Just check out that confident look in her eye. Rosie knows more than you think. There's so much going on in that mysterious noggin of hers, we'll never realize more than a shard, a sliver.
Again, all we've been hearing in the past week from her school has been negative. She was sent to the principal's office twice in one day for several physical incidents (one that drew blood); we are all terribly shocked. Monkeyrotica and I met with her teacher today—our first official meeting—and learned that there is one specific child in her class, a boy, that she just can't resist tormenting.
She needs to work on curbing her impulses. We went over the behavior contract that will target keeping her hands to herself and completing assigned work, and look forward to getting the daily reports on her progress. We asked about the classroom and whether the teachers thought Rosie was a good match for their room; of course they said yes (I thought they might be objective, silly me). They've moved Rosie to a small desk at the back of the room and proclaimed that she loves her new placement, complete with fewer distractions and calmer, less distracting tablemates.
While we were there, Miss M. offered to show us her report for the academic testing that we were planning to review next week in a pre-scheduled meeting. Academically, the baseline for all the students in her classroom at this point in the year is 61. By the end of the year, they expect 165. What was Rosie's score?
155.
She scored 100% on most of her tests including math, reading, word/number/color recognition, and phonics. Despite all the trouble we are having, she is in the top of her Kindergarten class.
OMG, I am spinning. We have a delinquent. We have a genius! Must they come hand in hand?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
I got my in-person, absentee vote on
Yesterday I jogged to the absentee polling site to vote. Make yours count! If you can go early, go!
I only waited for 25 minutes, but I heard that there was a three-hour wait the day before. Many of the folks in the line with me were retired and several had walkers/helpers. This election is getting people motivated!
For more intelligent thoughts on the vote and political issues, try (and I'm just going through my links on hand here):
Hey, Ho, KellyGO!
The Journey
Margaret and Helen
Up From Sloth
(and yes, I have no make-up on, except a bit of lipstick. the close-up is not flattering.)
I only waited for 25 minutes, but I heard that there was a three-hour wait the day before. Many of the folks in the line with me were retired and several had walkers/helpers. This election is getting people motivated!
For more intelligent thoughts on the vote and political issues, try (and I'm just going through my links on hand here):
Hey, Ho, KellyGO!
The Journey
Margaret and Helen
Up From Sloth
(and yes, I have no make-up on, except a bit of lipstick. the close-up is not flattering.)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Jewelry sale, weekend recap.
Well, the jewelry sale was a bit of a bust. I had one sale by the woman who told me about the event (I think she took pity on me) that helped me break even with the cost of the booth. The few that stopped at all and offered any thought to what they were looking for wanted items under $10 that they could give as gifts to the under age-8 set. So, cheap and durable.
Not my forte. More later!
Adding On:
The rest of the weekend was a bit of a blur. We were invited to three parties the evening after the sale, one in D.C., one in Maryland, and one two doors over. Since Monkeyrotica was committed to smoking a pork shoulder in the Kamado for our work party on Sunday, I went to my neighbors' party with the kids and he stayed in. It was fun, an annual pre-Halloween party that we'd been to a few years running. All the kids are getting older, many teenaged, so there were much fewer of them in costume this year (which is A-OK with Rosie). I forgot to photograph my kids' costumes! There will be other opportunities, you'll be seeing my princess and pirate soon enough.
Sunday was the video screening party for my coworkers. The office had just finished a 30-minute training video for U.S. Marine Corps customer. Since we have a 120" screen for our home theater, the video team asked me if I'd host the party. Sure! And since Monkeyrotica had been instructing the DCist.com crowd on how to cook the best bratwurst, I offered brats as the main dish (pulled pork came later). A couple of my coworkers surveyed the abundance on the spread and said, "I'm just going to eat until I'm uncomfortably full." Rock on.
The video was fantastic! I work with some very talented people. The subject was a sad one: evocative training for Marines, preparing them to inform next of kin that their loved one had died (several folks were in tears throughout). Everyone there had participated, from direction, scripting, filming, editing, post-production, scoring, scheduling, scouting, and casting. It was a great gathering and we were all very proud of the final cut after it was screened.
We picked up some pumpkins: here are the kids in the patch, looking squinty on a very sunny day. AH, there's the pirate!
Not my forte. More later!
Adding On:
The rest of the weekend was a bit of a blur. We were invited to three parties the evening after the sale, one in D.C., one in Maryland, and one two doors over. Since Monkeyrotica was committed to smoking a pork shoulder in the Kamado for our work party on Sunday, I went to my neighbors' party with the kids and he stayed in. It was fun, an annual pre-Halloween party that we'd been to a few years running. All the kids are getting older, many teenaged, so there were much fewer of them in costume this year (which is A-OK with Rosie). I forgot to photograph my kids' costumes! There will be other opportunities, you'll be seeing my princess and pirate soon enough.
Sunday was the video screening party for my coworkers. The office had just finished a 30-minute training video for U.S. Marine Corps customer. Since we have a 120" screen for our home theater, the video team asked me if I'd host the party. Sure! And since Monkeyrotica had been instructing the DCist.com crowd on how to cook the best bratwurst, I offered brats as the main dish (pulled pork came later). A couple of my coworkers surveyed the abundance on the spread and said, "I'm just going to eat until I'm uncomfortably full." Rock on.
