Home, sweet home...

Reggie made it home last night, and he acted like he's always been part of the family. He seems familiar with the kennel and the sound of the back door meaning it's potty time. He was pretty perky, despite walking like a cowboy after a long trail ride ;) He did piddle three times in the house this morning (would have been four but I busted him just as he raised his leg). He'd already been outside to pee, so he was definitely trying to make the house his own. Hopefully that will taper off really quickly, cuz in the meantime he'll have to be in his kennel unless someone can keep their undivided attention on him. Halle keeps wanting to pick him up, and I have to discourage that for a few more days cuz that area is probably tender, but she's doing better about sitting down and calling him to her lap. Daija kept announcing to all last night that 'he like me.' and Tyler is doing an awesome job helping keep an eye on him when Halle and I can't, and then giving Ramie attention so she won't be jealous. And so far, Ramie is doing fine with him too... although she did crack me up last night. I was taking a breather in the living room, and noticing Reggie's fondness for Ramie's bed, I pulled it into the living room the second time I had to tell him to get off my couch. Well, he made himself all kinds of comfortable, smack dab in the middle of it. Ramie walked over to the chair I was sitting in, turned her head towards her bed, made this noise that sounded like a 'harrumph', and walked over and curled up on the carpet.

Charter thing isn't working out too well...

I made the decision to enroll the kids at this school based on the Tucson school's success; they are one of a handful of schools ranked excelling by the AZ Dept of Ed. Unfortunately it doesn't look like the Phoenix campus is going to enjoy the same success; at least not for a few more years, and I don't have that kind of time. I sent the email below to the principal of the kids' current school a week ago and haven't gotten a response. I'm more frustrated by the day. I'm probably going to be moving the kids to another school within the next two weeks. I read an article in the paper last spring about school choice and learned that Kyrene (a neighboring school district with a very good reputation) provides transportation to one of their schools, and they have room for both the kids. I had considered it but didn't know anyone whose children attended there so I nixed it. But I've since found out one of Halle's friends who lives in our area goes to school there, so I called her mother last week. She said she loves loves loves it and has absolutely no complaints. The only drawback (and this was also a factor last spring) is that they have a handful of bus stops in our area. Last spring, the two closest stops are both close to a mile from our house. This fall, they added a stop at the community center the kids went to over the summer, because they opened an after school program that hadn't existed in the spring. Problem is, they're short a staff member or two and we're on a waiting list until they get someone else hired.

I'm trying to figure out when Ro will be home, or how close the city is to hiring another staff member. I am to the point though, with this f-ing school that I may not be able to wait for Ro to get home or the city program to open up, and may have to let the kids take the city bus that seven-tenths of a mile and go to my sitter's or a neighbor's house, or home. I'm not terribly comfortable with them taking the bus even that short distance, but nothing is changing at this school and I'm becoming more and more worried that they'll fall behind. I keep telling myself that whichever of the two evils I choose, it's only temporary. But that's not helping; I don't have any idea what time from 'temporary' is... it could be a week or months.

I am so frustrated with Ro right now. It looks like there's a good chance that Northwest will offer the contractors permanent positions, and I think he's considering taking an offer, if they make him one. It's probably premature for me to be upset because a) he hasn't gotten an offer and b) just because he gives it consideration doesn't mean it's a done deal. But it's just one more thing to think about at night. Him taking a permanent job out of state was not part of the deal. This was supposed to be a temporary thing, just because they were paying so well and offering so much paid training. If he said thanks but no thanks, he'd be back here in a few more weeks (I think... I'm not sure how long he's obligated to stay) and just wait until the after school program opens up before taking another job. Then I wouldn't have to stress about the kids going to a rotten school, or having to fend for themselves after school.

I wanted to follow up with you regarding our meeting three weeks ago. I am disappointed to report that in the last three weeks, I have not seen any significant improvement for Halle (1st grade). Briefly before the holiday, she was bringing home extra worksheets that were closer to the level of work she was doing in kinder; however, one night she had two of the same worksheet and indicated the teacher wanted her to do the same worksheet, twice. Additionally, she had a Saxon worksheet she had completed without error the week before. I spoke with Mrs. Reed on the telephone, who indicated she was giving extra worksheets to her advanced students and confirmed that she was giving them duplicates for practice. I could not think of a tactful way to share my thoughts on the logic of that practice, but I did express that while I appreciated her efforts to challenge Halle, having the advanced children do the same assignment twice and giving them extra worksheets in addition to the regular classwork almost punishes a child for being academically gifted. I pointed out that it seemed more logical to simply give the child work that is academically appropriate to their skill level. Mrs. Reed indicated to me then that she had to follow the curriculum. This is completely at odds with what I was told by Marilyn Eisenberg prior to enrolling my children at SSA and what we discussed in
August, which was that while there was no gifted program, my children would be allowed to accelerate within the curriculum and would not be held back. I haven't seen any 'extra' worksheets since that conversation, but the work Halle brings home continues to be the equivalent of the sight words and spelling words that her kindergarten teacher assigned during the first few weeks of school. I ran into Halle's kindergarten teacher last week and when she asked about Halle's new school, all I could say was, 'At least she's bored in a class of 10 instead of being bored in a class of 25.'

