Color me flummoxed

I did not vote for Obama and still am not sure I'm a fan - I need to see him materially deliver on some of his promises before I can be won over.

However, I do NOT understand why people are so up in arms over his speech to our nation's school children. As a kid, I can remember being enthralled when listening to President Reagan. Kids look up to the president. Why is it a bad thing for kids to get encouragement to be responsible and take their education seriously? I just don't get it.

I'm fairly certain that if the tables were turned, the other side would be in a tizzy. But it all just seems so darn silly, and I do not understand why the controversy has reached a fever pitch. How amusing that we consider ourselves an educated and civilized people. Educated and civilized my ass - the rest of the world is pointing and laughing at our asinine behavior.

Back to School

Yesterday was Aaron's first day of 4th grade. I could write pages full of stuff like, "where has all the time gone?" and such, but that's so blase. Instead, I figured I'd share his first-day antics.

At 6:45 when I went in to wake him, he informed me that he is "severely allergic to Mondays." No anaphylaxis ensued, so I took him on to school after feeding him a yummy omelette and some toast.

He doesn't look like he's too allergic.

When I picked him up, he was almost bouncing. He had a great day, which is good news because, you know, his severe allergy could have gotten in the way. *snicker*

He had lots of great stories to tell about his new teachers, and was very excited that one of his teachers filled them in on the truth behind some rumors about her. I sort of think he was more excited about the fact that she also detailed the rumors for them... This kid is oblivious to things going on outside his immediate sphere, so he had no idea about her supposed bad behavior. Apparently, there was a rumor that she threw a kid against the wall, which is absurd considering this teacher, but he was wide-eyed and buzzing with the excitement of relaying the story to me.

Fun times - now if the second day goes as well as the first, we'll be in business!

The Young Sage

Aaron: "Mom, Michael Jackson died."
Me: "Yes, he did."
Aaron: "He looked creepy."
Me: "He didn't always look that way. He had surgery to change the way he looked."
Aaron: "Oh."
. . .
Aaron: "Who was he, anyway?"

Freebie-cycle

Freecycle is a fantastic network that allows people to re-home unneeded items. The benefit is two-pronged: 1) the items don't end up in a landfill somewhere, and 2) people get stuff they need for free!

Around here, however, its name would be more appropriate if it were Gimme-cycle. One post out of 10 might be an offer for something. The rest are pleas for things people "desparately" need. The rules clearly state that you should always try to offer something if you request something, but as you might guess, that rarely happens.

Just for grins, here are this morning's posts from our local Freecycle list (misspellings and poor grammar are left intact; my comments and snarkiness are in italics):

From: Tasha
WANTED: Fencing, t-posted, barb wire materials
"Looking for barbwire, fencing, t posts, ect. will pick up any amount. Thank you"


From: Amanda
Wanted:Bunkbeds
"we are in need of bunkbeds, willing to pickup"
Wow - willing to pick up free bunk beds. These folks are serious!


From: gbuchanan
need parts for yardmachine
"I am trying to find a transmission for a yard machine riding lawn mower can anyone help i have a bent axle. Thanks"
Sounds like what you really need is a hammer, an anvil and some elbow grease.


From: alicia
wanted: microwave cart
In need of a microwave cart.
If someone out there is upgrading or down grading or just plain getting rid of their's- we'll be glad to take it off of your hands.
We're also looking for a new, unused spice rack. Thank you & God Bless
Because, you know, it would be tacky to give Aunt Edna an old, used spice rack for her birthday. Notice the "God Bless" - that makes her seem more sincere, dontcha think?


From: alicia
wanted: bookshelf
any type of bookshelf would help us out. We have tons of books that are just sitting any boxes that we'd rather be reading and have access to.
First, I'm going to guess that none of that ton of books are grammar or spelling texts. Next, it sounds like you might want to familiarize yourself with the public library: there, they have tons of books that are on shelves, and you would have access to any number of them, for FREE! (so you could sell your ton of books and maybe buy Aunt Edna that spice rack she's been dreaming of). Or you could, I don't know . . . take a book out of a box when you want to read it!


From: alicia
wanted: antenna rabbit ears
wanted working antenna rabbit ears for our t.v.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
Um... rabbit ears? I don't think there is any help for you if what you want are rabbit ears. Didn't they quit making those in the '80s? And after the HD switchover, they'll make a great sweater drying rack.


