Conversations with Ethan

We are getting ready to go out to eat, so we told Ethan to go upstairs and "get dressed", thinking that he would (at almost 12 years of age) know to put on some clean, decent, presentable clothing along with a pair of shoes. You know...like 2 shoes. One for each foot.

He does go upstairs, but then comes back down wearing a black watch plaid flannel nightshirt that I made for Steven 15 years ago (I also made matching ones for me and Allison), a pair of polar fleece pajama pants and one, yes ONE (1), not one pair...just one...Croc shoe. The other foot was bare.

Steven: Ethan...I told you to go upstairs and get dressed so we could go out to eat! You cannot wear that, so go back upstairs and put on real clothes!

Ethan: What??? It's just a Mexican restaurant...not church or anything!


Ummmm...I have no idea where this philosophy came from! Just the special brain mode of a pre-teen boy, perhaps?

Moving on...so many stories I'd love to share about school but, I am actually afraid of being "Dooced" by my teacher. Guess they will have to wait until the end of the semester. Got my first big project done today, will have a test on Thursday and then I have a paper due on October 1. After that it is pretty much smooth sailing, other than the regularly scheduled tests. I'm anxious to get my grade back from today though, because it is something that could be very subjectively graded...and she definitely plays favorites...with boys. At least they are college age, I guess, but it is still gross to watch. After taking coughsevencough years to get my undergraduate degree, I have never had a teacher like this. She never has a lecture prepared ahead of time and actually has to Google things during class that I know off the top of my head! She actually works as a therapist, also. I'm afraid for her patients.

And because it is NEVER dull around these parts: there was/is a tarantula in my neighbor's flower bed and the AirLife (LifeFlight) Helicopter had to transport a child from our elementary school to the hospital yesterday. Except for the actual incident, I watched just about everything unfold and happen. It is absolutely heartbreaking, and no one is releasing any information at all about it, so no one knows what kind of condition the child is in. I *think* I know the child that was hurt, but I'm not sure, and no other parent has any clue at all...the only reason I *think* I know is because I *think* it was a special ed student that actually responds really well to Ethan, so if he is refusing to do something for a teacher, they will call Ethan out of class to come help and he will usually do anything Ethan says. He is nothing but absolutely sweet and hugs me and Ethan everytime we see him, which is usually at dismissal. Anyway...whether or not it was him, a child was hurt and seriously enough that he needed to be airlifted to the hospital and I have no idea how he is doing! I understand the privacy laws and all of that, but...I think at this point the school could at least send out an email letting people know the condition the child is in. It happened right at dismissal time, and every kid in that school knew that there were fire trucks and an ambulance there...the helicopter didn't arrive until most of the kids were gone, but we all know that someone was hurt. And it really hurts not knowing or being able to help the family or anything like that.

Blah, blah, blah...rambling at this point.

Before I go, I'd like to give a shout out to my camera's USB cord. Hey, USB cord! Answer when we are calling you, alright? I would really appreciate it! Thanks!