Welcome Spring!

photo courtesy of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

I know it is not really spring yet, according to the equinox calendar. I don't care. I classify seasons into 3 month segments. Winter was November-February, so tomorrow will be the first day of Spring by my reckoning. It'll still be cold. There are still no flowers on the ground or blossoms on the trees. But just thinking in terms of Spring lifts my spirits and makes me feel happy!

The snow is gone from the valley. My yard of mud is revealed in all its glory. That was the one blessing of the snow. My yard looked like everyone else's while covered in a blanket of white. We need to start installing the sprinkler lines so that we can plant the yard! It will be good to have grass again. It is also time to pick out my landscaping plants and to plan the garden. Lots of tomatoes again, I think. I LOVE home grown tomatoes! Maybe I'll plant a salsa garden this year. I do love pico!

Creatures of habit

Have you ever noticed how many parts of your day have become practically ritualistic?

For instance, when I arrive at school, I open my classroom, sign into my computer, go check my box (in the teacher workroom), and fill my water cup in the faculty lounge. In that order. Every day.

At lunch time, I grab my sack lunch from my mini fridge in my classroom and my water cup. I walk to the faculty lounge and place them on the table (usually in the same place), then go THOROUGHLY wash my hands! The hand washing is cathartic, I think. After spending my morning with about 250 kids, I CRAVE sanitation! After eating, I go to the bathroom before returning to my classroom. Every day.

It struck me the other day that my life is a pattern of repeated events. No wonder I sometimes have a hard time remembering which day of the week it is!

Late night Emergency Room visit

Last night around 9:30 pm, Helena began to complain that she didn't feel well. She said she had a huge headache and felt like she needed to throw up, but couldn't. She told me she had taken Excedrin Migraine meds about an hour ago (Bill and I had been out on a date until 9:30). She decided to take a shower and go to bed.

At 10:30, she came back upstairs in tears and told me that she didn't feel good and then collapsed onto the couch, sliding down onto the floor. She was crying and telling me that she hurt all over and couldn't get up. She started hyperventilating and said that her left side was numb. Then she would calm down, relax, and say that the pain was gone and her left side was tingling like it had fallen asleep. Especially the extremities of her hand and foot.

After several episodes that seemed to cycle, Bill asked me to call the doctor. We reached a nurse and described Helena's symptoms to her. She recommended that we take her in right away to be checked. Unfortunately, it was so late that even the after-hour clinic was closed. The only option was the emergency room.

Will didn't want to be left behind, so we all piled into the car and drove to the hospital. There were a lot of people waiting in the lobby and a woman sat behind the glass. When we told her we wanted our daughter checked and described her symptoms, she ushered us into the emergency room. I was supporting Helena, Bill had the clipboard of paper work she handed him, Will was behind us. I didn't realize until we were in an examining room that Will had been prevented from following us through the door and had been told by a nurse to wait in the lobby.

They hooked her up to a blood pressure cuff and finger pulse monitor. Her blood oxygen was at 100%. That is not normal. Then they had her put on a hospital gown and got her 'branded' with an id bracelet (she wanted to know if she got to keep it). After initial questions and exams, the doctor ordered a CAT scan to make sure is wasn't stroke related. Oh, and apparently the CAT scan tech also asked Helena if there was a chance she could be pregnant. I wasn't with her for that question. Maybe they thought it would be better to ask that one away from my presence. She told me all about it, though, since she thought it was a funny because she hasn't even been on a single date yet and doesn't even like people to touch her face, let alone yuckier stuff like sex!

The CAT scan came back clear. He ruled out Meningitis, too, since she didn't have a fever. He concluded the the symptoms were a cascade effect from her hyperventilating. He didn't know why she had such a severe headache, but that it was the cause of the entire episode.

Meanwhile, back in the lobby, Will was worried and upset. Bill went out to sit with him while I stayed with Helena during the CAT scan and waiting for results. However, before Bill rejoined him, Will had sent a text to several family members to tell them we had taken Helena to the hospital! Oops.

So there you have it. Our midnight adventure at the hospital on a Friday night. This morning I got to call all the family members Will had contacted and explain the situation. Helena has spent most of today sleeping. She is still exhausted, but doesn't have a headache anymore.

