WTF Sergeant?

This morning, as I was walking my daughter to school like I do every morning, I witnessed what I can only assume was a woman on a power trip. My jaw kinda dropped a little bit and I refrained from saying anything because of the kids around.

Sometimes people will hear me complain about the idiot crossing guards at the school, but the female soldier who has been up there the past few weeks has been cool. Nothing to complain about from me. Well, as I was coming up on the crosswalk today, she stopped traffic, like she normally does, and let some parents and kids pass. I noticed as she was stopping the traffic there was a black vehicle that just kept inching it's way forward. The crossing guard sternly put her hand up in the "stop" manner.

Back to School! = Happy Mom

Last week we had the kids open houses and school started this week. Tomorrow will be the first day that all three kids are back in school. Getting up at 6am is totally worth it for a day of peace and quiet. I love my kids, but it's gonna be nice to have the day to myself.

Green Cupcakes for St. Patty's Day - I heard they were delish!!

My daughters teacher asked if any parents would like to do something "green" for snack time last week & this week b/c they were celebrating St. Patty's Day. I volunteered to do green cupcakes... Alexis said they were yummy!

The night before I had went and bought some green food coloring and THOUGHT I had everything else... well the morning I was to bring them in, I saw I still needed ONE egg lol... I went to 3 different Shoppettes to get eggs! They really should keep more in stock for people like me who only need one =) Thankfully I got some eggs and got the cupcakes to the school with 15mins to spare =)

What kind of foods do you make for special times of the year?

Looking to further your education? Check this out =) ((possibly win something too))

From Stephanie Johnson -

If your husband is E1-E5 and you want to take advantage of your military spouse benefit, Martinsburg Institute offers a number of popular programs to allow you to further your education.

Martinsburg is an accredited school that loans you a laptop computer that is fully loaded with all your course materials. You can complete your training anywhere in the world since you don't need the Internet to access your curriculum. One of the best parts is that, unlike a traditional college, you can study whenever you want and wherever you want, depending on your schedule, on the days and times that best suit you.

Take advantage of this opportunity while you are still eligible.

Contact Stephanie Johnson:
sjohnson@martinsburginstitute.edu
Stephanie Johnson - Facebook
http://www.militaryspouseseducation.blogspot.com/

The first student to enroll and mention "Army Wives Do It With A Hooah" will receive a $25 Scentsy Gift Certificate

MyCAA - Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts

...also known as "Military Spouse Tuition Assistance"

The Department of Defense's expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program (MyCAA) will provide up to $4,000 of financial assistance for military spouses who are pursuing associate degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to employment in portable career fields.

The MyCAA program covers the costs of associate degree programs and career training that leads to licensing, certifications and/or credentials in high-demand and high-growth industries.

There is a yearly cap on the available funds of $2,000. Additionally, military spouses must finish their program of study within three years from the start date of the first course.

To officially confirm your eligibility for the MyCAA program, start by opening up a MyCAA account by visiting the online MyCAA portal Web site. Once your spouse's DEERS benefit eligibility has been verified and approved, you can create your Career and Training plan. This plan involves identifying a career path, selecting a school or vocational program and outlining the courses you will need to take in order to meet your career goals. Your Career and Training plan will need be approved prior to receiving your funds.

Who is eligible?
Spouses of active duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2, as well as the spouses of activated Guard and Reserve members within those ranks. Spouses of Guard and Reserve members must be able to start and complete their courses while their sponsor is on Title 10 orders.

What does it cover?
A MyCAA account covers tuition for associate degree programs and vocational training courses that lead to licensing and/or industry certifications. This includes state certifications for teachers, medical professionals and other occupations requiring recognized certifications; licensing exams and related prep courses; Continuing Education Unit (CEU) classes including those offered through professional associations; and degree programs leading to employment in Portable Career Fields. MyCAA also pays for high school Completion courses, GED tests and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

Read more and get links at Military OneSource -

Hope this helps some =)

Odd Girl Out

Today has been a movie day for me...one movie I watched was on Lifetime Movie Network. The movie was "Odd Girl Out" - in this movie a girl who was a part of the popular crowd in high school was targeted by her "friends" because they thought she was hitting on a boy one of the other girls liked.

