Happy Valentine's Day...

...Not. As a school nurse, I've come to hate holidays, and the day after them as well when the stomachaches continue. Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, all just bring too much candy, too much stuff into the classrooms. There are food allergy issues, and the diabetics are always an issue. It's one thing to learn about the holiday in the classroom, but I see an unbelievable number of kids feeling sick after eating too much candy, and it is just sad to hear my diabetics ask me what they can or can't have. Yes, I'm a Grinch, I've accepted my role as the fun-squasher when it comes to excessive amounts of candy.

Moving on, Spitfire's been acting out lately, and when she does, it's usually because something's going on at home. I've figured this out by now, but she hadn't mentioned anything until today. I took the holiday - where she's surrounded by candy she can't have - to spoil her by escorting to the front of the lunch line, and we had lunch together in my office. She told me she's having dinner tonight with her mom and her mom's ex-boyfriend, one who she said this about, "I always cried in front of him so my mom broke up with him." I asked if she was crying on purpose so her mom would get rid of him, and she answered honestly: "Yep!" Then I asked where her step-dad would be during this Valentine's Day dinner with the ex-boyfriend, and got another honest answer: "He moved out, my mom didn't like him anymore. Now she's seeing this guy from a long time ago again, except I like him better now. They met at AA. You know, Alcoholics something?"

Yes, little one, I do know what AA is, and I'm sorry you know too as a fourth grader. Happy Valentine's Day, don't feed your kids too much candy!