Jon took Eli backpacking up on the North Shore this past weekend for their annual father/son Superior Hiking Trail outing. They experienced some fine weather, few bugs, and fewer people. Had a delightful time. The one drawback was that the tick population seemed to be at an all time high. I think they said they pulled 36 off of themselves- only a few embedded, the rest free ranging over their clothes and bodies. They came in the house after the drive home chuckling about the tick Eli had found on the way home and had flung in a panic. They warned that it was somewhere in the car. But then we found one on Eli's abdomen and called off the car warning. The next day Jon proved that theory wrong when he plucked tick 37 from the ceiling of the car. Tick 38 turned up (dead) in the dryer after a load of backpacking clothes came out. That's too many for me.
What I find interesting about all this tick experience is that my gentle-souled Eli, who adheres to a strict catch and release policy when it comes to flies or spiders that venture into his domain, takes keen pleasure in taking a match to a tick. Nothing he likes more than knowing that a tick is dead and gone, and fire is his assassination method of choice. Not sure if I should be concerned about his or not....
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Helping me get some perspective
This past Sunday Theo and I enjoyed a lovely visit to the St. Paul Farmer's Market. Peapods, astonishingly beautiful lettuce (I've never thought of lettuce as good-looking before, but this stuff just is), jerky from the jerky lady, a few plants for the garden and some gifts for teachers. But on the way home, when I stopped to by some more mulch, I pulled out $20 only to realize that it was stuck to another one (fresh from the ATM they were) and both myself and the cashier at the store barely realized it. A quick perusal of my billfold found that this was not the first time that 20s had stuck together that morning. I must have paid at least once with $40 and received change for $20. Not that anyone was trying to cheat me, just those were some very sticky bills. I was a bit put out about this until Theo piped up from the back seat with this: "Well Mom, those farmers work so hard and make good stuff and no one ever tips them. They deserve a real nice tip every now and then." True. Just kind of wish I could have been in charge of the size of my tip. But it did make that pill go down a bit easier.
Later in the day Eli and I were standing on the deck looking at the garden when a chipmunk darted into the new corn seedling patch, dug up a plant and dashed away. This brought our attention to the other missing seedlings and the neat little holes left by this chipmunk earlier. I might have cursed, quietly of course. Eli gave me an affectionate pat and said, "Well Mom, take a look at those perfect little holes already dug for whatever you might want to plant next."
Thanks guys. Your bright side perspective is helpful. But I might still invest in a BB gun to keep the chippies at bay. I will not shoot to kill. Just to scare.
Later in the day Eli and I were standing on the deck looking at the garden when a chipmunk darted into the new corn seedling patch, dug up a plant and dashed away. This brought our attention to the other missing seedlings and the neat little holes left by this chipmunk earlier. I might have cursed, quietly of course. Eli gave me an affectionate pat and said, "Well Mom, take a look at those perfect little holes already dug for whatever you might want to plant next."
Thanks guys. Your bright side perspective is helpful. But I might still invest in a BB gun to keep the chippies at bay. I will not shoot to kill. Just to scare.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Lactose intolerance
Even though I just wrote a post about how great Eli has been feeling lately (breaking into song even) it must be said that physically he's had some challenges. He's been suffering some bowel issues. He'll love it when he finds out I've written about this. Anyway- somewhere along the line he did some research (cause that's what he does) on lactose intolerance and then convinced himself that he should cut out dairy. This causes me some distress as I am a lover of cheese. And yogurt. And ice cream. And anything made with any of these products. But I agreed to support a trial lactose free diet to test his hypothesis. Sure enough, a few weeks without lactose and he is feeling better. I have tried to point out that it's also been during a time when we've upped his fiber and fruit intake as I believe his problem may be more about the amount of starch he consumes, not the lactose. But he's firm about it being lactose. At one point I decided to make him re-introduce it. But that was doomed to failure from the start. As he drank the cup of milk he started clutching his belly. And once he starts to think he might be feeling poorly, he feels poorly. Really, who doesn't? So I decided the bring back the lactose campaign had to be more secretive. I've been sticking it into his breakfasts for a while here. Today I made pancakes with half lactose free milk, half lactose filled milk. If there are no complaints this morning, I will double my efforts this weekend. I don't want to poison him, just want to make sure we are avoiding lactose for a reason.
