A Name to Love

There are days when I wish I could change my name because all I ever hear - almost 24/7 - is "Mommy!  Mommy!  MOMMY!!!!" 

My almost 2 year-old child is constantly saying my name from the moment her eyes open and her feet hit the floor.  Almost ceasingly, she goes throughout her day yelling my name while she roams around, seeking to find me.  Sometimes I wonder if she even knows another word or recognizes the fact that someone else in the house - besides Mommy - can help meet her need/want/desire!

Just this morning my little toddler said my name EIGHT times in a row while she sat in her high chair and watched me prepare her breakfast.  She wanted to eat and she wanted the food NOW.  Obviously in her mind, saying my name repeatedly, each time with increased volume and fervency, would prod me to work faster in getting her meal ready.  

One would think that as a mother, I would love to hear the sound of my name being repeated over and over again - that the very utterance of my name would be as a melody in my ear.  That simply is not the case.  All I wanted to do this morning was to muzzle my child!  I jokingly asked my husband if there is a surgery - similar to that of taking away a dog's ability to bark - that could be performed on my toddler until she broadens her vocabulary.  Sadly, there is not, and although the very idea is inhumane, I wonder why it crosses my mind so frequently?

Before you judge, you have to remember that I have SIX children at home with me - all day long - who also love to say my name.  So, add five other children into the mix with the toddler who is always shouting my name and you can better understand why I am beginning to loathe my name! 

Ah, "Mommy" - I do love my name and I realize that the day is coming when I will want my kids to utter my name more frequently because they will be in that stage of development where Mom is so not cool but for now, I could stand to hear my name a little less.  Well, at least having a child say my name in a quieter tone and not so demanding!  :-)

Losing My Mind at Chuck E.'s Crib

So my friend decides to have her 4 year-old daughter's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese on a Friday night (5 PM start time).  I thought, "Hmmm...can't be too bad, right?  And I have friends visiting from out of town with kids, so we should definitely go."  Seriously - what was I thinking?!?  Chuck E. Cheese on a Friday night in Greenville?  That is like the only kid-friendly place to go during the winter!!!  And our town only has only one Chuck E.!!!!  Yeah...wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be.

Between my family and my friend's family, there were 9 kids to look after.  I'm glad Chuck E. Cheese has a child-protection system in place - giving each child and parent the mark which can only be seen under their super-duper special light - but honestly, that still doesn't make me feel safe enough to let my children roam aimlessly from game to game.  I am naturally a distrusting person when it comes to my kids which means that wherever I go, I am constantly keeping my eyes on them to make sure no stranger takes them or touches them inappropriately.  So Chuck E. may give each of us special little stamps, but he still has restrooms and who knows which awful pedifile is lurking and waiting to help my children go potty?  I shudder at the thought.  Now you can see while I am on edge at place like Chuck E.'s crib.

On a Friday night there were a TON of children and strangers!  I was losing my mind trying to keep up with everyone.  That already gave me a bit of stress but add loud music, strobe lights, and an extremely warm temperature in the building, I was ready to vomit and scream at the top of my lungs - anything to create extra space around me.  For goodness sake, I had an 8 week old child strapped to my chest (I use an Evenflo carrier) so I was already feeling closterphobic!!!  Someone get me outta there!!!!!!!! 

Don't think I'm a Chuck E. hater, but on a winter - almost spring - Friday night, it is pure insanity to bring your children to that place!  The food was good - or so I thought until this morning when the toilet became my best friend for an hour - and the games are extremely entertaining for young and old (like my husband) but I don't think the stress is worth the entertainment I strove to provide for my children.  The little girl had a fabulous birthday and I'm glad we were able to help celebrate but from now on, I make a vow, a solid committment NEVER to enter Chuck E.'s crib again on a Friday night.  Maybe a Monday night or some time during the day but never, ever, a Friday night again!   Here's to Chuck E. - thanks for the headache and memories!  And cheap prizes!  All children went home happy and all parents went home with migraines - priceless!

