A few months ago I started a new blog on WordPress called Archie! Down!
I didn't publish that fact here because I was still trying to decide which platform I liked better. There are aspects of Blogger which I prefer over WordPress and there are WordPress functions I like better than Blogger.
Another factor I wanted to change was the format of the blog. I felt I was limiting myself too much by remaining in the 'homeschool' framework. My newer blog talks about all kinds of topics including homeschooling, of course.
So, here I am ready to show you my new blog 'Archie! Down!
Come and drop by some time and say hello!
Bis Später (see you later)
Marlis
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Our homeschooling plans for this week
Like all homeschoolers, we are frequent visitors at the local library. A normal haul for us often runs into the 30+ books, which range from anything my daughter wants to read, to reference books, books my son is reading for school and for pleasure, and books for me (pleasure and reference alike).
This week we will read and use some of these:
This week we will read and use some of these:
 |
Take a look! And for me  Additionally we will choose a few experiments from these books:    |
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Merchant of Venice
We finally finished it. Merchant of Venice. I don't think anyone here is going to ask me who the author is. This was my daughter's first introduction to Shakespeare. She wanted to start with Hamlet, but I prevailed and we started with Merchant of Venice and plowed through it about 60% faster than we had planned because she loved it so much. Wonderful was the time we spent talking about Europe of that time. About the way people lived, the social strata, prejudice, the worldview as people had back then. Unfortunately some school districts have banned Merchant of Venice, due to the racist issues contained therein, but I have always felt that banning a book, story, or play, steals the opportunity to learn from it, to discuss, and does more harm in the end.
Shakespeare's plays are a commentary on the relationships people have with each other. The relationships on a large scale, such as the interaction between people of 'class' with the menial classes. The relationships of men and women, as related to romance, and as it relates to how women were seen and treated as little more than mere ornamentation and breeding vessels. Why, in fact it wasn't love that had Bassanio so obsessed with obtaining fair Portia's hand in marriage. It was her wealth. As was customary then, a woman could never be mistress over her own fortune. If she wasn't under her father's guidance, or her husband's yoke, a proper lady was under the guidance and protection of another male relative. After Portia's father died, it became imperative that she be married with haste. Clearly though, the man had high enough an opinion of his daughter that he didn't marry her off to the most suitable match and title that could be had, but designed a test of character, if you will, which would weed out the money grabbers. Interestingly enough, then, that it was greedy Bassanio who managed to see past the gold and silver.
The idea, that Portia and Nerissa were forced to take on the guise of young men, in order to plead Antonio's case, amazed and bemused my daughter. It also speaks about the relationship people then had with other people of the world. The typical insular British mentality is shown in Portia's soliloquy, where she discusses, nay dissects, her suitors, preceded by her words, 'I know it is a sin to be a mocker, but...' All the suitors are foreigners and discarded as such. The only one who gets off with relative minor bruising to the ego is the Englishman, who is, however, mocked for his lack of languages other than his own. Arragon, and Morocco, are targets because of their skin color. In fact, Shakespeare's set directions, clearly demanded, that the actor be a 'tawny moor dressed in white.' Of course, what helped Missy understand the play and jokes, was knowing who the target audience was in Shakespeare's time. Although, some higher placed members of society watched the plays, it was primarily middleclass citizens (not a very accurate description but it will have to do for now), and the 'groundlings', people of decidedly lower socio-economic stature and usually illiterate. This helped her understand some of the bawdier jokes, as well.
It is noteworthy that the insular 'people-from-other-countries can-be-placed-into-preassigned-pegs' notion hasn't gone away. We have just changed the way we portrait it.Watch movies and sit-coms and really evaluate how someone from another country is type-cast into a particular role. And we train our kids from a young age to see things this way, even on the Disney channel, characters are typecast according to country of origin. Don't worry though, we aren't the only ones who do this. You should see the unflattering light in which the 'ugly American' tends to be type cast in other countries. I couldn't resist but digressed and discussed why this 'stereotyping' according to appearance, coloration, language etc, evolved and how it aided our early ancestors to survive millions of years ago.
Delving back into Shakespeare, let us discuss briefly how Shylock was portrayed. Many opinions about the portraiture of Shylock have been written, and I too felt compelled to take extra time to discuss Shylock with my daughter. I always felt that he was one of Shakespeare's more tragic figures. Shylock was never really portrayed as a human being with feelings and emotions. A person deserving of courtesy and kindness, something even the 'wonderful' Antonio never did. In fact Shylock even mentions being treated quite abominably by Antonio. Apparently the lovely, and oh-so honorable Antonio even spat at him more than once. Of course, Antonio accused him of un-christian usury. The double standards therein are noteworthy. First of all, in truth, Christian lenders exacted interest as well, and the Jews were not allowed to have any other occupation. They were banned from the guilds, were banned from owning or farming land, were banned from all other occupation, other than lending. When Shakespeare did give Shylock mention of humanity in the famous lines: 'Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands?...if you prick us, do we not bleed?' it wasn't meant in a context of eliciting compassion, but in Shylock demanding that his idea of perverted justice be carried out. Even when his daughter runs away with Lorenzo and elopes, stealing his property in the mean, he is mocked rather than pitied. Jews, having been banned in England since long before Shakespeare's time, it is unlikely that he ever met many. While some Jews persisted and remained in England, they were subject to pervasive and endemic racism. I spent considerable time with Missy, discussing what that meant, and what they experienced. How can a people be understood and integrated into society when they are outcast, living at the perimeter of society, in their own enclaves and small communities.
Merchant of Venice was my first introduction to Shakespeare. Sadly enough (and because it was a school) we didn't discuss the story behind it. We didn't discuss racism, prejudice, male chauvinism, or European history of that time. What an opportunity, therefore, to get to experience it all over again with my daughter, in the way it could and should be. Not merely a lesson in Elizabethan English and Mr. Shakespeare's play crafting, but a lesson in that, and so much more.
