Over for another semester....

Our school does parent teacher conferences at midterm of the first and third quarters... and we're officially through! From 1 to 6 p.m. sitting on picnic table benches, pen and grade sheets in hand... I think they are very hard on both parents and teachers. I know I felt like maybe I needed an ambulance to come cart me home... And my parents are wonderful. Most of them were former students. I had a good afternoon... it's all about the chair, the noise, the adrenalin, the stress.... But we all survived another year I guess... If anything good comes from it, then it will all be worthwhile. I saw a ton of parents today. There were yummy snacks for the faculty, but I never want to be sitting there chomping down on something and have to stop and visit with a less than happy parent... So I just swigged down a Diet Pepsi, a gift from a dear friend... Not every teacher had a secret bottle in a brown paper sack, but I did... (It's okay to drink pop at these... Nearly everyone had one.)

I'll never forget my first parent teacher conference for my son in first grade. I discovered much to my horror that he wore the same felt cowboy vest every day (stashed in a secret cavern of the book bag). I discovered he didn't do any work until after his granny came every day to pick him up. I discovered he refused to put down the right answer to a reading test. Grandfather and his grandson had gone fishing. The line broke. The pictures showed that clearly plus the look of dismay on the man's face. The question read, "Will grandfather get the fish?" My son was adamant and a half that yes, he would. When quizzed by angry mommy me, he replied... "Mom, you know Paw-paw would go get another line and not give up like that. Paw-paw would get that fish." Ah... and that he would have.....

Have a good one... Where go the years?