tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9719352228360837972023-11-16T05:38:30.932-05:00House EllerA personal blog with no specific theme. I write about what inspires me, on no particular schedule.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.comBlogger374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-53572172772004718482020-08-06T17:45:00.006-04:002020-08-06T17:45:54.147-04:00Teachers, school and COVID, a guest post<div><p>This isn't a full guest post. These are the thoughts a teacher friend shared about the rapid changes in school plans, how teachers are trying to adapt with little time and training, and, well, just read what she has to say.</p></div>
<div><h2 style="color: #5e5e5e; text-align: left;">Teachers need support, a thread</h2>
<div><p>Had a virtual staff meeting today that was literally 2 hours of, "That's something you'll have to figure out."
A thread for people blaming teachers in any way, shape or form right now:</p></div>
<div><p>1. We (teachers in my district) are not being given any extra time to "figure that out." Indeed, the ONE extra paid day the district had previously offered us to "figure that out" was taken away from us with the release of the latest "plan."</p></div>
<div><p>2. At my first corporate job, I needed to learn a new skill to level up.
I was paid my regular salary for 2 full weeks, while I attended a training to learn this skill.The 2 week training was paid for by the Corp. When I returned with certificate in hand, I was given a raise.</p></div>
<div><p>3. For comparison, teachers must take unpaid time to attend trainings (usually over the summer), and pay for the training (plus extra if we want it to count toward a future raise) and raises only come after 20 credit hours have been earned (paid for) by the teacher.</p></div>
<div><p>4. Yes, teachers "get summers off." We are NOT paid for that time. While we still get paychecks, it is because our salary for the other months is divided by 12 instead of 9 so that we get paid every month & don't starve/lose our housing over the summer.</p></div>
<div><p>5. We are literally only paid for the hours our contract requires us to spend in the building, with students. All that work we do in the evenings, unpaid. Weekends, unpaid. Over "breaks," unpaid. And any training we do is not only unpaid, we have to actively pay for it.</p></div>
<div><p>6. Teaching is the only job I know of where they are not required to pay you for the hours you are in training. It is also the only job I know of in my state that is exempt from the new law requiring that overtime be paid to salaried employees making under $35,000 a year...</p></div>
<div><p>7. Teachers WANT to do the job. We WANT to teach, we WANT to be w/ our students. We are NOT being supported to do so. If you're mad, take it up with: your fellow taxpayers, school board, your superintendent. Ask how they are supporting teachers, so we can support students/you.</p></div></div>
<div><div><h2 style="color: #5e5e5e; text-align: left;">We have failed<br /></h2>
<div><p>Back to my commentary.</p></div>
<div><p>We're all adjusting right now. Schools and school districts have been put in an untenable position with no clear, good choices. They are being pressured by government and some parents to re-open in person because they serve as free childcare for so many people. They feel compelled to open because they often offer the only reliable meals some students get.</p></div>
<div><p>They are being asked to do so many things beyond educating students because we as a society have failed to support the most vulnerable among us. We have failed to adequately fund education. We have failed to support families. We have failed to provide quality healthcare to everyone. We have failed at so much.</p></div>
<div><p>One thing we can do, one thing we can not fail at, is respecting and supporting teachers.</p></div></div></div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-38721175611639736872019-08-11T16:22:00.002-04:002019-08-11T16:22:43.582-04:00On cooperative gamesLast weekend was Gen Con. On our drive home from the convention Sunday, I had some thoughts about some of the games I increasingly enjoy. It turns out I really like cooperative games.<br />
<br />
Now, this isn't to say I don't enjoy some competitive games. I do. Sometimes.<br />
<br />
But cooperative games, where the players are competing with the environment, are my current favorites. And I think they serve a very useful purpose in life.<br />
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We are more and more splintered. I increasingly feel like we are less able to work together. But cooperative games, whether board games, card games, video games, role playing games, or any other type of games, require us to work together to defeat a common enemy or solve a common problem. We have to recognize when another player might be better suited to a task. We sometimes have to step back and take the assist, setting that player up to do the thing, rather than try to do the thing and fail.<br />
<br />
Anyone who plays a team sport probably recognizes the same dynamic of the team working together. Granted, there is an opposing team, but it's still about cooperating and working together.<br />
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Over the years, I've watched our sons struggle with competitive games. Which still have value. We still need to learn how to both win and lose gracefully. But they change when they have to work together. It isn't just supporting each other. It's watching them figure out the next couple of moves, and how each player can contribute to the goal.<br />
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Life isn't a zero sum game, even though some people play as if it were. In life, we have to work together. We can't survive without other people, without their skills and knowledge, without their support.<br />
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In cooperative games, we can't win on our own. We need the other players to help gather resources, or contribute their skills. We need the players to work together. And I think those are skills that need to be taught and reinforced because we need those same skills in the real world.<br />
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This post isn't the most eloquent. I'm not feeling particularly eloquent at the moment. But I wanted to talk about the value of cooperation, and, by extension, cooperative games.<br />
<h4>
Our favorite cooperative games</h4>
To end, I'd like to shout out a few of our favorite cooperative games. This list is by no means comprehensive. It's just a few that we enjoy. Please share your favorites in the comments.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://doctorwho.gf9games.com/">Doctor Who Time of the Daleks</a>: If you play this board game by the official rules, one player wins. But all the players are playing the same character, so our house rule is that we all win or all lose together.</li>
<li><a href="https://theop.games/products/game/harry-potter-hogwarts-battle-a-cooperative-deck-building-game/">Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle</a>: We have fun playing this deck building card game as a family.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/battlestar-galactica/">Battlestar Galactica the Boardgame</a>: Ok, this board game is actually semi-cooperative, since one or two players is a secret Cylon. But it's mostly cooperative!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/elder-sign/">Elder Sign</a>: A dice game based on H.P. Lovecraft, so of course the players win or lose together.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/arkham-horror-the-card-game/">Arkham Horror</a> the Card Game: Again, based on H.P. Lovecraft, so the players win or lose together.</li>
<li><a href="https://firesidegames.com/games/castle-panic/">Castle Panic</a>: A tower defense board game, this is another fun family game.</li>
<li><a href="https://gamewright.com/product/Outfoxed">Outfoxed!</a>: We bought this game when the boys were much younger--it's recommended for ages 5 and up. At the time, there were few cooperative board games for kids.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/">Minecraft</a>: We've played as a family, and sometimes with friends, with no PVP. This is a great game for creativity, where we can all build interesting things. And we can explore and battle mobs together.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.lotro.com/en/game">Lord of the Rings Online</a>: A more complex online game, based on the Lord of the Rings. The players are all on the same side, battling to save Middle Earth.</li>
</ul>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-8207734019924191992017-09-05T16:18:00.001-04:002017-09-05T16:18:57.493-04:00My IA CapstoneThe final course toward my MIS with an IA specialization is a Capstone project in Information Architecture. No class meetings, just me and a project.<br />
<br />
1st hurdle: I have a project.<br />
<br />
2nd hurdle: My Capstone supervisor approved my project today. We settled on four parts of the project to complete by the end of the semester, when I will present the project.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>A content audit. I have been working on the content audit and have some pretty nice spreadsheets. The audit is more or less done. Now I just need to write up a document of my findings.</li>
<li>A competitor analysis. I just received a list of 7 peer research centers so I can start on this.</li>
<li>A stakeholder analysis. I've already spoken with a few people and have a pretty good idea of what they would like. I'll probably do more interviews/have more conversations over the next month or two to really put together the requirements.</li>
<li>A prototype. All this is leading up to wireframes, a style guide, and other documents so the site can be built.</li>
</ol>
<div>
All of this will lead up to a final project document and presentation for course credit. And a degree for me. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As for the project, the goal is to have the new site up by the end of the year. I think we can accomplish that. </div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-75834640955106885582017-08-15T21:49:00.001-04:002017-08-15T21:50:56.833-04:00Our journey toward cord cuttingFor the past several months, our Directv bill has been shocking. Rates seem to be going up monthly, a few dollars at a time. The latest bill? Nearly $150.<br />
<br />
Ouch.<br />
<br />
We decided to take a hard look at what we were watching, how much we were actually using the satellite service, and alternatives for the shows we watch.<br />
<br />
Turns out, most of the shows we watch are on the basic over-the-air (OTA) networks or BBCAmerica. About half the shows we record are on PBS (hello, Masterpiece!). We already have Netflix and Amazon Prime accounts. The cost to purchase (on Amazon) the few BBCAmerica shows we watch would cost less than 1 month of our current Directv bill. We can also get a Hulu account, but right now that doesn't seem necessary.<br />
<br />
Can you say ch-ch-changes?<br />
<br />
Yep, time to make some changes.<br />
<br />
Our first step was to pick up an <a href="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-indoor-hdtv-antenna-black/8233003.p?skuId=8233003" target="_blank">inexpensive OTA antenna at Best Buy</a> ($15) to see what OTA channels we could get.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Our local PBS (WTIU) came in great, with all 5 digital channels. The boys immediately took to PBS Kids.</li>
<li>We picked up a dozen or so digital channels on that cheap indoor antenna. </li>
<li>We were still missing ABC, one of the networks we wanted.</li>
</ul>
<div>
But, proof of concept: OTA was a distinct possibility.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Next, Chris checked <a href="https://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29" target="_blank">TV Fool </a>to see what stations are possible, at what distance and direction, and what sort of antenna power is necessary. And then he picked up a <a href="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/antennas-direct-clearstream-indoor-outdoor-hdtv-antenna-black/5851201.p?skuId=5851201" target="_blank">better, outdoor antenna</a>. He put the antenna up on our antenna mast with the radio and ham radio antennas.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRb5QYmehNBdEaJ_5osYqxokNRs4Xd22Ozje4fe1doWWd7tkPXVleonu9mcb0fVd9zjdG_6wFyOH-uNgOoXj00FWdIqfCnjrHxzu0FxlpVcS7KtVbrczg2UNo6p8v4t94K5mTYXlhwTwG/s1600/IMG_8233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chris on roof installing antenna on mast." border="0" data-original-height="1565" data-original-width="1092" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRb5QYmehNBdEaJ_5osYqxokNRs4Xd22Ozje4fe1doWWd7tkPXVleonu9mcb0fVd9zjdG_6wFyOH-uNgOoXj00FWdIqfCnjrHxzu0FxlpVcS7KtVbrczg2UNo6p8v4t94K5mTYXlhwTwG/s320/IMG_8233.JPG" title="" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How many antennas will fit up there?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the improved antenna, we were able to receive 24 digital stations, but still not ABC. Unfortunately, our neighbors' evergreens stand between us and the Indianapolis ABC station. The other possible ABC stations happen to be in the directions of... more trees.<br />
<br />
The shows we watch on ABC would be available to purchase through Amazon, still costing a lot less than we are currently paying. But Chris was not satisfied. So he added an amplifier, the <a href="http://www.winegard.com/amplifiers" target="_blank">LNA-200 from Winegard</a>, to the antenna. With the amplifier, we nearly 40 stations including ABC!<br />
<br />
The next piece of the puzzle was a DVR. We really like being able to record shows to watch later, especially since so many shows are on later than we like to be up. Some online searching and review reading led us to the <a href="https://www.tivo.com/shop/buy-roamio-ota-dvr" target="_blank">TiVo Roamio</a>, one of few DVRs with a built-in tuner to be able to record OTA programming.<br />
<br />
While we've been getting everything set up for our transition, we've been working through all the shows and movies recorded on our current Directv DVR. We have also been holding off until the final episode of a show I watch on BBC America records Wednesday night (I'll watch it Thursday). With only 1 episode left, I'd like to finish the series before cutting the cord, especially since it's only 2 more days.<br />
<br />
Current goal and plan: cancel Directv Friday. We started this process with some research on July 30th, so this has been a 3 week process for us.<br />
<br />
It has cost several hundred dollars to get set up (over half of the cost is the DVR), but we will still recoup that cost before the end of the year.<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-12807322148543962132017-07-03T19:56:00.000-04:002017-07-03T19:56:18.992-04:00A vacation in NOTL... and Canada150The boys experienced their first trip out of the country last week when Grandma and Grandpa took us all to southern Ontario. I won't bore everyone with an exhaustive vacation post, but here are a few highlights.<div>