Shakespeare's plays are a commentary on the relationships people have with each other. The relationships on a large scale, such as the interaction between people of 'class' with the menial classes. The relationships of men and women, as related to romance, and as it relates to how women were seen and treated as little more than mere ornamentation and breeding vessels. Why, in fact it wasn't love that had Bassanio so obsessed with obtaining fair Portia's hand in marriage. It was her wealth. As was customary then, a woman could never be mistress over her own fortune. If she wasn't under her father's guidance, or her husband's yoke, a proper lady was under the guidance and protection of another male relative. After Portia's father died, it became imperative that she be married with haste. Clearly though, the man had high enough an opinion of his daughter that he didn't marry her off to the most suitable match and title that could be had, but designed a test of character, if you will, which would weed out the money grabbers. Interestingly enough, then, that it was greedy Bassanio who managed to see past the gold and silver.
The idea, that Portia and Nerissa were forced to take on the guise of young men, in order to plead Antonio's case, amazed and bemused my daughter. It also speaks about the relationship people then had with other people of the world. The typical insular British mentality is shown in Portia's soliloquy, where she discusses, nay dissects, her suitors, preceded by her words, 'I know it is a sin to be a mocker, but...' All the suitors are foreigners and discarded as such. The only one who gets off with relative minor bruising to the ego is the Englishman, who is, however, mocked for his lack of languages other than his own. Arragon, and Morocco, are targets because of their skin color. In fact, Shakespeare's set directions, clearly demanded, that the actor be a 'tawny moor dressed in white.' Of course, what helped Missy understand the play and jokes, was knowing who the target audience was in Shakespeare's time. Although, some higher placed members of society watched the plays, it was primarily middleclass citizens (not a very accurate description but it will have to do for now), and the 'groundlings', people of decidedly lower socio-economic stature and usually illiterate. This helped her understand some of the bawdier jokes, as well.
It is noteworthy that the insular 'people-from-other-countries can-be-placed-into-preassigned-pegs' notion hasn't gone away. We have just changed the way we portrait it.Watch movies and sit-coms and really evaluate how someone from another country is type-cast into a particular role. And we train our kids from a young age to see things this way, even on the Disney channel, characters are typecast according to country of origin. Don't worry though, we aren't the only ones who do this. You should see the unflattering light in which the 'ugly American' tends to be type cast in other countries. I couldn't resist but digressed and discussed why this 'stereotyping' according to appearance, coloration, language etc, evolved and how it aided our early ancestors to survive millions of years ago.
Delving back into Shakespeare, let us discuss briefly how Shylock was portrayed. Many opinions about the portraiture of Shylock have been written, and I too felt compelled to take extra time to discuss Shylock with my daughter. I always felt that he was one of Shakespeare's more tragic figures. Shylock was never really portrayed as a human being with feelings and emotions. A person deserving of courtesy and kindness, something even the 'wonderful' Antonio never did. In fact Shylock even mentions being treated quite abominably by Antonio. Apparently the lovely, and oh-so honorable Antonio even spat at him more than once. Of course, Antonio accused him of un-christian usury. The double standards therein are noteworthy. First of all, in truth, Christian lenders exacted interest as well, and the Jews were not allowed to have any other occupation. They were banned from the guilds, were banned from owning or farming land, were banned from all other occupation, other than lending. When Shakespeare did give Shylock mention of humanity in the famous lines: 'Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands?...if you prick us, do we not bleed?' it wasn't meant in a context of eliciting compassion, but in Shylock demanding that his idea of perverted justice be carried out. Even when his daughter runs away with Lorenzo and elopes, stealing his property in the mean, he is mocked rather than pitied. Jews, having been banned in England since long before Shakespeare's time, it is unlikely that he ever met many. While some Jews persisted and remained in England, they were subject to pervasive and endemic racism. I spent considerable time with Missy, discussing what that meant, and what they experienced. How can a people be understood and integrated into society when they are outcast, living at the perimeter of society, in their own enclaves and small communities.
Merchant of Venice was my first introduction to Shakespeare. Sadly enough (and because it was a school) we didn't discuss the story behind it. We didn't discuss racism, prejudice, male chauvinism, or European history of that time. What an opportunity, therefore, to get to experience it all over again with my daughter, in the way it could and should be. Not merely a lesson in Elizabethan English and Mr. Shakespeare's play crafting, but a lesson in that, and so much more.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Today is Wednesday - Park Day
Oh my. That means something will happen to upset my plans to go to the homeschooler's park day meeting. Last time (two weeks ago) it was my employees' sick husband. I have a feeling it will be that again today, as he has to see a doctor at one in the afternoon. She thinks he hasn't been feeling well again. Just once, I want a Wednesday to go smoothly. Pweeeeze?
On a bright note, we have been plugging away nicely on our school work and trying to catch up on the lost days. We are almost done with Merchant of Venice, since Missy loves it so much. The other book we went through on double time was Karen Hesse's 'Out of the Dust', a magnificent historical novel written in first person, free-verse poems, that was very hard to put down. This 1998 Newbery Medal winner, is a great homeschool resource. It led us to discuss so many things, and I have no doubt that Missy will pick this book up again and again to read on her own.
Bear has made amazing progress in reading and math. We don't do much with him at a time, and the days he doesn't want to do school, that's alright with me too. He has understood the relationship between multiplication and division. His favorite tasks are the word problems I write for him where he has to decide what is being asked, and what mathematical formula will give him the answer. Actually I never expected him to 'get it' so fast. I always introduced mathematical concepts to him well ahead of the 'normal' timeline because I always wanted him to feel comfortable around numbers and slowly grow into understanding concepts. A recent worksheet I gave him showed me that he is comfortable enough with it to have used logic to answer the questions rather than calculations. The worksheet asked the child to enter in the symbols of operation. All four of them, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. He answered twenty questions in under 10 minutes and when I asked him how he explained his methodology. He used reasoning and a clear understanding of the relationship numbers have with each other depending on the symbol of operation. What a thrill.
