Studly gets a name

December 4, 2009March 23, 20161 Comment

Did I mention I’m in love?

The darling girl from this video aside, how amazing was her teacher? The woman who put this together is doing her student teaching in the 7 YO’s classroom. I watched around 24 of these videos and the narrative in each brought out the unique voice of the first or second grade author. I once received a letter from Nora Ephron in which she discussed the importance of voice and once a writer discovers that voice, it should be coveted — maintained for life. Most folks never get into that groove and so it is a testament to, er, I don’t have a code name for her. How about we just call her “Studly” because she can no longer be considered a student teacher but a studly teacher?

This was the capstone piece to a unit Studly did on transportation. Here are photos and a short movie a parent put together from a field trip the kids took as part of Studly’s transportation unit. Pay special attention to the last little bell ringer because she’s dreamy.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Studly. Her term in the 7 YO’s classroom is over. We will celebrate with gifts from parents and letters from students placed in a canvas bag embellished by none other than my baby girl. I won’t say more, because you never know who’s reading in (no one is reading in, but saying that sort of thing ratchets up the suspense, doncha think?)

Christmas Giving

November 28, 2009March 23, 20161 Comment

Now that we’ve gotten past the food and many of us have exorcised our inner shopping demons, I’d like to provide, as so many others have, alternative thoughts on gift giving at Christmas. My brother-in-law has requested a no spending policy between our families this season and I’m more than pleased to oblige. We did agree that no spending could mean finding our inner craftster, however, I’m unlikely to make this for his kiddos:

This Tampon Angel arrived in my Facebok in box from a most unlikely source. I’m not saying it’s my Senior Warden because if she had wanted folks to know about her inner subversive, surely she would have posted it on her own wall. Then again I told her I wanted to post it post-turkey and with her reply of, “I dare ya!” she cast herself as a provocateur. For this reason, I will allude to the identity of the sender rather than state outright it was the Senior Warden, who would also have you know about the Grace St. Paul Alternative Christmas Fair on December 13th. Last year they had Just Coffee, handmade items, and sales that benefited not-for-profit organizations.

Wise Bread also offers strategies to keep you in budget this year. If you are considering pulling out the plastic, consult this post from Pimp Your Finances. Man Vs. Debt challenges his giving policy — something most of us can afford to reexamine.

Christmas shouldn’t be a drag. I plan to get my kiddos that Shoot ‘Em Up Pet Shop Pokemon Heavy Metal Glitter Goo-gaw. I certainly learned from my own family that getting that one oh so materialistic as to be painfully obscene gift does bring joy to all involved. I also know that the Christmas we had relatively few presents, but ate a huge breakfast and watched black and white footage from my dad’s childhood was one of my favorite Christmases — though I liked the Barbie Dream House too.

Black Friday

November 28, 2009March 23, 20164 Comments

At least one member of my Peaceable Kingdom celebrated Black Friday, though not as you may suspect.

November 25, 2009March 23, 20161 Comment

When I posted the 9 YO boy’s Tucson Winter, I went on a search of Just Another Banana’s bog because I remember she ran to the bird sanctuary one snowy day to snap some photos. I couldn’t find her snowy cacti pictures, so I went to the school’s Web site to see if they had possibly loaded some. Instead I took a trip down memory lane.

That place is special and is where community for me first burst into full bloom. One person has an idea, another does research, yet another gathers the supplies, and before you know it, you’re placing the tiles for a human sundial.

I love that hat.

You can see how the project proceeded here. Follow the links for the human sundial. Maybe check out the plan identifier links too. You’ll see photos of Fungal Heart’s eldest.

We can all consider this my Thanksgiving post as it’s way full of the gratitudinal mush one wold expect this time of year.

Tucson Winter

November 24, 2009March 23, 20161 Comment

I don’t send Christmas cards, but if I did, the art would look exactly like this:

And for a new low, low price, it can be. The 9 YO boy’s Tucson Winter is gorgeous.

Mom-a-tron Works

November 21, 2009March 23, 20162 Comments

I’m at a conference. I’ve left my life in the hands of Handsome Hubster, whom I continue to trust though he’s given me plenty of reasons to question this tendency of mine. One thing he likes to do when I’m gone is throw things away, things like integral pieces of expensive gadgets and all my tax receipts. Consequently, I don’t go away much.

