...And in Not-So-Cool News...

Friday, July 24, 2009

Reading in Hispanic Magazine the other day I came across this nifty little article I quote in its entirety:

FAMILY--THE NEW MOMMY
A record number of unmarried women in the United States are having babies, and that rate is highest among Hispanic women, according to a new report by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Nearly four in 10 births in the U.S. were to unmarried women in 2007, and increase of 26 percent from 2002. In raw numbers, that means about 1.7 million children were born to unwed mothers in 2007, compared to 1.26 million in 2002 and fewer than 400,000 in 1970.
The report showed there were 106 births to every 1,000 unmarried Hispanic women, compared to 32 births per 1,000 white non-Hispanic women. The lowest proportion of unmarried births was to Asian women, while blacks fell in the middle, with 72 births per 1,000 women.
With the stigma of unwed motherhood clearly on the decline, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, deputy director of the National Latina Health Institute, noted it is important not to present single motherhood as a problem.
"Women have the right to have children whenever they think this is appropriate for their unique, individual circumstances, whether they're married or not," Gonzalez-Rojas says. Most critical is "to have social systems in place that support their decision."

Single motherhood not being presented as a problem?? Is that not exactly what it is? I wonder what the children of single mothers would say when asked if they would prefer to live in a two-parent home or with just one stressed-out mama who despite her absolute best efforts will probably never be able to provide many positive experiences for her children, the most important simply being TIME to be with her children. I see single mothers all over the place, and I feel for them and recognize that they face great challenges every day. However, when a national magazine trumpets Ms. Gonzalez-Lopez's silly idea that women "have the right to have children whenever THEY think this is appropriate for their unique, individual circumstances, whether they're married or not"...I simply have a problem with that statement. It seems so selfish. Having children is about the kids you will raise, not YOU. It is about consciously providing optimum circumstances for those kids. The percentage of children currently living in single-parent homes blows my mind. I speak from experience when I say that the majority of my students who perform highest in school and are the most emotionally happy are those coming from homes where not one but two parents are looking out for them and their well-being. Trying to make single motherhood look okay or even cool is not-so-cool.

Slouchy Bag, Anyone?

I've been wanting to get good at sewing one item and think I may have found the perfect pattern. I've made about 5 of these babies. Love the slouchiness, size, and fact that they're lined in silk and can be adorned in any which way. Also love the simplicity. I've been making them as gifts but am thinking about offering them for sale. I know everybody and their dog makes something and sells it on ETSY and there are about 10 million bags for sale there. I want the appeal of mine to be in the intregrity of material--silk, linen--and uniqueness. Working on that unique part. Input greatly appreciated.

Friday, July 17, 2009

...Critical thinking, and more specifically, critical thinking that is better implemented, is also needed at home to address lingering problems in education, urban decay, personal health, and racial disparity in reading, writing, and other essential job-life skills. The importance of applied critical thinking is driven home by acknowledging that pragmatic, effective solutions for these and other complex problems simply cannot be expected to be provided by the government. There is no empirical evidence that any government, anywhere, can do anything more than offer Band-Aid fixes to large problems such as these. The solutions, especially in a country founded on the principles of liberty and individual responsibility, must ultimately come from the people.
--Michael R. LeGault, Think: Why Crucial Decisions Can't be Made in the Blink of an Eye

Resuscitation

Monday, May 25, 2009

Time to resuscitate this blog!
Here's a project I thought of for next years' third-graders on the first day. Letters from my current third graders offering advice. Some of the letters offered fantastic advice. Others took on a rather intimidating tone...

Dear Future 3rd Grader,

When you are in third grade there's a lot of work to do and lots of learning. When you start you want to be good and not argue. Warning if you complain you will have to go to the complain department. If you don't listen you will have to pull a card. If you pull 2 red cards you can't go to the behavior party. You should read as much as you can, you will want to go to the Rainbow Bus. In third grade you will learn multiplication. If you pass nines you will get popcorn. Also if you complain as I said before the complain department is a mousetrap. Once a kid was complaining and Mrs. Saine took him to the complain department and his hand was bleeding. It was unbelievable since then nobody complained.