Whatever the lactose case may be, we've redoubled the efforts to feed the child early and often. He's spurting upward but still can't tip the scales at 80 pounds even when his clothes are wet. By law, he should still be in a booster seat, even though he's just a few years from driving. The kid is thin. If he only had my propensity toward snacking, we'd be fine.
Whatever the lactose case may be, we've redoubled the efforts to feed the child early and often. He's spurting upward but still can't tip the scales at 80 pounds even when his clothes are wet. By law, he should still be in a booster seat, even though he's just a few years from driving. The kid is thin. If he only had my propensity toward snacking, we'd be fine.
What a kid
Eli's in a good place these days. Frankly, he's been in a pretty good place for the past 12 years. But lately he's been feeling so good that he's been breaking into song. This morning I asked him to clean up the space around the rabbit cage. He sashayed into the room, grabbed the broom and began dancing and singing a narrative tune as he swept. When he finished I spotted a stray rabbit poop. I pointed out how it was just the size and shape to cause me serious damage if I was to step on it barefoot. On the surface it doesn't look nearly as dangerous as a stray lego, but I am recovering (slowly) from a doctor's vicious attempt to remove my plantars warts. I swear that if we ever experience a nuclear war two things will survive: cockroaches and my warts. I will not survive, but my warts will find a way to graft themselves onto the milling cockroaches. I guarantee it. This may all be too much information, but I think you'll find it worth it. You see, Eli took my (jesting) warning that if he didn't clean up that last piece of poop, it could be the end of me and made it into a song. He left for school this morning belting out these lyrics, "Oh! If I don't clean up the last little poop, my mom may step on it. And lodge it into her wart hole, where it will cause infection. Infection! And she will be poisoned and it will kill her! Woe is me! My mom will die! Of a rabbit poop in a wart hole!" Seriously walked down the block belting this out. All this after he did bother to sweep up the last poop. Love him.
Impressive work!
Every year at Avalon we ask our seniors to undertake a 300 hour project. We ask this at a time in their lives when many of their peers are just settling into a long and entertaining 'senior slide'. This can not happen at Avalon, as the kids are asked to be publicly accountable in the spring when they give 30 minute presentation on the accomplishments of the senior projects.
Each fall, when we bundle our senior class off to a small farm in Western Wisconsin to begin the senior project process on a retreat, we are met with skepticism and anxiety. The thought of identifying a topic on which to spend 300 plus hours is daunting indeed. But we've fine-tuned the process and are able to help most seniors find something that is relevant to their lives.
The winter passes with the seniors tucked into their research. Occasionally they come up for air to pull a prank, plan a prom, or contribute to the yearbook- but lots of time is spent with their heads down, making progress. Then comes spring- where each senior is expected to give a 30 minute public presentation.
Tonight I have several of my advisees presenting. Two of these young women have gone above and beyond in such a manner that it leaves me awed. Holly ended up spending 770 hours researching education reform. Her final 'deliverables' included a 45 page research paper that was built around the reading of 232 different sources. In this paper she lays out the history of the current educational system, the problems with this system, and then a blueprint for change. Along the way she brought tears to my eyes with her impassioned prose about the topic. Seriously. Tears over a research paper on education reform. I'm soft, but that took some talent. On top of that, she led the charge in a lobbying effort with the organization Education Evolving. The results of this effort was the passing of a bill that will increase the scope of PSEO opportunities and individualized learning in the state of Minnesota. Then there's Ruby- a soft spoken brilliant artist. She took on the task of studying folktales from around the world. Then she selected four tales from different corners of the globe, researched the artistic trends in those cultures, and sat down to the task of creating an illustrated retelling of the four stories. Her final product is of professional quality. She is quietly thrilled with the results.
Both of these young women put in double the time and effort required not because they were hoping to grab some low hanging 'extra credit' from me or any other teacher. They were not trying to please us- although please us they did- but they did this work because it was amazingly relevant to goals they have set for their futures, and beyond that, they loved what they were doing! Both girls had enough credit and standards to graduate in the spring. But they undertook the senior project challenge because they saw the worth of it. They saw how they could grow and learn through it. When is the last time an adult has had the glorious opportunity to dedicate 700 hours of intense work on something that enthralls us? What an opportunity!
It has truly been an honor to work with these two young women, and the rest of the Avalon Class of 2012 this past year. They have proven to me once again that our quiet little education revolution we are staging in St. Paul is worth the time and effort we all put in to it.