Just Call Me the Laundry Bunny

It's not that doing laundry is a pain it's just that this family of eight creates too much laundry so really I need to do roughly 3 loads per day in order to stay on top of things and to avoid the disaster that is awaiting me in my laundry room.  But, life happens, right?  I mean, I'm not always home 24/7 to do 3 loads of laundry and the thing that really impedes my progress is the dumb old dryer.  That thing makes me dry each load of laundry twice in order for clothes to become really dry!  What a waste of my time!!!  I guess I could start hanging clothes up outside but that requires more work!  My husband always tells me to work smarter not harder so I guess that means I will just continue to dry each load twice :)

I think we're reaching the point where we need at least two dryers.  I'm envisioning a laundry room similar to that of the Duggar household.  You know the family - 19 kids living with parents under one roof.  If you don't recognize their name, check them out on TLC (http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/duggars/19-kids-and-counting.html)  It makes sense to have more than one dryer if mine is currently getting used at least six times a day!  Maybe I'll have the kids help dry clothes by using a hair dryer.  Something has got to speed the process up and save me from this mountain of clothes.  Or maybe I'll spare the dryer and have the fam use my new underwear trick and apply it to all their clothes.  If only my infant would stop pooping through everything, then he could learn the trick too!

Searching for Inner Creative Genius

I read today that the world economy is going to take awhile to bounce back - lovely.  The whole economy, lack-of-stability thing has totally hit home hard these past 9 months.  After my husband and I both graduated with graduate and post-graduate degrees in December '08, we've been trying - unsuccessfully - to land a job.  With 5 children to feed and one on the way, our optimism and confidence is running a little low.  So, what are we doing besides daily searching and applying for jobs?  We're searching for our inner creative genius!!!

My husband and I are not pessimistic people and I try to find humor in every situation - keeps me sane - so as sit and wonder how we're going to make ends meet from day to day, we sat ourselves down and decided that now is the time to start some kind of business.  Our background and areas of expertise include education, government, political science, and law.  Surely we can come up with something, right?  We've hit the drawing board a dozen times this past month and keep tossing ideas into the garbage can.  But, I'm thinking a big idea will hit us soon - it just has to!  We're not going to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves - we'll keep pushing onward, but I just wish we could channel the creative genius that is inside both of us! :)

So, if you're out there without a job or you're not sure how you can make ends meet, keep your head up and channel that creative genius within you.  I'm sure we all can develop some idea to get us through or at least devise a creative plan to make ends meet.  Best of luck to all of us! :-)

Pregnancy Blues

Have I told you this is my seventh time being pregnant?  For those of you who've been pregnant before, you realize that gaining weight is a natural part of the blissful process of bringing forth a baby into the world, right?  And you don't have to be pregnant to realize the fact of gaining weight is natural for any pregnant woman, no matter how many times she has conceived and delivered before!

As I mentioned, this is my seventh pregnancy and I already have five children, ages 18 months to 8 and 1/2 years old.  I have gained a whomping total of 230 lbs (all of my pregnancy weight added togehter) and have lost 210 lbs.  I am not the scrawny woman I was at 20 years old when I got married 10 years ago, but I didn't think I was looking particularly obese either. 

I went to my check-up the other day and my doctor reminded me that I am only to gain 25 lbs upon which I immediately threw back my head and gave a hearty laugh.  She tilted her head and asked, "Do you gain more than this normally?"  "Look at me," I replied.  "I'm already in my 6th month of pregnancy and have gained about 16 lbs.  Do you think I can stick to just 25 lbs?"  I then told my doctor how much weight had I gained total with all of my pregnancies and pure shock registered on her face.  She looked at my chart and past medical history and said, "Well, I see that all your babies were healthy and you've never experienced gestational diabetes so I guess just continue your regular pregnancy routine - whatever that is."