I also mentioned that Tyler had not had any assigned homework. He started having homework the following week, however, he almost never brings it home because he has finished it in class. I have inquired with Mr. Behrens multiple times as to whether Tyler is indeed turning in his homework and his answers are generally vague. I have made it a point to speak with Mr. Behrens on more than one occasion about Tyler's severe executive function deficits and hyperactivity; as the parent of an ADHD child Mr. Behrens assured me that he was very familiar with the needs of students with ADHD. Unfortunately, I have not seen any evidence of this. There has been no follow up from Mr. Behrens confirming whether or not Tyler is turning in his homework. I have also seen no graded homework or classwork. I have asked Tyler if Mr. Behrens ever gives reminders such as, 'make sure you have your books or assignments, etc; either to him to the class at large, and he says there are none. It has also become apparent that Tyler spends a considerable amount of time in class where he is supposed to 'find something quiet to do' while Mr. Behrens teaches the other grade. Never having taught myself I can't say I know the best way to manage any classroom, mixed grade or otherwise, but leaving about a dozen children, at least one of which has hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, to their own devices seems unwise at best. What I understand from Tyler, and I admit that his perspective is not always the whole picture, Mr. Behrens instructs them to work on homework, read, or draw while he teaches the other class. I don't get the impression from Tyler that he usually has any specific classwork he is supposed to be doing while the other grade receives instruction. I don't think this classroom environment has the structure or organization that Tyler needs to be successful, and I am having an increasingly difficult time picturing my child in it for one year, much less two (although if we stay the year, perhaps next year enrollment will have increased enough to have separate 4/5 classrooms). I mentioned in our meeting that Tyler seems to have a great deal of time to draw - frankly I've become concerned this 4/5 split classroom has left my child only being instructed about half the time he's in the classroom. I admit to being spoiled as Tyler has had some truly exceptional teachers, but he has never had time in any other classroom, not even with the first grade teacher I thought was mediocre at best, ever had time to sit and draw, nor told to bring a book from home to keep busy with. And I should probably ditto that for Halle; she comes home with anywhere from one to five pages of notebook paper covered in pictures and with little notes written on them. Additionally, the work that Tyler is doing, particularly in math and spelling is not the level of work he was doing in third grade. I'm especially concerned to have read on Mr. Behrens homework log that the 4th and 5th graders are both doing the chapter in the spelling book. This week's words definitely easier than what I'm used to seeing Tyler bring home and I can't help but wonder what fifth grade would hold for him in this classroom.

A side note: I see no correlation between the spelling words and any of his subject matter and am not sure what is being done regarding integration of subjects. In 2nd and 3rd grade, Tyler's spelling words ALWAYS were related to what he was studying in math, science, social studies, or language arts. My daughters spelling words at the
beginning of her kindergarten year were always variations of the group of sight words she was learning, and by the end of the year her teacher had all but given up trying to challenge her 'apple group' and started asking them what they wanted to learn to spell... so Halle came home with spelling words like 'significant' and 'cooperate'.

Finally, I wanted to comment about the after school activities. I was very perplexed to get the list of proposed activities and see that the only options available to my 4th grader would be music, sports, and spelling. There is nothing for science or math or strategic thinking (chess, etc), which was what I was expecting from SSA. I left a public school that offered band to all 4-8 students as well as football, basketball, soccer, and softball, so the fact that his options are basically a watered down version of extracurriculars he could have had at the school I pulled him from is incredibly
disappointing. I was even more perplexed that K-2 students have three more after school options than the 4th graders do, and that their options are more academic than those offered to older, more mature students with longer attention spans. Can you give me any insight into those disparities?

Reverse Psychology from a 2yo?

I think Daija tried to psychologize me Saturday night. She was fighting going to bed, and after about the third time I planted her but on the mattress, she was in there screaming 'Mommy don't turn on the light'. I listened, very carefully, and she was saying... don't turn ON the light... not don't turn OFF the light (which was already off).

I think she thought if she told me not to turn it on, I would just to spite her.

Ramie Meets Reggie...

We took Ramie down to meet Reggie and that went well. They checked each out, and once she'd given him the once-over, she turned her attention to sniffing down the rest of the holding area. Reggie, on the other hand, would have had his nose glued to her *ahem* backside if he'd had the choice. LOL, poor little guy - her stuff (hopefully) won't be all that interesting to him after tomorrow. Halle was so disappointed when I said it was time to go, I told her we'd come back in the afternoon and hopefully they wouldn't be so busy. We decided to take Ramie to Petsmart to get her new tag, and wound up with a travel carrier for Reggie. If they continue to get along really well and *if* he doesn't have any trouble housebreaking, I'll probably return the crate, but we'll need something to keep him from roaming the car when we go out, or if we take him on a trip. After we dropped Ramie at home and grabbed Reggie's leash & halter, we went back to animal control to make sure it fit/give him a little more leash time and a chance to get to know his 'carseat'. The most adorable thing happened when we were walking out. The dog kennels are indoor/outdoor, and a few feet beyond the exterior of their kennel fence, is another fence that has that green plastic stuffthreaded through it. We were walking along to the car and Halle was trailing behind peering through the fence at the dogs who are outside. I hear this 'BARK BARK' and Halle says Mommy that dog looks just like Reggie and I look and it WAS Reggie. Little sweetheartmusta been wondering 'I heard her say AT LEAST 50 TIMES that I was her new dog, SO WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME HERE AGAIN?'

