Looking out the window

I just looked out the window and what did I see? I saw the sun skirting along the horizon at 1pm I just looked out the window and what did I see? I saw the first buds on the trees for the upcoming spring I just looked out the window and what did I see? I saw a bunch of hyped up drunks from the pub next door singing their football clubs anthem walking down the alley. -I saw a mother duck walkinIg with her newly hatched ducklings walk by. -I saw a child play with a new found friend for the first time on the swing -I saw the fog rise over the pine trees in the early morning hours -I saw the moon come up over the Ochil Hills -I saw what I thought was smoke from a nearby chimney, but only to be rain being blown by gales of wind -I saw a Canada Goose land on a Loch -I saw a drop of water from melting snow drip away -I saw the lights go out in the village for a good night's sleep -I saw an old man walking to the shops and a jogger rush past -I saw the sunshine that woke me up and was glad

Ma Fry

For this West Highland Way trip I am once again known as 'Ma Fry', also-Mummy, MUMMMMM!, Mother, and WOMAN!. It's quite endearing to hear a 16 year old boy crying out 'MA FRY!!! HELP ME WITH MY SHOES!'. I will admit all this Mother Hen-ing does make the female hormones churn a bit more. I dare say that keeping charge of 7 boys in hostels whilst putting up with others around is more than just bit stressful. I feel like the most fearsome Mother Hen EVER. It's like i see someone even looking at one of my boys' snacks and i just go into absolute battle-mode. I really think if someone took something that was labeled ours, I might just go off the hook. It's not really the idea that they are taking something that isn't THEIRS, it's that the stuff belongs to one of 'my boys', mess with them, your messing with the wrong lady wolverine. Primitive instincts? Thank you for kicking in! Another thing. Alright, so I know we've got some 'different' people travelling with us, I know very well they can be uneasy to be around, they can be annoying, they can make you uncomfortable, BUT REALLY PEOPLE----GET OVER IT! Personally, I would really like someone to make some comment, I really would. For instance, a pair of women who stayed with us last night, obviously had an issue with us. But instead of being assertive and upfront about whatever was bothering them, they just chose to be social outcasts with a severe lack of humor and people skills.....hold up, maybe I'm assuming too much and maybe that was just them, woops. I think the kids would like to see a good row, they really do get a hoot out of watching 'the American' blow up. Maybe I should just start a fight. What I can't get over is that I'm not even hormonal now, and neither is Janka (my other female coworker on this trip), what gives with this temper?! The boys lucked out so much that there isn't raging hormones going on, that would so bad, I'm laughing about it actually. One of the boys last night asked when supper was ready, before I could give him a good enough smart answer he went right for it and said 'Is is going to take as long as a piece of string is long?' He should be proud of his mother for teaching him that. This is such a useful space to bitch, my bad.

Let's go for a walk

154km=~95miles, The Scottish Highlands, rain/fog/mist/possible snow/hopefully sun, 7 teenage boys, 5 group leaders, 1 mini-bus, about 140 bags of crisps/chips, a hell of a lot of biscuits/cookies, and a brick of cheese that weighs almost 8lbs. And that's just a beginning of it. With 7 months of planning, multiple Health and Safety measures being taken into account, money approved, money raised, meetings, arguments, medication sorted, assuring parents, a few hundred £'s just on food, we aren't going to mention the amount on lodging...., finding this person's favorite CD's, that person's toys, "WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PILLS?!", checking out hostel after hostel...even some camping wig-wams (yup, they've got 'em, I can only imagine what the Native Americans would say about it), the packing lists, the re-packing, borrowing a horse trailer, and the it goes on and on and on. Nevermind the distance, look at these boys that are taking on the distance. These kids are all special needs in some for or another. More likely than not, these boys have been told at one point that they "won't" be able to do something because of their condition or disability. They've all been put into other groups/classes because they "can't handle the 'normal' class", but here they are, together, learning responsibility for themselves and others in a totally un-natural environment. Not doing the daily set routines that they've all be accustomed and attuned to. They have to WAIT for things that would normally have been gone out of the way to have done first for them. THey are eating with people they don't know, not having the creature comforts of everyday life. Maybe for you going for a hike doesn't seem like it would be all that bad, or even it IS normal for you. But this isn't these 7 boys. These 7 don't understand why their feet ache, how to deal with the stress of being away from home. Hell, some of them can't even speak. That is what makes this trip so damn important for them, doing it in the face of "you won't be able to". AND THEIR DOING SO WELL!! Besides some blisters and sore feet, their doing so well. Smiles on their faces, hopping around. Even my guy was showing genuine happiness by chattering away his happy scripts from cartoons earlier today. Even though this is only the second day, it still is so good to see it heading off on a great start. And God willing it keeps up.

Curriculum for Excellence?

Kindergarten- Playtime, arts, learning to count, starting to spell small words and read books about an adventurous animals, tasty snacks, cooties.

