“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ would take the slums out of people, and then they would take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” ― Ezra Taft Benson
Customer Service
On our last visit to the local membership style warehouse store we bought a case of Nalley's chili. When opening the first can, we immediately noticed a big change in the product. What used to be a thick chili, was now runny and (quite frankly) gross! Looking at the label, it is obvious that the recipe had been changed. Beans used to be the first ingredient listed. Now it is water. We were really displeased.
In fact, I was perturbed enough to contact the company about my discontent. I went online and wrote to them.
Within one day I had an e-mail response, apologizing for my disappointment and promising a check had been put in the mail to compensate me for the product I had purchased. Within a week I had the check in hand, for $15.00.
I was really rather impressed! I am still not thrilled about the change in the recipe, and won't be buying any more in the near future, but I was favorably impressed with a company that cares about customer opinion enough to respond so quickly and decisively to a complaint. Well done, Pinnacle Foods (parent company of Nalley)!
On the other side of the spectrum...
Yesterday, I accidentally left my cell phone on the treadmill at the gym. (Note to self: STOP taking your cell phone with you to the gym!!!) I realized my mistake the moment I got home and quickly called the gym to see if anyone had taken it to the front desk. No one had. The girl on the phone quickly volunteered to go down to the cardio room and look for it. She said to call back in 10 minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, I call back. I got a different girl this time. I asked if my phone had been found. I was told that no one had turned one in. I explained that someone had volunteered to go look for it. After a pause, she came back on the line and said that my phone hadn't been found and I should call back in the evening to see if it had turned up.
Now, I am not the type to leave it at that. Truthfully, I once accidentally threw my phone away along with the paper towel I had used to wipe down the equipment (seriously gotta stop taking it with me!). Knowing I could have done the same stupid manoever, I decided I'd best go back to the gym and search for it myself.
When I got there I found my cell phone just sitting in plain sight on the front of the treadmill, right where I'd left it! Which means, of course, that the girls at the front desk hadn't really gone to look for it at all. The cardio room is not huge. The phone was not hard to spot, sitting on an empty machine. So, really, why bother offering to look if you aren't going to do it? And then why lie about it when I call back? Grr!
As a side note, the lap lane schedule for the pool at the gym is out dated. I asked if they have a new copy, but was told the out dated one was just fine (by the same girls, I might add). I explained that the old schedule is not just fine, because it is inaccurate. Where it says there are 3 lap lanes open and available, there is actually only one available because the others have recently been taken up by swim teams and a triathlon class (that I plan to join sometime soon, I hope). It is not a huge deal. It would just be good to know, since it impacts my decisions about when to train in the pool. I will probably shift my workout times now, so that I can go at a time when the lanes are less crowded. Her response? 'Oh. Sorry.'
OK. Fix the schedule then, please! Of course, the girls at the front desk are just lowly teenagers who have no actual authority to do anything to the schedule. I'll have to write to the gym manager about getting an updated schedule printed out.
In fact, I was perturbed enough to contact the company about my discontent. I went online and wrote to them.
Within one day I had an e-mail response, apologizing for my disappointment and promising a check had been put in the mail to compensate me for the product I had purchased. Within a week I had the check in hand, for $15.00.
I was really rather impressed! I am still not thrilled about the change in the recipe, and won't be buying any more in the near future, but I was favorably impressed with a company that cares about customer opinion enough to respond so quickly and decisively to a complaint. Well done, Pinnacle Foods (parent company of Nalley)!
On the other side of the spectrum...
Yesterday, I accidentally left my cell phone on the treadmill at the gym. (Note to self: STOP taking your cell phone with you to the gym!!!) I realized my mistake the moment I got home and quickly called the gym to see if anyone had taken it to the front desk. No one had. The girl on the phone quickly volunteered to go down to the cardio room and look for it. She said to call back in 10 minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, I call back. I got a different girl this time. I asked if my phone had been found. I was told that no one had turned one in. I explained that someone had volunteered to go look for it. After a pause, she came back on the line and said that my phone hadn't been found and I should call back in the evening to see if it had turned up.
Now, I am not the type to leave it at that. Truthfully, I once accidentally threw my phone away along with the paper towel I had used to wipe down the equipment (seriously gotta stop taking it with me!). Knowing I could have done the same stupid manoever, I decided I'd best go back to the gym and search for it myself.