The video was fantastic! I work with some very talented people. The subject was a sad one: evocative training for Marines, preparing them to inform next of kin that their loved one had died (several folks were in tears throughout). Everyone there had participated, from direction, scripting, filming, editing, post-production, scoring, scheduling, scouting, and casting. It was a great gathering and we were all very proud of the final cut after it was screened.
We picked up some pumpkins: here are the kids in the patch, looking squinty on a very sunny day. AH, there's the pirate!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Nylonthread, selling her wares (in public!)
My new business card, do you like it? Designing this card is only one of many reasons I've been a little quiet lately.Heedless of my better judgment, two weeks ago I signed up to be a craft vendor at a local holiday bazaar. I'm now two days and counting till my act must be together. I haven't done anything like this in 12 years (and even then, I shared a booth with a more experienced jeweler who has since made a very successful career of it).
For those of you who are local, here are the details:
October 25th, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
2008 Holiday Craft Bazaar
Good Shepherd Catholic Church
8710 Mount Vernon Highway
Alexandria, VA 22309
I'll have everything that's up on my Etsy site and more! This past weekend, I scoped out another craft event to get some ideas and a few things stuck with me: dramatic colors and interesting displays helped set off the items for sale; many of the vendors didn't have business cards (hence my newly designed card above); and also the vendors who had items that I was interested in did not accept credit cards. I hardly ever carry cash, and I know many people who don't as well, so I will be using Propay.com (recommended by users on a Etsy listserve I belong to) to accept credit and maybe make a few more sales that way.
Wish me luck, and stop by if you're local.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Blackbird singing...
At the Air and Space Museum yesterday, Rosie and Dash had their much anticipated viewing of "Starships." We plenty of space-themed Sci-FI movies on regular rotation at the Strings as well as a Starship-shaped tent in the basement and space-patterned bedding for Dash. Rosie liked the museum well enough, pointing out interesting items as we went through. They really enjoyed the large exhibits that allowed museum-goers to walk through and try out the equipment. All was fine, educational, and interesting. Until we got to the SR-71.
Dash stared. He caressed the glass. He wouldn't budge. He was entranced by the sexy sleekness, the dangerous, dark pointiness of the Blackbird on display, a USAF high-altitude, reconnaissance aircraft 1/16-scale model.
He wanted it. Oh, my GOD, he wanted it. With all of his 3.5-year-old existence.
"Mommy, can I HAVE this?" he asked.
"No, sweetie, it's part of the museum displays," I answered.
"Well, we can just BREAK the glass then, and take it home with us," Dash retorted, with some anxiety.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, we can't break the glass." I said, the voice of reason.
[[sobbing]]
"We can check the gift shop, maybe there's another one over there."
[[sniff, sob]] "O-O-O [[snf]] kay," sobbed Dash, drying his tears.
Thank the lord there was one cast-iron mini SR-71 left in the A&S museum shop. It now belongs to the boy, despite the age-recommendation of 14 and up on the packaging.
Dash stared. He caressed the glass. He wouldn't budge. He was entranced by the sexy sleekness, the dangerous, dark pointiness of the Blackbird on display, a USAF high-altitude, reconnaissance aircraft 1/16-scale model.
He wanted it. Oh, my GOD, he wanted it. With all of his 3.5-year-old existence.
"Mommy, can I HAVE this?" he asked.
"No, sweetie, it's part of the museum displays," I answered.
"Well, we can just BREAK the glass then, and take it home with us," Dash retorted, with some anxiety.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, we can't break the glass." I said, the voice of reason.
[[sobbing]]
"We can check the gift shop, maybe there's another one over there."
[[sniff, sob]] "O-O-O [[snf]] kay," sobbed Dash, drying his tears.
Thank the lord there was one cast-iron mini SR-71 left in the A&S museum shop. It now belongs to the boy, despite the age-recommendation of 14 and up on the packaging.
Up Your Vitamin D Intake STAT!
Just in from The Washington Post: Kids should be getting a minimum of 400 IU of Vitamin D daily, double the previous recommendation of 200 IU.
The Post article states:
"Kids from newborns to teenagers should take twice as much Vitamin D as previously recommended because it may help prevent serious disease, a leading medical group said yesterday... In the past it had been recommended that kids get 200 units of Vitamin D a day. Now, the doctors are saying, they should take 400 units. Vitamin D can be taken in drops, capsules or tablets.
Most milk that you can buy in the store is fortified with Vitamin D. But most kids don't drink enough of it. You need four cups daily to meet the requirement. Other foods, including cereal, are also packed with Vitamin D, as are the oily fish tuna, mackerel and sardines.
But it's hard to get enough through diet. The best source is sunlight, because the body makes Vitamin D when sunshine hits the skin. The new advice is based on research showing that Vitamin D not only helps keep bones strong but might also play a role in preventing disease."
For more hard-line data, here is a link to the full news article.
