Happy Wednesday, friends! Thanks for joining me for this week's Hodgepodge... I enjoy having this weekly "pause" to stop and chat about nothing and everything all at the same time... feel free to hop on over to Joyce's blog to join in on the fun, or just see what others have answered... it's a neat little community!
1. When it comes to good manners, what two top your list of most important?
Saying "Please/Thank You" and, for Pete's sake, putting down the blasted smart phone and NOT texting in the middle of our conversation! Good grief...
2. Let's open a proverbial can of worms...Common Core. Are you familiar with the term (talking education reform in the USA)? If so, care to share your thoughts? In your opinion, what is one of the biggest issues schools (in your home country) face today?
Having moved our children 4 times during their school years, I do applaud the Common Core, if only to have a clear concise bottom line for what is taught, and a greater understanding across the board with both teachers and parents. I have seen the English common core tests and have been impressed with what I have seen... much deeper level thinking, which is an excellent goal.
As for what our biggest issues are... oh my, so many! One that came up today in our Moms In Prayer group though (Awesome organization, by the way... find one in your home town!) was the behavior at school dances. These are supposed to be chaperoned dances... and yet students are dressing and dancing in manners that I used to think were reserved for Las Vegas! And no one stops them... for Pete's sake... why NOT?? If my child were there, I would hope that someone would step in and tell them to knock it off!! WHY is it not ok anymore to tell our children "NO!" and that there are appropriate times, places, and ages to behavior in such a manner. I can't believe it. Where is the innocence? The excitement for what comes later in adulthood, when they can appreciate it more, because they have waited... Sigh...
3. Name a celebrity whose fashion sense you admire and share why.
Kate Middleton. She is so classy, well put together, and down-to-earth. I love her look.
4. How are you affected by the changing seasons?
I enjoy the changing of the seasons. Winter is probably my least favorite, but now that we live in a more temperate zone, I don't think I'll mind it so much.
5. Scariest book you've ever read?
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Amazing story about the battle that goes on in the spiritual world of angels vs demons... I couldn't put it down, and yet it scared the bejeebees out of me, knowing that this very thing does indeed go on all around us. Changed my entire outlook on what it means to be a Christian.
6. What time of day are you most hungry? What's your go-to snack?
Late evening, around 9:00 or so. I'll usually have goldfish crackers, or better crackers with Havarti cheese (yum!). But then I want something sweet. So that's why, really, the best snack in the world is Ben & Jerry's Late Night Snack ice cream... potato chips, chocolate, salty caramel... yum.
7. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others?
Before we were in the military, I would have definitely been more needy. Since joining the military though, I have become fiercely independent (you have to, in order to survive the spouse's crazy work hours, constant trips away from home, etc.) But I also learned the value of asking for help when needed, and knowing when to just let things go. I find extreme neediness quite annoying and harder to deal with.
8. Insert your own random thought here
So last week I mentioned that we were going to go apple picking. As a family. Up in Oak Glen. Where I used to go with my parents. What a way to share a part of my childhood with my kids... frolicking in the apple groves, petting an alpaca at the alpaca farm, the five of us posing for cute Christmas-card-worthy pics in our jeans and flannel shirts, coming home with bushels of apples, teaching my children how to make apple pie... I had a whole Anne of Green Gables scenario going through my head... AND, I had been working on my husband for 20 years - count them - 20 YEARS - to get him to concede that this would be a worthy event for our Saturday. So I was excited!!
Come Saturday morning, I rounded up the troops, dragged the exhausted teen out of bed, roused my sick hubby, convinced the younger two that this would be worthwhile and memory-building and they would thank me later... and we drove up to Oak Glen. And drove. And drove. And 2 hours later arrived at our destination - along with everyone else in southern California, who apparently have discovered "our" secret little outing from my childhood! So we found parking, and hiked up the hills, only to be told that they were out of apples. Not just that farm... the entire community of Oak Glen. Totally picked out. I can't repeat what went through my mind, but it went somewhere along the lines of "Oh my husband is NEVER going to let me live this one down..." along with a few other choice phrases and roll of my eyes to the heavens with a "REALLY??!!" expression. So we trudged up the hill to pick pumpkins (not on the vine, already picked and tossed out into a field), fought the crowds, waited an hour in line for lunch, and then drove the 2 hours home, arriving home 15 minutes before Middle C's soccer game, ordered a pizza for dinner, and collapsed.
No apples. No Christmas card photos. No apple pie. No alpaca. No Anne of Green Gables. But... we did get some great pumpkins, we did get to see some beautiful fall colors, we did have a rare day together as a family... and, if nothing else, the kids now have another "Remember that time when mom..." stories to never let me live down. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get my hubby up there to pick apples again... it just may take another 20 years of convincing!
1. When it comes to good manners, what two top your list of most important?
Saying "Please/Thank You" and, for Pete's sake, putting down the blasted smart phone and NOT texting in the middle of our conversation! Good grief...
2. Let's open a proverbial can of worms...Common Core. Are you familiar with the term (talking education reform in the USA)? If so, care to share your thoughts? In your opinion, what is one of the biggest issues schools (in your home country) face today?