When I got there I found my cell phone just sitting in plain sight on the front of the treadmill, right where I'd left it! Which means, of course, that the girls at the front desk hadn't really gone to look for it at all. The cardio room is not huge. The phone was not hard to spot, sitting on an empty machine. So, really, why bother offering to look if you aren't going to do it? And then why lie about it when I call back? Grr!
As a side note, the lap lane schedule for the pool at the gym is out dated. I asked if they have a new copy, but was told the out dated one was just fine (by the same girls, I might add). I explained that the old schedule is not just fine, because it is inaccurate. Where it says there are 3 lap lanes open and available, there is actually only one available because the others have recently been taken up by swim teams and a triathlon class (that I plan to join sometime soon, I hope). It is not a huge deal. It would just be good to know, since it impacts my decisions about when to train in the pool. I will probably shift my workout times now, so that I can go at a time when the lanes are less crowded. Her response? 'Oh. Sorry.'
OK. Fix the schedule then, please! Of course, the girls at the front desk are just lowly teenagers who have no actual authority to do anything to the schedule. I'll have to write to the gym manager about getting an updated schedule printed out.
Bad Parenting
We are all guilty of it, from time to time.
I just have to put that out there, from the get-go, so you don't think I am an absolute hypocrite for criticizing others. I don't claim to be "all that and a bag of chips", so to speak. I know I've dropped the ball on more than one occasion.
Still, an example of Bad Parenting happened right in front of me the other day, and I felt like commenting on it.
I was standing in the checkout line at our local big box membership style warehouse store when I noticed a domestic struggle happening in the next line over. Toddler Girl sitting in the cart was throwing a minor hissy fit because Mommy was attempting to wrestle a pink activity book out of her hands. Mommy said, "We have to pay for it..." and succeeded in separating the book from Toddler Girl, who settled back, content with Mommy's reasoning.
Then Mommy surreptitiously slipped the book behind her back to her teen aged son...
...who returned it to the place in the store they took it from in the first place!
So, they took a book off the shelf and used it to entertain a 2 year old throughout the entire store with absolutely NO intention of actually buying it. And lied to her to get it back.
Who does that?!?
Probably the same people who open up un-purchased items in their cart and let their kids snack on them while shopping, then pay for the mostly empty carton with the rest of the groceries. When I see that, I am reminded of the time I accidentally left my wallet out of my purse one day and had to walk away from a cart full of groceries (extremely embarrassed, of course!). What if this parent with the opened and consumed products gets to the register and realizes they can't pay, after all?
What kind of messages are these parents sending their kids?
I am a liar. I only said that to get it away from you.
I don't have to pay for it in order to use it.
Like I said at the front end of this post. My parenting probably cannot stand up to much scrutiny on any given day. But I hope that the mistakes I make are not the kind that send rotten messages to my kids.
I just have to put that out there, from the get-go, so you don't think I am an absolute hypocrite for criticizing others. I don't claim to be "all that and a bag of chips", so to speak. I know I've dropped the ball on more than one occasion.
Still, an example of Bad Parenting happened right in front of me the other day, and I felt like commenting on it.
I was standing in the checkout line at our local big box membership style warehouse store when I noticed a domestic struggle happening in the next line over. Toddler Girl sitting in the cart was throwing a minor hissy fit because Mommy was attempting to wrestle a pink activity book out of her hands. Mommy said, "We have to pay for it..." and succeeded in separating the book from Toddler Girl, who settled back, content with Mommy's reasoning.
Then Mommy surreptitiously slipped the book behind her back to her teen aged son...
...who returned it to the place in the store they took it from in the first place!
So, they took a book off the shelf and used it to entertain a 2 year old throughout the entire store with absolutely NO intention of actually buying it. And lied to her to get it back.
Who does that?!?
Probably the same people who open up un-purchased items in their cart and let their kids snack on them while shopping, then pay for the mostly empty carton with the rest of the groceries. When I see that, I am reminded of the time I accidentally left my wallet out of my purse one day and had to walk away from a cart full of groceries (extremely embarrassed, of course!). What if this parent with the opened and consumed products gets to the register and realizes they can't pay, after all?
What kind of messages are these parents sending their kids?
I am a liar. I only said that to get it away from you.
I don't have to pay for it in order to use it.
Like I said at the front end of this post. My parenting probably cannot stand up to much scrutiny on any given day. But I hope that the mistakes I make are not the kind that send rotten messages to my kids.
All about the Kids
This post is a little update on the lives of my kids.
