I wanted it to be Friday today. All day. But, no.
Tomorrow morning I go to parent/teacher conference with Raine's teacher. Raine is still having behavior issues, and I'll take Raine with me, so that we can ALL talk about them, and the consequences, and everyone will know what everyone said, and will know that everyone knows.
On the other hand, I've heard and seen evidence of Raine's learning. It's like she leveled up in reading this week. We read for 15-30 minutes in the evening, once she gets ready for bed. I could tell she was at a thresh hold because her reading had changed some. She would read a phrase 3 or 4 times, trying to get a feel for it. Then, this week, magic. Where we were reading 1 chapter in 15-20 minutes, now we are reading 2 in the same amount of time. We read 4 chapters two nights in a row! On the last chapter, I could tell she was getting fatigued, and her attention would start to wander... but wow! Improvement! I can also tell that her number sense and math skills are improving. She will talk to us about things like counting by 2's or 5's... or even 4's. Won't be long until we're working on memorizing the multiplication tables. (yep, I'm gonna make her do that, even though she'll use calculators like crazy, I'm sure).
Beyond that, Carl came up with a solution for the wing issue. I'm pretty sure it will work, and we'll put it in trial over the weekend. If we like it, there will be pictures...
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
costume update
After a weekend bout of the stomach flu, and several early morning calls to the bathroom, I went to school, got ready for a sub, then came home. I rested. I hope I can keep feeling better. I REALLY hope that Raine doesn't catch it.
In the afternoon, I plugged in the sewing machine and worked on Raine's Halloween costume. Ron worked on grommets, and we got some pieces tied together.
The picture is sort of blurry, and there was no flash, as the camera was running low on battery power. Anyway, there are the sleeves tied on, and the wings tied together, and tied to the sleeves. Not sure I'm crazy about how the wings "work" but Raine seemed pleased. The claw effect with the gloves works pretty well. The only thing I haven't made yet is the shoe covers.
So, here's hoping the general response will be, Wow! Where did you get that costume? Instead of the snide, Where did you get that costume?
Monday, October 18, 2010
a ring
Ron and I will celebrate our tenth anniversary, next month. Early on, when we were traveling back and forth from Colorado to New Mexico, Ron set his wedding band on top of the car and then forgot to put it back on before we drove away. We heard it slide off the top of the car, and although we stopped and searched, it was - of course - gone. We really couldn't afford it, but we ponied up and replaced the ring.
When he started working on the construction crew, which sometimes involved electrical work, Ron found a ceramic band that wouldn't conduct electricity and wore that.
Yesterday, he surprised me with a whole new set of rings. Hematite. Beautiful, glossy, deep gray bands. One for each of us. One of the coolest things? They are magnetized, and will stick to each other. As you can tell, I like. I like very much. Some people may go for gemstones, and I will admit those are beautiful, but this is MY style. Totally.
When he started working on the construction crew, which sometimes involved electrical work, Ron found a ceramic band that wouldn't conduct electricity and wore that.
Yesterday, he surprised me with a whole new set of rings. Hematite. Beautiful, glossy, deep gray bands. One for each of us. One of the coolest things? They are magnetized, and will stick to each other. As you can tell, I like. I like very much. Some people may go for gemstones, and I will admit those are beautiful, but this is MY style. Totally.
Friday, October 15, 2010
regular Americans
A couple of things, working together, got me thinking today. Yeah, I know, it must be a mistake. Still, It seemed like fodder for a blog, so here goes.
Part One: Bill O'Reilly went on the program The View, and whatever else it was he talked about, I saw the clip where he talks about the Mosque that is proposed to be built near where the Twin Towers went down. His point was that the mosque should not be there because Muslims killed us. Two of the women who are on the view, Joy Behar and Whoopie Goldberg both objected to his wording, saying essentially that it wasn't ALL Muslims, but extremist Muslims that did that terrible crime. Bill O'Reilly got loud, and the two women walked off the set.