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<div>
Day 1, Saturday: We arrived in Sarnia for our first night in Canada.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSUQsqiziAeyV8X99WXb9NZN10DIxQKGLCIb8pFuXpUvZdPrLXCCM_bwHxDXXCTppup4rgyOAdhpZaQRBpXYyrd5Adkb7qaCgqQ3Qy-8wViuxQ2hjVydoz7yOWYicamYvLeTg6cT0XZBe/s1600/Sarnia+visitors+center.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The boys in front of the Ontario travel information centre." border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSUQsqiziAeyV8X99WXb9NZN10DIxQKGLCIb8pFuXpUvZdPrLXCCM_bwHxDXXCTppup4rgyOAdhpZaQRBpXYyrd5Adkb7qaCgqQ3Qy-8wViuxQ2hjVydoz7yOWYicamYvLeTg6cT0XZBe/s320/Sarnia+visitors+center.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Canada!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Day 2, Sunday: We arrived in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where we stayed in the penthouse at the Moffat Inn, a delightful inn right on the main street. Our furthest walk while in town was 4 blocks to the grocery store and post office. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAowQYG7PIiL6EseDhVDZ-H3rGS8Lx6RuRi-vC62phExQthKUugOKTy6skou5JI3WjgRped3dze8TPWdGvdiEXFepMXsJWicBFs39qHAxUO00XVC6JJ4p5lX0ze5_gDZ4EBz6GYlfc4e47/s1600/Moffat+Inn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Moffat Inn" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAowQYG7PIiL6EseDhVDZ-H3rGS8Lx6RuRi-vC62phExQthKUugOKTy6skou5JI3WjgRped3dze8TPWdGvdiEXFepMXsJWicBFs39qHAxUO00XVC6JJ4p5lX0ze5_gDZ4EBz6GYlfc4e47/s320/Moffat+Inn.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moffat Inn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Day 3, Monday: The theaters are dark on Monday, so we spent the day at <a href="https://www.niagarafalls.ca/" target="_blank">Niagara Falls, Ontario</a>. We saw the floral clock, toured behind the falls and sailed on the Hornblower, a boat that goes near the falls. Wil wanted to cross the bridge to New York to add another state to his tally, but that wasn't in the plans.</div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42ToihCcNz0_uFl_20pTsWl9v1gCPyUCttkpxWbG05XKuSY9LewM7OG-jOQ3R2ouRbVVYm7YRr_UyUyH9iQ1qKFNc-f4hhL3yV-E-Q2sia2cYfWtuSumkiS7dtOapoka2BzUZDHKm75tS/s1600/Niagara+Falls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The four of us with the horseshoe falls behind us." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42ToihCcNz0_uFl_20pTsWl9v1gCPyUCttkpxWbG05XKuSY9LewM7OG-jOQ3R2ouRbVVYm7YRr_UyUyH9iQ1qKFNc-f4hhL3yV-E-Q2sia2cYfWtuSumkiS7dtOapoka2BzUZDHKm75tS/s320/Niagara+Falls.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Niagara Falls</td></tr>
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Day 4, Tuesday: The boys decided they really wanted to try the <a href="https://wildplay.com/" target="_blank">WildPlay</a> Whirlpool Adventure Course they had seen at Niagara Falls. In the afternoon, Chris and I saw our first play of the week, Me and My Girl, a delightful musical comedy. And a raccoon visited the penthouse that evening.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHUqdFZ6uuTZpH2heOhIOQT5KBG_SRlhULOhi0yX9RqAg8y4Sx2yuYVjWrRJ7LJX8Vvq3uy87AzYcs-ZmbPXMfJox8TBLjzvmjMJgwCVakn0W0V5bGnMncHpGGPBioXaWk5EcW7KoUhpM/s1600/ropes+course.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wil and Sam on a platform of the ropes course" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHUqdFZ6uuTZpH2heOhIOQT5KBG_SRlhULOhi0yX9RqAg8y4Sx2yuYVjWrRJ7LJX8Vvq3uy87AzYcs-ZmbPXMfJox8TBLjzvmjMJgwCVakn0W0V5bGnMncHpGGPBioXaWk5EcW7KoUhpM/s320/ropes+course.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20' can be awfully high</td></tr>
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Day 5, Wednesday: Plays, plays, plays! All 6 of us saw Wilde Tales, fairy tales from Oscar Wilde, then Chris and I saw Dancing at Lughnasa in the afternoon, and Grandma and Grandpa had an evening out for dinner and a play while the boys showed us the way to Lake Ontario, about 4 blocks from the Moffat Inn.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqEPG6nbT8qWO13AUjzClGw-Z83QuhGWLqwgd4S0ky2ZeImZWcueIpUc3_uEtX9VDhZyyRiqEWCKumjETyOwLJ-jpN-ZQkcArsHlAQAJX6_KT3C1VDX4FTZjVAWTLW1blJEoa3a7ssDi8/s1600/Chris+at+Lake+Ontario.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chris standing in a gazebo looking at Lake Ontario" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqEPG6nbT8qWO13AUjzClGw-Z83QuhGWLqwgd4S0ky2ZeImZWcueIpUc3_uEtX9VDhZyyRiqEWCKumjETyOwLJ-jpN-ZQkcArsHlAQAJX6_KT3C1VDX4FTZjVAWTLW1blJEoa3a7ssDi8/s320/Chris+at+Lake+Ontario.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Ontario just before sunset</td></tr>
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Day 6, Thursday: We took a short trip to St. Catherine's to Chapters Bookstore, then watched a ship go downstream through <a href="https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/play/historic-sites/welland-canals-centre-lock-3/" target="_blank">Lock 3 of the Welland Canal</a>, and Chris got to see <a href="http://www.dunbarbagpipes.com/" target="_blank">Dunbar Bagpipe Maker</a>'s workshop, where he made their day with his enthusiasm for their work. That afternoon, Debi (Grandma) and I had afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel.<br /><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uvlnWno0tQ22lWpJLEzZODHbVvxrx7BHV19gsj-XgRq8Rm4bmGHAR3h-oD0oBaFl_zKOzs0aQ_LJGKejkNtCjw8mK9DTvpTGJD2KWaN65u_4AwoJm2zim7x1mIMKCJunlVFE8DlEf86f/s1600/Whitefish+Bay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Whitefish Bay cargo ship entering the lock" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uvlnWno0tQ22lWpJLEzZODHbVvxrx7BHV19gsj-XgRq8Rm4bmGHAR3h-oD0oBaFl_zKOzs0aQ_LJGKejkNtCjw8mK9DTvpTGJD2KWaN65u_4AwoJm2zim7x1mIMKCJunlVFE8DlEf86f/s320/Whitefish+Bay.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whitefish Bay entering Lock 3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Day 7, Friday: We drove to Stratford, with a stop at the outlet mall in St. Jacob. Grandma, the boys and I walked along the Avon River in the evening, where the boys were enthralled by all the ducks, ducklings, and swans.<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVzSrGmQktid1Su8-tATXn6qzaW6VXxexLc6wVF-lb1UWkEIsh931mntcXsehfdrM6hYbOlbL2XWNb8nrQY1StfYn2seBFWL1vn_4KbP1RG5VrINuO3-HPs5RqYChtqXePPJYdYbN58wk/s1600/Avon+River.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The boys looking at ducks on the bank of the Avon River." border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVzSrGmQktid1Su8-tATXn6qzaW6VXxexLc6wVF-lb1UWkEIsh931mntcXsehfdrM6hYbOlbL2XWNb8nrQY1StfYn2seBFWL1vn_4KbP1RG5VrINuO3-HPs5RqYChtqXePPJYdYbN58wk/s320/Avon+River.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck alert!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Day 8, Saturday: We spent the morning at the Embro Highland Games, the oldest Highland games in Ontario. The boys loved watching the sheep dog demonstration, Chris watched the pipers, we saw some Scottish dancers. Then we drove to Sarnia for our last night in Canada, where we joined some of the Canada Day festivities along the harbour front, including fireworks. Happy Canada 150!<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzgxq8Sd8UPdeh1wGSrBbcQRPrYDUoFx8_floRQB-rgq04mK4MJ-CvbJg97C9N1HgSIkuuigWL6cEL-qjNvdKDEVO45Gg9Vizq_XIy1C4CXHPD5JHeNaqDDAKGMsjjb2YFl4ZFfdN4kRO/s1600/sheep.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="6 sheep in a group" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPzgxq8Sd8UPdeh1wGSrBbcQRPrYDUoFx8_floRQB-rgq04mK4MJ-CvbJg97C9N1HgSIkuuigWL6cEL-qjNvdKDEVO45Gg9Vizq_XIy1C4CXHPD5JHeNaqDDAKGMsjjb2YFl4ZFfdN4kRO/s320/sheep.JPG" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep waiting for the sheep dog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Day 9, Sunday: And home again. A long day of driving brought us back home with wonderful memories and a few souvenirs. The boys had missed the cats and the cats had missed their people, so it was a happy homecoming all around.<br /><div>
<br /><div>
<br /><div>
<br /><div>
<br /><div>
<br /><div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-23004842239368666292017-05-21T20:25:00.000-04:002017-05-21T20:25:16.539-04:00Home project: recovering chairsOur dining room chairs have been in sad shape for a while. They're 21 years old, the padding was not so padded anymore, and the fabric was wearing thin.<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlOWqbKwg9uukMIoxN1jGcQjzWYjHBhAX1OymF8PeMOL5_OAjazZWSEf4fJKVnc9jD_MXPmUspzPBosA3-_XqkanGDsPHAHdbauOJW5M-LsZDs-2byO-f46Porw_yQEWszvBHwCrKS7_W/s1600/chair1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dining room chair." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlOWqbKwg9uukMIoxN1jGcQjzWYjHBhAX1OymF8PeMOL5_OAjazZWSEf4fJKVnc9jD_MXPmUspzPBosA3-_XqkanGDsPHAHdbauOJW5M-LsZDs-2byO-f46Porw_yQEWszvBHwCrKS7_W/s320/chair1.JPG" title="Sadly in need of a refresh." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadly in need of a refresh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We found a nice <a href="https://youtu.be/rkFpItk-lIU" target="_blank">YouTube video</a> showing how to properly recover a chair. <br />
<br />
We found some upholstery fabric, 2" foam for padding, and batting. Then we got started.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>We cut the foam to the size of the seats.</li>
<li>We cut the batting to just slightly bigger than the size of the foam.</li>
<li>I cut the new fabric using the a piece of the old fabric as a pattern.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviW8fdwsAlIXlVD0hE2hlwXFXGiT29zaHMoQuTMBLedDoBrHQmI_KRsxzoEbME63RNaY2MXS5IgcZEGXXMLR3QAFngNwOn27whT6sKw3EkZXtUx_oZm2oO-blkC7u_S9f6hWe76SDlXv0/s1600/chair2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Removing staples from the chair seat to remove the old cover." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviW8fdwsAlIXlVD0hE2hlwXFXGiT29zaHMoQuTMBLedDoBrHQmI_KRsxzoEbME63RNaY2MXS5IgcZEGXXMLR3QAFngNwOn27whT6sKw3EkZXtUx_oZm2oO-blkC7u_S9f6hWe76SDlXv0/s320/chair2.JPG" title="Removing the old cushion cover and padding." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removing the old cushion cover and padding.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were a lot of staples.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeSp7QncqXoRuWU0Lgu3EJ_X36lXVIoVxp_niTShwwDhlmmiPbwHwQ5CTpEXiwhxAIXGqXUersSt1dCAyXH-lE5ziZrH8493xs-shyyTu5EnAHSWyXUtjD1rAy3861hTEnbZ6NxJvaYzY/s1600/chair6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chair seat with new fabric being stapled on." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeSp7QncqXoRuWU0Lgu3EJ_X36lXVIoVxp_niTShwwDhlmmiPbwHwQ5CTpEXiwhxAIXGqXUersSt1dCAyXH-lE5ziZrH8493xs-shyyTu5EnAHSWyXUtjD1rAy3861hTEnbZ6NxJvaYzY/s320/chair6.JPG" title="The new cover." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The results are well worth the couple of hours of work. When we sat down to dinner tonight, Chris commented that we should have done this years ago. It's amazing what a difference fresh padding makes. And the chairs look so much better!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjT0cFNQBMvKV9MqngpqkaIfpBdG6e380kuJdk-ruleM8H0qKT4LIF7du3KKwuoCOSx3yqkozITP6YBxrt1D2OK8xDsws7L1tt-2GLbhEQr33dGhkmJEopfkWQKkwm6-bM0tAzhnYzczU3/s1600/chair7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dining room chair with new padding and cover." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjT0cFNQBMvKV9MqngpqkaIfpBdG6e380kuJdk-ruleM8H0qKT4LIF7du3KKwuoCOSx3yqkozITP6YBxrt1D2OK8xDsws7L1tt-2GLbhEQr33dGhkmJEopfkWQKkwm6-bM0tAzhnYzczU3/s320/chair7.JPG" title="Viola!" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viola!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-44652909193388125502016-11-03T15:35:00.000-04:002016-11-03T15:35:25.001-04:00The fulfillment of a dream<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>"It happened in my lifetime."</i> --My dad</blockquote>
Last night (actually, very early this morning) the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.<br />
<br />
Yep, that's what this is about.<br />
<br />
Chris and I aren't big sports fans. We don't really follow teams, keep stats, even know who the players are.<br />
<br />
But I will always root for the Cubs. Even though it's just a passing 'hey, they won yesterday'. Because being a Cubs fan runs in the family. It's in my blood.<br />
<br />
My great-grandfather was at the famous World Series game in 1932 when Babe Ruth called his shot.<br />
<br />
My grandpa was a die-hard Cubs fan his entire life. He was born 2 years after the Cubs won their previous World Series in 1908. He died having never seen them win a World Series.<br />
<br />
My dad was born after the Cubs made their last World Series appearance in 1945.<br />
<br />
There was a time back in the 90s when we spent a weekend every January at the Cubs convention. We got to meet some of the new players (Kerry Wood and Pat Cline before their major league debuts). We listened to panels with favorite players past and present (1984 Cubs were always our favorites). We walked down the hall next to Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcrIVKcrRgv6RY2twjyrywzBykfz6N6heljBKhXo7G6DCjFyqQPL5GhMdEHAJ_sxXw8UU0FXKjmyPdpu2sJe7Zn8AnTOvwRbME_lwQt-FDV865_GXgl6aroJzCPiQiKsoAUO34I51viK6/s1600/Sam+in+grandpas+hat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of my dad holding my then one year old son who is wearing Grandpa's Cubs hat" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcrIVKcrRgv6RY2twjyrywzBykfz6N6heljBKhXo7G6DCjFyqQPL5GhMdEHAJ_sxXw8UU0FXKjmyPdpu2sJe7Zn8AnTOvwRbME_lwQt-FDV865_GXgl6aroJzCPiQiKsoAUO34I51viK6/s320/Sam+in+grandpas+hat.JPG" title="Passing the tradition to the next generation" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing the tradition to the next generation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few weeks ago my dad wore his Cubs gear and flew his W flag to celebrate the Cubs winning the National League title. He hasn't worn his Cubs shirt or hat, or watched a game, all season.<br />
<br />
Sports fans, especially Cubs fans, will recognize his superstition, since the Cubs have played great all season... when he hasn't watched the games. He would have loved to watch his beloved Cubs play, especially this season. But it was more important for him that they win.<br />
<br />
Today I talked to my dad on the phone. He turned on the game last night just for a few minutes in the 9th inning.... and things went badly. So he turned the tv off again, grateful for the text updates from my niece and nephew, who stayed up to watch the game and kept their grandpa informed. (They're good kids.)<br />
<br />
He didn't get to see the Cubs win. He gets to find highlights of the game online today (yay for living in the future where he can see the final out, even though he didn't watch the game!) and fly his W flag with pride. And pick up a world championship t-shirt.<br />
<br />
