There's not a hint of snow around here....
but it's cold enough...
and I think if I travelled far enough north
I could find some snow
and if I did
this is
what
I would
do...
Barbara (Bhbner) started it... splatted me with a virtual wet snowball...
This is a J'Land snowball fight!
Want to play?
Just snag it and post a link in your entry.
I wish it were real snow!
It's Saturday... where did the holiday go?
Gone already, so fast. Monday and Tuesday was school. After school on Tuesday, I tutored til 5:00, thinking all the time how great it was that I would have Wednesday off to clean my house. Which it was and I did. Truly, I never clean so thoroughly and deeply as I do when I'm expecting a visit from my family.
So my house was put into order for the duration of the Christmas holidays as well. Yeay! That's a right on! for Russ's journal (Inner and Outer Demons) I forgot to mention when I submitted my "Right on!" to him by email today.
My sister from Georgia, and her husband, arrived Thursday, just in time for dinner. She would have gotten here earlier, but I convinced her not to arrive before noon because I had things to do before she got here (did I say I washed windows while the turkey was roasting?) And while the potatoes were boiling, I swept the floors, and while the cake was baking the day before, I was putting all my unironed clothes in the closet so they would be out of sight. Well, almost thorough...<grin>
Dinner was the feast it was supposed to be ... my son baked the pumpkin pie as soon as the turkey came out of the oven, and while I heated up the glazed sweet potatoes (made from scratch of course), my husband carved up the turkey.
As we ate, I couldn't help thinking that my sister and I have not done this together... ever... because of long distance (in the past she has lived in California and in Connecticut). It had never been a possible or practical trip for either of us to make over the years. Every year I've been spending Thanksgiving Day with my in-laws, and it has always been something we looked forward to in the past. His family became my family long ago, and the traditions we kept with them for 27 years have made me feel like I belonged with them, and they to me.
Over the summer, my sister and I were talking, trying to make plans to visit each other this year. I invited her to my home for Thanksgiving... she was able to work it into her work schedule (and so was her husband) and got the time off. I'm so glad they came ... not only for Thanksgiving meal, but for some sister time. Little things like watching a movie on tv together, or talking at the dinner table, looking at old photos, even walking around the block or in the yard felt significant. It was good to see her, how healthy she looked, the weight she has lost. Her smile is so bright these days. Her eyes laugh when she laughs now. I remember when they didn't.
She asked if we could go shopping on Friday at the Christmas 365 store she saw from the highway, and so we did... it was my first time there as well. That's where I saw the knitted blue winter vests, and bought two of them, one for her and one for me. Aren't we a pair? She and Mike looked great this year, both having lost a great deal of weight. Now it's my turn!
The other good news is that it was my son's twenty-ninth birthday on Thanksgiving Day. A couple of days before, I had written Marie (Marie's Muses) an email asking her if she had a recipe for Bavarian Cream filling and a whipped cream icing. I was trying to make the kind of cake that WalMart sells in their bakery. It's the best bavarian cream filled cake I've ever had, but this year, rather than buying the cake, I wanted to bake my own.
Marie responded graciously quick. I had all the ingredients except the heavy cream, which I purchased on my way home from school on Tuesday. I whipped up both the filling and the icing on Wednesday while the 2 layers baked. Then, right after dinner, I spread the filling and icing on the cake. I will never buy another cake at the bakery... it was too easy to make my own with this particular recipe.
Thank You, Marie!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SON!
I've been reading about how thankful everyone is for their family and friends. More than anything, I am thankful for mine. I wouldn't be here sharing these stories without them.
I don't want to invade their privacy any further, so I'm going to end this entry now.
BTW, a big thank you to Shauneenie for sending me the little animated graphic of my name which I added to my sidebar today. If you didn't know, she is about to move from her lifetime home in South Africa to a new home in Southeast England. It is exciting, yet scary to pack up one's belongings and family like that, to leave one's friends,one's school behind, answering a distant call that will carry them all into an unknown (for them). It is the beginning of a new adventure, right Caroline?
If you have time, drop in and leave her an encouraging word.
I was asked by our media specialist (let's be real, she's our Librarian!) last week if I'd be interested in participating in her daughter's science project, I believe it was. She said it was to determine if dogs were left or right pawed.
I said I'd be glad to, and she emailed me the instructions, asking me to email her the results.
I didn't realize how long it would take to complete the experiment. Once I got the hang of it, and the dogs figured out what their roles were, everything went smoothly.