Regulus "Reggie" Leo

My GAWD, I forgot how expensive it is to get a new dog. The leash, the harness, the name tag, the food, the food dish, the book that had the best grooming section, the slicker brush, the crate, the water bottle, the 'pee stake' and a couple toys and I've already spent well over the adoption fee on supplies for the little booger. Ramie has gotten into a bad habit of dragging whoever is walking her... since we've had an enclosed yard her walks have become few and far between. Now that Tyler finally weighs more than Ramie does, I have been thinking that I need to get off my duff about breaking that habit and letting him walk her. So I get her a regular 4' leash because you can't loose leash train with a retractable leash (what she has now). So tonight I decide to give a quick lesson, and when we're leashing up I notice Ramie's name tag is worn almost bare and you can't make out any one line in it's entirety, so we need a new tag for her. God save me from myself, I find more ways to spend money than anyone I know.

But on a more cheerful note, I took my nana out for coffee today as a 'Happy Grandparents Day' gift... given her age and health I just can't handle giving her 'things' because I can't help thinking about her not having long to enjoy them. After that, I let Tyler & Daija stay at my mom's while Halle and I went over to have a little visitation with Reggie. Since he wasn't technically up for adoption Thursday night when we went to see him we couldn't play with him. She wasn't with me when I did the adoption paperwork Friday, which is when I got to hold him. I wanted to give them some time to bond without the other two kids battling for his attention. Also, he's probably not going to feel too hot Monday night when we pick him up, so I figure spending a little more time getting to know us before his juevos are sore wouldn't hurt his stress level when we pick him up. He enjoyed being held and carried by both Halle and I and walked really well on a leash for both of us. I mentioned we were coming back the next day and asked if it would be OK if we bring something with Ramie's scent on it for him, and they said we were welcome to bring her with us and introduce them. I am so thrilled, because I was not looking forward to trying to get both dogs, separately, to a neutral location for their introduction. He seems friendly towards other dogs and was alert but didn't get hyper when they walked past us today... but assuming he's not going to be feeling great after a neuter and a car ride, he might not be very receptive to a once over by a dog four times his size (which, btw, is about 9.5 lbs).

So as far as the name, I did this great build up with the definition... "I read about this great name that means Heart of the Lion, Little King, the Prince" and she looked very intrigued. Then I told her "Regulus" and she wrinkled her nose. When I tried to sell her on the Reggie & Ramie combo, she started whining and was on the verge of tears. Moomba got only a slightly better reaction. So I'm tossing out names on the list, and when I get to Leo, she asks me if it's spelled l-e-o... she wants Leo because she can spell it. I assured her that I would absolutely teach her to spell any name we chose. She was firm on Leo. So I said okay, and then commented in an offhand manner... "Do you remember Miss Neicey? Zoe's mom?" And she did. She loves Zoe, and since Miss Neicey not only brought Zoe into the world, but also permits Zoe to have Bratz dolls, Miss Neicey is also an object of affection. So I went on to say that I had emailed with her today about the new puppy, and that Miss Neicey had thought Reggie and Ramie sounded REALLY cool. Suddenly, Reggie sounded like a great nick name, and Leo could just be his middle name instead.

Guess What?

ding ding ding ding ding ding

Oh, and he was so happy to see me... he was actually a little wiggly when I stopped outside his pen before someone came to take him out so I could hold him. Of course we had to walk ALLLL the way through this long row of cages of barking dogs to get to a holding area and he was just trembling when the guy handed him to me. I swear he crawled right up to my shoulder and clutched my neck with his paws, just like a little monkey. He's not a puppy though - they estimate he's about two years old. And he was a stray with no tag/identification. That, coupled with the fact that he wasn't already neutered at two years old tells me his previous owner was a careless and/or uneducated owner and that the dog is probably the product of a backyard breeder... the really good breeders usually require you to spay/neuter as part of the purchase contract. So, with that in mind I'm going to assume he may not have much of the right kind of training... so we'll start with the clicker when we pick him up on Monday.

Halle had planned to name her dog, whenever she got one, Christina, but this fella being a boy, now she needs to come up with a new name. I told her that since Shih Tzu's were known as 'little lion dogs' we should find some names that mean lion. Of course the final decision is Halle's here are the names I'm going to present. Cool trivia fact: the Shih Tzu is reported to be the oldestand smallest of the Tibetan holy dogs, the lion being associated with the Buddhist deity. Tyler, who has always had a strong affinity for Buddha, thought that way cool.

Abbas (Lion)
Amra (the Lion)
Ari (Lion)
Ariel (God's Lion, Lion of God)
Asad (Lion)
Danh Tu (Lion)
Leo (the Lion)
Moomba (cute little lion like creature)
Nada (roar; battle cry of a warrior)
Regulus (heart of the lion, little king, the prince)
Shiku (Lion's Roar)
Simba (Lion)
Tau (Lion)
Usamah (Description of a Lion)

How much is that doggie in the window...

