The Cookbook Junkies

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s Andrew

December 10, 2013 by Jenny Hartin 7 Comments

Like everyone else – I’m frantically trying to get ready for the holidays.

We don’t even have a tree up. We were going to get one last weekend but Andrew was upset because we weren’t cutting it down like we do every year. So we decided to try to do that this coming weekend…now Jim has a project at work – and most places are too far away – so we’re going to go back to Lowe’s and pretend we cut it down.

I make promises for get togethers and I don’t want to do them. I just want to be left alone in my quiet to watch Golden Girls and forget everything. I want to get the family’s gifts out and be done with Christmas.

There was a time when December was my favorite month – my birthday, Christmas – the promise of wondrous things. Just promises.

The phone rang at noon today. It was the assistant principal. Andrew tried to jump from the second floor balcony and he said he wanted to kill himself. My throat tightens up as my fingers type these words. “You need to come and get him and maybe call his therapist.”

I get to the school and all the pitiful looks – “I lay my head on the railroad track, waiting for the Double E – but that train don’t come round here no more….poor, poor pitiful me.” I smile and tell them that their lunch smells good. I feel awkward.

The receptionist tells me Andrew is down in the lunch bunch room – – you know what the lunch bunch room is — the place where Andrew goes to sit with the social worker – it’s a fucking broom closet. Wet mop smell and all. I make my way down to Andrew and the social worker. And by the way the lunch bunch consists of Andrew and the social worker and the mop bucket.

Andrew starts in by telling me that I don’t love him and neither does his father and he figures he might as well be dead. I wonder as he is telling me this if I could just stick my head in the wet mop bucket — and do myself in – but I have no idea where the bucket is – I know it is here somewhere – I can smell it.

We talk for a few minutes. We go up to Andrew’s classroom – where his teacher tells me – this all started because another child got a book Andrew wanted in the library. We pack his backpack and we head home.

Now the staff will have to find a new quiet place for Andrew to work – because they won’t let him work near the ledge anymore.

I don’t want to be on the ledge anymore.

I e-mailed the therapist and sent her a text. She is in Canada.

The $100 Starbucks Coffee Cup or The Art of Being Frugal

November 25, 2013 by Jenny Hartin 9 Comments

It is no secret I do like to make people happy. I can be a raging bitch at times – but I genuinely like to make people happy. Genuinely. Most people. Most of the time.

My friend Pam who I thank God every day I found her blog and became one of her best friends wanted a Starbucks New Orleans cup. She even offered to send folks a Utah mug in exchange. No offense to Utah but no one took her up on the offer. So to save money and not buy the cup on eBay – I put feelers out trying to get her this cup.

Meanwhile – I bought her a Denver cup, got her a New York City cup (which involved a friend buying the cup, giving it to my husband, my husband losing it at his old employment, his coworker finding it and pestering the hell out of my husband’s coworker to mail the cup). That whole experience took a few months off my life. I am a person that doesn’t like “to do” things left undone. I have to keep following up until that item is checked off and finished and most of the time the person involved never wants to speak to me again. I have a few packages sitting here to ship off and it is making me stark raving mad not having them “on the way”.

I noticed that a friend was traveling to New Orleans – so I sent her a message. She graciously offered to pick up a cup – and I offered to send her a Denver cup (which I did) and Pam offered to send her a Utah cup (which she did). My friend is a pretty popular blogger – with a big heart but a crazy schedule. She bought the cup – but she just hasn’t had time to mail it. It has been months. I caved and bought the cup on eBay instead of pestering her anymore. So Pam’s New Orleans cup cost us combined over $100 (this does not include the NYC or Denver cup – those were gifts to Pam). It makes me laugh.

I am writing this post because I thought it was a great lesson in the art of being frugal. If I would have ordered the cup in the first place for her – it would have been done. I wouldn’t have had to bother anyone and it would have been under $30.00. Lesson learned.

Pam says coffee tastes great in that $100 cup. It should – Pam deserves it.

It’s Go Time

November 21, 2013 by Jenny Hartin 4 Comments

My mother always said don’t laugh too much you’ll end up crying; don’t be happy – you’ll end up sad. Yes, she was a glass is half empty kinda gal. But ding dong the woman was right.

Tuesday we had a meeting at the school about how wonderfully Andrew is doing. I left feeling hopeful and happy which was my first mistake.

Tuesday night – we receive a notice that he was making finger guns and saying “I kill people, it’s my hobby”. They are allowed to play this game at recess called Zombie Chase – some child made it up. It involves fake weapons, commanders – and a whole lot of wacky stuff. I don’t like it- I don’t think it should be allowed. I’m not an overbearing mother – I’m a mother. He has anger issues – I don’t need to add fuel to that fire. I think this finger gun issue is a direct result of Zombie Chase.

Wednesday night – I get a call while sitting in the pick up line at school – that a child went after Andrew at first recess and kept saying “let’s go – want to have a go at it” and started air punching. Andrew said no and walked away.

During the second recess Andrew said that the child approached him again and Andrew lost it — and basically said “it’s go time” and went after the kid. Just because the bear didn’t bite your head off the first time you placed it in his mouth – doesn’t mean you won’t keep your head the second time. Don’t POKE the BEAR. The kid ran – and no one was hurt or struck – but after this occurrence there was no calming him down. He spent the afternoon in the office. Andrew is like a Rock Em Sock Em Robot – once he is wound up watch out. (My husband said when I informed him of the day’s events – “I hope he punched him right in the nose.” Yep, that is kinda how I felt – but that would have made things so much worse.)

I have instructed Andrew that if anyone comes up to him in any way about fighting — he is to ask to see the principal immediately. I have also instructed Andrew to stay away from the agitating/run away boy. I would hope that boy keeps away from Andrew too or at least keeps up his running game.

I am also really concerned about the two recess situation. Andrew falls apart in the afternoon and putting that much stress on him – is really unfair. I want him active and playing – but if the afternoon is full of recesses and PE – we’re asking for trouble. The school is working on this with me. Perhaps letting him sit out the second recess. Second recess – who ever heard of such a thing? Back in my day we were lucky if we got one recess. Back in my day – we were lucky if we had lunch. Did I tell you about walking barefoot in the snow – and I didn’t even have feet?