They don't mention a detail in this particular article, but I've read in other places that Americans generally don't get enough D because of all the sunscreen we slather on, trying to avoid skin cancer. Sunscreen blocks our skin's absorption of necessary Vitamin D. Oh please, doctors on high, can you tell us how to balance good sun rays vs bad?
According to Nutrition News, to get an adequate exposure to Vitamin D through sunlight:
"Your body makes vitamin D when you are exposed to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight. You probably need from 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face, arms, back or legs (without sunscreen) twice every week. Since exposure to sunlight is a risk for skin cancer, you should use sunscreen after a few minutes in the sun and even in the winter and on hazy, cloudy days."
Got that? A maximum of 30 minutes sunscreen-free a twice a week. Thanks Dr. Jegtvig!
And drink more milk.
The Post article states:
"Kids from newborns to teenagers should take twice as much Vitamin D as previously recommended because it may help prevent serious disease, a leading medical group said yesterday... In the past it had been recommended that kids get 200 units of Vitamin D a day. Now, the doctors are saying, they should take 400 units. Vitamin D can be taken in drops, capsules or tablets.
Most milk that you can buy in the store is fortified with Vitamin D. But most kids don't drink enough of it. You need four cups daily to meet the requirement. Other foods, including cereal, are also packed with Vitamin D, as are the oily fish tuna, mackerel and sardines.
But it's hard to get enough through diet. The best source is sunlight, because the body makes Vitamin D when sunshine hits the skin. The new advice is based on research showing that Vitamin D not only helps keep bones strong but might also play a role in preventing disease."
For more hard-line data, here is a link to the full news article.
They don't mention a detail in this particular article, but I've read in other places that Americans generally don't get enough D because of all the sunscreen we slather on, trying to avoid skin cancer. Sunscreen blocks our skin's absorption of necessary Vitamin D. Oh please, doctors on high, can you tell us how to balance good sun rays vs bad?
According to Nutrition News, to get an adequate exposure to Vitamin D through sunlight:
"Your body makes vitamin D when you are exposed to the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays in sunlight. You probably need from 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the skin on your face, arms, back or legs (without sunscreen) twice every week. Since exposure to sunlight is a risk for skin cancer, you should use sunscreen after a few minutes in the sun and even in the winter and on hazy, cloudy days."
Got that? A maximum of 30 minutes sunscreen-free a twice a week. Thanks Dr. Jegtvig!
And drink more milk.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Week 6 K-12: Finally, some good news!
I just received a phone call from the Principal of Rosie's Elementary School. Now, the instinctual reflex of getting a principal-call is to flinch, right? You all flinched, didn't you? C'mon, admit it.
He expected the cringe, so started off the call with, "This is Mr. M., principal at Rosie's school, and don't worry, this is a call with a good message." Thank goodness! I have been wanting to hear something warm 'n' fuzzy so badly I wrote an email to her teacher earlier this week that pleaded for it; here's an excerpt:
We'll be following up on his suggestion that we give her a treat this weekend and let her know how proud we are, especially since she has shown in class that she's terribly proud of herself!
(green is my happy color)
I know, I know, this is such a small step, but Kindergarten has turned out to be uncharted territory for the Strings. We thought she was doing great—better than all the others in her Pre-K class, really—and were floored when Rosie didn't adapt well to public school. Just when I'm starting to feel like an old hand at this parenting stuff, I get whacked down by unforeseen events.
I know we're not out of the woods (you like all the hackneyed clichés I'm throwing in here? it's been a long week), and it's possible that we may see some relapses. At the moment, I'm sighing a big relieved breath and looking forward to a calm 3-day weekend that doesn't involve thrusting Crayolas into our daughter's face.
He expected the cringe, so started off the call with, "This is Mr. M., principal at Rosie's school, and don't worry, this is a call with a good message." Thank goodness! I have been wanting to hear something warm 'n' fuzzy so badly I wrote an email to her teacher earlier this week that pleaded for it; here's an excerpt:
"...Can you let me know if there are any positives to Rosie's kindergarten experience as yet? All I have heard so far is negatives (slow, unfocused, distracted, not-listening, twiddling-with-accessories) and that is getting us all pretty down. What is she doing well? How is she excelling during her day? I do need something to help pump her up, or she's just going to stop wanting to go to school altogether."The very good news is not only that Miss M. is back from the hospital full time, but she let Mr. M. know (his quote was that she "fairly danced into his office to say") this afternoon that Rosie has really turned a corner this week and has been getting all of her work done during the school day! She's behaving well and is no longer under a threat to be on a "behavior contract" (yes, that was a threat at the beginning of this week). She asked that the principal call us—monkeyrotica got a call, too—directly and give us her good feedback.
We'll be following up on his suggestion that we give her a treat this weekend and let her know how proud we are, especially since she has shown in class that she's terribly proud of herself!
(green is my happy color)
I know, I know, this is such a small step, but Kindergarten has turned out to be uncharted territory for the Strings. We thought she was doing great—better than all the others in her Pre-K class, really—and were floored when Rosie didn't adapt well to public school. Just when I'm starting to feel like an old hand at this parenting stuff, I get whacked down by unforeseen events.