And next year, well, next year he says he might watch a game or two since they've won a World Series once in his lifetime. They've broken the curse and if his watching means they lose an occasional game, well, there's always next year.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-39956489676085652502016-05-31T18:55:00.000-04:002016-05-31T18:55:01.621-04:00A dysfunctional relationshipThis post, <a href="http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/05/30/fandom-is-broken" target="_blank">Fandom is Broken</a>, on Birth. Movies. Death., has been making the rounds today.<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Just as in life, sometimes the things we love end, or change, or turn out not to be what we thought. And just like in life, we need to adjust and deal with that. The current state where fans try to change the thing they love, molding it into exactly the image they want it to be rather than accept it the way the creator made it is kind of a metaphor for relationships, in a way. Broken, controlling, dysfunctional relationship.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Fandom or Dysfunctional Relationship?</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>'Loving' someone or something so much that you try to change them/it into some perfect ideal rather than accepting them/it as is, flaws and imperfections and all</li>
<li>Feeling possessive, a sense of ownership</li>
<li>A feeling of rage (not just sadness) when it's over</li>
<li>Feeling betrayed when the someone or something changes or turns out to be different than expected</li>
</ul>
<div>
Many shows I have loved have been cancelled, and I've been sad. Sometimes I've wished they could have more time. But the older I get, the more I realize that maybe, sometimes, its good for a show to end 'too soon', when it's still at the top. I have memories of perfection, before the writers struggled for ideas and the show got stale*. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sometimes a show, or book series, or whatever, takes a turn I didn't expect and maybe don't particularly like. Sometimes I trust that the creator knows what's best and I see where the new direction will lead. Sometimes I decide it just isn't for me anymore. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's great that people are devoted fans of whatever they are fans of. I have my fandoms too. But smothering something you love doesn't allow it to grow, and flourish, and continue. Smothering it kills it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you love it, let it be.</div>
<div>
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<div>
<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.08px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
* The more time that passes, the more I realize that, for example, Firefly will always be that one perfect season. There will always be the what could have been. But the show never 'jumped the shark'. It never got stale. It's forever a wonderful memory I can revisit.</div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-48153203010154899422016-05-19T20:47:00.002-04:002016-05-19T20:47:40.582-04:00Stress, exhaustion, and limitsThe past two weeks have been very busy and stressful for me. I've been taking two programming courses--an intensive, 2-week Python course and a 6-week PHP course. Programming does not come naturally to me.<br />
<br />
I've actually kind of enjoyed the Python course. The syntax is simple enough that I felt like I could concentrate on the logic. Some concepts just made sense while others are still sinking in.<br />
<br />
Some of the homework assignments were quick to complete and others took several hours. There was a homework assignment each day plus the lab tasks if I didn't finish them during class. Class met Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday last week and this week.<br />
<br />
Simultaneously, I have been taking the PHP course, which meets Monday and Wednesday until mid-June. Once again, there is a homework assignment after each class.<br />
<br />
So Wednesdays, when I spent 3 hours in the morning learning Python, grabbed a quick lunch, then spent another 1.5 hours learning PHP, have been crazy, exhausting, and stressful. Also, confusing, as I try to keep the different syntaxes straight.<br />
<br />
So as not to fall behind and to keep the concepts as fresh as possible when doing homework, I have pretty much spent each afternoon and evening after class working on the homework assignment from that day (although the Wednesday PHP assignment has been falling to Friday because I just didn't have the brainpower to do both assignments on one day). But, my Python course is now over, which means the next four weeks should be a little easier.<br />
<br />
I know I've been stressed trying to keep everything juggled. I was so exhausted last night after the a day of both classes, coming home and doing the Python homework, that I went to bed just after 9. I only made it that late because I had to finish the assignment.<br />
<br />
Each semester is its own bit of stress, balancing classes, homework, reading for class, kids, and everything else. I'm only a part-time student. I only take one or two classes each semester rather than a full-time load of three. I know three would break me.<br />
<br />
And I'm old enough and wise enough to know that I shouldn't do that. My mental health is worth something to me, and graduate school is not designed with mental health in mind. Each semester there are 'relaxation nights' and 'destress workshops' and whatnot. But really, those are pretty much a joke. Because balancing a full load of courses with the amount of reading and coursework, plus the part- or full-time jobs many students have, plus families..... I have the luxury of taking my time to get my degree, which not everyone can do.<br />
<br />
I'm getting better at saying no. Recently I was asked about taking a position on the PTO at the boys' school next year. I told them I just couldn't take anything else on. Despite the assurances that it doesn't involve much work, I just can't commit to it. I can't add another obligation that I'll have to juggle, constantly feeling like I'm not doing any of it well.<br />
<br />
It seems to be a female thing, thinking we have to take everything on. I'm not a superwoman. I have my limits. Someone else may be able to juggle more than I am, but I can't. And that's okay.<br />
<br />
I'm happier when I'm not exhausted, cranky, stressed. I've had a job that drove me to tears from stress. I occasionally have weeks where I am stressed with school work. But I don't need to add to it. I know my limits. And I don't have anything to prove.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-13569592116292262962016-04-19T17:21:00.000-04:002016-04-19T17:21:41.699-04:00On coeds, sexism, and rapeWhile doing the NEA crossword puzzle in our local newspaper yesterday, I was struck by one of the clues.<br />
<br />
40 Down: Women on campus<br />
<br />
Answer: Coeds<br />
<br />
Now, this isn't an unusual crossword clue (or answer). I've run across it before. It isn't even unusual to run across the word <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=coeds&tbm=nws" target="_blank">"coeds" in the news</a>.<br />
<br />
But the words we use matter. They have meaning.<br />
<br />
I don't know the etymology of coed, but I can use Google. And found <a href="http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/87490/why-does-coed-only-mean-female-coeducational-students" target="_blank">this interesting discussion</a> on just that topic at English Language & Usage on Stack Exchange. The logic seems reasonable: when male-only institutions became co-educational, starting in the 1870s, the new female students were called coeds.<br />
<br />
Thinking of the implications of this, male students were the default, were educated. Female students were out of the ordinary, the special case. They weren't called students; they weren't just educated, they were "co-educated".<br />
<br />
And we still use this term. Or, some people, including the media, still use this term.<br />
<br />
So why does it bother me? Why did it suddenly jump out yesterday, while doing the crossword puzzle in the newspaper?<br />
<br />
Because the big headlines yesterday were about the <a href="http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016/04/sunday-morning-rape-reported-to-iupd-happened-in-the-street" target="_blank">rapes of some women</a> in conjunction with Little 500, the so-called "Greatest College Weekend".<br />
<br />
Only it wasn't so great for some students. Because some of those students are female. And some men see women as playthings, objects here for their enjoyment.<br />
<br />
Some students are female, but they are students. Calling them coeds implies that college campuses aren't really their place. That they aren't really students. That college is for men, and women are allowed to attend classes but aren't really there to be educated.<br />
<br />
Language matters. Words matter. Words have meaning.<br />
<br />
Women on campus: students. Unless they are faculty, or staff, or administrators....<br />
<br />
<br />Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-31851279528764213412016-04-11T18:22:00.000-04:002016-04-11T18:22:58.169-04:00Pocketses: style and functionWomen's clothing rarely comes with functional pockets these days. Most women I know have complained (probably at least weekly) about this frustrating truth. It's like designers hate women.<br />
<br />
Actually, it's probably more that they don't think pockets (function) can co-exist with fashion (style). Because pockets would ruin the lines of the garment. Apparently.<br />
<br />
Of course, my not-hanger-shaped body probably ruins the lines of the garment since clothes never look the same on than off.<br />
<br />
But then there's the jacket. The gorgeous leather jacket found at Vintage Vogue (an upscale Goodwill). The jacket that is way cooler than I've ever been.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuXQv9aZUMLw0ENqdNLNJX4lLGE-9XN0M4UNPfZkqfjJkGulcZh5M7FJuFO4bFUuf1q4YYjx0CNP2HEZ4ZPF4Ne666La2OEVO7vShwS_t9EODB7cCeeEjsK12ZJtNewNaTwO9nV0VMvlq/s1600/The+jacket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of me in an Etienne Aigner leather jacket" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuXQv9aZUMLw0ENqdNLNJX4lLGE-9XN0M4UNPfZkqfjJkGulcZh5M7FJuFO4bFUuf1q4YYjx0CNP2HEZ4ZPF4Ne666La2OEVO7vShwS_t9EODB7cCeeEjsK12ZJtNewNaTwO9nV0VMvlq/s320/The+jacket.JPG" title="The jacket" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jacket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The jacket is an <a href="http://www.etienneaigner.com/" target="_blank">Etienne Aigner</a>, apparently a well-known designer/design house.<br />
<br />
It has pockets. Lots and lots of pockets.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1LLLyB6kUi2OO2m4DADNKFdNPuoqtcP7lWub4ulOAdvdNENJt41guvojzfW2AveamAYUbjOYbpkn3kh-hoGzmODcY_ZqbkCwqLtGO8KgadO22qGzc97RvsBM_aQ49rGTTxjyhF6GbBVJ/s1600/IMG_6646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="photo of the hidden second outer pocket on the Etienne Aigner leather jacket" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1LLLyB6kUi2OO2m4DADNKFdNPuoqtcP7lWub4ulOAdvdNENJt41guvojzfW2AveamAYUbjOYbpkn3kh-hoGzmODcY_ZqbkCwqLtGO8KgadO22qGzc97RvsBM_aQ49rGTTxjyhF6GbBVJ/s200/IMG_6646.JPG" title="The "secret" pocket" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "secret" pocket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NYCN2t9Uc-hJs1DUmy3L76DNJMVJt9zTdsevCXLcP1YmvbDsUW19myyuyhUK6Ki0jbr4TZtY7x7l_o6-0dDF-xFhU6BdS1OpR2ACkbHk1EeTnGaLsNrxDv4y95d6TixaytUElkXiHzK3/s1600/IMG_6647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="photo of the visible outer pocket on the Etienne Aigner leather jacket" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NYCN2t9Uc-hJs1DUmy3L76DNJMVJt9zTdsevCXLcP1YmvbDsUW19myyuyhUK6Ki0jbr4TZtY7x7l_o6-0dDF-xFhU6BdS1OpR2ACkbHk1EeTnGaLsNrxDv4y95d6TixaytUElkXiHzK3/s200/IMG_6647.JPG" title="The marked pocket" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The marked pocket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I owned the jacket for months before I realized that each side had 2 pockets. <div>
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I probably used them all, but didn't realize that, along with the "marked" pocket (image on the left), there is another "hidden" pocket closer to the front (image on the right). And they are both deep, fully functional pockets<div>
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<div>
That's 2 functional pockets on each side. Four pockets! That actually fit hands, phones, and wallets. Because I've put all those things in the pockets, sometimes at the same time because I can. Because there are 4 outer pockets!</div>
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<div>
And then there's the inside pocket. Men may not realize, since this is a common feature of men's jackets, but I rarely find a women's jacket with an inside pocket. It's just the right size for a smart phone.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAp84neulsvHxmZKpMLUeNPBJUfGb0lEVhZeTs5JqZzERJS0LbYJQboS7n-6QP1DoFzsmM4E4akRKPH2YStYZi_CDMHt9NF-hr2GhG2Cv_kNVNMslw_jgOz6dLvy1-GkwYBxrZpZNqBgg/s1600/IMG_6645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="photo of the inside breast pocket on the Etienne Aigner leather jacket" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAp84neulsvHxmZKpMLUeNPBJUfGb0lEVhZeTs5JqZzERJS0LbYJQboS7n-6QP1DoFzsmM4E4akRKPH2YStYZi_CDMHt9NF-hr2GhG2Cv_kNVNMslw_jgOz6dLvy1-GkwYBxrZpZNqBgg/s320/IMG_6645.JPG" title="The inside pocket" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside pocket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />All in all, there are 5, yes 5, pockets on this jacket. And not just 5 pockets, but 5 functional, useful pockets. And the jacket is still beautiful. Even better, I feel awesome when I wear this jacket.<div>
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</div>
</div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-67817381346660410142016-04-10T11:39:00.000-04:002016-04-11T17:35:34.347-04:00Off to see the Wizard WorldLast weekend, my friend Amanda and I left husbands and kids at home while we drove to St. Louis for Wizard World.<br />
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It was announced back in October that David Tennant and Billie Piper were going to appear at Wizard World St. Louis. Chris, knowing how much we love the 10th Doctor and Rose, suggested we have a ladies weekend and go. Plans were made.<br />
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We planned our cosplay, Amanda as the 10th Doctor, me as Donna Noble. Donna was an easy pick for a companion. She is one of my favorites, plus I felt I could pull her off. (I'm most definitely not a Rose Tyler, plus I look terrible as a blond.)<br />