What is my pregnancy routine?  It consists of eating sweets - but not too much - and working out for more than an hour 5 days a week at the YMCA.  Like I said, I thought I was doing pretty good, especially after the "orders" I received from my doctor.  Well, not everyone must share in my optimistic rosy perceptive of my appearance for when I stepped on the elliptical machine just 2 days ago, a complete stranger - some woman in her mid 50s - asked me when I was due.  After my response she looked at me and said, "Wow!  You are quite large to be only 6 months along!  It's good that you're working out though."  What?!?  I felt like saying, "Wow, your face is extremely ugly!  You should have consulted another plastic surgeon before your doctor did his damage.  And by the way, the leather look of your skin doesn't fit you so well."

But, no, I didn't say any of those things but rather I smiled and said, "It is my 7th pregnancy so I've been stretched out a bit.  But thanks for the encouragement."  She simply looked at me and shrugged her shoulders replying, "Well, I better stop talking and start exercising."  "Yeah, that's a good idea.  You have a great day!"  On the inside I was steaming and I felt as though someone had just punched me in the face.  Being pregnant I'm already more hormonal than usual and I tend to be taking things quite personally as of late.  Why do random strangers feel it is necessary to comment on the size of my belly?  I know I'm not the first pregnant woman to experience such rudeness but it's getting a bit old, people, really! 

Here I sit, a bit blue about the size of my belly and butt, yet I continue to push forward in terms of exercising and trying to eat less sweets.  It's not like I enjoy being pregnant when it comes to gaining weight, but I love children and I do enjoy feeling the baby move around inside me, knowing I'm bringing forth another wonderful human being into a somewhat chaotic world, but I just wish people could keep their lovely comments to themselves - inside their own heads!  Just let me be - I can see myself in a mirror so I don't need reminding from you about my ever-expanding belly!

Zoo Trip Brings Questions

To celebrate the last day before another school year began, my husband and I decided to take our five kids to the city zoo.  It's a quaint little zoo for we live in a rather small city in the South but nevertheless, it's a zoo which means the kids can enjoy viewing exotic animals, smelling the less than delightful odors of fecies, and running around.

We have been to many zoos across the United States and each time the kids squeal with delight as they watch the monkeys swing from tree to tree, alligators and crocodiles snapping their mouths, tigers and lions sitting underneath trees in the shade, reptiles slithering in their dark corners, and flaminogs prancing around near the water.  This trip proved to be like all the other zoo trips until we rounded a corner and saw two turtles doing something rather peculiar.

The ages of my children range from 17 months to 8 and 1/2 years which means they are totally curious about any and all movements, noises, grunts, etc.  My seven year old daughter was the first to witness the odd game the turtles were playing.  She wanted to know why the bigger one was insisting upon a piggy-back ride from the smaller turtle.  She concluded that the idea was simply unfair for it should be the smaller turtle riding on top of the bigger turtle, not vice versa.

Suddenly, we heard the big turtle groaning and grunting and trying to jump onto the smaller turtle.  My kids began to laugh at the sight and the sounds that were being acted out in front of us.  Of course none of the children realized that the big turtle was trying to mate and my husband and I just laughed with the kids.  The next question startled me though for my daughter wanted to know how to tell the difference between a boy and girl. 

What?  Had she seen something going on in this game between the turtles that I did not see?  I panicked for a split second before I realized that it wasn't necessary to go into the whole scenario of what was going on between the turtles because it was then I realized that my daughter had gone on to see the giraffe exhibit and was viewing the animals extremely closely.

I asked her if she could spot the difference between the two giraffes.  I figured I could make this into a "Highlights" type of game in which you view a picture of the same exact thing but in one picture, the item has been slightly skewed.  My daughter looked back and forth, back and forth, and finally she said, "One has something that is hanging down and the other one doesn't."  She peered up at me over her glasses with a slight smile on her face, was she right?  Did Mommy approve her assesesment?