I know we're not out of the woods (you like all the hackneyed clichés I'm throwing in here? it's been a long week), and it's possible that we may see some relapses. At the moment, I'm sighing a big relieved breath and looking forward to a calm 3-day weekend that doesn't involve thrusting Crayolas into our daughter's face.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Mr. Happy
I've got waaay too much going on, plenty to blog about but no time to compose the posts for my thoughts.
I leave you all with a photo of Dash and a few of his favorite things: grapes, milk, and no pants.
I leave you all with a photo of Dash and a few of his favorite things: grapes, milk, and no pants.
Friday, October 03, 2008
I <3 Parent Hacks
Monkeyrotica snapped this pic yesterday afternoon while I was still teleworking in our basement office. He let the kids blow off some steam while running and shrieking in the backyard after school. I'm sure they needed it! All the pressure we've been putting on Rosie for school as well as our switched-up schedules has to be released somehow. Otherwise, the stress shows up in unexpected ways: Rosie's been waking up weepy, asking where daddy is (he left for work 90 minutes ago, sorry), and Dash has been much, much more clingy at drop-off this week.
All last month, his drop-offs had been wonderful! I'd bring him in, wash his hands, set him up at a table, kiss, hug, bye! No fuss. But for the past few days, he wants me to stay and play or take him with me. Then he starts throwing a fit as I'm trying to slink away to work.
A tip I picked up at Parent Hacks gave me an idea. Yesterday, I got out a pen, and drew him a happy face on his hand. I told him that the happy face wanted him to be happy and that he could think of mommy whenever he looked at it.
When he started acting up today, his teacher came in close and asked, "Why don't you try that happy face again? He showed it to everyone yesterday and couldn't stop talking about it!" SCORE! Parent Hacks. They do come up with excellent tips. If you haven't been, go check out Asha Dornfest's site.
Maybe Mr. Monkey needs to draw her a little picture or write Rosie a note in the morning before he heads out the door? Just to let her know that he was thinking of her...
All last month, his drop-offs had been wonderful! I'd bring him in, wash his hands, set him up at a table, kiss, hug, bye! No fuss. But for the past few days, he wants me to stay and play or take him with me. Then he starts throwing a fit as I'm trying to slink away to work.
A tip I picked up at Parent Hacks gave me an idea. Yesterday, I got out a pen, and drew him a happy face on his hand. I told him that the happy face wanted him to be happy and that he could think of mommy whenever he looked at it.
When he started acting up today, his teacher came in close and asked, "Why don't you try that happy face again? He showed it to everyone yesterday and couldn't stop talking about it!" SCORE! Parent Hacks. They do come up with excellent tips. If you haven't been, go check out Asha Dornfest's site.
Maybe Mr. Monkey needs to draw her a little picture or write Rosie a note in the morning before he heads out the door? Just to let her know that he was thinking of her...
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
So incredibly universal...
...This topic is the subject of today's WE THE ROBOTS cartoon by Chris Harding. Go check it out.
Thanks to The Bughouse for sharing this link on your feed reader!
Thanks to The Bughouse for sharing this link on your feed reader!
Some perspective, far-away and close-in
Amidst all this discussion on the Kindergarten work with Rosie (which if you haven't noticed, has thrown me for a loop?), my mom came over with some (very) old papers the other day. What might they be? My very own elementary-school evaluations from 2nd through 5th grade.
To paraphrase, every single one had sentiments such as:
"Nylonthread is a joy to have in my room! She needs to concentrate on finishing her assignments more thoroughly." Mrs. Sobol
Or, "Nylonthread has a real gift in art and drawing. If she can learn to do her work on time that will help in her next grade." Mrs. Williams
I'm cutting her some slack, of course.
Pictured: Rosie in her patented "too close to the paper" pose. Looks to me like she is completely engrossed in her activity. I don't see any warning signs of dangerously deviant behavior here, do you?
To paraphrase, every single one had sentiments such as:
"Nylonthread is a joy to have in my room! She needs to concentrate on finishing her assignments more thoroughly." Mrs. Sobol
Or, "Nylonthread has a real gift in art and drawing. If she can learn to do her work on time that will help in her next grade." Mrs. Williams
I'm cutting her some slack, of course.
Pictured: Rosie in her patented "too close to the paper" pose. Looks to me like she is completely engrossed in her activity. I don't see any warning signs of dangerously deviant behavior here, do you?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Coloring to perfection
Yesterday afternoon, I learned that Rosie didn't finish her assignment again, and the teachers sent home a very disappointed note along with the incomplete work. I was determined to figure out what is going on, so I sat down with her and asked what was happening.
"I'm too slow, " she said. "And my fingers get tired. All that coloring is very tiring."
It dawned on me that all the work she's brought home is very densely colored and thick with crayon. She's holding the crayons too tightly!! And pressing down too hard!! She's also using multiple colors to fill tiny spaces, so is spending a lot of time making color choices.
We took out all her pages and spread them out at her new desk. There were 4 pages of work, with 3 images to color on the first, 6 on the second, and 18 on the third. Once the images are colored, then she's supposed to trim each of the little pieces out (27 total, mostly circles) and glue them to the fourth page. She spent the entire 45 minutes of classtime coloring in the first page alone! I really think this is crazy boring busy work, but I didn't get anywhere when I told the teacher my opinion about it.