They spread rumors about her and had people in school calling her a slut and a whore, they talked about her weight and hair in the bathroom when they knew she was in one of the stalls, they made websites about her and harassed her on instant messenger.

The one girl kept trying to act like she was still her best friend and basically told her everything was fine and she was over-reacting... she told her that her birthday party had been moved up a week and this girl got all dressed up to show up and nobody be there.

This girl, who was a straight A student and overall good kid, began ditching school to avoid her bullies...her grades began to suffer and she was in a bad mood at home all the time. The day she heard them in the bathroom talking about her hair, she went home and chopped it all off... the night she showed up to the party and nobody was there, she overdosed on pills. Her mom was at a loss because she didn't know what to do to help her... the school wouldn't take action because the bullying wasn't "violent"...

Finally at the end, this young girl stood up for herself and was better for it. Watching this movie and seeing the heartbreak this girl endured and the pain the mother had because she couldn't help her daughter tore me up.. As a mother now, I can't imagine having my own child go through something like that and seeing them in emotional pain like this girl was.

I was thinking back to my high school years and I really can't remember if I picked on anyone.. I'm sure I called someone a bitch or maybe even a slut out of jealousy a time or two, but I wasn't a "bully bully"... but even thinking back and knowing I may have hurt a girl in high school makes me feel bad... and I'm sorry.

If you haven't seen this movie, I suggest it... brought tears to my eyes and enlightenment to my heart..

Out of Control...

Let's start from the beginning of this whole mess... I will not refer to people by their real names. I'm sure some involved are embarrassed enough, but I have to share this because I'm just dumbfounded at the ignorance and lack of control that I have seen this past week.

This started on Tuesday. My friend, whom I will refer to as "Spouse" dropped off her 2yr old for the day with me because I have been watching him for her. All was well all day long until my son came home and told me that "M" (a boy who lives 2 houses down) had my friend "Spouse's" other son on the ground after school with his arm twisted behind his back. Naturally, when "Spouse" came to pick up her baby, I let her know of this situation. She went next door to speak to "M's" mother, who I will now refer to as "Soldier", but she wasn't home yet. So "Spouse" let the two boys know that she would be coming back later to talk to their mother about what was going on.

A few hours later "Spouse" came over and I went with her to "Soldier's" house to try to resolve this issue with the kids. I went because my son is the one who saw the altercation. When "Spouse" and "Soldier" were talking, "Soldier's" other son, "A", was there. "Soldier" asked "A" what happened after school and he kept giving some jumbled explanation and then started getting hype and rude with "Spouse". Then "Spouse" says to "Soldier" in so many words that she needed to tell her boys not to be putting their hands on other peoples kids and they needed to be taught some respect. Well that didn't go over well with "Soldier". They exchanged some words and "Soldier" told "Spouse" - "you black bitch you need to take your ass back to the ghetto"... My face dropped!! I couldn't believe she said that. So then "Spouse" tells "Soldier" - "make me take my black ass back to the ghetto"... that is when "Soldier" hit "Spouse" and a fight broke out. "A" tried to jump on "Spouse" and I grabbed him and pulled him off yelling to get out of it before he got hurt. When "Spouse" saw the boy was trying to jump in it she backed away and turned around. Then "A" yelled out that "Spouse" punched him, which she didn't, and that caused "Soldier" to come up to "Spouse" and hit her again. Which resulted in her getting her ass beat...bad. The MP's were there, the ambulance, CID...it was crazy..

The next day, Wednesday, "Spouse" went to the school to let them know that her kids weren't gonna be there because of this altercation. You see, "A" was in the same class as "Spouse's" daughter "S". She knew there would be tension and she wanted to let it cool down a bit.

So, yesterday, Thursday, during school at recess, "A" was picking on and pushing "S" around. Nothing more happened with them... at that point. Well, my son comes home and tells me that "M", the same boy from Tuesday who had put his hands on "Spouse's" son, had pushed MY daughter in the back and then punched her in the back. Being my Pookie, she smashed the little boy in the face and ran home crying. I decided not to approach "Soldier" about her son because I was a witness to what had happened when "Spouse" approached her. I didn't need to be getting into a fight. I just figured, okay, the boy learned his lesson because my daughter shocked him by hitting him back.