The fear I have when, these kids go back to (if they go back) to public school, is 'will they still enjoy learning as much as they do now?' I am afraid I know the answer. But I also have to admit, as hard as it is, that I cannot and should not continue to teach my daughter past this year (sixth grade) in order to do right by her. And I know Bear's personality demands a bigger setting with more children. He would be devastated to be alone at home with me while his Sissy isn't here.
One little step at a time. One little step...
On a bright note, we have been plugging away nicely on our school work and trying to catch up on the lost days. We are almost done with Merchant of Venice, since Missy loves it so much. The other book we went through on double time was Karen Hesse's 'Out of the Dust', a magnificent historical novel written in first person, free-verse poems, that was very hard to put down. This 1998 Newbery Medal winner, is a great homeschool resource. It led us to discuss so many things, and I have no doubt that Missy will pick this book up again and again to read on her own.
Bear has made amazing progress in reading and math. We don't do much with him at a time, and the days he doesn't want to do school, that's alright with me too. He has understood the relationship between multiplication and division. His favorite tasks are the word problems I write for him where he has to decide what is being asked, and what mathematical formula will give him the answer. Actually I never expected him to 'get it' so fast. I always introduced mathematical concepts to him well ahead of the 'normal' timeline because I always wanted him to feel comfortable around numbers and slowly grow into understanding concepts. A recent worksheet I gave him showed me that he is comfortable enough with it to have used logic to answer the questions rather than calculations. The worksheet asked the child to enter in the symbols of operation. All four of them, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. He answered twenty questions in under 10 minutes and when I asked him how he explained his methodology. He used reasoning and a clear understanding of the relationship numbers have with each other depending on the symbol of operation. What a thrill.
The fear I have when, these kids go back to (if they go back) to public school, is 'will they still enjoy learning as much as they do now?' I am afraid I know the answer. But I also have to admit, as hard as it is, that I cannot and should not continue to teach my daughter past this year (sixth grade) in order to do right by her. And I know Bear's personality demands a bigger setting with more children. He would be devastated to be alone at home with me while his Sissy isn't here.
One little step at a time. One little step...
Monday, January 16, 2012
Crazy week # 1.
I find myself up an hour earlier than intended thanks to:
a) my contractor photographer texting me at 5:24 AM letting me know he received the itinerary for today (when I asked him to confirm this last evening) - yes, even low volume sounds wake me up. Even through earplugs.
b) my dd (damned dog, darling dog, darned dog - take your pick) ralphing in his kennel at 5:55 AM.
nice.... real nice....
And shame on me for going to bed so late.
so sue me....
I am owly in the morning.
even when I get up after my requisite seven hours of sleep.
I hate people who can do with four or five or six hours.
I am not one of them.
Last week was crazy. My dh (husband with 'd' starting adjectives in front) left Tuesday AM for a month long family related trip. On Wednesday morning one of my employees calls me and asks if it was OK for her to take her husband (too sick to drive and no car besides) to the doc as he was doing poorly. OK. Not a problem. I'll cover for her for a few hours. Well, a few hours later she calls and tells us they are at the ER! The doctor thought he was having a heart attack and sent him straight there. Except it isn't a heart attack but an ever increasing range of serious symptoms and no diagnosis even as of Sunday night. A specialist is in finding zebras is coming to look at him today, so hopefully he can help. Dr. House to room 4425 please.
Obviously I didn't get to teach the kids this week, between Monday packing, Tuesday the kids Dad leaving and Wednesday through Friday covering for my employee at the office. My employee plans to come in late and leave early and work a half day for the forseeable future so she can both be with her husband and not burn through all of her vacation time. This should allow me to get my children's education back on track.
a) my contractor photographer texting me at 5:24 AM letting me know he received the itinerary for today (when I asked him to confirm this last evening) - yes, even low volume sounds wake me up. Even through earplugs.
b) my dd (damned dog, darling dog, darned dog - take your pick) ralphing in his kennel at 5:55 AM.
nice.... real nice....
And shame on me for going to bed so late.
so sue me....
I am owly in the morning.
even when I get up after my requisite seven hours of sleep.
I hate people who can do with four or five or six hours.
I am not one of them.
Last week was crazy. My dh (husband with 'd' starting adjectives in front) left Tuesday AM for a month long family related trip. On Wednesday morning one of my employees calls me and asks if it was OK for her to take her husband (too sick to drive and no car besides) to the doc as he was doing poorly. OK. Not a problem. I'll cover for her for a few hours. Well, a few hours later she calls and tells us they are at the ER! The doctor thought he was having a heart attack and sent him straight there. Except it isn't a heart attack but an ever increasing range of serious symptoms and no diagnosis even as of Sunday night. A specialist is in finding zebras is coming to look at him today, so hopefully he can help. Dr. House to room 4425 please.
Obviously I didn't get to teach the kids this week, between Monday packing, Tuesday the kids Dad leaving and Wednesday through Friday covering for my employee at the office. My employee plans to come in late and leave early and work a half day for the forseeable future so she can both be with her husband and not burn through all of her vacation time. This should allow me to get my children's education back on track.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Helloooooo, i'm baaaaack!
It's been a long time since I blogged. A number of reasons are to blame for this. I was quite busy for a long time between November and December. A general feeling of inertia didn't help. What to write, what to say?
Frankly, today I don't have much more to say either. For starters, let me wish all of you a wonderful New Year. May the year 2012 bring you good health, creativity, and success.
2012 will be, for us, a year which will bring many changes. My father in-law will be coming to live with us. That is a big deal. And since we cannot afford a bigger home he will be making the family room into his bedroom. I've known for over two years this was coming and for over two years now I've been telling myself not to let my imagination run wild. Try that!
We are going to try and have our children enrolled in a nearby school. Well, nearby is relative. The school is about 12 miles away and that distance peppered by a great many red lights, and roads well attended by hungry cops waiting for anyone going even three miles over speedlimit. And to make matters all the more challenging....school starts there at 7:30 AM! Aaaack!!!