Matt still lives in San Diego and is still in the Marines. From the tone of his facebook posts, however, both of those facts are about to change. His term of enlistment is going to expire this year, and he does NOT plan to re-enlist. Once he is out of the military, it sounds like he plans to move back home, so to speak. Home, meaning Idaho, not his mom's house or ours. I am glad! You wouldn't think a trip to San Diego would be so difficult to manage, but it is. I will be glad to see him back in the mountains and closer to us! He finalized his divorce and he currently has a girlfriend named Autumn. He seems head over heels in love with her. I sincerely hope for lots of happiness to head his way!
Helena went to a job interview today at ... RUBIO'S! Ooh, yeah! It went well, and once the paperwork and orientation are done later this week, she should be working there by next week! I think it will be great. The manager, Eva, is VERY nice. Bill and I are very happy for her and hope she has a great experience. This is her first official job, you see. Sure, she has 'nanny-ed' for lots of people, and house-sat. But this is different. And I am happy for her. Also, I'm looking forward to ordering my dinner from her sometime in the near future!
While she was gone on her job interview, her friends stopped by and 'heart attacked' her room as part of a date invite! Braxton wanted to ask Helena to the Valentine's Dance at school (also called the "Winter Social"?), so Megan and Dallan helped him decorate her room as the invite. She didn't realize the 'heart attack' was an invite, at first. She thought it was just her friends' way of cheering her up after a rough weekend, until she read the letter attached to the red rose laying on her bed. It is a good thing she is a relatively neat person and her room was decent (although she says she would have cleaned it up if she knew they were coming).... no underwear on the floor, thank goodness!
Helena has been enrolled in an online Financial Literacy class ever since summer vacation and has had a hard time motivating herself to finish it. So, she is now taking the more traditional approach and is now taking it at the high school. We had to move Seminary to after school in order to fit it in. However, her final semester schedule is still somewhat up in the air. Her Advanced Photo class only has 8 registered students. The school may drop the course because the numbers are too low. If that happens, we'll have to go in and do some juggling of her classes to fill the void. The school would take those students who still want Photo (like Helena), and add them in a Photo 1 class (which she has already taken), and have them take it 'seminar' style with a personalized contract with the teacher. It is unlikely that she would learn as much that way, and much more likely she'd become a glorified TA to help the teacher with the photo 1 students. Phooey.
Will has a science fair project looming large in his life right now. Can I tell you just how much I HATE it when teachers take an event that is supposed to be voluntary and turn it into a mandatory class assignment?!? It is like they sat around in a teacher meeting and said, "You know, we just don't get enough entries in the science fair to justify the cost and bother of running it... I KNOW! We'll MAKE the kids enter it, then we'll look like our science department is freaking awesome because so many kids are participating!" (Never mind that 90% of the projects are pieces o'CRAP!)
Yeah, well, here we are. Doing a mandatory/voluntary project. And yes, it is WE. He is supposed to submit photos of himself performing the experiment. So I became the photo journalist documenting him. He also needed an assistant to help him time the reactions as he performed them. And, of course, he needs a swift kick in the behind to remind him to get it done; because while performing the experiment is fun, processing and writing the paper is not.
Lacrosse pre-season conditioning starts tonight. Will is there now. And he is also over the moon about the new snowfall we received today. I am sure he is going to want to hit the slopes ASAP. He's the only one in the house truly thrilled to see winter finally arrive.
Matt still lives in San Diego and is still in the Marines. From the tone of his facebook posts, however, both of those facts are about to change. His term of enlistment is going to expire this year, and he does NOT plan to re-enlist. Once he is out of the military, it sounds like he plans to move back home, so to speak. Home, meaning Idaho, not his mom's house or ours. I am glad! You wouldn't think a trip to San Diego would be so difficult to manage, but it is. I will be glad to see him back in the mountains and closer to us! He finalized his divorce and he currently has a girlfriend named Autumn. He seems head over heels in love with her. I sincerely hope for lots of happiness to head his way!
Helena went to a job interview today at ... RUBIO'S! Ooh, yeah! It went well, and once the paperwork and orientation are done later this week, she should be working there by next week! I think it will be great. The manager, Eva, is VERY nice. Bill and I are very happy for her and hope she has a great experience. This is her first official job, you see. Sure, she has 'nanny-ed' for lots of people, and house-sat. But this is different. And I am happy for her. Also, I'm looking forward to ordering my dinner from her sometime in the near future!
