Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The March of Time
Well, I'm on my March "break", which, truth be told, has been pretty nice so far. I spent the whole of Monday cleaning my house, but it had been so long since I'd had the time to do that, (time alone, that is) that it was a good experience. And the result is very satisfying. I miss housework. How sad is that?
Today I must dedicate to the marking of mid-term essays, a bewilderingly time-consuming part of this job, one that just about every teacher would rather outsource if they could.
We are patiently awaiting the arrival of our puppy. He is coming to us in May, on an airplane from B.C. It's a long story. We are so looking forward to meeting him and having a dog, and I have the whole blessed summer to get to know him and help him to learn and adjust to life in this family.
Things are not so great in my life right now, but the kids are all happy and well, and the incipient arrival of Spring is gladdening all of our hearts these days. It's so nice to go out for a walk or bike ride after supper, while it is still light. Despite the unbelievable volume of garbage that appears when the snow melts (always a shock -- Where does it come from? I mean, a sippy cup? How did that get there?) we have the feeling that possibility is all around us. The optimism of Spring.
Well, I'm on my March "break", which, truth be told, has been pretty nice so far. I spent the whole of Monday cleaning my house, but it had been so long since I'd had the time to do that, (time alone, that is) that it was a good experience. And the result is very satisfying. I miss housework. How sad is that?
Today I must dedicate to the marking of mid-term essays, a bewilderingly time-consuming part of this job, one that just about every teacher would rather outsource if they could.
We are patiently awaiting the arrival of our puppy. He is coming to us in May, on an airplane from B.C. It's a long story. We are so looking forward to meeting him and having a dog, and I have the whole blessed summer to get to know him and help him to learn and adjust to life in this family.
Things are not so great in my life right now, but the kids are all happy and well, and the incipient arrival of Spring is gladdening all of our hearts these days. It's so nice to go out for a walk or bike ride after supper, while it is still light. Despite the unbelievable volume of garbage that appears when the snow melts (always a shock -- Where does it come from? I mean, a sippy cup? How did that get there?) we have the feeling that possibility is all around us. The optimism of Spring.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
It's ALIVE!!!
I'm sure nobody bothers to come here anymore, since it's been, like, a YEAR since I last posted something. But I think I'm about ready to try this again. So tune in regularly(ish) for scintillating news, ideas, tips and, let's face it, mostly complaining.
Yes, I'm still charmingly self-deprecating.
I'm sure nobody bothers to come here anymore, since it's been, like, a YEAR since I last posted something. But I think I'm about ready to try this again. So tune in regularly(ish) for scintillating news, ideas, tips and, let's face it, mostly complaining.
Yes, I'm still charmingly self-deprecating.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Spring!
There are so many things to blog about -- none of them earth-shattering, but I've had a whole lot of "deep thoughts" lately, probably the result of a break in my work schedule that allows idle thought for the first time in many months. Instead of boring you with all of that here, I'll bore you with some of what's been going on in the plot:
Fi-fi's birthday, Mother's Day, my birthday and our wedding anniversary all fell (as they do every year) within a two week period.
F's birthday was great: party at the pre-school (I was there.), family party on the day itself, and her first party with friends on the weekend. The weather was perfect for a back yard party; the hotdogs were burnt to perfection courtesy of the D., and our homemade pinata was genius -- a huge, black bull's head with horns and a ring through the nose. Hours of work for 3 minutes of whacking with a hockey stick, but that's what pinatas are all about, right?
Mother's Day was lovely, as it always is. Nothing fancy, but breakfast in bed (that I think I only got 2 bites of, as the little one was hungry and rather hoggish). We enjoyed ourselves and I got lots of homemade gifts and cards, including a lovely parsley plant that my son grew from a seed.
My birthday was grand, one of those rare magical days where everything and everyone feels like a blessing. My friend L. had us over for a birthday brunch (delicious and fun) and gave me a big bouquet of flowers; we went flower shopping at a lovely farmer's market; two friends dropped by, separately, over the course of the afternoon, and supper was wonderful, with tiramisu for dessert and lots of fabulous gifts, including a new perfume that I've been wanting (time for a change of scent. I'm 40!). Oh, and the day before the birthday I got my hair done and went out for supper with my hubby to a Mexican restaurant on St. Denis. Honestly? You couldn't ask for a better birthday than that. Yes, I'm 40. And that's...O.K.
The anniversary (our 13th wedding anniversary; we've been together almost 19 years all told) was nice. We never really do anything much for it, but we give each other a little more affection than usual, perhaps, and this year our daughter kicked us out of the kitchen and made supper for us (pasta with pesto, quite possibly the best batch we've had). She so awesome.
