. For instance, I CANNOT WAIT to teach her to read. My siblings taught me when I was really young so I'm counting down the days. But at the same time, I just packed up a bunch of her old clothes and got a little sad about her getting older. Crap, maybe it IS hormones.

It's also possible he's just a better person than you.



:ducks:

No need to duck. I'm pretty sure he is. And I don't really think that's the hormones talking.

 

[Gadzooks]

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Spoiler

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

I don't think you have to worry about him not seeing her faults. When Little Zooks was born I always felt guilty going to work or any work-related function because I was missing time with him so like Romo I would be totally engaged and focused on him when I got home and did everything I could with him. I know my ex kind of resented that and she always felt like she didn't have a bond with him even though she was with him more than I was. I think our getting divorced actually helped her "bond" with him. I'm not encouraging you get divorced at all, I just think she struggled being on mom-duty all of the time which definitely isn't easy but the fact she was a selfish person didn't help her. You strike me as being able to handle it much better than my ex did.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Spoiler

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

If he were to spend a whole weekend with her solo, he'd feel the same way you do. Kids are a lot of work. That's the same reason grandparents have a barrel of fun with kids -- they get to give them back when they're done.

 

[T Bell]

I think I mentioned it before but if you forced me to generalize I would say that Indian (7-11, not casino) parents are the greatest.

I have this exact conversation about 3 or 4 times every year at parent/teacher conferences:

Me: Your son is doing great. He has a 99% in the class and there are no behavioral issues. He's a very positive addition to the class.

Parent: Thank you. That's very good to hear. But you be sure to let me know right away if there is any problem at all.

Me: I will do that.

Parent: No, I mean it. Let me know right away if he gives you any problem at all or if he starts to slack-off. We'll fix that right away.

I'm generally in constant contact with Cal's teachers so I always know what that jerkoff is doing. Of course he's been really good the last 3 months or so which has been nice.

Dylan got into trouble three days in a row about a month ago so the teacher sent a not home and requested I sign it as proof I saw it. Why she doesn't use e-mail, I don't know. So I signed my name and wrote "this will be fixed" on it. I told Dylan if he ever wanted to play Minecraft again, this stopped now. Then I bribed his teacher with 8 dozen glue sticks.

Worked pretty well.

I'm in an opposite position in some respects. My son is a total rule follower and a very mild, nice personality. His only problems in the classroom setting seem to be talking too much (he's very social), but he doesn't seem horrible about it and some of it is instigated in particular by a particularly problematic "friend" in the class who's a nutcase (with a VERY nutty mom - go figure) who's constantly coming over to him to socialize.

Anyway, he's quite different from me. I was always the "gifted" kid who was bored to death, didn't concentrate, broke rules, etc. It's going to be an interesting challenge for me to relate to him over time. My ex-wife (humorously, not maliciously) worries about me corrupting him.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Spoiler

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

Spoiler

tl;dr for everyone: I don't think I've "bonded" with my kid yet and it's kind of bumming me out.

Spoiler

I'm pretty sure my wife actually hated our daughter for the first 18-24 mos. Between hormones and constantly having to give attention to something that has completely uprooted a life/lifestyle, routine, and marriage to which you've grown accustomed, I don't think it's an uncommon thing. He's a part-time parent. This thing that didn't even exist a few months ago now monopolizes your time. I didn't get it at all at the time, and it caused LOTS of issues for us. You'll get there eventually. There are lights at the end of the tunnel. She'll develop a personality that you'll completely see that you've helped mold. And that'll be awesome. She'll become less needy over time and start being abl to do some things for herself. And that'll help. And worst case, at the point she gets into school, she'll make friends who will force you to interact with people with whom you currently do not have easy introductions. Even daycares are excellent for that, if you can swing a decent one even a day or two per week. Thank you. It's supremely helpful to hear I'm not alone in this. I agree with everything you've said for the most part. But, one little note is that Romo stayed home with her while I worked for the first 8.5 months of her life. He misses her terribly when he's on the road and he genuinely believes that every moment with her is valuable. So when I begin to complain about being exhausted at 8:30 PM when she's in bed, I get a "you do realize how lucky you are to be with her all day, right"? I swear it's not emotional warfare - he really feels this way.