While she was gone on her job interview, her friends stopped by and 'heart attacked' her room as part of a date invite! Braxton wanted to ask Helena to the Valentine's Dance at school (also called the "Winter Social"?), so Megan and Dallan helped him decorate her room as the invite. She didn't realize the 'heart attack' was an invite, at first. She thought it was just her friends' way of cheering her up after a rough weekend, until she read the letter attached to the red rose laying on her bed. It is a good thing she is a relatively neat person and her room was decent (although she says she would have cleaned it up if she knew they were coming).... no underwear on the floor, thank goodness!
Helena has been enrolled in an online Financial Literacy class ever since summer vacation and has had a hard time motivating herself to finish it. So, she is now taking the more traditional approach and is now taking it at the high school. We had to move Seminary to after school in order to fit it in. However, her final semester schedule is still somewhat up in the air. Her Advanced Photo class only has 8 registered students. The school may drop the course because the numbers are too low. If that happens, we'll have to go in and do some juggling of her classes to fill the void. The school would take those students who still want Photo (like Helena), and add them in a Photo 1 class (which she has already taken), and have them take it 'seminar' style with a personalized contract with the teacher. It is unlikely that she would learn as much that way, and much more likely she'd become a glorified TA to help the teacher with the photo 1 students. Phooey.
Will has a science fair project looming large in his life right now. Can I tell you just how much I HATE it when teachers take an event that is supposed to be voluntary and turn it into a mandatory class assignment?!? It is like they sat around in a teacher meeting and said, "You know, we just don't get enough entries in the science fair to justify the cost and bother of running it... I KNOW! We'll MAKE the kids enter it, then we'll look like our science department is freaking awesome because so many kids are participating!" (Never mind that 90% of the projects are pieces o'CRAP!)
Yeah, well, here we are. Doing a mandatory/voluntary project. And yes, it is WE. He is supposed to submit photos of himself performing the experiment. So I became the photo journalist documenting him. He also needed an assistant to help him time the reactions as he performed them. And, of course, he needs a swift kick in the behind to remind him to get it done; because while performing the experiment is fun, processing and writing the paper is not.
Lacrosse pre-season conditioning starts tonight. Will is there now. And he is also over the moon about the new snowfall we received today. I am sure he is going to want to hit the slopes ASAP. He's the only one in the house truly thrilled to see winter finally arrive.
In Search of Snow
My friends and family back in the Seattle area are buried in snow. They have been dumped on and their lives have ground to a halt because of it.
We have still had none.
Our weather, of late, has fluctuated between 10*F and 50*F. When it's been under 32*, it's been dry. When it gets over the freezing point? Yup. It rains. It has been the kookiest winter, so far.
I think it might be our fault.
We gave Bill some snow shoes for Christmas. Which would be great... IF THERE WERE SNOW!
I am not actually complaining. I have been enjoying the mild weather, the dry roads, and being able to wear my canvas shoes from time to time.
We are just afraid that this might mean a cold, wet Spring is in store. With my luck, it will snow on my marathon on June 9th. 'Snow in June?!?' you say? It has been known to happen on the rare occasion.
But, really, it better not!
We have still had none.
Our weather, of late, has fluctuated between 10*F and 50*F. When it's been under 32*, it's been dry. When it gets over the freezing point? Yup. It rains. It has been the kookiest winter, so far.
I think it might be our fault.
We gave Bill some snow shoes for Christmas. Which would be great... IF THERE WERE SNOW!
I am not actually complaining. I have been enjoying the mild weather, the dry roads, and being able to wear my canvas shoes from time to time.
We are just afraid that this might mean a cold, wet Spring is in store. With my luck, it will snow on my marathon on June 9th. 'Snow in June?!?' you say? It has been known to happen on the rare occasion.
But, really, it better not!
Another Random Blog Post
I have lots of thoughts swirling around in my head, and they probably don't all belong in the same post. If I were more dedicated, I'd separate them out. As it is, you just get a hodge-podge for a post.
First off, I've been thinking about my job, lately.
I still like teaching art. That will probably never change. But there are times when it starts to feel like it is not enough. I love teaching the 5th and 6th grade classes. The are so fun and I really feel like they are learning significant art skills from me. Third and fourth grade are OK, because I can start to teach real skills with them, even if I won't see results from those lessons for a few years. Kindergarten, First, and Second grade are the worst! Those kids are just so little and squirmy! They have no attention span, and many of the projects I do with them are frustrating for me. They feel less like art lessons and more like play time with paint... x30. Classroom management becomes more important than the lessons themselves. Or rather, the lesson is about how to manage your behavior around all this fun stuff, not art itself.