Sincerely,
Fourth Grader


Dear Future Third Graders,
If you are complaining you better watch out because once this kid got his finger cut off and the doctor said he couldn't write with it for 10 years and he couldn't anymore but that is enough. You should worry about DIBELS it gets harder and harder and flashcards if you need help in -, +, X, division. And Mrs. Saine is nice if you don't argue with her she is nice and fun. She is cool.

Your friend,
Antonio

100 Things

Monday, March 02, 2009

Being afraid of water makes for a really good excuse not to have to do a lot of exciting things in your life. My fulfilling life vision actually consists of being a mommy to at least 2 at most 3 kids, gardening and running every day, spending mucho time with my husband, and being able to pursue creative endeavors. I value time more than money. My hope for myself is that I'll be absolutely satisfied and downright happy with each day.

100 things

1. Started your own blog --it needs a lot of improvement
2. Slept under the stars -- on trampolines
3. Played in a band -- only piano
4. Visited Hawaii -- too expensive
5. Watched a meteor shower--on a trampoline
6. Given more than you can afford to charity--I'm a teacher, I am a charity
7. Been to Disneyland -- never have never will
8. Climbed a mountain -- Mt. Timpanogos 5 times
9. Held a praying mantis -- eek!
10. Sang a solo -- only like two lines of a song
11. Bungee jumped -- never will
12. Visited Paris -- my dream
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea--i'd be hiding under the mattress on the cruiseship
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch --lots
15. Adopted a child -- working on it!
16. Had food poisoning -- Oddly, from Paradise Bakery
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty --I will
18. Grown your own vegetables -- carrots, sweet peas...
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France --I will
20. Slept on an overnight train --does a flight count?
21. Had a pillow fight -- Many
22. Hitch hiked -- Not after my experience almost being abducted by Bosnian truckdrivers
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill -- never (wink, wink)
24. Built a snow fort -- heck yeah
25. Held a lamb -- nope : (
26. Gone skinny dipping -- I was the only one in the gang who refused to do so in Ecuador at the beach. Don't worry we were all girls
27. Run a Marathon -- Only once so I could say I had on things like this
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice -- Does Vegas count? The guy sitting across from Manuel and I in the gondola didn't smile for the whole ride: (
29. Seen a total eclipse -- I wish
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset -- uh yeah
31. Hit a home run -- It would help if I knew how to swing a bat
32. Been on a cruise -- my most important life goal right now! Seriously
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person -- Shoshone falls in Idaho!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors -- Merry Old England..one day
36. Taught yourself a new language -- Espanol with help from my hubby
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied -- sadly, don't know if I'll ever be that unselfish
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person -- wish
39. Gone rock climbing -- on a climbing wall, scary
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David -- wish
41. Sung karaoke -- yes
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt -- Yes! soooo many European tourists were there
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant--I'm not that kind
44. Visited Africa -- not a desire of mine
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight -- yes en Mejico
46. Been transported in an ambulance --broken leg aaaaaaugh! Prineville to Redmond. The EMT was asking everyone if my legs were usually that fat. I wanted to smack him! But I was in shock. Not enough of a shock to miss that comment!
47. Had your portrait painted -- but third-graders!
48. Gone deep sea fishing -- I'm afraid of water
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person -- wish
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris--wish
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling -- I'm afraid of water
52. Kissed in the rain--eeeew!
53. Played in the mud -- Why do you think I'm immune to so many diseases...all that dirt! Mudball fights daily as a child!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater -- nope
55. Been in a movie -- nope
56. Visited the Great Wall of China -- wish
57. Started a business -- I will on Etsy one day soon
58. Taken a martial arts class -- nope I just make it up
59. Visited Russia -- My bro has...I have no desire to
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies --they're not that good.
62. Gone whale watching -- yeah but I don't remember actually seeing any whales
63. Got flowers for no reason -- Thank you Manuel
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma -- Yes but I'm afraid of needles
65. Gone sky diving -- ha! (I'm afraid of water)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp -- on TV
67. Bounced a check--Probably
68. Flown in a helicopter -- never
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy -- toys weren't my thing
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial -- wish
71. Eaten Caviar -- yech
72. Pieced a quilt--yes and it's beautiful. Getting ready to hang on my wall.
73. Stood in Times Square -- too touristy and capitalist!
74. Toured the Everglades --I donn't want to get eaten alive by crocodiles!
75. Been fired from a job -- Laid off...from telemarketing! I was so relieved
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London--nope
77. Broken a bone -- my femur doing the long jump. triple spiral fracture...no one else has ever done this...go ahead and google it, you'll see
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle -- with my dad riding through a graveyard at night
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person -- yes from an airplane window
80. Published a book -- does a handmade book count?
81. Visited the Vatican -- wish
82. Bought a brand new car -- ha! I consciously only choose to drive crap cars
83. Walked in Jerusalem -- wish
84. Had your picture in the newspaper -- yes
85. Read the entire Bible -- why would you do that? No just kidding I've read parts
86. Visited the White House -- wish
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating -- I wanted to but my brother hit the fish's head on a rock and then it got away and probably bled to death. How sad. We never saw him again.
88. Had chickenpox -- yup
89. Saved someone’s life -- not knowingly
90. Sat on a jury -- want to.
91. Met someone famous -- local celebrities
92. Joined a book club -- no
93. Lost a loved one -- grandparents, a guy I used to date
94. Had a baby -- Are you kidding me? I'm afraid of water!
95. Seen the Alamo in person--I don't like Texas
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake -- eeeew!
97. Been involved in a law suit -- I hope that never happens...but it seems to be linked to adoption quite a bit
98. Owned a cell phone -- yeah
99. Been stung by a bee -- many times. Yellow jackets too. Two days in a row. OOOOOW! Put mud on it.
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own --No.

