Thursday, August 30, 2007

A GLARING absence!!




This is one of the sweetest kids I have ever known- he puts up with a KIA, and Precious, and Butter and Cocoa. . .and me.
I had a GREAT time with you this summer- you make the best eggs ever. Love you and thanks for all the help and fun!

To be fair to KIA




He is really very helpful and sweet. . .I should give him props for all that he DID do this summer, and I will.


KIA, thanks so much for everything. Have a great senior year. . .in spite of yourself!


Summer fun:)

Precious
Butter
Cocoa

We are NOT ready to leave the umbrella and go back to school. . .not even Rainmom!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Moping and creative

Sing this to Bon Jovi's Dead or Alive

It's all the same, only the semesters change
Everyday it seems job stability's wasting away
Another place where the faces are so cold
I have drive all night just to pay for my home
Chorus:
I'm an adjunct, semester to semester do I survive
I'm working dead or alive
Working dead or alive
Sometimes i sleep, sometimes it's not for days
And the tenured faculty i meet always go their separate ways
Sometimes you tell the day
By the classes that you teach
And times when you're all alone all you do is think
Chorus
I'm and adjunct, semester to semester do I survive
I'm working, dead or alive
Working, Working, dead or alive
I walk these streets, a loaded briefcase on my back
I play for keeps, 'cause i might not be asked back
I been everywhere, still I'm whoring my skills out
I've seen a million faces an I've taught them all
I'm an adjunct, in an Elantra do I ride
I'm teaching dead or alive
I'm an adjunct, I got no one on my side
Still teaching dead or alive
Teaching dead or alive

Monday, August 27, 2007

KIA- Can you leave for college a year early??

Ok, now I know that I cannot be the only parent who has reached the point where the KIA child is Waaaaaay too tragically hip to be tolerated. Meaning that my 17 year old is now in the "this is my last year of hs, I want to enjoy it" mode, and by "enjoying" it he means do NOTHING but hang out, no job, no chores, just good times. As I was raised in a family where hard work and earning things was MANDATORY, we are just not seeing eye to eye on this. In one breath he starts to complain that he has no money to do anything and in the next he is too busy to work. . .ummmmm, yeah, way to go my son of many contradictions. Combine that with a mother who has not had a pay check in 2 months and who is not had the summer off. . .and you get sparks!

I want, I need I have to have this that the other thing. . .what the hell? I have no idea where this privileged indulgence driven persona came from, but I did not raise this little bundle of raw consumerism! I am not a Marxist, but I am pretty immune to the whole "buy your way to good parenting". . .and it is REALLY a leap for me to say "but of COURSE you need the bling case for your mp3 player. . . I was young once too" Feh!

Now his big thing is Marquette http://www.mu.edu/. He wants to go to Law School there. . .ooooooook, better get on that job search, I can put in a good word for you where I worked, see if I can do ya a solid and create the mother son Crew at the West side MD's. . .sigh, maybe adjuncting is not so bad, it just pays crummy and the people treat you like you are the crew member at the Mc Donald's of Higher Ed. Too funny!

So, I know myself well enough to ensure that he will survive his senior year, and that I will be packing his things to go to college. . .starting tomorrow. I have to have SOMETHING to look forward to! :)

Why adjuncting SUCKS

Ok, so first day back to campus, classes start on Wed. I am teaching 3 back to back Intro to Sociology classes starting at 9am 3xs a week. I have been doing this for over a year, well a year and a semester.

My evaluations from the department and the students have been above the norm in both content, presentation, and well the "interesting" scale is also earing good reviews.

So, I go to my "office" if you can call a desk I share with 8 other "instructors" an office and lo- there is now a 1990 version of a compac monitor, and the Dell flat screen monitor is gone. Also, to complete the ensemble, a 1990 keyboard, complete with appropriate stain/crud build up is now where I am suppose to work.

I ask if the "regular" computer that was in the office before was being fixed, and I was told that this was the "new" adjunct computer because there were a lot of "full time" people who started over the summer. . .WTF????

Even better, there are now several more FILE CABNETS in this small office. . .so I can now say that I am in storage when I have office hours! Just last spring, I was so sure that I was making a mark at this place. . .yet I am now pretty sure that I am expected to deal with whatever I get, and not ask for too much as an adjunct. . .whoa! Grrrrrrr! Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

NYC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Had an amazing time of it. . .these pictures explained below. . .taken in Times Square


But, apart from missing my kids terribly!! I had a great time! I was all over that island, and even found a pair of work shoes on 5th avenue for 45 dollars, my one splurge! The 6 were spoiled rotton, got them kippahs and such from the Museum of Jewish heritage http://www.mjhnyc.org/index.htm and also saw Chicago on Broadway for 25 bucks, a rush ticket. Saw Ground Zero, which was really important to me. . .


I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter on 9-11-01, and I remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard about it. I was born on the 7th anniversary of JFK's death/murder, and my whole life many people would tell me where they were when they heard the president was dead. . .I had that experience on 9-11. I will always remember that day, and seeing all of the confusion and fear on the faces of the people they talked to in the aftermath- the way my heart sank and my hands went to my stomach when I watched both buildings fall, the need to get my kids- the only Jews in school- home early from school for a snack and a talk about what was going on. The grim realization that because of our contacts in Israel, we knew now how they really felt when they survived an attack. . .and the way my now 17 year old son went to football practice that night, because he was not going to stop living.


