You know, there are times, many of them actually that I like to put my head in the sand and pretend the world around is not really taking place. I avoid conversations, I avoid reading articles and close my eyes to the headlines. I found this tactic, more than once, keeps me sane. And ... I was doing a really great job of keeping my head in the sand and going about my business on this whole kneeling / not kneeling protest thing. UNTIL ... my not-into-current-events-husband comes home and asks my opinion... I replied calmly with 'I don't have an opinion ... I don't know enough about the situation to have one.' That is what I have taught my kids, right ... you can only have a valid opinion when you know both side of the subject. I have chosen to not know. Right or wrong, that is what I have decided... Well Lou was pretty adamant about having a conversation on this subject, so I said I would have to get back to him after I sifted through all the articles and facts.
While I still don't have an opinion ... these are the points I have taken so far from my reading ...
1) People are looking to be angry. Weather it is over simple things like an outfit someone wore or something more serious there are many people in this world looking to be angry. I don't like it and I make a choice every morning to not be an angry person. Maybe there should be a class on this in schools around the country. I read an article this morning by a soldier's widow and what I took from the article was that some people have forgotten that for many years there are many people in your every day life that have put aside differences (religion/race/gender) and learned to work as a team for the greater goal of winning. Are we so worried about what someone else said that we have to 'divide' again? We forget the unity that has been formed? If so, then I'm more sad to see the superficialness (is that a word) of it all. The right to free speech includes you getting to say your piece and then me getting to say mine weather or not you agree. Lets not forget that. Let us also not forget, that when we work together toward a greater goal, the teamwork involved often times reminds us that just because we may not see eye-to-eye on one subject that person may still be a great person. How would you even know that if you chose to divide?
2) Many many many people who are protesting don't even know why or what they are protesting. Some do, don't get me wrong, but many do not. It is the 'in thing to do' and so they do it. A few years ago when the kids were upset about the curriculum in Jefferson County I told my kids, if you can come to me and give me 3 facts about what you are going to protest about, then I will listen and I will defend your right to protest. Until you have those 3 facts don't even think about it. You will not be one of those people on the news that walked out and didn't know why. And I guess in all my years parenting I have learned that just because I teach my kids something doesn't mean everyone learned that lesson...
3) Another article informed me that college campuses around the country who are supposed to be encouraging free speech are having to cancel their 'free speech' speakers (here is looking at you Cal-Berkley) because the students have threatened to riot. Are you serious? When I was in college, if there was a speaker coming and I didn't care for that person, I just didn't go. There was no I think I'll riot or threaten the well being of another human. I find it unbelievable and sickening. And I guess I can only hope that the next group of kids to go through college are taught / forced to hear and see both sides of an issue instead of riot and threaten violence for those that speak a different viewpoint than your own. And how is that holding up what the 'Free Speech' deal is in the first place? I know I wrote about this very subject not long ago when my kids weren't allowed to speak about election results in a social studies class... The ironic thing about all of this is that the kids can usually hold a civilized conversation with different perspectives and many many many of us adults could learn from them. And by adults I mean literally everyone over the age of 18. The kids have yet to have college professors influence their minds into thinking that life only happens one way.
At a time when there are natural disasters happening all across the world and you see many people uniting and trying to get through another day while also helping their fellow neighbors I'm so incredibly sad that on the other side of the country we see the division happening because people aren't willing to listen to both sides of an issue. People are rioting because they don't like a speaker, people are being violent because of God-knows-why. In a world where there is so many positive things I wonder why we can't feed off the positive to try and help those struggling?
27 September 2017
20 September 2017
New Schools...new updates
School has started, new schedules have changed, nights are getting cooler, life is different ... and ... we are all adjusting. I'm not sure I would call all of these positive changes but they are life changes. Ones that you have to go through to grow and become stronger.
Brooke has started high school. She mostly loves it, except for the this whole homework thing. Before now, she has always made the most of her time at school and has had her homework done by the time the day was over. Now, the teachers are doing their thing all class period and give the assignment at the end. And to make matters worse, the 'study hall' time she is given is the first class of the day. She is too much like her mama to wait until the last minute to do the work in the morning. Brooke still mostly loves the Poms team... She thinks her coach, while she is a nice person, is struggling with her role. Brooke has been in the dance world too long to have patience for coaches/teachers that are learning what they are doing while trying to teach them. But the plus side of high school sports is that it is almost affordable.
Tyler has started his school, in this dual enrollment at the middle school and elementary school thing. While I think it is a good thing he is constantly telling me that he likes the middle school so much better than the elementary school. Maybe because the teachers treat them like the are grown people, instead of trying to continue to coddle them along.