Part Two: This morning, as I got in my car, to drive to work, the radio personalities on the morning show that I listen to were evidently referencing that program, and those events, and had said something like, regular Americans agree with Bill O'Reilly. I didn't hear what they actually said, so I am not pretending to quote them. They had a caller who asked them who they meant by "regular" Americans. They responded politely, and then the debate started on exactly what a "regular" American was, and if that term was offensive. Evidently there was indeed some debate on that issue, but I felt like that debate sidetracked the heart of the issue. THAT was what got me started thinking.
It seems to hinge on the idea of "regular." Who is a "regular" American? Certainly I feel that I fall in that category. My family exists within the median income of our area. We attended public schools, and my daughter attends one now. I was born in America, and can trace my roots back to American colonial times. Still, my ancestors - at least some of them - were immigrants. Perhaps I'm smarter than average, and with a Master's Degree more educated than many. Does that take me out of the "regular" pool?
Setting aside the issue of whether a mosque should be built near ground zero, let's consider a few things. Regular Muslims did not attack us on 911. Extremists did. Extremist Christians can be just as violent and murderous, as Timothy McVeigh proved in Oklahoma. Bill O'Reilly is, to my mind, an extremist. His views are designed to cause drama and contention, and that's what he gets paid for. Without the controversy, he wouldn't stay in the spotlight long. Sure, there are "regular" Americans who believe what he says, and agree with some if not all of his views. If agreeing with Bill O'Reilly is what it takes to be a "regular" American, however, you can count me out. How big a step is it from agreeing with an extremist to actually being one? I don't know.
Of course, there are those who would consider my political views extreme, if only because they don't mirror their own. So. What is a "regular" American? I'm not really sure. I'm not sure the radio personalities came to any conclusion this morning either. I had to turn the radio off, and go into work. To my mind, Joy, Whoopie, and the morning caller all had the same basic idea. Don't blame everyone for what extremists are willing to do. So many definitions of "regular" and no context to compare it to. What are discriminating minds to do?
Part One: Bill O'Reilly went on the program The View, and whatever else it was he talked about, I saw the clip where he talks about the Mosque that is proposed to be built near where the Twin Towers went down. His point was that the mosque should not be there because Muslims killed us. Two of the women who are on the view, Joy Behar and Whoopie Goldberg both objected to his wording, saying essentially that it wasn't ALL Muslims, but extremist Muslims that did that terrible crime. Bill O'Reilly got loud, and the two women walked off the set.
Part Two: This morning, as I got in my car, to drive to work, the radio personalities on the morning show that I listen to were evidently referencing that program, and those events, and had said something like, regular Americans agree with Bill O'Reilly. I didn't hear what they actually said, so I am not pretending to quote them. They had a caller who asked them who they meant by "regular" Americans. They responded politely, and then the debate started on exactly what a "regular" American was, and if that term was offensive. Evidently there was indeed some debate on that issue, but I felt like that debate sidetracked the heart of the issue. THAT was what got me started thinking.
It seems to hinge on the idea of "regular." Who is a "regular" American? Certainly I feel that I fall in that category. My family exists within the median income of our area. We attended public schools, and my daughter attends one now. I was born in America, and can trace my roots back to American colonial times. Still, my ancestors - at least some of them - were immigrants. Perhaps I'm smarter than average, and with a Master's Degree more educated than many. Does that take me out of the "regular" pool?
Setting aside the issue of whether a mosque should be built near ground zero, let's consider a few things. Regular Muslims did not attack us on 911. Extremists did. Extremist Christians can be just as violent and murderous, as Timothy McVeigh proved in Oklahoma. Bill O'Reilly is, to my mind, an extremist. His views are designed to cause drama and contention, and that's what he gets paid for. Without the controversy, he wouldn't stay in the spotlight long. Sure, there are "regular" Americans who believe what he says, and agree with some if not all of his views. If agreeing with Bill O'Reilly is what it takes to be a "regular" American, however, you can count me out. How big a step is it from agreeing with an extremist to actually being one? I don't know.