From: alicia (yes, the same alicia; 4th post in a row, no offers for anything, even though we know she has a ton of books that she's not using)
wanted: window unit
We need a working a/c window unit. It's getting really hot and it's not even June yet. We have an 18 month old son and 5 year old. I just want to make sure they stay cool this summer. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
(but no God bless, so she must not REALLY want it that badly, but bonus points for playing the poor, helpless children card)


Apparently alicia is trying to furnish her entire house, but the stuff she's asking for is sort of pathetic, so I almost feel badly for making fun of her... but she does have a computer with internet, so...

And my VERY FAVORITE POST from today:

From: dwayne.h
wanted: pocket knives
im looking for any kind of pockt or boot knifes that i can get and and swords if u got them thank you dwayne
Please hurry because Doltoron from the fifth ring of Xansadalrupt has vanquished my high queen and I need the sword of Galgathanroy to slay him and free my queen. Okay, not really. I've got a booth at the fleamarket this weekend and I need some stuff to sell.

It's official!

I just got my grades for the semester and I got all A's! WOO!

Just for the record, I never, ever, ever EVER want to take 21 hours again.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my husband and son who were more than understanding and self-sufficient while I played student. Thanks, guys!!

I have two more semesters before I student teach, and both of those will be regular 15-hour schedules. *whew*

Don't look now, but

It seems common sense has made an unscheduled appearance. LOL The day our school decided to shut down due to a suspected case of the piggypiggyflu, the CDC chastised such actions, so instead of being closed until the 18th, we'll resume our regularly scheduled program on May 11th. Don't know yet whether we'll have to make up the missed time, but the general consensus is that TEA won't require schools to make up the time.

In other news, I have almost finished the semester from hades, and promise I will never, ever take 21 hours at at time again. I have one more test on Monday night that isn't worrying me too much, then I can officially say I'm done. Thanks to the support of a very helpful and understanding husband, I was able to concentrate on schoolwork when I really needed to, and it looks like I'll pull off another 4.0! Don't tell anyone, but I'm shooting to graduate magna cum laude, and it looks like I might just do it.

One of my professors tells me that I have what it takes to earn my PhD and get paid to do it, but I would have to be willing to relocate to a school that would offer me a fellowship. Unless that school is in the Dallas area or UT Tyler, that's not gonna happen. *sigh* I can't get caught up in the shoulda coulda wouldas, though - I have a pretty darn good deal going here - a fantastic, supportive husband and wonderful son who are both such blessings. And really, what would I do with a PhD at this point? Maybe I'll work toward that slowly if the public school teacher gig doesn't float my boat.

This little piggy...

closed our freaking school down. Thanks to a friend who is in the "know," I found out about 5 minutes before it was posted as breaking news on our local newspaper website and about 10 minutes before the school sent me a Flash Alert at 9:00 p.m. There has been a "suspected" case in our district, so...

Hey folks, I know you sort of count on us watching your kids for, like, 8 hours a day while you make a living or do some other worthwhile stuff, but SURPRISE! we're closing down for two weeks, starting....NOW.

Seriously, it's not such a big deal for us because we have family that can help us out, and we actually got the message about there being NO SCHOOL TOMORROW, but what about those hundreds of parents rushing, rushing, rushing to make it to work on time tomorrow who drive up and find out that they gotta make some other arrangements for the next TWO WEEKS? Or what about those kids whose parents kiss them on the cheek and tell them to have a good day before they run out the door, leaving the kids to wait for the bus?

I am sooo thankful for family who can and is willing to help us out on such short notice! I have finals this week.

One Wish

Aaron: Mom, if you could ask for anything in the world, but only ONE thing, what would it be?

Me: I'd wish for my family to always be happy.

Aaron: We'd be kinda creepy if we were happy all the time, like when someone dies.

Touche'.

Monday Amusement

Seriously. From Gadling.com - some bizarre laws you may need to know if you enjoy international travel:

In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself while standing up, after 10 P.M.
Oooookay.

It is an offense for women of "ill repute or evil looks" to enter a cheese factory in Italy's area of Ferrara.
Because everyone knows ugly women are cheese thieves.

In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals -- so long as the animals are female. It is illegal to have sex with a male animal, however.
So.... oh, forget it.

In Scotland, it is illegal to be drunk while in possession of a cow.
Nope. Better go to Lebanon if you plan on getting your drink on while accompanied by your favorite cow.

In Thailand, it is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear.
Who's gonna . . . oh, nevermind.

In China, women are prohibited from walking around a hotel room in the nude; a woman may only be naked while in the bathroom.
Because God forbid your bed or closet door be forced to ogle your nude boobies.

In Hong Kong, a woman is legally allowed to kill her cheating husband -- but only if she uses her bare hands. The husband's lover, however, may be killed in any manner desired.
This one made the list?