Well ... I wrote all of the above, then life happened and I thought I would come right back to it and pick up where I left off... Since I'm not sure where I was going with the above post I'll keep it and move onto to the here and now.
Quick update... The Poms team is finally recognizing Brooke and so she is a bit happier... while the coach is still learning, Brooke is still getting her butt kicked at the studio, so it is all working out. Tyler, on the other hand decided that the middle school isn't as great as we thought, heck neither is the elementary school. We are struggling with communication issues (which is a new issue for us) between me and the school. It is almost like we are in limbo mode, he isn't really enrolled in either school while being enrolled in both. It is fantastic.
Academically Tyler is fine; just this morning the conversation in the car...
Friend in the back seat: "I forgot that the math deal is due on Thursday and it will take me more than an hour so we will have to do that later."
Me to Tyler: "Do you have that same math thing due also?"
Tyler: "Oh yeah, I think maybe Friday."
Me: "Did you do it?"
Tyler: "Yeah, in class..."
Me: "Did you convince Mr. Bradley to do it for you?"
Tyler: "No mom ... that would be dumb, it was a simple thing."
Meanwhile Brooke --"I'm not going to do my math homework tonight, I have advisement with Stosh in the morning and I'm going to convince him to help me or I mean do it for me."
All the while I'm thinking ... "What have I raised?" I guess at the end of the day it is how they 'play the game' at school and they are learning weather they admit it or not... so I should be happy.
To other news besides my kids ... Lou turned 40 ... I first surprised him with a trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley... while he ruined part of the surprise we still had fun and had remember that we did actually like each other before we had kids. Because right now so much of our life is consumed with our kids. The kids and I then surprised with a surprise party that included many friends and family. He still says that he can't believe that many people actually like him...
Brooke has started high school. She mostly loves it, except for the this whole homework thing. Before now, she has always made the most of her time at school and has had her homework done by the time the day was over. Now, the teachers are doing their thing all class period and give the assignment at the end. And to make matters worse, the 'study hall' time she is given is the first class of the day. She is too much like her mama to wait until the last minute to do the work in the morning. Brooke still mostly loves the Poms team... She thinks her coach, while she is a nice person, is struggling with her role. Brooke has been in the dance world too long to have patience for coaches/teachers that are learning what they are doing while trying to teach them. But the plus side of high school sports is that it is almost affordable.
The first performance Brooke made it through without passing out.
Tyler has started his school, in this dual enrollment at the middle school and elementary school thing. While I think it is a good thing he is constantly telling me that he likes the middle school so much better than the elementary school. Maybe because the teachers treat them like the are grown people, instead of trying to continue to coddle them along.
Well ... I wrote all of the above, then life happened and I thought I would come right back to it and pick up where I left off... Since I'm not sure where I was going with the above post I'll keep it and move onto to the here and now.
Quick update... The Poms team is finally recognizing Brooke and so she is a bit happier... while the coach is still learning, Brooke is still getting her butt kicked at the studio, so it is all working out. Tyler, on the other hand decided that the middle school isn't as great as we thought, heck neither is the elementary school. We are struggling with communication issues (which is a new issue for us) between me and the school. It is almost like we are in limbo mode, he isn't really enrolled in either school while being enrolled in both. It is fantastic.
Academically Tyler is fine; just this morning the conversation in the car...
Friend in the back seat: "I forgot that the math deal is due on Thursday and it will take me more than an hour so we will have to do that later."
Me to Tyler: "Do you have that same math thing due also?"
Tyler: "Oh yeah, I think maybe Friday."
Me: "Did you do it?"
Tyler: "Yeah, in class..."
Me: "Did you convince Mr. Bradley to do it for you?"
Tyler: "No mom ... that would be dumb, it was a simple thing."
Meanwhile Brooke --"I'm not going to do my math homework tonight, I have advisement with Stosh in the morning and I'm going to convince him to help me or I mean do it for me."
All the while I'm thinking ... "What have I raised?" I guess at the end of the day it is how they 'play the game' at school and they are learning weather they admit it or not... so I should be happy.
To other news besides my kids ... Lou turned 40 ... I first surprised him with a trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley... while he ruined part of the surprise we still had fun and had remember that we did actually like each other before we had kids. Because right now so much of our life is consumed with our kids. The kids and I then surprised with a surprise party that included many friends and family. He still says that he can't believe that many people actually like him...
The Bay
Ghirardelli Square
Our Favorite Winery
We also took the kids to their first concert ... They were enlightened to see all the things that happen at Red Rocks ...
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