Thursday, June 17, 2010
You know what I love?
Students who email me asking "I got XYZ on the exam, can I still pass your class?". Sweetie, all the points are listed in the syllabus. Do the math. And if you can't do the math? Then, NO, you can't pass my class.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Our Small World is Getting Bigger
Last night the kids had their closing program at school. Mrs. Barillier's class did a number called "It's a Small World" in which each of the children dressed up as a different country and said hello to the audience in their country's language. My Hawaiian fans (I'm talking to you, mom) should note that Hawaii was included as a different country. I thought about making a scene, but then decided against it. For the sake of the children. Years from now when they claim I don't love or care about them I will bring up this very incident as proof of my love for them.
But I digress. Jack was Germany, with a cute little leiderhosen costume, complete with hat. But not complete with shoes. I thought a pair of hiking boots would look good, but alas he has outgrown the pair he has. Then it hit me - Sandals! With socks! Nothing says GERMAN like sandals with socks. Am I right? When it was his turn he marched to the center of the stage and bellowed "Guten! Morgen!" like the good little Aryan boy he is.
Ava was Ireland, and wore a white dress with green polka dots and a big green shamrock, with a green frock coat over it. The best part of the costume though was the beribboned yellow daisy headdress. Again, we weren't sure what to do about shoes, but then I remembered that last St. Patrick's day Auntie had bought them all Leprechaun socks, so we put those on her and let her go shoeless. Perfect. She skipped across the stage and sang "Magen Go Brach!", which I think was supposed to be Irish (Gaelic) for "hello", although I think "hello" is actually "dia dhuit" in Gaelic. But what do I know?
Cathryn was France, and the costume they sent home consisted of a purple knitted tam, which I'm guessing was supposed to be a beret, and a painter's smock. Yeah.....NO. I riffled through her closet and found a navy-and-white striped shirt, a ruby pleated school-girl skirt with suspenders, blue knee socks, and this time we actually had some appropriate shoes - blue leather t-straps. I splurged on a real beret ($6.50 on Amazon!) and her costume was complete. Et Voila! She pranced out to the middle of the stage, put her fingers in her mouth and whispered "Bonjour?".
Other countries represented were Italy, Mexico, Japan, America, and of course, Hawaii. But let's not start that again.
Afterward we all went out for frozen yogurt, and about half the class showed up - INSTANT PARTY! The kids all sat at a single table and chattered away while the parents took advantage of the relative quiet to eat our yogurt in peace. A lovely end to a lovely day.
But I digress. Jack was Germany, with a cute little leiderhosen costume, complete with hat. But not complete with shoes. I thought a pair of hiking boots would look good, but alas he has outgrown the pair he has. Then it hit me - Sandals! With socks! Nothing says GERMAN like sandals with socks. Am I right? When it was his turn he marched to the center of the stage and bellowed "Guten! Morgen!" like the good little Aryan boy he is.
Ava was Ireland, and wore a white dress with green polka dots and a big green shamrock, with a green frock coat over it. The best part of the costume though was the beribboned yellow daisy headdress. Again, we weren't sure what to do about shoes, but then I remembered that last St. Patrick's day Auntie had bought them all Leprechaun socks, so we put those on her and let her go shoeless. Perfect. She skipped across the stage and sang "Magen Go Brach!", which I think was supposed to be Irish (Gaelic) for "hello", although I think "hello" is actually "dia dhuit" in Gaelic. But what do I know?
Cathryn was France, and the costume they sent home consisted of a purple knitted tam, which I'm guessing was supposed to be a beret, and a painter's smock. Yeah.....NO. I riffled through her closet and found a navy-and-white striped shirt, a ruby pleated school-girl skirt with suspenders, blue knee socks, and this time we actually had some appropriate shoes - blue leather t-straps. I splurged on a real beret ($6.50 on Amazon!) and her costume was complete. Et Voila! She pranced out to the middle of the stage, put her fingers in her mouth and whispered "Bonjour?".
Other countries represented were Italy, Mexico, Japan, America, and of course, Hawaii. But let's not start that again.
Afterward we all went out for frozen yogurt, and about half the class showed up - INSTANT PARTY! The kids all sat at a single table and chattered away while the parents took advantage of the relative quiet to eat our yogurt in peace. A lovely end to a lovely day.
Monday, June 7, 2010
One Man, One Vote
We were sitting at the dinner table this evening when the phone rang. It has been ringing a lot these days, as the local and state-wide elections are tomorrow. We've stopped answering our phone, instead letting all calls go to the answering machine and only picking up when we recognize the voice on the other end.
So the phone rang, we let the machine get it, and after a pause a crackly voice comes on the line, introducing itself and hoping that it wasn't bothering us. "You are! I'm making a list of all the people who call us and I'm not going to vote for them" growled Brian. "Is that a stranger?" asked Jack. Brian explained that yes, it was a stranger and they were calling to get our vote in the election. And then we were off to the races.