The Difference

The difference between being a high achiever and an overachiever is slowly, painfully becoming clear to me. It's not something I've given much thought to during the past 10 years or so, but since I'm back in school and find myself being "graded," these concepts have thrust themselves back to the forefront.

I've always known I am a high achiever and do an especially great job when I really care about something or there is the promise of some sort of payoff (a good grade, a nice raise, some praise or a compliment from someone who 'matters'). It's just part of my personality and a trait I thank my mom for. The flip side is that tasks for which there is no reward or payoff are left to languish. For that, too, I can thank my mom. But you know what? I'll take the good with the bad - the net result is good!

Speaking of taking the good with the bad, I've sort of suddenly realized that I may not just be a high achiever, but an overachiever. This, I'm afraid, is not a good thing.

Case in point:
I find myself, having made the highest grade on a test, setting the literal and proverbial curve for the class, and being disappointed that I *only* made a 96. WHAT?!? That is craziness. Pure lunacy, I tell you. But it's true.

Case, part deux:
The professor picked my essay out of the entire pile of class submissions to illustrate his ideal. Awesome. Except look at that typo and that comma splice, and oh. my. God... he put my paper up on BlackBoard and now the whole class can see all my mistakes!

I've determined that I must be diligent to guard against the self-criticism, let go and just be happy with the 96, damn it. Now, if anyone can tell me how exactly to go about doing this, I'll be eternally grateful.

p.s. It was a 101 after the curve because I found an error in his grading after he'd added the curve so, bonus point!.
p.p.s. Okay, maybe I still have some work to do on this letting-go thing....

The Emperor's New Clothes

Image copyright Louise August

In my Adolescent Literature class, we're reviewing fables, folktales and fairy tales. The best thing about these stories, I think, are the universal truths that are interwoven. I think my favorite folktale of all time is Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes."

A full version of the story can be found HERE, but my very favorite part is the end:

"But among the crowds a little child suddenly gasped out, "But he hasn't got anything on."

And the people began to whisper to one another what the child had said.

"He hasn't got anything on."

"There's a little child saying he hasn't got anything on."

Till everyone was saying, "But he hasn't got anything on."

The Emperor himself had the uncomfortable feeling that what they were whispering was only too true. "But I will have to go through with the procession," he said to himself.

So he drew himself up and walked boldly on holding his head higher than before, and the courtiers held on to the train that wasn't there at all."

By parading his folly around for everyone to witness, he made an even bigger fool of himself. In the classroom, stories like these are great to teach kids lessons about human nature as well as to use as a springboard for creative writing. For example, I wonder what the emperor did next?

It's also easier for kiddos to recognize and identify the the moral of a story and relate to their own lives when it isn't written directly about them. Even though this tale was written in the late 19th century, it still offers a valuable lesson.

p.s. If you like the print I used, you can purchase an image plate from the artist, Louise August

Camel Poop

Aaron has learned to IM.

Well, to be fair, he has done a little IM-ing before, but only while one of us was standing by telling him what to type and do. Tonight I was sitting with my laptop in the living room and a Yahoo Instant Message popped up from Aaron (who was in his bedroom, a mere 25 feet away):

Aaron Bonner: you rock.[and smell.]

so, of course I responded ~
Jasmine Bonner: LOL
Jasmine Bonner: I don't smell as much as you
Jasmine Bonner: PeeeeEWWW
Aaron Bonner: ow ya
Aaron Bonner: like camel poop?


The internet is awesome. I did a quick Google image search for "camel poop" and found some real gems. Back when I was a kid, if I wanted photos of camel poo, I would have had to search a multitude of encyclopedias and scientific-type books, and even then, I may not have found one.

So, in honor of "Camel Poop:"

I have a new nephew!

Welcome, sweet Christoper Michael!! I cannot wait to meet you and hold you and give you a smooch right on the forehead!

Unfortunately between school, 3+ hours in the car commuting, a kiddo of my own who needs some sort of schedule in order to function and a husband who is STILL plugging away at work as I type this (at nearly 10 pm), I couldn't get to the hospital, another hour+ drive each way, today. I'm going to try try try to go tomorrow morning, but if I can't make that work, It'll have to be on Friday since Thursday is a 14+ hour day for me.

WAH! I wanna meet my nephew!! I have a photo (thanks, Jaelan!!), but it wouldn't be fair for me to post that on the internet before my photographer sister gets the chance to post one of her own. He is, after all, her child.

