A British teacher was found guilty in a Sudanese court of naming a Teddy Bear... A teddy bear folks.... Muhammed. Apparently, this is an insult to Muslims in Sudan.
She was sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation back to England. Mind you the court wouldn't allow anyone from the British embassy into the hearing or people testifying on her behalf.... even though Sudanese courts are open to the public. Even her own lawyer had to fight his way in.
Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22007049/?GT1=10547
Just unbelievable.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Still Sick
I'm still sick, but doing a bit better. Antibiotics seem to be working and for that I'm glad.
I have a job lined up tomorrow that I won't cancel no matter what and hope the next three weeks before Christmas bring me a lot of work days.
My Pipsqueak is home with a fever today- but after a bit of tylenol, seems good to go. She'll be back at school tomorrow.
I keep hoping things will get better and stuff will "fall into place", but that never seems to happen. Maybe, just maybe, it can for once.
To paraphrase Tevia* "Would it ruin some immortial plan if I were a wealthy person?" Heck, I'd take "Would it ruin some immortial plan if I had a full time job?"
*From Fiddler on the Roof
I have a job lined up tomorrow that I won't cancel no matter what and hope the next three weeks before Christmas bring me a lot of work days.
My Pipsqueak is home with a fever today- but after a bit of tylenol, seems good to go. She'll be back at school tomorrow.
I keep hoping things will get better and stuff will "fall into place", but that never seems to happen. Maybe, just maybe, it can for once.
To paraphrase Tevia* "Would it ruin some immortial plan if I were a wealthy person?" Heck, I'd take "Would it ruin some immortial plan if I had a full time job?"
*From Fiddler on the Roof
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Ugh
It never fails. Things seem to be going okay, than wham! Something happens.
I had a great job set up for today- was hoping to work most of this week... I really need to. However, most of my voice is gone, I'm barking like a seal, and feel as if I've been hit by an ice cream truck.
Guess I have whatever is going around. Cancelled today's job so I can still work Friday's job. Will spend the day sleeping resting and regretting the loss of income.
Life sucks without paid sick days.
I had a great job set up for today- was hoping to work most of this week... I really need to. However, most of my voice is gone, I'm barking like a seal, and feel as if I've been hit by an ice cream truck.
Guess I have whatever is going around. Cancelled today's job so I can still work Friday's job. Will spend the day sleeping resting and regretting the loss of income.
Life sucks without paid sick days.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Finally- time to do my first Meme
Motherhood & Other Ramblings tagged me....So, here are the rules of the 8 Random Things tag game:
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Here are 8 random things:
1. I hate grape flavored anything.
2. I love real grapes.
3. I can't stand kool-aide.
4. The first thing I ever cooked were English Muffin Pizzas. I was 8.
5. I once had a German Shepherd who would throw her water or food bowls down the stairs to let you know she needed a refill. She would also carry her food bowl to wherever I was if she wanted company when she ate.
6. My favorite season is Fall.
7. I don't like mint with chocolate except in Andes brand candy.
8. I love the smell of chlorine and bleach. Probably from my lifetime of being on the swim team.
Hmmm... now I'm supposed to pick 8 others to do this. That does pose a problem as I don't know that I know enough folks to do this. I mean, I just don't want to randomly pick anyone......So instead, I'll list 8 blogs that I enjoy reading in no particular order.
1. Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
2. Because I said So
3. Terrible Mother
4. Nzingha's Soapbox
5. Cheaper Than Therapy
6. So it's come down to this
7. Peter's Cross Station
8. Mrs. Figby/ Letters from the Zoo
Of course there are lots of others that I enjoy. Narrowing down to 8 is tough.
OH- and does anyone know how to put the link to the web blogs that I listed?
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
Here are 8 random things:
1. I hate grape flavored anything.
2. I love real grapes.
3. I can't stand kool-aide.
4. The first thing I ever cooked were English Muffin Pizzas. I was 8.
5. I once had a German Shepherd who would throw her water or food bowls down the stairs to let you know she needed a refill. She would also carry her food bowl to wherever I was if she wanted company when she ate.
6. My favorite season is Fall.
7. I don't like mint with chocolate except in Andes brand candy.
8. I love the smell of chlorine and bleach. Probably from my lifetime of being on the swim team.
Hmmm... now I'm supposed to pick 8 others to do this. That does pose a problem as I don't know that I know enough folks to do this. I mean, I just don't want to randomly pick anyone......So instead, I'll list 8 blogs that I enjoy reading in no particular order.
1. Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
2. Because I said So
3. Terrible Mother
4. Nzingha's Soapbox
5. Cheaper Than Therapy
6. So it's come down to this
7. Peter's Cross Station
8. Mrs. Figby/ Letters from the Zoo
Of course there are lots of others that I enjoy. Narrowing down to 8 is tough.
OH- and does anyone know how to put the link to the web blogs that I listed?
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Mother Ramblings
"I have a fat cat. His name is Sam. He likes to play with a ball."
So ends the writing endeavor of my 7 year old. No, we do not have a fat cat named Sam, rather it is wishful thinking on her part. We're both allergic to cats and therefore will not have one. At least no time soon.
