IIIIIIIIIT'S FRIDAY NIGHT!!!!!

WOO HOO!!

It's FRIDAY NIGHT!

The night of endless possibilities!!!

The night before the day I get to sleep in past 6 a.m.!!!

It's Friday... It's Friday... It's Friday!!

Finals are OVER for William!!!

They're Over... They're Over... They're Over!!!

WOO HOO!

Alex's Science Fair Paper is Turned In!!!

It's In... It's In... It's In!!!

WOO HOO!

What a week!!! Rain. Bad Hair. Term Papers for 2 kids... Whew! I'm exhausted!

It is exhausting trying to teach a child how to write. Not cursive or penmanship... but to put thoughts down on paper, and have them make relevant sense! Those poor little brains were working overtime this week. I am not the patient Mama either... so that didn't help the situation. Those 2 boys wanted their reports to sound so grown up and text booky. I spent an entire evening trying to help them understand that writing has to come from a place of just simply talking. They need to write a little bit like they would speak to someone, although not too much in a Science Fair Report. We also had the long talk about plagiarism and how to avoid it. We have the discussion every year, and their school is very good about checking sources, and I hate the idea of taking credit for someone else's work.

I heard there are a lot of Mama's that do the homework for their kids. I don't and never will understand that mentality. How do they expect their children to learn anything, to learn autonomy, or the feeling of accomplishment when the grade comes back? I used to have a friend that literally did every single paper for her 3 kids and probably still does. I remember calling her one day and asking her what she was doing. She was at the library researching a President, and writing the bibliography, WHILE HER KIDS WERE AT THE SKATING RINK!!! I was floored.

Having Immigrant parents was a blessing for me. My Dad (who is the SMARTEST man I know), has a 2nd grade education and my Mom, (she got her GED in this country after she had me) had no clue what I was doing in school, so I had to fend for myself. They wanted to help me so badly, but you know how that New Math changes every year, and they mostly read Italian, not English. I remember every new semester, my Dad would hold his hands out for the History books and would sit and read them for hours. (I secretly think he was looking for all the things the Italians actually invented before the Americans... hee hee) You know, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Allesandro Volta (volts are named after him) and a host of other people Italians will let you know about during any discussion about the Ole Country! :) What they lacked in American-ish knowledge, they made up for in good old common sense. They were both very successful entrepreneurs and owned a Beauty Salon for 20 years, and my Dad loved to buy Real Estate. He worked at a Steel Mill for 25 years too. They are true Immigrant Success Stories.

So today was the end of the First Semester and we are all so happy, and of course, they did all their own work. I only typed the papers up when they wrote their long hand papers that must be turned in with the typed ones. I love that rule.

So... IT'S FRIDAY!!!

Unlimited possibilities await!!!

I have a date with my washing machine, and bottle of Ms. Clairol #83 Neutral dark brown, a Philosophy Micro Peel, and a can of EZ Off oven cleaner!

Who's jealous of me??? I know YOU are!!! I'm one wild and crazy gal!

Have a lovely evening...

Buona Sera, Amore mia, Buona Sera!

Good Evening, my loves, Good Evening!