Comments for 9to5to9 http://debralegg.com 9to5to9: A working mom's mad adventures in boy land Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:44:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 Comment on Hitting the road – together by Even mommies can screw up too | 9to5to9 http://debralegg.com/2012/03/05/hitting-the-road-together/#comment-13527 Even mommies can screw up too | 9to5to9 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:44:38 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=11030#comment-13527 [...] Monday was a day filled with minor trauma and unnecessary drama, so I neglected to call. Boots and I took off on a bike ride after school, and the hours after that were filled with the rush to finish homework, get them fed and get to [...] [...] Monday was a day filled with minor trauma and unnecessary drama, so I neglected to call. Boots and I took off on a bike ride after school, and the hours after that were filled with the rush to finish homework, get them fed and get to [...]

]]> Comment on Dear Sports Parents – about those cupcakes by Debra http://debralegg.com/2012/03/07/food-allergies-and-sports-snacks/#comment-13524 Debra Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:01:58 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=11038#comment-13524 Welcome, Spice! Sorry to hear about your daughter's experience. Been there, done that on the seemingly endless email exchanges and BOOM! The allergen still shows up. We actually did OK at Valentine's Day - only one Butterfinger had to be tossed. Big Guy told me it came from a kid who'd just moved there the previous week. "It's OK, Mommy. He's new, so he didn't know." We've been lucky of late because we have a great group of friends who are uber-aware of his allergies. One woman practically does a surgical scrub on her kitchen when we're coming over, including her casserole dishes and all her cooking gear at Thanksgiving. Another texted back and forth with me for days, trying to make sure the candy in the goodie bags at her son's birthday party was safe. I think that's because Big Guy is a <em>person</em> to them, not some anonymous allergic kid. That makes the cupcake cake even more frustrating. These kids have played together on the same team for two months, under a coach who really emphasized teamwork and coming together. Yet, at the very end, one player was, not just overlooked, but excluded. Welcome, Spice! Sorry to hear about your daughter’s experience. Been there, done that on the seemingly endless email exchanges and BOOM! The allergen still shows up. We actually did OK at Valentine’s Day – only one Butterfinger had to be tossed. Big Guy told me it came from a kid who’d just moved there the previous week. “It’s OK, Mommy. He’s new, so he didn’t know.”

We’ve been lucky of late because we have a great group of friends who are uber-aware of his allergies. One woman practically does a surgical scrub on her kitchen when we’re coming over, including her casserole dishes and all her cooking gear at Thanksgiving. Another texted back and forth with me for days, trying to make sure the candy in the goodie bags at her son’s birthday party was safe. I think that’s because Big Guy is a person to them, not some anonymous allergic kid. That makes the cupcake cake even more frustrating. These kids have played together on the same team for two months, under a coach who really emphasized teamwork and coming together. Yet, at the very end, one player was, not just overlooked, but excluded.

]]> Comment on Dear Sports Parents – about those cupcakes by spice http://debralegg.com/2012/03/07/food-allergies-and-sports-snacks/#comment-13522 spice Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:50:45 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=11038#comment-13522 Hi Debra, I'm also in the same boat. No matter how much U convey U always end up in the 10% because unless it's your child or U have a food allergies at home no one's gonna try to remember/think how it's feel when whole class/group is eating & one can't eat (specially cupcakes) because the one which is not eating is not their child. I always dread school/public gatherings as my 10 yr. old is allergic to eggs & some nuts. And no one pay much attention to egg allergy. Last school party even after almost 10 email exchanges the other mother confirmed me everything(specially the icing is egg free) only cupcakes were not approved so I send cupcake for her from home and other Mother decided to bring iced cupcakes where as they were supposed to be decorating them in the class. My whole email exchange was reg. eggless icing & she didn't even realized that if she's taking iced cupcakes(there was no pt. in discussing anything at first place) my daughter gonna bring plain cupcake she's still left out from the group & yes cupcake did came back b'coz only she had the plain one & she didn't wanted to eat that with everyone. Sorry for the essay but it's so frustrating & i could so relate to your situation but yes U r right it's better to discuss it in the first meeting in front of everyone if possible some paper should be handed over to all the parents, so that may be if other parent who's not in the meeting also get to see what's the point in discussion. & I beleive U must have guessed it that I'm first time here. Hi Debra, I’m also in the same boat. No matter how much U convey U always end up in the 10% because unless it’s your child or U have a food allergies at home no one’s gonna try to remember/think how it’s feel when whole class/group is eating & one can’t eat (specially cupcakes) because the one which is not eating is not their child. I always dread school/public gatherings as my 10 yr. old is allergic to eggs & some nuts. And no one pay much attention to egg allergy.