So, these many years later, I was reminded at that moment how much had changed and how much had stayed the same- so it was very nice to get there and close the circle.


One last rant- you myspace people already know this- the subway was SOOOOOO COOL!!!! As a full time commuter. . .ewwwww, I loved the system, and had no problems going on the subway at any time day or night. There was a smell and an EWWWWW factor, but not a OMGIAMGONNADIE factor! Love public transportation, still think that London Underground is the best one around. . .
See above for NYC's finest and me clowning around

A break from the inane and insane




My babies! Precious is a HUGE Wiggles Fan http://www.thewiggles.com/ While this is not the "real" Captain Feathersword. . .it was close enough!
Also appearing here- the aforementioned 17 year old know it all. . .and the Cocoa and Butter children- Cocoa being the girl!

Some questions answered

Is your name Ema?

No, it is Hebrew for Mother' Eeeeeeema! See it is so phonetic!

How many kids are under the umbrella?
6 total

How many boys how many girls?
5 boys and a girl
The girl is the youngest

Did you have so many kids to "get the girl"?

Not in the way usually thought- it is a religious obligation to have one of each sex- according to Hillel, also, one for each of the 6 million Jews killed in the Shoah.

What is it like to have an autistic kid?
Ummmm, good? Nice? Great? It sucks? Not really sure how to answer this one. . .

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

A crossroad

So, the career- I need one

I know in my heart I can never leave sociology and be happy, and if I am going to be doing this for 50 years. . .I need it to be happy work- so what are my options?

Thanks to Laura, I can probably make it through this time, and get to where I want to be, but NYC was so hard. No other time has affected me, I felt so at home with all the sociologists, and had so amazing times. . .and for the first time the ache really took hold you know, the ache? That feeling like "if only. . ." and the blanks fill in themselves! In my case, if only my life were different, oh and if only the guilt of saying that did not STING! I love my life, my kids, by this feeling of being with a group, or even in a program that accepts my life's work as worthy. . .well it was opiate to this student:)

Sigh, I cannot wait until Boston 2008!

Em

So it begins

Alrighty then. . .so the drama is SOOO the story today

I have a high school senior this year. . .male, 17, and of COURSE he knows it ALL. . .which makes my life so much easier, since, well, you know, I do not have to educate him, or continue to prepare him for college life or ANYTHING. He knows he knows!

Sigh, and I thought Precious would be my most challenging. . .what with that princi-nopal at his school. . .

The last thing in the world I want to do right now is to deal with that woman, but hey, I did not post the history. . .wait until you hear. . .

OK, so Precious is all ready for kindergarten, MAINSTREAMED even, and I want to get him registered. In trying to be a good proactive advocate for my autistic kid. . .I contact the school trying to arrange a meeting to discuss the challenges and rewards to have a child like my Precious in the school. . .and the princi-nopal will not give me the papers! She says it is because she has not been told "for sure" he will be there, which, as an informed parent, I know is a lie. SO, of course, I check to make sure she is a lying ykw. . .and contact the superintendent. I explain that her actions could be construed as a violation of the ADA, and that I feel that this matter should be handled right away. . .and lo and behold, I get the papers.

She continues to impede his progress, and remains out of the loop yet trying to dictate to those of us in the loop, which I resist. The next 2 years are a series of inconsequential confrontations that end with me throwing down her lack of follow thorough and commitment to his academic success in "her" school- which sounds bitchy, but I say it much better than that, it actually sounded sweet. . .if you don't know me that is;)

So, he is in first grade this past year, and it hit the fan- she has no idea what it takes to alter the schedule of an autistic kid AND keep him behaving in school- she messes with me royally and we have it out face to face with the superintendent. . .and I make her cry. . .not with joy. Long story, short conclusion. . .she has agreed to back off. He is going into 2nd grade now, and we will see what happens. . .so tired of the drama, but willing to go and bring it when necessary!

How the hell does an "educator" look at herself after treating a child like she does my Precious? Bitch notwithstanding. . .after all, I am A BITCH, but I have STANDARDS! Sheesh!

Friday, August 10, 2007

Holy Crap! I'm in NYC!!!

Here to talk to people who find the mundane fascinating! Yay, people like me!!!!!!!!! Acutually, I am looking to enlighten the populace about constructing Autistic parenthood. . .whoooooHoooooo!

So, I will be posting as I can, and I will be sure to let you know how the presentation goes!!!

Monday, August 6, 2007

Tilting the amusing windmill. . . .

Alllllrighty then. As the Rainmom, I am supposed to be impervious to the pressures associated with the cultural expectations of parenting. I am SUPPOSED to be immune to the notions that consuming goods and services in the realm of "summer vacay". . .Sadly, not.

I have become temporarily insane and decided that what I really want to do is take Precious and the non autistic sibs to Six Flags. . .yeah, I know.

This insanity has me taking them tomorrow, staying overnight, and returning home. . .and leaving for the ASA in NYC on Thursday, where I will be presenting AND moderating a session.

I will save you the trouble, I will call myself crazy! So, I will update if I survive the Iron Rainmom event!

Em