Back to school!

I just hope my arm and I get to rest in peace together...

In past posts, I've mentioned that one of my favorite things about the hippie school, which Young Son attends, is the number of field trips that we go on. Since fourth grade history is all about the California gold rush, this week we went to the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum in San Jose. Once again, it totally amazed me to discover that- just a few minutes from my home of 19 years, is a whole piece of history that I never even knew existed...

We started our tour of the park at the Quicksilver (AKA mercury) Mining Museum where we learned about the the mine from our fabulous docent, Teri. She did an amazing job of keeping 30 plus 4th graders completely focused as she regaled them with tales of the Ohlone Indians as well as the men who mined the cinnabar and then extracted the valuable mercury from the ore. So valuable in fact, that the total dollar value of the mercury pulled out of this one mine is greater than the dollar value of all the gold found during the entire gold rush. (Can you tell that I was just a tad impressed?!!)


After we finished with the museum tour, we went on a walking tour of New Almaden- once the mining town itself, it is now a quaint, historical suburb of San Jose. My favorite stop on the walking tour was the cemetery. I've always had a thing for old cemeteries, but this one had something I have never seen before...

It was a grave, but not just any grave-




The tombstone reads "RICHARD BERTRAM,BERT BARRETT,HIS ARM LIES HERE,1898,MAY IT REST IN PEACE". That's right folks, just his arm. The story goes that he was shot in a hunting accident in 1898 and had to have his arm amputated. They buried it in the town cemetery, assuming that he would follow at some point... Bertram, however, lived until 1959- by which time the cemetery was closed. So while Bertram's arm lies at Hacienda Cemetery, the rest of Bertram rests in peace at Oak Hill Cemetery in San Jose some 11 miles away.

While not an official stop, one final point of interest on our walking tour was this cute bungalow for sale just across from the cemetery. And seeing as how this is one of the most expensive housing markets in the U-S-of-A, it's listed for only $649,000.00...


And lest you think that this home might be a tad expensive- just know that you get 2 whole bedrooms, 1 bath, and 1200 feet of living space for that bargain basement price.

And that, my friends, is why I live in a townhouse...

Yosemite or bust!

This morning Teenage Daughter, along with 349 of her classmates, boarded a charter bus bound for Yosemite where they will be spending 5 days hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and generally avoiding any type of book learnin'. Of course, being the completely dedicated blogger (and mother!) that I am- I totally forgot my camera and had to resort to using my cell phone to document the event...

So here is Teenage Daughter herself... Doesn't she look devastated to be leaving her beloved family (especially her brothers!) for a week?


And these are the world's most expensive hiking boots ever! I won't even tell you how much they cost. Oh no- you can't make me! Nothing that you say will make me tell! I'm putting my fingers in my ears so that I can't hear you! La La La La La La La!



Oh, OK- you wore me down. Brace yourself. Ready? THEY WERE $120.00! No that is not a typo- one hundred and twenty US dollars!!! I don't even have any shoes that cost that much! I hope her feet are finished growing because she's going to be wearing those boots on every camping trip we go on for the next 5 years or so!

And last, but not least, here are the buses preparing to pull out...


Have a great trip, Teenage Daughter! We'll miss your quite, unassuming personality here at home...

The agony and the ecstacy...

I've mentioned before that Young Son attends McA- a whole-child focused, parent participation, K-8 school in our area. One of the highlights of the school is the number of activities that are child driven. And one of those would be the annual variety show- which was held tonight.

Young son and his friend, I, performed a skit that they wrote themselves called Robert the Robber and Inspector No Clue. In spite of the fact that I may not be completely objective- I can honestly say that it was one of the better acts tonight. There were a few acts that were terrific- a song/skit of There's a hole in the bucket comes to mind. And then there are those acts where you're just glad that there is a one and a half minute time limit. "Darth Vader burps the ABC's" from last years show is a classic example...

All in all- it was an entertaining show with plenty of variety. And really what else can you ask for?

That's how the cookie crumbles...