I'm going to include the experiment directions so you can perform the same experiment as well, then complete the poll at the end... isn't this fun?
1st experiment: Show your dog the treat. Then place it under a piece of furniture, out of reach of your dog's mouth. Watch as doggie tries to retrieve the treat... record which paw the dog used most when attempting to reach it. Repeat twice more, allowing 5-10 minutes between trials.
2nd experiment: Show the treat to dog, then place it under a soup can, plastic cup, bowl, etc. Watch as the dog tries to move the bowl/can/whatever to get to the treat... record the results of which paw the dog uses first to reach treat. Repeat twice more, waiting 5-10 minutes between trials.
3rd experiment: Show dog the treat, then place it inside a paper towel tube. Lay the tube on its side on the floor. Watch to see which paw the dog uses to free the treat. Repeat twice more, allowing 5-10 minutes between trials.
My observations: I recruited Max and Misty. Max was most grateful for the opportunity to get extra treats in his daily routine. He couldn't wait to do it again. And again.
Misty, however, could care less... treats don't have the same powerful hold over her that they do on Max. I couldn't see very well through the camera and didn't notice that she was adept at retrieving the treat with her mouth. Once I put the camera down, and was able to fully focus on her, I was able to get reasonable responses from her.
I recorded a few of the attempts using my Canon PowerShot. Max at first was confused about me hiding a treat... so I began by placing it on the floor, with my foot over it... that way I could move my foot away for him to see and smell it, then cover it up quickly once he saw that he had to be persistent... he's used to me just giving him a treat... no games involved.
Okay, here's my video of my attempt to find out if my dogs are lefties or righties.
Off camera, Misty proved to be a lefty.
Now, go find out if your dog is a lefty or righty... then come back and do the poll for me... better yet, film your dog during the experiment, upload it to youTube or aol uncut videos, then come back to leave a link to that entry... and by the time you look up at the clock, it will probably be close to Christmas!
It took me altogether two days to complete the entire experiment, what with having a life to live, you know?
Yep, it's fall... and temperatures are in the 50's this week here in my part of NC.
Thanksgiving is here this week... my son's 29th birthday,... and not only will he be visiting me, but so will my sister and her husband. The best part is that I get to cook Thanksgiving dinner for them, and I'm looking forward to the day.
Which means I am off to the grocery store to buy a few necessary items... I'm trying to decide between a whole turkey or just the turkey breast. I don't care to deal with left overs... even turkey sandwiches.
I love the yard in the fall.
A more substantial entry will follow. Have a good Sunday afternoon!
I suppose I was seldom bored because I had six siblings, all younger than I. There's no way to get bored when you're eleven years old, have four brothers and two sisters, and the youngest is a baby. There was always someone younger to watch when we went outside, always someone tagging along to the playground, or the community pool, or just hanging around outside. I didn't mind it when I was younger.
For two years, I was between eight years old and ten, we lived in "the projects" in Manchester, New Hampshire. That was the most lively place we ever lived.
Kids were everywhere, a playground across the street, an open field behind the neighborhood for discovering little wildlife critters, and a long, steep hill beyond that field that became our winter olympics playground. Friends and neighbors were with us all the time. I'm sure the adults were keeping an eye on us from a distance. I don't remember anyone ever getting hurt when an adult wasn't nearby to deal with it.
There was a dumpster nearby that attracted our curiosities, although our parents forbid us to go near it, as well as a pile of sand left behind by the builders... we built cities in that sandpile... I often built tunnels, hills, and roads. Stickball, kickball, and jumprope were daily regular activities. We seldom played in the apartment when we lived there... it was too small for our family of six kids with one on the way, but I loved living there.
Mom always took good care of us while dad worked, but at some point she had to supplement the income through childcare, and began taking in kids... these were the days prior to opening an on-base nursery when we lived near Templehof in Berlin, Germany. I was fourteen by then.
When I was a teen, just before I was old enough to learn how to drive, I do remember many days of longing for another time, for the time I would be old enough to do what I wanted to do. I felt like I was living in chaos. It was more a perception than a reality. I turned to reading, writing stories and drawing. I had friends who shared my interests, and we'd write stories together, often working on the same story. And we'd listen to music.
We were not financially well off, so we were limited to what we could do on our own, with our own imaginations. There was no mall to hang out at, and movies were too far away to walk to. Things I could do to entertain myself had to be found right around the house. I was a very introspective child growing up. Still am. Probably another reason why I didn't get bored very often.