We also don't know if that school will accept our children. We are not in their district but that public school is the only one we are willing send our children to. The three 'ifs' here are:
1. Will they accept our kids.
2. Will they work with our kids abilities rather than age.
3. Will Missy's health be able to handle it.
Our reasons for attempting school again are several. We are a self employed family. The company needs to grow in order for us to survive the economy, and in order to do that I have to be there at least 3-4 hours a day to run product development and planning. We also feel that in order for Missy to access certain academic opportunities she needs to go to a school. There is a great local private school but the tuition runs about 10K per child and we cannot afford this any longer. Bear needs more interaction with children his age and so we have decided to try this.
Frankly, I am utterly torn up about this move. I don't really want to do it, and neither does my daughter. We love homeschooling and would love to continue doing this but in our small town we simply don't seem to have the co-ops here you might find in larger cities. We are academically very focused and it appears that the primary flavors of local homeschoolers are unschooling, Waldorf oriented, or Christian based. If we had some strong local homeschool options in terms of classes, lab time etc, we would probably be more likely to continue homeschooling especially with my father in-law at home. He would be able to oversee the children doing their independent lessons while I put in my hours at the office.
One thing is certain, unless I see with absolute certainty that the kids are thriving, this experiment will be short-lived.
Both of these changes fill me with much trepidation. But there is no way out of at least one of them, and so I need to charge forward.
This is a helluva time to reduce my wine intake....
Frankly, today I don't have much more to say either. For starters, let me wish all of you a wonderful New Year. May the year 2012 bring you good health, creativity, and success.
2012 will be, for us, a year which will bring many changes. My father in-law will be coming to live with us. That is a big deal. And since we cannot afford a bigger home he will be making the family room into his bedroom. I've known for over two years this was coming and for over two years now I've been telling myself not to let my imagination run wild. Try that!
We are going to try and have our children enrolled in a nearby school. Well, nearby is relative. The school is about 12 miles away and that distance peppered by a great many red lights, and roads well attended by hungry cops waiting for anyone going even three miles over speedlimit. And to make matters all the more challenging....school starts there at 7:30 AM! Aaaack!!!
We also don't know if that school will accept our children. We are not in their district but that public school is the only one we are willing send our children to. The three 'ifs' here are:
1. Will they accept our kids.
2. Will they work with our kids abilities rather than age.
3. Will Missy's health be able to handle it.
Our reasons for attempting school again are several. We are a self employed family. The company needs to grow in order for us to survive the economy, and in order to do that I have to be there at least 3-4 hours a day to run product development and planning. We also feel that in order for Missy to access certain academic opportunities she needs to go to a school. There is a great local private school but the tuition runs about 10K per child and we cannot afford this any longer. Bear needs more interaction with children his age and so we have decided to try this.
Frankly, I am utterly torn up about this move. I don't really want to do it, and neither does my daughter. We love homeschooling and would love to continue doing this but in our small town we simply don't seem to have the co-ops here you might find in larger cities. We are academically very focused and it appears that the primary flavors of local homeschoolers are unschooling, Waldorf oriented, or Christian based. If we had some strong local homeschool options in terms of classes, lab time etc, we would probably be more likely to continue homeschooling especially with my father in-law at home. He would be able to oversee the children doing their independent lessons while I put in my hours at the office.
One thing is certain, unless I see with absolute certainty that the kids are thriving, this experiment will be short-lived.
Both of these changes fill me with much trepidation. But there is no way out of at least one of them, and so I need to charge forward.
This is a helluva time to reduce my wine intake....
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
As seen on other blogs and facebook.
A great post on Pagan Household titled Death sits next to us at supper. Thought provoking and short. The best kind of stuff.
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| How True. ************************************************************ |
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| Oldie but still Goldie! |
Friday, October 21, 2011
Culture of Rudeness
I am fed up of rude people. Lately that includes my children (at times anyway). And I can't fault them really. They are surrounded by a culture that approves of rude behavior. Just watch a few episodes of shows on Disney Channel and your head will reel.
Except Phineas and Ferb.
Don't knock that show. It's hilarious and I love it.
Our children are raised watching shows where exceptionally rude behaviour is met, not with shock and disdain by the audience, but with laughter. We teach our kids that it's cool and funny to be rude, selfish, mean and dumb.
Nice.
Let's look at what we adults watch and laugh at/with. There is an abundance of shows with rude actors, reality TV stars, anchors and other TV personalities. For those of you who watched Ricky Gervais during Oscar night... were you disgusted or amused? Be honest now. America has become a country that lauds mediocrity, rudeness and downright insulting behavior. We confuse rudeness and maliciousness with honesty and straightforwardness.
Half the adult shows we watch are based on making fun of others, being rude and obnoxious. And we gobble it up. I notice an uptick in my children's rudeness depending on what they watch and I firmly believe that adults are just as susceptible to it.
When my son or daughter is rude or mouthy I call them on their bad behavior. Unfortunately we let adults get away with it. How often have we been faced with a rude person and said something? I bet most of us just seethe inside but keep our mouths shut.
I own a business and my staff and I have seen a considerable increase in our customers' rudeness over the years. And since we need their business we suck it up. I've even had my receptionist have to dodge a pen being thrown at her. That was you Mr. Durrant !!!!! And guess what, we were dumb enough to let you use our services again. In fact you are a customer right now. What kind of manners did your mother teach you? But your money is just as green and we have to pay our bills. So, we suck it up.
Entitlement Society At sometime, in the last 80 years or so, we have become increasingly demanding. The customer is king. Now, over the last few years, this entitlement notion, has been coupled with rudeness. We see it all around us. It's cool to be demanding and rude. We often we have customers come at us with an aggressive stance regarding some demands they have. I wish they would understand that a polite and sweet demeanor would be so much more effective. Be polite, be appreciative and you'll have a much better chance to get what you want and get it a lot faster than by being obnoxious and manipulative. Man, I wish I could tell them that.