So, I look forward to my 'big kids' and dread my 'little ones'. The morning is full of 'big kids' and awesome lessons. The afternoon is all about the 'little ones' and just surviving the next big mess. Of course, the 'little ones' think their lessons are awesome, too. I'm the only one craving more.
I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if my job did not involve caring for other people's offspring. If I could be paid for work done in an adult setting. As my own children get older and older, the divide between my home life and work life grows ever wider. Everything happening at home is done at an adult level. At work I have to remind myself sometimes that they are only little children and I have to shift mentalities to deal with them. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to make that mental shift.
I daydream about going back to school for my masters degree. Most teachers work on a masters in the field of education to move themselves up the pay brackets. Most of my coworkers are either working on or have their masters. I'm not interested in another education degree, however.
I want to get a Masters of Architecture.
The only problem is money. That particular masters program would take me 3+ years to complete, because my undergrad is not architecture. Working a job and that particular masters program at the same time is not realistic. Three plus years of graduate level tuition is not realistic. Starting a new career at this point in my life is not realistic. Leaving a secure job of any kind in this economic climate is not realistic. None of it is any kind of realistic.
And so it is just a daydream.
The second thing stewing around in my head is the economy itself. I got to thinking about the past vs. the present. You know, my parent's life as breadwinners and my own.
Dad never went to college. He worked hard all those years to earn enough to support a wife and six kids. Mom stayed at home and raised us. We were solidly middle class... with only one wage earner supporting a family of EIGHT!
I graduated from college. Bill and I both work. We only have three kids. That's a family of five. We are solidly middle class, but only because we are both working and we only have to support two kids right now.
HOW DID MY PARENTS DO IT?!?
They were able to do it because the cost of living was much smaller back in the day. The income to cost of living was much more comfortable back then. Today, the cost of living has skyrocketed much faster than income levels. According to one article I read recently, an average worker of today needs to make about $25,000.00 more per year than a worker did a generation ago, just to make ends meet.
That's just depressing.
It's getting harder and harder to stay in the middle class.
The third thing rattling around in my head is about the tutoring sessions I'm doing.
I hate how powerless I feel in the face of learning disabilities. To look the same child in the face day in and day out and see that she has not absorbed a single thing I have been trying to teach her! She is so far behind the learning curve that I fear for her future. We have been working with money this week, trying to help the students understand about adding and subtracting money, the idea being to help them realize it is just like any other adding/subtracting... just with a decimal thrown in. Most of the kids in the group are plugging away at problems, only needing help here and there over decimal placement or borrowing/carrying over types of stuff. She sits there with a deer-in-the-headlights sort of look on her face and waits for me to come work one on one with her because she can't do even the most basic addition. I ask her, "What is 3+2?"
Her response is "2?" So I have to help her find the answer of "5".
I ask her, "What is 6-0?"
"0?" You can see that she has no idea, so she just parrots back the last number I said, hoping it might be the answer. Not even saying "if you have six gumballs, and I take none of them away from you..." works for her. She just doesn't know. I once spent an entire session just with her, because the rest of the kids were no shows. By the end of the session, she was doing simple adding ALL BY HERSELF! I felt great! The very next day she remembered none of it.
And so it goes.
As part of our money unit, I built a little 'store' in the back of the room and gave them all fake money to spend. They had to choose two items from the store and add up how much they would cost. Then they had to round up to the next dollar. So, if the two items cost $12.76, they were supposed to bring $13 to the cashier (me), but they had to know how much change they were supposed to get back, because I might try to trick them and only give back a penny! Most of the kids struggle with the concept of change. This little girl struggled with all of it. She couldn't add her two items together. She couldn't figure out what the next whole dollar amount should be. She couldn't remember what denomination each coin was worth. She couldn't add them up to the total she needed, anyways. When it was time to pay, she just brought up her whole wad of cash and handed it over with no idea of how much she'd handed me, or how much she was supposed to get back.
Aurgh!
And yet her teacher says she is showing some improvement from attending my tutoring sessions. So I keep at it, hoping someday it'll make a difference.
