Bfth's Boring Blog

This morning I had the EPIC FAIL mom moment.  We all have them.  The moment where you feel like the worst mom on the face of the planet.  (When in reality if we WERE the worst mom in the world, we won't feel bad at all.  That is what would make you or me THE WORST mom ever.) Here's how it went down this morning at the breakfast table:  Son drops strawberry jam knife...it bounces off his shirt and onto the floor. I use a "bad" word (and I believe so did he; our family is developing quite a colorful vocabulary) as I get a paper towel to clean it up.  Son: "Mom you care more about this shirt than do you about me."  Me: "What?"  Son: "You said 'oh shit' because of the shirt. You care more about the shirt than me. Remember the time I fell down and tore my khakis? You were all pissed off that I ripped my new khakis and I was bleeding!" Okay, I *think* I vaguely remember this incident.  I remember the torn pants.  I can...

It's "Ccrap" week for my son.  What does that mean?  If you're a parent in my town, you probably know (or have figured it out).  It's standardized test week!  And in my opinion, the  Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers test (known as PARCC) is crap...or in PARCC-speak, CCRAP.  PARCC cuts into his regular school schedule, and as far as I know he this week he will be missing out on French and Gym (which are every other day classes) and his current cycle class which this week is computer. (In our school system there are 6 classes that students cycle through during the year:  Art, Music, Computer, Information Technology, Health and Advisory.)  From what he has told me he has testing in the morning, lunch and then his four core classes (Science, Social Studies, Math and Literacy) before the day ends. I went through the same school system as my son many, many years ago.  I vaguely recall taking some standardize...

It's day 6 of my 50 days to 50...which means there are 44 days to go until the big day.  (That is if my math is correct, I was never much good in math.  I wouldn't do so well on that new standardized testing that we do here in NJ, but that's a whole other story...)  Since I started blogging about my goal/challenge, I'm going to keep it up and be honest.  Here's what's been going on since Monday when the challenge started: I've walked at least 30 minutes every day.  Not that this was much of a challenge for me, since I've been doing that pretty much every day for the past 4 years.  The weather has been cooperating mostly, which means I've been able to get outside and walk early.  My longest walk was 4.17 miles which took me an hour and fifteen minutes.  Today (day 6) was my shortest time wise; just an hour and it started to rain.  Weather channel told me it was just cloudy.  Which it was when I start...

There was a big bru-ha-ha yesterday for students in NJ who were TRYING to take the PARCC test (for those not in the "know" PARCC is standardized testing that MAY in the future be a requirement for passing in order to graduate from high school).  There's been a lot of backlash about the test and that's too much to get into here.  (After all my posts are usually only a couple of paragraphs, not book length.)  For PARCC or against, yesterday was a major failure as the on line system that administers the test had a "glitch" meaning that students couldn't log in.  (Not a problem back in my day of standardized testing when all you got was a test packet and two #2 pencils.) Since the test is SUPPOSED to show readiness for college and careers; maybe the company behind the assessment (a word I personally hate...it's a test, let's call it a test) should get some of those students who couldn't log in up to their headquarters and see if they could find ...

If you've read my blog post  http://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/5-days-to-50-days-to-50.html   you know that I'm "celebrating" the big 50 this year. As I enter my half century (gulp...it hurts to say that), I'm trying to be a healthier me. That challenge started yesterday. The 50 day count down just happened to start on Monday AND the day after a long weekend of work/play.  Once a year my husband and I attend/work a "convention" from Friday afternoon to Sunday night.  This means long hours (I went up to our room "early" on Friday and Saturday night:  around 1 AM), poor food choices ($23.48 for a bad breakfast buffet?  Thank GOD for friends who brought in bagels with all the fixings, juice and personalized cups Dunkin' Donuts coffee on Sunday morning.  Who says bring a toaster to a hotel is bad idea?) and alcohol.  (Avoiding last year's sticker shock after one drink at the bar, I brought my own bottle!)  So needless to say, go...

If you've read my blog post http://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/no-april-foolin.html   you'll recall that I'm challenging myself for the 50 days that lead up to my big (gulp) birthday.  It's a mindful approach to the big day.  I will be doing my best to stress less (giving myself time every day to relax/meditate), get exercise in every day (30 minutes minimum) and eat healthier.   My focus will be on ME.  I want to feel better and I want to make  conscious  choices to that end. The emphasis is on  conscious  because I freely admit that I rarely THINK before doing.  My hands and my mouth are not easily controllable.  I speak to quickly some times and I definitely eat without thinking a majority of the time.  (The hands shoving whatever is within reach into the mouth is definitely a problem.)  So focusing on what I am doing when it comes to eating is going to be a BIG challenge for me.  I want to succeed ...

Three years!  Who would have thought that I'd actually keep this up for three years? I've been writing on and off all my life.  Hidden in the depths of my moldy and musty basement are the dreaded notebooks that prove this.  I can still remember the black and white composition book that I first starting writing in.  Was I in third, fourth or fifth grade at the time?  While I don't remember my age, I do remember the notebook.  I believe I colored the cover, filling in the white spots, with the colors of Bic markers.  They were the favorite of my 3rd grade teacher.  (Isn't amazing what useless trivia the brain can hold?  I don't think I'll ever forget Mrs. Williams' matching purse and shoes; stern, close cropped blondish hair and her Bic pens.)  It was in third grade that Mrs. Williams read to the class The Long Secret by Louise Fitzhugh, a sequel of sorts to Harriet the Spy which I wouldn't read until years later.  Mrs. William...