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Many of our costume pieces were found at Goodwill. My fabulous leather jacket was found at Vintage Vogue by Goodwill. I dyed my hair.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiv26BEuJjxdwox4ecieF7RdewQsaMbsdJ6TbWeow_Pv3zygzbycLrlQu2nd_TNKaFv3Hg8IAi0Ig1IyaaaAnwz5hs2hExGSbX3NWnHA4BNgK0ISAniV_BGMEKlaYM_nZssf3C-j7fY3w/s1600/Doctor+Who+nails.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Finger nails decorated to look like a TARDIS, dalek, 10th and 11th Doctors." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCiv26BEuJjxdwox4ecieF7RdewQsaMbsdJ6TbWeow_Pv3zygzbycLrlQu2nd_TNKaFv3Hg8IAi0Ig1IyaaaAnwz5hs2hExGSbX3NWnHA4BNgK0ISAniV_BGMEKlaYM_nZssf3C-j7fY3w/s320/Doctor+Who+nails.JPG" title="Doctor Who nail wraps from Espionage Cosmetics" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doctor Who nail wraps from Espionage Cosmetics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We both did our nails in Doctor Who style. Fittingly, since it was announced a month or so before the convention that Matt Smith would also appear, the nail wraps included a TARDIS (duh), a Dalek (of course), and the 10th and 11th Doctors.<br />
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We knew our chances of seeing David Tennant, Billie Piper, or Matt Smith were slim, since we didn't pay the exorbitant price for their VIP experiences.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOflMXMALye72ihLuNrmsFu4xCX4_V9nq4hv3rHAOHTEk6uZoOb6nMiaZK8Jy0_wZ-inzhSUalg9_1h67f9o9wqGRUC2d1VIEjC7SfNeczM617OszEWxOLBiVfxnXMI2b_z_Xi6b7VOiYg/s1600/Arch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A photo of the Arch, taken as we arrived in St. Louis at sunset." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOflMXMALye72ihLuNrmsFu4xCX4_V9nq4hv3rHAOHTEk6uZoOb6nMiaZK8Jy0_wZ-inzhSUalg9_1h67f9o9wqGRUC2d1VIEjC7SfNeczM617OszEWxOLBiVfxnXMI2b_z_Xi6b7VOiYg/s320/Arch.JPG" title="The St. Louis Arch, from the Martin Luther King Bridge, as we arrived." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The St. Louis Arch, from the Martin Luther King Bridge, as we arrived</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We arrived in St. Louis around sunset. We had taken I70 across Illinois, and our directions pointed us either to the I70 or I55 bridges across the Mississippi River, but we chose instead the smaller Martin Luther King Bridge, which afforded us a lovely view of the Arch as the sun set.<br />
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This being our first Wizard World, and our main convention experience being Gen Con, we weren't sure what the lines for wrist bands would be like in the morning, so we woke up early (well, we woke up before our alarm anyway), dressed for the day, had breakfast, and walked across the street from our hotel to the convention center around 8 a.m. The line for a wrist band was very quick, then we were shuffled into the line to wait the opening.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTTHxWJJ-UwLEhODwLEnDhaiotpCDqNJEfcEFZ3jHDb1UZwfmffOprJixt0naNO-pY8uhdbED7o1KAzF9QuGAq2hk7YyiOgMwTNfBxHZzm5w1Jq4WOXrC6QlWplIPOR-sqsmP5lhLo3Hu/s1600/Doctor+and+Donna.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Amanda in her 10th Doctor cosplay, me in my Donna Noble cosplay, waiting to enter the convention hall." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTTHxWJJ-UwLEhODwLEnDhaiotpCDqNJEfcEFZ3jHDb1UZwfmffOprJixt0naNO-pY8uhdbED7o1KAzF9QuGAq2hk7YyiOgMwTNfBxHZzm5w1Jq4WOXrC6QlWplIPOR-sqsmP5lhLo3Hu/s320/Doctor+and+Donna.JPG" title="The 10th Doctor and Donna, ready for the day!" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 10th Doctor and Donna, ready for the day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
During the hour and a half wait, we met some lovely people in line. The group in front of us, a mom and 4 of her teen/twenty-something kids, were also huge Whovians and Harry Potter fans. Sharing our fandom was a big part of why we went to the con.<br />
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Once on the con floor, we wandered our way toward the autograph and photo op area to pick up the tickets for our autographs and photograph with Elizabeth Henstridge (and check the schedule). When we discovered she would be at the convention, we decided to get autographs and a photograph with her since we both love that show and her character in particular.<br />
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Wandering the floor, we ran into the 4th Doctor and K-9. His K-9, while not as functional as the original, dispensed stickers to kids. The 4th Doctor is Chris's favorite, the Doctor he grew up watching.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnx3KHUlbTGjsZvs4PWr7uSkuOyv-HDiRP1LMffgUUepzxqI5K1vtlMEf3uuufjRN0LgsxoKXAIovJHdCP4MEH8GYLYV167BXkgubyZuuIlGImaogxlTFzew7jzAFv4KEZMCa_8CsHlO4/s1600/Four+K9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of me standing with a cosplayer dressed as the 4th Doctor, plus the K-9 he crafted." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnx3KHUlbTGjsZvs4PWr7uSkuOyv-HDiRP1LMffgUUepzxqI5K1vtlMEf3uuufjRN0LgsxoKXAIovJHdCP4MEH8GYLYV167BXkgubyZuuIlGImaogxlTFzew7jzAFv4KEZMCa_8CsHlO4/s320/Four+K9.JPG" title="Posing with a 4th Doctor cosplayer and K-9" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posing with a 4th Doctor cosplayer and K-9</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We also saw this group of cosplayer representing the 4 modern Doctors, the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. There were very few 9th Doctor cosplayers, which is sad, because I really like Christopher Eccleston's Doctor. (For the record, there were a lot of 10 and 11, which makes sense since they are the most popular and because those actors were at the con. We did see a handful of twelves.)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg872Mq5FhjUNS18eE1iNNz7eAYGhg1GzrUtntQfqDrhlAdzBdo__SecaPhDWKHxhVJrHMbdLjpwHFijFz6wTR0DcuNpwTtbXbfqhRsXoEprDs_wISsI-6_wpRucewkLfpZlEtHKMBPUH/s1600/4+Doctors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of cosplayers dressed as the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th Doctors." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg872Mq5FhjUNS18eE1iNNz7eAYGhg1GzrUtntQfqDrhlAdzBdo__SecaPhDWKHxhVJrHMbdLjpwHFijFz6wTR0DcuNpwTtbXbfqhRsXoEprDs_wISsI-6_wpRucewkLfpZlEtHKMBPUH/s320/4+Doctors.JPG" title="Four Doctors" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four Doctors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There was a booth with a home-built DeLorean raising money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Amanda took a picture with the DeLorean. We also stopped by the <a href="http://www.mynerditure.com/" target="_blank">Nerditure</a> booth and took photos with their TARDIS. They had some really cool furniture, including a TARDIS laundry hamper and and toy box shaped like a Lego brick.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6PqVG7uSBVwCdOoOMpTp8xv-uELfwrzCo-k6kUljSJPCo97y2ahc_G7WjnswUyDCF9hmC0Du-vg-kpIB76m99bzQgjTxU9QlhDNuLQ6RetQPVCK093bfThYSar2Laz4fMcSs_MYZb-RH/s1600/TARDIS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of me in Donna Noble cosplay in front of a TARDIS." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6PqVG7uSBVwCdOoOMpTp8xv-uELfwrzCo-k6kUljSJPCo97y2ahc_G7WjnswUyDCF9hmC0Du-vg-kpIB76m99bzQgjTxU9QlhDNuLQ6RetQPVCK093bfThYSar2Laz4fMcSs_MYZb-RH/s320/TARDIS.JPG" title="Just stepping out of my ride." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just stepping out of my ride.</td></tr>
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<div>
<div>
Elizabeth Henstridge, who plays Dr. Gemma Simmons on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., had her first autograph session early, so we got in that line about half an hour before. She was absolutely delightful. She took a moment to talk to each person in line. When it was our turn, she noticed our nails and asked questions about the nail wraps. All in all, she just seemed so genuine and, yes, delightful.</div>
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After the autograph, we rushed upstairs, across the entire convention center to the ballroom for the David Tennant/Billie Piper panel, hoping we might get a seat, only to discover the panel was rescheduled for later since David Tennant's flight was late arriving. This worked in our favor.</div>
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<div>
So, on to lunch, then a panel discussing Doctor Who with the local Whovian group, <a href="http://www.stlcia.org/" target="_blank">St. Louis Celestial Intervention Agency</a>. At the panel, I won an 11th Doctor comic for knowing what show Matt Smith and Billie Piper were in together (an episode of Secret Diary of a Call Girl). </div>
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After that panel, it was time to head back to the convention floor for our photo op with Elizabeth Henstridge. Once again, we joined the line about half an hour before the photo op. Once the session started, the line moved quickly through, with each photo taking about 30 seconds. She recognized us from the autograph session earlier as we went in.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAm10q2PyvWiO6wlYpfp3lMV9RrHs-VNdWrTQRgLhihkQoLCqgkTwQd4PH6B1JOpT8df3WnRvHsylfFbafNDJ3oUXqy6YA76yzfgiAwR0DetNoxOPiu2WxQM2xeCoP21jLz77TFbr8ouQ/s1600/2016-ww-stlouis-1-01830-3000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of me, Elizabeth Henstridge, and Amanda, from the Wizard World St. Louis photo op" border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAm10q2PyvWiO6wlYpfp3lMV9RrHs-VNdWrTQRgLhihkQoLCqgkTwQd4PH6B1JOpT8df3WnRvHsylfFbafNDJ3oUXqy6YA76yzfgiAwR0DetNoxOPiu2WxQM2xeCoP21jLz77TFbr8ouQ/s320/2016-ww-stlouis-1-01830-3000.jpg" title="Our photo with Elizabeth Henstridge, copyright Celeb Photo Ops" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our photo with Elizabeth Henstridge, (c) Celeb Photo Ops</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As we left the photo op, we stopped to get a picture with a Dalek, because it's a Dalek and we were cosplaying the Doctor and Donna.<br />
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIxTZo5lrH9iaankkuRSnizzVF6z92UZy-tmqfQRLzKdDx9YIp4uxTkVBPMHpcCRqjUxJFgJ5ELGXpf9kCnFI9HnrUsxfj1zUAfFmtjsBqm4YfxhWzh3m1IUEY7M1CRCymi71aUmwF4r1/s1600/Dalek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of me cosplaying Donna Noble next to a model Dalek." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIxTZo5lrH9iaankkuRSnizzVF6z92UZy-tmqfQRLzKdDx9YIp4uxTkVBPMHpcCRqjUxJFgJ5ELGXpf9kCnFI9HnrUsxfj1zUAfFmtjsBqm4YfxhWzh3m1IUEY7M1CRCymi71aUmwF4r1/s320/Dalek.JPG" title="Oh no! It's a Dalek!" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh no! It's a Dalek!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Knowing the David Tennant/Billie Piper panel was going to be one of the most popular events at the convention and that many people camped out in the ballroom to get seats, and the Matt Smith panel immediately before would be well-attended, we headed back upstairs, to the opposite end of the convention center to join the line outside the ballroom to wait about an hour, hoping to get in.<br />
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<div>
Once again, we were able to chat with the folks near us in line, so it was a nice opportunity to meet some people. We also admired the costumes as cosplayers wandered past. The line grew, snaking around and down the hall. A second line for David Tennant VIPs formed.</div>
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<div>
As the Matt Smith panel ended, some people actually left the packed ballroom. The David Tennant VIP badge holders were allowed in to the special VIP seating. And we waited, hoping. Luckily there were only about a dozen people ahead of us in line, so we were able to get in to the panel. A few people behind us did as well. I'm sure many people in that long line were turned away.</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aSmLJ3BfLB9vHtzwuoVNhPfYIsjpi40bLGL1vVcu6O4_mRBDGsjgjR4GX8_5dIYTUjyhI9jE1wVGgGz6K8IVgJwSyRpC3goF5nOPNR3Q_51rvJWV7c6ez1r0zcF5LEKMMH1tsKEhzNXk/s1600/DT+BP+panel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo past heads of a giant screen showing David Tennant and Billie Piper on stage." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aSmLJ3BfLB9vHtzwuoVNhPfYIsjpi40bLGL1vVcu6O4_mRBDGsjgjR4GX8_5dIYTUjyhI9jE1wVGgGz6K8IVgJwSyRpC3goF5nOPNR3Q_51rvJWV7c6ez1r0zcF5LEKMMH1tsKEhzNXk/s320/DT+BP+panel.JPG" title="Our view of David Tennant and Billie Piper on the giant screens" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view of David Tennant and Billie Piper on the giant screens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Although we found seats about halfway back, we couldn't really see the stage. But the giant screens on either side allowed us to see David Tennant and Billie Piper as they answered fan questions. The questions were quite good, mostly not stuff that could be found with a simple online search or look at IMDb.<br />
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<div>
David Tennant and Billie Piper had a great rapport. He was quite funny. They were both lovely to listen to. Best moment of the con. </div>
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<div>
By the time the panel ended at 6:30, we were both hungry but looking for something quick so we could watch the costume contest at 7. We hurried back to the show floor, which closed at 7. Most of the food vendors had closed, but one still had hot dogs, pretzels and nachos left, so pretzels for dinner it was.</div>
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<div>
By the time we made it back upstairs, all the way across the convention center, back to the ballroom, it was about 7:15, but the costume contest was actually just getting started. They were just introducing the judges. There were some really clever costumes. Plenty of creativity: Han frozen in carbonite, Rainbow Dash Dalek, Sailor Deadpool. Fantastic Batman v Superman Wonder Woman, Jack Nicholson Joker (amazing makeup!), anime characters, female Loki, Jack Skellington with moving mouth (awesome makeup!).</div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMvX-fyWx-6tSKsTDgUov7MCZINEn9d90nG_Eiul_IBP4rIc7o6NeK_6s7ozZucnVcd7E4aMounIGRv5Fo9Hm85cioMHf5qJMvxnAfKEuMdLKO6fPHlltuVVOJztbhqQ9EoPhZh2LD_A0/s1600/costume+contest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of the winning and honorable mention cosplayers on stage after the costume contest." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMvX-fyWx-6tSKsTDgUov7MCZINEn9d90nG_Eiul_IBP4rIc7o6NeK_6s7ozZucnVcd7E4aMounIGRv5Fo9Hm85cioMHf5qJMvxnAfKEuMdLKO6fPHlltuVVOJztbhqQ9EoPhZh2LD_A0/s320/costume+contest.JPG" title="Costume contest winners and honorable mentions" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Costume contest winners and honorable mentions</td></tr>
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And after the costume contest, we were exhausted and headed back to the hotel, our day at Wizard World St. Louis over.</div>
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The next morning, we decided to visit the Arch while we were in St. Louis, before heading home. Unfortunately, there is a lot of construction going on at the Arch, so only those with "Journey to the Top" tickets can go in, but we were able to wander the grounds and walk right up to the Arch. (We didn't pre-order online because the tickets are timed and we weren't sure of our schedule; they were sold out so we couldn't purchase onsite.)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAV-D8PluBSKTb4kL7Voyj8yJTcbJXqfDuQSSMaMdVgD-tshJxjOy6h4-Qd4ofYacMzR9MsDLWiSrXNk3urc8-GlPng8fcQWYuP192LUCSZWD1F_qxi7nBK7GE0_J3tSFEsXv8QgjthQKZ/s1600/Arch1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo the the St. Louis Arch framed by the buildings on either side, taken from the Old Courthouse." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAV-D8PluBSKTb4kL7Voyj8yJTcbJXqfDuQSSMaMdVgD-tshJxjOy6h4-Qd4ofYacMzR9MsDLWiSrXNk3urc8-GlPng8fcQWYuP192LUCSZWD1F_qxi7nBK7GE0_J3tSFEsXv8QgjthQKZ/s320/Arch1.JPG" title="The Arch" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arch</td></tr>
