http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6BxXaEBfMg

My daughter Morgan is the youngest survivor in this video. Sadly, she is not the youngest survivor of suicide. Please help C.A.R.E.S. Suicide Prevention get this video to countless people who just need to know that someone is there, that someone C.A.R.E.S. Please repost this.

Do you ever just have one of those weeks? One where you wished you could just curl back up under the covers and it be the next week? That has been this one.
Monday wasn't to bad. I was a bit saddened by the fact that a month ago I scheduled my middle school observations this week, then I find out that Obama will be here on Tuesday! Bummer! I didn't want to cancel, ya know? So I go through Monday not to bad. I had arranged for Marshal to hang out in the media center for a bit until I got there to pick him up, and so that afternoon, he came out of the office, where he had been in the clinic, SICK! No no no no no, not this week, but as Rainwater luck would have it, yes yes yes yes yes.
The next day I missed two classes, Barack Obama at the harborside event center, and sat home with a sick Marshal who thought I was now the worst mom every because I told him sick kids don't play video games!
Wednsday wasn't too bad, Marshal went back to school and so did I, just to get there to pick him up and once again he is in the clinic! AHHH!! So we trek to the local emergency room where we wait. I waited for 5 hours with two board kids in a packed emergency waiting room under construction which made it 1/2 the sixe it should have been. Lucky me! All of this to be told in 5 minutes that Marshal has a cold. Great! No perscription unless his fever lasts until Saturday.
So the next day it is back to school, I can't miss another Science or Math class, but oh, Morgan doesn't want to wear shoes. So that throws us 5 minutes behind which translates in traffic terms to 30 minutes. And I almost forgot my watch and ring, so Marshal runs it along with the necklace they all gave me for Mothers day to my car.
I get Morgan to school and her teacher wants to talk for 5 minutes, after I excussed myself as nice as I could it was off to school for myself. But a major intersection to get to school would have different plans. It would like to keep me there with it for 15 minutes. Awsome.
I finally get to school, 15 minutes late for class, but I have to park so far away that it would take me another 15 to walk to class! Awsome. Then I broke a piece of equipment in the lab, answered a math problem like a fifth grader, and went to go do my observations. There in the parking lot as I warfed down a burger I realized my necklace was missing! DAMN IT!!!
I called Ben, who wasn't mad, but you could tell he wasn't happy. I went in and did my observing, then called to make sure marshal was ok so he could go to tutoring. I pick up Moe and we head home. I walk and feed the dogs then go and tear up my car hoping that my necklace dropped in there and not in the parking garage somewhere. The only bright spot in my day when from out of nowhere I spot a glimmer from the track of the passenger seat, my necklace! Whew!
I go back into the house and sit down to read emails and help Morgan put together her Valentines for school. Next thing I know I have forgotten to go pick up Marshal from tutoring!!!!!!!!
How bad is that? All leading up to today, Friday the 13th, where I have almost refused to leave the house, but I did. I went to math lecture where the two kids who sat behind me talked the entire time about drinking games, the person who I take notes for at Adaptive Services won't come pick them up, so that work has been shot all to hell, then I come to home to shower and get buzzed by a buzzard as I leave my car. I'm ready for next week!!!!!
 
Thanks for listening!
~~Mandie

Whew! I've been so busy that I don't even know what week I just finished. Things are getting crazy and I am the only one to blame. The library I volunteer at was told they had to get rid of a lot of books so I went to a meeting this week with the service learning department of my school to try and get some help for those fine people. It may all come together! I am looking for suggestions for homes for good books. Taking any and all!!! Lets see, what else, Oh! I complained to the president of the university because they allowed a bunch of ladies on campus to talk about pro life stuff, but they didn't have the pro choice side represented. What I got back was a we encourage diversity and not so main stream trains of thought. I don't think you can preach one side and not give the other the opprotunity! Had a great time at classes! Let's see, on the kid front. Things are ok. I think they are both ready for the year to be done! If we can make it to June, I am taking Moe out of the dance studio she is in and looking for a new one. Marshal is now in a new book for his guitar! Ben is lovely as usual! They moved him to a new "shop". It's not a shop at all yet, just two buses outside with an awning, but by sometime in March it should be the newest most sophisticated shop in the district. Took to dogs to the Vet, yeah! A lot of money to hear, they are ok, here are your meds! Saw Coroline 3D today, excellent if you like Nightmare before Christmas. Have a great week!~~~~~Mandie

I think I start out every entry by saying WOW! I'm exhausted! I can't find any other words to describe it! School is doing well and I like it a lot. I am trying to get somewhat involved, but not to much. I may be getting more noticed by professors than I want to be, but at least it's not for bad reasons.
The kids are great! Marshal started in the second book at his guitar lessons. He wanted to quit after New Years, but I have let him decide to stay with just some nudges. Morgan is doing fine at dance. I think I will change her studio next year. I just don't appreciate the snobiness of this one. And they have cost me a small fortune. She may still dance, just at a different place.
Ben is excellent as always. They are talking about major cuts at the board of education and it has him a bit worried. He doesn't really think his job is in jeopardy, but you never know. The state says they may have to cut as much as 1000 jobs before next school year. We'll see.
I am still volunteering at Marshals school everyday. They were told on Tuesday that they libraries would have to reduce the numbers of book on their shelves by May. They have lists of out dated books and unpopular books to pull, so I am working closely with FGCU and the schools to get volunteers to come and help pull the books. Then I am working with CARES to help find homes for the books. It is a massive project, but I am excited. To think that I may help find a new life for up to a million books!
I've turned into a nerd!
Anyway, Thanks for listening!
Talk to you soon!
~~Mandie