And I just don't yet.

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

Spoiler

Some of this is mommy guilt, but some of this is just you. You strike me as someone who's going to enjoy your daughter more as she gets older and can talk and interact with you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Just understand that with kids, it keeps getting better and better as you watch them and their lives and personalities develop.

I think you're right. For instance, I CANNOT WAIT to teach her to read. My siblings taught me when I was really young so I'm counting down the days. But at the same time, I just packed up a bunch of her old clothes and got a little sad about her getting older. Crap, maybe it IS hormones.

It's also possible he's just a better person than you.



:ducks:

Teehee

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Spoiler

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

Spoiler

If he were to spend a whole weekend with her solo, he'd feel the same way you do. Kids are a lot of work. That's the same reason grandparents have a barrel of fun with kids -- they get to give them back when they're done.

And the gparents don't usually have to balance a career while managing them. It's a tough time to be a mother. I have much respect for the single ones who are trying to be/do everything and largely succeeding. Some of us don't make it that much easier on the married ones. I'm pretty sure I often make it worse.

 

[BobbyLayne]

I think I mentioned it before but if you forced me to generalize I would say that Indian (7-11, not casino) parents are the greatest.

I have this exact conversation about 3 or 4 times every year at parent/teacher conferences:

Me: Your son is doing great. He has a 99% in the class and there are no behavioral issues. He's a very positive addition to the class.

Parent: Thank you. That's very good to hear. But you be sure to let me know right away if there is any problem at all.

Me: I will do that.

Parent: No, I mean it. Let me know right away if he gives you any problem at all or if he starts to slack-off. We'll fix that right away.

NYC has nine specialized high schools, with entrance being based solely on entrance exam scores. The best free tuition school in Manhattan is Stuyversant high. 28,000 make the attempt every year, 800 (<3%) are admitted.

NYC public school demographics: 40% Latino, 32% African American, 13% Asian. Right now Stuyvesant has 21 (total, not %) Latinos, 7 blacks, and 73% Asian. Most of the latter is South Asian (Indian).

 

[-fish-]

my kid's teacher is kinda hot. I ran into her with some of her girlfriends at happy hour. I bought them a round and told her thanks for dealing with my kid, since she can be a pain in the ###. her teacher said she hasn't had any issues and my kid has been perfectly well behaved.

I told her "just wait."

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

There is nothing wrong with seeing your kid as special. There is nothing wrong with wanting to defend/protect your kid. There is nothing wrong with being your kid's strongest advocate.

But you have to be realistic. Kids, all kids, can be rapey dickmittens at times. I just love it when I hear parents say stupid crap like "my daughter doesn't lie" or "my child doesn't use that kind of language" or "my child would never do [insert whatever]". Bull####. Some kids are better than others but to pretend that your child is perfect is ridiculous.

Maybe teachers should have the parallel of dashboard cams that cops have.

"Oh, well yes then... let's review the video compilation that I put together of Sally..."

That might not even work. A few years ago we had a kid that was suspended for throwing a full bottle of water on the bus. It flew up from the back, hit one kid on the back of the head, and then just missed hitting the driver.

The kid denied it. The parents believed him. They brought all of the parties in to watch the bus-cam footage of the incident. After watching it a couple of times (the video wasn't all that clear) the dad says "AHA! That can't be my kid. The person throwing the water bottle threw it left-handed. My son is right-handed."

The principal had to break to the news to the dad that the video image was reversed.

 

[T Bell]

There is nothing wrong with seeing your kid as special. There is nothing wrong with wanting to defend/protect your kid. There is nothing wrong with being your kid's strongest advocate.

But you have to be realistic. Kids, all kids, can be rapey dickmittens at times. I just love it when I hear parents say stupid crap like "my daughter doesn't lie" or "my child doesn't use that kind of language" or "my child would never do [insert whatever]". Bull####. Some kids are better than others but to pretend that your child is perfect is ridiculous.