Tactics to relieve boredom? I remember when my son was a boy, and I heard him utter those words one summer, or during other vacation days. I tried to alleviate it by planning activities during the days he'd be home. Since we lived about ten miles from the closest city, my favorite tactic was to invite a friend or two of his over to spend the night/day, or even a weekend... one kid gets bored easily enough, but two or three can play together.
We live about a quarter mile from a river... I'd take them fishing. We'd walk through the woods, down to the river, carrying a fold-out chair for me, and fishing gear for the kids. When they got tired of fishing, I'd let them play in a shallow stream with their toys while I sat back and read a book in the shade of the trees.
If they got tired of playing video games (I'm talking about Sega in the early days, when they were more popular than Nintendo), I'd give them a specific time that they could wrestle/fight/play in the living room with all the cushions from the furniture placed on the floor for them to fall on and bounce off. They loved running down the hall, launching themselves into the air onto those cushions.
If you have bored kids in the winter, like when there's a snow day... and if you are a stay at home parent, invite a couple of their friends over to spend the day. Make sure you have hot chocolate and crackers on hand, and lots of mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats. Keep in mind that the living room and dining room will be a mess for the duration, so let that concern go. It doesn't matter. What matters at the time is that the kids are enjoying a day of freedom in the snow, and you don't have to worry about the house because it's pointless. Houses can be cleaned after everyone goes home, or when spring arrives.
Let them play outside until they get cold, then they can come in (drop off all the wet things in a place where they can air dry), drink hot chocolate, play indoor games or watch a video, then they'll go back out and play some more. The intent is to let them play while you make movies of them playing with your camera. And if other adults are hanging around watching them slide down a hill, you can hang out and chat with them, or go in and read a book (or make cookies). The part about taking pictures of them playing is important because it's a real treat to look at them 20 years later. They grow up so fast.
You can probably tell that these are some things I did when I was a stay-at-home mom... over 12-20 years ago. I call them the good ol' days because I really did enjoy them. I enjoyed having the kids come over to spend the day or the weekend... I enjoyed listening to them talk as they watched tv, or as they played with the toys. I video taped the kids playing, talking, skating, at baseball, bowling, scouts, eating dinner, making things out of clay, .... you get the picture.
There was never a dull moment. I don't remember much boredom.
When my son got older, and said he was bored, I had a favorite response:
"It's okay to have nothing to do... sometimes there is nothing to do. You don't have to fill every minute with doing things. Sometimes you just need to do nothing for awhile."
If that didn't work I'd say "If you are bored, I can put you to work.." (cleaning the bathroom was a favorite, yardwork another). That usually worked.
He seldom mentioned the b-word, actually. I think he's a lot like me in that respect.
There are times I will do nothing because I want to do nothing... I think of it as incubating, or cocooning... the mind and body needs some down time while the inner transformations take place.
We know and understand this asan adult, but kids have a hard time with that one. I think it is important for them to allow themselves some down time of doing nothing, balanced with an otherwise active life to include playing outside, and reading every day (at least 20 minutes!)
How did you alleviate boredom when you were a kid?
Listen to the music playing in this video. Watch the video.
Look beyond the fact that it eerily sounds and looks like a lengthy commercial for cell phones and iPods. The underlying message is powerful. I had mixed reactions to it.
The video was shown today at an after school workshop I was required to attend. Two things struck me about the video:
1) the dramatic music... who wrote it? who is playing that piano? I loved the music!
2) the theme that weaves itself throughout... increasing technology in the classroom because it is what interests the kids. This is the age of technology... it is changing faster than we can keep up with it.
After finding the video on the internet, I started searching to find out who the musician is.... her name is Carly Comando. I don't know much more than that about her except she does have a website on MySpace.
I didn't have much time to keep searching on that topic, but I moved on to find out how other teachers are getting their technology. After all, it isn't cheap like paper and pencils.
Besides, I want more technology in my classroom. I want a laptop, but I don't want to buy one. I will only be using it for school, so I think the school should buy one for me. But if that isn't possible (which it isn't) then I am going to find a grant that can provide one for me.
I foundInterwrite Learning. I wanted to write more, but it is late and I am on my way to bed. I wish I had found about Interwrite sooner. You see, they are having a technology in the classroom makeover. The finalists are listed and linked at the Interwrite website... I watched the five elementary level videos (made by the kids and their teachers, parodies... musicals... very entertaining), and they are all very good.
