~Homecoming~

The tilde on either end of "homecoming" are our wings of happiness! Daddy is finally home and we couldn't be any more excited about that. After a night of talking to Kevin on the phone while he had a layover in LAX, I got a call from him at 6:30am saying that the plane was taxiing at CVG.

I woke up the kids and we jumped in the van to go down to pick him up. I didn't realize how easy it would be to get the kids out of bed. They jumped up and put their sandals on and were out the door. Promising them that we'd take Daddy out to breakfast afterward probably didn't slow them down.

Kevin was already waiting outside the terminal by the time we made it down there. He went through customs in Los Angeles, so that helped sped things along. Standing outside wasn't too bad for him because that morning our humidity was almost non-existent, especially compared to what he's had to deal with the last month.

We went to IHOP for breakfast, as promised. Then we spent a lazy day swimming and relaxing, all in the company of our favorite guy. He even treated us to a dinner of pulled pork that he whipped up himself. Man, are we spoiled!

Later, I'll post some pictures from his trip. They are very interesting! But overall, his observation of China is that it really isn't all that different from our life here in the US. Of course, the details and customs are a bit different, but day-to-life really is pretty similar.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."
--Mark Twain

On Handwriting

A controversy has come up in that two groups disagree mightily on the topic of handwriting, particularly cursive. Apparently, schools may do away with teaching cursive, and handwriting, all together. The argument is that too much time is given to an archaic form when there are many more important items that needs to be taught. However, even though people in general use their computers or phones to communicate more often than a pen and paper, there are many reasons why it should still be taught.

When I was a kid my grandparents and probably my parents, too, said "handwriting" was cursive and didn't use the term. It was either that or "printing." I remember my Grandma sitting at the desk where her phone was (back when it was still tied to the receiver) and while she talked she absentmindedly went through a series of "drills," I guess you could call them, where she wrote different markings for an entire line, changing each line. For instance, she'd have straight, slanted lines in the first row; narrow curly-cues in the second row; wide circles in the next; and so on. I'm assuming that this is something that the nuns taught her, back when an emphasis was placed on handwriting. The result, I noticed, is a generation of people who all have the same penmanship!

A while back I remember reading that the only reason that cursive exists is because a person wasted less ink because the writing utensil wasn't lifted from the paper as often. An interesting tidbit of information, but today the reasoning isn't valid.

Recently, I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal where they talk about how the writing of letters actually trains the brain to become a better thinker. It's absolutely fascinating, and it cements the argument that this is something that cannot be dropped off of the curriculum. I read a comment by a person who said something I didn't even consider--how will students of tomorrow know how to read the Declaration of Independence if they don't know how to read and write in cursive? Maybe that's a bit dramatic (and I'm positive I have a copy of it in Times New Roman), but the point is made that although it may not be used as often as it should, it cannot be neglected. If one-cent pieces are still being made, and it sounds like they are only for nostalgia, then certainly young people can still learn cursive!

I'll end on one of my favorite quotations (quite possibly because I have a faulty memory--both in my head and in my computer!):

The faintest ink is more reliable than the strongest memory.
--Confucious

Reflection

And, as I remember it, those warm summer nights of not being focused on were liberating. In the long sticky hours of boredom, in the lonely, unsupervised, unstructured time, something blooms; it was in those margins that we became ourselves.

--Katie Roiphe

As many moms I know, I teeter the line between what it means to "mother" and being too involved. I recently read an article and this is a quotation from it that I really like. I have more I'd like to say about it, but I think the quote speaks for itself. Remembering what it was like to be a child, I don't want my kids to have a mom that dictates every moment of the day for them. They need to be free to be a kid, not perform the role I want them to have in life.

Technology

"By aligning ourselves with the imperative of the technium, we can be more prepared to steer it where we can and more aware of where we are going. By following what technology wants, we can be more ready to capture its full gifts."

--Kevin Kelly, Wired magazine founding editor

I have great concerns about technology and my children (e.g. cell phones, video games, internet). Sometimes I wonder if I'm really an old lady, rejecting the new way of life. This quote gave me a better outlook on technology. Kevin and I are huge fans of Wired magazine. They do such a great job of presenting technology in an interesting and understandable manner. Well, maybe I'm the only one who needs it in an "understandable" manner!