I gave her some tips on how to satisfy her teachers. Press lightly on the crayon, use longer strokes, and use fewer colors to speed up the process. If her fingers get tired, shake out her hand and try holding the crayon in a different position. These suggestions are very dissatisfying to me, on her behalf, because she really seems to love the density of the colors and the process of choosing many different hues for a single shape.
She wants to talk about each (one-inch square) image and make up stories about it, carefully choose the right colors for it. While she's talking, she's not coloring. It took us close to an hour to finish the remainder of her work, with me right there, egging her on. The time quickly ebbs away. This is not creative work. All I can figure is that the teachers just want the students to whisk some scratches of color on, slice away at the paper, glue willy-nilly, and move on to the next segment of the day.
"I'm too slow, " she said. "And my fingers get tired. All that coloring is very tiring."
It dawned on me that all the work she's brought home is very densely colored and thick with crayon. She's holding the crayons too tightly!! And pressing down too hard!! She's also using multiple colors to fill tiny spaces, so is spending a lot of time making color choices.
We took out all her pages and spread them out at her new desk. There were 4 pages of work, with 3 images to color on the first, 6 on the second, and 18 on the third. Once the images are colored, then she's supposed to trim each of the little pieces out (27 total, mostly circles) and glue them to the fourth page. She spent the entire 45 minutes of classtime coloring in the first page alone! I really think this is crazy boring busy work, but I didn't get anywhere when I told the teacher my opinion about it.
I gave her some tips on how to satisfy her teachers. Press lightly on the crayon, use longer strokes, and use fewer colors to speed up the process. If her fingers get tired, shake out her hand and try holding the crayon in a different position. These suggestions are very dissatisfying to me, on her behalf, because she really seems to love the density of the colors and the process of choosing many different hues for a single shape.
She wants to talk about each (one-inch square) image and make up stories about it, carefully choose the right colors for it. While she's talking, she's not coloring. It took us close to an hour to finish the remainder of her work, with me right there, egging her on. The time quickly ebbs away. This is not creative work. All I can figure is that the teachers just want the students to whisk some scratches of color on, slice away at the paper, glue willy-nilly, and move on to the next segment of the day.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Rosie's first day at soccer practice
Rosie's first day at soccer practice! She is wearing pink & is the only child holding the ball in her arms. I'm sure they'll be setting her straight soon enough.
It was so nice of the coach to send a photo! They said she had a great time.
It was so nice of the coach to send a photo! They said she had a great time.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODD!
Bonne anniversaire to one of my sweetest pals, Todd. It's wonderful to have such a delightfully funny, warm, and loving friend in our lives. On behalf of all the Strings, we wish you all the bestest with plenty of music, health, and engaging college classes in this coming year.
Visit his blog and wish him a happy day!
Visit his blog and wish him a happy day!
Week 5: Yes, another entry in the K-12 saga.
Thanks all for your suggestions on motivating Rosie. We have some action! plans! underway which I'll describe (eventually). After receiving that message from Rosie's teacher 2 posts (and weeks) ago, we were informed that the very next day Miss M. had been hospitalized (blood clot in brain--Yikes!). There is a substitute in place, but she may not be back in the classroom for possibly a month or more (Rosie painted her a lovely get well card). I left a few VM messages to the assistant and an email during the week to find out some details on Rosie's situation with the classwork, but didn't get any feedback. Until this past Wednesday.
On Wednesday, she was sent home with a large folder packed full of unfinished assignments, all coloring/cutting/glueing projects, each with a sticky note indicating the date that the assignments were to be returned. Oh, and a ziplock bag with a couple locks of HER OWN HAIR inside. WTF?? No explanation.
After leaving a freaked-out message with the school's office staff on Thursday, I finally talked with the substitute, Mrs. S, who had been substituting for one week at this point. She gave me this information:
"Rosie is distracted and unfocused. She hasn't finished a single assignment since the first week of school. When she is working, she leans forward so far, her nose is practically touching the paper. When she isn't working, she is fiddling with her hairband, her jewelry, her buttons, her chair. We would appreciate it if you didn't send her in with hairbands or jewelry. She ignores authority and refuses to work any faster no matter how we present the assignments."
When I asked about the hair, I was told that "she was working alone, separated from the other children in hopes that would eliminate distractions. When we discovered she had cut her hair, she told us that 'it was in the way.'" They had taken her hairband away...
The good news is that on Wednesday evening, we had a heart-to-heart with Rosie on how important finishing work is in the Kindergarten environment. Her preschool didn't mind if she wasn't engaged, but in Kindergarten, she is learning how to develop skills and habits she'll need to be a good student. On Thursday afternoon, she was sent home with "Terrific!" and "Nice Job!" on the assignments that she finished that day. Hooray! Progress.
Even so, that evening, getting Rosie to focus was almost impossible. We set her up at my craft table in the basement while I worked on the computer, but she would only color for a few seconds before announcing, "I'm done." It didn't help that Dash was watching cartoons in the next room.
