Children at Play

I like watching children play. I know that sounds weird, but I am a mother of four as well as a classroom assistant at a special education preschool. Watching kids is what I do. They fascinate me and it is wonderful to watch how a child's play progresses and changes as they grow older, and wiser. For example, I am a special education assistant and have been working one-on-one with a visually impaired preschooler who was a student in the class for younger kids. I had the opportunity to work some extra hours and stayed for the afternoon class. That class is composed mostly of children who are older, preparing to go on to Kindergarten in the Fall. The difference in the way the morning and the afternoon classes played was remarkable. The younger kids mostly played by themselves, once in awhile engaging in side-by-side play with their classmates. In the afternoon, the children were much more organized and elaborate in their play. They set up the kitchen and served dinner to all their classmates who could/would participate. It fascinates me how even children who have learning problems (these classes have a whole range of special needs from hearing impairment, blindness, autism, & neurological disorders) play at varying levels of maturity. It was so fun to watch. It has been fun watching my own children as well, particularly my youngest who is eight. This summer, she is really turning into an interesting and funny kid. She has progressed from being timid at the swimming pool, to a confident little fish. She has also become quite the comedian, and even though she is on the cusp of being an "older kid" she still enjoys imaginative play and has been playing with her new Jessie (from Toy Story) doll every morning this week. She dug out all the old Toy Story toys from her older sisters and has substituted an American Girl doll's horse for Bullseye from the movie. I just love it. The messes that are made drive me absolutely crazy (both at school and at home) but watching children play is worth it.

First Day of Summer!

It's finally, officially here; the first day of Summer! Today is the longest day of the year--I wonder if I will even notice. Summer seems to pass so quickly now that I am older. The kids go back to school the middle of August, so it seems we just get started, and then everything comes to a halt because school starts so early. I guess we really ought to squeeze the most we can out of every day. I love summer! Enjoy!

Bring It On!

Okay, universe, I'm ready for any good stuff you have to send my way. I want good, not bad. Happy, not depressing, Encouraging, not discouraging. Any positive anything will be a welcome relief. Bring it on, because I am ready and waiting!!!

Is It Worth It?

Is it worth your child's life to let him or her live her "lifelong" dream of sailing alone around the world? Is a sixteen year old capable of even having  "lifelong" dream? I am referring, of course, to the young lady, Abby Sunderland, who is attempting to sail around the world. She ran into a bit of trouble somewhere in the Indian Ocean, and everyone started to panic. I have a seventeen year old that I have apoplectic fits about when I know she is out driving my car, I would never allow her to try to sail a boat by herself in Lake Webster, let alone sail around the world. I would not even let her drive cross-country alone--I will have none of it. Granted, this Sunderland gal has been "sailing" all her life, so she probably has a pretty good idea about how to do it, but I am reminded of a little girl, Jessica Dubroff, the seven year old whose "dream" it was to be the youngest pilot to fly across the country. At the time, my now seventeen year old was about five years old and I did a comparison of her to that little girl back then. I had a bad feeling about that stunt then, and sure enough, it ended tragically with the little girl flying her plane in terrible weather and crashing. Her life was gone. Just like that. The parents had the power to say "no, I don't think it is a good idea" but they chose to let the little girl have her way, or chose notoriety over common sense, and a life was lost. While it looks like this Abby is going to be okay, for now anyway, I think that any kid who is younger than eighteen really doesn't have the ability to see the dangers and mishaps that can come along with any risky behavior. Children and teenagers just don't have the ability to think things out in a logical way. They need parents to say they love them and their lives are more valuable than any risk or notoriety that would be attached to the risky activity.

Two Little Rants

Really quickly this morning, I just want to say that the BP executives are bumbling idiots, who weren't smart enough to have a plan in place in case something catastrophic happened to their oil well. Mistake after mistake is proof positive of their idiocy. The second thing is that Arizona has every right to defend her borders. How dare anyone judge that state for doing something to protect her legal citizens. If the federal government isn't going to enforce the immigration laws, then at least Arizona is trying to do something.