Fast forward about 2hrs... "Spouse" comes to pick up her baby and told her about the boy hitting my daughter and we were talking about how "Soldier's" boys were out of control. "Spouse" goes home. Next thing I know, "Spouse" is rushing in my door telling me to call the MP's because "Soldier's" son, "A", had attacked her daughter "S" with a stick and a knife. He had pulled her hair, threw her on the ground and kicked her in the stomach. At this point I'm in complete shock. Srsly! What 10yr old kid does that shit?! My son saw the whole thing and made a report to the MP's...

Now, I had done had enough at this point and so had my friend "Spouse". I went to the MP's and filed a report about the boy hitting my daughter. I also went to the school to make them aware of the boy hitting my daughter. Together, "Spouse" and I went to the housing office and made resident complaints about "Soldier's" kids. I also gave them a copy of my sworn statement to the police. Turns out, they have a file already on "Soldier's" kids and "Soldier" said in one of the reports "they are kids on a military installation, that is what they do".

Now, all because "Soldier" doesn't have her kids in control, she is about to get evicted. Her command is being involved and everything. I'm pretty sure this is not going to look good for her army career.

So, there are more details, but that is the gist of it. This just goes to show that kids WILL behave according to their examples and kids who have no supervision and little discipline WILL be trouble makers.

I have not had problems living on post in 9yrs until this week. The problem was not with another wife, it wasn't some petty drama... it was out of control kids and a mother who apparently displays some questionable actions in front of her kids. If my kids went around hitting on others and calling people "black bitches" and "fags" they would not be able to even walk. Yes, "Soldier's" son "A" said those things....I heard him. SMH...

CONTROL YOUR KIDS LADY!!! /rant

He wasn't "highly intoxicated" so that makes it okay...

NOT! Okay, so here is the story - Grissom High School football coach is on paid administrative leave while the Huntsville City School Board decides his punishment after his DUI arrest. Read it. =)

Now, my opinion I'm sure will not be liked by some and as my readers know, I don't care. Let's put a few things out here:

1. This man is a football coach - a man who is trusted to teach and guide young men.. my husband played football during his entire high school "career". His coaches were like fathers to him and he looked up to them. Young "men" in high school are very impressionable, especially by those they look up to.

2. This man was on school property - true, it was on a Saturday and he was off work, but he was on school grounds, driving school property... I don't care if he was only a "little intoxicated" - the point is, he had drinks and then he drove. Did he think no one would hear the commotion going on at the school on a Saturday night and call someone? Oh, he probably wasn't thinking at all! He had been drinking.

My kids are taught at home AND at school that drinking and driving is NEVER okay. You don't have one drink and get behind the wheel, so definitely not enough to make you legally intoxicated.

If this teacher appeals and gets away with it, this is teaching kids that it is okay to have a few drinks and then get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Just my opinion, but this is not the kind of school I would want my kids to attend.

What if one of his football players, who is old enough to drive, decides "hey I can have this drink at a party and drive home, I'll be okay because I won't be highly intoxicated... the coach did it, so it must be okay." Then gets behind the wheel of his parents car to go home or pick up friend or whatever... then crashes because for one, he is an inexperienced driver and two he has alcohol in his system. He could kill someone or kill himself at worst. Damage property, the car or someone elses...but hey! it's alright because he wasn't "highly intoxicated"... NO.

BTW, I would be willing to bet my life that if this was a man in the community who wasn't affiliated with the school football team that it wouldn't be "oh he wasn't highly intoxicated" - he would end up being in more trouble than I'm sure this coach will be in. SMH.

Sorry for my rant. Guess I'm just sick of adults acting a fool. /rant

Teacher hits student - my opinion on this whole fiasco!

Most of you know I met my husband in high school, but I'm not sure if I ever clarified what high school, probably because I am a bit embarrassed by the school and area itself, but I will tell you now. We met in Salem High School, in Salem, NJ. That is where this story takes place.

A teacher, whom my husband and I know, is being accused of hitting a student. No, I don't know all the details but I do know he admitted it on TV and the girls parents are taking him to court. Here is a link to the article:
Salem High School grad taking teacher to court claiming he slapped her in the face.