The above quote is from Kelly's newest book What Technology Wants and he likens technology to water, in that water "wants" to flow downward and technology has its own force as well. It cannot be stopped. I need to get this through my head and know that at home and in the classroom there will always be technology, more with each passing day. It is better for my kids to be familiar with it than to reject it with my "old lady" ways. And really, I shouldn't be dissing old people. Many are welcoming technology with open arms. Like what I learned from Walter Bruening. There's nothing wrong with accepting change. It's a part of life.

At the last PTO meeting they were talking about how there are Smart Boards in the classrooms and soon the kids will all be doing their lessons on iPads. Or whatever they're called. I'm not sure I'll be able to recognize a classroom soon! Or even be able to help my kids with their homework. Yikes!

But with accepting I do think that it is good for kids to learn the etiquette that comes along with things like cell phones and texting. In fact, there's probably a lot of adults who could learn some etiquette as well! Ah, you can't take the old fashioned out of the lady, I suppose.

"Wait a minute! This isn't Weird magazine!"

-Homer Simpson

Thought for the day (Don't think)

Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less and stop watching ourselves live.
--Chamfort

A major part of who I am is a thinker. In that, I think about things too much. Probably connected to my inability to sleep very well. Ok, directly connected to it. As a parent, I am constantly questioning my decisions on everything and worrying about how these things will affect the kids down the road.

I think this quotation is a good reminder that I need to think less and just enjoy this time with my family.

A Great Weekend to End the Summer

It seems that we always visit Aunt Cassie and Uncle Paul in Cleveland when it's cold and/or snowy. We decided in the spring that we'd make a late-summer trip so that the boys could go fishing with Uncle Paul. The only "boy" that made it out fishing was Kevin, but it was fine because they left at 6:30am and ended up bringing home perch for dinner, so it all worked out for the best.

A crowd gathers, fascinated with the "cleaning" of the fish.

Aunt Cassie and Uncle Paul wanted to take the kids to the Memphis Kiddie Park, so they left with Katie and Kevin and I went with Mom and Dad downtown to do some sightseeing. All the times we've visited and we've never had the opportunity to walk around the city! Not having kids along helped because I'm sure we would have been dragging tired legs, but when they get older it is definitely something I'd like to do with them. The architecture and the history was amazing.

My cousin John lives downtown in a old tool and dye plant that they converted into apartments. He was able to fill us in on a lot of the history of the city while we were on the roof-top deck of his building, overlooking the city. I wish I would have taken pictures of that!

The U.S.S. Cod, a WWII submarine docked on Lake Erie

This is the Arcade, which is on Superior. I had seen this shot in black and white on a blog I follow called Shorpy. I was completely taken with it and really wanted to see it in person, if it still was around. Came to find out that it was the first building to be put on the National Register of Historical Buildings in Cleveland, and only the 9th to be put on there in the nation. It was built in 1890 and financed by a group that included Rockefeller.

My history-buff, nerd side is coming out. I apologize. But honestly, if you get the chance check it out! It is a gorgeous building that is now part of the Hyatt, but there are other establishments inside, and it is close to an alley that has a lot of nightlife. Looks like a lot of fun.

Wandering around, we came across this building. Recognize the name? It's the department store in The Christmas Story where Ralphie goes to tell Santa that he wants a Red Ryder B B gun. Fortunately, this too is on the Register and although the outside isn't as fascinating as the Arcade, the inside was gorgeous. As a whole, the building is called Tower City and inside, the majority of the used space is a mall.

Annnnd...back to the kids. They came back with stories to tell of all the fun they had at the amusement park. I'm sorry that I don't have images to share from there.

Originally, we were going to visit a Metropark and go hiking, so the boys all packed their camo shirts to wear while exploring.

That night, we had a seafood feast, with the fish that Daddy and Uncle Paul caught as well as an assortment of other sea fruit like shrimp and mussels that the boys devoured. Well, Lou at least tried a mussel.