Amor, Catcher in the Rye Style

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I know my husband loves me because he writes me Valentine's Day messages like this:

"You know, this girl Megan, she can be crazy sometimes, you know? Crazy, and I mean it. But she's no phony. That's for sure. You go around dealing with phonies all day, and you finally find a girl you can have an intelligent conversation with, and you feel that your life is made. I'm crazy like that. I swear I am. But this girl, Megan, she's something else. She's sure as heck something else, and I mean it, doggonnit, gashdarnit, heck and doble heck.

"I remember, when I was a teenager, dreaming that one day I would be walking downtown, in the rain. A crappy cold night. A goshdang it cold night. And then this bus would pull over and pick me up, and for some reason the heat was up in this bus. All the dang way up, and I would feel cozy as heck, and all I need it to be happy was a goshdang girl, a girl that would rock my world, and then in the back of the bus there's this awesome girl, long hair and long jacket. No short skirt though. This girl is no tramp and certainly no phony. Anyway, she's there pretending she's no more special than any other girl, but you can tell, from miles away, that she's the most georgeous girl around, and around around. I then would be brave enough to go and talk to her. I'm really yellow when it comes to talking to beautiful girls, but I do it anyway. That's how crazy I am, goshdarn it, freaking crapping dang it. So I go and sit next to her, even though there's no one else in the bus. And she doesn't look at me weird or anything. She's alright this girl, I really mean it. She even gets closer and starts talking to me and answering all my questions, as if she liked me already. And the truth is, I know she does. She's crazy too, this girl. Crazy like me, except that she's georgeous, and I'm.. well, I'm me. Even in my dream. So this girl is so swell that we end up talking all the way to the end of the bus route, and then all the way back to the other end of the route. We never want to end up talking to each other, so we don't. Sometimes the conversation gets a little dull and repetitive, especially from my part. I swear to dog, sometimes I feel like I'm losing my mind and everyone around me has to put up with it, but I don't mean any harm. I'm just freaking gosh dang crazy like that. That's all. I mean it. So anyway, this beautiful girl and me never stop talking. We just keep riding, and the ride gets more and more interesting. I get to know her so well that I don't feel like I need to be with anyone else. So I don't. Gosh I love this girl. Just after a few more rounds I'm head over heels for her. Sometimes I act all stupid, just because I'm so goshdarn crazy, but the truth is, I really love this girl.