I smiled back at her and replied, "You're right! That's the difference!  And if you look at other animals today, you might see the same difference."  "Can I call it a triangle?  It kinda looks like it." she said.  "Sure, honey, whatever you like."  For the rest of the trip, my daughter peered into each cage searching for the "triangle" upon which she would cry out, "That one is a boy!  That is a girl!"  At the end of our trip, she looked at me and then her daddy and I know what she was thinking..."Does Daddy have a triangle?"  I am so not going to answer that question now but at least my daughter learned how to critically think at our highly educational zoo trip!

Lessons Learned from a Toddler

This whole economy thing has been getting me down lately.  The past 8 months my husband and I have both continously filled out job applications and have consistently received letters of "although you are more than qualified for this position, you are not the best qualified."  It's been a constant socking to my stomach every time a rejection letter arrives in the mail or my inbox.  How long can this possibly go on?  My husband and I both graduated with either graduate degrees or post-graduate degrees in December 2008 and yet no one wants to hire us.  So, I've been a bit down lately.

The other morning, I was once again searching the internet for job postings in my area when I heard my 16 month old coming through the kitchen towards my office.  Her feet thudded the floor with every step she took.  She's been walking about 2 months now and yet she still wavers, falters at times when she walks - especially when she is excited.  I stopped my job search for awhile to watch her meander throughout the house.  Most of the time she made it successfully to her destination, however on other occasions, she fell to the hard with a loud thud.  Upon her unsuccessful attempts of walking, she would scrunch up her face and begin to whine a little and then she would stop.  She didn't waste much time on whining, but rather she pulled herself back up and proceeded to go towards whatever item for which she was searching.

As I sat watching her and thinking about my own attempts to find a job, I realized that maybe I've been whining too much in the situation I find myself in - no job for me, no job for hubby.  Seeing my 16 month old pull herself up time and time again, no matter how many times she had fallen, brough an epiphany to me: stand up, girl!  Dust your feet off!  Stop whining about your jobless situation and just keep filling out those applications.  One of them is bound to come back with a positive response, or at least an interview! 

So, here I sit searching for jobs, like I do every day, and I have a bit more bounce in my step, a sunnier disposition for my current situation.  I am qualified to do my job in the field of education, there will be a job coming my way, but I can't dwell on all the rejection notices but rather I just need to pull myself up and model the persistency of my almost-toddler girl.  It's a new day, maybe today is my day to secure a job!  No time to whine here - especially since I do have little ones watching how I respond to defeat.  Thank you, Daphne, for the lesson you've taught Mommy - I am forever grateful :)

Does America's Schooling Reflect Students' Character?

I picked up the most recent issue of The Economist today and found an interesting opinion piece regarding the lack of work ethic found in today's American students when compared to their counterparts in Europe and Asia.  The author, who is unnamed, attributes America's declining scores in international achievement tests and national standarized tests to the fact that our students have a shorter school year period and shorter school days to that of European and Asian students.  Therefore, the way to boost our students' test scores, and apparent motivation to perform well in school, is to call for legislation that demands our students attend 8 hour school-days, maybe even some Saturday schools, and definitely attend school year-round if our students are to compete in a global market.

I say, phewy!  What our students need in American schools today is that of character training infused into the curriculum and daily aspect of school.  As an educator I have seen many students' lack of motivation, responsibility, and respect decline in the past decade even though Congress has pushed to integrate character education or character development within public schools.  Think of the No Child Left Behind Act and you will notice that federal and state money was spent to secure character education programs which would help raise students' productivity as well as the student achievement gap, if they learned character such as responsibility for tasks, respect for those around them (teachers, parents, students, different culture and ethnic groups, etc), and developed motivation to get the job done.

Well, many schools tried to implement character education programs but what is lacking is that the programs are not integrated into daily life but rather given a 15 minute lesson maybe one time per week in which students focus on developing a certain character trait.  If our students are to compete in a global market, I believe that a longer school day or longer school year is not necessary because if students already lack motivation to perform well on tasks and achievement tests, than why would legislators believe a longer school year would somehow motivate these kids to perform?  I believe many of our schools' problems can be solved with a strong, integrated character education program which focuses on all adults in the school community modeling what they teach: character and values!  Studies have shown that even the slightest implementation of a character education program increases student performance on tests, student attendance, and student behaviorr and decreases malbehavioral issues such as student drop-out, student crime, and student bullying.

