We had our own nutso people here!

After the Newtown shooting locally the schools were a mess. We are the fifth largest district in the country and by the end of the day Monday rumors were running wild about a shooting happening here. Some blamed the whole "Apocolypse" fun but most credited the Connecticut shooting.

I kept Bug home on Tuesday to get a sense of what was being done by the district about these issues. Here we have a police force dedicated just to the schools that works separate from the cities police departments. They and the multiple city departments released statements of increased security at the high schools and a reassurance that the rumor initiators had been dealt with and that there never had been a threat.

My sweet girl wants to be federal LEO one day, she shoots in her junior league, she has a business plan to pay for college. I have a pretty smart cokkie. Her response was "Mom if they are protecting the High Schools then the Middle and Elementary Schools are now targets. I am not sure I like this"

I had to agree. So she went to school Wednesday to get any work she needed and I kept her home the rest of the week. Sure enough some kid took a rifle onto a campus Friday the 21st. I think he wanted attention. It wasn't loaded though he had ammo in the car. He never took it from the car. He did bring it to campus though and he had no reason to be at that specific school. He was not enrolled, had no sibling there.

He and others like him come from making the shooters the story. That needs to stop. We need to keep the focus on the victims and never mention the shooters name. Just ignore him. That is just a first step to stopping these people from seeking fame by taking out as many people as possible.

I am not dead!

Thank Heavens!

These past couple months have been a roller coaster of tests and stress. We have figured out some things which is great. The good news is that I am not in heart failure and the cause of my heart issues can be dealt with so I can get back to normal. The bad news is that normal still means FMS. Ick.

So apparently the awesome wonderdrug Savella they put me on a bit over 2 years ago has actually ben poisoning me and making my FMS progress. Cool huh? So we got rid of that drug and got a new doctor. The cardiologist says that it will take a good 6 months to be back to normal. Normal though for me could be who knows what. Since it pushed my FMS forward how much can it reverse? It has been discouraging to feel so useless.

However I refuse to be the debbie downer for long. I have discovered a fun work thing to do that helps me feel like I am giving back in some way which rocks. I am also helping to develop a website for a great project. It is called "The Screw It Project" and it is basically about telling Breast Cancer, heart disease, bullying, FMS, Diabetes, and Autism that those who face those issues are stronger!!

I may have to "Out" myself just so you guys can share in all this great stuff going on in my life!!

Crazies are out in force.

So the high school got a shooting threat today. The high school will be on lock down all day tomorrow. There will be police paroling the grounds at the elementary that my children attend. I am assuming they will be at the other elementary and the middle as well. My middle schooler does not care if he goes to the whole 15 minutes they have school tomorrow so he will be staying home. My two elementary age boys will be attending their parties....but my husband and I are going with them. That way they can go and enjoy their selves and we can be there to keep them safe. The world has gone crazy.

End of the world and psychos

I drive my boys to the bus stop in the mornings because they can't seem to behave if I am not there and it is COLD the last few days. I can't sit there in my warm truck and look at those freezing kids, so I let them all pile in to stay warm. This morning the conversation turned to the topic of the Connecticut shooting and the Mayan calender end of the world thing. At least half of them are staying home from school on Friday because their parents are afraid that someone will freak out thinking it's the last day on earth and go shoot a bunch of kids at school. They went on to talk about the conversations they had had with their teachers about what would be done to keep them safe. It was all I could do not to cry. These are young kids, they should be thinking about their upcoming Christmas parties, not worrying that some psycho will come to school and try to kill them. I wish they could still be oblivious to all of this. I am really torn, I don't know if I should send them or not. I don't think anything like that would happen, but I am sure the parents of the kids killed last Friday didn't think anything would happen either. My kids all have Christmas parties that day, plus my youngest is trying for 100% attendance again this year. I guess I could go to school with them, but who's class do I go to? Plus I have a middle schooler who will be miles away from the elementary school. I am seriously considering keeping them home just for my own peace of mind. Thoughts?

I'm sorry, I just can't.

I am simply unable to process this one. I get a huge lump in my throat every time I see the innocent little faces on the news. I cry when I think of how much their families are hurting. I get so ANGRY when I imagine how scared they all must have been. I can't deal with this one. I just can't. So if it seems odd that I haven't said anything about this horrible situation, it's because it hurts too much. I am off to clean my kitchen so I can make cookies and hot chocolate with my boys tonight and make sure they know how much I love them. Lord, please be with the families of the children who were lost, give them comfort in this time of pain. Hold them tight as their families are grieving their loss. Bless the families of the teachers who died protecting these innocent lives and let them be comforted in the knowledge that their loved one was a hero. Take them all into your arms and let them know we care. Amen.