Reading the story the Pipsqueak wrote got me to thinking. When did my child grow up? I mean, I know she's getting older. Heck, she has a birthday every year.
When did she become such a little girl though? No longer a pre-schooler, even different than a Kindergartner, she has blossomed into full fledged 'little girldom' and I'd like to know where I was when this happened.
It seems like just last week, she was that small 17 month old, just off the plane from India, or the short firecracker beating up all the kids in her first daycare. Suddenly, she had glasses, was dressing herself, speaking English, and was toilet trained.
Then, time for pre-school. She enjoyed it immensely, as did I. The field trips, the alphabet books, the beginnings of social interactions and the meeting of a best friend from school began.
Suddenly we were into Kindergarten. Not such a good year. Why wasn't my Pipsqueak loving it as she loved pre-k? Why couldn't she copy from the board, remember her phone number or address, read words I know she knew as she had been spelling/reading them for at least a year? Convergence Insufficiency diagnosis. Vision therapy began and her world began to open up.
Now, we are fully into the throws of first grade. Playground drama- who knew little girls could be so catty at such a young age- though it's better than last year has begun. She's reading, she writing. Adding, subtracting, learning her numbers, she knows her phone number and address. She can put her dishes into the dishwasher, make her own bologna sandwiches, cook a hard-fried egg.
I have been here with here during these transitions. Her normal growth from baby into childhood. Yet I feel as if I somehow missed the growth, though I participated in it, helped her through some of it.
I hear myself mimicked in her words sometimes, my father's mannerisms, my mother's colorful speech. She is, after all, what she has always been, her own little person.
I think Steven Sondheim had it down, "Children will see and learn. Careful before you say, listen to me. Children will listen."*
I think it's time I listen to her. Perhaps parents can learn as well.
*From the musical "Into the Woods"
So ends the writing endeavor of my 7 year old. No, we do not have a fat cat named Sam, rather it is wishful thinking on her part. We're both allergic to cats and therefore will not have one. At least no time soon.
Reading the story the Pipsqueak wrote got me to thinking. When did my child grow up? I mean, I know she's getting older. Heck, she has a birthday every year.
When did she become such a little girl though? No longer a pre-schooler, even different than a Kindergartner, she has blossomed into full fledged 'little girldom' and I'd like to know where I was when this happened.
It seems like just last week, she was that small 17 month old, just off the plane from India, or the short firecracker beating up all the kids in her first daycare. Suddenly, she had glasses, was dressing herself, speaking English, and was toilet trained.
Then, time for pre-school. She enjoyed it immensely, as did I. The field trips, the alphabet books, the beginnings of social interactions and the meeting of a best friend from school began.
Suddenly we were into Kindergarten. Not such a good year. Why wasn't my Pipsqueak loving it as she loved pre-k? Why couldn't she copy from the board, remember her phone number or address, read words I know she knew as she had been spelling/reading them for at least a year? Convergence Insufficiency diagnosis. Vision therapy began and her world began to open up.
Now, we are fully into the throws of first grade. Playground drama- who knew little girls could be so catty at such a young age- though it's better than last year has begun. She's reading, she writing. Adding, subtracting, learning her numbers, she knows her phone number and address. She can put her dishes into the dishwasher, make her own bologna sandwiches, cook a hard-fried egg.
I have been here with here during these transitions. Her normal growth from baby into childhood. Yet I feel as if I somehow missed the growth, though I participated in it, helped her through some of it.
I hear myself mimicked in her words sometimes, my father's mannerisms, my mother's colorful speech. She is, after all, what she has always been, her own little person.
I think Steven Sondheim had it down, "Children will see and learn. Careful before you say, listen to me. Children will listen."*
I think it's time I listen to her. Perhaps parents can learn as well.
*From the musical "Into the Woods"
Monday, November 5, 2007
What happened to Thanksgiving?
Am I the only one that gets a bit miffed with the idea that the Christmas merchandise comes out the minute Halloween is over? What happened to Thanksgiving?
Yes, Christmas is nice. It's a great holiday. I love the idea of Santa and his Elves sitting around with the Reindeer playing games and waiting for their big moment to deliver toys to children around the globe. I can't wait for the Rankin and Bass movies to start- heck, I own the Rankin and Bass movies for my daughter to watch.
However, Thanksgiving is a holiday too. The fact that FDR pushed it from the last Thursday of November to the third Thursday of the month to extend the Christmas shopping period doesn't make me like it any less. Thanksgiving is the holiday where the family gets together on the actual day.
It doesn't have the "pressure" of Christmas, it has great food, the weather is still semi-okay and you don't have to worry so much about traveling.
Doesn't anyone remember "Over the River and Thru the Woods to Grandmother's House we Go?" A Thanksgiving song thank you very much. How about a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving? I mean who doesn't love seeing that ping pong table and chairs attack Snoopy?
Who decided to take Thanksgiving out of the holdiay season? Who decided that Christmas was the only portion of the holiday season of which homage should be paid?
The commercialism of holidays is bad enough. I mean, President's Day Sales for crying out loud! But still, something rubs me even more when I don't even see an acknowledgement of Thanksgiving.