Yesterday was Young Son's day to bring a treat for Mr Bean's Cafe. Young Son was somehow under the impression that I was going to make a coffee cake (I may have mentioned last weekend that I might bake a coffee cake- who knew that he was actually listening?).

Anyway- Young Son was fine with taking cookies instead, and I offered him a sample cookie. Then he politely declined. When I asked him why he didn't want to eat a cookie for breakfast (Who are you and what have you done with my child?!!) he explained that they "look like poop".

I took a second look at the cookies and decided that Young Son was right- the pumpkin and whole wheat flour gave them a orange-ish/brown-ish hue and the whole groat oatmeal did look like undigested fiber. Add to that the fact that the canned pumpkin adds a certain moistness to the cookie. Not to mention the fact that they are drop cookies- and well, there you go...

However, he had no qualms about taking them to school. It seems that while he might be personally adverse to eating poop cookies- it's no problem to sell them to staff and parents at school.

Oh and by the way- I did hear that the cookies all sold. Who knows? Maybe we'll start a whole new trend?

Or not.

"Whiskey's for drinkin', water's for fightin' over" -Mark Twain

A big part of the curriculum at Young Son's school is hands-on-learning via field trips. Since it's also a parent participation school, this means that parents are needed to drive and chaperon.

On Tuesday, Young Son's 4th grade class went to the Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model. Since it's still early in the year, this was our first field trip (other then the 3 day beach trip in September)... We arrived at school early, loaded up our vehicles and hit the road- driving through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge to arrive in Sausalito around 10:00.

We arrived at the Bay Model and started our tour. Our docent, Linda, was very informative and engaging as she taught the students about the watershed, ecology, and conservation. One of the things she demonstrated to the students was how they could use the bay model to predict how an oil spill would travel across the bay using red dye.

Unfortunately, we awoke to the news today that there was a real oil spill on San Francisco Bay. Last night around 8:30 pm, a barge struck the base of the Bay Bridge spilling 58,000 gallons of crude oil into the bay. Now, I'm all for connecting what my kids learn in school in real life... But in this case, I would have been happy to leave them "disconnected".

Yes waitress, I'll have a bowl of peace and quiet with a side of respite...

If all the current craziness wasn't enough, Young Son also left today for the 4th grade beach trip. That would explain why I was up until midnight last night writing his name in all his underwear and packing everything he'd need for three days of camping at the beach.

I was one of the cargo drivers this morning. After arriving at the school- we loaded up all the cars with kids and gear and drove 45 drive to the campground, just south of Santa Cruz. It was a beautiful day- sunny with a high of 80. The kid's campsites overlook the Pacific Ocean (see above picture) and it's a 10 minute walk down to the beach where they spend their days boogie boarding and digging in the sand under the watchful eyes of CA state lifeguards, parents and teachers.

It made for a stressful morning; so after arriving, unloading all the gear, and kissing Young Son goodbye- I decided to run away for a couple of hours. I drove another 20 minutes down to Moss Landing to have a bowl of clam chowder at local landmark, Phil's Fish Market. Let me tell you, it was worth the drive! Just having a couple of hours where I didn't have to think about everything that still needs to be done was exactly what I needed to recharge a little. I brought a book with me and enjoyed a leisurely hour-long lunch.

So now it's back to cleaning, planning, and packing... When I start to feel stressed tho'- I think I'll just close my eyes for a few minutes and imagine I'm back enjoying my bowl of clam chowder at Phil's.

From Ethiopia to the South Pole...

Since I know you're all on pins and needles- wanting to know about our Ethiopian dinner last night... The official word is yummy (and yes, that is the technical term!). And in spite of my fears, there was plenty of food as well. The food is presented in traditional Ethiopian fashion- on one large round platter in the center of the table which everyone eats off of. You eat with your hands using the spongy flat bread called indira to scoop it up.

At the end of the evening, I made a reservation for our Africa team for next Saturday. It's somewhat of a tradition that we have dinner together as a group, along with spouses etc, before going on an overseas trip. It should be a nice time of team bonding before we embark on what will be a very busy two weeks working in malaria clinics in Zanzibar, Dar Es Salaam, and Ikwirriri village. It's hard to believe that it's coming up so quickly- less than two weeks before we leave!

