Christmas Shopping = ...Being Greedy Bastards (??)

Originally, I had posted the following on my FaceBook page as a "Note". But I think it needs to really go further than just to my friends on my "Friends List".

Let's just say that I am tired of seeing people lump everyone in to one huge category when it comes to having the "Christmas Shoppers spirit" and are then viewed as materialistic assholes who don't give a rat's ass about their fellow man, woman or child.

What I had initially said was...

I'm just going to put this out there, knowing I may tick some off...

Yes, my children made wish lists for Christmas. Heck, even this year, Mom and Dad are joining in the list-making fun ourselves.

We are NOT materialistic people. We are not all about money and things. Not that having those is a bad thing, per say. And I commend those that are strong on their stance about helping the needy.

But it does peeve me off a bit when you have a bit of a crap-tastic attitude about people shopping for the Holiday, and seemingly "auto-assuming" that we don't give to those less fortunate. In what seems to be every post about donating items to help people.

We have been in a spot where we required help to get our children things for Christmas. If it weren't for Salvation Army, the Angel Tree organization, Toys For Tots and a couple of churches, my children would have basically had NOTHING under the tree.

MOST of us that some people have bashed and downgraded over buying gifts in fact DO buy for and donate things like toiletries, food, clothing, books and toys.

Are there some people in this world that don't give two craps about those in need? YEP. But there are way less of them, and oh-so-many-more of US THAT *DO* care about those that are hurting for food and clothing to keep warm this winter.

So, please, when you are asking people to have a heart and donate to a charity, be it with time, money or items, don't make it sound like we are some horrible, heartless excuses for human beings. When you add insults to your passionate desire to help others, it makes people NOT want to help.

Just some food for thought...

And a quick FYI... My family (myself, my husband, and our kids) DO in fact donate to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree organization, as well as drop money as we can in to their donation buckets.

Now, to ready for Christmas shopping tomorrow.

Mama Claws Got Sharpened This Morning...

As many of you know, ABC's Executive, Brian (asshole) Frons not only is removing "All My Children" off of it's ABC Daytime lineup, but also (underhandedly) canceled "One Life To Live" as well. All with bogus "research" and "excuses" as to why. And worse yet, the piece of shit did it via a WEB CAM! He was too chickenshit to do it with the casts and crews of the shows face-to-face.

Now, I am as angry, upset, hurt and bewildered as the next fan of these two WONDERFUL and endearing shows. I'm all for not buying anymore Disney movies or other items of the company's. And for the time being, I refuse to watch anything but my local news or the Soap Operas on ABC.

But one thing that I flat out REFUSE to do is punish MY kids. I WILL let them keep watch their shows on the Disney Channel. Especially the 6 year old. She know NO better and has NO understanding of what is going on.

How dare a COMPLETE STRANGER tell me what I should or should NOT let MY kids watch in MY home where the bills are paid by ME and/or my husband.

While I can get that people are mad and are worried, that gives NO ONE the "right" to tell another person, let alone a complete STRANGER on the internet (be it Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, Blogger or whatever site) what another person should or should not let a kid (that is NOT theirs) to see, listen to or do.

Until you people pay MY bills, you have NO say in what happens in MY home. That is blatantly and utterly rude. I don't tell others what they SHOULD or should NOT do in the PRIVACY of their own home. And so I DEMAND the same respect/courtesy.

If this is the shit that I'm going to have to start dealing with, then you can count me OUT of this "movement". I will stand up and voice my concern, make emails or calls as needed, and refuse to watch or buy whatever items I MYSELF deem fit to do so.

BUT.. No one will be allowed to tell me what my children will "boycott", which is NOTHING. And furthermore it's of NO ONE's concern in regards to my kids as to what they are/aren't "allowed" to view/hear. Not on here, or FaceBook, and not on Twitter (which is where the incident happened).

You all say you want us to ban together and be as one. To save our Soaps. Fine by me. I'm in for that. But if people are going to go to THIS extreme and being THAT cut-throat about the shit, then I'll remove anything that has to do with the boycott/movement and call it a day and hope for the best.

NO ONE goes after my children in this kind of manner. Directly OR through me. At least ALL THREE of them watch channels like Diccovery, History and the like. They LOVE to learn. Not just watch "junk".

Can YOU say that about YOUR kids? Especially when they are only 11, 10 and 6 years old? Things like "Modern Marvels", "How It's Made", "Biography", "Wild America".

Yeah, I didn't think so. So, do us all a favor and shut your pie hole.

Wordless Wednesday

I think that I should use Wordless Wednsday as to express myself, seeing as I am obviously having the week from hell. Between the school problem, my cooking problem (where I have ruined SOMETHING from the last two dinners) and a host of other "problems", the following pictures should help you "get" where I am this week...

(Yes, my husband has fallen victim this week. Even with medication in the bathroom.)

(My children LOVE a messed up, shitty looking home. God forbid we look like we live like clean, normal people that value our belongings.)

(Refer back to previous picture's explanations, seeing as I don't care to repeat myself twice. It's a "mom" thing.)

(Thanks to two major screw ups in the kitchen, two straight nights in a row, and not listening to my "gut instincts" of just going out to dinner, this will be my line tonight or I'll damn well get to go out to dinner as to avoid another catastrophe.)

(I say HELL YEAH! Bring it on, bitches.)

Because...

One Hot Mama!...I'm Pretty Ticked & Heed My Warning.

If I could, I would have this shooting out of my head..

And have these shooting from my eyes...

Why?

Because, for the now third or fourth time, my local Walgreen's Pharmacist has messed up. It's one thing to miscount the number of pills. It's also one thing to not even fill one of them. Heck, it's even one thing to place your child's medications in the WRONG "filled and ready to go" bins.