*****
Editor's note: Apparently, I made an error when I stated that my dad never went to college. My Mom sent me an e-mail to set me straight. Dad did, in fact, go to night school, and spent many a night/early morning writing college papers. He gave up his studies 3 semesters short of the diploma because it was too much of a strain to try to go to school and support a family at the same time. Having said that, it doesn't really change the point of the post. My Dad was able to comfortably support a large family on his earnings without a college diploma back in the day. While my Mom stayed home and cared for the kids. I just don't think the same thing is doable anymore.
First off, I've been thinking about my job, lately.
I still like teaching art. That will probably never change. But there are times when it starts to feel like it is not enough. I love teaching the 5th and 6th grade classes. The are so fun and I really feel like they are learning significant art skills from me. Third and fourth grade are OK, because I can start to teach real skills with them, even if I won't see results from those lessons for a few years. Kindergarten, First, and Second grade are the worst! Those kids are just so little and squirmy! They have no attention span, and many of the projects I do with them are frustrating for me. They feel less like art lessons and more like play time with paint... x30. Classroom management becomes more important than the lessons themselves. Or rather, the lesson is about how to manage your behavior around all this fun stuff, not art itself.
So, I look forward to my 'big kids' and dread my 'little ones'. The morning is full of 'big kids' and awesome lessons. The afternoon is all about the 'little ones' and just surviving the next big mess. Of course, the 'little ones' think their lessons are awesome, too. I'm the only one craving more.
I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if my job did not involve caring for other people's offspring. If I could be paid for work done in an adult setting. As my own children get older and older, the divide between my home life and work life grows ever wider. Everything happening at home is done at an adult level. At work I have to remind myself sometimes that they are only little children and I have to shift mentalities to deal with them. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to make that mental shift.
I daydream about going back to school for my masters degree. Most teachers work on a masters in the field of education to move themselves up the pay brackets. Most of my coworkers are either working on or have their masters. I'm not interested in another education degree, however.
I want to get a Masters of Architecture.
The only problem is money. That particular masters program would take me 3+ years to complete, because my undergrad is not architecture. Working a job and that particular masters program at the same time is not realistic. Three plus years of graduate level tuition is not realistic. Starting a new career at this point in my life is not realistic. Leaving a secure job of any kind in this economic climate is not realistic. None of it is any kind of realistic.
And so it is just a daydream.
The second thing stewing around in my head is the economy itself. I got to thinking about the past vs. the present. You know, my parent's life as breadwinners and my own.
Dad never went to college. He worked hard all those years to earn enough to support a wife and six kids. Mom stayed at home and raised us. We were solidly middle class... with only one wage earner supporting a family of EIGHT!
I graduated from college. Bill and I both work. We only have three kids. That's a family of five. We are solidly middle class, but only because we are both working and we only have to support two kids right now.
HOW DID MY PARENTS DO IT?!?
They were able to do it because the cost of living was much smaller back in the day. The income to cost of living was much more comfortable back then. Today, the cost of living has skyrocketed much faster than income levels. According to one article I read recently, an average worker of today needs to make about $25,000.00 more per year than a worker did a generation ago, just to make ends meet.
That's just depressing.
It's getting harder and harder to stay in the middle class.
The third thing rattling around in my head is about the tutoring sessions I'm doing.
I hate how powerless I feel in the face of learning disabilities. To look the same child in the face day in and day out and see that she has not absorbed a single thing I have been trying to teach her! She is so far behind the learning curve that I fear for her future. We have been working with money this week, trying to help the students understand about adding and subtracting money, the idea being to help them realize it is just like any other adding/subtracting... just with a decimal thrown in. Most of the kids in the group are plugging away at problems, only needing help here and there over decimal placement or borrowing/carrying over types of stuff. She sits there with a deer-in-the-headlights sort of look on her face and waits for me to come work one on one with her because she can't do even the most basic addition. I ask her, "What is 3+2?"
Her response is "2?" So I have to help her find the answer of "5".
I ask her, "What is 6-0?"
"0?" You can see that she has no idea, so she just parrots back the last number I said, hoping it might be the answer. Not even saying "if you have six gumballs, and I take none of them away from you..." works for her. She just doesn't know. I once spent an entire session just with her, because the rest of the kids were no shows. By the end of the session, she was doing simple adding ALL BY HERSELF! I felt great! The very next day she remembered none of it.
And so it goes.