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The view of the Arch from the Old Courthouse across the street is perfect. The Old Courthouse serves as a museum of St. Louis history and is where you can purchase tickets for tours of the Arch or the river cruise. There's an exhibit on Dred Scott, and one about the early history of the city as a French town in an area governed by the Spanish. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnUpiSOwJUPvn0viWAy0Ck4aKQe4jJ3Nva9q6jYMAYNGyBLq6qzfzLgbA7Xxu_YIYINlzYelsUn50WFdQapJ-XfkIISwyz3tydzslD_ua1wJ0zV-UpEnMd2FcoZw9TNoA-tIJ5V2zAL0j/s1600/old+courthouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of the Old Courthouse with St. Louis behind." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnUpiSOwJUPvn0viWAy0Ck4aKQe4jJ3Nva9q6jYMAYNGyBLq6qzfzLgbA7Xxu_YIYINlzYelsUn50WFdQapJ-XfkIISwyz3tydzslD_ua1wJ0zV-UpEnMd2FcoZw9TNoA-tIJ5V2zAL0j/s320/old+courthouse.JPG" title="The Old Courthouse" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old Courthouse</td></tr>
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While we couldn't go in the Arch, we could walk around it, and right up to the base on the other side. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREiGmsz1stBK3Cvfuh0SF-eMq3nels2C6h9rh4RcFsRCjQ1qb7ZtecrMSqxB-xQk0Bt4oMCSSyqEoOeXp-hsr3wShpbaIRNEW3swh884lZnJ8jKo39bKqSdzB7N0LB3T_ENtx4g2NL-o9/s1600/Arch+close.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A view from near the St. Louis Arch, looking up toward the top." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREiGmsz1stBK3Cvfuh0SF-eMq3nels2C6h9rh4RcFsRCjQ1qb7ZtecrMSqxB-xQk0Bt4oMCSSyqEoOeXp-hsr3wShpbaIRNEW3swh884lZnJ8jKo39bKqSdzB7N0LB3T_ENtx4g2NL-o9/s320/Arch+close.JPG" title="The Arch up close" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Arch up close</td></tr>
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Walking from the Arch back to the car, we came upon this bit of public art. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1sjfkSXKmji2J-urXzoIFtfltHezFy0Ss2xlkfyErkQXUTXtvYxNdhA0SRTHXz9xyUbOcIYri9Pom114EqumzLEGjLdQhPM3rz6s_FRPrQHo2YfjhrUPdziNCRH0iDc92OXOcWN0Rz0s/s1600/sculpture+band.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of a sculpture of a band, 3 recycled metal characters with fish heads, playing saxophone, guitar, and accordion." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1sjfkSXKmji2J-urXzoIFtfltHezFy0Ss2xlkfyErkQXUTXtvYxNdhA0SRTHXz9xyUbOcIYri9Pom114EqumzLEGjLdQhPM3rz6s_FRPrQHo2YfjhrUPdziNCRH0iDc92OXOcWN0Rz0s/s320/sculpture+band.JPG" title="Sculpture band" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture band</td></tr>
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And then it was time to drive home. </div>
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All in all, it was a fun weekend. Would I go to another Wizard World? Maybe. I would consider going to one in a smaller city nearby if a celeb I really wanted to see was going to appear. But I'm not looking for the next Wizard World to attend.</div>
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Wizard World is all about bringing in the celebrities and then charging a lot of money for people to see them. Which is fine. </div>
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I would have liked to see more panels, but we spent a lot of time in lines waiting. We didn't know the schedule until very soon before the convention, and some schedules, like autographs, were't available until we were on site, so it was hard to plan. </div>
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The user experience of the website and the convention left some to be desired. Too often on the website, I would click on a section and be taken out of the St. Louis convention information back to the main Wizard World site, have to reselect my convention, and start over. There were too many times when we had to find someone to ask something that we should have been able to discover online on our own--the information provided online was not clear or missing. </div>
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There were too many times when we had to approach a line and ask the people in it if it was the correct one, only to hear that they thought it was because that was the line they were supposed to be in. Maybe it's because we've been spoiled by well-run conventions that have volunteers at the end of long lines, especially when it is unclear where the start is, to help people get into the correct line. I notice these things now. I can't help it. </div>
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Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-51934398899413651092016-03-07T22:02:00.000-05:002016-03-07T22:02:36.223-05:00Is coding the only path?I just got back from watching <a href="http://www.codedocumentary.com/" target="_blank">Code: Debugging the Gender Gap</a>, a documentary about the abysmal numbers of women in computer science. It's good. Thought-provoking. As the director said (because, yes, the director was there to talk about the film afterward; this is one reason we love the <a href="http://www.cinema.indiana.edu/" target="_blank">IU Cinema</a>), a lot of people, especially men, say the film is eye-opening.<br />
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If you have a chance to see it....<br />
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The film tells a story. It tells a story about women in computer science. About the way women originally dominated the field but no longer do. And how that history is being.... maybe not erased but glossed over. How women comprised about 40% of computer science majors in 1985 and the numbers have plummeted since. And the numbers in industry are no better.<br />
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In the film there's lots of talk about 'the pipeline', trying to get more girls and POC interested in and confident in computer programming at a young age, to improve the numbers of computer science majors, to increase the numbers in jobs. Which is certainly one way to look at the problem. (As one audience member pointed out after the film, the pipeline still excludes anyone who doesn't have opportunities to get into it early on; looking past the pipeline is also necessary.)<br />
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There's talk about the culture at many tech firms being unwelcoming (or sometimes outright hostile) to women, and really anybody who doesn't fit a certain stereotype.<br />
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And this is all great stuff to talk about because increasing the number of girls who stick with coding and programming and major in computer science is one way to increase the number who might work in computer science. And stopping the attrition, retaining the women who are already in the industry is a huge piece of the puzzle.<br />
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Really, just go see the film.<br />
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But I walked out of the film with something nagging at me. It's something that also came up during the Q&A after the film. It's a little thing, and maybe part of a different conversation, but...<br />
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What about all the ways computer science doesn't have to fit into the neat little box of what already exists?<br />
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As one of the women from <a href="http://cewit.indiana.edu/students/wesit/index.shtml" target="_blank">WESiT</a> pointed out, they have done research which shows taking the same hardware and software that is used in robotics and putting it into wearable tech has increased women and girls being interested in that technology.<br />
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Are we trying to force coding to stay in a rigid box? Having a more diverse team has been proved over and over to improve results (<a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=diverse%20teams%20outperform" target="_blank">here's a quick search if you don't believe me</a>). Would more diverse teams not just improve results but change the way technology and computer science looks?<br />
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Are there more paths than just coding and programming? I know that was the focus of the film, but some of us just plain don't want to code. Can there be talk of what else computer scientists can do that isn't just staring at a screen and writing code? Because maybe that would interest more women.<br />
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Anyway, the lack of women and POC in tech needs to be more than just a conversation. But a conversation is a place to start. And this documentary is part of that conversation.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-73085024436023120372015-11-18T12:47:00.001-05:002015-11-18T12:47:39.476-05:00Hope for the future of schoolsOur sons' school is an International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school. I've written about that previously <a href="http://www.houseeller.com/2015/04/learning-about-ib.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Last night I went to the PTO meeting at school. Rather than dry business meetings, the PTO changed format this year to discussions about topics of interest to parents. We've had a panel on technology use in the classroom, an update on plans and fundraising for the new playground equipment, and a conversation with the literacy coach. This month's meeting was a panel on IB at the school.<br />
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There are three schools in our school corporation applying for IB status. They are in the 2nd year of what is generally a 3 year process. An article appeared in our local newspaper a few days ago about one of the cool things at our school: <a href="http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/news/schools/learning-how-the-world-works-is-part-of-specialized-curriculum/article_5c3882ce-324e-550b-bf07-9e52335777c8.html" target="_blank">fifth grade students were learning about endangered languages</a>. They were specifically learning about vanishing Native American languages since that is the experience of the Lakota/Anishinabe gentleman who spoke with the students.<br />
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Of course someone had to comment on the article online, complaining about the cost of these three schools applying for IB status and the money the school board is asking for in an upcoming referendum (to reauthorize the referendum that was passed several years ago). My philosophy is to support money for schools not because I have kids in those schools but because I want a well-educated populous. So the sour grapes made me cringe in that regard, but also because it is so short-sighted!<br />
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There is so much pressure on schools, on teachers and students, to pass tests. So many schools, including some in our school corporation, that teach to the test. They spend all their time on math and literacy at the expense of everything else, just so their students will pass the mandated tests so the school will not lose funding. It's a terrible downward spiral.<br />
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I could write a lot about the testing and the loss of everything else in schools, but so much has already been written on that topic. What I want to talk about is what the librarian, who is also the IB coordinator for the school, and the two teachers who spoke had to say. Because this is what we all want for our kids. What IB brings to a school is what schools should be. And I truly hope that after these three schools successfully become IB schools other schools in the corporation will apply as well, including the middle and high schools.<br />
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So, IB. To start, the librarian explained that teachers are used to thinking about standards: what state standards do we need to teach? With IB, they are linking those standards (content) to concepts, which can be applied more broadly.<br />
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There are 6 IB transdisciplinary themes that are explored throughout the year: Who We Are, Where We Are In Place and Time, How We Express Ourselves, How the World Works, How We Organize Ourselves, Sharing the Planet. Unit ideas within those need to open the door to inquiry. The topics can't use proper nouns, so they looked at state standards and then broadened the themes to apply anywhere in the world.<br />
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For example, the American Revolution is one of the state standards and a unit every school in the district does in 5th grade. The teachers thought this would be a good unit for the theme of How We Express Ourselves. So, what is the American Revolution about? What connections does it have? Revolution--> change--> "throughout time, people have expressed differing beliefs, values, and ideas which have caused change". Hmm... That really gets me thinking--Arab Spring, Russian Revolution, Tiananmen Square, dozens of other uprisings and revolutions.<br />
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In Kindergarten, there is a fall unit, Harvest Time, where they learn about where foods come from, how foods are produced and distributed, and seasonal harvests, local and global. In Kindergarten. They are touching on science, social studies, art, math, literacy... a lot of different subjects are being informed by the theme.<br />
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Steps to building the units include introducing the central idea, developing possible engagements (all teachers don't have to teach exactly the same way, so they can follow the lead of what their students are most engaged in; the teachers come up with different ways to teach the same material and can 'switch it up'), and then assessing the unit. And, part of assessing the unit afterward, the teachers look at how the students engaged in inquiry. Did students ask questions that led to new knowledge? Did they share their knowledge (maybe mom emailed the teacher to comment that their child was telling them all about where pizza ingredients came from)?<br />
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With IB, the teachers work as a grade-level team to create these units of inquiry, but they also work vertically within the school so what students learn at one grade level might get built on in the next.<br />