Maybe teachers should have the parallel of dashboard cams that cops have.

"Oh, well yes then... let's review the video compilation that I put together of Sally..."

That might not even work. A few years ago we had a kid that was suspended for throwing a full bottle of water on the bus. It flew up from the back, hit one kid on the back of the head, and then just missed hitting the driver.

The kid denied it. The parents believed him. They brought all of the parties in to watch the bus-cam footage of the incident. After watching it a couple of times (the video wasn't all that clear) the dad says "AHA! That can't be my kid. The person throwing the water bottle threw it left-handed. My son is right-handed."

The principal had to break to the news to the dad that the video image was reversed.

What's funny to me as an attorney is the highly stringent level of "proof" that school districts seem to think they need. If you've got multiple witnesses saying the same thing happened, then it almost doesn't matter what the video shows (or how clear it is) absent it clearly demonstrating that someone else threw the bottle and therefore clearing the kid who's accused.

If I was "principal for a day", I'd pretty much be saying, "Yeah, we're suspending your kid anyway. Sorry."

 

[T Bell]

my kid's teacher is kinda hot. I ran into her with some of her girlfriends at happy hour. I bought them a round and told her thanks for dealing with my kid, since she can be a pain in the ###. her teacher said she hasn't had any issues and my kid has been perfectly well behaved.

I told her "just wait."

You going to ask for a meeting and then, "on the spur of the moment", suggest "Why don't we meet at [name of bar]?"

 

[Annyong]

BTW, Annyong, I think of you every time I want to scream when my daughter is being difficult. A while back you posted something about how you just have to remind yourself that they are babies and don't know what they're doing. It's pretty common sensual, but it's been really helpful for me to step back and garner the patience I need.

I always remind myself right before I'm about to drop him in a dumpster

 

[Sweet J]

I know I'm really, really, late for an update. One is coming, I swear.

But for now, I've just got this to say:

I'm only half-way through Season 4, but it is increasingly clear to me that Saul Goodman is the best character ever to grace television. I could watch a whole episode of just him talking his way out of (or into) things.

 

[-fish-]

my kid's teacher is kinda hot. I ran into her with some of her girlfriends at happy hour. I bought them a round and told her thanks for dealing with my kid, since she can be a pain in the ###. her teacher said she hasn't had any issues and my kid has been perfectly well behaved.

I told her "just wait."

You going to ask for a meeting and then, "on the spur of the moment", suggest "Why don't we meet at [name of bar]?"

she's married to some military guy who's currently based in Washington DC

but she has cute friends.

 

[-fish-]

I know I'm really, really, late for an update. One is coming, I swear.

But for now, I've just got this to say:

I'm only half-way through Season 4, but it is increasingly clear to me that Saul Goodman is the best character ever to grace television. I could watch a whole episode of just him talking his way out of (or into) things.

Better Call Saul goodness

 

[Sweet J]

Faith and begorrah! A fellow potato eater! My real name's McGill. The Jew thing I just do for the homeboys. They all want a pipe-hitting member of the tribe, so to speak...

 

[Sweet J]

[To Skyler] Walter never told me how lucky he was. Clearly his taste in women is the same as his taste in lawyers . . . only the very best, with just a right amount of dirty.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

There is nothing wrong with seeing your kid as special. There is nothing wrong with wanting to defend/protect your kid. There is nothing wrong with being your kid's strongest advocate.

But you have to be realistic. Kids, all kids, can be rapey dickmittens at times. I just love it when I hear parents say stupid crap like "my daughter doesn't lie" or "my child doesn't use that kind of language" or "my child would never do [insert whatever]". Bull####. Some kids are better than others but to pretend that your child is perfect is ridiculous.

Maybe teachers should have the parallel of dashboard cams that cops have.

"Oh, well yes then... let's review the video compilation that I put together of Sally..."