Hubster claims to love the children, so I trust him with them as well. This is the third time I’ve been away from my children in the 9+ years I’ve been a mother. Three years ago, I left my kids with their dad and this is the result:

Aren’t they cute? A-DOR-able! Even so, they need me home. They may not realize it because this trip all they know is movie night is every night and chicken nuggets are the order of the day. Even so, I predict that upon my return, the kids will realize Hubster trashed their treasure, sucked their awesome, and, yes Hawt Mz, yucked their yum.

Girl Scout Cookie Season

November 12, 2009March 23, 20163 Comments

Cookie season is a major event for the girls in green. They love the excitement and enticements that accompany those sales. In Arizona, boxes are slightly more expensive because they offer so many scholarships to the girls. Last year, our troop sales were incredible and we paid for visits to Build-a-Bear, Rocks and Ropes, and Camp Creepenstein, as well as donating boxes of cookies and cash, and still they put aside a large chunk for later. I hate cookie season.

I have trouble selling the boxes, trouble chasing down the folks who ordered boxes, trouble getting money for the distributed boxes, and worst of all trouble with the self-control of the two adults living under my roof. But the season is here and tonight the Girl Scout leaders for the 7 YO’s troop launched into the various incentives for the girls, possible ways to promote the cookies, and the TONS of (annoying but necessary) rules. I hate rules. They confuse me.

Brownie Leader: You wouldn’t believe some of the things that have happened. For example, parents were taking the cash from the sales and writing bogus checks to the Council, so there’s a rule about that. Also, when staffing a booth, parents can’t stand off to the side smoking and yacking away.

Me: Well, I don’t smoke but the yacking sounds fun.

Magic: A friend of mine just returned from Brazil with a ton of slides.

Me: Oh, I guess I’d be interested in a slide show.

Magic: No. I mean we could take the cookie money and go to Brazil. DUH!

Okay, Magic didn’t actually say, “DUH!” to my face, but I would have if I were her. See? Rules confuse me. I’d like to take the cash, write a check, and stand off to the side yacking about Brazillion trips.

In January, the 7 YO girl will take your orders for cookie sales. If you live far, you can buy boxes for Troops to Troops, our troop charity (TBA), or Joseph’s Pantry. Just send me cash and I’ll cut a check to the Council. Okay, not really. You should send a check. And you should buy lots because if George sells 3000 boxes ($12,000 in value), she gets a lap top.

Booky Giftness

October 21, 2009March 23, 20162 Comments

It’s a well-known fact that I adore books. I seriously

Students in the News

October 16, 2009March 23, 20162 Comments

Hawt Mz got the kids busy setting up their own market as their first quarter project. The kids started with a field trip to a local grocer. Then they researched food groups, product labels, grocery geography, and grocer careers. Of course, Mz can’t make a move without the paparazzi, so the first of three news crews came to visit. The 7 YO is in the back of the garden row, planting with her green fingernails, and in the chicken coop.

See? It’s not just that Hawt Mz is an awesome, newsworthy teacher, she also looks damn good on video. We should all be so blessed. Unfortunately for her, her students outshone her in the classroom. Their research was, oh my. Impressive. Their preparation and presentation was insanely inspiring. My kid presented honey — from bee anatomy, hive construction, and honey production to the human use of honey and beeswax.

(Budget cut/funding rant providing an awesome transition to picking up my son at his school deleted because it seemed tangential to my unabashed bragging, but you can imagine an amazing transition right here.)

Upon retrieving the 9 YO from his school, a note explaining that he’s one of 32 students at his school selected by the art teacher to upload some of his work to Artsonia was thrust in my face.

Artsonia is a Web site that sells you stuff – postcards, bags, temporary tattoos — featuring the artwork of your kid. They donate 15% of the sales to the school. I think that’s how it works. So, if you are so inclined, go on over and comment on the 9 YO’s watercolor leaves (inspired by his idea of a flag for New Canada and sneaking in a hidden flame thrower). Buy something if you want, or not, but love the colors. I’m starting to understand Caddo’s pride (her daughters have earned some prestigious art awards and yet I find no mention on her blog or her Facebook page, otherwise they would be linked).

I should do that thing where I tell my blog to suggest other similar posts, but I suspect it’s only available for Word Press and I cannot be bothered. Instead, I’ll do it the old fashioned way by writing my own. The Fine, Fine Market reminds me of when the 7 YO’s former classroom transformed into a news paper publisher. Additionally, the 9 YO’s art teacher’s compliments on his art reminds me of his stamp art accolades.