The end of October is always a perfect storm of business for me.  Just as 1st quarter grades are coming due, and I have 118 essays to read and 30 make-up assignments to grade, and the school computers go down making uploading grades into the district's database impossible, Halloween rears its spooky head and costumes must be found, candy must be purchased, and Halloween activities must be completed.  

In the midst of all this I must attend a Parent-Teacher conference with my 1st grader's teacher, cheer on same son at soccer, get a very necessary haircut, consider a summons to jury duty, and write several teacher recommendations for very deserving seniors who are all lovely young women who would be assets to any college or university that deigned to accept them into their student bodies.

My almost-six-year old son is a pretty smart kid who remembers almost everything he sees and hears.  He asks tons of questions and willingly talks about any topic: pirates, animals, knock-knock jokes, patterns, politics, heaven, nuclear power, women's rights, the upcoming presidential election, soccer, geography, etc.  

He is also known for making powerful statements and pronouncements whenever he feels inspired.

Some recent gems:

"I am fully a Democrat"

"Apples are red, corn is yellow, high fructose corn syrup is bad for you."

"Cheetahs are important to rich people.  They wear their fur.  But rich people don't understand!  Cheetahs are endangered animals!"

"I am totally going to vote for Hillary Clinton!"

"President Bush has made some very bad choices."

At times, it's not hard to see the influence of life-long immersion in liberal talk and ideas!  

A few weeks ago, we had a conversation here about whether it is harmful for kids to read books that feature characters who have bad attitudes, bad grammar, and bad behavior (the series in question was Junie B. Jones).  The general consensus: whatever gets kids reading is OK, as long as it's not seriously dangerous content.

I was the first to chime in and was enthusiastically in support of any literature that would engage my 1st grader's attention: "When I select reading material for my son, my top concerns: Is it engaging?  Will it foster his love of reading?  Will he enjoy it?  For Junie B. the answers are yes, yes, and yes."

One series of books we discussed were the Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey.  The hero in this series is Captain Underpants, a bald man who runs around in just his underpants with a towel for a cape, giving wedgies and lassoing bad guys with his "toilet paper of justice."  It sounded like just the type of book my son would like, so when I saw a bundle of five for just 2 dollars at a consignment sale, I snatched them up and took them home.

A few months ago, a friend encouraged me to check out this blog devoted to local food in the Charlotte area.  The blog explores the personal, political and environmental implications of eating locally and includes links to farmers markets, local farms, and food-related news stories.  This summer the blogger's family set out on a true adventure--a month of eating only local food.  The guiding principle for their experiment was that all their food would come from as close a source as possible and never from more than two-hours away.  They would rely heavily on their own garden and try to bake their own bread and make their own cheese. Any food in the fridge or freezer could be eaten up, kids would be allowed to break the rules, and spices and oils could be used, but beyond that--local only--including the food eaten at restaurants.  

To any and all interested in learning more about NCLB and efforts to reform the law, go check out Teacherken's diary over at Daily Kos: Civil Rights groups call for NCLB changes.  Take a look at the letter the Forum on Educational Accountability has released and if you have a moment, urge your elected representatives to check it out as well.  NCLB is currently up for reauthorization and both the House and Senate are considering changes to the legislation.

We are always looking for ways to be more green around these parts. Thank you for the diary, mkkendrick! -Elisa

Fall and a new school year are approaching, and it's time for me to buy some new shoes.  The brown clogs I've worn almost every day for the past two years have irreparably split soles and must be replaced.  Usually, when buying apparel I go right for the clearance rack (if it doesn't say "60 percent" off, I rarely buy it), but I believe in paying good money for shoes.  Cheap shoes don't last and they hurt my back and my feet.

With this new shoe purchase, I'd like to make an enironmentally responsible choice.  Like many on this site, I've been striving to lessen my harmful impact on the Earth (canvas bags at the grocery store, weekly visits to the Farmer's market, paperless billing, etc.)  So, why not find some green shoes?

I've found a few on-line stores that offer green shoes, such as Simple Shoes and Green Shoes.  However, when I buy shoes, I really like to try them on before I buy.  I need to know which brands to look for in the mall.

So, which shoe brands are made with environmentally friendly products and processes?  When I walk into a shoe store, which brands should I look for?