That might not even work. A few years ago we had a kid that was suspended for throwing a full bottle of water on the bus. It flew up from the back, hit one kid on the back of the head, and then just missed hitting the driver.

The kid denied it. The parents believed him. They brought all of the parties in to watch the bus-cam footage of the incident. After watching it a couple of times (the video wasn't all that clear) the dad says "AHA! That can't be my kid. The person throwing the water bottle threw it left-handed. My son is right-handed."

The principal had to break to the news to the dad that the video image was reversed.

What's funny to me as an attorney is the highly stringent level of "proof" that school districts seem to think they need. If you've got multiple witnesses saying the same thing happened, then it almost doesn't matter what the video shows (or how clear it is) absent it clearly demonstrating that someone else threw the bottle and therefore clearing the kid who's accused.

If I was "principal for a day", I'd pretty much be saying, "Yeah, we're suspending your kid anyway. Sorry."

Right but most school admins have been trained (too trained I suppose) in the arts of CYA. And in reality my district has always been more like "we're suspending your kid anyway." IIRC correctly the parents of the bottle thrower were just being difficult.

 

[Sweet J]

There's no honor among thieves... except for us of course.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

JFC, that's ridiculous.

Yes, yes it is.

It is messed up on so many levels. Earlier today I was telling the wife "the worst part is that one facet of my job, aside from all of the other obvious things, is to try to make these kids better people. I may only have them 45 minutes a day but I do whatever I can to help them become better people. No just 'more successful' in the traditional sense but just better human beings."

But when you run across parents like this that absolutely have no clue or totally deny that their kid is major dooshspout it's like a kick in the nards.

As cynical and "miserable" as I come across on this board I am an idealist. I wouldn't be in this business if I wasn't. Having this kid go through 95% of the school year with me and then knowing he's leaving without improving one iota in terms of his behavior/attitude/outlook on life bugs the piss out of me.

My buddy's wife is a teacher (5th or 6th grade i think) She said at her last parent/teacher conference she had one set of parents that after 5 minutes of discussing the normal stuff the father says "ok, be honest, is our kid an a##hole? Because if he is then that's a reflection on us. Seems like most kids are a##holes and I think it's because their parents are a##holes. Be honest, I won't be offended, it's not your fault if he's an a##hole." She tried not to laugh and told them that their kid was one the nicest students she has and the Dad looks at the Mom and says "I don't know, he could turn into an a##hole at any point, lets stay on top of this." She said it was the best conference she ever had.

 

[YSR]

BTW, Annyong, I think of you every time I want to scream when my daughter is being difficult. A while back you posted something about how you just have to remind yourself that they are babies and don't know what they're doing. It's pretty common sensual, but it's been really helpful for me to step back and garner the patience I need.

I always remind myself right before I'm about to drop him in a dumpster

BTW, on reread, I hope it is clear that I meant "common sensical". Stupid iPad, why don't you let me use a non-allowed English word for once.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

i volunteer daily at my daughters school. one of the things that drives me crazy is the inability of the teachers to discipline any of the ########## kids.

here's an example: i come to school and a kid, (we'll call him frank, cause that's his name) is sitting sullenly in the hallway trying to rip his backpack off the wall. i ask him "what's up? why are you out here?' he ignores me. won't look at me, speak, nothing.

i go ask the teacher what's up, she says he won't go to the office.

'won't go to the office??? i'll take him to the office!!!'

she then tells me i can't touch frank at all, in any way.

i then tell frank to go to the office in my sternest voice. frank tells me to #### off (not really, he just stayed silent and stared at the floor)

eventually the principal comes and talks to frank. for over 30 minutes.

the solution?? give frank toys to play with in the hallway and then give him even better toys to play in the principals office and let him eat snacks!!

yay!!! frank wins.

they can't do ANYTHING when a kid acts out. can't even send him home.

we're doomed

 

[Good Posting Judge]

JFC, that's ridiculous.

Yes, yes it is.