Internet Society The anonymity afforded us by the Internet has greatly contributed to the general tone we find among people. People are downright vicious, rude and malicious behind that perceived veil of privacy and anonymity called the Internet.
I've been accused of being rude. So has my staff. Surprisingly the people who call us rude are invariably the ones who come at us with unreasonable demands and then are surprised when we stand firmly by our policy. And I stand firmly by my staff. I've seen them stay calm and polite even when they had someone scream at them and call them names (and later complain to me that my staff had been rude to them).
I had three customers scream at me. I asked one to leave the building when she started to throw things around, denied another one service (incidentally she came back the next year much better behaved and a pleasure to deal with), and I hung up on the third. The one I hung up on called back and was incredulous.
"Did you hang up on me just now?"
"Yes, I did. And if you yell at me again I'll hang up again."
"Oh? Well, it was on a speakerphone so you probably thought I was shouting."
" No sir, you were shouting at me and when you do that I cannot hear your words, only your voice."
Silence....
"Well, I am sorry."
" Good, apology accepted. Let's discuss this like adults now."
And we did. And it worked out so much better that way.
Being polite does not mean being a push-over, or a floor mat. I've seen parents shrug their shoulders when their little darling was rude or selfish and pass it off with a 'Oh, she's is so strong willed' or some other excuse of similar nature. We do not give our children the tools to maintain their position in an educated and polite way and so they become rude and obnoxious and we wonder what happened. 'Gee, I have no idea where he gets it from?' Have you looked in a mirror lately? Watch your kids. Our mirror is right there.
(And since we are talking about rude...when you go into a business or store and ask the employee questions could you please not talk on your cellphone at the same time and later on claim that your questions weren't properly answered?)
Except Phineas and Ferb.
Don't knock that show. It's hilarious and I love it.
Our children are raised watching shows where exceptionally rude behaviour is met, not with shock and disdain by the audience, but with laughter. We teach our kids that it's cool and funny to be rude, selfish, mean and dumb.
Nice.
Let's look at what we adults watch and laugh at/with. There is an abundance of shows with rude actors, reality TV stars, anchors and other TV personalities. For those of you who watched Ricky Gervais during Oscar night... were you disgusted or amused? Be honest now. America has become a country that lauds mediocrity, rudeness and downright insulting behavior. We confuse rudeness and maliciousness with honesty and straightforwardness.
Half the adult shows we watch are based on making fun of others, being rude and obnoxious. And we gobble it up. I notice an uptick in my children's rudeness depending on what they watch and I firmly believe that adults are just as susceptible to it.
When my son or daughter is rude or mouthy I call them on their bad behavior. Unfortunately we let adults get away with it. How often have we been faced with a rude person and said something? I bet most of us just seethe inside but keep our mouths shut.
I own a business and my staff and I have seen a considerable increase in our customers' rudeness over the years. And since we need their business we suck it up. I've even had my receptionist have to dodge a pen being thrown at her. That was you Mr. Durrant !!!!! And guess what, we were dumb enough to let you use our services again. In fact you are a customer right now. What kind of manners did your mother teach you? But your money is just as green and we have to pay our bills. So, we suck it up.
Entitlement Society At sometime, in the last 80 years or so, we have become increasingly demanding. The customer is king. Now, over the last few years, this entitlement notion, has been coupled with rudeness. We see it all around us. It's cool to be demanding and rude. We often we have customers come at us with an aggressive stance regarding some demands they have. I wish they would understand that a polite and sweet demeanor would be so much more effective. Be polite, be appreciative and you'll have a much better chance to get what you want and get it a lot faster than by being obnoxious and manipulative. Man, I wish I could tell them that.
Internet Society The anonymity afforded us by the Internet has greatly contributed to the general tone we find among people. People are downright vicious, rude and malicious behind that perceived veil of privacy and anonymity called the Internet.
I've been accused of being rude. So has my staff. Surprisingly the people who call us rude are invariably the ones who come at us with unreasonable demands and then are surprised when we stand firmly by our policy. And I stand firmly by my staff. I've seen them stay calm and polite even when they had someone scream at them and call them names (and later complain to me that my staff had been rude to them).
I had three customers scream at me. I asked one to leave the building when she started to throw things around, denied another one service (incidentally she came back the next year much better behaved and a pleasure to deal with), and I hung up on the third. The one I hung up on called back and was incredulous.
"Did you hang up on me just now?"
"Yes, I did. And if you yell at me again I'll hang up again."
"Oh? Well, it was on a speakerphone so you probably thought I was shouting."
" No sir, you were shouting at me and when you do that I cannot hear your words, only your voice."
Silence....
"Well, I am sorry."
" Good, apology accepted. Let's discuss this like adults now."
And we did. And it worked out so much better that way.
Being polite does not mean being a push-over, or a floor mat. I've seen parents shrug their shoulders when their little darling was rude or selfish and pass it off with a 'Oh, she's is so strong willed' or some other excuse of similar nature. We do not give our children the tools to maintain their position in an educated and polite way and so they become rude and obnoxious and we wonder what happened. 'Gee, I have no idea where he gets it from?' Have you looked in a mirror lately? Watch your kids. Our mirror is right there.
(And since we are talking about rude...when you go into a business or store and ask the employee questions could you please not talk on your cellphone at the same time and later on claim that your questions weren't properly answered?)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Taking my HEALTH for granted... a wake-up call.
I am forty-two. Yep, 42. There I said it. I am forty-two and overweight. I was forty-one and overweight last year and this year I am forty-two and ten pounds more overweight. My yearly visit to our family doctor was a wake-up call this year. As I sat in the waiting room I observed the other patients coming in an out and what I saw was a lot of old folks with a LOT of health issues, many preventable. Like diabetes. And that, kiddos, is written in the stars for me. Diabetes is something I find on both sides of my family. Anyway, to stay on track. As I was eventually whisked into the examination room (after the hated weigh-in) the nurse whipped out a full size piece of paper, sat down at the doctors desk and asked me for my list of medication.
'Nothing.'
'Wow, well, that makes my life easier then.'
