What a shitey,crappy day

It rained alllllll day today, from before we woke up until just a bit ago, so about 10 pm. I don't mind rain, not at all, I come from a rainy country after all, so spent every second or third summer getting wet. I love thuderstorms, which Edmonton is a great city for. But today...uck...it just drizzled all day. I hate drizzle. Honestly, just have a good storm and get it over with, don't provide me with 16 hours of rain.

Because it rained it meant William was home all day, which was a good thing. We have been so off with each other lately, it was nice just to go out with him and Saoirse, and not be in a bad mood. We went over to the mall, I was down to the last 3 nappies for Saoirse so had to buy a case. We looked for a Carolina Hurricanes t-shirt for Liam, no luck of course, the only thing I saw was a team hockey puck, which I am going to pick up for his stocking come Christmas. I am going to have to order a jersey off their website, also for Christmas. Bloody $150 for a hockey jersey, I tell ya, that kid's lucky I love him.

We got home just before noon, then Taylor came in and then Liam. Early day. Hate it. William asked Taylor to go into the garage and take out the recycling. She did some whinging "But I just got home!" but was made to do it anyway. Well, holy Jesus, you'd think you'd asked her to move the Taj Mahal all by herself as there was one dresser drawer in the way. I've said before that my garage is a disgrace, and it truly is right now, with us getting ready for the move. "It's too heavy!" she said. William said she had carried it before, she could do it again. When he went back into the garage about 5 minutes later, she was just leaning against the freezer. He was not pleased at all and sent her upstairs. So that was bad moment of the day #1.

Bad moment #2 came after my nap. Oh, naps, how I love them. That was a great thing about having William home, I could nap. The problem is that I would love to sleep 3 or 4 hours, I am not one of those people who can take a 20 minute nap and feel great. This one was just over an hour and I was still so tired when I got up. Anyway, I was going to take the kids over to Old Navy to pick up some summer clothes. Liam and Taylor had had a fight and he wouldn't go if she went. God, they drive me crazy. I don't even know what the fight was over, but I was on the phone, and she went stomping over to where he was and accidently ended up hitting him in the face with Saoirse's hockey stick. It was the stomping that pissed me off. She does it all the time and it sounds just terrible.

I ended up taking her and Saoirse. Because Liam wasn't with me, and because he is such a fussy dresser, I ended up getting him just one pair of shorts. Army ones,I knew he'd love them (and he did.) I got a pair of shorts for William, a bag for myself and a t-shirt that says "Little Miss Perfect" for Saoirse. Well, she is so I just had to didn't I? Taylor got the lion's share...a pair of ladies shoes (I cannae believe she can wear women's shoes!- only one size smaller than me), 3 pairs of capris, a skirt, 2 tees and a lovely tank top. She's so grown up it's almost frightening. But, um, not grown up enough to willingly brush her hair.

She has had a bad week at school. Her teacher has been getting on at her about the way she holds her pen, which I will admit is terrible. She literally makes a fist. I have tried changing it for years. When I was last in England my grandparents and I went to a left handed shop in Worcester where my grandfather proceeded to spend plenty of money on stuff for Taylor... triangular shaped markers, rulers, scissors, pen grips. It didn't change the way she writes though, just made it more comfortable to write like that. Taylor is a third generation leftie, there is no changing the fact that she holds a pen oddly. Nothing like myself granted, but I don't hold mine like my mother holds hers either. She doesn't do what many lefties do and hold her elbow in the air, which I find really odd. ANYWAY, (jeesh, I can go on...sorry!) I have been getting a lecture from my mother, and via her, my grandad, about how I cannot let him go on about Taylor and the way she holds her pen. So today she's on the phone with my mum and I hear this story about what happened today. That in front of the entire class he went on at her about this, and she needs to hold her pen the way he does.

"My mum says I don't."
"Well, I'm your teacher."
"But my mum says I don't have to do it your way."
"I'll just have to give your mom a call." (Note, they always use an o, not a u, when they say mum, in Grade 2 Taylor had her journal corrected for using u instead of o for the word mummy, this from a teacher who cannot spell words like colour the Canadian way, I did have to point out that we do live in Canada, not the States. Again, I'm wandering.)
"You go right ahead."

I am quite amazed that Taylor spoke up, she must realize she has the power of her Nanny on her side, who has threatened to go down to the school herself if I don't deal with this issue. And she can be a rather scary person. She uses a posh English accent, her phone voice I call it, it's fake; she's from Birmingham for fecks sake. I wouldn't want to have to deal with her. So tonight a wrote a letter and here's the jist....

"I would prefer that you do not go on at Taylor about the way she uses her pen...embarassing for her to be singled out for such a minor issue...I feel you have bigger concerns from other students in your class that should be dealt with first." (Totally true, there is at least one future serial killer in that class, a racist or two, a few homophobes, and a handful of children who will one day see the inside of a court room for the odd crime or two. Their teacher however, beleives they should learn good behaviour through their fine Catholic religion, and if you aren't Catholic you are not a good person. Needless to say there is no discipline in that class.)
I ended the letter with "It is no longer the 1950s. Left handed children do not get slapped across the hand for not using their right hands." Which is what happened to my mother until my grandfather had a holy fit. So I will see if I get a response from her teacher or if he just leaves Taylor alone.

In my great news of the day, my Stampin' Up stuff arrived. You will not know the joy this brings me unless you are into card making or scrapbooking. I ordered the Tidy Alphabet and numbers as well as a Pearl Assortment. Och, I am so excited to use it. I thought the alphabet would be great for scrapbook pages. I may even try it out in the near future. I just need to develop some 1000 pictures. Damn. There goes the good day!