Have I ever mentioned that I have been looking for a Shih Tzu for Halle since January 04? I won't buy from a backyard breeder, and I can't afford one from a real breeder (it'd probably run around the equivalent of my mortgage payment), so I've been watching out for one to pop up in a shelter and it's finally happened! Last night I raced over to Animal Control like a maniac to get there before they closed at 5:30. Turns out he isn't available to adopt until 11AM today. He looked absolutely thrilled when we stopped at his cage... stood on his hind legs with his paws on the cage wagging and sniffed us and licked Halle's hand, but didn't bark, spin in circles, or jump, so I'm hoping he'll be of good temperament. He was in a cage alone and there was some doggie doo outside, and a piddle just inside the door... I figure that's a good sign that he's at least got the general idea that his mess belongs outdoors and he makes an effort to get there. Especially in a smelly place like that where he'd be tempted to mark his territory all over the place. Unfortunately, they said they can't tell me anything about him until today... so I will have to race back over there like a maniac, cuz they don't take phone inquiries, to find out if he was a stray or an owner turn in, and if he was an owner turn in, why. If he was a lost pet/stray, or the owner just couldn't manage his hair (possible, cuz he's only been there since Tuesday and is sporting a very recent 'buzz cut), he's ours. If chewing or potty training was an issue, I can probably even handle that (says the woman of a 2yo who won't use the toilet) cuz problems with that are just as often a owner not training or crating, as a problem with the dog. But if he was a turn in for biting or aggression, that we can't do.

I'm heading over there at 'lunch'... I'm afraid he won't be there by the time I get off work. These dogs just don't usually turn up in shelters.

"Never"

Daija went through a phase (she seems to be leaving it since having left the YMCA) where she constantly told me no. I can't stand that, but since the other two never told me no, I really had no idea what to do about it. Telling her not to tell me no, just resulted in her screaming NO.

One night, I think it was the third week in July cuz Tyler wasn't home yet, just after we got home, she told me no and I just wasn't in the mood to hear it. I got nose to nose with her and gave her the finger lecture about telling me no. Went on to make dinner and whatnot. Later that evening when I went back to load the dishwasher, I noticed Daija's cup still on the table. She clears her own dishes, so I asked her to bring it to me so I could put it in the dishwasher.

That child crossed her arms, lowered her head and literally glowered at me and stated, with emphasis,

"Nevewr."

My head spun and Halle stared at me open-mouthed... 'Where did she get THAT word?" The entire rest of the night, every single time I asked Daija to do something, she responded the same way.

What could I do but try desperately not to laugh? I told her not to tell me no, and she didn't.
Now it's less confrontational... she crosses her arms and usually shakes her head and says 'never, never' in a petulant, I'm about to burst into tears voice.

"Not Coming"

Before the story, I gotta explain the 'What' rule. I cannot stand it when I call a child and he or she yells back 'what' in response. My (older) children know that if I wanted to come look for you, I would have. If I call you, it's because I want to see you standing in front of me. So when I call your name, you call back that you are coming to confirm that you heard me as you begin to walk in my direction. If you do not acknowledge my summons, I can only assume that you have not heard me; therefore I will continue to call you until I see you in front of me. The longer and louder I have to call you, the more irritated I will be by the time I see you, andthe less likely that things will go well for you at that time. If you cannot immediately come to see me, you must respond with a reason and an ETA (I'm in the potty, I'll be there in a minute).

This was a few months ago, during the NBA playoffs. Ro and I were watching one of the sun's games, and the kids were playing in their rooms. Daija had wandered into our bedroom, and Ro called her.

Daija, come here.

Daija calls back. Ro doesn't quite catch it, and asks me what she said. I muttered 'I dunno' and looked at the game.

Daija, come here.

Daija calls back. Ro asks me again what she said. I muttered 'I dunno' and kept my attention on the game.

Daija, come here!

Daija walks to our bedroom door and yells back, quite clearly...

"NOT coming!"

Too Big

I have a big picnic table in my kitchen right now... I have a booster chair attached for Daija cuz she's still likely to slip off the bench and knock her jaw out of whack. Anyway, last night Daija announced "I sit by you, Mommy... I too big my chair"

It'd be nice if she decided she was too big for diapers and pull ups.

READY TO PULL MY HAIR OUT

Oh, I am so hot right now. Long story not so short, I've noticed that we miss a lot of maintenance opportunities because the log pages for the deferrals aren't always updated in a timely manner. Now technically, it is not my responsibility to go in and read these log pages - in a perfect world I get the part they ask for, and it's really what they need. Once my repair is delivered here, my job is done. We have MEL expeditors that are responsible for getting the parts through the receiving process and routed to the a/c. Unfortunately, I don't think we give our mechanics the resources (time wise) to do the follow-up paperwork. I raised the issue to a manager in Maintenance Operations a couple weeks ago, and at his request told him I'd follow up whenever I came across an example. So here's one on a fuel quantity indicating computer (FQIC) that I noticed at the tail end of the day yesterday. I called the controller on duty in MOC (Mx Ops Control) and email the manager of MOC as an FYI. I copied in the warehouse supervisor who was on duty, because at this point both the MEL guys have gone home and someone will need to change a work control package so the part in question, goes tot he right a/c. I leave work to get the kids, but figure, what needs to be done is pretty clear. Just in case... I log into my email at 9:30, and don't see any follow up from the whs supervisor (who gets off duty at 6PM) except a little note he'd tried to call me. So I call MOC, and the guy on nights doesn't know anything about it. I call production control, and the guy in charge of scheduling Phx maintenance, doesn't know anything about it. I give him the details and let him know he needs to switch this part from a/c 628, to a/c 621.

