Weddings

Why are they usually so complicated, and so much work? I could answer that question, but I am too tired from helping get ready for my sister-in-law's wedding tomorrow. Heck, I didn't even do that much. Other family members have done much more.

It's supposed to get down to 40 degrees tonight! I love sleeping when it's chilly. Now, as long as it warms up quickly in the morning . . . . I dug through my 3-6 months clothes, and I couldn't find a little jacket or sweater for M to wear tomorrow morning. How is this my third girl, and I don't have anything like that for her to wear? So it's either a full-on winter dress (I'm not ready for that yet), or she wears a summer dress with a blanket that will be instantly pulled off.

Guilty Conscience

This afternoon, I got up from my desk to get some housework done. I say quietly to myself, "Alright . . . ," just thinking out loud, kind of like "alright, I guess I'll do some laundry now." S was in my path and heard me. She whimpers and takes off running to the other end of the house! What had she done?? I'll have to try that next time I need some peace and quiet. Heh, heh, heh.

I'm back, maybe.

It's been a while, and the itch to write is getting to me, so I think I'll start this up again. This time I'm staying away from the politics, and focusing on ordinary, daily items. I'll sometimes change certain details to protect the innocent (or not-so-innocent) children mentioned here. Wouldn't want an 11 year old S to read something here that she did when she was 5 and be mortified.

Why did you give me an "F"?

I just read a hilarious post on how to give grades to students, and just have to share. Ahh, the good old days of teaching. I'm so glad that I don't have to worry about that stuff now, but it sure is fun to remember. Any current or former teacher will appreciate these helpful hints from ChemJerk. I'm not sure if a nonteacher can truly appreciate it, but do correct me if I'm wrong.

Read to your kids

For various reasons, I have been slacking lately, but today, thanks to the Carnival of Education at The Education Wonks, I ran across a most excellent post on the role of parents in their children's literacy. No groundbreaking new research; nothing like that. The writer, Brett, expresses so clearly what I and many others have always felt. Children, from a very young age, must be surrounded by books, and read to from those books. Income is no barrier; public libraries abound. Parents who do not do this are not doing their job, and are risking their child's future.

The Allure of Buttons

I keep a small box of buttons on our bookcase. The box is one of those decorative types, with a picture of an apple on it, that a student gave me once upon a time. It is where I stash all of those extra buttons that clothing manufacturers so kindly give you. I'm not sure why I bother to keep them, because I never actually sew a button on if I can help it. Perhaps it's the nice rattly sound the box makes when you shake it. This morning S. looks up, and requests the box. I, being no fool, tell her no, that it's not for little girls. She, thinking to help her cause, explains what she is going to do with the buttons: eat them!

Stupid Fashion Buyers

What is up with the clothing purchasers for retail stores? Don't they know that lots of children grow unexpectedly in the middle or end of the winter? My little one has grown recently. It is still cold outside. Actually it is kind of cold in the house too, due to my unwillingness to pay $300 a month for natural gas. So I want to buy her a few long-sleeved shirts to tide her over til warm weather comes. No can do. All of the lousy stores in my area have switched to summer fashions. I even went to Penney's Saturday hoping for some winter leftovers on the clearance rack. Absolutely nothing. Apparently other parents already beat me to it. So she only has like two shirts that fit her, which makes the laundry situation difficult to say the least.

My other pet peeve has to do with toddler pajamas. She has also outgrown those. Of course, there are no more winter pjs left either, but I think I can keep jamming her in her current ones for a while, as long as she sucks in her tummy when I zip her up (once I zipped a smidge of belly skin - she screamed - I felt terrible). But I did want to get her some pjs that are made of a normal material (not the ever-popular fleece) for when the weather warms a little. The stores are full of spring/summer pjs. Tons of choice, and they all looks so fetching. Problem is that they all have short sleeves. Come on, people! You cannot get a 17 month old to keep her arms covered at night. Plus in the summer, we use the A/C, and I suspect many other Americans do. So the little tikes need long sleeve pajamas made out of a thin material. So I think to myself: I could just put her in a long-sleeved shirt for bed. No one will care if it's a shirt and not really pajamas. Oh, wait! She doesn't have enough long-sleeved shirts that fit! Arrgghh.

Word to the wise: Buy toddlers nightgowns at your own risk. They look so deliciously adorable, but they make it awfully easy for the little urchin to get her diaper off. You know what happens next.

Gardening

Last week we had one of those false spring episodes when the weather suddenly warms, you pull out your short sleeves and sandals, and you get the garden going. Now, of course, we're back in the midst of blustery cold weather, but the garden is still planted with the early spring crops, and some have sprouted. So far I can see carrots, lettuce (a ten-variety mix!), spinach, and onions. We also put in some peas, and for the first time, leeks. I'm not sure how well they will do - apparently they take about 5 months to grow. For anyone not familiar with them, go buy a few at the store, and make some potato/leek soup (poireaux et pommes de terre). It's a French favorite, and delicious.

No fuss recipe:
Wash leeks very carefully. You have to partially slit them open to get out the dirt.
Chop leeks. Chop potatoes.
Put in pot and cover with water.
Simmer until potatoes are as soft as you like.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add a little cream or milk to taste.

Enjoy!

They are not terribly cheap at the store, and I like to use them often, and in other recipes, so I'm hoping to have a good crop. They can be pulled whenever you need them, so I shouldn't be faced with 47 leeks all at once.

Where have all the flags gone?

Remember after 9/11 when nearly everyone had those magnetic U. S. flags on their cars? Gradually, they disappeared. I was reminded of that brief period of fervent patriotism today when I saw an elderly lady driving by with one afixed to her vehicle. Other than rare exceptions like that, the rest have gone. I am curious as to what went through each individual's mind as he took the flag off of his car. Did some people make a conscious decision that they did not feel patriotic enough to display the flag? I realize that the national mood has changed greatly for some since those post 9/11 days when patriotism was cool, but I know many who are still proud to be American. Or did we just feel that the period of national mourning had gone on long enough? Or did some people simply remove them because they did not want to be the only person on the block with one left on? I ask, because, I am embarrassed to say, that I had never bought one (extremely tight budget at the time), and so never made the decision to remove one or keep one on my car.