Here's what we did:
Gave her a place to work. Her room is cluttered and distracting and there isn't a place for her to work. Friday, I went to the Container Store and bought the desk piece for her Elfa shelving (I've been meaning to do this for years). I also picked up several bins for her to stash all her stuff in.
Eliminated distractions. We declared that this would be a no-TV weekend, until she finished her assignments. No going to the pool, or playdates, or games as well.
Gave her a haircut. No explanation necessary. :-)
All Saturday, in between visiting Grandma Ikiko, ballet class, going to a work-BBQ, and helping Rosie along, I set up her room. I dumped out all her random toys and put them in the new bins, moved her old craft desk into Dash's room, and set up the new Elfa desk. The room looked pretty freaking cramped by the time the desk was in (the door won't open up all the way, for example), so I had to make further adjustments on Sunday.
Sunday, I moved her bed and wardrobe-closet to opposite sides of the room. I installed shelves to get items off the floor. I moved her largest toys down to the basement. Auntie M and I took Granddad Jim out with the kids for an after-lunch outing in Old Town (it was his birthday last week), and I finished up when we got back. By the time dinner came around, everything was done. Rosie's first few assignments were complete, her room was rearranged (hopefully easier for her to de-clutter on her own!), and she got to watch a TV show. I got to have a drink. Nothing else got done this weekend. No laundry, no dishes, no shopping, no maintenance.
Oh and by the way, Sunday was our 11th wedding anniversary. What did Monkeyrotica and I do to celebrate? Clink our wine glasses together over dinner (that he cooked) while the kids watched Spongebob. Happy Anniversary, baby! I hope we are getting the message through to Rosie: we do care and her schoolwork is important to us. She is a sweet little girl and this is new ground for all of us.
On Wednesday, she was sent home with a large folder packed full of unfinished assignments, all coloring/cutting/glueing projects, each with a sticky note indicating the date that the assignments were to be returned. Oh, and a ziplock bag with a couple locks of HER OWN HAIR inside. WTF?? No explanation.
After leaving a freaked-out message with the school's office staff on Thursday, I finally talked with the substitute, Mrs. S, who had been substituting for one week at this point. She gave me this information:
"Rosie is distracted and unfocused. She hasn't finished a single assignment since the first week of school. When she is working, she leans forward so far, her nose is practically touching the paper. When she isn't working, she is fiddling with her hairband, her jewelry, her buttons, her chair. We would appreciate it if you didn't send her in with hairbands or jewelry. She ignores authority and refuses to work any faster no matter how we present the assignments."
When I asked about the hair, I was told that "she was working alone, separated from the other children in hopes that would eliminate distractions. When we discovered she had cut her hair, she told us that 'it was in the way.'" They had taken her hairband away...
The good news is that on Wednesday evening, we had a heart-to-heart with Rosie on how important finishing work is in the Kindergarten environment. Her preschool didn't mind if she wasn't engaged, but in Kindergarten, she is learning how to develop skills and habits she'll need to be a good student. On Thursday afternoon, she was sent home with "Terrific!" and "Nice Job!" on the assignments that she finished that day. Hooray! Progress.
Even so, that evening, getting Rosie to focus was almost impossible. We set her up at my craft table in the basement while I worked on the computer, but she would only color for a few seconds before announcing, "I'm done." It didn't help that Dash was watching cartoons in the next room.
Here's what we did:
Gave her a place to work. Her room is cluttered and distracting and there isn't a place for her to work. Friday, I went to the Container Store and bought the desk piece for her Elfa shelving (I've been meaning to do this for years). I also picked up several bins for her to stash all her stuff in.
Eliminated distractions. We declared that this would be a no-TV weekend, until she finished her assignments. No going to the pool, or playdates, or games as well.
Gave her a haircut. No explanation necessary. :-)
All Saturday, in between visiting Grandma Ikiko, ballet class, going to a work-BBQ, and helping Rosie along, I set up her room. I dumped out all her random toys and put them in the new bins, moved her old craft desk into Dash's room, and set up the new Elfa desk. The room looked pretty freaking cramped by the time the desk was in (the door won't open up all the way, for example), so I had to make further adjustments on Sunday.
Sunday, I moved her bed and wardrobe-closet to opposite sides of the room. I installed shelves to get items off the floor. I moved her largest toys down to the basement. Auntie M and I took Granddad Jim out with the kids for an after-lunch outing in Old Town (it was his birthday last week), and I finished up when we got back. By the time dinner came around, everything was done. Rosie's first few assignments were complete, her room was rearranged (hopefully easier for her to de-clutter on her own!), and she got to watch a TV show. I got to have a drink. Nothing else got done this weekend. No laundry, no dishes, no shopping, no maintenance.
Oh and by the way, Sunday was our 11th wedding anniversary. What did Monkeyrotica and I do to celebrate? Clink our wine glasses together over dinner (that he cooked) while the kids watched Spongebob. Happy Anniversary, baby! I hope we are getting the message through to Rosie: we do care and her schoolwork is important to us. She is a sweet little girl and this is new ground for all of us.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Don't Forget Tomorrow Is...
Talk Like a Pirate Day!!The official site for Talk Like a Pirate Day, which is an annual international holiday on September 19th, is HERE.