She spent a lot of time in the hospital apologizing to us for being such a bother and (I assume) for the cost of the emergency room visit. All our reassurances couldn't get her to stop apologizing. I am glad that it turned out to be nothing serious, but I don't regret taking her in. Her symptoms were too serious to ignore and could have been indicators of something really severe.

Food, Inc.

I watched this documentary on NetFlix the other day. Bill views it the same way you'd view the global warming documentaries... as a load of bull.

I don't.

I found a lot to think about in this documentary. For instance, 5 major companies control over 80% of the beef production in America. Those 5 companies altered the way beef is raised. Instead of eating pasture grasses and clover, cows are placed in feed lots, ankle deep in their own manure, and fed corn. It fattens them up and creates a nationally unified flavor for beef. That was in response to pressure from McDonald's, the #1 purchaser of beef (and chicken, and pork, and potatoes) in the US. McDonald's wanted their hamburgers to taste the same everywhere, so the cows needed to eat the same thing everywhere.

Does it matter to me if my beef got to wander a green field when it was a cow, or if it lead a miserable life before I ate it?

It should.

Corn fed cows contract E coli and spread it through their manure. That manure they are standing ankle deep in. 5 days of pasture feeding would cure them, but the companies would rather pump them with antibiotics while they are alive, then chlorine bathe the meat once they're dead.

How about chickens? Chicken ranchers sign contracts with one of the 5 major companies (Tyson, for example) agreeing to use company approved facilities and techniques. It costs over $500,000 to build one of the specified chicken barns. Then the rancher has to put in any company directed improvements that come down the wire. The ranchers make an average of $18,000/year from the chickens raised in one barn.

These barns have no windows, no light. The chickens are so crowded in there that they never walk around. They are fed corn. They have been genetically modified to reach full size in 48 days instead of the normal 70 day maturation cycle. They get so fat from lack of exercise that they can't walk more than 2 or 3 steps before sinking down to rest. Their bodies got too fat too fast for their system to be able to handle.

Again, does it matter that the chicken lead a miserable existence before I put it in my dinner casserole?

IT SHOULD!

We are the stewards of this planet. These animals have been placed in our care, to be used for our good. Does that give us the right to abuse them for our good, too?

80% of the soy beans grown in the world are controlled by one company. Monsanto. They are a chemical company that invented Round Up. You know, the weed killer. They then invented a genetically modified soy bean that resists Round Up. So, a farmer can plant the gm soy beans, then soak the field with Round Up. Only the beans will grow. However, Monsanto retained intellectual copyright to the gm soy beans, so farmers have to go to them for seeds each year. Farmers are not allowed to save seeds from the previous planting season. Monsanto has a team of 75 private investigators to hunt down and prosecute any farmers who violate the copyright by saving seeds. They will even prosecute a farmer if his non-copyrighted fields get cross contaminated by a neighbor's gm seed field.

It all seems so very un-natural to me.

I think it is time for a revolution. It is time to choose organically, locally grown fresh foods. It is time to return to eating what nature and God intended for us to eat.

Thoughts on Public Education by a Public Teacher

I have so many thoughts running around in my head that I am not sure how cohesive or comprehensible this will be.

First, you should know that I am a part-time art teacher. I am not on what most people would consider the 'front lines' of education. I don't care if my students can read, write, or compute. I don't have to prep them for end of school tests. I don't even have to discipline them very often, because most kids absolutely love art.

Having said that, here are some of my observations about public education, and the role of teachers.

I know a lot of people who practically consider it a sport to bash on public education. They are quick to point out failings and ways it could be done better. I would like to invite the nay-sayers to come run a public school for a year and see if they can do it better.

Don't get me wrong. I know there are flaws in the system. There are holes in the curriculum. There are teachers failing to do their job. There are children who are falling through the cracks.

