A Good Teacher is Hard to Find!

Last week I got to meet with some of Beulah's teachers. We talked about how things were going in class and what some of the expectations were. After looking at some of Beulah's work and assignments, I remembered back 22 years to when I was in 9th grade, and I met my favorite teacher of them all, Mr. Harry Steinmetz (pictured to the left). He taught my World History and Geography class and he was my first teacher who seemed to be really demanding, and yet he was so interesting. He assigned us challenging assignments and projects. (I had to write a paper on a Great Topic using the Great Classics, i.e., guys who have been dead for over 300 years. I choose, "The Consequences of Sin: The Loss of Charity and Grace") His tests were unforgivably hard. He treated us with respect, though; he knew we were able to learn and he coddled no one. He also was the speech coach, and while I always underperformed, I enjoyed being on the speech team with him for a couple of years. It's amazing how some teachers are such jewels--so capable of making complicated information accessible and so full of energy to inspire greatness. I don't think Beulah has such a teacher this year, unfortunately, but I understand how rare they are. I had maybe five or six really excellent teachers out of my time in high school.

Thank Hevean for Little Girls

So far so good with my new childcare gig. Goose gets to have two little girls over to play during the day and they get along pretty well--most of the time. They were all feeling musical during lunch time today, and the blond girl sang "I Have a Little Turtle" and the black-haired girl sang, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Goose was so excited she couldn't wrap her tongue around any song she already knew so she started singing about her nose. They all have a dancing and tumbling class this afternoon (in our family we call it "Pretty Girl Dancing School").

Oh, and here are three songs I hear on the radio that make me feel like a teenager again!

Magnificent, by U2

No You Girls, by Franz Ferdinand

Farewell to the Fairground, by White Lies

Conservatives Who Embarrass Me

After hearing about concerned parents who refuse to let their children view President Obama's upcoming address to school-children I have to throw in my two cents.
First of all, I guess it really is up to parents to teach and protect their kids but COME ON! He is the legitimately elected president of the country and while I don't agree with his agenda or priorities I realize that he knows his way around a microphone and can be incredibly inspirational. I appreciate all the comments he has made in the past about working hard in school and turning off the TV. I believe he is politically astute enough to talk to the nation's children and not throw in controversial salvos--he wouldn't want to give his political opponents ammunition. This whole deal is probably a chance for him to reintroduce himself as the positive, can-do guy who got elected. I do think that he is very egocentric (I am skeptical about his motives here) and he is definitely not my favorite president, but let's let him shine where he shines.
If he does try to indoctrinate my children, I will be there to talk to my kids and tell them why and how I disagree.
What bothers me is the knee-jerk reaction some conservatives have; it makes us all look dumb and is identical to the way certain liberals hated everything about George Bush. I don't want to be that way.

A few pictures from our trip

I Can't Believe It's Gone :(

I am not happy about school starting tomorrow. As I think about each of my kids I wonder if I spent enough time this summer giving them my love and support and attention. Did I nag them too much? Yell at them too much? Ignore opportunities to talk with them? And now they're going to be gone all day (except for Goose, of course) and by the time I have next summer with them, they'll all be a year older and that much closer to being gone.

Some good things happened this summer. We did go on bike rides together and sometimes we worked in the yard together and one day we colored pictures together. But so much time was wasted on my part.

Our trip to San Diego was good. At the time, there were occasions when I thought we had way too much time all together, but all in all, it couldn't have been better. The ocean was beautiful and fun and T-Bone, Janey, Husband and I all got to snorkel around the cove and see fish swimming around. The zoo was interesting and Goose actually walked almost the whole time. She came face to face with an orangutan and said "Hello." Cheeseball couldn't believe how big the anaconda in the reptile house was. Janey liked taking pictures of the panda in the tree. Legoland was also great. Even Beulah couldn't resist the charm of the millions of legos that made up Miniland, with it's replicas of New York City and Las Vegas. Cheeseball had the time of his life, and T-Bone had a fun time being big enough to do everything he wanted to do, including selecting a level 5 intensity for the ride that picks you up and shakes you.

Yep, the summer definitely went too fast.

From the Fourth

It took me forever to get the pictures from Janey's camera, but we finally did. We had a fun 4th of July and enjoyed the parade. We were in shade and cloud cover for the most part. This vet in the jeep rides in the parade every year. He is a Pearl Harbor survivor. Ever since I saw Saving Private Ryan I have had a huge appreciation for these brave men who have fought to keep our country free and safe. Goose's favorite part of the parade was seeing Darth Vader.

Remember, it's only wind

So said a man as he passed me and Husband as were riding up to the canyon. The road has a slight incline and the wind is really strong, so it provides a lot of drag, making my slowness extra slow. Of course, I knew the wind was a factor and I wasn't about to give up, so after the man was ahead of us, I made a snarky comment to Husband that the guy was probably one of those obnoxious motivational dudes who has statements like, "Remember, it's only wind,' stenciled on his wall.

I am frustrated that I am such a slow biker. Everyone passes me, always. I don't care too much because I'm not competitive with things that I'm not good at, but I would like to be just a little faster somehow.


Speaking of faster, yesterday was my first time going downhill on a bike and not being scared. We had ridden to our target destination (we arrived there a couple of minutes after I excoriated Husband for having deceived me about how far away the place really was--I am really not very nice when I've struggling with something and I was struggling, struggling up this hill). And then we turned around and somehow the downhill going was different than it's been before. It felt good and I sensed I was in control, and I smiled at and "Good Morning"ed the bikers going the opposite direction (after one particularly big smile, I gloriously swallowed a tiny bug, yikes).


Janey and Cheeseball are home from church sick. Janey has been dizzy with a headache for a couple of days and Cheeseball was dizzy and throwing up a little this morning, but seems to feel better now. We have been really blessed with good health this year and have hardly missed anything due to illness.