It is messed up on so many levels. Earlier today I was telling the wife "the worst part is that one facet of my job, aside from all of the other obvious things, is to try to make these kids better people. I may only have them 45 minutes a day but I do whatever I can to help them become better people. No just 'more successful' in the traditional sense but just better human beings."

But when you run across parents like this that absolutely have no clue or totally deny that their kid is major dooshspout it's like a kick in the nards.

As cynical and "miserable" as I come across on this board I am an idealist. I wouldn't be in this business if I wasn't. Having this kid go through 95% of the school year with me and then knowing he's leaving without improving one iota in terms of his behavior/attitude/outlook on life bugs the piss out of me.

My buddy's wife is a teacher (5th or 6th grade i think) She said at her last parent/teacher conference she had one set of parents that after 5 minutes of discussing the normal stuff the father says "ok, be honest, is our kid an a##hole? Because if he is then that's a reflection on us. Seems like most kids are a##holes and I think it's because their parents are a##holes. Be honest, I won't be offended, it's not your fault if he's an a##hole." She tried not to laugh and told them that their kid was one the nicest students she has and the Dad looks at the Mom and says "I don't know, he could turn into an a##hole at any point, lets stay on top of this." She said it was the best conference she ever had.

+100.

I think if you can acknowledge that it's possible that your kid might become an #######, you're probably OK.

Our 4 yo can be a maniac at home on occasion, but she's fine out and amongst other people. I'll take that.

 

[Limp Ditka]

####in' obama

 

[Good Posting Judge]

There was a rotten kid at my daughter's preschool that I think was asked to leave. He was just ####ty to the other kids constantly, one time I was watching them play London Bridge, standing in a single file line, and he's in the back and just starts shoving everyone over. And his mom seemed perfectly reasonable, so who knows. I would respect him if he was just a complete #### of a kid, but he'd stop anything immediately if an adult told him not to. He had no principles.

But he's gone, and the day I found out was probably the second best day of the year so far behind UConn winning. A fairly close second.

 

[T Bell]

There was a rotten kid at my daughter's preschool that I think was asked to leave. He was just ####ty to the other kids constantly, one time I was watching them play London Bridge, standing in a single file line, and he's in the back and just starts shoving everyone over. And his mom seemed perfectly reasonable, so who knows. I would respect him if he was just a complete #### of a kid, but he'd stop anything immediately if an adult told him not to. He had no principles.

But he's gone, and the day I found out was probably the second best day of the year so far behind UConn winning. A fairly close second.

Some kids just have a screw loose, having nothing to do with parenting or parentage.

 

[Idiot Boxer]

We've got one of these moms on my son's hockey team. Kid has gotten into it with at least 10 different teammates on and off the ice.. but he's not the problem.

Not always so cut-and-dried. There was a period (after a move, if I recall correctly), I was, for some reason, selected to be the soccer team's pariah. Each other kid in the "pack" justified their position in it so long as I was the lowest. There was a common bond of bullying. And I was for the time, the target of all of it.

Until I fought and beat up 90% of those ####ers, even though most of them had me by 40lbs and a half a foot.

 

[T Bell]

Cool watch. Another amusing example of something functional becoming fashionable like, well, pretty much everything in fashion.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

I like to think that I'm going to be one of those "is my kid an #######" parents, which I think is great down the line.

Spoiler because I am about to whine/ramble/seek advice so if you don't care about kid stuff please ignore.

Spoiler

Problem is, I'm kind of that parent now. There is a marked difference between the way Romo is with our kid and the way I am. He thinks she is the most amazing thing ever and while I agree that she's awesome and the best thing to happen to us... well, I don't know. When he's gone for work, I'm a single mom 24/7 - we don't have many friends here (mostly my fault because I've been pretty miserable here and haven't wanted to put down roots) and neither of us trust her with his family. But I'm not getting the joy out of it that he seems to when he stays with her.