What a great week!
I am having a blast! I have settled down into my perfectly chaotic schedule!!! The work load is still pretty heavy, and I only anticipate it getting harder. I was notified the other day that, if I can get my act together (paperwork and such) that I am a finalist for a scholarship. I'll keep you posted on that.
My big eciting event tis week was my favorite radio program came to campus! The BBC's World Have Your Say was here in Ft. Myers Thursday and Friday. They spent one day at a local soup kitchen and one day at the studios. I got to meet the host, Ros Atkins and some of his support staff. I had spoken with the a few times on the telephone, but it was nice to put a face to the name and voice. You can listen by clicking here  http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/whys/ and looking for the show from 23 January 2009. It may not be up until Saturday or later Friday night.
I met a lot of very diverse and interesting people at the show and I look forward to getting to know them and about their lives more. You can also click on this link  http://worldhaveyoursay.wordpress.com/  and read background on the show as well as go to the pictures they post on flicker. And don't laugh, but boy did they make me look fat... Oh, wait, I did that!
 
Until next week,
~~Mandie
 

Whew! What a week! I went to all of my classes and actually had a good time. I'm starting to get back into this school thing. Papers and homework and labs and homework and reading and, did I mention homeowrk?!?! I also did a lot of observations in Marshal's classes this week, ending with all day Friday. Had a good time and I learned a lot. His teacher really is very good at what she does. I just don't think I could hold the attention of the age group like she does. The kids really responded to her. Had a full week of reading and homework, think I will go with the family to Busch Gardens Saturday to unwind. On a sad note, my sister-in-laws grandfather passed away today. I wish I could be there for her and her family, but love from a far will have to do. That's the bad part of living so far away.

Whew!!!! It's the end of week 1 of my first time back at school in a long time. I'm exhausted! On top of learning where all of my classes were and what type of people my professors would be, I had to also do my normal running in the afternoons! I'm still very excited. The campus is huge! You can see that most everything is still in excellent repair, being that the school is only 11 or so years old. All of my classes are really close to one another, but I still managed to put some miles on. The entire staff has been more than helpful, especially since I have been just freaked out about getting everything in order, so I would stop being freaked out! Homework hasn't been to bad, but yes, at the end of week one I have had (and completed :^)) homework assignments that range from reading and writing 2 pages reports to pre-lab studies. I like the pace though! But, again, it's just the end of week one, lets see what week 2 brings!!! Thanks to everyone for the encouraging words!! Love ya! ~~~~Mandie

C.A.R.E.S. 3rd Annual High School Challenge When: Saturday, January 10, 2009 Time: 6:30 p.m. in Auditorium (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.) Where: Cypress Lake High School 6750 Panther Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33919 Telephone: (239) 481-2233 TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE! Lee County High Schools along with Community Youth Groups will be competing for a $1,500.00 first place prize for their drama/production department. $500.00 prize for second place and $250.00 prize for third place will also be awarded. Come and cheer for your favorite group! Participating Schools/groups: Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts Ida Baker High School Mariner High School Ft Myers High School Lehigh High School Center for the Arts South Ft Myers High School Island Coast High School VOX Youth Group Next Level Youth Group Maranatha Dance Studio Come and meet our MC and our judges… MC – Cat Country Judges – WAY FM B103.9 96K Rock Take a chance and win a prize from one of the radio stations by dropping your ticket stub in their bucket! Silent auction to be held before show and during intermission along with a bake sale. Tickets are $10.00 per adult, $5.00 per student. Purchase tickets before date of event or at the door. For information, please contact Virginia Cervasio or Tara Moser at 945-2737.

For those who may not know, and a lot do not, in 2 days I go back to school. I am returning to college to get my BA in Secondary Social Science Education, I want to be a social studies teacher. This has been a big decision that Ben and I have thought about and we are looking very forward to it! So, my blog will turn from political toward my journey. I am not wanting to seem self centered, but I thought if I took you on the journey with me, others may be inspired to go back also. Here's the ground level of where I am. I am now 31 with two kids and as married as I need to be (for the time being). You can read through some of my past blogs to see where I was. My kids are also in schools of their own. They have a lot going .. school, you can see some of their activities on their myspace page (myspace.com/marshandmoe). We have two dogs that also need a lot of attention, and I also want to continue to do the volunteer work I have been doing. It will be an interesting journey, I hope you will check back often. I want to write here daily, but it may only be every few days. I hope 2009 bring great things to each and everyone of us! Until next time, Cheers! Mandie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MxxqcH_Mkc

This is a travisity! This can only be prevented by people paying attention to their children. We, as parents have to stay in our children's lives. But we also have to respect that every person has feelings and to play with those are just wrong. My heart goes to this family and Megan's family.