We proceeded onto the next step, the blood pressure check.
'One-hundred-eight over sixty-six! That is marvelous'
I took that for granted. After all, I never have high blood pressure.
Eventually (and it was a looong eventually) the doctor came in and we talked. He told me that I had been gaining between eight and ten pounds every year since he started seeing me.
What?
He also told me my cholesterol has been on the high side for the last two years, but since I don't have any other risk factors he didn't put me on statins. But now I am in my forties and that's when researchers believe plaque starts accumulating. You know, the kind of arterial plaque which sends us to the hospital or the morgue when we are in our fifties and sixties.
Gulp.
I don't want to sit every three months in a doctors waiting room when I am in my fifties or sixties. But it was clear that I would, unless I examine my life and change a few things.
'So, what do I do?'
'You are really asking me?'
'Who else should I ask? You are my doctor!'
The good doctor sat down, pulled out a calorie and weight calculator and discussed things with me and gave me some plans. He also cautioned me to go slowly and change things a little at a time rather than crash and burn.
Good advice.
So, here is:
Change #1 - Eat smaller portions.
Change #2 - Prepare snacks in controlled portion ahead of time and eat only those.
I was a skinny kid. My nickname in highschool was 'Ribs' because I was so bony. Now its more akin to 'Beluga' whale. But the problem is that my parents never stopped my snacking. I was always eating, what-ever, when-ever, where-ever. It didn't matter. If it was within reach and fit side-ways in my maw it was gone. Now I seem to gain weight reading anything printed in bold. I love to snack and it has been a life-long habit. So the smart thing here would be for me to cut down on my meal intake and have healthier snack options available rather than eat whatever the kids are eating.
It sucks and I don't like these kind of changes. But these kind of changes are probably a whole lot better than the drastic changes which would accompany a serious and long term health crisis.
I informed my husband about these changes and told him that there are two things I will not compromise on until the bitter end.
My cup of tea and two cups of coffee in the morning
and
my glass of red wine in the evening.
You can try and pry them out of my cold, stiff, and dead fingers.
'Nothing.'
'Wow, well, that makes my life easier then.'
We proceeded onto the next step, the blood pressure check.
'One-hundred-eight over sixty-six! That is marvelous'
I took that for granted. After all, I never have high blood pressure.
Eventually (and it was a looong eventually) the doctor came in and we talked. He told me that I had been gaining between eight and ten pounds every year since he started seeing me.
What?
He also told me my cholesterol has been on the high side for the last two years, but since I don't have any other risk factors he didn't put me on statins. But now I am in my forties and that's when researchers believe plaque starts accumulating. You know, the kind of arterial plaque which sends us to the hospital or the morgue when we are in our fifties and sixties.
Gulp.
I don't want to sit every three months in a doctors waiting room when I am in my fifties or sixties. But it was clear that I would, unless I examine my life and change a few things.
'So, what do I do?'
'You are really asking me?'
'Who else should I ask? You are my doctor!'
The good doctor sat down, pulled out a calorie and weight calculator and discussed things with me and gave me some plans. He also cautioned me to go slowly and change things a little at a time rather than crash and burn.
Good advice.
So, here is:
Change #1 - Eat smaller portions.
Change #2 - Prepare snacks in controlled portion ahead of time and eat only those.
I was a skinny kid. My nickname in highschool was 'Ribs' because I was so bony. Now its more akin to 'Beluga' whale. But the problem is that my parents never stopped my snacking. I was always eating, what-ever, when-ever, where-ever. It didn't matter. If it was within reach and fit side-ways in my maw it was gone. Now I seem to gain weight reading anything printed in bold. I love to snack and it has been a life-long habit. So the smart thing here would be for me to cut down on my meal intake and have healthier snack options available rather than eat whatever the kids are eating.
It sucks and I don't like these kind of changes. But these kind of changes are probably a whole lot better than the drastic changes which would accompany a serious and long term health crisis.
I informed my husband about these changes and told him that there are two things I will not compromise on until the bitter end.
and
my glass of red wine in the evening.
You can try and pry them out of my cold, stiff, and dead fingers.
Atheists are right!
Nooooot!
A dear family friend of my parents passed away a weeks days ago. He and my mother loved to have philosophical and theological discussions. Incidentally one of my favorite discourses as well.
He was an atheist and so is my mother.
What differentiated the two of them was the fact that he would practically shove his beliefs down anyones throat. My mother is private about it. And the two of them would have the biggest squabbles about that. Her take on the whole thing was that personal beliefs are just that, personal. And whether it is a deep belief in God of what ever flavor you choose, atheism or the spaghetti monster, it isn't something that is meant to be forced upon people. She used to tell him that he was just as bad as the Jehova's witnesses and Evangelists who would come pounding on our door with regularity. His response was irate to say the least. And he could be irate at great length and with gusto. >Grin<
I completely agreed with my mother. As much as I disliked it when complete strangers felt it necessary to try and convert me (and there was something about my mother and me that attracted religious nuts) I felt that it was just as bad when our family friend ambushed people with his particular brand of religion. It was inconsiderate and rude and for some reason atheists have lately delighted in shoving their convictions into peoples faces.
My children are raised in an agnostic home. My husband believes in God. I am purely agnostic but make sure that my children understand that this is merely my point of view and that they are welcome to build their own. I tell them about different religions and encourage them to be respectful and considerate but not ever be scared or bullied into any sort of faith or belief. I cannot stand some of the atheist activities I've been reading about over the years. What bothers me is that they can be so incredibly intolerant towards people and symbols of faith. Why do they feel so threatened I wonder?
Do you really need to be a person of the same faith or at least any kind of faith to reply in kind when someone wishes you something like 'God be with you?' What do you think?
A dear family friend of my parents passed away a weeks days ago. He and my mother loved to have philosophical and theological discussions. Incidentally one of my favorite discourses as well.
He was an atheist and so is my mother.