As part of our money unit, I built a little 'store' in the back of the room and gave them all fake money to spend. They had to choose two items from the store and add up how much they would cost. Then they had to round up to the next dollar. So, if the two items cost $12.76, they were supposed to bring $13 to the cashier (me), but they had to know how much change they were supposed to get back, because I might try to trick them and only give back a penny! Most of the kids struggle with the concept of change. This little girl struggled with all of it. She couldn't add her two items together. She couldn't figure out what the next whole dollar amount should be. She couldn't remember what denomination each coin was worth. She couldn't add them up to the total she needed, anyways. When it was time to pay, she just brought up her whole wad of cash and handed it over with no idea of how much she'd handed me, or how much she was supposed to get back.
Aurgh!
And yet her teacher says she is showing some improvement from attending my tutoring sessions. So I keep at it, hoping someday it'll make a difference.
*****
Editor's note: Apparently, I made an error when I stated that my dad never went to college. My Mom sent me an e-mail to set me straight. Dad did, in fact, go to night school, and spent many a night/early morning writing college papers. He gave up his studies 3 semesters short of the diploma because it was too much of a strain to try to go to school and support a family at the same time. Having said that, it doesn't really change the point of the post. My Dad was able to comfortably support a large family on his earnings without a college diploma back in the day. While my Mom stayed home and cared for the kids. I just don't think the same thing is doable anymore.
A Change in Menu
You are probably very well aware by now of our Friday night fixation on Rubio's seafood Mexican.
Today we went somewhere different. Shocking, I know.
We went out on a double date with some friends to Thai Village. It is a restaurant in a converted turn of the century craftsman bungalow 'mansion' on the main drag right here in town. I say 'mansion' in that way because by today's standards, it wouldn't be considered a mansion... the square footage isn't in the modern range to qualify. But, for the era, it was a big house.
An odd looking place for an ethnic food establishment, I agree. There is even an old wagon wheel on the front lawn. You know, the pioneer wagon variety of wheel. A friend laughed about the pioneer wheel and wondered how it could possibly relate to Thai food. I think it is a pretty good metaphor for the restaurant itself. It is the only Thai restaurant in town. That's pretty pioneering, in my opinion.
Anyways, I LOVED IT! The food was so great! We had two kinds of curry, lemongrass chicken, spring rolls, and wontons. For dessert, I tried the ice cream (not as great as I thought it would be) and Bill had the mangoes on sticky rice with coconut milk. Oh! I'm ordering THAT next time! So yummy!
We had a great time and I look forward to eating there again!
Today we went somewhere different. Shocking, I know.
We went out on a double date with some friends to Thai Village. It is a restaurant in a converted turn of the century craftsman bungalow 'mansion' on the main drag right here in town. I say 'mansion' in that way because by today's standards, it wouldn't be considered a mansion... the square footage isn't in the modern range to qualify. But, for the era, it was a big house.
An odd looking place for an ethnic food establishment, I agree. There is even an old wagon wheel on the front lawn. You know, the pioneer wagon variety of wheel. A friend laughed about the pioneer wheel and wondered how it could possibly relate to Thai food. I think it is a pretty good metaphor for the restaurant itself. It is the only Thai restaurant in town. That's pretty pioneering, in my opinion.
Anyways, I LOVED IT! The food was so great! We had two kinds of curry, lemongrass chicken, spring rolls, and wontons. For dessert, I tried the ice cream (not as great as I thought it would be) and Bill had the mangoes on sticky rice with coconut milk. Oh! I'm ordering THAT next time! So yummy!
We had a great time and I look forward to eating there again!
Sentimental Grieving
Do you ever grieve for the past? I know that sounds weird, so let me explain...
I was standing at the stove cooking some after-workout-eggs just after a difficult mom/teen conversation with my son. Suddenly I was flooded with overwhelming emotions as I flashed back to a time when he was my little boy. To that time when he would crawl into my lap with chubby arms full of dandelion bouquets, a dimple in his smile, and kisses just for me on his lips. I remembered all the hours curled up together with his favorite storybooks and stuffed animals when he told me I was the bestest Mommy in the whole wide world and that he wanted to marry me someday. I remembered tickle torture sessions, the 'steam roller', butterfly kisses, and giggling for no reason at all.
And I cried.
I love, love, love my children for who they are right now. I love all the fun things we can do now that they are older, and I enjoy having adult conversations with them.
But I miss my little ones. Not the screaming, temper tantrum, getting into things they shouldn't days. I miss all the sunshiny, summer playground, picnic with the stuffed animals days and the cozy cuddle-by-the-fire, snowball fight, sledding down the hill days. The "tickle me, mommy!" and "just one more story, Mommy" and "I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always" moments that made being the Mommy so wonderful and the best job in the whole wide world.