Do you know what happened last night? The FQIC was routed to a/c 628, and we robbed a/c 653 to replace the unit on a/c 621. The FQIC that was routed to a/c 628, was not used and was put back in stock this morning... and has since been issued to be installed on a/c 653. NOW WOULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN A LOT SIMPLER IF THEY'D JUST PUT THAT PART ON A/C 621 LIKE I TOLD THEM TO IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!

*&$%*()&()*_^$%&*^(_*_

Recovering from the Long Weekend...

Saturday we had Halle's dance class, errands, some house cleaning and a baseball game to which I took all three of my kids and two of their friends. After we got home from the game I started painting - two more coats on the doors, another coat on the bed, and two coats on the baseboards plus touch ups to cover the fiesta pink I got on the celestial sun walls - and putting up the appliques. Got a nosebleed that I'm pretty sure was a result of breathing in all that paint, and then I fell into bed fully clothed (and covered in paint).

Sunday we did yard work and cleaned a little, napped a little, went and order the kids' cake (it was so CUTE), then back home for dinner and a video, followed by finishing the trim and touch ups in Tyler's room, and falling into bed at 2AM. Raced around like a maniac Monday to clean some more and have all four of us dressed and presentable for the 11AM arrivals. Three and a half hours of family fun entertainment, and I was just ready to die. I popped the blockbuster video in and passed out for three hours. Those beautiful angels of mine never made a peep - didn't argue once. When the movie was over, Tyler restarted it from the middle.

6-year-old becomes a hero to band of toddlers, rescuers

Tense days lead to reunion of kids and their moms
By ELLEN BARRY
Los Angeles Times

BATON ROUGE, LA. - In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard, this group of evacuees stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader.

They were holding hands. Three of the children were about 2 years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A 3-year-old girl had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he said his name was Deamonte Love.

After their rescue Thursday, paramedics in the Baton Rouge rescue operations headquarters tried to coax their names out of them.

Transporting the children alone was "the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, knowing that their parents are either dead" or that they had been abandoned, said Pat Coveney, a Houston emergency medical technician who put them into the back of his ambulance and drove them out of New Orleans.

"It goes back to the same thing," he said. "How did a 6-year-old end up being in charge of six babies?"

Clean and healthy

So far, parents displaced by flooding have reported 220 children missing, and that number is expected to rise, said Mike Kenner of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which will help reunite families.

At the rescue headquarters, the children ate cafeteria food and fell into a deep sleep. Deamonte gave his address, his phone number and the name of his elementary school.

He said the 5-month-old was his brother, Darynael, and that two others were his cousins, Tyreek and Zoria. The other three lived in his apartment building.

The children were clean and healthy, said Joyce Miller, a nurse who examined them. It was clear, she said, that "time had been taken with those kids." The baby was "fat and happy."

False hope Thursday night, they got an encouraging report: A woman in a shelter in Thibodeaux was searching for seven children. People in the building started clapping at the news. But when they got the mother on the phone, it became clear that she was looking for a different group of seven children.

The children were transferred to a shelter operated by the Department of Social Services, rooms full of toys and cribs where mentors from the Big Buddy Program were on hand. For the next two days, the staff did detective work.

One of the 2-year-olds steadfastly refused to say her name until a worker took her picture with a digital camera and showed it to her. The little girl pointed at it and cried out, "Gabby!" One of the boys — with a halo of curly hair — had a G printed on his T-shirt when he arrived; when volunteers started calling him G, they noticed that he responded.

Deamonte began to give more details to Derrick Robertson, a 27-year-old Big Buddy mentor: How he saw his mother cry when he was loaded onto the helicopter. How he promised he'd take care of his brother.

Late Saturday night, they found Deamonte's mother, who was in a shelter in San Antonio along with the four mothers of the other five children. Catrina Williams, 26, saw her children's pictures on a Web site set up over the weekend by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. By Sunday, a private plane from Angel Flight was waiting to take the children to Texas.

In a phone interview, Williams said she is the kind of mother who doesn't let her children out of her sight. What happened on Thursday, she said, was that her family, trapped in an apartment building, began to feel desperate.

The water wasn't going down and they had been living without light, food or air conditioning for four days. The baby needed milk and the milk was gone. So she decided they would evacuate by helicopter. When a helicopter arrived to pick them up, they were told to send the children first and that the helicopter would be back in 25 minutes. She and her neighbors had to make a quick decision.

It was a wrenching moment. Williams' father, Adrian Love, told her to send the children ahead.
"I told them to go ahead and give them up because me, I would give my life for my kids. They should feel the same way," said Love, 48.