January 18, 2009

A day's worth of pictures. :)

Our relatively new kitty - we got him on Christmas Eve. He was nameless for a long time, then mom came to visit and decided his name must be Sylvester. I sort of think he looks like he just crawled out of the Pet Sematary in this picture.

Katy - THE happiest dog on the planet.

Sylvester and Chelsae are hunting partners.
No telling what they've got in their sights here.

Kitty and Katy are not the best of friends - maybe it's because
the cat doesn't respect Katy's toy boundaries.

Aaron thinks he and kitty ARE the best of friends.
I'm pretty sure I see fear in those feline eyes.

Forced kitty love. At least Sylvester's a pretty good sport about it. He purrs his fool head off when Aaron picks him up.

Sweet Chelsae Butter. She's getting to be an old girl!

Aaron and Daddy going over the airplane controls

This airplane was a Christmas gift for Pressly.

He and Aaron built it and he has deemed it Aaron's trainer.

Happy Birthday to my Fave Hippie!

Here's an awesome cake from PinkCakeBox for my Dr. Seuss loving mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Love ya'

Manna from ... heaven?

I think once I poked fun at my sister Jessica for owning a rice cooker. Why would you buy a rice cooker? I think I said something to the effect of "I have a rice cooker - it's called a pan with a lid!"

After several failed attempts at cooking edible brown rice I decided to buy a cooker. The rice turned out perfectly and I didn't have to watch the pan for an hour or more!

So remembering some yummy cafeteria fare from my youth, I mixed some butter and brown sugar into the leftover rice, took a few bites then shared the rest with Aaron. His reaction? "This is SO DELICIOUS!!" I agree - it was pretty darn tasty. Plus, it was long grain brown rice, so it was chock full of fiber and other tasty nutrients. :D

I don't talk to hippies!

Me: Are you ready for a hair cut? You’re starting to look like a hippie.

Aaron: What’s a hippie?

Me: (squirming a bit) A hippie is someone from the 1960’s and 1970’s who let their hair grow really long. They also didn’t follow all the laws or rules of society, but instead had their own ideas of how society should be and they believed in peace and love.

Aaron: Was your grandpa a hippie?

Me: No, my grandpa was not a hippie.

Aaron: Well, were any of your ancestors hippies? (ancestors?!?)

Me: No, Not that I know…. Oh wait! Your Nana was a hippie! (how could I have forgotten about my own MOM?)

Aaron: (in a fit of giggles) Really? Your mom was a hippie?

Me: Yep – you want to call her and ask her?

Aaron: No! I don’t talk to hippies!!

Me: You talk to your Nana all the time!

Aaron: That was before I knew she was a hippie.

Maybe someday I'll make us some cream cheese, alfalfa sprout and black olive sandwiches like his hippie grandma used to make for me.

You Can't Hit a Home Run Every Time

Or so my wise husband says.

Christmas was really nice this year. I didn't battle the usual range of emotions I typically face around the holidays. Usually, I get really excited early (around Halloween), then in the midst of preparing for Christmas, sometime between Thanksgiving and the middle of December, I slip into a real funk. This year that wasn't the case at all, and it was so nice. I did miss the "up" part of the manic cycle a bit, but not having to deal with the "down" part was more than worth missing the euphoric phase.

So we prepared for Christmas, decorated the house, bought our gifts, wrapped most of them before Christmas eve, and had everything ready for Christmas. Here's where the not-hitting-a-homerun part comes in. Aaron's reaction to his Santa gifts was flat, to say the least. He got a new bicycle, some Batman legos he's been asking for, a game for his Wii, some puzzles and two coveted Webkinz. Oh, and a 4' tall stocking crammed full of stuff. He walked into the living room, looked at the bicycle, looked over it to see what was behind it, looked around the room without even cracking a smile then went for his stocking. Pressly and I were sort of just stunned. All we could do was look at one another and shrug.

In retrospect, I think we identified the problem. You see, Santa didn't bring Aaron anything that was on his list this year. Maybe because that blasted list contained things:
a) that simply don't exist (a particular Transformer Mini-Con that exists only on the video games)
b) which were unreasonable (the minifigures from various retired Lego sets selling for $50++ EACH on ebay - just the figures, not the sets!!)
c) that were simply not possible to get (a Webkinz that hasn't been released yet)

Oh, and his list changed about 48bazillion times. No exaggeration. (c'mon - I don't exaggerate!)

We explained to Aaron that Santa's magic can only stretch so far. I'm afraid the boy is doing the "math." He's very smart, but also a real dreamer who believes in magic and miracles. At least he hasn't cracked open the Encyclopedia to look up the entry on Santa Claus. (yet).