Oh Erin, big huge hugs and a pox on motherfucking obnoxious students. A big ass pox.

Kristin, you take your Vic and stay nice and gently doped until this passes-- all I've ever had is fibroids that have developed in the past few years and I know how hard those little fuckers can hurt when they flare up-- I can't even begin to imagine what you're dealing with.

Okay, Universe and 2008, the Voodoo dolls will be coming out in full force if we don't get a respite for the last four months of the year. We've had it with you.

Okay, Universe and 2008, the Voodoo dolls will be coming out in full force if we don't get a respite for the last four months of the year. We've had it with you.

Barb, we'll get together and fill the Voodoo dolls with lots of sharp, pointy pins.

{{{Bitches}}}

back off universe just back the fuck off!

{{{Erin}}}

I really wish they hadn't outlawed corporal punishment in schools. Bring the paddle back!

Texas still allows it. I think a few other states, too. One of my friends in college told me that she got caught smoking in high school a few times, and the principal always gave her a choice: either the paddle, or he'd call her mother. She said she always picked the paddle.

You know, I quite like teaching stuff. I'm not so big on the supervising and scolding thing. That gets old.

Yes, this. My biggest problem recently has been students talking on their cell phones during class, but there have been other years when I had some actual behavior problems in my classes.

I really wish they hadn't outlawed corporal punishment in schools. Bring the paddle back!

Florida still allows it, with certain stipulations.

At my school we have problems with the students text messaging during class, sleeping and trying to listen to MP3's (and yes, sometimes they are doing all three at the same time)

Texas still allows it. I think a few other states, too.

A few. Legal in 23 states.

A few. Legal in 23 states.

Wow. I wonder how many of them regularly use it?

I wonder how many of them regularly use it?

I dunno. I suspect it varies a lot by both state and school -- for instance, I get the impression that in NC it's decided district-by-district, because it's occasionally news that one of the more fundieriffic parts of the state is debating really using it. Which makes me think it's not actually all that common in every place it's legal, but 23 states still surprised me.

It's probably not outlawed because of the teachers. It's for the student's safety.

Maybe, a compromise? A once-a-month Day o' The Whalloping Reckoning? 1 whallop per kid, and the teachers bid to whallop with the proceeds going to the Teacher Legal Defense Fund?

Or for a library?

See. It's all for the Good of the Children! Really!!

I was talking Kara in the lit thread, and thought of a million things I wanted to tell you guys, but thought here would be better than there.

We went to the thrift store for school shopping. She picked out mostly dresses and skirts... I shouldn't have been surprised. For her first day of school today, she wore a white skirt with a kind of flamenco cut, ruffles from the knee in front swooping down to ankle in back and a white empire cut blouse with angled lace sleeves that ended in a point, scattered with rhinestones. Her shoes? Black mary janes. She wasn't sure about those until I said they were probably a little too gothy. (They were the only wide-width available in the store, but they're very cute and comfy.) So of course she had to have them.

I recently found a note from her on the refrigerator door. "If I'm still brething [breathing] when you wake up, you can come and get me [out of bed]."

Hil, she was quite surprised to find out that I know a mathy girl who's studying math on purpose. She was shocked to get all of her math problems done on time and easily today. "And it was fun!"

Aidan is spelling simple words (including "Mom" "Dad" "Kara" "bus" "pig" and "Gordon") and he's starting kindergarten tomorrow! He will only wear long sleeved shirts and long pants, preferably dark colors or blue jeans (fun this summer), and refuses to have his hair cut. it's almost shoulder length in the back now and he's getting a little bit too big for me to hold him down on the kitchen floor. While at the thrift store he flipped the shopping cart, causing me to experience the joys of a pulled groin muscle trying to keep it from landing on him. He's talking more. This afternoon he came and told me, "you should cook now."