Okay. So I have great in-laws, too. My brother-in-law came to my work today, picked up my car, took it to get smogged, washed it, and returned it to the parking lot. ALL WHILE I WORKED! How cool is that? He took pity on me and my seriously late registration (is April 10 really 6 weeks ago?) and told me that I couldn't argue, he was just doing it. I feel more than a little guilty about it, though. I kind of feel like I should have had my crap together a little more and got it done. Sigh. I apparently take every opportunity available to beat myself up these days.

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The school psychologist has been interviewing the teachers at school and gathering information to take to the superintendent about post traumatic stress.** I was able to give a slightly different perspective than most, because I wasn't actually there when it happened, and I am able to see the effects of everything as a sort of outsider. The most striking thing I have noticed is that the rather close knit staff seems to have fractured. There are small groups of people who are still close, but there are many more outliers than there were before I left. It makes me sad to see it. There is also the feeling that blame has been directed toward the staff, not just by the community, but by the district office. I can feel that, too (although it has already been established that I do that sort of thing to myself). There have been too many staff development programs aimed at how we can detect and deter bullying for it to not feel like there is something being said indirectly. That was compounded by an in-service we had two weeks ago. The victim's name was brought up, things were said, and the end result was that most of my school's staff left the district wide meeting. It was ugly. Anyway, I am hoping that the school psychologist (who is also dealing with PTSD because he was with the victim right after he was shot) is able to help healing begin at the school.

**We were given a short questionnaire to determine our risk of PTSD. When I answered the questions about the shooting, I am not at risk. However, I answered the questions again about the babies, and I score as very high risk. Hmm...kind of knew that one was coming.

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And for all you commenters out there, I saw on another blog (forgive me when I say I can't remember where) that a question was asked for the commenters to answer. That way, you have something pretty straight forward to answer if you can't think of anything to say after posting countless comments. Anyway, if you want it, here is today's question: What kitchen appliance could you not live without and why?

My answer is my microwave. What did people do before this little technological wonder was created? I can't imagine myself trying to cook the old fashioned way, you know, on a stove, now that the boys are here. I love the ease of popping something into the microwave, blinking a few times, and viola, it is finished. Ahh, heaven.