When he's here, he has an unending amount of patience and desire to engage her (hugs, kisses, baths, feeding, playing, etc.). They are best friends. When I am with her, I play with her and read to her and feed her and bathe her, but I feel like there's a chip or something missing. Some of it has to do with the fact that I'm trying to work enough hours during the week to keep my job in good standing, but still.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. All of this is to say that down the line, he might not be able to see her faults but I think I will (because maybe I already do?)

totally normal. you're the disciplinarian, you're always there. he's not. it's exciting and 'new' for both of them. you are blase.

 

[Henry Ford]

We've got one of these moms on my son's hockey team. Kid has gotten into it with at least 10 different teammates on and off the ice.. but he's not the problem.

Not always so cut-and-dried. There was a period (after a move, if I recall correctly), I was, for some reason, selected to be the soccer team's pariah. Each other kid in the "pack" justified their position in it so long as I was the lowest. There was a common bond of bullying. And I was for the time, the target of all of it.

Until I fought and beat up 90% of those ####ers, even though most of them had me by 40lbs and a half a foot.

Wow. What happened to the other half of your foot?

 

[Idiot Boxer]

We've got one of these moms on my son's hockey team. Kid has gotten into it with at least 10 different teammates on and off the ice.. but he's not the problem.

Not always so cut-and-dried. There was a period (after a move, if I recall correctly), I was, for some reason, selected to be the soccer team's pariah. Each other kid in the "pack" justified their position in it so long as I was the lowest. There was a common bond of bullying. And I was for the time, the target of all of it.

Until I fought and beat up 90% of those ####ers, even though most of them had me by 40lbs and a half a foot.

Wow. What happened to the other half of your foot?

Lost it in 'nam.

 

[Captain Quinoa]

We've got one of these moms on my son's hockey team. Kid has gotten into it with at least 10 different teammates on and off the ice.. but he's not the problem.

Not always so cut-and-dried. There was a period (after a move, if I recall correctly), I was, for some reason, selected to be the soccer team's pariah. Each other kid in the "pack" justified their position in it so long as I was the lowest. There was a common bond of bullying. And I was for the time, the target of all of it.

Until I fought and beat up 90% of those ####ers, even though most of them had me by 40lbs and a half a foot.

Wow. What happened to the other half of your foot?

Nothing - everyone else had 2 1/2 feet

 

[Henry Ford]

We've got one of these moms on my son's hockey team. Kid has gotten into it with at least 10 different teammates on and off the ice.. but he's not the problem.

Not always so cut-and-dried. There was a period (after a move, if I recall correctly), I was, for some reason, selected to be the soccer team's pariah. Each other kid in the "pack" justified their position in it so long as I was the lowest. There was a common bond of bullying. And I was for the time, the target of all of it.

Until I fought and beat up 90% of those ####ers, even though most of them had me by 40lbs and a half a foot.

Wow. What happened to the other half of your foot?

Lost it in 'nam.

Those little bastards were messing with a veteran? Man, I hate kids.

 

[Henry Ford]

We've got one of these moms on my son's hockey team. Kid has gotten into it with at least 10 different teammates on and off the ice.. but he's not the problem.

Not always so cut-and-dried. There was a period (after a move, if I recall correctly), I was, for some reason, selected to be the soccer team's pariah. Each other kid in the "pack" justified their position in it so long as I was the lowest. There was a common bond of bullying. And I was for the time, the target of all of it.

Until I fought and beat up 90% of those ####ers, even though most of them had me by 40lbs and a half a foot.

Wow. What happened to the other half of your foot?

Nothing - everyone else had 2 1/2 feet

I laughed out loud at this.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

There was a rotten kid at my daughter's preschool that I think was asked to leave. He was just ####ty to the other kids constantly, one time I was watching them play London Bridge, standing in a single file line, and he's in the back and just starts shoving everyone over. And his mom seemed perfectly reasonable, so who knows. I would respect him if he was just a complete #### of a kid, but he'd stop anything immediately if an adult told him not to. He had no principles.

But he's gone, and the day I found out was probably the second best day of the year so far behind UConn winning. A fairly close second.

Some kids just have a screw loose, having nothing to do with parenting or parentage.

