Sorry folks but it is time for a little rant.

I'll start with saying my son has his challenges when it comes to school. He has a learning disability, dyslexia and ADHD . . .  those are the labels. Daily life at school is to say the least frustrating for him, period. Then add to the mix teachers who have little to no empathy for exceptional children well it is simply a recipe for disaster.

I don't even know where to begin with the latest "discussion" I had with his art teacher today. She was rude, argumentative, confrontational, sarcastic shall I go on. Over an ART ASSIGNMENT for crying out loud . . . who gives a shit! It's colouring in between the lines! Slightly impossible for a child with fine motor skill issues.

An Art Assignment that he was bullied and teased about in his classroom and out on the school yard. Yet she can't seem to comprehend why he won't complete it.

I am so pissed off about it I want to post her name and link it to the school's website . . . however that would put my child in jeopardy.

There is a meeting scheduled for Monday morning with the SERT and I am done being nice. It is time for this school to stop the BS and starting teaching my son LIFE SKILLS. Stop with the nonsense of ART CRAP and teach him keyboard skills. The bottom line is the computer is what he needs to learn to compete in this world not how to colour between the lines!

Ok . . . I feel a little better now.

Recently thanks to Facebook I have been in contact with a number of people from my very distant past; friends that I grew up with through Elementary, Junior High and High School. For reasons unknown and for reasons known we lost touch and our lives moved on without each other.

There have been marriages, divorces and second chances at love.
There have been successful careers, entrepreneurs and the adventures of travel.
There have been mistakes, disappointments and too ... there have been dreams realized.

The reconnection has had me reflecting on that time in my life and to be honest the feelings are mixed. I was blessed with two best friends, Sue and Lisa, who were my foundation. No matter what kind of day it was I knew they were in my corner. We smoked our first cigarette together, we drank our first beer together, and we had our first toke together. We were also there for each other during the first crush, the first real boyfriend and of course the first broken heart. I was blessed with their friendship.

I also remember being painfully shy especially in High School. Being called upon in class always resulted in a blush of embarrassment, skipping school quickly became a favourite past time. There was always this feeling of not really belonging. I wasn’t one of the cool kids or the popular kids but I hung out on the fringes with them. There but not.

Was my experience in High School that different from most? Probably not.
Do I think about it? Nope, not till recently.
What time in my life do I think about the most? My Thirties! Now those were Good Times, Good Times!

The following news article was published in the National Post.

Overseas Births

Glen McGregor, Canwest News Service
Published:Friday, January 16, 2009

New rules intended to protect the value of Canadian citizenship will create a two-tier system, with children born or adopted overseas relegated to an "inferior" class of citizenship, critics say.

Proposed federal regulations unveiled shortly before Christmas prevent children born to or adopted by Canadians outside the country from passing citizenship onto their children if they are also born abroad.

The rule has one immigration expert advising pregnant women against having their babies overseas, and contacting adoption agencies to warn them of what the changes will mean for their clients.

The regulations, which accompany an immigration law passed by Parliament last year, are aimed at keeping foreign-born Canadians from daisychaining citizenship to children while living outside Canada.

"The legacy of Canadian citizenship will not continue to be passed on through generations living abroad who may have no or little attachment to Canada," said Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokeswoman Karen Shadd.

Currently, children born to Canadian parents abroad automatically become Canadian citizens. Children adopted in other countries such as China or Vietnam, were once required to travel home with their new parents as family-class immigrants and then apply for citizenship, but changes introduced by the Conservative government make them citizens at the time of adoption.

Donald Galloway, a law professor at the University of Victoria specializing in immigration and refugee law, said it is odd that the Harper government would make it easier for adopted children to become Canadians, then propose a new regulation that would take away the citizenship rights their parents enjoyed.

"They're giving benefits with one hand and taking it away with the other," said Mr. Galloway, who is the father of a nine-year-old girl adopted from China. "You now have to worry about where your kids are born."

He said it is particularly unfortunate that the rule targets internationally adopted children, because some may one day want to become adoptive parents themselves.

Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, has been following closely the changes to the citizenship law enacted last year in Bill C-37.