1st & 2nd grade- Solidifying how to stand in a line, learning addition with counting pieces of things like beads or buttons, reading accomplishment? Every single Curious George book....ever. Going on field trips and only remembering how funny that ticket lady looked. Even more dangerous cooties. School plays based on vaguely popular children's books or fairy tales, first real interaction with the dreaded substitute teacher. Learning to play the paper plate+dried bean tambourine. You're still crying over not getting that Fruit-Roll up in your lunch box.

3rd-5th grades- Maybe these aren't totally correctly grouped together...But by this time you seem to comprehend 'cool'. There's the cool boys that sit on top the jungle gym at recess and YOU WISH YOU WERE THEM. There's the cool girls with 55 different silly bandz and hair ties on at the same time and YOU WISH YOU WERE THEM TOO. Your first tests are given to you that actually have a number grade instead of either an ugly sticker or a cool sticker. Science fairs, chapter books, teachers trying to explain to you why multiplying complex fractions is important to your life, that boy/girl looks good to you and you have no friggin' idea why you can't stop looking at them. Fights with friends, you actually can write a paragraph about something and it is legible. Field trips to farther away places and all you can still remember is dang good cornbread and how your friend got his foot stuck in the toilet. People talk about cooties, but you're not quite sure anymore.

6th-8th grades- Something is up with those girls, something definitely happened over the summer. Cliques, unforgiving teachers, hall passes, DRAMA-RAMA!, something called studying that now takes up so much of that ole' ain't doing nothin' time, epic poetry and literature. Looking at your maths book and seeing more letters than numbers...but those numbers are hidden in there somewhere. Blowing up the science lab and needing to stay after to do it AGAIN WITH THAT DORK LAB PARTNER. Caring about your grades, remembering the next week what that plaque said in the museum even though you pretended not to care. Making out for the first time, awkward slow dances, still nothing has changed about those boys. Will you go out with me? Check Yes or No...

High School- 4yearsofcompletetorture/fun/bestimeofyourlife/ohnoshedidn't...istayeduplateforthisexamandstillgotadamn75%?wtfcryinginthebathroom
nevermindimokslammingdoors.IDON'TWANTTOTALKABOUTITOK!?!butireallydo...
makingfriendslosingfriendsfightingoverboysgirlsthatgradethatscorefornoreasonatall.
lockerscarsgamesican'tbelieveigotsodrunklastnight...areyouok?what'sgoingtohappen
nextyearwhenwegotocollege?goodbyestopeopleyouwillneverseeagain,thankfully.
bodyimageindecisionstillnottalkingaboutit.breakingshitdrivingfast,thatwasabadbad
decisionwasn'tit?sometimeswishingyouwerethatlittlekidagainandthengettingoverit...



Somewhere, somehow we learn things. Which is amazing. The Dept. of Education in the Federal and State legislations all believe they have pin pointed it DOWN. School boards for private schools also think they are ON IT. Really? I've really been thinking about this for such a long time now, the curriculum for excellence. What a funny title--for excellence. Many schools/districts have a statement just like it, 'learning for the future', 'preparing tomorrows leaders today'. Really? So in going to such schools with such promising one liners, my child is guaranteed to be tomorrows leader? My child will have EXCELLENT knowledge skills and marks to prove it? What you're teaching my child is really preparing them for the future? Really?

How does a child learn to speak, how does a child learn to eat with utensils? How did you learn zip a coat, wash yourself, what social skills and mannerisms are important? How did you learn to read, even just sounding out words? How are you passionate about your interests/hobbies? How do you make and keep friends?

Maths, reading/writing, learning the arts, the sciences, history is all so important. What about being a good person? Are our schools teaching that? If a child is one of many children in an overly busy house with barely there parents, how are they to know how to for say....manage finances/cook nutritious meals/learn how to use the washing machine or how to monitor the heating/ac in the house? If these parents aren't 'there' because they're pulling all they have to make sure their kids have a roof over their head and at least a full belly and clothes on their back, is it really ALL their fault that when their kids move out on their own that they're bankrupt by 25, inability to manage day to day tasks, can't cook for themselves never the less find a doctor or be able to make a professional phone call for enquiries?

Are these kids being churned out into college unprepared for things that lie outside the books and desks?

I think about this due to what I've seen everyday for the past 4 years, children LEARNING. Children learning how to make a bed, how to take a totally independent shower, how to choose foods that are good for them and that they like....in the right quantities, children learning spacial awareness by learning to MOP. Watching a child's self esteem grow by slowly talking to new people and being congratulated on such a big step.

I'm not saying that schools aren't doing a damn good job, they are! It's just watching the world from a totally new dimension, really seeing what youths are NOT learning and how much of a detriment it is that they are at when it's too late.

Teach the kids the freedom of choice, seeing motivation by ways of encouragement, and appreciating the world by having the world appreciate them.