Although in my experience 85-90% of the time you can see why a kid is screwed up after talking with the parents for 10 minutes. But there are cases where there is no easy explanation as to why the kid is a PITA. Of course we're not talking about kids with diagnoses or something clinical.

 

[General Malaise]

Was not thrilled about this last night.

Reddit NewYork favorited your Tweet

23h: Seeing The Norwegians with Bo Wen. (@ The Drilling Company Theatre) on #Yelp http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-drilling-company-theatre-new-york?pt=check_in&ref=twitter&v=4b …

OK, a few quick stay cation bursts...

So it's been, what, 12-1/2 years? If i wasn't prepared for my reaction to visiting the 9/11 Memorial this morning, I guess I never will be. It is massive in scale and beautifully executed - the water falling into the abyss captures the sense of loss and longing in a powerful way. Still a construction site next door, windy, dust in the air, etc.

The sun came out AT THE EXACT MOMENT we left the site...

Walked the Brooklyn Bridge, took some selfies with my handsome (not gay!) boy, lunch in Brooklyn Heights, Citibiked back, grabbed some veggies in Chinatown, picked up little sister. 10 years apart - he played tag with her on the playground, helped her get her self-serve toppings for frozen yogurt, painted her nails (I said NOT gay, GM).

In all seriousness, I love how gentle he is with his sister (without any guidance, it comes natural). He is patient and respectful and doesn't tease (she looks up to him like he is Thor the God of Thunder).

One more play this week (Of Mice and Men, James Franco). If I accomplish nothing else as a father, I've planted seeds that hopefully will one day bloom.

I missed too many milestones and somebody else raised him more than I did. But the bond is still special and runs deep. We get each other's humor, he shares my quirky palette, culinary and otherwise, and he is off the charts brilliant in so many ways. I haven't always been there for him, and I can't get the time back, but he'll never wonder how his dad felt about him. He knows I love him with all my heart and would do anything for him. He can find other reasons to be resentful and hate me (isn't that normal for teens?) but he'll never be able to say I didn't know what my dad was thinking or how he felt about me.

So I got that going for me...which is nice.

Good stuff, BL.

I'm coaching soccer again this spring and we had our first practice last week. I have 14 kids on the team, most of them I have coached before. Since our practice runs from 5-6:30, many parents have trouble getting their sons to and from practice. So, I agreed to help carpool this year. My assistant coach is also my neighbor so after last week's practice, I had Kellen go home with my assistant coach and his son and I took 3 of the other guys home (including the kid whose father is in prison currently).

Anyhow, other than my car smelling like a combination of old sock and death, it was kind of cool to talk to the 3 kids without my son there. I'm of a firm belief that car rides are invaluable to communication with your kids and their friends. Not having Kellen there was pretty cool because they opened up a little bit and told me things I had no idea, INCLUDING THAT HE WAS SWEET ON A GIRL NAMED VIVIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, obviously, this is not concrete proof that he is straight or gay and truth be told, I could care less either way. But I appreciated the other fellas disclosing that to me and when I dropped the last kid off I might or might not have celebrated like Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire" when the song "Free Fallin'" came on the radio.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

Was not thrilled about this last night.

Reddit NewYork favorited your Tweet

23h: Seeing The Norwegians with Bo Wen. (@ The Drilling Company Theatre) on #Yelp http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-drilling-company-theatre-new-york?pt=check_in&ref=twitter&v=4b …

OK, a few quick stay cation bursts...

So it's been, what, 12-1/2 years? If i wasn't prepared for my reaction to visiting the 9/11 Memorial this morning, I guess I never will be. It is massive in scale and beautifully executed - the water falling into the abyss captures the sense of loss and longing in a powerful way. Still a construction site next door, windy, dust in the air, etc.

The sun came out AT THE EXACT MOMENT we left the site...

Walked the Brooklyn Bridge, took some selfies with my handsome (not gay!) boy, lunch in Brooklyn Heights, Citibiked back, grabbed some veggies in Chinatown, picked up little sister. 10 years apart - he played tag with her on the playground, helped her get her self-serve toppings for frozen yogurt, painted her nails (I said NOT gay, GM).