"What's a vote?"
"What's an election?"
"Why do the strangers want our vote?"
"Remember in church how you talked about everyone having a vote?"
Blank stares.
"When you vote for someone it means you are choosing them. The person who gets chosen the most wins"
Blank stares.
"Voting is how we choose our leaders."
Blank stares.
"OK, let's pretend. Let's pretend one person in our family is going to go to Ice Cream Street to get ice cream for everyone."
"Is this for real?" asks Cate
"No, it's pretend. Who should go to Ice Cream Street?"
"Auntie Kate!"
"Mimi!"
"I want to go! I never get to go to Ice Cream Street!"
"Cathryn. I said this was pretend. And I meant someone who is here right now: Cate, Ava, Jack, Mommy or Daddy. Anyone who wants to go raise their hand."
They all want to go. No surprises here.
"Okay, but only ONE person can go. How do we choose? Here's how: we vote. Everyone who wants Ava to be the person to go, raise their hand (Ava and Jack raise their hands). Everyone who wants Jack to go, raise their hand (Jack raises his hand). You can only vote once, buddy"
"Unless you're from Chicago" says Daddy.
"Everyone who wants Cate to go raise their hand" (no raises their hand, not even Cate)
"You know, you can vote for yourself sweetie"
"I want to vote for you and me to go together mommy!"
"That's sweet, but that's not a choice." (Although I suppose the ones who really change the world are the ones who see the options that haven't been offered)
"OK, so Ava has 2 votes so she wins. Ava gets to go to Ice Cream Street. See how that works?"
"I never get to go to Ice Cream Street! You never let me do anything! I hate voting!"
"I vote that Cate should get a time out" says Ava.
I guess 1 out of 3 isn't bad.
So the phone rang, we let the machine get it, and after a pause a crackly voice comes on the line, introducing itself and hoping that it wasn't bothering us. "You are! I'm making a list of all the people who call us and I'm not going to vote for them" growled Brian. "Is that a stranger?" asked Jack. Brian explained that yes, it was a stranger and they were calling to get our vote in the election. And then we were off to the races.
"What's a vote?"
"What's an election?"
"Why do the strangers want our vote?"
"Remember in church how you talked about everyone having a vote?"
Blank stares.
"When you vote for someone it means you are choosing them. The person who gets chosen the most wins"
Blank stares.
"Voting is how we choose our leaders."
Blank stares.
"OK, let's pretend. Let's pretend one person in our family is going to go to Ice Cream Street to get ice cream for everyone."
"Is this for real?" asks Cate
"No, it's pretend. Who should go to Ice Cream Street?"
"Auntie Kate!"
"Mimi!"
"I want to go! I never get to go to Ice Cream Street!"
"Cathryn. I said this was pretend. And I meant someone who is here right now: Cate, Ava, Jack, Mommy or Daddy. Anyone who wants to go raise their hand."
They all want to go. No surprises here.
"Okay, but only ONE person can go. How do we choose? Here's how: we vote. Everyone who wants Ava to be the person to go, raise their hand (Ava and Jack raise their hands). Everyone who wants Jack to go, raise their hand (Jack raises his hand). You can only vote once, buddy"
"Unless you're from Chicago" says Daddy.
"Everyone who wants Cate to go raise their hand" (no raises their hand, not even Cate)
"You know, you can vote for yourself sweetie"
"I want to vote for you and me to go together mommy!"
"That's sweet, but that's not a choice." (Although I suppose the ones who really change the world are the ones who see the options that haven't been offered)
"OK, so Ava has 2 votes so she wins. Ava gets to go to Ice Cream Street. See how that works?"
"I never get to go to Ice Cream Street! You never let me do anything! I hate voting!"
"I vote that Cate should get a time out" says Ava.
I guess 1 out of 3 isn't bad.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Hasenpfeffer
Found this little tableaux in the living room this evening..........can you see the bunny? Here's hoping the lions won't either.........
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Da-Da-DAAAAAA!!!!!
My good news for the day, week, month, year: I officially have tenure! Woo-hoo!
Time to break out the paint and gussy-up my office. They'll never get rid of me now. Or, as my more seasoned colleagues like to say "Now you can never leave."
Time to break out the paint and gussy-up my office. They'll never get rid of me now. Or, as my more seasoned colleagues like to say "Now you can never leave."
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
My Girl
I've been meaning to post this picture I took of Ava:
She's wearing a top I made for her from a vintage pillowcase. I took the picture with the Hipstamatic iPhone app, using the John S lens and Ina's 1969 film. I love the vintage look of this picture and I think it captures the spirit of my carefree girl perfectly. She reminds me so much of my mom.
She's wearing a top I made for her from a vintage pillowcase. I took the picture with the Hipstamatic iPhone app, using the John S lens and Ina's 1969 film. I love the vintage look of this picture and I think it captures the spirit of my carefree girl perfectly. She reminds me so much of my mom.
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