If ye need some brushin up on yer Pirate lingo, best ye visit yonder site.
To celebrate in yer place o' work, check out Joanne's list!
Arrr, in the String's house, a favorite Pirate book for the kids is this one: How I Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long and David Shannon. Great for getting the kids to talk like pirates, too!
Have at it tomorrow, and let me know how ye displayed yer pirateattude!
Here's a pic of my pirate, li'l Cap'n Patch! Avast!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Week 3, K-12: First kindergarten dilemma
Rosie's teacher, Miss M., just volunteered this information to me:
"Rosie seems to work very slowly. She hardly finishes any work assigned during instructional time, and will not pick up the pace, despite the numerous amounts of encouragement given to her. I have provided her with one-on-one assistance, as well as positive reinforcement, but nothing seems to work. Today she had to sit and complete her morning work during storytime, as we got nothing from her to check over this morning. Please talk to Rosie about the importance of finishing her work in the allotted time."
We did encounter this non-participation issue around this time last year in pre-school and I blogged about it then.
Please, if anyone has suggestions on how to motivate a five-(almost 6)year-old to get it done, post them in the comments! Thanks!
"Rosie seems to work very slowly. She hardly finishes any work assigned during instructional time, and will not pick up the pace, despite the numerous amounts of encouragement given to her. I have provided her with one-on-one assistance, as well as positive reinforcement, but nothing seems to work. Today she had to sit and complete her morning work during storytime, as we got nothing from her to check over this morning. Please talk to Rosie about the importance of finishing her work in the allotted time."
We did encounter this non-participation issue around this time last year in pre-school and I blogged about it then.
Please, if anyone has suggestions on how to motivate a five-(almost 6)year-old to get it done, post them in the comments! Thanks!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Week 2 in K-12 World
We are at the end of Rosie's second week of Kindergarten and now can answer the question, did it rock our world? Answer: Yes.
Here are the big changes:
• We no longer commute together
B.K. (before kindergarten) We'd all pack up as a family into one car, drop me off at Metro, then Mr. Monkey would take the kids to daycare. We had extra family time together in the car and saved $$ on gas and auto repair bills.
• Mr. Monkey changed his work schedule (AWS, in Gov-speak)
He's leaving the house at 5:30 a.m. now, just as I'm getting up. We exchange a kiss and he doesn't even see the kids in the morning before he's out the door. He picks up Dash and is home by 4:30 p.m. We roughly see each other (awake) between 6 and 8 p.m. on weekdays now.
• Grandma Sheila takes Rosie to and from the bus
My mom is a saint. She's been arriving at my house at 6:30 a.m. so I can get Dash to daycare and on to work, then feeds Rosie breakfast, helps her dress, get her things ready for school, and takes her to the bus stop (with fewest dogs). In the afternoon, she retrieves Rosie from the stop and they wait at home for Mr. Monkey to show up. She's actually even done a bit of housework for me, and I'm just beside myself in my good luck here.
• I'm clocking a lot more Beltway time
I've gone from being a passenger in the family car and Metro rider to being a solo driver in my work commute. I tried using public transit once last week, but I was an hour late getting to work and then an hour and a half late getting home. I missed dinner and just arrived in time to get the kids in bed. That was on a clear day with no delays, so I don't see it getting easier. Our fuel budget is wrecked. Question: I need to let my auto insurance know this, right? And they will increase my premium? Aieeee!
• I'm teleworking, but just once a week
I've teleworked twice in the past two weeks and it really worked well! The first week I actually went for a mid-day run. I'm about to submit an application to make it a more formal deal with two days a week (mostly because everything about my previous bullet bites).
• Dash is starting to get jealous
Dash sees Rosie getting all the Grandma-time and Grandma shopping for her school supplies (the school will keep asking for more, all year round, right?) and asks, "What did you get for me, Grandma?" He actually insisted that my mom give him what she was eating this morning, because he HAD to get something, anything from Grandma.
• We're learning a bit more about Rosie's day
Rosie is not much of a talker and her preschool teachers seemed limited to "she had a good/bad day" in their feedback to us much of the time. We are now hearing a little more (still not much) about things like the playground, the library, her letter-B project, and her music class. I'm certain she's been doing well on the whole, based on her own abilities, but she prefers not to give narration on her day.
I'll put up more updates, as things progress!
Here are the big changes:
• We no longer commute together
B.K. (before kindergarten) We'd all pack up as a family into one car, drop me off at Metro, then Mr. Monkey would take the kids to daycare. We had extra family time together in the car and saved $$ on gas and auto repair bills.
• Mr. Monkey changed his work schedule (AWS, in Gov-speak)
He's leaving the house at 5:30 a.m. now, just as I'm getting up. We exchange a kiss and he doesn't even see the kids in the morning before he's out the door. He picks up Dash and is home by 4:30 p.m. We roughly see each other (awake) between 6 and 8 p.m. on weekdays now.