"Because of this new change in the law, parents of foreign adopted kids are going to realize this is an inferior type of citizenship their kids are going to be saddled with," she said.

The new rule raises the possibility that children born abroad to some Canadians could become effectively "stateless," depending on where they are born, she said. Not all countries grant citizenship to children born locally to foreigners and, in some situations, that could even make it difficult for the parents to bring their child home, she said.

"Supposing the child is born somewhere in Latin America. How do you even get on the plane with a stateless little baby that doesn't even have a travel document?" She said she has advised a pregnant friend to reconsider her decision to give birth in Europe and has spoken to adoption agencies about the new rule.

About 4 weeks ago I was taking the mutt for a walk during a lovely little snow fall. You know the kind soft, wet, fluffy snowflakes drifting down from the sky. It was a beautiful evening! Until I stepped onto my neighbours patterned concrete driveway and fell like a ton of bricks . . . onto my right ankle. Snap Crackle Pop.

For those of you who watched the Flintstones growing up . . . I was Sassie trying to get home!

To make a long story short, I busted it up but good and will remain on crutches and in a cast until mid January.

Learning to rely on others has been an interesting experience and as with most bad incidents good can come out of it. On a personal level my husband has gained a better appreciation of all the “stuff” I do around here; my son has taken on new responsibilities which have caused him to grow as a person and become more self confident; and I am slowly learning how to be less of a control freak. On a broader level the importance of all public areas being barrier free has also hit home. For those with disabilities the smallest of tasks must be planned and co-ordinated.

It has taken me almost the entire four weeks to become comfortable with asking others to do for me. But now I’m getting pretty good at it.
“Oh honey while you are up would you mind . . . .”

Although, last night the movie “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane” was mentioned.

I have been battling lately with what this blog should be about. When I first created the blog it was to bring potential editors to my site, I had great hopes of being a syndicated columnist. A witty, well read, successful columnist who would find the humour in growing old and hitting menopause but alas after hundreds of mailings and many rejection letters (although they were very nice) my dream has not been fulfilled.

So where do I go from here?

My life has many aspects to it . . . I hit menopause when I was in my thirties and have been HOT ever since! I also adopted my incredible son in my thirties and have been on my toes ever since! My forties have been an awakening and continue to be so, every day I learn more on a spiritual level. My forties have recently given me a serious health challenge that needs to be addressed, my future depends on it.

I have always censored myself knowingly on this blog especially when it came to my family. I tried to stick to the funny or bizarre moments of my life. Always trying to keep friends, neighbours and family member’s names out of it . . . what if someone I knew actually read it ??? This was important to me particularly when it came to my son. He’s in Grade Four now and very computer savvy, what if one of his friends “googled” him and found my blog. I would never ever want to embarrass him in any way.

So who am I really?

I am a full time Mom to a child with “high needs” not special needs but definitely “high needs”. Parenting is a tough job, parenting a child with ADHD is even tougher; parenting a child who was adopted from an orphanage in Eastern Europe introduces elements that many simply don’t understand.
Who am I . . . a Mom, who doesn’t have all the answers.

I am a Software Consultant who is responsible for bringing in a certain income to sustain our financial goals. My clients have referred to me as the “Un-consultant” because I have a habit of telling the truth. Clients love me, consulting firms that hire me . . . not so much!
Who am I . . . unemployed . . . LOL just kidding landed a contract a few weeks ago.

I am a daughter. My Mum was, is a great Mum. A couple of years ago she had a TIA and passed out in the local shopping centre. She spent a couple of weeks in the hospital and since then has become a chosen SHUT IN. She will not go anywhere unless I take her. The tides have officially turned it is my turn to take care of her.
Who am I . . . a Daughter (it doesn’t get any simpler than that, I love her)

I am a wife. 21 Freaking Years! Met him when I was 16, we were engaged at 21 and married at 23. There were times that I didn’t think we would make it but here we are. We joke about how we can’t afford to get divorced . . . there’s no way the other one is going to get half. We increased our insurance policies a year ago and I swear neither one of us has had a decent night’s sleep since . . . hard to with one eye open.
Who am I . . . happy to be a little boring and content.