Each fall, when we bundle our senior class off to a small farm in Western Wisconsin to begin the senior project process on a retreat, we are met with skepticism and anxiety. The thought of identifying a topic on which to spend 300 plus hours is daunting indeed. But we've fine-tuned the process and are able to help most seniors find something that is relevant to their lives.
The winter passes with the seniors tucked into their research. Occasionally they come up for air to pull a prank, plan a prom, or contribute to the yearbook- but lots of time is spent with their heads down, making progress. Then comes spring- where each senior is expected to give a 30 minute public presentation.
Tonight I have several of my advisees presenting. Two of these young women have gone above and beyond in such a manner that it leaves me awed. Holly ended up spending 770 hours researching education reform. Her final 'deliverables' included a 45 page research paper that was built around the reading of 232 different sources. In this paper she lays out the history of the current educational system, the problems with this system, and then a blueprint for change. Along the way she brought tears to my eyes with her impassioned prose about the topic. Seriously. Tears over a research paper on education reform. I'm soft, but that took some talent. On top of that, she led the charge in a lobbying effort with the organization Education Evolving. The results of this effort was the passing of a bill that will increase the scope of PSEO opportunities and individualized learning in the state of Minnesota. Then there's Ruby- a soft spoken brilliant artist. She took on the task of studying folktales from around the world. Then she selected four tales from different corners of the globe, researched the artistic trends in those cultures, and sat down to the task of creating an illustrated retelling of the four stories. Her final product is of professional quality. She is quietly thrilled with the results.
Both of these young women put in double the time and effort required not because they were hoping to grab some low hanging 'extra credit' from me or any other teacher. They were not trying to please us- although please us they did- but they did this work because it was amazingly relevant to goals they have set for their futures, and beyond that, they loved what they were doing! Both girls had enough credit and standards to graduate in the spring. But they undertook the senior project challenge because they saw the worth of it. They saw how they could grow and learn through it. When is the last time an adult has had the glorious opportunity to dedicate 700 hours of intense work on something that enthralls us? What an opportunity!
It has truly been an honor to work with these two young women, and the rest of the Avalon Class of 2012 this past year. They have proven to me once again that our quiet little education revolution we are staging in St. Paul is worth the time and effort we all put in to it.
Transforming education
My little school has recently won three awards. One of them, the Bronze Award as a Best US High School from US News & World Report, we're not too sure why we got it. It looks to be based on test scores. And while our students tend to do ok on standardized tests, it is not our focus. Still, we'll take an award if they are handing them out. But the other two- the State and National Promising Practice Awards- those two were made for us. They were given by organizations that are looking to promote character education. The other schools who won the state award did so because of one highlighted 'one and done' character building activity. I nominated our school not for one distinct activity, but for our practice of embedding project based learning into a multi-aged advisory based system. Students at Avalon are placed in an advisory for the entirety of their career in either the high or middle schools. These advisories are led by a licensed teacher (or two in the case of lucky people who get to job share) and consist of students in all grades in that program. My 9-12 grade advisory has 21 kids. If they stay at Avalon their entire HS career, I could be their advisor that whole time.
How does this build character? Well, one could argue that hanging out with me for four years is certainly a test of character. But that's not it. Within these advisories we figure out how to work together, how to support each other, how to mediate differences, and how to plan projects that will benefit the greater community. Every day in these advisories kids interact in real and meaningful ways. They are constantly accountable to others for their actions and their words. And they have the opportunity to keep others accountable as well. The multi-age format allows kids to flow through several different, distinct roles within the small community. The freshman boy who seems to be lighthearted comic relief for everyone can really take a leadership turn as he matures and has earned the respect of others. No one is stuck in the role that their 'class' has given him or her, because the group gently morphs throughout anyone's tenure. Seniors move on out into the world, and new students transfer in. It's wonderful to watch these kids grow and stretch within this safe group.
The real highlight of our system, however, is our five day service week experience each spring. The advisories spend the fall and winter planning a weeks of activities that will benefit some outside group/organization. This year we volunteered our time with the St. Paul Parks, undertaking some serious weeding out in gorgeous parks during a beautiful spring week. Students who have trouble sitting still and focusing in the school environment were given the chance to shine in a new, more active role outside. And students who had shouldered the burden of leadership under 'normal' circumstances were given the opportunity to sit back, relax, and just do as told for a change. And we accomplish impressive work at the same time.