May is good. Spring has sprung in earnest, the world smells of lilacs, and I have 2 whole weeks to dedicate to preparing the course I'll be teaching this summer. What luxury!
Oh, and the end of my semester was great; lots of nice students gave me lots of positive feedback, enough to keep me going and keep me trying. Onward!
There are so many things to blog about -- none of them earth-shattering, but I've had a whole lot of "deep thoughts" lately, probably the result of a break in my work schedule that allows idle thought for the first time in many months. Instead of boring you with all of that here, I'll bore you with some of what's been going on in the plot:
Fi-fi's birthday, Mother's Day, my birthday and our wedding anniversary all fell (as they do every year) within a two week period.
F's birthday was great: party at the pre-school (I was there.), family party on the day itself, and her first party with friends on the weekend. The weather was perfect for a back yard party; the hotdogs were burnt to perfection courtesy of the D., and our homemade pinata was genius -- a huge, black bull's head with horns and a ring through the nose. Hours of work for 3 minutes of whacking with a hockey stick, but that's what pinatas are all about, right?
Mother's Day was lovely, as it always is. Nothing fancy, but breakfast in bed (that I think I only got 2 bites of, as the little one was hungry and rather hoggish). We enjoyed ourselves and I got lots of homemade gifts and cards, including a lovely parsley plant that my son grew from a seed.
My birthday was grand, one of those rare magical days where everything and everyone feels like a blessing. My friend L. had us over for a birthday brunch (delicious and fun) and gave me a big bouquet of flowers; we went flower shopping at a lovely farmer's market; two friends dropped by, separately, over the course of the afternoon, and supper was wonderful, with tiramisu for dessert and lots of fabulous gifts, including a new perfume that I've been wanting (time for a change of scent. I'm 40!). Oh, and the day before the birthday I got my hair done and went out for supper with my hubby to a Mexican restaurant on St. Denis. Honestly? You couldn't ask for a better birthday than that. Yes, I'm 40. And that's...O.K.
The anniversary (our 13th wedding anniversary; we've been together almost 19 years all told) was nice. We never really do anything much for it, but we give each other a little more affection than usual, perhaps, and this year our daughter kicked us out of the kitchen and made supper for us (pasta with pesto, quite possibly the best batch we've had). She so awesome.
May is good. Spring has sprung in earnest, the world smells of lilacs, and I have 2 whole weeks to dedicate to preparing the course I'll be teaching this summer. What luxury!
Oh, and the end of my semester was great; lots of nice students gave me lots of positive feedback, enough to keep me going and keep me trying. Onward!
Friday, May 02, 2008
One..toe..over...the...finish line!
Only one more week until I've officially finished my first academic year as a college instructor. I might just survive this! But I don't want to speak too soon...
Only one more week until I've officially finished my first academic year as a college instructor. I might just survive this! But I don't want to speak too soon...
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Earth Day Parenting, year 'round
Lately I've had occasion to wonder about the influence I have on my children. My eldest child, a very grounded, self-confident little girl, has in the past few months started walking home from school with some friends. Of course I encourage this because it is good exercise, fun, transition time from school to home, etc. All good. Unfortunately, however, one boy has joined the group who is not so nice. He has done some things that make my daughter uncomfortable, like shouting things at people on the street, etc. Last week she came home and told me that on the way home she had been picking up garbage off the streets and sidewalks, and this boy and some of the others were teasing her about this -- mild teasing, but it still bugged her.
Now let me explain: From a very early age I have taught my kids to pick up litter off the street and put it in the garbage whenever possible. Even the littlest one does it as a matter of course. (They know not to pick up broken glass or dog poop or other gross or dangerous stuff.) Every Earth Day we take a big garbage bag and go out and clean a designated area of all its litter. This past weekend we did this on Sunday, and my kids made signs that they wore on their backs saying "We're picking up garbage for Earth Day!!" It was fun, and a couple of my daughter's friends even came along. We make a bit of a spectacle of ourselves, but that's part of the point, right? The best thing about it is thefun. The second-best thing is that it makes the kids see garbage on the street as something that isn't right and that should be cleaned up. That way they won't litter, and they will have the impulse to pick up and throw away.
The question I asked myself on Sunday night was this: Am I setting my children up for a lifetime of mockery and derision by encouraging this behaviour? I know that not everyone does it, but I don't care about that. Should I care, on their behalf? Am I raising my kids to be wierdos?
I think the answer is that I'm raising them by imparting my values to them, which is really the only way I know how to be a parent. This kind of geeky stuff is what I think is right, and dammit it's fun, too! We love our Earth Day outings! I also want them to think "Who cares what those other kids say?" and do what they think is right. And that's what my daughter told me yesterday when she came home from school: She had walked to school and back with a big garbage bag and had picked up trash along the way (for Earth Day). When I asked her if her friends had helped she said no. When I asked if they teased her she said yeah, kind of, but not much. Then she said "But I don't really care what T______ says. He's just a jerk anyway." to which I say, Yeah. You go.
