Freddy painted this for me. I love it!
Art!
Throwback Thursday
Once upon a time in Mexico….
Bite My Tongue
The following responses are things I wish I could say to people who ask silly and/or rude questions or make comments that are offensive. Some people do not realize how offensive some remarks can be, so consider this a heads up.
Offensive Remark #1 (to parent of homeschooled children): What about socialization?
What I want to sarcastically say: I’m totally against it! The kids spend most of the day locked in the closet.
The reality is that most homeschooled kids are very well socialized. You appear uneducated when you make a comment like this because you have obviously confused socializing with socialization. Socializing as we know it refers to hanging out with friends in social situations. Socialization refers to getting along and acting appropriately with people of all ages. Most homeschooled children are able to appropriately interact with adults, peers, etc., with little trouble. Parents go out of their way to have interaction with homeschool groups and play groups as well as shuttle the kids to dance class, the library, church, museums and the local nursing home. I think that covers socialization quite well.
Offensive Remark #2 (to parent of homeschooled children): Aren’t there some “gaps” in their education?
What I want to say: Why do you consider it your business? What do you remember from high school? Can you give an example of an isotope? Can you tell me what you know about fractals? When you give me a confused look, I can then tell you, “Oh, I see I found your gaps!” Face it—we all have them. The reality is that education and intelligence are partly about knowing where to find information not stored in our heads!
Offensive Remark #3: People should choose a spouse that is of the same race.
What I want to say: Are you referring to the human race?
The reality is people are people. No race is better than another.
These three examples are the ones that bug me a lot, but there are more. Others include (but are not limited to) things like: Why can’t everyone speak English? We should send all the foreigners back to their home countries. I’m sure you can add your own examples. I am trying to be less judgmental and more thoughtful. I wish others would do the same.
Wordless Wednesday
We used to take the kids to this duck pond in Virginia.
Jinx!
If you have been reading the blog lately, you are aware that we recently adopted dog number three. 🙂 Her name is Jinx, and she’s a white chi mix with very sharp teeth. She started out on her best behavior, of course. According to Bela and her bestie Gen, the “honeymoon” is over! Last night the girls took her out to play, and they came in looking disheveled, leaves and grass in their hair and teeth marks on them! The puppy won the battle and the war!
They told a horrific tale about getting bitten, chased and mauled by a 10-pound pup. Oh, the humanity! As you might imagine, I got a tummy ache from laughing so hard. After all, a little dog like that is infinitely more manageable than a 100-pound dog, right? The girls do not agree. I heard shrieking outside and looked out the window. As a witness to the “attacks,” I can only say the kids were stretched out in the grass laughing. Not exactly convincing “victims” of a brutal “puppy attack,” am I right?
This little girl looks way too innocent to be so rotten. I think the girls decided to make up a story for my sympathy. If Jinx bit them, she was only trying to “taste” her favorite kids. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! Judge for yourself—does this look like the face of a vicious pup?
Jinx!
What innocence!
Cyber bullying?
I consider my teen a relatively well-adjusted girl. She has (so far) been a low maintenance, low drama kid, for which I am extremely thankful. While she’s a good kid, she is not perfect. No kid is.
Last night she was on YouTube checking out some videos of her favorite bands. Some of the singers are gay or bisexual. Bela said she saw some nasty comments from a “hater,” so she responded. He was spewing anti-gay venom, so she defended “her” band. His response was to insult her and tell her she is “irrelevant” and that she should commit suicide.
Bela said, “That’s the first time anyone had ever said something like that to me, and it stung.” Of course it did! I can imagine her first reaction was shock. Nobody talks to her that way. Then she was probably mad and hurt. I can’t blame her for that! At least she was able to defend.
We talked about what he said. A lot. I pointed out that someone who goes straight to insults is exhibiting a shortage of logic to prove an argument. This guy also showed a lot of venom to a stranger for no reason. Can people not agree to disagree and move on? This guy didn’t. I explained that she should have just ignored his negative comments because his opinion has no relevance or importance in her life.
That kind of bullying is out of Bela’s experience. Let’s check out the flip side of that. Imagine, if you can, a child who hears nothing but venom. Those comments are eventually internalized. Think about kids who are consistently told they don’t matter, that they should die, that the world would be better without them in it. Teachers, are specific students coming to mind? If so, what are you going to do about it?
