3 Immutable Laws of Life
Adam Saveage of Mythbusters famously likes to say, “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work so well in real life. While it is true that there are many ways of looking at life, there are 3 basic facts of life which one must be reconciled to at some point: 1. Life is hard. 2. Life is not fair. 3. … Continue reading 3 Immutable Laws of Life
Apparently My Week Has 8 Days In It
I started to do these “Best of the Week” posts a few weeks ago and it seems that my week is consistently 8 days long. Which I have no doubt that people who have to deal with me would agree is pretty much how I work! But hey – it’s my blog and it’s free! (Although you can make a donati0n to support the site … Continue reading Apparently My Week Has 8 Days In It
Looking in the tall grass
This past summer, I was showing a man and his son how to look for monarch butterfly caterpillars so the boy could bring one home to raise. I walked right up to the long grass to point out what milkweed looks like (the only food monarch caterpillars eat is the leaves of plants in the milkweed family). The dad came to a stop about 5 … Continue reading Looking in the tall grass
Thanksgiving Family Survival Guide
Since I am a contrarian at heart and everyone and their brother is doing the “Let’s talk about what we’re thankful for” bit, I’m going to offer up something completely different. Because as important as gratitude is, I also know that on Thanksgiving there are an awful lot of people for whom the answer to “what are you most grateful for?” is “that I don’t … Continue reading Thanksgiving Family Survival Guide
On Treading Water
Once upon a time, a dastardly villian took a girl out to sea and left her there in the water, in the dark. She knew she was in a struggle for her life. Although it was night and she could see nothing, she couldn’t tolerate just waiting. So she took off swimming in the direction she thought land was. She swam though the night until … Continue reading On Treading Water
Know Thine Self
Getting to know yourself can be one of the biggest, most difficult jobs we will ever undertake. But you can’t properly love yourself – or even really like yourself! – if you don’t know who you are. If you don’t know who you are, how will you know what about yourself there is to love? Occassionally take some time to listen to yourself. Sit quietly … Continue reading Know Thine Self
The best of the week . . .
According to infalible me! Ha! I’ve done more writing than reading this week, so this is a bit light, but here goes: How children’s play is being sneakily redefined. I totally agree with this from Alfie Kohn: 1. Play is being redefined to include things that are clearly not free, imaginative play. 2. Younger and older children ought to have the chance to play together. … Continue reading The best of the week . . .
Original Sin Gets a Bad Rap
So, one of the great philosophical debates has always been if the nature of man was good or if man is inherently evil. For reasons I have never fully understood, but which may be wrapped up in the joy that philosophers find in arguing with each other, the most obvious answer – both/and – is mostly ignored, although it does find its way into pop … Continue reading Original Sin Gets a Bad Rap
You Like Me, You Really, Really Like Me!
The internet is so awesome. It’s like a really broad-scale demonstration of what it would look like if we took the most prosperous 25% of all humanity and transferred their brains to the “the cloud”. It’s like the internet – the good, the bad, the so bad it’s good and so good it’s making me want to start a meme – is just sitting out … Continue reading You Like Me, You Really, Really Like Me!
Homework in kindergarten
So, I have my kids in the local public schools which has real drawbacks and benefits. One of the things I am struggling with is when – if ever – to push back over some the homework issue. Like has happened at a lot of schools, homework has creeped down into earlier and earlier grades. So, my 1st grader has nightly homework and my kindergartener … Continue reading Homework in kindergarten
The Upside Down World 