Last school party even after almost 10 email exchanges the other mother confirmed me everything(specially the icing is egg free) only cupcakes were not approved so I send cupcake for her from home and other Mother decided to bring iced cupcakes where as they were supposed to be decorating them in the class. My whole email exchange was reg. eggless icing & she didn’t even realized that if she’s taking iced cupcakes(there was no pt. in discussing anything at first place) my daughter gonna bring plain cupcake she’s still left out from the group & yes cupcake did came back b’coz only she had the plain one & she didn’t wanted to eat that with everyone.

Sorry for the essay but it’s so frustrating & i could so relate to your situation but yes U r right it’s better to discuss it in the first meeting in front of everyone if possible some paper should be handed over to all the parents, so that may be if other parent who’s not in the meeting also get to see what’s the point in discussion.

& I beleive U must have guessed it that I’m first time here.

]]> Comment on When Accelerated Reader slams on the brakes by Debra http://debralegg.com/2012/02/10/when-accelerated-reader-slams-on-the-brakes/#comment-13521 Debra Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:33:06 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=10976#comment-13521 I really hate the numbers game. He can't just pick out a book. He has to check the AR level, and THEN check the AR points, because there's a party every quarter for kids who achieve their points goals with an 85 percent average on the test. But wait! There's more! This quarter, his average was standing at 84.something at the beginning of this week because he'd bombed a test back in December. He'd already made his points goal, but had to figure out something he could read and test on in a matter of days that would bring up his average. Oh, and in calculating the average, all test scores are weighted equally, which is why bombing a three-point AR test was dragging down his average even though he later rocked a 12-point test. See? This is just too much math to take into account for "pleasure" reading. I really hate the numbers game. He can’t just pick out a book. He has to check the AR level, and THEN check the AR points, because there’s a party every quarter for kids who achieve their points goals with an 85 percent average on the test. But wait! There’s more! This quarter, his average was standing at 84.something at the beginning of this week because he’d bombed a test back in December. He’d already made his points goal, but had to figure out something he could read and test on in a matter of days that would bring up his average. Oh, and in calculating the average, all test scores are weighted equally, which is why bombing a three-point AR test was dragging down his average even though he later rocked a 12-point test.

See? This is just too much math to take into account for “pleasure” reading.

]]> Comment on Dear Sports Parents – about those cupcakes by Debra http://debralegg.com/2012/03/07/food-allergies-and-sports-snacks/#comment-13520 Debra Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:27:26 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=11038#comment-13520 That's OK, I got it. It's like I tell my kids when I make those little slips - don't always listen to what I say, but hear what I meant! You're correct that a lot of the world is more savvy about peanut allergies - thank heaven!- even though they often miss his others. In this case, though, ALL of them were listed at the top of the snack signup at the start of the season. Granted, the dad handled the snack signup and might well have forgotten to pass the complete information to the mom. But they knew enough to have the Corn Nuts, so that means they were aware that he might not be able to eat the cake. I just wish they'd asked. Baseball season is starting soon, and I'm already drafting a letter to hand out to try to avoid a repeat. That’s OK, I got it. It’s like I tell my kids when I make those little slips – don’t always listen to what I say, but hear what I meant!

You’re correct that a lot of the world is more savvy about peanut allergies – thank heaven!- even though they often miss his others. In this case, though, ALL of them were listed at the top of the snack signup at the start of the season. Granted, the dad handled the snack signup and might well have forgotten to pass the complete information to the mom. But they knew enough to have the Corn Nuts, so that means they were aware that he might not be able to eat the cake. I just wish they’d asked. Baseball season is starting soon, and I’m already drafting a letter to hand out to try to avoid a repeat.