I'll make this quick!  My husband and I will be attending YKOS next week.  We are bringing along our five-year-old and our two-year-old, with the understanding that we'll trade off child-duty during the caucuses, addresses, etc. (I'll be doing most of the child duty since my husband is WAY more active in Daily Kos than I am).  We plan on taking the kids along to as many social events as possible, but at least one night we're there we'd like to leave them with a sitter.

My sister and her husband used to live in Chicago, but all her babysitting connections have run dry.

So--we're looking for some childcare arrangements for one evening.

If anyone who lives in the area or who is attending has any leads, I would greatly appreciate it!

You can post it up here or email me at marykkendrick at Yahoo dot com.

Thanks!

Clutter.  Say it three times to yourself--clutter, clutter, clutter--and you'll probably think what I did: what an ODD word!  Then, if you're given to such ponderings, you might wonder: what EXACTLY does "clutter" mean?  I flitted on over to www.dictionary.com to check it out:  in its verb form, clutter means "to fill or litter with things in a disorderly manner".    The noun definition is "a disorderly heap or assemblage; litter" or "a state or condition of confusion."  Synonyms for "clutter" include "mess," "disorder" and "jumble."  So, that's what the dictionary has to say on the matter.

Of course, there's clutter and there's CLUTTER.  Currently, I've got three working categories of clutter: mild clutter, deep clutter, and pathological clutter.

We spent Christmas week driving hither and yon across Texas and Oklahoma visting all manner of family. When we weren't riding in a car, we were hanging out at relatives' homes, opening presents, eating snacks, drinking tasty beverages, and talking about everything from potty training to my father's Christmas day sermon against homophobia to the war in Iraq.  Oh, and of course, we also passed time watching small children play, run, scream, laugh, and scatter toys across every available inch of living space.  

It's 9:07 on a Saturday morning.  I'm sitting in the bonus room with my kids while they watch a little Playhouse Disney.  This room, like the rest of the house, is a DISASTER...toys scattered everywhere, blankets and pillows strewn across the floor, bills to be paid stacked up by the computer...I'll spare you more details.  All you need to know is that almost every other room in the house looks about the same.

Why are we inundated by mess this sunny, cold Saturday morning?  Because it is December and we are TOO busy!  

I love my 21-month old son dearly.  Really, I do.  He is a sweet, loving, exuberant child who has made our family complete.

But, somedays I need a toddler break.  I'm up every day with him at 5:30 am, and he is my constant companion whenever I'm home.  He loves to be with his mommy and is still at an age when he needs a lot of supervision.  Now, I do work, so I'm not with him ALL the time (of course, I teach high school, and 15 year olds act like toddlers sometime).  And, he does enjoy time with his dad, but generally if I'm here at the house, he's somewhere nearby, clamoring for attention and interaction.

Yesterday, my sons and I drove across town in search of an afternoon diversion.  There was some sort of "cultural free for all" going on at South Park mall--musical petting zoos, clay play, light shows, etc.  Unfortunately, we got there just as everything was ending (I'd been unable to find exact times on the internet).  I was bummed, but the boys weren't disappointed.  There was still plenty of new stuff to explore--a cool bookstore, fountains, the food court, etc.  My oldest complimented me: "Mom, you picked a really good adventure for today."

So, the afternoon wasn't what I had hoped it would be, but it still turned out OK.

And, on the way to the mall, I heard the most amazing story while listening to the radio program "This American Life."  

The program's theme yesterday seemed to be "You think parenting is hard?  Well, it could get a lot worse."  The program featured stories of parents who had faced truly harrowing challenges in raising their children.  I didn't get a chance to hear the entire program, but the one story I did hear was enough--I couldn't have handled anymore tears!

It was the story of an Ohio couple who'd adopted an 8-year old boy from a Romanian orphanage.  The boy, Daniel, had spent almost his entire life in his crib.  The only times he was taken out were when it was time to eat or time to potty.  He'd never even learned the names of any of his caregivers.  When his parents first brought him home, things went well.  He seemed to be enjoying his new life and enjoying having a family.  There were bad moments and tantrums, but there was also progress.  However, after six months it was time for his birthday and everything changed.