Having moved our children 4 times during their school years, I do applaud the Common Core, if only to have a clear concise bottom line for what is taught, and a greater understanding across the board with both teachers and parents. I have seen the English common core tests and have been impressed with what I have seen... much deeper level thinking, which is an excellent goal.
As for what our biggest issues are... oh my, so many! One that came up today in our Moms In Prayer group though (Awesome organization, by the way... find one in your home town!) was the behavior at school dances. These are supposed to be chaperoned dances... and yet students are dressing and dancing in manners that I used to think were reserved for Las Vegas! And no one stops them... for Pete's sake... why NOT?? If my child were there, I would hope that someone would step in and tell them to knock it off!! WHY is it not ok anymore to tell our children "NO!" and that there are appropriate times, places, and ages to behavior in such a manner. I can't believe it. Where is the innocence? The excitement for what comes later in adulthood, when they can appreciate it more, because they have waited... Sigh...
3. Name a celebrity whose fashion sense you admire and share why.
Kate Middleton. She is so classy, well put together, and down-to-earth. I love her look.
4. How are you affected by the changing seasons?
I enjoy the changing of the seasons. Winter is probably my least favorite, but now that we live in a more temperate zone, I don't think I'll mind it so much.
5. Scariest book you've ever read?
This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Amazing story about the battle that goes on in the spiritual world of angels vs demons... I couldn't put it down, and yet it scared the bejeebees out of me, knowing that this very thing does indeed go on all around us. Changed my entire outlook on what it means to be a Christian.
6. What time of day are you most hungry? What's your go-to snack?
Late evening, around 9:00 or so. I'll usually have goldfish crackers, or better crackers with Havarti cheese (yum!). But then I want something sweet. So that's why, really, the best snack in the world is Ben & Jerry's Late Night Snack ice cream... potato chips, chocolate, salty caramel... yum.
7. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others?
Before we were in the military, I would have definitely been more needy. Since joining the military though, I have become fiercely independent (you have to, in order to survive the spouse's crazy work hours, constant trips away from home, etc.) But I also learned the value of asking for help when needed, and knowing when to just let things go. I find extreme neediness quite annoying and harder to deal with.
8. Insert your own random thought here
So last week I mentioned that we were going to go apple picking. As a family. Up in Oak Glen. Where I used to go with my parents. What a way to share a part of my childhood with my kids... frolicking in the apple groves, petting an alpaca at the alpaca farm, the five of us posing for cute Christmas-card-worthy pics in our jeans and flannel shirts, coming home with bushels of apples, teaching my children how to make apple pie... I had a whole Anne of Green Gables scenario going through my head... AND, I had been working on my husband for 20 years - count them - 20 YEARS - to get him to concede that this would be a worthy event for our Saturday. So I was excited!!
Come Saturday morning, I rounded up the troops, dragged the exhausted teen out of bed, roused my sick hubby, convinced the younger two that this would be worthwhile and memory-building and they would thank me later... and we drove up to Oak Glen. And drove. And drove. And 2 hours later arrived at our destination - along with everyone else in southern California, who apparently have discovered "our" secret little outing from my childhood! So we found parking, and hiked up the hills, only to be told that they were out of apples. Not just that farm... the entire community of Oak Glen. Totally picked out. I can't repeat what went through my mind, but it went somewhere along the lines of "Oh my husband is NEVER going to let me live this one down..." along with a few other choice phrases and roll of my eyes to the heavens with a "REALLY??!!" expression. So we trudged up the hill to pick pumpkins (not on the vine, already picked and tossed out into a field), fought the crowds, waited an hour in line for lunch, and then drove the 2 hours home, arriving home 15 minutes before Middle C's soccer game, ordered a pizza for dinner, and collapsed.
No apples. No Christmas card photos. No apple pie. No alpaca. No Anne of Green Gables. But... we did get some great pumpkins, we did get to see some beautiful fall colors, we did have a rare day together as a family... and, if nothing else, the kids now have another "Remember that time when mom..." stories to never let me live down. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get my hubby up there to pick apples again... it just may take another 20 years of convincing!
5 comments:
So sorry to hear that your apple picking adventure didn't pan out as you'd hoped! At least you still made some family memories, right? I am with you 100% on your answer for #2. Would you believe that my youngest daughter said she heard that at last year's homecoming dance, two students were in the middle of the dance floor having sex? I can absolutely believe it, too. Sad times we live in!
Your adventure sounded so good. Sorry the apples weren't available. I remember that outing with my kids 20 years ago.
...that ice cream....whoa does that sound delicious.
I wish I'd said Kate Middleton. I love her style, and think she is adorable too : ) Sorry about your apple adventure, or misadventure! But I did make your apple coffeecake yesterday and it was a hit. I accidentally left out the nuts. I know it said optional, but I would have put them in if I hadn't been distracted. Still, it was delicious and I loved how moist it was, and how simple to make. Thanks for sharing!
I agree on #2 !! It's ridiculous now a days with kids texting during class or at the dinner table. Its like 'how was your day?" (click click click) Driving while texting really drives me crazy, can't they wait? I never hear kids get grounded anymore either. ;/
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