Every child needs a compassionate adult who will say, “You matter to me. You are important and loved.” If not, the negativity seed will take root and flourish. The insults will be taken to heart instead of discarded. I think every teacher should have a “no insults” policy. I saw it work in my classroom. Adults need to talk to students and let them know that every comment they make has an impact, either positive or negative. Students must be challenged to think about their actions and be held accountable.
Let’s make our kids confident enough to accept criticism, evaluate the source and discard or change accordingly. Insults do not count as a valid criticism. Criticism is to help people improve.
Caturday!
I was trying to do my homework!
Full Concentration
Summer is winding down fast, sadly. I am not (yet) mentally ready to step back into the classroom, but I’m getting there. Maybe this year I can give 100% to my classes. I know that sounds bad, but it’s the reality.
My attention has been divided due to the grad classes I have just finished. Any teacher out there can attest to the fact that a teacher must constantly multitask and prioritize. For the past two years, I have juggled two or three classes each semester. I spent the two years before that completing some Nebraska requirements. I have worked hard, but in a multitasking way.
This school year, I will focus fully on my students. It feels like a dream come true! Fellow teachers, you know what I mean. It will be exciting to put my knowledge into practice. I feel very optimistic about helping my students improve their Spanish this year. I will definitely be pushing them harder. People in our town will have to adjust to hearing me speak only Spanish to my students no matter where I see them. Some will be angered by it, but I know what is best for my students. If I don’t use what I’ve learned, what good was all the time I spent studying?
One More, Please!
Once upon a time in Nebraska, we had two little dogs. My little girl, Boxi, came from the pound. I originally adopted her and her cage mate, Osito (little bear). They both came down with the dreaded parvo; Osito didn’t make it, but Boxi did. I was saddened to lose Osito, but thankful Boxi pulled through. I had planned to have a pair of dogs to keep us company, so I was “missing” one.
Enter Julia and A. R. K. (Animal Rescue of Kindness). Julia put a picture of Chance on Facebook. At first I wasn’t sure we should meet him. After discussing it with Bela (for days), we decided to give Chance a chance. We took him home with us the day we met and have never been sorry. He’s been a wonderful little dog, and so has Boxi. I thought our pack was complete.
Recently Julia posted another little dog in rescue. Her name was Roxy (which sounds a lot like Boxi). She’s a young chi mix with a brown eye patch and freckles on her nose. Julia said she was a bit timid, but very sweet. She needed a family.
I think little dogs are a lot like potato chips—you can’t have just one. That being said, I am also of the opinion that adding a third dog to the pack can be a bit tricky, depending on the personalities involved. Since Boxi hates to ride in the car, we loaded Chance up to go meet Roxy. After a few minutes of mutual sniffing and no growling, we figured it would be safe to take her home with us.
Once home, Roxy and Boxi were able to get acquainted. Again, no growling! Bela and I were elated. It went so much better than we could have dreamed! I don’t want to jinx us—that reminds me—we changed her name from Roxy to Jinx. She comes when we call her, and she has been on her best puppy behavior. I know there will be bumps in the road, but we are ready. It’s so nice to be able to hang out in the living room with our three peaceful little furkids.
Suffice it to say, a dog in need has friends indeed. 🙂
Bela and Gen with Jinx and Boxi
Chance and Boxita
A Little “Off”
Chance and Boxita
If you live in a multiple-pet (or kid) household, you know there’s a lot to do. You also know that some things just don’t get done sometimes. Is there fur in the floor? Probably. Is a cat stalking me? Usually. Does someone want attention? Definitely. Do all the pets feel well? Not sure. And that is an important issue to me.
My two little “barkleys” have been together for a couple of years (at least). They mostly coexist happily. The last two or three days, however, I have noticed that my little girl, Boxi (pronounce it “bosh-ee), is not acting just right. I can’t say what exactly is “off,” but it feels like something is. She snapped at Chance for walking around her on the bed. Bela broke up the squabble since I was in the shower, but Boxi was doing some trash talking.
She has been wandering around the living room instead of finding her favorite comfy spot to nap. Boxi usually loves napping on the bed with me, but lately she has been under the dresser. I could understand that in the case of a strong, loud storm, but not when it’s quiet time. Maybe I worry too much. After all, she’s not barfing or anything. I will definitely keep en eye on her. I’m hoping she’ll snap out of her “funk” soon.
Ramblings of a Perforated Mind 