I'm Just Sayin

Opened up our AT and T bill today. They screwed us over AGAIN. For the second month in a row we have had several charges for downloads that we have not done. I lost my phone back in June and I diactivated the phone. Before I could deactivate it there was about 100 dollars of fees for downloads. At first they were giving us the heisman but they relented and took those fees off.

At and T part II- For the second month in a row they tell us they did not get our payment. We have the account electronically taken from our account. We have been doing this for as long as I can remember. Well two months ago we got rid of the bundle because their TV coverage was CRAP...we had nothing but problems. When you know the service guy by name and he knows the names of your dogs....he has been to your house too much. Well all of the sudden when we dropped them for TV they can't seem to keep track of our account. We even showed them where the money was deducted....didn't matter....they still did not show that we paid so we had to go toe to toe with them about the late fees. So they got rid of the late fees. Well this month the bill came and we got a penalty fee for not paying the late fee last month that we were told they took off the account. DID YOU FOLLOW THAT ONE?

So I don't give a crap anymore....I am paying the fee to disconnect from them and I went out and got T-mobil. I can't wait till they ask me why I am disconnecting them.

Answer- Your customer service- SUCKS and your billing department SUCKS

Why are my kids total angels around my parents? Makes me feel like a failure as a parent sometimes....example:

My son gets up from the table and does not take his plate to the sink at meal time at my parents- My Dad- Big Jack did you forget something? Jack turns around APOLOGIZES and gets the plate to the sink.

I ask Jack to clean his room before dinner and with all of the complaining I hear you would have thought I told him to build a V-8 hemi and install it into my car.

This happened to me TWICE this week- Traveling down the highway at 70+ on the tollway and a driver in the far left lane realizes he and or she was about to miss their exit. So they cross all three lanes of traffic and cause the rest of us to hit the brakes and almost run into one another and we fight to not hit them.

NOW I ASK YOU? WHY DOES THIS PERSON NOT JUST GOT THE MILE DOWN THE ROAD IF THAT AND EXIT AND TURN AROUND?

Funny line from Jack today when I asked him to clean his room?
WHAT? YOU CAN'T EXPECT ME TO CLEAN ALL OF THIS?
Me-Um...yeah I can. Your room...your mess.
Jack- YOUR THE MEANEST DAD ALIVE
Me- Probably so Jack....I tell you what...I will look it up and see if I am. While I am doing that....clean your room.

Editors Note- I did see on CNN where some parents were being put in jail for denying their child food. I think this qualifies as meaner than me.

The picture up top is of Caroline on her first day of Kindergarten. I LOVE this picture. Caroline got an awesome teacher. She is ON IT.

Jack has a first year teacher this year. Tracey is ready to take her to task. I am going to suggest and let her hang herself. Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves. On the other side....maybe she will figure it out? I have seen first year teachers are GREAT! This one....time will tell but the boat is leaking. They deserve an opportunity to figure out. Thinking back to my first year....WOW...not sure but I might owe all those kids an apology.

We did ask about a behavior communication folder or system because we did not see anything come home.

ANSWER? We expect the kids to tell their parents if they got in trouble at school.

Um- excuse me? Can I see a show of hands of how many kids are going to do that?

Thank You Dad For Being You

Dad,

I wanted to take this time to thank you for being you. I am who I am because of you. Your life lessons did not fall on deaf ears dad. I really did listen. Even during those hard learned lessons. I listened to everything you said. I wanted to show you how much I cared for you. That is why my son is named after you.

My whole mission in life is to pass on those lessons you taught me on how to be a good son, brother, young man and one day....a man of his own.

Today I saw how much you mean to my son. As I watched him sink into your grasp and grab your arm to put around himself I could tell that he knew that as long as he was there he felt safe. You could see his whole body just relax as he buried himself into you.

Jack loves his Pa.

I love you dad....and thanks for just being you.