"So guess what? This girl Meg shows up, and she rocks my world. She really does, this girl. She's swell like that. She's really grand. And believe me. She's no phony, this girl."

I would never have expected that, in a million, million years. I love you babe! Thank you for still loving me even though my dad didn't really turn out to be a hippie!

25 Random Things

Monday, February 02, 2009

1. I generally have a really bad attitude about this 25 random things thing, but as you can see I am slowly starting to come around.
2. If I had a tattoo which I'll never get, but if I did, I would have a bar code on the back of my neck. I once saw a guy at the Warped Tour with that tattoo and I thought it was so cool.
3. I avoid visiting teaching for my church like the plague. I don't know why it freaks me out so much. But improving my stats is my resolution for '09.
3. My friend Eike and I were once almost abducted by Bosnian truck drivers. Long story.
4. My Liz Phair Pandora station is the greatest thing that has happened musically in my life for some time.
5. I am so frightened of diving into water or even putting my head underwater.
6. At 14 I broke my leg in the act of doing the long jump at a track meet. The sound of the bone breaking was so loud many people thought it was a starting gun. Disgusting!! I know!!
7. When my husband first met me, he thought my last name was "Bunny", so he looked in the phone book to call me and couldn't find me! He was two letters off.
8. I love, love, LOVE the movies Bride and Prejudice *Bride, not Pride* and Sense and Sensibility. I wish they'd do a Bollywood Sense and Sensibility.
9. Running a marathon is only advisable once in a lifetime.
10. My mama calls me Megalopolis and Meggie. I love those names.
11. There are three Matts in my family and two Heathers.
12. I am really bad at ending phone conversations, especially if I really want to get off the phone.
13. I witnessed a caterpillar migration in my birth town of Safford, Arizona and vividly remember this event from the third year of my life.
14. I have a pen pal; one of my former third-grade students faithfully writes to me. I am always tickled to receive a letter from her.
15. I wish I were a better basketball player.
16. I was the best in my fourth-grade class at writing bubble letters . My teacher recruited me to write the word CRUSTACEANS on a class poster as part of our oceanography unit.
17. The only time I ever got in trouble in grade school was when I participated in a cafeteria food fight during a field trip to the Oregon coast. Us hoodlum children were forced to clean the cafeteria tables after dinner, and I was oh, so ashamed.
18. The most amazing time of my life was in Cuenca, Ecuador, working in orphanages and touring the gorgeous country. Also wholeheartedly beginning to understand the beauty of adoption and witnessing a few beautiful babies adopted to loving families. I always knew adoption would be a part of my life since that time.
19. I am really good at New York Times crossword puzzles...I honed my skills while waiting for classes to begin at BYU and now do them online. I can finish one in about 15-20 minutes. Fridays take longer and I usually need hints.
20. I once wrote a detailed note to my friend in junior high, gushing about a guy I had a huge crush on. He actually took the note out of my jacket pocket, made it into a paper airplane and threw it at me. My crush on this guy actually continued. HELLO, WHAT WAS I THINKING?!
21. I'm kind of bad at communicating with friends I've had throughout life. I am very aware of this and am working to improve...sending Christmas cards was never really my thing anyway. I love to hear news about my friends' lives, though...just don't feel I should bore them with details about mine!
22. When I read stories aloud to my third-graders I do accents.
23. I fear that not passing the AP art test in high school turned me off to art forever. I always will regret not having gone into an artistic field...I guess it's never too late.
24. I have hiked Mt. Timpanogos five times.
25. I have about a gajillion plans for things I want to do when I am no longer a third-grade teacher!