But when your "mistake" at reading the prescription goes as far as one, filling it with the WRONG refill number, as well as with the WRONG DOSE, that is when I am DONE.

And that is also when I write to Corporate Office, and to the District Office, and to the Local Store. Yep. Every single level of Walgreen's got a copy of my letter of complaint about this "mix up".

The medications that my child is on are pretty "powerful" and can have some pretty bad side effects if given wrong. The one that was completely dispensed wrong can hurt his Blood Pressure or even his heart.

What SHOULD HAVE BEEN 2 mg. of a dose at 2 refills was ACTUALLY FILLED as 3 mg. dose with 3 refills.

How does someone read a "copy" wrong? When in doubt CALL THE DOCTOR that prescribed the medication, THEN proceed to fill it. It's not rocket science.

Please, my readers, for your safety and for the safety of your family, especially your children, READ LABELS on the medication bottles. Every time. No matter how many times you filled the same medication.

Here is a copy of my letter to all of the branches of Wallgreen's...

To Whom It May Concern,

I'm writing to complain about the (now) third or fourth "accident" in regards to my son's medications being improperly filled.

My nine-year-old is on medications that can have a great impact on his heart and his blood pressure.

His Intuniv was filled COMPLETELY wrong. I was supposed to have 2 mg dose with 2 refills. Instead I received 3 mg dose and 3 refills.

I cannot tell who had filled my son's medications last night, seeing as you do not have your Pharmacists place their names on the prescriptions that they are having to fill. That alone to me, is discouraging. Because I now cannot tell you in fact WHO ACTUALLY filled my child's medications.

At this time I am NOT "taking my business else where", but do know that I will NOT be talking very kindly about your store, and especially not in regards to this branch.

When filling medications, it means that your staff is literally holding their customer's/patient's lives in their hands. Including children.

Thank you,
Melissa C

(Not So) Hot For Teacher

As most of my readers know, I love volunteering at the school where my three children attend. I primarily work with the Kindergarten classroom that my daughter, Skyler resides at during the school day.

But right now, I'm not very happy with the school and how they are handling the transition of my daughter's class.

First, right before Thanksgiving, the Student Teacher had left after her fifteen weeks of "shadowing" and teaching the class was done as to be able to graduate and get her Teaching Certificate/License. The kids took her going away pretty hard, being that they had grown attached to her, and her to them. She was outstanding! And I loved working with her in the classroom.

Then, just as Winter Break loomed upon us, the second to the last day of school before break began, we got a letter from their teacher letting us know she was forced to resign due to health issues. So needless to say, the Christmas Party I put together for the class also became a Going Away/We'll Miss You party, as well.

Now, for almost an entire month, they've been doing the hiring process to replace the teacher in the Kindergarten classroom. And for at least another two weeks, starting YESTERDAY, there will be a substitute running the class.

There's a few problems with this though..

1) What's her name? None of the kids can tell us. Why? Because according to what many of us moms compared, she NEVER told them! Or said Miss B.

2) Where's the Daily Folder that they are to bring home everyday? Not in my hands! According to the kids, she will send them home today.

3) Subs...Is this one constant for the next two weeks, or are they rotating them?

4) Morning Routine (Calendar, weather, Wall Words, Days of the Week) were NOT done. In fact, according to the kids they did basically NOTHING of their routine or much of anything else the ENTIRE day. Just some coloring and Carpet Time...twice.

It would have been nice to have SOMETHING sent home on the first day as to who the person is and how long that they are staying with the kids (projected time) until they finalize the hiring process.

Us parents were forced to send our Kindergarten-age children to school to be taught by some "stranger" for the next two weeks. That alone was bad enough. But to STILL not know a thing about the person, quite possibly until the next day, to me is utterly absurd and disrespectful of the kids and of us as their parents.

In the event that nothing again is sent home as promised, according to the kids (getting their folders sent home), and especially if there is nothing pertaining to the teacher (introduction letter), then there's a number of us parents that are ready to go as a group on Thursday to the school and confront the matter. We don't like "smoke and mirrors" when it comes to entrusting our SMALL children to others that we know nothing about. We want answers and to know who this person is. Is that really too much to ask?

This is also making me decide firmly at this point, that on Friday I WILL indeed be at school for my Volunteer day as usual. This way, the kids will have SOMEONE that they know and are used to in their environment. Plus I know who tries to pull what, who is sensitive (sensory-wise), who has behavior problems that are out of their control and who are shadows (monkey-see-monkey-do) {mainly if seeing another kid is truly ill feeling}.

What a way to begin the last half of the school year, the beginning of 2011 and the start of a new school week.

Follow Me... I DARE YOU!

I love having followers, just like any other writer/blogger. But I want not just "followers", but READERS who are not only willing to read or even (with luck) glance at my pages, but are willing to say something constructive about the piece.

If you notice on the left of my page, you will see that my FOLLOWERS/Google Reader list's numbers have dropped DRAMATICALLY.

Why?

Because I went on and removed all those "followers" that were using me as a "look at how many I follow" tool, and those that spammed my pages with "I followed, now follow me back" BS.

If you are going to REALLY read my stuff and at least make an EFFORT to comment here and there, then by all means join my page! But if I'm just a tool or "numbers game" to you, then really, I do NOT want you to click the "Follow" button.

On ANY of my three blogs...

Here.

ParanorMel.

Or on my newest creation, The "Mental"-ist Mom.

If you know me well, then you know me well enough to get it that I am not in to FAKE people, users or SPAMMERS.

So, if you are one of those three kinds, then please, don't bother my page, get my hopes up or waste my precious time.