Unfortunately, the voting deadline is Saturday, so if you are interested in helping some schools out, click on the link here and watch those adorable videos. Then cast your vote. You will be helping three teachers get the technology they need in their classroom.
Warning: it will be difficult to choose a winner... I found them all smartly done, and charmingingly presented.
Here are the elementary school finalists.
Here are the middle school finalists.
Here are the high school finalists.
Remember, you've got until Saturday to cast your vote.
Ah, go on... help them out with a vote! Then come back and find out who won. I'm voting!
I love the Daylight Savings time change in the Fall... not only did I get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday, but look at what I saw driving into the parking lot yesterday morning.
I did not digitally enhance the color. It was about 6:50 a.m. as the early morning sunshine kissed the oak tree behind the playground. Orange leaves burned brilliant red. I lingered before walking into the building.
I learned this week several things.
One, first graders can learnto draw in soft pastel, and be pretty good with the medium. Consider the pumpkin pastel drawings below:
Yes, I did say they were first graders. The hardest part was not teaching them how to apply the pastel, nor how to blend with their finger, nor how to keep their hands off of the paper while they drew. As you can see, they did all of these things very well. They didn't have a problem with not blowing the dust off their paper once I explained to them why we shouldn't blow the dust off, nor wipe it off with their hands like we wipe off pencil erasures. No, they listened and followed all these instructions.
Rather, the difficulty lie in stopping when I said it was time to stop. Truly nothing pleases me more than to see them so involved in their drawing, in moving that color around on their paper, seeing the delight in their eyes as they stared at their pumpkin pictures. But with only minutes to spare before the next class is ready to file in, they need to stop when I say stop! All those chalky papers to pick up and put away, pastels to collect and put away, and more than 17 pairs of hands to clean up before they all line up at the door. For soft pastels, nothing is quicker nor more effective than wet Hand Wipes!
I also learned that 5th graders can draw pretty good with nothing more than a stick and some black tempera paint. The Cave Art drawings are coming along nicely. Yesterday the kids went "hunting"... that's what we called it, but what they really did was select from a pile of cards laying face down. On the cards were pictures of actual cave drawings. They were to copy the animal they 'hunted'. Later they will make up a story explaining how they (the cavemen) came to hunt their prey, and why they painted it on the cave wall. Cave Man Art Gallery coming soon!
I learned that Black Widow Spiders often have more than one red mark on the abdomen. In fact, many Black Widows aren't even black... they aren't black until they reach maturity. When they are young, they are white, they can be mottled grey and brown, they can have red spots across the top of their shiny round body.
The one I saw over the weekend was in my friend's yard. She found it while harvesting her little peanut garden (she's always trying something new. That gal has two green thumbs!) Fortunately it did not bite her. She knows of my interest in bugs, so she saved it for me in a jar. When I visited her Sunday (I was looking for a pumpkin leaf so I could draw a realistic pumpkin leaf for the pumpkin artists), her daughter showed me the shiny black spider.... the biggest I've ever seen. I took a picture of it through the glass. There were two red marks, one on the underbelly, and one near the spinneret.
I enlarged and color enhanced it to make the red spot near the spinneret more visible .
Finally, I learned how peanuts grow, but I'll have to save that story for another day. It's late and I'm off to bed.
It's been a very good day.
Two entries ago I suggested that there was a visual pun in the video that I posted about the milk carton houses. I had tried to keep in line with John Scalzi's request to entertain him... and a pun would have been especially appreciated.
Several of you have joined in the "game" and attempted to identify the pun... I appreciate that. Thank you for all of your comments as well.
The pun is embedded in the action of the video, and parallels the words. It was during the editing of the video that I thought to add the pun, although at that time I was not aware of John's request for a pun. So that part was a coincidence.
It takes place near the middle of the video (about 1m 14-15s on the digital counter displayed in the lower right corner of the video screen) , as I pan across the back side of the table, and walk behind the milk-carton house that is above all the others. I walk behind it, then pan to the back of the room where a few teachers are talking, and pan to the front of the room where a few more teachers are standing around talking.
The words that appear on the video read "a behind the scenes peek at teachers..." The pun is referring to the walk 'behind the scenes,' behind the house, showing you the back side of the house while at the same time getting a glimpse of the milk carton house creators.
Also, the house I walk behind at that point is at the highest point of the display. So it is the 'peak' of the display. A behind the scenes peek/peak...
... For those who wanted to know!
Okay, a weak pun, but a pun just the same!