Of course, there are those who would consider my political views extreme, if only because they don't mirror their own. So. What is a "regular" American? I'm not really sure. I'm not sure the radio personalities came to any conclusion this morning either. I had to turn the radio off, and go into work. To my mind, Joy, Whoopie, and the morning caller all had the same basic idea. Don't blame everyone for what extremists are willing to do. So many definitions of "regular" and no context to compare it to. What are discriminating minds to do?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
celtic music
I really enjoy Celtic music. It is lively, and joyful, and there is just something about the harmonies that reaches me. Because of my interest in Celtic music, I've listened to more folk music and decided that I really enjoy a lot of that as well. Notice I said fold, not country. Yeah, there is a big difference. Not so much into the "pop" music all those kids listen to today. Yep, fuddy in my duddy.
Anyway, I just spent a very pleasant hour (or almost hour) listening to Celtic music on The Thistle and Shamrock, the Celtic music show that NPR plays. They stream it afterwards, and they have the last three shows available on the Thistle and Shamrock website. LOVE. IT. Wanted to share.
One of the things about this new-fangled computer age is the ability to listen or watch when you are ready. This show comes on at a bad time for me, on the radio, but I can just listen to it whenever I want, from the web. Enjoy!
Anyway, I just spent a very pleasant hour (or almost hour) listening to Celtic music on The Thistle and Shamrock, the Celtic music show that NPR plays. They stream it afterwards, and they have the last three shows available on the Thistle and Shamrock website. LOVE. IT. Wanted to share.
One of the things about this new-fangled computer age is the ability to listen or watch when you are ready. This show comes on at a bad time for me, on the radio, but I can just listen to it whenever I want, from the web. Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
we all know one
A cat with a shoe fetish. Come on. Admit it. Here's Ginger, happily using Raine's sneaker as a pillow. Not even the disturbance of Raine and I talking about it, Raine coming over to look at her, then me going to get the camera and snapping a photo disturbed her enough that she moved.
At least she didn't have her head buried inside it. At least she wasn't wearing it for a hat. This time.
She did talk to us about it, as she talks to us about many things, especially things she is not happy about, or things she wants us to do for her. Or things she is about to do that she shouldn't.
If you like cats, and you haven't checked out Simon's Cat, you should.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
someone else's creativity
Raine went to a birthday party this evening. Oh. Yeah. I did too. Made for a long day for me, but Raine had a good time, and the party was at one of her favorite places: Chuck E Cheese.
The birthday boy is one of her friends from school, and he is a nice kid, and his family are nice people, too. I got to meet his grandmas and grandpas and even some great grandmas & great grandpas. Pretty cool, really, that lineage, and getting to know them all. One of the things that Raine won't have.
Anyway, his grandma was talking about making this cow costume for his older sister, when she was 3 or so, and how she had recently dug it up, and the girl - being a kid, as kids will - tried it on. It fit around her body, and she could get her arms in the sleeves. AH-HA thinks her grandma. She opens up the front and puts in a zipper, cuts off the little cow legs and adds them to the sleeves. Voila! a cow jacket! OMG it was really cute and fuzzy and it even had the ears and horn on the hood. I loved it!
The birthday boy is one of her friends from school, and he is a nice kid, and his family are nice people, too. I got to meet his grandmas and grandpas and even some great grandmas & great grandpas. Pretty cool, really, that lineage, and getting to know them all. One of the things that Raine won't have.
Anyway, his grandma was talking about making this cow costume for his older sister, when she was 3 or so, and how she had recently dug it up, and the girl - being a kid, as kids will - tried it on. It fit around her body, and she could get her arms in the sleeves. AH-HA thinks her grandma. She opens up the front and puts in a zipper, cuts off the little cow legs and adds them to the sleeves. Voila! a cow jacket! OMG it was really cute and fuzzy and it even had the ears and horn on the hood. I loved it!
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