If we want American students to succeed and compete in a global market and see their motivation increase to do so, then legislators should worry less about lengthening the amount of time spent in school, but rather focus on how well the time is currently spent in school for our students.  Teachers and school administratos should be integrating character education programs, alongside current curriculum standards, in order to properly develop character in our students.  When students have character, they will be self-motivated to perform well, behave well, become a good citizen, and participate in helping improve our country's performance in a global market.  However, students need good character role models and that really begins at home.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Maybe it's because I'm pregnant and my hormones are all over the place or maybe it's because I have old-fashioned ideas about relationships even though I'm 30 years old.  Whatever the reason, I am so tired of cultivating relationships - friendships and familial alike - that end up in the other party totally withdrawing all contact simply because I no longer dwell within 25 miles of their residence.  What is so amazing to me is that obviously my devotion to the relationship meant nothing for as soon as I move, the relationship is over - at least in the other person's eyes.  Why is this?  Whatever happened to keeping in touch?  Especially in this day with so much technology at our fingertips, why can't people just remain in touch with one another no matter the distance?!?

OK, so you can see I've been burned more than once on this distance relationship idea.  It wouldn't matter so much to me that people decide to cease communications if I had only known them for a year or two - and I'm talking about really knowing someone, not just some acquaintence - but the relationships that I'm referring to have been cultivating, maturing for more than six years and now...nothing!  No Facebook message, no text message on my phone, no email, no phone call, definitely no snail mail - nothing!  Out of sight, out of mind, is the supposed view on relationships today and I'm sick of it!  I realize that people can draw apart when physical distance is created and that the closeness of the relationship is no longer the same, but that doesn't mean people should stop communicating altogether! 

If people truly value the relationship they are in, I would think it would involve little difficulty in keeping in touch.  Of course both parties would have to work at making the relationship survive, afterall, it is a two-way street.  For example, I have known one of my dearest friends for more than 12 years and we only spent one year together in college and after that I moved to the other side of the country!  Yet, we have remained in touch so that we know what is going on with each other and we have even traveled across the country to visit each other's families.  Why can't more people exhibit such devotion and passion to keeping a relationship alive?  Especially if they're family?  

Out of sight, out of mind...I don't think so.  If you have developed a relationship with someone and one of you move away, who cares!  Keep in touch, connected, and continually cultivate the relationship!  Great friends are hard to come by, heck great relatives are hard to come by, so do the best you can to keep the relationships alive!  Work a little harder to write an email, take 5 minutes to call a friend, or post a wall message on Facebook.  It's good to remain in touch with those who've known you for so long and can see how you've grown into the person you are today.  Let's keep in touch... 

Motherhood Overload

Mother's Day is around the corner and I cannot wait to see what my five children will come up with this year as their gift idea.  The ages of my kids range from 12 months to 8 years so each year the gift giving has been creative, sometimes unrecognizable, but always given with much love and a whole bunch of slobbery, wet kisses in addition to bear-hold types of hugs!  My children always ask what I desire for my gift but I can never come up with a better response than, "Just love on me!"  Isn't that all a mother should truly want anyway?  Enough of the flowers, chocolates, spa days, etc I just want to be worthy of my children's unconditional love no matter the many mistakes I make as a mommy throughout the year!  Having those tiny little arms wrapped tightly around my neck, feeling the wetness of their kisses, and hearing the words, "I love you, Mommy" in my ear is the best gift I could ever possibly hope as I raise these beautiful, silly, intelligent, giving, and loving children.

