Take My kids, please*

*For all you kids out there who don't get the reference, Henny Youngman was known for the catch line "Take my wife, no please take her." yea you got to be a Jewish vaudeville comedian to get a laugh from that joke.

Well it has been an interesting time here lately. I was recently unemployed, so I was having lunch at home about two in the afternoon, when my phone rings. It was Brian Clemente, a nice guy I have gotten to know over the last few years from Felix Festa Middle School. He is the dean of  punishment or something like that for students. Him and I have over the last few years talked about why one daughter or another was in need of detention. I know your shrieking right now not those little darlings!! Yes, those little darlings. They are not longer begging strangers for money in the streets of Nyack, usually they just tell me how much money I owe them. These Angels from heaven, (Is that what they call Russia these days in Crimea.) are getting into normal trouble like bring a knife to school or teasing a fellow student.
  The call from Mr Clemente involved a knife. It was a small two inch Swiss army knife that I had given Nastia, because she had wanted a knife and asked several times. The first thing I told her was  'DON'T BRING IT TO SCHOOL.' Well that was several months ago and the warning was not renewed, so it must not apply any more. SO SHE BOUGHT IT TO SCHOOL!! A teacher saw it when she showed it to a fellow student and she and the knife were sent to Mr Clemente's office. He called me and I expected him to say he has Elena in front of him and was surprised when he said Nastia. I groaned when he said she had bought a knife to school. He continued by saying she has made good progress over the years and I could come and pick up the knife at school. To say the least, I was not happy.
   Then I go back to lunch,I am eating a very good salad and reading an interesting book. I am chewing on a mouthful of salad when the phone rings again. Come on you knew it was going to happen. I figured it was a follow up to the knife issue, it wasn't. "Hi Mr. Muller this is Mr. Clemente again I have a problem with Elena... My Youngest has become a bully. She doesn't see it as being a bully. She says it is all in fun. The fun is four girls, with her in the lead teasing this one girl called Anna Lisa. This poor girl from what I have heard from the stories Elena has told seems like a train wreck. Elena considers her a friend and with friends like Elena this girl needs new friends. Elena related a story about how this girl wanted to better herself and her helpful friend said in a 2014 version for a Valley girl "Well, start with girl, a breath mint," Then Elena says something about deodorant and I stop her story and tell her she is not being a good friend.
  Mr Clemente relates how she walks by this girl in class and flips the girls book closed and this was the latest in a long line of what is considered bullying she has done. He gave me what the punishment would be and I said OK and she will be dealt with when she gets home.
  I once more go back to my lunch and as I am finishing it up, yep, you guessed it I get another phone call. This one is from Dr. Benjamin school psychologist and she would like to speak with Val and needs my permission.I had nothing better to do so I told her I would be there in ten minutes to sign the paper.
  When I get to the school we go into a conference room off the office to talk about the youngest. Dr Benjamin tells me how Elena leads with four other girls ganging up on this one new girl in class, Anna Lisa. The punishment has been soft up to now, but that was going o change. I tell her that whatever is the worst punishment for Elena needs to be the first punishment for her. She needs to understand that bullying is not tolerated by anybody. I don't want to hear my child is picking on anyone. In school I was teased in school and I will never allow my child to treat anyone like that.
  It was now twenty after three and he girls got out of school at 3:35, I waited. I asked the office have Elena meet me at the office before she went to bowling. When the bell rings I expect Elena to show up, I wait and I wait, Finally Nastia shows up and asks me why I am here. I tell her I am waiting for her sister and why did she bring a knife to school. She gives me that 'I don't understand what you are talking about' look that sets me off and I start in om her about how she was told not to bring a knife to school and how she now no longer owns a knife because she bought it to school. She starts in about how she just wanted to show it to someone when her sister comes into view. I say now that you got me going it's your turn and I look at Elena. I tell her to follow me and to move don't walk slow, which is what she does anyway.
  I calm down with the walk to the car. In side I tell her that she is a bully and it has to stop. We talk about the time in camp where the kids were teasing her and she called them 'garbage head' and they were bullies. How did it make you feel. During our talk Nastia keeps calling and I hang up not wanting to talk to her. It seems she alway needs to get into the middle of things with unimportant questions or problems. I take Elena to bowling. Teri and I talk about all of this and Elena loses her computer, her phone, her ipad and the x box for one week with promises of more if she doesn't stop.
  Take my kids, please.