Quote of the Week

So, as you know, I have a beef about giving little kids homework. Don't worry, I'm not writing about that again. I do, however, have a funny story that is sort of related.

Part of La Nina's homework is that she has to memorize a different poem every week. It's about 4 lines long with a bunch of repeating. Lately, I've been reading her the poem while she bathes. We read the poem, translate it into English, and learn a line a day through echo reading (I read a couple of words and she echos it.) while she washes her hair, scrubs her booty and plays with a squirt gun. It's odd, but it works. She almost always knows her poem by Friday. This morning I was working with La Nina on the poem and when she stopped me.

"Mom, wait..." La Nina starts looking around the bathroom, like she's noticing it for the first time.

I stopped reading and looked at her. I thought may be she had soap in her eyes or something. After a long pause, I said, "What?"

Then with total exasperation, she said "You know something, you are the most serious woman in the whole wide world."

"What???" I asked.

"Really, Mom. Isn't this sort of silly? I'm doing homework and I'm in the bath," she said with a kind of 'duh' tone of voice as if she was really saying "Mom, you're nuts."

I started cracking up, because I agree with her, it is crazy.

Five Steps to a Happy Thanksgiving

We've had a great Thanksgiving Weekend. So, here's a list of what made it so fun.

5.) Cancel school for ten days and call it Fall Break. Yep, since November 9, La Nina's been in school two days. While she was sick one day, the rest of the time was just days off. On one hand, I scoff at this new break (I walked through deep snow...) and on the other hand, I celebrate the lack of homework!

4.) Spend some time doing nothing. Okay, I didn't ever do "nothing" (my definition of nothing is lay on the couch and read a book), but the girls and I did hang out around the house quite a bit. I cooked and they watched an extra movie or two. We spent some time riding bikes too, and La Nina is getting quite confident on her two wheeler.

3.) Try something new. We took the girls ice skating last night. While it might have been helpful if either the Dad or I actually ice skated in the last twenty odd years, we survived the night without a trip to the emergency room. The kids did fine. La Nina's lack of ligaments in her legs may be great for dance and gymnastics, but proved a challenge on ice. She did the splits at least 20 different ways. The Magster took to the ice like a duck to water. She was trying to skate alone by the end of the night. As for me, I didn't fall and that's something since I was holding up myself and a child the whole time. The Dad cannot make the same statement regarding falling.

2.) Do something really different. Today, I took the kids into the city to the "Sing Along Sound of Music" at the Castro Theatre. While I was a little worried about the crowd, it was 80% families. During the movie, the crowd is encouraged to interact with the movie, booing, hissing, cheering are encouraged as well as singing. So, it was perfect for kids. And mine loved it. They'd seen the movie once and loved hearing the audience participation. The Magster especially loved hissing at the baronness, which La Nina thought was mean because the Baronness had the best shoes. I suspect that in the future, this will be one of those off-beat, edgy things kids will enjoy into their teens. I mean really, who wouldn't want to go to lunch in the city, see a great movie and get to boo, hiss and sing along the whole time?

1.) Make lots of time for friends and family. We had playdates, a family feast, dinners and lunches out with other families....what a better way to show your gratitude than by enjoying the holiday with people we love? Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Outted in the Produce Section

I was doing some last minute grocery shopping when a long time blog reader (and my personal spelling assistant) accosted me regarding my slacker writing habits. She actually knew the date of my last post, I didn't. Really, I go to bed early these days.

So, I promised I would post all my complaints about homework. As a kindergartner, La Nina has homework everyday. We typically stagger it so it isn't overwhelming: one session for the 3-4 work sheets, one session for her book report and then we read a poem everyday about five times to help her memorize it. And for us, this is all in Spanish. (I know, Spanish is my choice and I try not to complain about that aspect, but trust me, it's a complication.)

My gripe is simple, if she has homework, she should be able to complete it without my intervention. However, it's a given I'm going to help her with the poem and book report since she can't read. The worksheets she can do independently 80% of the time. I explain the work to be done and she does it, but she's five and sometimes she forgets.

I planned to bring this topic up to the teacher during our parent teacher conference, because I fear this dependence is a set up for future habits. A "Gee Mom, you helped me last year, aren't you going to help me this year?" type thing. As I was sitting at the meeting ready to voice my opinion, I looked at La Nina's report card and "Returns completed homework" was a graded item! That meant this homework thing is a district wide policy. So, I kept my mouth closed during the conference and decided I'd pick on a member of the school board I know.

So, there I am complaining in the produce section about homework, when who walks up? My daughter's teacher...well, actually, the co-teacher in her classroom, but still, the woman knows me and I'm griping about the exact same homework she assigns her class. (When will I learn I live in a small town?) She confirmed homework is a district policy with teachers required to assign a certain amount of homework by grade. Then she proceeded to say it's going to get worse: her third grader has ninety minutes of homework a night and it requires a great deal of parental involvement.

