the phone call....

The boys summer vacation starts at precisely 10:30am. The past two days have been these early release days...why is that? Why not make Thursday one full day and let it be over with then?

The school system really makes me shutter with its decision making process. I called about the Memorial Day and Veterans Day issue. And as I expected I received a complete dance around the initial question. It was blamed on everything from the August start date, to final exams being this week and not wanting to give kids a three day weekend so they could have that day to prepare. By the time the man was done with the excuses, the phone had started to sprout roots from my ear.

* SIGH*

 I was told by the school board office that several state house reps.wants to change the school start date to an earlier day in August, thus allowing school districts to allow kids those two days off. I was asked to email the state Representatives. So I contacted all SC State House Members...most gave me an automated email But, one did send me a more in depth response..what I was asked to do? I was asked in the email  to contact my local school board members about the issue, that they are the ones who vote on the school calendar.
So basically back to square one.

*SIGH*

So, Senior and I will continue to keep the boys home on those days, teach them about the sacrifices made to keep our country free. And teach them patriotism and respect for our military ourselves.


-JUGM

Carolina Summers Pt. 5 : Silverbell: The Cat From Hell

 

 

She was as mean as she was beautiful, and my childhood reason for hating cats. Yes, it is true. There was a time in my life when cats scared me, and it was all because of her.

“Silverbell”: The evil grey cat that belong to my cousin Terri.

She was so mean that she would climb to the top of her single pole cat tree, sit on the top and try to jump on a persons back whenever they walked by.

One summer morning I woke up and the demon was sitting on my chest, squinting her eyes, staring at me. It almost seemed like she was trying to suck the life out of me. I shrieked and threw her across the bedroom.

Her favorite game was to hide under a bed, and attack your ankles and sink her sharp fangs into your feet. That cat needed to go!
I truly felt that my crazy cousin trained her to be that way. For, Terri was the only person that Silverbell liked. She would curl up purring in Terri’s lap and, look at us as if she was untouchable…

Thus, the plan to rid the world of the evil queen began. It was my brother who at first suggested catnapping her, then Trey Ravenell said lets tie firecrackers around her. “Yea”! We all thought, that would teach her!

The night of the infamous Catnapping, Terri had gone out on a date, and our sister was sitting on the front porch with Nanason and Papa. I stole a can of tuna and lured Silverbell out of the pits of hell. My brother pounced on her while Trey tried to wrap her up in the pillow case. She was way smarter then us. She clawed, scratched and bit both of them until she drew blood. Then she got loose of the boys and jumped for my face while hissing. Suddenly she got her footing and hauled booty towards the back door, where she failed to stop and went right through the screen, and jumped clean over the back steps. She cut to the right with us chasing and climbed to the top of the telephone pole that was in the neighbor’s yard. There she sat, watching us…who was watching her. And hissing….

Papa, Nanason and my sister came to see what the commotion was. They witnessed my brother and Treys bloody sight, and then Papa saw the screen door. “Boys!”

Nanason tried the rest of the evening to get Silverbell to come down. But she wouldn’t budge. When Terri came home she begged for her kitty to come home. But no way was that crazy cat leaving that pole. My cousin just knew her cat would die up there. But it was me, who asked her: “How many cat skeletons do you see up a pole? “Well if it wasn’t for you, then my precious baby wouldn’t be up there” My cousin was purely delusional.

“Precious”? I asked, “That cat is the pure offspring of Satan”! And I stomped off.

Silverbell did eventually make her way down, but stayed far away from us kids.

I wish I could say this was the end of Silverbell, but she lived for many years, and would climb that same pole many times more. One day during her geriatric years, and being partially blind she climbed it and fell off. Unfortunately she broke her back. I guess she had lived out all her nine lives.

Later in life, much to my dismay Senior wanted a kitten, he found a little gray female,  We named her Dutchess, and she was full of spirit “great” I thought, “Its Silverbell re-incarnated” 

 

 

Last Day of School....

It is the last day of school for the boys. Once they walk out of the hallowed halls of their primary school we will have a First and Second grader..  (sniff sniff)
Where did this school year go? when did It pass me by? Oh, I know..it flew by on all those mornings I was up at 6am, yanking them out of bed, fixing breakfast and school lunches..arguing with them because no one had brushed their teeth. It passed me by when we were working on homework with our 6yr old and reading skills with the 5 yr. old.

Now, it is summer break ...Time to cool off in the sprinklers, have water gun fights. And stay up late around the fire pit roasting marshmallows. Summer is about playing with bugs and digging in the dirt for earth worms. Lets not forget going to the beach, playing in the waves, and building sand volcanoes...
Summer is the  time to head up to SC and see grandpaw, and throw rocks in his driveway, Eat ice cream, and watermelon and suck on popsicles and try our best to catch lightening bugs.

This is the time of year Senior and I  watch our boys enjoy the care free life of what being a kid means, and try not to think about them growing up and what their lives  and this world will be like when they are adults.

 This summer our oldest finally gets his own room, while he is excited about his "own space" It is making me terribly sad, I worry the youngest will miss his brother during the night. But, the time has come, and I am sure more often then not, we will find them bunked together. They are each others best friend, and as much as they fight...they also are dependent on one another. So, lots of transitions in our house this summer, growing up and growing out of things...  : (

The one thing mommy hopes...is she can survive it all.... ( sniff sniff)