This Song Hits Me

It Ain't Braggin' If You Can Back IT UP

The other day Jack was running around with his Pa doing errands. This is one thing Jack absolutely LOVES to do. Dad aka Pa was going to have coffee with his buddies at a local McDonalds and Jack went with him. I have been to these coffee's before. Basically it's a bunch of guys that are retired now and they sit around and talk about what all their grown kids and grand kids are doing.

Dad mentioned that one individual in particular was always bragging about his grandson. How big he is and what a little stud he is. He is about a year older than Jack. Neither dad nor I know how big this kid actually is because you can't tell by the pictures this guy has.

Well the other day Jack was sitting next to his Pa having a Mocha and he was sitting across from the guy who brags alot. He asked Jack..So son how old are you? Jack replied: I am 8 sir.

The guy did a double take and then looked over at my Dad.
Good Lord Jack what the hell are you feeding him?

My dad got a big giggle out of that.

Humble

Today was our districts’ convocation to officially kick off our school year. I truly believe that I am in a unique situation here in my district. I have been on campuses in other districts where everyone supports one another and everyone does whatever is asked of them. However, it is not that way across the board. This is the only district that I have been in where across the board EVERYONE supports one another and that is awesome.
I will be honest about something. I feel a bit out of place at this time. For the first time in six years I am not in charge of a campus building. I feel like a Captain with no ship. It is part of the “first” that I have been dealing with in my new position. The first spring where I am not a campus administrator, the first summer where I am not a campus administrator, now the first start of school where I am not a campus administrator.
There are many parts of the job I don’t miss. This is not one of them. The start of school is always an exciting time of year. The teachers are ready to go, the school is all clean, and everyone is excited to get the year going.
Today I had a bit of an emotional experience in that the campuses were being recognized and given banners for their testing performance at convocation. These banners will be placed on the buildings and are a huge source of pride. For the first time ever our district will be a recognized district. This is huge! If I could tell you where we were just 6 years ago….wow!
It came time to give my former campus their RECOGNIZED banner for a job well done. I am so proud of the staff. You see I had to step down for health reasons at Thanksgiving of last year. To say the campus had challenges is an understatement. Any time you change leadership of a campus it’s big. When you do it DURING the school year….HOLY COW.
Well Mr. Murray, our superintendant, starts out by saying something about the challenges this campus faced and let nothing get in their way….and he calls down the principal and staff of BRENT INTERMEDIATE. The staff comes to the stage and everyone his hooting it up. I go and stand at the bottom of the stage to congratulate everyone as they are going up the stairs to get on the stage. Then when they are all up on stage I stand off to the side and applaud and give them a thumb’s up signal. Then Mr. Murray get’s back to the microphone and he says this.
I want to recognize someone who is near and dear to all of us and without him this campus could not have done what it has done please help me recognize Mr. JDHTEACH.
I was stunned….it’s the first time I have ever been recognized like that. The staff at Brent went nuts and all of the people in the audience were clapping. All I could do was clap back and just wipe a tear that began running down my cheek.

My Son

I never want this to go unsaid,
So here in this poem, is for it to be said.
There are no words to express how much you mean to me,
A son like you, I thought could never be.
Because the day you were born, I just knew,
God sent me a blessing- and that was you.
For this I thank Him everyday,
You are the true definition of a son, in everyway.
It is because of you that my life has meaning,
Being a DAD has shown me a new sense of being.
I want you to know that you were the purpose of my life,
Out of everything I did- it was you that I did right.
Always remember that I know how much you care,
I can tell by the relationship that we share.
For a son like you there could be no other,
And whether we are together or apart,
Please do not ever forget-
You will always have a piece of my heart.

My Little Girl

Gotta hold on easy as I let you go.
Gonna tell you how much I love you though you think you already know.
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born.
You're a beautiful baby from the outside in.
Now go take on the world and remember you will always be.....

My Little Girl.

I love you Caroline.

Daddy