I brought four classy students with me to the state Capitol last week in order to claim our prize. They were glad to be out of the confines of school for an afternoon. But all of them looked at this as more than an opportunity to change it up and get out for a bit- they saw it as a chance for Avalon (and themselves) to be honored for the hard work we do in our attempt to start an education revolution.
How does this build character? Well, one could argue that hanging out with me for four years is certainly a test of character. But that's not it. Within these advisories we figure out how to work together, how to support each other, how to mediate differences, and how to plan projects that will benefit the greater community. Every day in these advisories kids interact in real and meaningful ways. They are constantly accountable to others for their actions and their words. And they have the opportunity to keep others accountable as well. The multi-age format allows kids to flow through several different, distinct roles within the small community. The freshman boy who seems to be lighthearted comic relief for everyone can really take a leadership turn as he matures and has earned the respect of others. No one is stuck in the role that their 'class' has given him or her, because the group gently morphs throughout anyone's tenure. Seniors move on out into the world, and new students transfer in. It's wonderful to watch these kids grow and stretch within this safe group.
The real highlight of our system, however, is our five day service week experience each spring. The advisories spend the fall and winter planning a weeks of activities that will benefit some outside group/organization. This year we volunteered our time with the St. Paul Parks, undertaking some serious weeding out in gorgeous parks during a beautiful spring week. Students who have trouble sitting still and focusing in the school environment were given the chance to shine in a new, more active role outside. And students who had shouldered the burden of leadership under 'normal' circumstances were given the opportunity to sit back, relax, and just do as told for a change. And we accomplish impressive work at the same time.
I brought four classy students with me to the state Capitol last week in order to claim our prize. They were glad to be out of the confines of school for an afternoon. But all of them looked at this as more than an opportunity to change it up and get out for a bit- they saw it as a chance for Avalon (and themselves) to be honored for the hard work we do in our attempt to start an education revolution.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Something else I adore
I've been lucky enough to work only 3 days a week for the last decade. Decade. It's truly a gift. I get to share out my time between a job I love and a family I adore. My Tuesdays and Fridays are spent hunting and gathering for the SageMart team at the local grocery stores as well as tending to my garden in season. It also gives me a chance to workout, do the laundry, and sometimes even clean the house off the 'family time' clock. Weekends and evenings can be devoted to hanging with this great posse. I am so grateful to Jon for working 5 (long) days each week so that I can have this time to devote to the running of this family. I like to think that I do work full time. Just .6 of it receives a paycheck and a title. The other .4 might be filed under "Household Captain" and the pay comes in 'comp time' in the evenings and weekends with fewer errands and chores hanging over our heads. And I do like to think that if I were ever to get evaluated as a Household Captain that I would come out looking ok. I'm a master of efficiency and pack a lot into the 6 hours the boys are absent. I also need to give myself a little self-adoration for my management of this household's resources. I can take a look at a fridge full of leftovers and odds and ends and create a fresh new meal that no one knows was whipped up out of oddballs. I mean the kids never even questioned the presence of turnips in their tacos, they were that good!
Another reason I love being home two days a week is the chance to sneak into Expo. My volunteering gigs aren't that important in terms of helping kids make academic strides, but I like to think that one more adult taking time to find out how they are doing does make some kind of difference. My favorite part of being at Expo these days is seeing all the third and fourth graders toting around such huge books. Any time there is a spare moment, kids in Theo's class pop their noses into Harry Potter or The Hunger Games or whatever the latest fad might be. And the fad's lately have been challenging! These kids are not just reading Captain Underpants (although that certainly has its place) but they are making their way through some serious texts. Early and often. I am so glad to have found a school and a classroom where the culture supports some serious dedication to reading!
Another reason I love being home two days a week is the chance to sneak into Expo. My volunteering gigs aren't that important in terms of helping kids make academic strides, but I like to think that one more adult taking time to find out how they are doing does make some kind of difference. My favorite part of being at Expo these days is seeing all the third and fourth graders toting around such huge books. Any time there is a spare moment, kids in Theo's class pop their noses into Harry Potter or The Hunger Games or whatever the latest fad might be. And the fad's lately have been challenging! These kids are not just reading Captain Underpants (although that certainly has its place) but they are making their way through some serious texts. Early and often. I am so glad to have found a school and a classroom where the culture supports some serious dedication to reading!
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