To my understanding, the teacher apologized, and remembering the teacher, I'm sure he was sincere in his apology. However, the fact remains he put his hands on a student in his care. Whether it was jokingly, like some say, or not, it was unwanted by this girl.

Now, my biggest problem lies in the all the people who think what he did was okay!! There is an "event" on facebook, Attend the board meeting to help Mr. Merritt, that makes me want to laugh with all the ignorance! Let me show you some:

"Ti Campbell Sr.- Oh, and sadly no one gaf about what you have to say either. Only people associated with SHS have a valued opinion.." ((duh, I went there, I think that means I'm associated with SHS))

"Peggy Guthrie- All she is trying to do is get everyone pissed off, she doesn't even live in Salem anymore so really her freedom of speech is trash....so I'll support Mr. Merritt ! I don't agree with what happen but I'll still support him cuz when I went to salem high school he was my english teacher n my softball coach...." ((So, me voicing my opinion that this man was wrong in hitting a child isn't right b/c I don't live in Salem anymore...oh and my Freedom of Speech is trash, nice to know my husband did 4 deployments for nothing /sarcasm))

This one really gets me LOL'ing:
"Oranjello Lemonjello-
jamie, you haven't had merritt as a teacher have you? Hes an excellent teacher. i couldn't even believe this story after witnessing his helpful and caring character. i know there must be 2 sides to the story. i understand how harsh and cruel the media can be. realize that drama sells and one can only expect them to dramatize any situation to generate filth they call news. you keep saying he harmed a child. shes 18, shes not a 13 year old (i wasn't there so i don't know how she conducted herself) but i would guess she wasn't conducting herself very adult like." ((Him being an excellent teacher, which I'm not saying he wasn't, does not overrule the fact he put his hands on a student!! He admitted to the media he hit this girl!! Her being 18 means nothing b/c he did it as her teacher... she was sent to school and entrusted in the teachers care by her parents and he broke that trust when he hit her. And if she wasn't acting very "adult like" I'm sure there are better ways to deal with the situation than to hit her. TEACHERS DO NOT HIT STUDENTS. PERIOD.))

Then I got bashed and attacked for saying what a shit-hole Salem is. Yes, it is a shit-hole!!!!! When we lived there, I wouldn't take my boys outside to play because there was crack pipes on the ground, drug dealers around every corner. People saying things who didn't live IN the town, but on the outskirts, didn't see it all like I did. Maybe it has changed some since I lived there and I hope it has, but the truth remains, it was horrible when I was there.(( The father of the girl who was hit said to me, "I've met Chief Pelura since this "thing"started . I believe he is a good person and from what I hear , has done great things with the City, and the Police Dept. I personally have no reason not to admire him , and think you would too." Since he said this to me I decided to remove the comments I made about the cops of Salem because my intentions were not meant to slander them, I was simply a bit "heated" when I wrote this.))

Speak the truth and shame the devil.

Again my two links:
Salem High School grad taking teacher to court claiming he slapped her in the face.
Attend the board meeting to help Mr. Merritt

I guess students rallying is gonna over rule the fact that this man broke the law by hitting a student. Yeah okay.

I also got this in my inbox: (name and pic has been blotted out)At least someone appreciates the truth!

This is what it says incase you can't see it "i know u dont know me and i dont know u lol..but i saw what u r sayin on the merritt page..i just wanted to say THANK YOU! i had him as a bball coach for 3 years..well 3 a half. he made me quit the middle of my senior yr bc he treated me like complete shit! i wasnt the 1st to quit...and it wasnt like i was a no one i had played bball for many years and had a full ride to play in coollege. he made me hate everything about the game.him.and myself! if i said anythin on the page people wouldnt pay it any mind bc they know our history..its nice that someone is stating the truth! i dont hate him nor do i want him to loose his job.but he has to understand doing something illegal is not okay!"

*How would you feel if a teacher put his/her hands on your child? My husband and I already know we'd be in jail for hitting the teacher! Our tax dollars don't go to teachers for them to hit our children, they go to them to teach and guide. I don't know why I thought teenagers would understand that.*

**side note, the event I spoke of in this post was removed or I was blocked from it, so if you can't get to it, that is why**