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In sixth grade, students learn about Ancient Greece. They've always learned about the Greeks. With IB, the unit has become "What's Old is New Again", under the transdisciplinary theme of "Where We Are in Place and Time". Greeks--> broad scope of politics, art, commerce, culture, philosophy, education, etc. Ancient civilizations--> how do they connect to today?<br />
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The students learn about a topic with the Greeks, then they apply that same idea to another ancient civilization and to modern American society. The 6th grade teacher talking about the unit shared a lot of the neat activities the students have been doing; I didn't write them all down. One in particular was types of government: monarchies, oligarchies, tyrannies, republics, democracies. They were astounded to learn that we have a representative democracy and really thought about why a true democracy would not work in a nation of several hundred million people. The point was that instead of just learning about the Ancient Greeks, they look at <u>why</u> the kids need to learn about them.<br />
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A second grade teacher shared a few of the units they have developed. They used to learn about the life cycle of an insect. Now, that has been expanded to all sorts of cycles: life cycles of bats, chickens, trees, phases of the moon. The kids are seeing cycles in everything!<br />
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They also did a unit on elections. Voting, issues, solutions, platforms: these are all concepts 2nd graders were talking about. They did a voting train, where they learned about the history of the right to vote in our country. The students were given a card describing a type of voter. At the start, only certain voters (white, male, landowners) could get on the voting train. Then different amendments were passed to the Constitution, so more and more people could vote. Each time an amendment was passed, as they went around the room (representing time), new voters could get on the train. At the end, there were a couple students who still couldn't vote. Think about the power of that lesson.<br />
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Second graders are already learning a little about the Constitution. And voting and elections. Think about when they get to sixth grade and learn about different political systems! That is part of the vertical synthesis of IB.<br />
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Something else that the teachers brought up is that they model as a teacher that they don't always have the answers and how to find them. When students ask questions, they can say they don't know and work with the students to discover the answer. They are teaching kids as young as preschool (because even the preschools have IB units) how to be learners. The kids are learning that it isn't just that some kids are smart and some aren't. They are learning what a good learner looks like. The learner profile and attitudes that encourage learning are always present in the classrooms.<br />
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The teachers are engaged in curriculum design. Yes, they still have to teach the state standards and take state tests, but there is real learning going on. The kids are not just learning enough to pass a test; they are being educated. This, the emphasis on learning to think, on social studies and science, on integrating curriculum across subjects, this is what I think all parents want for their kids. From what I have seen, IB is incredibly powerful for students and for teachers. And I truly, truly hope that more and more schools, here and elsewhere, can go on this same journey.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-7161769984306650672015-10-28T10:58:00.000-04:002015-10-28T10:58:21.202-04:00Dealing with disappointment<i>"He could have stayed at the party. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."</i><br />
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Sam was invited to a schoolmate's birthday party on Sunday. At BUGS Gym. And of course Wil was disappointed that he had to stay home and miss the fun.<br />
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When we went to pick Sam up, another parent, seeing that Wil was upset, mentioned that other siblings had stayed at the party and Wil probably could have. While I appreciate that the hosts didn't mind siblings coming to the party, that isn't a lesson I want my boys to learn.<br />
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When Sam brought the invitation home, addressed to him, he said that someone else in the class had asked if their big brother could come so maybe we could ask if Wil could come to the party too. I explained that it is rude to invite your own guests to someone else's party. And then that was undermined by a well-meaning parent.<br />
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We reminded both boys that Wil went to some birthday parties last year while Sam had to stay home. And that they both have different friends and will do things with their friends. They have different interests. They won't always do everything together. And that's okay.<br />
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There aren't consolation prizes in life. Learning to deal with disappointment now is important. Now is when they will learn how to handle their emotions. Was Wil disappointed that he didn't get to play at BUGS Gym? Yes. Was he scarred for life by the experience? Nope. He has already moved on.<br />
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And next time one of them gets invited to a party and the other doesn't, we'll have this conversation again. Until they don't need the conversation because they know that they each get to do things the other doesn't.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-47472576285835122052015-10-10T21:35:00.001-04:002015-10-10T21:35:40.525-04:00A fitting nightmareI welcomed the alarm clock this morning, even though it was an hour earlier than normal, on a dark Saturday when I could sleep in. I welcomed the alarm because it woke me from a nightmare.<br />
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And what a sad, sad nightmare. Was anyone in danger? No. Were there scary monsters? Nope. Spiders? Sorry, this wasn't one of my recurring spider nightmares. What was so scary?<br />
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Bad UX.<br />
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I know. I have pathetic nightmares, but I suppose this might be a sign I'm headed in the right direction.<br />
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Because my nightmare involved trying to fill in a web form. The worst web form imaginable. Where it randomly bumped me to a new field in the middle of filling out another. And pop-up video ads would play when I tried to return to the field to finish filling it out. Where the form required information that was totally unnecessary for the purpose.<br />
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My dream-self was in tears trying to complete this form.<br />
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And then the radio turned on, waking Chris for a busy day of piping. And relieving me from my dreamland torment.<br />
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And as a reward for reading about my nightmare, here is a picture of a sleeping cat.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2MCMEDWeaknWrctckTNtws2_INGf32MyEsXwHjB-HVr3PfVGDzm6WMklc-PLPTrj-bFW7e-kyLHwwIagrRPvFGOPeRxrtlwPO5kgdVLu9ZWGfn0si2cYOnZcotfF25jhhaaOnqhyj2YZ/s1600/Ciaran_sleeping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of black cat sleeping." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2MCMEDWeaknWrctckTNtws2_INGf32MyEsXwHjB-HVr3PfVGDzm6WMklc-PLPTrj-bFW7e-kyLHwwIagrRPvFGOPeRxrtlwPO5kgdVLu9ZWGfn0si2cYOnZcotfF25jhhaaOnqhyj2YZ/s320/Ciaran_sleeping.JPG" title="Ciaran sleeping" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ciaran sleeping</td></tr>
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<br />Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-23895291491065197332015-05-27T15:36:00.000-04:002015-05-27T15:36:14.738-04:00Re-watching and rereadingRe-watching. Rereading. Enjoying all over again.<br />
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I feel like that has been a theme for me the last week or two. And it's reminding me how much I love certain shows, movies, and books. I remember why I loved them in the first place.<br />
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Several years ago I borrowed The Absolute Sandman from our local library. I was captivated by the story. The bound volumes are expensive. And there are four. So we never picked them up. But then, on one of our regular trips to our friendly local comic shop, we picked up the trade paperback of The Sandman #1, Preludes and Nocturnes.<br />
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I reread Preludes and Nocturnes (the first Absolute Sandman volume contains the first three trade paperbacks) over the weekend. While not the strongest storyline in Neil Gaiman's version of The Sandman, I really enjoyed reading it again. I want to reread the rest of the series and the new storyline, The Sandman: Overture.<br />
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Saturday I sat down and watched Return of the Jedi with the boys. I've seen it many times, but the last few times they've watched it I have been busy doing other things. I think this is the first time in a couple of years that I just watched the movie. And I remembered how much I love the original Star Wars trilogy. I think a viewing of the complete saga will happen this summer. Yes, probably including episodes 1-3, because the boys will insist. (If only I could convince them to skip the podrace....)<br />
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Also over the weekend (what was up with this weekend?) I caught a couple of episodes of the Battlestar Galactica reimagining. Up late, waiting for Chris to get home, flipping channels.... and BBC America was airing Kobol's Last Gleaming parts 1 & 2. I've been wanting to re-watch the series and even picked it up on Blu-ray a while back (gotta love those Amazon deals of the day!), but it's not something we can watch while the boys are around. Now I really want to immerse myself in that series again.<br />
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There are other series I want to watch again: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Star Trek: The Next Generation. There are other books I really want to read again, although my to-read pile is now three shelves and some of the books are so long: Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (I so love the Starz tv adaptation, another Ron Moore gem, along with the aforementioned Battlestar Galactica), the Harry Potter series (maybe I'll reread those when the boys are ready to read them), A Wrinkle in Time (actually, I just read the graphic novel adaptation, which, yes, reminded me of how much I loved that book), the Anne of Green Gables series.<br />
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What is it about certain books or shows that makes us want to read or watch them repeatedly? Is it like comfort food? I'm not sure that's right, at least not for me. Certain stories speak to me. They are like old friends that I know well, but they continue to surprise me. They tell me truths about myself or the world. I'm not sure I've found exactly the right words for why some stories keep hold of me or return to me while others can just float by, entertaining me, but not needing a return visit.<br />
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What books/movies/shows do you continually revisit?Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-46475374015250659882015-04-19T16:09:00.001-04:002015-04-19T16:09:51.063-04:00Walking for the homelessToday was the <a href="https://homewardboundindiana.org/walk/bloomington/" target="_blank">13th Annual Homeward Bound 5K Walk</a>. We haven't walked every year, but we try to do it when we can.<br />
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This year, we walked with the boys. They've been on the walk before, in the stroller or the wagon, but this is the first year they've walked with us.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjOKtvlMRq7nUJZCLkIt2gZWFQtm0aRS17j4-GOQxkpK7i_GSGkBomNTYVk8mLXzyI_uSXaEpBdL0HbES05A9bVUYQlUmJmrgaFgIS_YREBLgMhWEiTnWL5-jHWZ9ots5Lp40C2hbGPH5/s1600/HomewardBound2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chris and the boys following the other walk participants in the rain." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjOKtvlMRq7nUJZCLkIt2gZWFQtm0aRS17j4-GOQxkpK7i_GSGkBomNTYVk8mLXzyI_uSXaEpBdL0HbES05A9bVUYQlUmJmrgaFgIS_YREBLgMhWEiTnWL5-jHWZ9ots5Lp40C2hbGPH5/s1600/HomewardBound2015.JPG" height="320" title="A rainy walk." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rainy walk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Today is a yucky, rainy day. A lot of people seem to have stayed home, skipping the walk, this year. There really weren't nearly as many people as in years past.<br />
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When I saw the weather, I admit the thought did cross my mind that we could just stay home, where we'd be dry. Getting soaked and dealing with whiny kids isn't the most appealing thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.<br />
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Before heading out, I sent this tweet:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_D2PWJXACxw0LeB5TuDT5ZrjSdGdmuhAwNEi7fdp6zOmxPY7fOgZNLeuYtVXTZfd4QOcYyv2oikqnfbkY7oWnL8Kaem7BHYjW7-135nkuKncQru51ft4TqC_fCfzqm2iFXquKF0pd-1y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-19+at+3.52.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="screenshot of tweet: Kind of fitting weather for the Homeward Bound walk. Not everyone has a comfortable place to be inside on a day like today. #teachingmoment" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_D2PWJXACxw0LeB5TuDT5ZrjSdGdmuhAwNEi7fdp6zOmxPY7fOgZNLeuYtVXTZfd4QOcYyv2oikqnfbkY7oWnL8Kaem7BHYjW7-135nkuKncQru51ft4TqC_fCfzqm2iFXquKF0pd-1y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-04-19+at+3.52.47+PM.png" height="175" title="Perspective" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perspective</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Several other people at the walk made the same observation.<br />
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But people without homes don't have that luxury. People living in their cars or on the street don't always have a nice, warm, dry place to go when it rains.<br />
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Walking with the boys is a teaching moment. Walking with them in the rain was an even bigger one. Yes, they whined. We only walked about 2 miles (out of approximately 3ish) of the walk. But we committed to doing the walk so we did it.<br />