Yes, Thanksgiving isn't all great if you go back in history far enough. I'm glad I wasn't part of the landing settlers or the first native people to meet them. Still, I enjoy Thanksgiving for the idea it embodies, family coming together. Either the one you're born into, or the one you choose as you get older. Or if you're lucky, both.
There was reason Ben Franklin wanted the national bird to be the turkey.
I, for one, won't be decorating, listening to, or watching any type of Christmas stuff until the day after Thanksgiving. It's too bad the retailers won't follow me.
Yes, Christmas is nice. It's a great holiday. I love the idea of Santa and his Elves sitting around with the Reindeer playing games and waiting for their big moment to deliver toys to children around the globe. I can't wait for the Rankin and Bass movies to start- heck, I own the Rankin and Bass movies for my daughter to watch.
However, Thanksgiving is a holiday too. The fact that FDR pushed it from the last Thursday of November to the third Thursday of the month to extend the Christmas shopping period doesn't make me like it any less. Thanksgiving is the holiday where the family gets together on the actual day.
It doesn't have the "pressure" of Christmas, it has great food, the weather is still semi-okay and you don't have to worry so much about traveling.
Doesn't anyone remember "Over the River and Thru the Woods to Grandmother's House we Go?" A Thanksgiving song thank you very much. How about a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving? I mean who doesn't love seeing that ping pong table and chairs attack Snoopy?
Who decided to take Thanksgiving out of the holdiay season? Who decided that Christmas was the only portion of the holiday season of which homage should be paid?
The commercialism of holidays is bad enough. I mean, President's Day Sales for crying out loud! But still, something rubs me even more when I don't even see an acknowledgement of Thanksgiving.
Yes, Thanksgiving isn't all great if you go back in history far enough. I'm glad I wasn't part of the landing settlers or the first native people to meet them. Still, I enjoy Thanksgiving for the idea it embodies, family coming together. Either the one you're born into, or the one you choose as you get older. Or if you're lucky, both.
There was reason Ben Franklin wanted the national bird to be the turkey.
I, for one, won't be decorating, listening to, or watching any type of Christmas stuff until the day after Thanksgiving. It's too bad the retailers won't follow me.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Diwali
The Pipsqueak brought home a book from school about Diwali. For those that don't know it's a Hindu holiday that celebrates the Hindu New Year and is often called the "Festival of Lights" because of all the lights involved.
As we aren't Hindu- I've never really brought up this holiday to the Pipsqueak.
She was thrilled to read about how the holiday is celebrated in India and asked if we could celebrate. We've decided to have a big family meal for our Diwali celebration and she was good with that.
I am glad that she's showing interest in her birth country. I've tried to incorporate Indian aspects in her life through literature, and art.... but somehow Bollywood movies, traditional dress, and fairy tales don't seem to do the country justice.
I'm doing the best I can though and that's what we're going with in this family.
BTW- her favorite "Bollywood" movie is actually "Bride and Prejudice" by the same director of "Bend it like Beckham". It's English speaking and she loves to watch the dance scenes and dance and sing along.
As we aren't Hindu- I've never really brought up this holiday to the Pipsqueak.
She was thrilled to read about how the holiday is celebrated in India and asked if we could celebrate. We've decided to have a big family meal for our Diwali celebration and she was good with that.
I am glad that she's showing interest in her birth country. I've tried to incorporate Indian aspects in her life through literature, and art.... but somehow Bollywood movies, traditional dress, and fairy tales don't seem to do the country justice.
I'm doing the best I can though and that's what we're going with in this family.
BTW- her favorite "Bollywood" movie is actually "Bride and Prejudice" by the same director of "Bend it like Beckham". It's English speaking and she loves to watch the dance scenes and dance and sing along.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Thursday 13 becomes Thursday 20
I decided to make a list of the most different names I've come into contact with IRL. Most of these I've come across as a teacher, some I knew while in school, and others I've met as an adult.
Here are my top 20 in no particular order.
1. Mister
2. Lady
3. Edge
4. Lemon-Jello (Lu-mon-ja-lo)
5. Orange-Jello(Or-on-ja-lo)
6. Anakin
7. Radius
8. Mogen David
9. Shanteria
10. Princess
11. Tsar
12. Kennethia (kuh-nee-thee-uh)
13. Honey
14. Toy
15. Deja
16. Xavier- (X-zavier)
17. Saydiah (Sod-ee-uh)
18. Domino
19. D'Antonio
20. Keonte (key-on-te)
Here are my top 20 in no particular order.
1. Mister
2. Lady
3. Edge
4. Lemon-Jello (Lu-mon-ja-lo)
5. Orange-Jello(Or-on-ja-lo)
6. Anakin
7. Radius
8. Mogen David
9. Shanteria
10. Princess
11. Tsar
12. Kennethia (kuh-nee-thee-uh)
13. Honey
14. Toy
15. Deja
16. Xavier- (X-zavier)
17. Saydiah (Sod-ee-uh)
18. Domino
19. D'Antonio
20. Keonte (key-on-te)
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