Today kicks off the beginning of parent aiding at Young Son's school as well. So far this year, I've had it pretty easy- just dropping off and picking up. I'll be aiding on Monday's this year from 10:30-3:05. As much as I enjoy working with the kids- I was enjoying my 'vacation'. On the other hand, it will be good to get back and connect with the classroom community.

Last week Young Son came home from school and told me that they had met their first classroom visitor that day. Evidently one of the families in our class has a friend who works at the South Pole. She came to visit the class and brought all her layers of clothes that they wear down there. Kids got to try everything on and she told them all about what it's like to work as a researcher at the bottom of the world.

Young Son is thinking that maybe Grandma L could come to the classroom when she is here at the end of the month. He thinks she could talk about her exciting job. I'm sure she'll have to problem making North Idaho nursing sound just as exciting as research at the South Pole!

OMISTF

I tend to agree to take on big projects, then regret it later- when I'm in the midst of feeling totally overwhelmed... To make it even worse, I often come up with the projects myself! I have a bad case of OMISTF. If you're not familiar with OMISTF, it's a common disorder also known as Open Mouth, Insert Size 10 Foot.

Well, I did have some help with this one...

My babbling about is all related to my position as missions director at our church (actually I prefer the title of coordinator- I think it sounds less stuffy, but my official title is "director"). So anyway, one of our department goals this year was find a new way to reach out to our local community. After much discussion amongst our missions team, and after conferring with my pastor- we decided to adopt a local school. I approached the principal of the church's neighborhood school, Garden Gate Elementary, early in the summer and she responded with great excitement.

So that's how I ended up shopping for the components of 30 "back to school" gift baskets for all the teachers at the school. J and I hit several Targets yesterday (they have the best prices on school supplies!) I also applied for a Target Visa card at the first store we went to so that we could get the 10% discount on all the stuff we bought (the discount was good at any Target for the whole day)...

Here's the breakdown... We bought:

800 spiral notebooks
500 three prong portfolios
230 cute pencils
150 boxes of colored pencils
150 glue sticks
75 pencil sharpeners
30 bottles of hand sanitizer
30 laundry baskets to use as gift baskets
30 packages of Dove chocolates
30 tins of Altoids
30 packages of colored highlighters
30 packages of cute sticky notes
30 assorted packages of student awards
16 packages of bookmarks
15 rolls of clear cellophane
white and green ribbon (school colors)

And last, but not least- 30 Starbucks gift cards to put on the front of the baskets.

I had a budget of $1,500.00 to work with, and I still have a little left to spend. That's a good thing, because I'm still short on a couple items, but I need to wait to go back to Target until they restock the department (I hear they will restock on Monday).

Fortunately, I did have some help assembling all the baskets today (Thanks to John, Andrea, Reannie, and Christy!). Equally important was the help given to me by the crowd of teenage and young 20's guys who unloaded both my vehicles and carried everything upstairs after church.

And actually, I'm not feeling so overwhelmed now. One of my mission team members has agreed to help me with recruiting church members to help out on campus this year. I'm actually getting excited about the whole thing...

One of the cool things about adopting this particular school is that two of my own kids went to Garden Gate, so we have lots of fond memories there... Including this one of Teenage Daughter on her very first day of kindergarten-



Here's to making some new memories this year!

Go towards the light...

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

First of all, tomorrow is the last day of school. While many parents across the nation look forward to this day, those at our school have extra reason to relish the end of the school year. You see, Young Son and Teenage Daughter both attend 'MCA' (or as I frequently and affectionately refer to it the hippie school); the only whole-child focused, parent-participation, K-8 school in our school district. What that really means is that they use fewer text books and concentrate on hands-on learning instead. There is little homework; when students do have homework it is either because they didn't finish work in class, or it is an extension of what they are studying. And to answer your next question- yes, as students get older, daily homework is issued so that they don't go into shock when they get to high school!

