And This Is Why I Am In Trouble

I made bean soup, the girls' favorite meal, for their birthday yesterday. Only Aaron isn't a fan of the soup. Melina usually eats it happily.

Yesterday evening, when Melina came to the table to eat dinner, she looked at the meal that I had set at her place. Her lip started to quiver, and she put her head down. I saw a few tear drops hit the floor, and I had no idea what the problem was.

Me: Melina, what is wrong?
Melina: I didn't want bean soup. I wanted pasta.
Me: But you love bean soup. What's wrong with the bean soup?
Melina: If I drop the bean soup on my dress, it will stain.

Apparently, Melina is more concerned with fashion that with food. God help me.

One Decade Down

Zoe and Talia turn 10 today. I remember feeling, last year, that I needed to make every moment with them count, and since the year went fast, I guess I better get going. It seems so unreal that my little ladies can be 10. The girls asked me this morning if they would feel any different, and while I said probably not, I think it is because I can't really remember what turning 10 felt like. I remember turning 10, which at the time it was a big deal, but did I feel different? Really, I just don't know.

I don't have the right words to convey to the girls what I hope they gained from the first decade of their life, nor can I tell them what I'd like for them to garner in the decades to come. But I can say this: it has been a privilege and a joy to be blessed with two little, funny, beautiful, kind, generous, smart, lovable, identical yet not, girls like them. I would have never thought it possible to love anyone as much as I love them (and of course, their siblings), and I look so forward to the years we have ahead of us.

Happy Birthday, Zoe and Talia!

Homework

If you know anything about me, you know that I believe homework to be important. You probably also know that I don't think our kids get enough homework. While I do not think simple busy work is necessary, I do believe that practicing what you are learning is integral to actually succeeding. I certainly wouldn't watch someone tell me how to run 26.2 miles, and then think I could do it without practice. And, I wouldn't even try to play a piano concerto by only going to piano lessons once a week. In my mind, practicing what you are learning is tantamount to mastering the subject.

The teachers have said that with all of the things they do during the day, they don't feel that homework is important. The principal, who is in his second year at the school and is working hard to keep a standard of excellence for the school, has up until now, supported the teachers. However, Mr. C is open to comments and suggestions. Plus, he and I so far have a good rapport. It isn't odd for me to pop my head in and ask him a question from time to time, when I am in the building. Last week, I did just that.

First and foremost, Mr. C. acknowledged my homework concerns. I was coming off a volunteer stint with some 4th graders who, even now, do not know their multiplication facts. Because they don't know them, they are having trouble with division, and the introduction to algebra that Mrs. M is giving them. I could tell they were frustrated, and it frustrated me! Truth be told, the parents clearly aren't doing anything at home; how hard is it for the teacher to send a worksheet home? A bit of practice, and those tables will be memorized! Mr. C could appreciate where I was coming from.

He then mentioned that there are 2 sides to the homework issue. He figured, and he was right, that I already knew about the debate, so we didn't go into the pros and cons of homework. He isn't going to sway me, at least not in terms of my kids. Perhaps some kids don't need the practice, but mine do. Mr. C mentioned that I could request homework from the teachers, and that they should abide by my request. He applauded my efforts to get the best education for my kids. The conversation was short but useful to me.

But the debate topic got me thinking. Who funded the research that says that homework isn't useful? And who supports that thinking the most? I can appreciate it if educators themselves don't like giving homeowork. I am an educator myself. The more homework I give, the more work I have to do at home. However, even at the college level, most of my students benefit from repeated exposure, which they are getting by doing the assignments. So, while I admit that I haven't done my own research into the topic, I guess I very well should, just so that I am more informed.

I think I just gave myself some homework!

Feelin' The Love

I have had a headache for much of the past 4 days. I don't usually get headaches, unless I am dehydrated or hungry, neither of which applies in this case. I have had a sinus headache before, the type where you want to pound your head against the wall. But I don't have a cold, and my teeth and cheeks aren't hurting either. Perhaps it is the weather, or the fact that my hormones might be cycling differently these days. I don't have an answer, and I don't expect you to have one.