Sometimes people ask me why I decided to have so many kids - is it for religious reasons?  Have I discovered how babies are made?  Am I crazy? Am I selfish?  How can I spend time with each of them?  And the list of ridiculous questions go on, however, these questions do not phase me.  The truth is that I haven't planned any of them and on the same token I haven't prevented from having them either, but yet I cannot imagine my world without my children.  I do not understand how some may feel that children are a nuisance or that having too many kids is unwise for it takes money to raise them, feed them, send them to college, etc but to me having five children is not a lot of children.  Sure, there are days when I feel as though I am in the state of motherhood overload when they are fighting amongst themselves, no one takes their naps as they're supposed to, things get broken, potty accidents occur, and I just want to pull my hair out but these scenarios are what make motherhood so enjoyable and at the same time frustrating!  Who wouldn't want the opportunity for such joy and frustration?

I wish that each woman could experience the art of motherhood and raising children whether it be one child, three, five, or twenty!  There is no greater fulfillment nor joy than being a mother and although the task sometimes is daunting and the responsibility burdensome, to know that you have the love of a child is an amazing feeling.  My children are so quick to forgive my shortcomings and that is what astonishes me the most because I wish I were able to forgive so quickly and to love so unconditionally.  Lessons can be learned from our children and each day I am amazed at what mine teach me and how they help me to grow as a mother.  Mother's Day is around the corner and I wonder what my children will give me, likewise I wonder if it is not appropriate for me to give something to them?  A renewed desire and effort to be a good, kind, loving mommy?

Litterbugs and Lack of Responsibility

Having lived in Los Angeles, I've witnessed plenty of litter, graffiti, smog, and other toxic materials spread about the wayside but I never thought that litterbugs would abound and trash a little country road in a southeastern state that I now call home.  I realize that living in a large city such as L.A., trash and litter are somewhat expected since there is an enormous amount of people residing in a place where houses, apartments, town homes, condos, businesses, schools, parks, etc are crammed together in tiny spaces but I never thought that I would experience a larger trash to inhabitant ratio in these wide open spaces that I am now privileged to enjoy as home.

Every morning when the sun pokes its head out behind the mountains, I begin to stir in my bed - rising to take my daily stroll out in the country.  The little road I live on is basically one mile in length with about six houses spread out on the land and with plenty of horses, goats, dogs, chickens, roosters, a donkey, a pony, a pig, and one sheep to keep me company along the way.  Normally I enjoy spending time gazing out across the farm land, looking at the mountains, and daydreaming about what I have to accomplish during my day.  However, recently my thoughts have been invaded as I have begun to notice foul objects glittering in the sunlight, lying in the most bizarre places along the road.  Such items as beer bottles, cigarette packages, coke cans, stuffed animals, shoes, and a variety of other forms of plastic and glass have been abandoned while litterbugs tramp down my street. 

Such activity has increased in recent weeks because the litterbugs have realized that my family and I have taken the responsibility of cleaning up after inconsiderate people.  Although picking up trash is a valuable lesson for my children in terms of learning responsibility and how to keep the earth clean for the animals, plants, and us, it is however extremely discouraging and maddening that people in today’s culture would not think twice about keeping garbage in their own car instead of trashing our beautiful street.  The problem is not so much in the fact that litter is being tossed aimlessly and carelessly out the window (although it is a huge problem), but a larger problem lies within the character of today’s people.  Have parents and schools stopped teaching children how to pick up after themselves?  Have we stopped teaching children how to respect others, their property, and things around us such as nature (animals and plants)?  I reference children in these questions for the habits we develop as children will stick with us into adulthood. 

I suppose some think that devoting one day on the calendar for “Earth Day” will help educate everyone on how to keep the earth clean, however, this is not a good strategy because every day should be devoted to taking responsibility for one’s actions whether it be keeping the earth clean, doing chores, going to work, and accomplishing other duties.  So, litterbugs, listen up – my family and I are taking care of your lack of responsibility but remember this, your actions today have consequences for tomorrow.  Now, get off my street!