Lately I've had occasion to wonder about the influence I have on my children. My eldest child, a very grounded, self-confident little girl, has in the past few months started walking home from school with some friends. Of course I encourage this because it is good exercise, fun, transition time from school to home, etc. All good. Unfortunately, however, one boy has joined the group who is not so nice. He has done some things that make my daughter uncomfortable, like shouting things at people on the street, etc. Last week she came home and told me that on the way home she had been picking up garbage off the streets and sidewalks, and this boy and some of the others were teasing her about this -- mild teasing, but it still bugged her.
Now let me explain: From a very early age I have taught my kids to pick up litter off the street and put it in the garbage whenever possible. Even the littlest one does it as a matter of course. (They know not to pick up broken glass or dog poop or other gross or dangerous stuff.) Every Earth Day we take a big garbage bag and go out and clean a designated area of all its litter. This past weekend we did this on Sunday, and my kids made signs that they wore on their backs saying "We're picking up garbage for Earth Day!!" It was fun, and a couple of my daughter's friends even came along. We make a bit of a spectacle of ourselves, but that's part of the point, right? The best thing about it is thefun. The second-best thing is that it makes the kids see garbage on the street as something that isn't right and that should be cleaned up. That way they won't litter, and they will have the impulse to pick up and throw away.
The question I asked myself on Sunday night was this: Am I setting my children up for a lifetime of mockery and derision by encouraging this behaviour? I know that not everyone does it, but I don't care about that. Should I care, on their behalf? Am I raising my kids to be wierdos?
I think the answer is that I'm raising them by imparting my values to them, which is really the only way I know how to be a parent. This kind of geeky stuff is what I think is right, and dammit it's fun, too! We love our Earth Day outings! I also want them to think "Who cares what those other kids say?" and do what they think is right. And that's what my daughter told me yesterday when she came home from school: She had walked to school and back with a big garbage bag and had picked up trash along the way (for Earth Day). When I asked her if her friends had helped she said no. When I asked if they teased her she said yeah, kind of, but not much. Then she said "But I don't really care what T______ says. He's just a jerk anyway." to which I say, Yeah. You go.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Staring into the void -- er, fridge
Lately I seem to have lost all enthusiasm for cooking. It's sad.
Now, I've never been a great cook, but usually I like to try new recipes and I enjoy the process once I'm in it, even when making yet another vegetarian pasta sauce. But these days I just can't get over the **uuunnnhhh** of having to think about what to make. I even teach 2 nights a week, so I don't make supper those nights, D. does, so you'd think I'd have more enthusiasm on the nights at home when I get to cook for my family. That's how it was when I first started teaching. My nights at home meant 3- or 4-course meals -- old favourites done really well, or new things that tasted yum. And I made enough so that D. could serve leftovers on the nights when I had to be away.
Not now. I think it might be the winter blahs which, frankly, are affecting every other aspect of my life as well. But I just can't get 'round it. I look in the fridge some nights and, literally? I feel like I want to cry. Now isn't that pathetic?
Lately I seem to have lost all enthusiasm for cooking. It's sad.
Now, I've never been a great cook, but usually I like to try new recipes and I enjoy the process once I'm in it, even when making yet another vegetarian pasta sauce. But these days I just can't get over the **uuunnnhhh** of having to think about what to make. I even teach 2 nights a week, so I don't make supper those nights, D. does, so you'd think I'd have more enthusiasm on the nights at home when I get to cook for my family. That's how it was when I first started teaching. My nights at home meant 3- or 4-course meals -- old favourites done really well, or new things that tasted yum. And I made enough so that D. could serve leftovers on the nights when I had to be away.
Not now. I think it might be the winter blahs which, frankly, are affecting every other aspect of my life as well. But I just can't get 'round it. I look in the fridge some nights and, literally? I feel like I want to cry. Now isn't that pathetic?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Time moves
We're almost at the mid-point of the semester, my wee daughter is singing Easter songs she learned in preschool, and something about the quality of the sunshine yesterday tells me that spring is finally on its way.
That heavy, fast-falling wall of snow out there? Just an illusion, Grasshopper. Weather is irrelevant. We are being swept along in the stream of Time.
We're almost at the mid-point of the semester, my wee daughter is singing Easter songs she learned in preschool, and something about the quality of the sunshine yesterday tells me that spring is finally on its way.
That heavy, fast-falling wall of snow out there? Just an illusion, Grasshopper. Weather is irrelevant. We are being swept along in the stream of Time.