His daughter and her friends followed his advice.

"We did what we had to do for our kids because we love them," Williams said.

The helicopter didn't come back. While the children were transported to Baton Rouge, their parents wound up in San Antonio, and although Williams was reassured that they would be reunited, days passed without any contact. On Sunday, she was elated.

"All I know is, I just want to see my kids," she said. "Everything else will just fall into place."

Announcement for All Employees - Relief Efforts Thank You

In case I haven't said it lately, I am always so proud to work for this company.

September 6, 2005
Dear Fellow Employees,

More than a week
has passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated the people and city of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities. Even before its impact - and throughout the days since - our employees have come forward with selfless donations, both of time and money, to aid in the nation’s relief efforts.

As you probably know, America West and other airlines have been assisting with the rescue/relief efforts in New Orleans, and I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your participation, your thoughts and your prayers. Thanks to your efforts, combined with those of your fellow employees, we were able to transport survivors to a safe place.

Over the weekend, we operated two flights between New Orleans and Texas and one between New Orleans and Phoenix, carrying nearly 500 evacuees to safety. In addition, we transported approximately 4,000 pounds of food and water to the New Orleans area. We remain on standby to offer additional flights as part of the relief effort, which is continually being evaluated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Even with America West’s airlift operation on temporary hold, we continue to support victims as Do Crew volunteers and HpEART and FACT-trained employees offer their time and expertise as needed. In addition, victims continue to receive support through organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, supported by generous employee donations. The list of employees who have contributed to this tremendous effort is growing by the minute, so although I won’t be able to recognize every employee in this letter, each will be recognized individually.

This past Sunday I received a call from Department of Transportation Secretary Mineta thanking America West and our employees for our participation in the New Orleans airlift operations. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, he conveyed that his thanks can and should be construed as appreciation on behalf of the United States Presidential Administration. He also communicated that the entire operation was very successful and that the administration was very pleased with the results.

Because of the nature of our business, sometimes we are called upon to help our country in times of need. It is times like these when being part of America West is more than being part of a company. America West employees care about each other and the people in our communities, and that was demonstrated this past week. On behalf of our 14,000 employees, DOT Secretary Mineta, the Presidential Administration, and the 500 safe evacuees, thank you for your support.

Doug

U.S. jets attack bridges near Syria to halt insurgents

Associated Press
Sept. 6, 2005 07:00 AM

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. Marine jets Tuesday attacked two bridges across the Euphrates River near the Syrian border to prevent insurgents from moving foreign fighters and munitions toward Baghdad and other cities, the U.S. command said.

A Marine statement also said U.S. and Iraqi forces destroyed a "foreign fighter safe house," killed two foreigners and arrested three others during a Tuesday raid in the same area as the bridge attack.

Elsewhere, Iraqi civilians said they could see smoke rising Tuesday from the northern city of Tal Afar, where fighting has been raging for days between U.S.-Iraqi forces and insurgents said to include foreign fighters.

The U.S. command said an American soldier was killed Monday in Tal Afar. At least 1,890 members of the U.S. military have died since the war began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Witnesses saw ambulances evacuating at least 10 injured civilians from the city Tuesday.
The fighting occurred after U.N. chief Kofi Annan said Iraq had become an even greater terrorist center than Afghanistan under the Taliban. Attacks attributed to al-Qaida's wing in Iraq have stepped up in the Baghdad area and western Iraq.

A Marine statement said F/A-18 jets dropped bombs shortly after midnight on two light bridges near Karabilah, about 185 miles west of Baghdad.

"The purpose of the strike was to prevent al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists from using the structures for vehicular traffic to conduct attacks," the U.S. statement said. "The munitions used in the strike were designed to crater the bridges, rendering them inoperable but not destroying them."
The clash at the safe house occurred when U.S. and Iraqi troops came under fire "by foreign fighters occupying" the building, the Marines said.

"Multinational forces personnel returned fire and assaulted the building, suffering one friendly casualty when a Multinational Force soldier was wounded," the statement said without citing the soldier's nationality.

Troops called in aircraft to destroy the building, "which was being used as an operational headquarters," the statement added.

Karabilah is one of a cluster of towns near the Syrian border, a major infiltration route for foreign fighters heading for Baghdad and other major cities. Iraqi officials say al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has taken over parts of the area after residents fled fighting between tribes supporting and opposing the insurgents.

Annan told the British Broadcasting Corp. on Monday that many young Muslims are angry, and the situation has been exacerbated by what is happening in Iraq.

"They feel victimized in their own society; they feel victimized in the West. And they feel there's profiling against them," he said. "And the Iraqi situation has not helped matters."

Annan added: "One used to be worried about Afghanistan being the center of terrorist activities. My sense is that Iraq has become a major problem and in fact is worse than Afghanistan."

In statements posted on Islamic Web sites, al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility for two attacks Monday - a roadside bombing that killed two British soldiers west of Basra and a daring daylight assault against the Interior Ministry in Baghdad in which two policemen died.