In all seriousness, I love how gentle he is with his sister (without any guidance, it comes natural). He is patient and respectful and doesn't tease (she looks up to him like he is Thor the God of Thunder).

One more play this week (Of Mice and Men, James Franco). If I accomplish nothing else as a father, I've planted seeds that hopefully will one day bloom.

I missed too many milestones and somebody else raised him more than I did. But the bond is still special and runs deep. We get each other's humor, he shares my quirky palette, culinary and otherwise, and he is off the charts brilliant in so many ways. I haven't always been there for him, and I can't get the time back, but he'll never wonder how his dad felt about him. He knows I love him with all my heart and would do anything for him. He can find other reasons to be resentful and hate me (isn't that normal for teens?) but he'll never be able to say I didn't know what my dad was thinking or how he felt about me.

So I got that going for me...which is nice.

Good stuff, BL.

I'm coaching soccer again this spring and we had our first practice last week. I have 14 kids on the team, most of them I have coached before. Since our practice runs from 5-6:30, many parents have trouble getting their sons to and from practice. So, I agreed to help carpool this year. My assistant coach is also my neighbor so after last week's practice, I had Kellen go home with my assistant coach and his son and I took 3 of the other guys home (including the kid whose father is in prison currently).

Anyhow, other than my car smelling like a combination of old sock and death, it was kind of cool to talk to the 3 kids without my son there. I'm of a firm belief that car rides are invaluable to communication with your kids and their friends. Not having Kellen there was pretty cool because they opened up a little bit and told me things I had no idea, INCLUDING THAT HE WAS SWEET ON A GIRL NAMED VIVIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, obviously, this is not concrete proof that he is straight or gay and truth be told, I could care less either way. But I appreciated the other fellas disclosing that to me and when I dropped the last kid off I might or might not have celebrated like Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire" when the song "Free Fallin'" came on the radio.

"Examples of masculine names which have been widely given to females and thus have become unisex include Ashley, Beverly, Evelyn, Hilary, Jocelyn, Joyce, Kelly, Lynn, Meredith, Shannon, Shirley, Sidney, Vivian, and Whitney."

 

[T Bell]

Hi dad, I'd like to introduce you to Vivian.

 

[Officer Pete Malloy]

OK, that was mean. Congrats, GM.

 

[Limp Ditka]

OK, that was mean. Congrats, GM.

It's OK. you're not the problem. Everyone else is.

 

[Annyong]

I have a 64% chance to get selected into the Chicago Marathon lottery.

 

[General Malaise]

I can't even go into that suicide thread. The whole thing kind of terrifies me.

But it did remind me of a radio commercial that plays here. It's some PSA about depression but seems totally ridiculous. It has some lady going on about how devastated she is that her husband committed suicide and that she had no idea that depression could lead to suicide.

How is that even possible? Is there a single person in the US that seriously doesn't know that depression can lead to suicide? It stretches all plausibility and discredits the entire commercial. What do people think cause suicide then if not depression?

/end rant

Marriage? [/bob Sacamano]

 

[General Malaise]

I don't need any more ####### girl scout cookies. Jeez.

Don't buy any more?

They're relentless.

"I got some from my niece, thanks."

I didn't even know they sold them individually.

 

[General Malaise]

Most days my job is rainbows and unicorns. Then there are days like tomorrow where I have to get up at 4 to hop a plane to Lubbock for two straight days of presentations and meetings. I'm going to be in a suit and tie before 5 am. I'm not sure that's even legal.

I am the keynote speaker for a sales conference with 90 attendees tomorrow at 1pm at the Domain. I am drinking with my cousin and watching the rockets game. I have not given a thought to my speech.Good luck to you tomorrow Bentley. Tpw.

We gonna bet on the Rockets/Blazers series? Maybe instead of money, something fun like an article of clothing, six-pack or a gallon of gas?

 

[T Bell]

I have a 64% chance to get selected into the Chicago Marathon lottery.

Congratula