I'm crying right now.
My kids don't want to cuddle, now. Of course not. They are 15 and 18. It would be weird if they did.
But is it weird of me to miss it?
I was standing at the stove cooking some after-workout-eggs just after a difficult mom/teen conversation with my son. Suddenly I was flooded with overwhelming emotions as I flashed back to a time when he was my little boy. To that time when he would crawl into my lap with chubby arms full of dandelion bouquets, a dimple in his smile, and kisses just for me on his lips. I remembered all the hours curled up together with his favorite storybooks and stuffed animals when he told me I was the bestest Mommy in the whole wide world and that he wanted to marry me someday. I remembered tickle torture sessions, the 'steam roller', butterfly kisses, and giggling for no reason at all.
And I cried.
I love, love, love my children for who they are right now. I love all the fun things we can do now that they are older, and I enjoy having adult conversations with them.
But I miss my little ones. Not the screaming, temper tantrum, getting into things they shouldn't days. I miss all the sunshiny, summer playground, picnic with the stuffed animals days and the cozy cuddle-by-the-fire, snowball fight, sledding down the hill days. The "tickle me, mommy!" and "just one more story, Mommy" and "I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always" moments that made being the Mommy so wonderful and the best job in the whole wide world.
I'm crying right now.
My kids don't want to cuddle, now. Of course not. They are 15 and 18. It would be weird if they did.
But is it weird of me to miss it?
New Year's Resolutions
I am a big fan of them. I always have been.
Not because I have always rocked them. No, I am not that good at accomplishing all of them. There have even been years that I failed at all of them. Some years I have a bucket load of them, other years there is just one.
But I usually manage a few... and that always makes me feel AWESOME! So here is this year's batch... in no particular order.
This year seems to be a 'bucket load' type of year!
Not because I have always rocked them. No, I am not that good at accomplishing all of them. There have even been years that I failed at all of them. Some years I have a bucket load of them, other years there is just one.
But I usually manage a few... and that always makes me feel AWESOME! So here is this year's batch... in no particular order.
- Keep my training consistent and steadily build for the races I've signed up for.
- Move at least 2,012 miles for 2012! (swim/bike/run)
- Complete my first full marathon.
- Complete my first century bike ride.
- Complete my first long distance triathlon.
- Ski down the real slope at least once this season.
- Knit a blanket (or two) in double knit on the knitting board.
- Learn to single knit on a rake loom.
- Finish my first knit sweater by Christmas 2012.
- Complete two artworks.
- Stay on top of the weekly finances.
- Eat more vegetables.
This year seems to be a 'bucket load' type of year!
The first half of that list are all interconnected, and I am confident that they will all take place. After all, I have already plunked down the money for two of the three events. YES! I am not only signed up for the Utah Valley marathon, I have now also officially entered the Provo Tri!
AHHHH!
Can I tell you how terrified I feel?!? I agonized over that registration and found it very difficult to click on the 'submit' button.
The Provo Triathlon is an unofficial half Ironman distance event. Unofficial because it is not sponsored by the official Ironman brand. But the distances will feel just as real, I am sure!
1.2 mile swim + 52 mile bike + 13.1 mile run
I am hyperventilating just writing that.
I feel pretty good about each individual piece of the whole. I can do 1.2 miles of swimming. Piece of cake. I can ride a bike for 52 miles. Very doable. I know I can run 13.1 miles with the right prep work... after all, I did it twice last year!
But put them all together and what do you get?
The biggest goal I have ever set for myself.
I am pretty sure the 2,012 miles goal will take care of itself in all the training and races. Especially with all the biking miles I'll be putting in to get ready for the third event that I have yet to sign up for... the ULCER.
ULCER stands for Utah Lake Century Epic Ride. It is a 111 mile bike ride around the perimeter of the lake. That will be happening just a couple of days before my birthday. Happy Birthday to me! Bill is going to do it with me, and we aren't going to 'race', just do.
The knitting and artwork goals are fun, down-time ambitions. I enjoy doing them, it is just a matter of making time in my schedule for them.
And the finances and veggies?
I just know I should be better at them both. So, I'll work on them.
AHHH! It is a lot! A lot.
I am looking forward to meeting the new me at the other end of this list!
Happy New Year, everyone! Go make a list of your own and go for it!
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