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We created a team for the walk and were hoping to raise $100. We only reached $40. Donations will be accepted for a few more days. If you would like to help some organizations in the Bloomington area that assist those experiencing homelessness, there is still time.<br />
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Our team page is <a href="https://homewardboundindiana.org/team/grandview-hills-and-friends/?wid=967" target="_blank">Grandview Hills and Friends</a>.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-44564539443220516392015-04-14T17:11:00.000-04:002015-04-14T17:11:16.487-04:00Learning about IBOur kids' school is an International Baccalaureate (IB) Candidate school, one of three in the district. We have received a few updates in the school newsletter, but I still didn't really understand what it all meant, so I was pleased to be one of the parents invited to lunch with the IB consultant last week.<br />
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First off, a few initializations are thrown around in these conversations, so here's what they mean:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>IB = <a href="http://www.ibo.org/" target="_blank">International Baccalaureate</a>, an international program. IB started in 1968.</li>
<li>PYP = <a href="http://www.ibo.org/en/programmes/primary-years-programme/" target="_blank">Primary Years Programme</a>, the IB program designed for students aged 3-12. PYP was introduced in 1997.</li>
</ul>
<div>
A word that was repeated often in the conversation is "<b>inquiry</b>" (and "<b>inquirers</b>"). My understanding is that IB is about teaching thinking skills: getting the children to <i>ask questions</i> and then help them <i>discover the answers</i>. Rather than a teacher lecturing and giving a single correct answer, the students explore and find answers. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/captainmath/4593869817/" target="_blank"><img alt="Image of IB Learner Profile. Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, Reflective." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSD__gUI9ibhapRkNpcNAw8_CdnmHx5EG5OK1R67YYepWCxYPqSxzlAbn63IlK0qMt1xGoihWqJ8pEH8PsXdEUabHS4WAVn1z3-2ars7vl3x806V011mT23uTW5dqXN0zXY9XlUJG3Xmx/s1600/4593869817_0b071fe075_z.jpg" height="240" title="IB Learner Profile image, copyright Clint Hamada, Creative Commons license, some rights reserved." width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/captainmath/4593869817/" target="_blank">IB Learner Profile image, copyright Clint Hamada, CC license, some rights reserved.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
There were lots of details about PYP: the 6 transdisciplinary themes explored through the year, the emphasis on local and global issues, the learner profile, language learning. I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable to explain all that (the <a href="http://www.ibo.org/en/programmes/primary-years-programme/what-is-the-pyp/" target="_blank">PYP section</a> of the IB website has lots of information).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are a few of the things that stood out to me:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>IB and PYP is about thinking skills. </li>
<li>At least at our school, this isn't a radical change. The teachers won't really have to learn a new way of teaching since many of these practices are already used in the school; instead, becoming an IB school means changing how the curriculum is organized.</li>
<li>Teachers were already coordinating within grade-level; with IB, they are now coordinating vertically, across all grade levels.</li>
<li>Our school has already had a global emphasis, partly due to the large international population. IB will enhance that.</li>
</ul>
<div>
One question that came up is how all this fits in with the current climate of standardized testing. The short answer is that the school has to comply with state laws and will continue to do required standardized tests. Since IB is about the <i>how</i> of teaching rather than the <i>what</i>, students will still learn the required standards. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Do I think this is a good program for the school? Yes. </div>
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Do I think it's a good fit for this school? Yes.</div>
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<div>
Earlier today a friend shared <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/04/12/report-debunks-earlier-is-better-academic-instruction-for-young-children/" target="_blank">this article</a> on Facebook. There have been many studies and articles in the past few years addressing this topic. Despite all the research, legislators keep pushing for more and more standardized testing, which emphasizes the academic goals mentioned in the article. Rote memorization. Facts. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As I read the article, though, I immediately connected it to the conversation on IB. Because the intellectual goals mentioned? Those are the goals that IB has. Reasoning? Check. Hypothesizing? Check. Posing questions and predicting answers? Check and check. Quest for understanding? You bet.</div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-46099947942302509632015-02-22T14:56:00.003-05:002015-02-22T15:02:37.178-05:00Bagpiping and Drumming Medals<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkQMwJ8Idxt6dnXN-gitDxSHEZGtMNQUVecvY5N6f-tsiA14KMtBaoXg71vznhX2Rke6EM5ugkuMGHPDm0V2oIgV8RvS90NbkV5Hj4lWG4ve78AewmDGUVp9B4gb2TeoSHIfQp10N06NV/s1600/SIPD-novice-bass-trophy-2014-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkQMwJ8Idxt6dnXN-gitDxSHEZGtMNQUVecvY5N6f-tsiA14KMtBaoXg71vznhX2Rke6EM5ugkuMGHPDm0V2oIgV8RvS90NbkV5Hj4lWG4ve78AewmDGUVp9B4gb2TeoSHIfQp10N06NV/s1600/SIPD-novice-bass-trophy-2014-sm.jpg" height="200" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 pre-season trophy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I started competing with piping and drumming in the <a href="http://www.mwpba.org/" target="_blank">Midwest Pipe Band Association</a> in 2014. I have drumming mixed in there as it was a way to get into playing with the band while I was still working toward getting on the full bagpipes (you start on the practice chanter and don't move to the full pipes until you're ready and that can take many months).<br />
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For the 2014 MWPBA season I competed on novice bass drum and practice chanter. I won first place on novice bass drum in the pre-season solo competition. I also won first place at the <a href="http://www.almahighlandfestival.com/" target="_blank">Alma Highland Festival</a> on novice bass drum and practice chanter. At the end of the season I had enough points to win the MWPBA Champion Supreme trophy for novice bass drum.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdz7SXkhX22THI04A6YGW8d1nmfFmMCrPSYvAnKKmcZ4Pl5BgEMmSJqQn-N8jCWf_JgDEfM1io-viSTUodvItSPYVpRqTYLcyZy8G16xzIHOqt2FeOKyJtKvkhgJfx9NPAlpwDlzPy_1PS/s1600/Piping-medal-case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdz7SXkhX22THI04A6YGW8d1nmfFmMCrPSYvAnKKmcZ4Pl5BgEMmSJqQn-N8jCWf_JgDEfM1io-viSTUodvItSPYVpRqTYLcyZy8G16xzIHOqt2FeOKyJtKvkhgJfx9NPAlpwDlzPy_1PS/s1600/Piping-medal-case.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014 medals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For 2015 I'm concentrating on the bagpipes and just qualified to play at the pre-season solo finals as a Senior Novice piper. The regional qualifier I played at was this past weekend in Lexington, KY and despite the weather it was a good weekend. I received some great feedback from the judge and played very well for my skill level.<br />
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I've been taking lessons with <a href="https://angusmartin.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Angus Martin</a> here in town, he's a Grade 2 piper and a great instructor. I've been progressing with him at a very satisfactory rate and I may graduate up to Grade 4 next season.<br />
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Pipes and drums has been a wonderful experience and it's something that the whole family can participate in as we grow up. Meg doesn't mind attending events chock full of lads in kilts and the boys have small practice chanters that they sometimes play with me when they are in the mood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_6bhflhotcqMluxbN87HgAdyrvnJLo00QzN_siFswEip5ZfFXAqW5E0C_R8dOv0WQLqMt_z5B3yXLI22L0UswK03yxT3vRODFgZGDY66h6WARNzk_ADROVcy9scIN-zyyznymCfZQZeI/s1600/647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6_6bhflhotcqMluxbN87HgAdyrvnJLo00QzN_siFswEip5ZfFXAqW5E0C_R8dOv0WQLqMt_z5B3yXLI22L0UswK03yxT3vRODFgZGDY66h6WARNzk_ADROVcy9scIN-zyyznymCfZQZeI/s1600/647.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
I'm looking forward to the 2015 season and I'm already off to a good start.Chris Ellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13225358424619558984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-14238283545933974312015-02-22T11:07:00.001-05:002015-02-22T11:07:46.090-05:00The Murphy bedFor the past 6 1/2 years, we have not had a guest room, a consequence of a small, 3 bedroom house and 2 kids. We've had a very comfy couch that would sleep 2, and a single hide-a-bed, but an actual guest room is something we've missed having.<br />
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The boys happily share a bedroom, but the small 3rd bedroom has been their playroom. And since it's function as a playroom is more useful than just returning it to a bedroom, with little floor space, we decided to install a Murphy bed.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy_bed" target="_blank">A Murphy bed</a>, for those who may not be familiar, is a bed that is stored vertically in a cabinet when not in use. This was an ideal solution to our space and function problem: most of the time the room will still be the boys' playroom, but we also have a full size bed available for guests (mostly grandparents).<br />
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Chris did a bit of research and decided it would be more affordable plus a good project to build the Murphy bed rather than buy a pre-made model. We purchased the deluxe full-sized kit by Rockler on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Full-Size-Deluxe-Murphy-Bed-Vertical/dp/B00CYPSSFI/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. The kit includes plans for building the cabinet to hold the bed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLtB9wQcckJrU4QRAFyvX8swOromEVXCGsds3lOfOtBBFPsT1y-dNZn3VwhIonsENkD8gxeABLeWPRgJg47BRZXoCQ4NUhzRrZl8E8B_Gil2DmsnX3Y6sS17bRZD_6ycqpBn9FyxqYgRs/s1600/IMG_5213+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Chris standing next to the Murphy bed and frame while assembling it in the playroom guest room." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLtB9wQcckJrU4QRAFyvX8swOromEVXCGsds3lOfOtBBFPsT1y-dNZn3VwhIonsENkD8gxeABLeWPRgJg47BRZXoCQ4NUhzRrZl8E8B_Gil2DmsnX3Y6sS17bRZD_6ycqpBn9FyxqYgRs/s1600/IMG_5213+copy.JPG" height="320" title="Chris building the bed and frame, in situ." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris building the bed and frame, in situ.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We purchased the lumber and plywood panels from Lowes and had it delivered since moving 4x8 sheets of 3/4" plywood is not a walk in the park. The cabinet is finished, other than staining the wood. It looks great and the playroom actually has more floor space since its footprint is smaller than the hide-a-bed it replaced.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ7oPUxss4GlKAREqdjVdAG6cRg0mf0x0-c5yYGPpSZqBLuFkmwaDhEpH1NcEKqVpd1o4rk0POKq8iL7wlL2-Eb9AaONoUAG-M7r0RIjW3_tAi-cnQB7YENjvHMw58B0-CPLvrJJoBVBZ/s1600/IMG_5216+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of the finished Murphy bed cabinet installed against the wall." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ7oPUxss4GlKAREqdjVdAG6cRg0mf0x0-c5yYGPpSZqBLuFkmwaDhEpH1NcEKqVpd1o4rk0POKq8iL7wlL2-Eb9AaONoUAG-M7r0RIjW3_tAi-cnQB7YENjvHMw58B0-CPLvrJJoBVBZ/s1600/IMG_5216+copy.JPG" height="320" title="The Murphy bed cabinet." width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Murphy bed cabinet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The mattress had to fit certain specifications for weight and size. If too light, it wouldn't hold the bed down in the open position. If too heavy, it might not stay in the upright position. It also had to fit within the dimensions of the cabinet.<br />
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Finding a mattress that fit those criteria was a matter of shopping on Amazon.com. The mattress was vacuum packed and rolled for shipping. It is amazing how small the mattress gets when vacuum packed! We got an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LQ1RKQ/" target="_blank">8" deep mattress</a> that weighs just under 60 pounds.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq867Dln7odx9ITCRpzVRurJ42W0bTSHP527fECe4Uo0bZ5-gprKmJZbVL4N4mcUFD7fRGHfURwbz-bbCiJPi8wYPc-DLhv2jO9xibX6knIq4zUk-AfoBvDnoVDMBpv6BiveZkY1aJ_ho/s1600/IMG_5236+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of the mattress vacuum packed and rolled." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitq867Dln7odx9ITCRpzVRurJ42W0bTSHP527fECe4Uo0bZ5-gprKmJZbVL4N4mcUFD7fRGHfURwbz-bbCiJPi8wYPc-DLhv2jO9xibX6knIq4zUk-AfoBvDnoVDMBpv6BiveZkY1aJ_ho/s1600/IMG_5236+copy.JPG" height="320" title="Amazing how small that mattress looks!" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing how small that mattress looks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once the vacuum seal was opened, the mattress puffed up to normal size very quickly. Below is a picture of the Murphy bed open with the new mattress installed. (It was my first attempt at a panoramic photo, hence the weird line down the middle.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hTQJ0IHr14yro3R1QdehOvqdhb4ZiMPznRWC35Rn3vOaglgrZPud-d8EABOFk9ti-2y7KINxfEJqxPgAueNXYl7D0GJxYYGIuT3Fu92SJHO6K1zfSF0ETSESZtWRcHcDLojHIUFJiw0C/s1600/IMG_5238+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of the Murphy bed open, with mattress installed." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hTQJ0IHr14yro3R1QdehOvqdhb4ZiMPznRWC35Rn3vOaglgrZPud-d8EABOFk9ti-2y7KINxfEJqxPgAueNXYl7D0GJxYYGIuT3Fu92SJHO6K1zfSF0ETSESZtWRcHcDLojHIUFJiw0C/s1600/IMG_5238+copy.JPG" height="217" title="The Murphy bed with mattress installed." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Murphy bed with mattress installed.</td></tr>
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<br />Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-71084281563228810792014-12-11T10:44:00.001-05:002014-12-11T10:44:40.827-05:00AcknowledgementsYesterday I read <a href="http://www.bobakferdowsi.com/2014/12/grateful/">this post</a> from Bobak Ferdowski, also known as Mohawk Guy, the NASA engineer at JPL made famous by the Mars Curiosity landing. It's a good post. Go ahead and read it.<br />
<br />
Anyway, it reminded me that I've had a lot of help getting through this semester. And I'll have a lot more help over the next 4 1/2 years as I work toward my degree.<br />