U.S. Marines said al-Qaida in Iraq launched multiple attacks Sunday against U.S. and Iraqi targets in Hit, 85 miles west of Baghdad. Twelve people - including 11 civilians, an Iraqi soldier and three suicide bombers - died in the Hit attacks

Elsewhere, Iraqi officials said al-Qaida-linked foreign fighters had taken control of large areas of a strategic city on the Syrian border after weeks of fighting between an Iraqi tribe that supports the insurgents and one that opposes them.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said much of Qaim, 200 miles west of Baghdad, had been abandoned.

U.S. Marines operate around Qaim but have complained privately that they do not have enough American or Iraqi forces to secure the area properly.

The attacks in the Hit area began Sunday when two suicide car bombs exploded at security barricades on the northwest side of town, a Marine statement said.

A car bomb also exploded on the Hit bridge across the Euphrates River, rendering it impassable, the Marines said.

The Marine statement said three insurgents and one Iraqi soldier died in the attacks. The government in Baghdad said eight civilians also died.

In Doha, Qatar, the U.S. Central Command said U.S. jets launched airstrikes Sunday on insurgent positions near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad, dropping two 500-pound bombs.
The statement also said an Air Force Predator aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles against a mortar firing position near Balad.

On Monday, gunmen seized a son of the governor of insurgent-infested Anbar province, Mamoun Sami Rashid al-Alwani, officials said on condition of anonymity for fear of insurgent reprisal. The abduction occurred in the provincial capital of Ramadi, west of Baghdad.

U.S. and Iraqi officials had hoped the new constitution, which goes to the voters in an Oct. 15 referendum, would help pacify the insurgency by luring Sunni Arabs away from it.

However, Sunni negotiators rejected the constitution and vowed to defeat it in the referendum. The bitter, protracted negotiations appeared to have raised tensions among Iraq's ethnic and religious communities.

About 1,500 people, mostly Sunnis, rallied Monday near the Sunni city of Ramadi to protest the draft charter.

On Monday, President Jalal Talabani said he and the other top Kurdish leader, Massood Barzani, had agreed to changes in the draft constitution to mollify concerns in Arab countries that the wording in the charter loosened Iraqi ties to the Arab world.

The language at issue describes Iraq as an Islamic - but not Arab - country, a concession to the non-Arab Kurds who form about 15 percent of the Iraqi population.

Talabani said he and Barzani agreed "to accept some amendments deemed vital for the Islamic and Arab worlds concerning the Arab League because Iraq is a founding member in the Arab League."

Talabani did not specify what changes had been agreed to by him and Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

Some Iraqi officials said last week the changes could keep the description of Iraq as an Islamic state but add wording about Iraq having been a founding member of the Arab League. Sunni Arab negotiators said then that such language might satisfy the Arab League but not them.

The Sky is Home

"To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation, the sky is home."
- Anonymous

A Forgotten Update...

Ei just asked me how Daija was liking preschool and I totally forgot to tell y'all what happened. I pulled Daija out of preschool about four weeks ago. She'd gotten aggressive with the teachers right after Ro went on contract the first week of June (he did two weeks training in Toronto and then 6 weeks in Tucson so Daija was only seeing him weekends and she'd gotten used to him picking her up every day) and Tyler left a few days later. I'd been under the impression (because I'd asked regularly and been told) the behavior had not happened prior to him leaving, and that it lasted a few days and then stopped, which under the circumstances I would consider normal. She clearly did not understand where Ro went, and for weeks after Tyler left to see his daddy, she would ask Ro on the phone 'you got my Tyler?' Drop offs have been a nightmare ever since they went out of town, and when I picked her up at night she races out the door, and she was never that happy to see me when Frances was watching her. I was concerned that with the transitions at home the environment might not be right for her - not that the teachers weren't all really sweet - but that it was too many teachers and too many kids she didn't know. I was planning on waiting until Tyler was home and they'd started school and we were in a semi normal schedule and then re-evaluate, since I thought her day after the initial drop off was going fine. Then the lead teacher was out the first few days of August, and I was told by the assistant her aggression had never stopped on Wednesday. I was furious. Thursday she had another bad day and I was getting what I perceived as a 'what have you been doing at home to correct this'... to which my answer was, not a damn thing, because she doesn't charge at me swinging at home when I tell her to clean up her toys and I have 'my day' after my day that do not have 'had aggressive behavior' checked. She didn't go back Friday, and I went and picked up her stuff and told them she was leaving. Lead teacher was back, and said that it had stopped, but resumed while she was out sick. Reinforced what I had already decided - too much transition with Ro being gone. Thursday night I started calling daycares and three sounded really good and had openings because school was starting the next week and they had kids leaving to go to kindergarten. Turns out one of them lives at 11th St. & Southern (I'm at 10th & Southern)... she's on the other side of the beltway behind my house, in the house that I was all mad about cuz it blocked the pretty view I used to have of south mountain from my bedroom. We're talking and I'm really liking her, then she mentions having a 4mo and I remember the principal at King telling me last spring her cousin lived in my development and had a newborn so I ask, are you related to Miss Principal at MLK? Yes, she's my cousin. I called Miss Principal at MLK who gave me a glowing reference and a list of her credentials, which Chanel had glossed over (she taught for three years, ran a tutoring program, is working on her masters, etc). I made an appt for Friday afternoon and we just clicked like rice crispies. Daija started there the following week, and it's been going great. drop offs are still a challenge, but she doesn't like to leave in the evening which I consider a good sign. By the end of the first week her vocabulary (which I knew she had but rarely used) just exploded, and though she still has tantrums, she is much more responsive when you tell her to use her words.

