Thursday's Thumpings

Today was a wild ride from start to finish. The elementary school was closed today for parent teacher conferences and I was honored to attend my 5th grader's conference. The teacher was laudatory of his accomplishments and very appreciative of his manners. I was proud and dismayed when she remarked on his never-failing use of the word ma'am: proud because it is always good to hear when your child is using some aspect of his/her upbringing in the world when you're not around but dismayed because the teacher remarked that he was the only one in the class who did so. I was insulted(not too terribly but still felt slapped in the face) when she asked was that something that was required in his school we just moved from(in the south). My on time response was, " No, the school didn't require it but his father and I do require it of every one of our children. Manners and respect are expected at all times. To this day, I use the ma'am and sir as well and my mother is quick to remind me if I slip when speaking to her - and I am a mother myself several states away." Was I crazy to feel that I was insulted? Why aren't more parents insistent and persistent in their desires for their children to use simple signs of respect? Now that I think of it, for each of the conferences we have attended over the past few weeks across all 3 school levels teachers have remarked about our children's manners and respectfulness, but in a fashion that causes me to wonder what are the other children doing? Anywho, the menu I have been working on for the month is almost completed. I have to complete the menu tonight as the weekend is threatening to storm and grocery shopping must be completed tomorrow morning. Bless me, Lord, as I shop with the babies. :-) I am determined to stay along the grocery list and control my shopping habits. My passion is finding a good bargain and I will be vigilant in my control of this. The house is calling....