<br />
So I'd like to say thank you as the semester winds up.<br />
<br />
I took two classes this semester. A full graduate load would be three, so I am not nearly as busy as many of the graduate students I know. I don't know how they do it, because two has been a little overwhelming.<br />
<br />
When I started graduate school, Chris became the primary contact for boys' school. He has had to adjust his schedule to come home early on Thursdays this semester, since my class goes to 5:15 and the boys get home at 4. This was just something we arranged since it made sense, yet a lot of people are impressed that he is taking on so much. (That's a sad statement about fathers. Chris doesn't see anything strange about the situation.) I have to say that I'm very thankful he has a flexible schedule and we're in a position where this is possible. I'm glad he is willing to make scheduling work and that his work is able to accommodate it.<br />
<br />
There have been quite a few weekends and evenings when I have been bogged down in homework. The boys have been really good about leaving me alone when I tell them I'm working on homework. They've maybe watched a little more tv than they should a few weekends when Chris was sick or out of town, but they have done such a good job of entertaining themselves.<br />
<br />
I know I haven't always been the best company when we've visited with our parents. They've all been understanding when I've had to be unsociable to get some reading or an assignment done. Yes, I even brought homework to Thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
My friends have also been very understanding with my absence the past few months. I feel like a hermit, though, and a bad friend.<br />
<br />
Then there are the professors and other students. I really do try to apply feedback from my professors. I think I've learned quite a lot this semester. Both classes had group projects. For one class, we were able to coordinate via email and shared documents. I think we did a nice job working together and helping each other along on the project. For the other class, we've had to arrange times to meet, something difficult to do with three different work/class/life schedules. It's been an adventure, and we'll find out how our project turned out this afternoon when we present.<br />
<br />
I'm sure there are other folks I'm forgetting who have helped me through the semester. But I do appreciate every little bit, even if it's just being supportive. Those cheers do help. They give me the confidence that I can do this, even when I'm feeling lost and over my head.<br />
<br />
So thank you, all you lovely people.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-43907419563679010782014-11-20T19:40:00.001-05:002014-11-20T19:40:18.436-05:00Representation mattersOff and on over the last week, I've had this conversation, sometimes with myself, sometimes with others. It feels like one long conversation that ebbs and flows.<br />
<br />
Yes, it's about representation.<br />
<br />
What started this particular conversation was the story spreading through Facebook about <a href="http://www.jetmag.com/life/disneys-doc-mcstuffins-honors-dr-myiesha-taylor/">Dr. Myiesha Taylor, an African American female physician who loves the Disney show Doc McStuffins and who Doc's mother has been named after. </a> The news is old, but making the rounds again.<br />
<br />
Doc McStuffins is one of the shows my boys like to watch. They have never been bothered that the main character is a girl. They don't care that she is black. They just like the show. They like seeing how she fixes the toys.<br />
<br />
Representation matters. There are many, many articles that talk about how important it is for kids to see people like themselves on tv, in movies, even in books. (See <a href="http://powderroom.jezebel.com/why-media-representation-matters-1592446434">here</a>, <a href="http://www.dailytargum.com/article/2014/09/media-representation-matters">here</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2013/nov/12/media-representation-matters">here</a>, <a href="http://thebodyisnotanapology.tumblr.com/post/56316218114/seeing-is-believing-why-media-representation-matters">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.aauw.org/2009/10/23/why-media-representation-matters/">here</a> for just a few.)<br />
<br />
I think it's pretty obvious that little girls seeing women in positions of power, or even just as human characters, is important. The same with minorities (ethnic, sexual, etc) seeing characters like themselves that are not caricatures.<br />
<br />
Whoopi Goldberg pretty famously looked up to Nichelle Nichols, <a href="http://www.makers.com/moments/influence-whoopi-goldberg">realizing that black women could be anything after seeing Lt. Uhura on Star Trek</a>.<br />
<br />
But it's also important for people to see characters unlike themselves. <a href="http://seejane.org/research-informs-empowers/">Hollywood seems to have a tough time making movies with female protagonists that aren't romances</a>. Forget about any non-white protagonists! Video games seem to have a similar problem. The excuse always seems to be that they aren't marketable. That audiences won't be able to identify with a hero who is not a white male.<br />
<br />
And yet, a large portion of audiences already have to identify with protagonists who don't look like them, namely anyone who is not a white male. But white men are apparently so fragile they can't be expected to identify with any character that doesn't look exactly like them.<br />
<br />
How insulting.<br />
<br />
Chris and I have consciously tried to expose the boys to media with female protagonists and non-white protagonists. We look for books and shows with diverse characters. It's not always easy, but we try.<br />
<br />
We also talk about the characters they see on tv. We ask them if the characters they see match up with the world around them. We live in a very white state, but they go to a school with a significant international population, so they recognize that not everyone looks like them. They notice when movies and tv shows have all male casts and know that women are half the population.<br />
<br />
We think that's important. It's important because they live in a world with an incredible amount of diversity. They see and will see a lot of people not like them. And they need to have empathy and be able to understand that different lived experiences create different perspectives.<br />
<br />
We want them to live in a world that is better than the one we live in now. The first step is spending a short amount of time seeing the world through someone else's eyes, even if only for 22 minutes while watching a tv show. Recognizing the humanity in other people creates a bridge to understanding.<br />
<br />
Understanding and compassion. Empathy.<br />
<br />
Representation matters.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-61939929748491119812014-11-11T12:33:00.000-05:002014-11-11T12:33:02.606-05:00RemembranceI woke up this morning thinking about my grandpa Gus, and two of my great-grandpas, Thomas Patrick and Ernie.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMl6FHKsv3upb7ycP83iyQq2yJheEwYYyorEhDJMdxWcrrwfbaDmaZjx9Wb-V1tjOTnXDbHLIRF2awXGWbPxlydZCAfGIQKFRp8_ngJz-mJCHwDyqbbuYC1FsR4aho5I9y38aCAYMAx4__/s1600/Gus_Caponi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Portrait of Gus Caponi in WWII uniform" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMl6FHKsv3upb7ycP83iyQq2yJheEwYYyorEhDJMdxWcrrwfbaDmaZjx9Wb-V1tjOTnXDbHLIRF2awXGWbPxlydZCAfGIQKFRp8_ngJz-mJCHwDyqbbuYC1FsR4aho5I9y38aCAYMAx4__/s320/Gus_Caponi.jpeg" title="Gus Caponi, WWII" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gus Caponi, WWII</td></tr>
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We've been working on genealogy off and on for a number of years, but I hadn't really looked at the family tree much recently. But Saturday, when Chris's parents were here, he wanted to show them a few neat things he had found, so we pulled up our tree on Ancestry. And down the rabbit hole we went.<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIitQ9N0q7BXPowhAbA7319VlJcH8VusfR_m6S1VTLiNTiS-ZSNPvAX3KHS-I30pn8cA8qS0PDbRVUojXgPc4pXYXxxQJ19g76qvoH5Gus1eCnn5-dNcuSZku1rmCPBKSoR-3_bwuMhuG/s1600/Ernest-Simpson.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A full length snap shot of Ernest Simpson in WWI uniform." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIitQ9N0q7BXPowhAbA7319VlJcH8VusfR_m6S1VTLiNTiS-ZSNPvAX3KHS-I30pn8cA8qS0PDbRVUojXgPc4pXYXxxQJ19g76qvoH5Gus1eCnn5-dNcuSZku1rmCPBKSoR-3_bwuMhuG/s320/Ernest-Simpson.tif" title="Ernest Simpson, WWI" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ernest Simpson, WWI</td></tr>
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<div>
Add to that looking through old family photos last week, picking a selection to share with Sam's teacher (they are learning how things change and I have a LOT of old photos with old cars, old tvs, old clothes....). You can see why the past has been on my mind. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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And then today is Veterans' Day. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG-H982aa0BSyARMCrYYwgK3QoP_HvCyg8v3FFVu_kg0Up3GnFy65I3X0yndIyex36cRMNaRU_gRi2VwUG5wSk-m9AODUaS4BMk6_fEqRJT-_YQVW2B3nCuS9xlboOvYCSFhXlxj_4SBL/s1600/thomas-patrick-cuber.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Full length portrait of Thomas Patrick Cuber in WWI uniform." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcG-H982aa0BSyARMCrYYwgK3QoP_HvCyg8v3FFVu_kg0Up3GnFy65I3X0yndIyex36cRMNaRU_gRi2VwUG5wSk-m9AODUaS4BMk6_fEqRJT-_YQVW2B3nCuS9xlboOvYCSFhXlxj_4SBL/s320/thomas-patrick-cuber.tif" title="Thomas Patrick Cuber, WWI" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas Patrick Cuber, WWI</td></tr>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Both of my grandfathers served in WWII. Two of my great-grandfathers served in WWI. There have been one or two others in my family, like Gus's brother (more than one brother?). But military service hasn't been a big thing in my family, unlike Chris's family.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfQoTLuXOogR-woVWLvjqvE7ermoku53f5jN4t-ynf8KAyWrzkzX-4m-xi6TOKD8VbBNichvkj5wiNLxac0SMcwiivnmmzSbp5Hqf679Bwr3cCEZssZ79ZJkmJiRGmU_L-H9ORmA3-8JW/s1600/thomas-cuber-sr.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Portrait of Thomas Cuber in WWII uniform." border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfQoTLuXOogR-woVWLvjqvE7ermoku53f5jN4t-ynf8KAyWrzkzX-4m-xi6TOKD8VbBNichvkj5wiNLxac0SMcwiivnmmzSbp5Hqf679Bwr3cCEZssZ79ZJkmJiRGmU_L-H9ORmA3-8JW/s320/thomas-cuber-sr.tif" title="Thomas Cuber, WWII" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas Cuber, WWII</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Chris can trace his line back to the 1600s, to the first surviving white child born in the colony of Rhode Island. There have been many with military careers on his side of the family, dating back to the Revolutionary War. His father and grandfather both served in the Air Force.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've always appreciated the folks who choose to serve. But those of my ancestors who served did so at times when the majority of the country was involved. They fought in the Great War, in the World Wars. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But I woke up this morning thinking about Gus, and Ernie, and Thomas Patrick. Their pictures have been floating in my mind. We attended the Veterans' Day program at the boys' school, where each grade sang a patriotic song. The relatives attending who are veterans or current military were asked to come to the front and be recognized. A service medley was played on the piano as they walked to the stage, and their kids joined them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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And it hit me in the feels. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Thank you to all the service members, past, present, and future. </div>
</div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-971935222836083797.post-34355089957976622422014-11-05T19:36:00.000-05:002014-11-05T19:36:19.320-05:00Bear BearSam's class is investigating how/if things have changed. They are collecting artifacts from the past to compare to today.<br />
<br />
I put together a few things to lend his teacher: a disc of old family pictures (lots of clothes from various eras, plus a few other gems), a couple buttons from when I was a kid, an old 3.5" floppy disc, a Happy Hollisters book, my well-loved Raggedy Andy, and.... Bear Bear.<br />
<br />
Bear Bear is my Teddy bear from when I was a baby. He has a music box inside and used to play "Teddy Bear Picnic". The music box has been broken for years.<br />
<br />
The boys discovered him a few years ago. From time to time, they play with him. Sometimes they choose him as their stuffed animal to sleep with. I'm glad Bear Bear is loved.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMljimmfxa6_1U3AwIOOe7RLr4-pFnYhmJ-TiqzlJVJLB3D3SEgkn5EqSAB7vQ5hZzkYBk_iSb7BUm7NG6WJHB5sIac-_DIqJDoz7rkl5WhiLXuKdraglhRZK291iil-CqYiTACjSD-bY/s1600/Wil_BearBear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wil snuggling with Bear Bear the Teddy bear" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMljimmfxa6_1U3AwIOOe7RLr4-pFnYhmJ-TiqzlJVJLB3D3SEgkn5EqSAB7vQ5hZzkYBk_iSb7BUm7NG6WJHB5sIac-_DIqJDoz7rkl5WhiLXuKdraglhRZK291iil-CqYiTACjSD-bY/s1600/Wil_BearBear.JPG" height="320" title="Wil and Bear Bear" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wil and Bear Bear</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today I brought the bag of artifacts to school since I knew I would see Sam's teacher. She was thrilled to receive some items and promised she would send them home in a couple weeks when the class was done with them.<br />
<br />
At dinner, I mentioned to Sam that I brought in a bag of artifacts since he knew he was supposed to bring some in. He asked what I sent, of course.<br />
<br />
When I mentioned Bear Bear, Wil burst into tears. This wasn't just hurt feelings that I sent in something they liked. It wasn't disappointment.<br />
<br />
He was sobbing. Inconsolably.<br />
<br />
Because he loves Bear Bear ("He's my favorite bear!"). And he's afraid Bear Bear will never come home.<br />
<br />
It took hugs, and promises that Bear Bear is just visiting, to calm him down.<br />
<br />
And Sam, knowing his brother, went up to dig through the stuffed animal bin to find Wil's other favorites, which he asked for as soon as the tears subsided: Raf the giraffe, Cheeto the giraffe, Horsey, Cow, Kitty....<br />
<br />
And we couldn't find Kitty.<br />
<br />
After a desperate search (we found Kitty), Wil now has a pile of his favorites on his bed, ready to soften the tiny hole in his heart.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, I'm left with a tiny hole in my heart, because I didn't know how much Bear Bear meant to him or that he'd be so upset.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18030754599154402243noreply@blogger.com0