What differentiated the two of them was the fact that he would practically shove his beliefs down anyones throat. My mother is private about it. And the two of them would have the biggest squabbles about that. Her take on the whole thing was that personal beliefs are just that, personal. And whether it is a deep belief in God of what ever flavor you choose, atheism or the spaghetti monster, it isn't something that is meant to be forced upon people. She used to tell him that he was just as bad as the Jehova's witnesses and Evangelists who would come pounding on our door with regularity. His response was irate to say the least. And he could be irate at great length and with gusto. >Grin<
I completely agreed with my mother. As much as I disliked it when complete strangers felt it necessary to try and convert me (and there was something about my mother and me that attracted religious nuts) I felt that it was just as bad when our family friend ambushed people with his particular brand of religion. It was inconsiderate and rude and for some reason atheists have lately delighted in shoving their convictions into peoples faces.
My children are raised in an agnostic home. My husband believes in God. I am purely agnostic but make sure that my children understand that this is merely my point of view and that they are welcome to build their own. I tell them about different religions and encourage them to be respectful and considerate but not ever be scared or bullied into any sort of faith or belief. I cannot stand some of the atheist activities I've been reading about over the years. What bothers me is that they can be so incredibly intolerant towards people and symbols of faith. Why do they feel so threatened I wonder?
Do you really need to be a person of the same faith or at least any kind of faith to reply in kind when someone wishes you something like 'God be with you?' What do you think?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
A day at the Zoo!
Not many words but mostly some pictures of a recent outing/Fieldtrip to the zoo. It's a dinky little zoo but it's better than nothing. For us it was a big event as it is the first time in 5 years that we were able to go. Missy's allergies handled it fairly well with an extra Benadryl for good measure and a puff or two of the rescue inhaler.
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| We had no idea how windy and cold it was at the zoo and poor Bear was freezing. Missy had two layers on but Bear only one. After taking this picture it was clear we weren't going to enjoy this day with Bears teeth chattering and so we went to the souvenir shop and purchased an overpriced but warm sweatshirt hoodie for the boy. |
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| A gibbon. We saw this chap and a black Gibbon in this enclosure. |
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| By a large pond we saw all kinds of water fowl. |
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| Here in the USA these fellows are a big deal, in Europe they are pretty common. |
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| Feeding frenzy. |
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| And this strange beastie was found petrified by the water's edge. Did Medusa get it, we wondered? |
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| Born at the zoo, this little fellow is quite the star. It's a girl actually. |
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| Mom and Dad keeping a close eye. |
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| This interesting beastie is called a Rock Hyrax. |
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| One of a pair of Fennec Foxes. Native to Northern Africa, they are the smallest foxes in the world. They live in an extremely hot and arid desert and even have fur on their paws to keep them from getting burned. Their large ears allow body heat to dissipate and keep them cooler. |
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| Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, Merry, merry king of the bush is he... |
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| Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Hornbill |
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| Nigel's better looking cousin. |
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| I wuvvvv you..... |
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| Yep, that's the spot.... thaaat's the spot, now a little to the left, my left, not your left.... |
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| Where'd she go? Where'd she go?= |
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| Mountain goats |
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| What is pink and has black stripes? A Zebra with sunburn, of course... |
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| A cotton tamarin enjoying lunch. |
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| A wallaby |
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| Spot the red wolf. |
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| Nagini's cousin, twice removed. |
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| Llama at the petting zoo. Except they make sure you can't pet these cantankerous animals. |
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| King of the jungle. |
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Unreached?
At the risk of stepping on all kinds of Christian piggies here and loosing who knows how many 'friends' on my blog I must say this: Leave non-Christians alone. Please! They are doing just fine! Please take the time and familiarize yourselves with other religions and realize that the core messages on all of them is the same. They have a faith that is as dear to them as yours is to you. Hinduism is much older than most other current faiths. And I say current faiths because they come and they go. A faith may hang around for thousands of years but eventually it changes as new prophets come along and new religions evolve!
Converting a people removes a deep root from them. A link to their history, their land, their culture and their ancestors. And this is worst for rural people who must have that link as it merges their lives with the rhythm of the land.
Pray for them if it makes you happy, but let them be who they are, just much as you would want to be allowed to remain who you are.
Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. [Matthew 7:12]
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Lots to do and I am making it public!
I have much planned to do today, but like many of us, I tend to go off with the faeries and don't get nearly as much done as I planned or could. So, in an order to hold myself accountable I am posting my 'to-do today' list here.
1. Cut up two chickens and cook them - done cutting them.
2. Finish Bear's room - done
3. Plan next week's menu -done - sort of
4. Clean out the refrigerator
5. Plan my to-do list for Saturdays dinner invite
6. Vacuum house - done one room >grin<
1. Cut up two chickens and cook them - done cutting them.
2. Finish Bear's room - done
3. Plan next week's menu -done - sort of
4. Clean out the refrigerator
5. Plan my to-do list for Saturdays dinner invite
6. Vacuum house - done one room >grin<
Friday, September 30, 2011
Designed Homes
I have a notebook I am slowly filling up with pictures of homes, rooms, design details etc. The home I live in was mostly 'decorated' by my husband. While the furniture is all a high quality it does not reflect our life-style or taste anymore. My dream is to slowly change our home, one room at a time into a reflection of us as a family. I enjoy clipping and pasting the pictures into the notebook and then writing my thoughts about the picture in the margins.
Another nice resource is dwellinggawker. Here are some images that grabbed my attention. I hope you enjoy them.
Another nice resource is dwellinggawker. Here are some images that grabbed my attention. I hope you enjoy them.
I love the vibrant colors in the Morrocan style decor in the first picture. The Tuscan style home in the subsequent pictures appeals very much to me but I find the colors scheme inside too monochromatic. Aside from that the house is too big for my liking but I love the limestone-stucco combinaton and view of the vineyards.
Skulls for All Hallows Eve or Dia de los Muertos
A recent foray into Michael's Craft Store yielded some wonderful paper mache skull masks. The kids and I had a wonderful time decorating them.