]]> Comment on Dear Sports Parents – about those cupcakes by Kim of Mo'Betta http://debralegg.com/2012/03/07/food-allergies-and-sports-snacks/#comment-13518 Kim of Mo'Betta Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:45:40 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=11038#comment-13518 oops, obviously that should be I wish everything was NOT centered around food! oops, obviously that should be I wish everything was NOT centered around food!

]]> Comment on Dear Sports Parents – about those cupcakes by Kim of Mo'Betta http://debralegg.com/2012/03/07/food-allergies-and-sports-snacks/#comment-13517 Kim of Mo'Betta Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:44:25 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=11038#comment-13517 This broke my heart! I know how you feel too...my son is almost 4 and we are constantly dealing with his egg/nut allergies. People often think about peanuts, but very seldom do they take egg allergies into consideration. My son has been excluded from many things b/c of this. I try to keep 'backups', etc. - but you can't plan for things you don't know about! It's hard, and being excluded will probably get harder as my son gets older. I keep hoping he will outgrow it soon! I just wish everything was centered around food! This broke my heart! I know how you feel too…my son is almost 4 and we are constantly dealing with his egg/nut allergies. People often think about peanuts, but very seldom do they take egg allergies into consideration. My son has been excluded from many things b/c of this. I try to keep ‘backups’, etc. – but you can’t plan for things you don’t know about! It’s hard, and being excluded will probably get harder as my son gets older. I keep hoping he will outgrow it soon! I just wish everything was centered around food!

]]> Comment on When Accelerated Reader slams on the brakes by Brenda http://debralegg.com/2012/02/10/when-accelerated-reader-slams-on-the-brakes/#comment-13482 Brenda Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:29:37 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=10976#comment-13482 I agree with you about the Accelerated Reading program. It is very restrictive for great readers and children who read a lot. My son went through the same strictures you and yours have faced. He is in third grade now and his teacher overrides the level because my son is in the Battle of the Books program and in the AIG program. He is 365 percent over his AR goal. That is just ridiculous. I believe it can be wonderful to establish regular reading practice for children but is not beneficial for ones who read out of love and excel at it naturally. I agree with you about the Accelerated Reading program. It is very restrictive for great readers and children who read a lot. My son went through the same strictures you and yours have faced. He is in third grade now and his teacher overrides the level because my son is in the Battle of the Books program and in the AIG program. He is 365 percent over his AR goal. That is just ridiculous.
I believe it can be wonderful to establish regular reading practice for children but is not beneficial for ones who read out of love and excel at it naturally.

]]> Comment on There are rules, and then there’s 36 hours of Daytona by A SWAT for getting all a-Twitter about nothing | 9to5to9 http://debralegg.com/2012/02/28/2012-daytona-500-ends-at-1-am/#comment-13471 A SWAT for getting all a-Twitter about nothing | 9to5to9 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:13:21 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=11003#comment-13471 [...] That means the race was stopped – for two hours in this case. Engines were off.  While crews worked to clear the track, [...] [...] That means the race was stopped – for two hours in this case. Engines were off.  While crews worked to clear the track, [...]

]]> Comment on I absolutely do not want you to practice karate by Missing the obvious when it comes to karate | 9to5to9 http://debralegg.com/2012/02/09/getting-kids-to-practice/#comment-13470 Missing the obvious when it comes to karate | 9to5to9 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:25:36 +0000 http://debralegg.com/?p=10963#comment-13470 [...] Internet. I'll go through fits and spurts of trying to figure it out, and I do try to pay attention when the guys are "teaching" me, but for the most part I'm pretty ignorant. Somehow during those three years, Big Guy has gone [...] [...] Internet. I'll go through fits and spurts of trying to figure it out, and I do try to pay attention when the guys are "teaching" me, but for the most part I'm pretty ignorant. Somehow during those three years, Big Guy has gone [...]

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