"Stolen" Blog

Was sent this by a friend - it's too funny.

My brother had this posted on his My Space Bulletins.....thought you would
appreciate it:

This has to be the greatest blog I have ever stolen

1. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is a solid defense policy
2. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.
3. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving record is none of our business.
4. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s and John Kerry did in the 1970s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.
5. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.
6. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.
7. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.
8. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.
9. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.
10. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.
11. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
12. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, then demand their cooperation and money.
13. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.
    

Halle's Birthday Surprise

Halle got a newly decorated room for her birthday. Saturday told Halle I needed her floor to be toy-free so I could mop (I'd pulled the carpet out the week before suspecting it was the source of the vague urine odor I couldn't pin down). That night the kids had a 'movie/slumber party' on the futon in Tyler's room and I took all the furniture and toy containers out of the room. Sunday I set up Daija's bed in what used to be Tyler's room, and told Halle that she'd sleep in Daija's room for a couple days because I needed to use some really strong smelly chemicals to clean the floor and she wouldn't be able to go in there for a few days. I wondered for a second, when Halle pointed out to me that the pee smell had been gone since I took out the carpet, if she was on to me. It wasn't exactly a lie - but those strong smelly chemicals were post painting clean up for the mess I was about to make, rather than to eliminate a non-existent pee smell ;-) Anyway, from her reaction last night I think I definitely had her fooled! I am all into this color/mood concept now, and for her room I wanted energizing colors. I swear, if there was ever a female designed for a life of leisure it's my elder daughter. She is so slow it takes her forever to get ready. Her favorite color is, of course, pink, butI wanted something sunny and light so I figured a light yellow or maybe a pale, pale peach and then using pink accents. I am so freakin' tickled with what I did in there. Took me forever, but I finally found bedding that had the colors I had in mind that was a 'little girl' design. It's easy to find pink/orange coordinates, but most of the colors are hot/fluorescent and it's more of a teen look. I want some colors that will help wake her up in the morning, but nothing so bold it would keep her up all night, kwim? So I got this quilt and the matching borders and appliqués. I used the border colors to select the paint (blue, yellow, peach, hot pink). I painted the ceiling and about two feet down the wall to the border in blue, and a light yellow called Celestial Sun (more pastel than the walls in the link) from the border to the floor. I did the closet doors and the bedroom door in Whispy Peach (actually, I'm still doing them, they'll need at least one more coat), and then the door trims and baseboards will be Fiesta Pink.' My mom came over and hung the border and painted clouds on the ceiling, and after the first few she started getting really creative and made a horse, a butterfly, and a couple other animal type shapes. Ro is getting her this toybox to go under the window. She'll have something to sit on when getting dressed, and she can keep her bigger Barbie accessories in it. I'm going to put it under her window, so if she wants to put a pillow behind herself she could lean against the wall and read or color there too. I painted her bed and the decorator table (you know those three legged ones you put skirts on? I couldn't find a skirt in the right color, but they had ones that have a criss cross stand with shelves instead, so I got that) white. It's a good thing that antiqued/distressed look is so popular... with all the drips and runs the paint definitely looks distressed! Once I'm done painting, I'm going to put a couple of the appliqués on the tabletop. I put up sheer pink curtains and I'm going to put window film with clouds on the windows too. And I have these two old white bookcases I've been holding onto - I put one in Halle's room (the other will go in Daija's). The very best, and this will probably have to wait until Ro is able to come home again and who knows how long that will be... I'm putting up a dance bar for Halle. It's really just a towel rack with mirrors above and below (saw it in one of the showcases at Ikea), but when I explained what the towel bar on her bed was for she was hopping up and down in circles.

My boy is home...

Tyler came home not last weekend, but theweekend before. The girls missed him, but it was worse for Daija because she is so little and she got all confused. In her mind, the only daddy is her daddy... so when she would ask Tyler where he was and he said he was at his dad's house... next thing you know she's asking Ro 'Do you have my Tyler?'. So we try to clarify which Daddy Tyler is with... then every time she talked to Ro, she asked him, 'You my daddy?' Anyway, it was a fun homecoming. When Tyler left, my sister's old room at the front of the house had become a catch-all storage dump. When he came home, it was painted and decorated with a galaxy theme, and furnished with a futon we'd been storing, the book case that used to store community toys in the hallway, and his rug, table, NASA posters, and other special momentos. Driving home from the airport (around 3:30AM Saturday morning, no less) I asked if he was really tired and he said 'only a little bit.' I told him I'd left his birthday present in the spare room and he could go check it out for a minute before he went to bed.The first thing he noticed was the ceiling walls and the furniture...but then he looked down at the rug from his room, and around at his posters and saw the picture of he and his dad and his Buddha... Oh, you just should have seen his little brain clicking. His eyes were just darting around and then he turns to me and breathes... 'What is this place? Is this MY new room?' I'm still touching up trim - I'll send pictures when I'm finished.