Ant Swarm in our Front Yard!
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| Two weeks ago we found hundreds of ants in our front yard. To see a better image click on the pictures. These ants were getting ready to swarm. |
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Into the lion's den....or... how to organize a kid's room.
My poor son. His room is a disaster. The way I see it, there are several causative agents and they will be addressed today!
a) he has a hard time letting go of things. This means I need to go with him piece by piece through his possessions and help him evaluate what can go and what means enough to keep.
b) lots of stuff and not enough storage. Once we evaluate what stays we will decide what storage he needs.
c) his clothes closet is a small walk-in and the floor is so strewn he can barely get in. Time to clean up.
d) the shelves are too high and he has a hard time getting to them to hang things back up again.
e) he has no place to keep worn clothes he will wear again. It's time to get a peg rack and let him hang his stuff.
f) a hamper for dirty clothes. We have a chute just a few steps between his and his sister's room but for some reason my kids and their dad find it nigh impossible to utilize.
g) due all these problems he has trouble maintaining a habit of tidying up effectively ever day. Hopefully this will be remedied once we are done fixing his room today.
Unfortunately the kids went to bed late last night and then Bear woke me up at 3 AM crying that he couldn't sleep. So I tucked him into my bed to sleep alongside his dad while I went to sleep in his bed. Sounds awful, huh? Not really. His twin bed without headboard and very firm mattress reminds me of the bed of my childhood. So I sleep really well on it. I got up at eight (yes, I did sleep in too) because Archie needed to go potty. Besides, I so love my quiet mornings. Yes, at nine am everyone is still being a slug while I am itching to get at my son's room and start. I will take before and after pictures to document the proceedings.
a) he has a hard time letting go of things. This means I need to go with him piece by piece through his possessions and help him evaluate what can go and what means enough to keep.
b) lots of stuff and not enough storage. Once we evaluate what stays we will decide what storage he needs.
c) his clothes closet is a small walk-in and the floor is so strewn he can barely get in. Time to clean up.
d) the shelves are too high and he has a hard time getting to them to hang things back up again.
e) he has no place to keep worn clothes he will wear again. It's time to get a peg rack and let him hang his stuff.
f) a hamper for dirty clothes. We have a chute just a few steps between his and his sister's room but for some reason my kids and their dad find it nigh impossible to utilize.
g) due all these problems he has trouble maintaining a habit of tidying up effectively ever day. Hopefully this will be remedied once we are done fixing his room today.
Unfortunately the kids went to bed late last night and then Bear woke me up at 3 AM crying that he couldn't sleep. So I tucked him into my bed to sleep alongside his dad while I went to sleep in his bed. Sounds awful, huh? Not really. His twin bed without headboard and very firm mattress reminds me of the bed of my childhood. So I sleep really well on it. I got up at eight (yes, I did sleep in too) because Archie needed to go potty. Besides, I so love my quiet mornings. Yes, at nine am everyone is still being a slug while I am itching to get at my son's room and start. I will take before and after pictures to document the proceedings.
Friday, September 16, 2011
A Must-Read-Blog Entry at Parentatthehelm.com
http://www.parentatthehelm.com/6666/homeschooling-parent-responds-to-disneys-teacher-of-the-year/
I found a link to this post on the current CoH. I strongly recommend you take the time to read this well worded and thought-out response to Disney's Teacher of the Year article.
I found a link to this post on the current CoH. I strongly recommend you take the time to read this well worded and thought-out response to Disney's Teacher of the Year article.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Rhythms and Routines
As many of the nights are starting to get cool and translate into crisp mornings, the rhythms of the world around us change. Birds are beginning to seek each others' company and flock. Overhead we hear the call of the geese which brings to mind the changing seasons. Tomorrow is Labor day, our unofficial end of summer here in the US. Early risers will notice that the morning hugs its dark cloak just a little longer, reminding us that we will rise in the dark in not too long a time. Children are seen running, back-packs bouncing, to school and we too have started our new school year.
This will be our third and possibly final homeschooling year (more on that some other time). Our first year was fairly regimented and strict and I wasn't much into lesson planning, unsure on how to proceed. The second year was laissez-faire and while satisfying in a creative way, not very satisfying in an academic sense. This year I have our academic day planned out with the help of a free, academic software called Skedtrack.
One of nature's rhythms is calling right now.... time to walk the pup.
This will be our third and possibly final homeschooling year (more on that some other time). Our first year was fairly regimented and strict and I wasn't much into lesson planning, unsure on how to proceed. The second year was laissez-faire and while satisfying in a creative way, not very satisfying in an academic sense. This year I have our academic day planned out with the help of a free, academic software called Skedtrack.
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| Click on this image for a screenshot of Missy's Math Lesson Plans |
What we all love about the year (so far) is the predictability of the day. We can run school pretty much on auto-pilot. Each morning, when we log in we can see at a glance what is on that day's menu (so to say) for both children. Having a clear visual has had another benefit. The kids take ownership of their learning and love to click the completed button when they have completed a lesson. I am able to plug in our school year, include vacation and holidays and personal days, as well as sick days. The time it took to customize it and enter the lesson plans for two children was labor intensive for sure, but what I spent in time and labor then, I save now when I most need it.
I have left my blog to it's own devices these past months having been very busy with a multitude of responsibilities. Summer came, a new puppy came. Then, mid August my husband left on a month long trip. He is expected back in a few days. In his absence (and he took off from work in July) I had to increase my presence at work. All of this left me little time for blogging. But looking at all my favorite blogs many of you took a hiatus of sorts as well. I look forward to blogging more in the coming months. I have also started a small cooking blog. My little food blog is more designed to be a record of my recipes and fiascos for my children some day (I pdf the files), than something that would ever make it to foodgawker. But I am having fun with it and that is what counts. My biggest challenge is the photography aspect of it. I borrow my daughter's dinky point and shoot and I don't have good light in the house either. Yet another challenge to overcome.
One of nature's rhythms is calling right now.... time to walk the pup.
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