Caroline's Silliest Question of All

We're sitting in Saladworks have our dinner. Caroline asks, "Mom, can we go somewhere else on vacation this year besides Disney?". I was shocked. Dismayed. Overcome with grief. So I said no, of course not.

So, she backpedals a bit and asks if we can go somewhere in addition to Disney. I said we might be able to do that, and I asked her where she wanted to go. Williamsburg. Ah, history, learning, getting back to the roots of our country. She's been there twice and has really enjoyed it. So, of course, I ask her why she wants to go there now. Her reply?

"So I can get some good pulled pork!"

A girl after my own heart!!!

What a Waste of Time

So I'm sitting here knee deep in paperwork I need to get done. Strike that. I did about half of it, which makes me maybe calf deep. Either which way, I will finish this stupid paperwork and then no one (NO ONE) will ever read it because it is simply a formality. I hate wasting my time on this.

On a completely other note, Caroline has suddenly become a fashion maven. She's into layering and Fuggs (fake Uggs...I had to ask too). What happened to my baby??? She's turning into a teenager way too soon!

Here In the Real World (to be sung in an Alan Jackson twang)

Arrrrrghhhhhhhh!!!! Christmas break is over and it's back to the real world in the morning. That is so not cool!! Luckily I should have a fairly I fairly light week. Of course every time I say that, someone has some crisis or other. Let's hope that's not the case this week!

Caroline's question of the day that I cannot answer: What's the percentage chance that the fighting going on in Gaza is going to come here?

Ummmmm...I said zero, but that might be a lie, right?

Gina went home yesterday, and we miss having her!! We ate out practically every meal she was here. LOL I guess part of getting back to the real world will be coooking. I better get to a grocery store! Here's the last picture I took of the girls having our fondue on New Year's Eve.

Things Caroline Asks I Can't Answer

What hormones do cats have that make them go into heat? And why don't they get a real period?


Ummmm....don't know.

Autism, Scientology, and Jett Travolta

I've been thinking today about the sudden and tragic death of Jett Travolta. Rumor has it that the poor young man had autism, but his parents didn't seek any treatment (or any conventional treatment) because of their Scientology beliefs. Apparently, Scientology doesn't acknowledge the existence of autism or other psychological/behavioral disorders. Of course I'm the first person to champion a parent's right to do what they will medically and educationally with their children. I'm also the first person to support a family's privacy. So, all that being said this begs the following questions to me...

1. Do celebrities have some responsibility to bring awareness to issues like this at the sacrifice of their privacy in order to further the "cause"?
2. If Jett had a seizure disorder and wasn't properly medicated can I stand behind my "do what you want medically" stance?
3. If Jett had autism was the family within their rights to not provide educational opportunities by denying its existence?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions. In my first year teaching, I had a student die during a seizure. He was medicated. But, he was alone and unsupervised (most likely) in his bed in a residential facility. I often wonder if he could have been helped had a staff person seen the seizure begin. I can't believe this incident was 17 years ago.

Meanwhile, I imagine I've worked with 100 or so people with autism throughout the years. I can't fathom someone denying the existence of the condition. I can see people wanting to explore various treatments, even though my experience is that very few provide lasting change. But to just say "this doesn't exist". I don't get it.