Show Me the Money

To Whom it May Concern:

Where is my education stimulus money?!?  I am a 30 year old married woman, a mother of five young children, and a recent M.Ed. college graduate who has been accepted into an educational doctorate program.  Great, right?  Wrong!  I desperately want to spend the next three years enhancing my skills to be an excellent teacher but the problem is that I have no money, just a humungous lump of school loan debt that I have accrued during the past almost four years in which time I have received my B.S. in elementary education and a M.Ed. in Character Education while my husband attended Law School.  And now we're both without jobs but so are a lot of people so I'm not complaining, but you'll have to understand that I'm easily slipping into a depression-state-like mind and that cannot be good as I have to take care of my kids!  Did I mention I homeschool them too?  What is a girl to do?

The university to which I applied said that I'm a perfect fit for them and that felt flattering but how about some money to help a gal out?  Yeah, I've been offered the maximum federal amount of subsidized and unsubsidized loans as well as the maximum amount from a private lender but that doesn't matter to me because I am so far in debt with the other stupid loans that were given to me for my undergraduate and graduate degrees!  I'm so disappointed because I had a good GPA (3.97) in both degree programs and I cannot for the life of me secure a scholarship!  I've tried scholarship for non-traditional students (those over 25), for women, moms, etc and yet each time I come up empty.  Sometimes I want to sulk and think, "Come on now, people, look at my records, I am not afraid of work and I receive high marks.  Look at how many dependents I have and how my husband is [was] in school full time too!  Can't I get any help?!?"  And then I hear that my single girlfriend received a full-ride to the university and her grades were slightly lower than mine and she had a job!  Where is the justice in that?!?

So, I'm sending out a prayer for some money in that I may further my education.  I'm a great worker, honest I am.  I even already have six years of teaching (classroom experience) under my belt and that doesn't include the past four years of me homeschooling my kids!  Isn't there anyone out there who in this depressing economy has the funds and the heart to give a girl a break and will "show me the money" so I can pursue my doctorate degree?  I understand the education stimulus check is for those undergraduate students but what about me?  Can't I be given a chance to make a better classroom environment for young children? 

Longing to teach but lacking funds and additional training...

Seriously? An iPod?

I wonder if Apple could have ever imagined that a product they produced would one day be deemed as an appropriate gift for a queen - of all people!  President and Mrs. Obama certainly showed their confidence in Apple's products when they presented a customized iPod to the woman who has absolutely every material thing she could ever want or possess.  The gift came equipped with some music the Obamas felt were appropriate and fitting as well as video footage of the Queen's trip to Virginia, USA, back in 2007.  Wow!  And I thought I was a horrible gift-giver!  When I think of a gift that is a representation of America as well as something that is worthy of a queen yet thoughtful at the same time, and iPod doesn't come to mind.  I'm thinking something more along the lines of inaccessibility, a rare piece of American history or at least something that could be given to the Queen to show her the kindness we wish to exude from Americans. 

An iPod somehow seems utterly inappropriate to me but I speak too quickly for it appears that Her Majesty in fact does appreciate the design and usefulness of the iPod because she already owns one that holds 100,000 of her favorite songs.  OK, so she likes iPods, but why did the Obamas offer her yet another iPod of songs they felt she would like?  I mean it's not as if this is an 80th birthday gift solely representing the Obamas but rather it is a state gift representing Americans and it is for the Queen!  Apparently British citizens feel the same way as I do for they have written in their tabloids and blogs that Obama needs some etiquette help in gift-giving no matter that he recently gave Prime Minister Brown a box filled with 25 DVDs of American classic movies.  Just a note here: Britain already replays every American classic movie and sitcom because their television programming is not that great.  I would know, I spent time there this past summer and all I could find were reruns of Gilmore Girls (love the show), British talk shows (bizarre topics), and other miscellaneous American old TV shows and John Wayne movies.  That is what you get with government-owned television stations but that is a topic for another time!