However, seeing the massive diversity of children day in and day out, I wonder how could we possibly get them all to succeed? Beside the privileged, well loved and cared for children, I see children in the dead of winter with no coat. Children hungry because free lunch is the only meal they get in a day. Children who tell me, in detail, why their mother is in jail for the FOURTH time. Or why their mom is getting divorced, again. Children with physical and mental handicaps. Children in behavior disorder units because they were born a crack baby, are on their 5th foster home, and have never known what unconditional love is. These children come to school with so many OTHER, outside issues that they can barely function in the classroom. Yet we take them in and try our best to teach them. Private schools don't take them in. These are the lost children.

And they are all in one middle class community public school. This is not the projects. I can't begin to comprehend the challenges faced there.

I have a fourth grade student right now who has bowel control problems. That's right. BOWEL, not bladder. She smells like a sewer ALL THE TIME. It is difficult to stand even 6 feet from her. I have no idea where she is academically. I worry about her social outlook. I worry that she will be ostracized. Her mother claims it is a medical condition.

Another fourth grade student hangs out in my classroom every free moment. He comes in before the bell. He comes in during lunch recess. He comes in during afternoon recess. I try to encourage him to go out to play with friends, but he'd rather scrub my tables. He is new in the school and is still trying to adjust, I guess. He is well liked in class, so I am not sure why he is reluctant to play.

I am rambling too much.

Bottom line. Children in stable, loving homes will succeed, no matter what. They will do well in public, private, or home school. It is the lost children that so desperately need the public schools. It is the lost children who drag down test scores. The lost children are the ones that need to feel the love of teachers because they have never known it anywhere else. It is the lost children who are the hardest to love.

Parent/Teacher Conference at the High School

Last night was p/t conf. at the H.S. Bill and I both went with Helena and tried to see all 8 of her teachers. However, 5 of her 8 teachers weren't there! What is the point of a conference if the teachers don't even bother to be there? Only 2 of the 5 had a notice on their doors explaining why they were absent. Her math teacher's wife had a baby that morning. That is definitely a good excuse for sudden no-show. The French teacher was with the Sterling scholars at a competition. Fine... couldn't she have sent out a mass e-mail to her students' parents? The other 3 classrooms were simply dark and empty. No note, no excuse.

You know, the school is really hard nosed about student attendance. It seems hypocritical to not hold the teachers to the same standard. I would never dream of being a no-show to my conferences! Teachers are paid to be there, after all. I wonder if they are abusing the system?

Solo/Ensemble Night

Tonight was the Solo/Ensemble night at the junior high. Will was in a rather large group. 3 baritones, 2 tubas, one trombone, four french horns and four trumpets. His group was the third to perform.

Solo/Ensemble night is really not performed to the parents, though they are allowed to watch. The night is really an adjudication. One judge sat and evaluated their group and ranked them. If they score high enough, they will be invited to Regional.

While Will was off somewhere warming up and tuning up with his group, Bill and I listened to the first couple of ensembles perform for the judge. The first group was TERRIBLE!!! Holy cow, they were bad! Off pitch, off the beat, and a collection of mismatched individuals rather than a cohesive group. I began to worry that maybe I shouldn't record Will's group; what if they sounded that bad?! The second group started out really strong, but got off track somewhere in the middle and limped painfully to the end of their piece. Then it was time for Will's group.

They sounded great! No, I am not just a biased mommy. They kept the meter, they kept the tone, they kept the pitch! The showcase trumpet had a bit of the nerves and faded out on some of his notes, but they were all the correct notes! Hurray for Will's group!

After that, Bill and I waited outside of the band room while Will filled out an evaluation form on three other groups. I was glad that Will's group was scheduled so early in the evening. The Ensembles were scheduled all the way until 8 p.m. Also, the school was about to be over run by a town-hall style meeting hosted by Senator Orrin Hatch.

Oh. I should also mention that after Will put his baritone away and as he was moving back into the band room to fill out observation evaluations, I heard a girl suddenly call out "Will!" She then ran up to him and gave him a hug as a greeting before heading off in another direction. A GIRL! ACK! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year, Bill gave me a gift card to a local spa so I can go chose whatever pampering I most want to enjoy, and a pint of yummy ice cream! I will have to give Bill his gift when it finally decides to arrive in the mail. I ordered it with plenty of time to arrive, or so you would think. Fortunately, he doesn't mind at all. Then, when it arrives, we can celebrate Valentine's Day again!