• Grandma Sheila takes Rosie to and from the bus
My mom is a saint. She's been arriving at my house at 6:30 a.m. so I can get Dash to daycare and on to work, then feeds Rosie breakfast, helps her dress, get her things ready for school, and takes her to the bus stop (with fewest dogs). In the afternoon, she retrieves Rosie from the stop and they wait at home for Mr. Monkey to show up. She's actually even done a bit of housework for me, and I'm just beside myself in my good luck here.
• I'm clocking a lot more Beltway time
I've gone from being a passenger in the family car and Metro rider to being a solo driver in my work commute. I tried using public transit once last week, but I was an hour late getting to work and then an hour and a half late getting home. I missed dinner and just arrived in time to get the kids in bed. That was on a clear day with no delays, so I don't see it getting easier. Our fuel budget is wrecked. Question: I need to let my auto insurance know this, right? And they will increase my premium? Aieeee!
• I'm teleworking, but just once a week
I've teleworked twice in the past two weeks and it really worked well! The first week I actually went for a mid-day run. I'm about to submit an application to make it a more formal deal with two days a week (mostly because everything about my previous bullet bites).
• Dash is starting to get jealous
Dash sees Rosie getting all the Grandma-time and Grandma shopping for her school supplies (the school will keep asking for more, all year round, right?) and asks, "What did you get for me, Grandma?" He actually insisted that my mom give him what she was eating this morning, because he HAD to get something, anything from Grandma.
• We're learning a bit more about Rosie's day
Rosie is not much of a talker and her preschool teachers seemed limited to "she had a good/bad day" in their feedback to us much of the time. We are now hearing a little more (still not much) about things like the playground, the library, her letter-B project, and her music class. I'm certain she's been doing well on the whole, based on her own abilities, but she prefers not to give narration on her day.
I'll put up more updates, as things progress!
Monday, September 08, 2008
the omnivore's one hundred
What a magnificent view for us omnivores - smoked and cured meats and cheeses galore
Originally uploaded by bonaireguy
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison (my nephews like to hunt, Monkeyrotica likes a cooking challenge)
2. Nettle tea (I'm a bit of an herbal tea tester)
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare (I'm not sure here, I rarely do rare or raw red meat)
5. Crocodile (or alligator beignet)
6. Black pudding (first in Ireland, and then at home. Dash likes it!)
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht (one of Monkeyrotica's favorites!)
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart (DC half smokes, too!)
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (mead)
19. Steamed pork buns (mmmm, dim sum)
20. Pistachio ice cream (LOVE, LOVE!)
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras (Eve)
24. Rice and beans (practically a staple, how did it get on this list?)
25. Brawn, or head cheese (Eve called it tête du cochón. doesn't that sound better?)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters (mmm, oyster shooters at M&S)
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (not into cigars)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo (a Mr. Monkey regular menu item)
40. Oxtail (Mr. Monkey makes this as soup)
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (anyone remember "The Insect Club?")
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (hello, there's one down the street?)
50. Sea urchin (whuuuuah, terrible. but I ate part of it.)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips (it was the 70s. my mom loved her the health food store.)
61. S’mores (I was a Campfire Girl)
62. Sweetbreads (Eve, again)
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (one of our kids' favorite treats)
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (that means rabbit, right?)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake (outside of Tempe, AZ)
I'm pretty sure that I've eaten all those things (or maybe I have trouble separating just watching "A Cook's Tour" from reality) and I won't completely write off trying the things I haven't bolded.
I tag my usual suspects, or at least a few folks who have commented here recently:
Dee, Dees, Hill Rat, Kelly, Catherine, Wreke, and PhilFree
Friday, September 05, 2008
Commuting to work by bicycle
With our new schedule, and me dropping off Dash at daycare every morning, a bike commute is virtually out of the question (I would be getting to work somewhere between 9 and 10 a.m.). But, I do like these statistics (that have a U.K. slant):
Pedal power
— A cyclist can travel 1,037km (644 miles) on the energy equivalent of one litre of petrol
— Regular cycling can make you as fit as someone who is ten years younger
— A cyclist consumes 1/50th of the oxygen of a car making the same journey
— A twice daily half-hour commute will, over a year, consume the energy equivalent of 24lb of fat
— In 1949, 34 per cent of all mechanised journeys were made by bicycle. Fifty years later that figure had fallen to 2 per cent
— The rate of serious heart disease for civil servants who cycle 20 miles or more a week is 50 per cent lower than for their sedentary colleagues
Hm, maybe I'll try it once or twice before it gets too cold? Dash might like the bike trailer ride and I can stay off busy roads.
Pedal power
— A cyclist can travel 1,037km (644 miles) on the energy equivalent of one litre of petrol
— Regular cycling can make you as fit as someone who is ten years younger
— A cyclist consumes 1/50th of the oxygen of a car making the same journey
— A twice daily half-hour commute will, over a year, consume the energy equivalent of 24lb of fat
— In 1949, 34 per cent of all mechanised journeys were made by bicycle. Fifty years later that figure had fallen to 2 per cent
— The rate of serious heart disease for civil servants who cycle 20 miles or more a week is 50 per cent lower than for their sedentary colleagues
Hm, maybe I'll try it once or twice before it gets too cold? Dash might like the bike trailer ride and I can stay off busy roads.
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