But on a day like this -- when my head hurts, the cats have already destroyed the basement again, and the rain is falling quickly -- I'd like to crawl back into bed and not come out. As I pulled out of the driveway to bring Melina to school, I had to stop myself from pulling back into the garage. The only thing that kept me going forward was the fact that I was expected to help with 4th grade this morning. If not for that, I would have called Melina's school, told them she wouldn't be coming, and we'd have snuggled up with some tea and books.

Lest you think this post will be nothing but one large complaint, the reason I started writing today was because, in the midst of all this yuck, I've been feeling the internet love. I don't get that many comments on my musings, but just enough to know that the people I know and love are out there and listening. And I appreciate every comment, even the snarky ones. So thanks for the love. On days like this, I could really use it.

Torn

So. I have mentioned many a time that we have cats. Usually, when they do something wrong, I sit here before the computer, vent, and move on.

At this point, though, I am tired of my cats, and stand at a crossroad. I hate to say that I might slip with a lovely overdose of insulin, but as wicked as that sounds, I just might. These two critters, my once beloved Lucy and Ferdinand, are actually driving me bananas.

Here is the short list of their egregious (and repetitive) errors:

1. Urinating on the basement carpet, and not in the litter box.
2. Defecating on the basement carpet, and not in the litter box.
3. Vomiting just about anywhere, and of course, not in the litter box.

You might say that we should just train them to clean it all up, but that ain't happening. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired from cleaning up after these cats. I think they do these things to make me angry, or to tell me that they are angry.

Here is why I think they might be angry:

1. One of them urinated outside the box and the urine ran in front of their food bowls. Therefore, to eat, they had to stand in a light coating of urine. Disgusting, right? I agree. But I can't check on their habitat 3 times a day just to make sure it is clean.
2. There was poop in the litter box. Yep, there was. BUT THEY HAVE THREE (3) LITTER BOXES TO USE! If I found poop in one of my three toilets, I'd just use another one, wouldn't you? Or flush it, of course. Which makes me think we should get flushing litter boxes.
3. The blue water bowl wasn't full. Can we say prima donna? Again, they have more than one water bowl to use.

Any suggestions from the cat lovers? I'll take any advice I can get. I am assuming that the cat haters I know would just fill that syringe a little fuller the next time we give Ferdinand the insulin.

Different Views

This was my conversation with Zoe last night.

Z: Mom, I think I might need deodorant for gym class days.
Me: You do? Why do you think that?
Z: Um, because I get all sweaty and then I stink.
Me: You do? How do you know?
Z: Well, I sniffed myself.
Me: Okay, well. Let me sniff.
Z: Okay. [Zoe lifts up her arm, and I sniff.]
Me: Yep, you do.
Z: [Smile]
Me: [Freak]

Neither Zoe nor Talia argued with me this morning when I asked them to take a quick shower before getting ready for school. In fact, they were more than willing. And when I gave them my deodorant (I later went to the store and got them each their own), a smile spread across each of their faces, an epic smile, as those two are wont to say.

This growing up thing? I am not ready for it, that is for sure. And those two? Well, I think they just might be.

Monday Mornings

I used to like Monday mornings. Yes, my feelings went against the consensus, but I did. The kids would go off to school, and I could start on my week. The quarter I taught on Monday mornings was a bit difficult because I felt like I started the week running instead of walking. But aside from that, Monday and a new week were always somewhat exciting.

Until recently. Now, Monday mornings have become the bane of my existence. For a multitude of reasons (which might be discussed in another post), including the very loud snoring of my wonderful husband, I haven't been sleeping well. And then, Monday morning comes too soon.

The kids come down, a bit after I've literally stumbled out of bed, and the questions start. What is for breakfast? Have you seen my bag? Mom, are you coming for math centers today? What is evolution? How do our kidneys work and what do they do? And what about organ transplants? Seriously, all of those questions have been posed on a Monday morning.

I am thrilled that the kids are thinking, but the clanging of the voices is what gets to me sometimes. So right now, I am letting in all the silence that encompasses the 30 seconds it takes for Melina to drink her water. It has infused me, and reinvigorated me, and hopefully, it will make up for the fact that I will be working on 4.5 hours of sleep last night. We'll see.