Yes, the Queen owns probably every material possession known to mankind but the art of gift-giving is knowing the recipient as well as offering a thoughtful gift of something she may not already possess.  I admit that it must have been terribly difficult for President Obama to produce a creative gift but I feel a bit embarrassed that all he could come up with to represent the good citizens of America was an iPod.  I wonder if he and Mrs. Obama felt slightly awkward when they delivered a gift that the Queen could have ordered online and downloaded songs from Apple's website?  Hmmm...maybe next time President Obama can simply present Her Majesty with a gift card to her favorite store.  Just a thought...

So, You Homeschool, heh?

Why is it that everyone time someone asks where my kids go to school and I reply with the statement, "I homeschool them" that I get this amazing "oh, I see" expression without vocalized words?  It as if the very word "homeschool" conjures up the image of a freak.  Ya know, the kind where the girls have hair down to their waists, wear ankle-length skirts, dress alike, and own no TV or where the boys all wear khaki pants and polo t-shirts, display preacher-like style haircuts and everyone lives in a cult-like community.  Seriously, where did this stereotype come from and why is homeschooling such a controversial issue?  I mean, when our country was founded it was known that the responsibility of educating the children fell up on the parents' shoulders and as I see it I believe it is still up to the parents to decide how they will educate their children whether the institution be a private school, religious school, public school, or homeschool.  I do not believe that it is the government's position nor right to tell parents how to educate their children or tell them where the children must attend school.

I understand the school of thought that homeschooling may not enable children to be socially adept in that apparently these types of children stay at home all day and are prohibited from communicating with others.  Puhlease, people, do not give me that line!  As is the case in my family, there are plenty of children with whom to communicate and learn how to resolve conflicts since siblings usually are proficient in stirring up squabbles and fights.  Likewise, my children participate in community sports and dance programs, church activities, and they even play with the fellow neighborhood kids who happen not to be homeschooled, thus eliminating the idea of a cult-like community.  Do you think that I provide ample opportunities for my children to know how to socialize with one another?  And when has school been about socializing?  I thought the main component of edcation was that of learning math, language arts, history, science, physical education - of all which can be taught at home, believe it or not.

What about the lack of education regarding homeschooling parents?  Apparently people assume that parents homeschool simply because they do not want to cut "the apron strings" and feel as though they can teach much better than someone who has graduated from a four-year degree university.  Furthermore, most people assume that homeschooling parents have no education whatsoever except their high school diploma.  Maybe these stereotypes exist because people have personally known one family who exhibits this scenario, however, just because one family acts this way does not mean all homeschool parents lack education and the ability to properly homeschool their children.  I do not feel it is necessary to tell people that I have a B.S. in elementary education and a M.Ed. in education but rather I simply look at their haughty, quizzical, judgmental expressions and play the fool for their benefit so that their ill-conceived stereotype can further cultivate in their minds.  If parents only have a high school diploma, have no fear for their children because there are homeschooling networks in which degreed parents are able to teach the higher-level subjects to the other children or homeschooling parents can buy DVDs of certified teachers teaching particular subjects.  No worries, homeschooled children are not devoid of proper training.

My last favorite assumption of homeschooling is that the children will never be able to compete with their peers in college, assuming homeschooled children even are accepted into universities!  Statistics show that the majority of homeschooled children will go to college and attend well-known state universities or private universities.  The majority of homeschooled children do not choose religiously-affiliated schools as many think but rather are able to matriculate well into the secular schools and perform just as well if not better in their classes when compared to their peers.  I have known several homeschooled children who have gone on to complete their masters degrees, law degrees, and medical degrees to better serve their community.  These are the types of citizens I would hope any educational institution would produce and I am sure that these homeschooled students' employers are grateful for the education and trainging they received at home and at their universities.

So, yes, I homeschool, and I will continue to do so until I feel that I am no longer qualified to teach my children or until I feel that they have learned what I think is necessary for them to enter the "real world."  Homeschooling is a privilege for parents and children and the decision to homeschool should not be taken lightly as it does require a strong dedication, a strict routine, consistency, and commitment.  Education is our children's future and cannot be taken for granted.