Helena and Forrest got homemade cards and some Toblerone chocolate.

Friday, Bill and I had our date night. First, we went to couples yoga at the rec center. THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN! I was amazed at how many couples were there. I am extremely sore now, though. After yoga, we went out to Rubio's for dinner. It is our favorite Mexican. It is beach Mex, so we usually order the shrimp and fish tacos. We both agree that after eating there, we both want to run off to Baja California to live!

Yesterday, Will and I spent a significant part of the day helping to paint the walls of Erik and Deanna's new house! I am very excited for them! They hope to be able to move in tomorrow. It is in Saratoga Springs, so now they will be conveniently between Kirsten's house and mine! I think they will end up being the Weierholt gathering house, now.

After feeding and watering Will (at Beto's... ugh.), I hurried home to shower and get ready to take Helena out to a one woman play at the Covey Center called 'The Belle of Amherst' about Emily Dickenson. Her English teacher offered extra credit for going to it and writing a critique. I didn't have very high expectations, but was pleasantly surprised! It was in a tiny black box theatre with seating for maybe 50 people. It was a VERY intimate setting for a play. It was amazing that the actress could carry an entire 2 hour play all by herself!

After the play, we stopped at Zuppa's for dinner. A much better choice than Beto's was for lunch! It was a weekend full of eating out, but now I am glad to be spending my day off tomorrow at home, even if I'll be doing the taxes.

Playing in the baby's room

We went over to Kirsten and Paul's house for the Super Bowl this year. There was good company and good eats. Erik and Deanna came, too, along with their boys, Kris and Dallin.

Although the boys spent some of their time watching the game, after a while they all migrated to Tori's room and started playing with the big, clunky, pink mega blocks and whatever other toys they could find that didn't damage their sense of dignity too badly. Will was actually right down in the middle of the play until he realized his mom was nearby with a camera. Then he would quickly stand up and act all nonchalant, as if he hadn't just been playing up a storm with his younger cousins. He is at that age where he still wants to play, but wants to be perceived as a near adult, too. I remember it well. I would never have admitted to my junior high friends that when I was finished with homework, most evenings I played barbies, Lego's, or little cars with my younger siblings.

The first photography assignment

Helena is taking Commercial Photography I this year. The class requires the use of a 35mm camera, preferably an SLR style. Thankfully, Kirsten had a really nice one that she let Helena borrow.

This weekend was the first photo shoot assignment. The teacher gave the students each a roll of 24 exp. black and white film and a list of 10 required shots. The remainder of the roll is to use to shoot whatever they want, although I think it would be wise to stick to the required shots and get extras, just in case.

The required shots included 4 people shots (2 individual and 2 group, both landscape and portrait orientation), 2 object shots (avoid buildings and cars as they are over used), 2 landscapes, and 2 animal shots.

I took the pictures you see above using my cell phone while we walked around on the Jordan River Parkway Trail next to the pump house. I will put all of my pretty cell phone photos in my facebook photo gallery later.

Helena had a fabulous time and is really enjoying the class. She is already planning her next photo shoot and can't wait to develop this batch. Yes! They get to develop their own film in the high school dark room. The old fashioned way.

She was originally going to take Digital Photography, but the class was already full at registration time. She took this one as a second choice, but now I think it was the better choice! Having to use film is very limiting and forces her to take the time to really compose the shot in a way that a digital camera never would.

The School Years

I walked into the living room and saw this impromptu tableau.  Helena had moved off to other activities and left her school stuff behind.  I felt like it made a really great image..

And the Winner is...

Will had to make a decision about which 1/2 credit of elective to choose.  His options were European History (aka. History of World Wars), Metal Shop, and Computer Technology.  He chose...

European History

This may seem like a strange choice for a 13 year old boy to make.  Based on the pros and cons we had discussed, here is his reasoning.

'I can take Metals in the high school, where they have better equipment, teachers, and projects.  I can take Computer Tech online over the summer.  A Social Studies class will be easier and less demanding at the junior high than the high school, but will still count towards the graduation requirement.  And Mr. Earling teaches it.  I like him.'