There's such a rivalry between the cities of Cincinnati and Cleveland and I never gave the "mistake on the lake" much of a chance. But the more time I spend there I realize that it is like most places--it has some wonderful historical aspects, as well as some pretty neat things going on currently. Which reminds of the quote from Mohommed, Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled. We have learned quite a bit on our journeys this summer.

What I Learned From Sports Talk Radio

Our beloved Reds are doing something this season that we are not all that familiar with: Winning.

This has caused some fans to be overjoyed with the prospect of having a team to be proud of and looking forward to seeing play the fall. Whereas there are others who are naysayers and think people are overreacting, that our local teams do this all the time and once we get our hopes up they'll come crashing down upon us.

Listening to a local sports talk radio host, he imparted some wisdom that can be applied to all areas of life, not just a winning baseball team: Don't judge someone about how they react to a situation. If someone wants to over-react to a win (or some other event in life) let 'em!

Who says that a team has to have an established tradition of winning in order to get excited about them? Why is it that people are afraid to look silly for showing emotion? I guess that's what I love about my kids, kids in general. In everything they do they wear their emotions on their sleeve and they show the passion they have for something, whether it's going down the slide at the park, getting their favorite meal for dinner or seeing a special person in their life.

What happens to adults, that they have to maintain some kind of composure, be reserved when it comes to things that get them excited? Life's too short not to get worked up about stuff. Especially the good stuff. A sunny day, a good meal, hanging out with friends, a winning baseball team are all things worth getting pumped up for, in my opinion.

My favorite quote below has a little something to do with this thought:

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!

--Jack Kerouac

Bringing About World Peace

Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. It is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Thoughts of a Parent

It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities--J.K. Rowling

Whenever I was pregnant I would imagine what that child's life was going to be like. What his or her interests would be, what sports would be played, what would direction his or her life would take. I'm not going to lie; some of that leaked into my thoughts after they were born, too.

Is Louie's fascination with numbers and his pretty impressive drawing abilities mean that he's going to become an architect?? (This was one of my dream jobs.) Will Ben play in the Bigs as the pitcher he says he will be? Will Charlie become a speech pathologist?? And Miss Meredith will a shuttle commander (does anyone else have fond memories of Space Camp?).

When I saw this quotation, it really made me think about how true it is. My kids can't be defined by what they can or can't do. Maybe they don't do well in everything they attempt, but they chose to try it, and those decisions help me to see that my children are much more than I could have ever dreamed.

Thankful for Fathers

"My father didn't tell me how to live;
he lived, and let me watch him do it."

--Clarence B. Kelland

I have mentioned more than once how blessed I am to have Kevin for my husband, and I hope it is clear through my posting how equally blessed our kids are to have him for a father. All the spoken and unspoken moments he spends with them have more of an impact on our children than he realizes. He loves them so whole-heartedly it exudes out of him whenever they are together. One of my favorite sounds is the sound of Kevin's laughter when he is with our kids. He sees how funny they are, and how "parenting" should not get in the way of seeing the joy that is your offspring.

It amazes me that Kevin can come home from work, after a long, stressful day that the majority of us would just want to crash into bed and not wake up for a week, and yet he goes out and plays a 15 inning baseball game with the boys in the backyard. He has a miracle touch that can calm a crying baby when her mommy has ran out of options. He can whip up a gourmet breakfast that can satisfy even the grumpiest of morning eaters--and he lets them help him cook. I could go on and on about how fantastic of a father Kevin is, but I think you get the picture :)

We spent the day at my parents' house, with my siblings and I splitting up the duties of making the meal. I made this dessert that I found on the wonderful site, Bakerella. I knew the boys would be really into it, but it turned out fairly well overall even if they didn't look exactly like the example.

Here's a closeup of the dessert tray. Not only does Bakerealla have the burger and fries idea, she also has pdf files to print out the fry holder, tray and liner! It really made it fun to make.

Such a special Father's Day with two brand new granddaughters! Great-Grandpa and his two best girls. They are so happy to be doing a photo shoot!

Here with Grandpa, they're a little bit calmer. Maybe they don't want to be the center of attention.

And with the two proud poppas...still not all that happy.

So here is their daddies' impersonation of cry baby faces!