Instead of the one or two field trips that a traditional classroom might take during a school year, classes at MCA average 2-3 a month. Students on field trips are chaperoned and transported by parents (no school buses here!). Parents are also required to aide 4 hours weekly in their child's classroom (or 6 hours for parents of 2 or more students) and hold a classroom job as well as a school-wide job. Oh- and we attend evening class meetings each month. Throw in a 3 day beach trip in the fall (again, parent drivers and chaperones needed), an annual talent show (parent run), a class play (lots of parent help needed), and a spring trip (3 days to three weeks depending on the grade and teacher)-and it all begins to really add up.

Since it is not a neighborhood school (they have a lottery process for admission) I also drive 30 miles daily just to get my kids to school and back (two round trips).

Anyway- what it all boils down to is that I am totally fried by the end of the school year. As much as I love the school- I probably look forward to summer vacation more than my kids do...

Second (keep your fingers crossed) we have a new receptionist starting at work tomorrow. Hopefully that means that my hours will drop back down to the occasional day here and there instead of the 20-30 hours per week that I have been working since Easter. This is, however, the 4th receptionist that we have hired in that time. Since none of the others have worked out- I am understandably trepidatious about it. I am really hoping to get to work tomorrow and see a new face sitting there, but I'm taking it all with a grain of salt at the same time. We'll just have to wait and see!

So I am looking forward to (and hoping for) a few weeks of peace and quiet. Well, at least as much peace and quiet as I can get with three kids home for the summer!

Oh, and just in case my son's teacher, C, happens to read this post- be assured that the teachers at the hippie school are even busier than the parents. In addition to all the field trips, class meetings, class plays, talent show etc; they have all the usual teaching duties- curriculum planning and execution, classroom management, staff meetings, etc. On top of all that, they get to deal with parent aides in the classroom on a daily basis- something that's easier said than done...

"Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest." -Mark Twain

Young Son has been researching Mark Twain for the last six weeks, it all culminated yesterday with the 3rd grade Wax Museum at his school. Young Son wore his white suit proudly. We sprayed his hair white and he had his glued-on mustache as well... His favorite part was definitely his cigar. I bought it at a costume shop and it puffed "smoke" when he blew into it (If he grows up to be a cigar aficionado, I only have myself to blame)...

After the first two hours of the wax museum his mustache was itchy, so he took it off and just told everyone that he had "shaved"... In spite of his bald upper lip- he was still the cutest Mark Twain ever!

Special thanks to my friend and fellow 3rd grade mom, C, who took pictures of the whole class and graciously allowed me to use the above photo...

In search of the great white suit...

Young Son is finishing 3rd grade. As an end-of-the-year project, each student in his class is researching a person from the 1800's and writing a report on him/her. The culmination of the project will be the "wax museum" where the students dress as their character and give a presentation for the parents and other students in the school. Some of the characters being studied are Alexander Graham Bell, Wild Bill Hickock, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Elizabeth Blackwell. Young Son is researching Samuel Clemens AKA Mark Twain.

Along with gathering books for research I ordered a couple episodes of Star Trek: TNG Time's Arrow- parts 1 and 2 (and the answer to your un-asked question is "yes, I am a closet trekkie"). Anyway- the story involves the crew of the Enterprise traveling back in time to gold-rush era San Francisco where they meet Mark Twain. So, while watching Star Trek may not seem all that educational- it was a good way for Young Son to get some ideas of how Mark Twain might have looked, dressed and talked. After watching the episode we talked about Mark Twain's trademark white suit and cigar- which led us to "the white suit search"...

You might think it would be easy to find a white suit to fit a 10 year old boy, but you would be wrong. It seems that white suits are not really in style right now, and while I could rent one for $100 from the Men's Wearhouse- I'm really more interested in buying one from Goodwill... A good friend suggested that I try Craig's List, and I have a few more thrift stores that I can try. I have one more week left- wish me luck!

Postscript- I found a white, polyester suit jacket at Salvation Army that will work perfectly- best of all it only cost $3.00! It fits almost perfectly- I only need to shorten the sleeves. We'll proabably alter a pair of boys baseball pants (same fabric and color) to go with it. Add a white dress shirt, black riboon for a string tie, and a mustache and he's all set!