Sephoni missed her first day of school this year, and spent the day home on the couch.  I’m not 100% sure what she has.  Originally it seemed like something she ate Saturday night (while out with a friend and her family) didn’t agree with her.  Sunday seemed to point more to a food-borne illness.  Today found her able to eat a bit, but unfortunately still found her vomiting and since the school guidelines are to keep a child home for 24 hours past the last episode of vomiting she’ll be out of school again tomorrow.

Of course this means we’re not even out of September and have already kissed perfect attendance goodbye. But then, this isn’t a big deal because neither of my girls have ever earned that particular accolade.

I have a niece who has had perfect attendance every year and she’s a Freshman in high school this year.  And while I am, of course, proud of her (she’s determined to reach that goal every year until she graduates), I also wonder how many other kids wound up missing school because my niece went to school even when maybe she really should have stayed home sick.

And even assuming that the child/teen in question truly never needs a sick day all year long (or during their entire school career) what exactly are we rewarding with the award. Good luck? Better genetics? Stubbornness?

But, this practice is not limited to the school system. There are companies as well who reward those employees that never take a sick day.

Are we insane?

While I applaud the impulse to try to motivate kids to make school a priority, and while I understand the impulse for a business owner to discourage employee absenteeism, having a policy in place that results (intentionally or not) in the further transmission of disease is just irresponsible.

Just my 2 cents.

Jia

Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Well Fall is finally upon us.  Even if it doesn’t particularly feel like it today – felt like a steamy summer evening when Accolan and I went out to Sam’s Club for the week’s supplies.

I’d like to be able to say that I marked and honored the sabbat of Mabon.  I would like to say that I paused to acknowledge the full moon that coincided with the equinox.  But, I have been lax in that regard for so long now and I’m thinking it may take some drastic changes to my life to change that particular pattern.

Reya’s mental health issues still take up a good deal of time and energy. Things seem to be going better. She started back at her old high school. She’s starting to be able to lessen the frequency of the outpatient program she has been attending. We are in the middle of obtaining additional services for her, for us, as well. She’s starting to open up more, share more, take responsibility a bit more.

Sephoni is doing well overall. She seems stressed. She seems a bit overwhelmed with the addition of her joining the Tae Kwon Do school’s demo team on top of 5th grade, the gifted program, regular Tae Kwon Do classes, and flute. She seems fed up with most of her sister’s issues.

As for Accolan and I? We’re doing ok.

Our wish for all of you, the few who read this blog, is that your larders and coffers always be full. Our hope for you is that you never know hunger and never know thirst. Our prayer is that you and we find ourselves renewed by the dark months ahead.

Joyous Mabon
Happy Fall
Blessed Be

Jia

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy Labor Day to our readers here in the United States.  I always have mixed feeling about this day.  Isn’t it a little bit of a slap in the face for a country that does not guarantee its workers paid time off to set aside a day to celebrate the American worker?  Maybe it just feels that way to me because I am one of the 25% of American workers who is not given the benefit of holiday pay, sick pay, or vacation time.

Anyway …

It’s been both very buzy and a bit chaotic here.  Things seem to be starting to settle down again now.

Reya will be dropping back to a half-day program at her outpatient program.  For the next two weeks this will include a tutoring component.  The 17th will find us at a meeting to rework her IEP and if all goes well, she will return to her own high school on the 20th.

Sephoni tested for and received her brown belt in Tae Kwon Do.  Additionally, she has been invited to join the demo team, something she has hoped for and worked toward for a while now.  She enters 5th grade this year and is excited to be able to “rule the school.”

We have officially opened our Etsy shop.  For now there is only one item listed, but hopefully I will be getting a few items up every week between now and the end of the year.  Our initial focus is on crocheted items – both wearable and housewares, but I have a number of other items planned as well.

We have finished the bulk of the work in Sephoni’s room.  So now both girls are in freshly painted, recently rearranged, and newly accessorized rooms.

We have taken advantage of the cooler temperatures and put up both a pot of vegetable stew (recipe to come the next time I make it) and a pot of vegetarian chili con carne.  We have aired out the upstairs.

I will be working 3-9 today, which cuts our holiday short.  And I have to work 6 out of 7 days this week in order to get my full 40 hours.

Hoping to return to your regularly scheduled programming soon.  In the meantime we hope that you are enjoying the last days of summer (or Winter if you read us in the Southern hemisphere).  Before we know it the Equinox will be upon us and the seasons will turn.

Blessings

Jia

Image: Graeme Weatherston / FreeDigitalPhotos.net