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Burning in my heart
Posted under Summer by Recovering Straight GirlThere is a heatwave on its way to the Portland Metro area and I am quite excited to be a part of it. Summer, Summer, Summer. It’s a positively wonderful season.
Yesterday I dumped dropped two of my girls off at LeLo’s where they had a mad fabulous time decorating strawberry cupcakes and playing with Wink. I was invited to meet the staff and tour the World Headquarters of Just Out given by their fearless leader, the illustrious Marty Davis. It’s quite a production over there with about a million talented people putting together a great read twice a month. We toured, we talked, we drank raspberry Italian sodas with whipped cream. I love spending time with interesting people in interesting places and yesterday I had both.
Last night HG and I treated the girls to a dose of “Natural Consequences.” Last week when I was swimsuit modeling, the two older heathens girls decided to fight (including hitting, screaming, slamming and kicking) while we were gone. Last night I hired a babysitter for them. The babysitter (who really needs to update her blog) came over to sit in our living room and read while the two juvenile delinquents girls were remanded to their respective rooms for “reading and reflection time.” The best part? The babysitter was paid out of the two offenders’ allowances.
Yes, there were tears and fits until I told them that it was up to them how this evening played out and that I already had Teacher Stacy lined up to babysit next– and she couldn’t wait to teach them how to do push-ups.
We returned to a quiet house with drawings, notes, and essays on why it’s important not to fight and how to avoid fighting in the future (done on their own accord.)
So far the score is:
DD#1 and DD#2=0
Mommy=2
And summer has just begun.
I’ll still be keeping Teacher Stacy on retainer–you never know what will happen next week.
So far today has been quiet on the home front. This morning we made pancakes and watched “To Kill a Mockingbird” as part of our Summer Home School lesson. This week’s home school lesson is focusing on learning about Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Sacajawea, and Ann Frank as well as the oppression of African American’s in our country through the years. Today’s movie also focused on–not judging someone until you walked in their shoes, seeing the best in everyone, standing up for justice, and what a good example the very evolved Atticus, Jem, and Scout are as human beings. Tonight’s movie: “Freedom Writers.”
Tomorrow: Heatwave.
Really, does it get any better than this?
Still need to see Freedom Writers!!
Kudos to you and HG, but I am SOOOO glad I’m past all that!
Happy to have a 25 year old DD
GG
Summer… Home… School…
I think I love you!
Also, I promise not to ever ever tell the Monkeys where you live. Even though I’m almost positive they couldn’t find Portland by themselves, anyway.
That, is exactly why I only have one kid
Who is spending her summer so far writing her novel (she wants to be a writer) and reading. I can’t get her nose out of books, not that I’m complaining….actually I think tomorrow we’ll be off to the bookstore for more books…for her summer reading assignments.
Fran and I send you a cyber high-five on the babysitter, and paying out of their money. That’s the best natural consequence we’ve ever heard of… and funny as shit!
I think the horror stories of your daughters fighting etc. are completely made up. Because they were perfect angels while with me yesterday. We played and laughed and ate way too much sugar…..and then I sent them home tired and sugared up with you! WooT!
SRSLY….love them, and your homeschool projects? Damn. That is so damn beautiful. I love how you are raising your girls. If I ever was a mom I would wish to be as good of one as you.
Yay heatwave. Bring that electric bike and the electric dyke (that’s HG) to NoPo this weekend. We’ll go riding.
See, this is why we are more evolved than you lot over there. We have four terms in a school year, with two weeks between the first, second and third terms, and then a six week break at the end. They don’t store up so much, and get a winter break when they need it most.
Hope you girls all have a great holiday together.
I think I want to go to your summer home school. It sounds like so much fun. Alas, I have to work. But, I get to work in Seattle and that’s a much, much better thing. I am going to make it down to Portland this summer and we all must go out for wine!
As part of our Summer Home School session we let the kids watch “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”, and I told them it was 100% historically accurate.
I’m such a dick.
Love the natural consequences lesson.
“To Kill A Mockingbird” is truly great. Another lesson from it is one in mediation, as in when Scout mediates the crowd outside the jail by “recognizing” various members and contacting with what is better in each of them. If you want to see “Scout’s” most recent movie, rent “Our Very Own,” in which she has a cameo. It’s a decent movie so that’s a bonus.
Wow, wish I had you around to summer home school my kids (and me)
Natural consequences = AWESOME idea!
What’s an electric dyke and how did I become one of them?
I think the question should be, ‘What’s and electric dyke, and where do I get one of them?’
Electric — as in HOT. Haven’t you seen Grease? John Travolta and Olivia Newton John in the fun house at the end and they’re singing and he says, “she’s electrifying!”
Glad that the natural consequences got to fill my dwindling starbucks card.
Updated blog soon…..alas i am up to my own devices again tonight. laptop, t.v.,bed, and ice cream. life is good!
Nice choice of movies for the summer schooling. I got to meet Erin Gruwell (Freedom Writers’ teacher). She spoke at a back-to-school inservice for my district a few years back. She was amazing - and so were her students.
I love the natural consequences idea.
Melissa, you’re good for my ego. You should stick around.
Have you seen The Great Debaters? A good one for the oppression of African Americans, and based on a true story. Not the greatest movie ever, but enjoyable - and the girl gives an AMAZING speech (”No, the time for justice, the time for freedom, and the time for equality is always, is always right now!”).
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