3 Posts in a Day

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Ideas just pop into my head on the same day. The other days I'm thinking, there's nothing anyone would want to read about my life today. Inspiration seems to come on Sunday evenings. Manuel and I have updated our adoption blog, you can check it out here . Manuel is watching a lot of You Suck at Photoshop tutorials on YouTube, which are not to be overlooked for their abundance of excellent PhotoShopping skills. He distorted our faces on our main photo for our adoption blog. It's amazing how freaky you can look if your eyes have been PhotoShopped about 2 millimeters south. Email me if you'd like to see the scariness. We figured it would be best not to post the hilarious plastic-surgery versions of ourselves on our adoption blog, however. I am wrestling with this question. Do 5-month-old babies experience separation anxiety? Because my niece Maura seems to have done so, yesterday. I babysat for 2 HOURS is all, and she about flipped out. I promise I did nothing a loving and kind aunt would not do! In other words, I did everything a loving and kind aunt would. She was happy one hour, flipped out the other hour, finally cried herself to sleep (oh, I felt horrible about that one, standing by helpless) and woke up 2 seconds before my sister returned, happy and apparently NOT EVEN HUNGRY! What the heck?! Is this some kind of a sign for me? She was screaming/crying for a solid 30 minutes! My only consolation (mainly for myself, to console myself for not being a better babysitter) is that this was the FIRST time she'd been away from her mama and I was just not the face she's grown to know and trust, nor was she in the place she knew well. I will probably babysit her again when she's like 5, after the first month of kindergarten. The video shows her curiousity at being in a new place with new people. A very observant child! Perhaps too much so!

It's Raining Shoes....Hallelujah!

Have you seen that commercial where the chick is driving down the street in the city and it starts raining shoes? Hilarious. I would seriously be in heaven. I am at any given time probably thinking about what kind of shoes I want to buy next. I know it's trivial and shallow and consumerist but I am just like the next woman in that respect. And I don't trust my own fasion sense at ALL. So I post this picture of a dress I bought to wear to my bro-in-law Jonatan's wedding to Brea, my future-sis-in-law. What kind of shoes should I buy to go with this dress? Because this obviously totally gives me an excuse to buy shoes! Thank you Brea! (I'm gaining a wonderful sister with really good fashion sense and I'm really excited for them).
I'm thinking silver leather sandals with a closed toe and straps, somewhat like these. I can't do anything over 2 1/2 inches. I never did learn to walk correctly in high heels and though Heidi Klum can pull it off I can't feel like Amazon Woman. I say closed toe because I still have nasty 1/2 marathon toenails. Yes, it takes about 6 months for my toenails to return to normalcy. Disgusting.
What kind of shoes would go with this dress?

When I am 70, I Will Do the Cha-Cha

Background: My school implements a well-known reading program. This program, ****, has its faults, namely, that it could very well be killing off any amount of interest our nation's children ever have for reading, and exists mainly to make money for publishing companies. But I'll leave that for another posting to be titled, No Child Left Behind is the Stupidest Idea Ever. In the meantime I am required to teach reading in this way and try to love it.
Every once in a while there's a rather hoky writing prompt. This stemmed from our reading of Johnny Appleseed who still loved to plant apple trees on the wild frontier, even when he was 70! What will you be like when you are 70 years old?
My student's response:

When I am 70 years old I will dye my hair if it is white. I would knit hats and blankets, and I will have a cat, and I will be a teacher. I will still read and tell impossible stories to my grandchildren and I will do the cha-cha. I will teach my grandchildren how to face their fear and I will live in a white and baby blue house. I will teach my grandchildren how to swim and I will visit my (****reading program****) teacher and I will visit my homeroom teacher. I will have a pet talking bird and it will sing and I will work as a museum lady.

I am just tickled that she thinks I will still be alive when she is 70! I would be the ripe old age of 90! And yes, there still are kids out there with imaginations!