But seeing that homework grade on La Nina's report card validated something I've felt since homework came home the first time. The school district is actually grading me. Think about it, if a child never knows if she has homework, she doesn't remember when it's due AND she can't complete two thirds of it without intervention, then they're grading the parent, not the child. They're measuring how organized I am and how well I manage my daughter's time. So far, I'm doing okay, I'm meeting their expectations. Too bad in the area of "assigns age appropriate amounts work", the district is not meeting my expectation.

Three Years Ago Today

Three years ago today, the Magster was placed in our arms. On her birthday last month, I wrote alot about her progress, so tonight I'll write about the things that haven't changed.

Three years ago...

The Magster slept with her feet through the bars of her crib. Today, the Magster sleeps with her feet hanging off her bed and falls out of bed at least twice a week.

The Magster cried louder than any of the other 24 children on our trip. Today, when she cries, she wails louder than anyone. Thankfully, this doesn't happen often.

The Magster couldn't sing. Today, she still can't sing but unfortunately, tries and as La NIna puts it, "Mom, she's really just a loud singer, not really a singer."

The Magster had the brightest smile, but rarely used it. Today, we see that same bright smile all the time.

Happy Family Day to all our Travelmates. Hard to believe it's been three years.

Flu Shots

Last week, it was time to take the Magster in for her four year vaccines. In California, this is quite an awful vaccine period because the kids get four shots and one of shots MMR, hurts. Since it's fall and La Nina is prone to asthma, we all get flu shots too. That meant the Magster needed five shots.

The Magster faced the mountain of needles with great bravery. She took the first four shots without flinching. The fifth shot, the one that hurt, her eyes filled with tears, her lip quivered, but she didn't cry. Of course, I'd promised her ice cream if she was brave and the Magster will do anything for ice cream.

When we came home, the Magster proudly told anyone who would listen that she didn't cry for her shots. She showed off all five of her bandaids. She lined up her five stickers on the counter. This, of course, burned her sister who has ran from the room screaming in the face of shots. It also motivated La Nina. La Nina wanted to prove she could get a shot without crying.

Today, the Dad took La Nina in for her flu shot. First, I think he's never taken the kids for a shot. Second, of the kids to take, I wouldn't start with La Nina, but I digress. Anyway, she did it. She made it through her flu shot like a trooper. I don't know if it was her sister or the Happy Meal we promised that motivated her, but either way, it's a heck of a lot better than last year when we had to drag her into the clinic kicking and screaming.

My Day

Some of you who know me know this and most of you don't...I'm almost done drafting my first book. Of course, saying "first book" implies there will be more and frankly, I don't know if there will even be one, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. So, for the past year, I spend most every evening and many mornings writing, rewriting, editting and plotting. And when I'm not physically in the act of writing, I'm often day dreaming about my characters, their lives and their problems.

Today the writing process took me to a very humbling place. I met with the local police chaplain. In our city, he's the person who delivers tragic news to families who've lost loved ones. He figures he's notified over 70 families of an unexpected loss. I didn't feel fit to sit across from this man and ask him questions, but given the honesty in the answers he gave me, I'm thinking not a lot of people ask him about his job, which incidently is voluntary.

Thankfully, I've never received such a notification, so many of my questions were logistical and yet, I could barely contain my emotions listening to him. The depth of the pain he regularly bears witness to is staggering. I'm still processing the information he gave me. Still absorbing the few experiences he shared and he's lived every one of them and many, many more.

I don't know if I'll be able to work much on my book tonight, I'm frankly a little drained. But I do know this: If I ever have to receive such horrible news, I'm comforted by the fact a man of his integrity and compassion would deliver it.

Rats, Princesses and Jedi Fighters, Oh My!

We spent the last few days since Halloween in Anaheim visiting the House of Mouse...aka Disneyland. I swear I feel like we go there so often I should write a tour book on the place. Highlights from this trip:

The Magster's now tall enough to go on several previously off limits rides. So, she enjoyed the Matterhorn and the Toon Town roller coaster for the first time. She also braved Pirates and Haunted House which she loved. La Nina refused the Haunted House, Pirates and the Matterhorn. The lines were extremely short, so it was no big deal for the Dad and I to take turns and the Magster loved going on everything twice. She's also tall enough for Space Mountain, but I didn't want to push it!

Another first on this trip, we did it without a stroller. The girls did fine, but boy did I miss having a cart to push around the backpack. I just kept telling myself I was burning extra calories lugging the load of extra clothes and emergency supplies on my back.

A sign our girls are truly girly-girls, we happened to be eating near the Jedi Training Academy during one of the performances. La Nina watched for about 3 seconds and sat back down to her lunch. After Darth Vadar made his appearance, she sighed, "Mom, who is he and what is a Jedi?" Given that there were two Dark Princes and three Jedi's in her class on the Halloween, I was surprised she didn't ask sooner. After I explained, she wrinkled her nose and said, "How boring." Perhaps, I need to get her the first Star Wars...it does have a Princess in it, right?

We also met up with Ex-Cinderella and Zeus of Taming Tenley fame. It was fun to get the girls together and put real people behind the screen names.

Another good trip and now onto Thanksgiving!