Hello out there. I am still here but feeling somewhat bedraggled. It's been dreary dreary DREARY here during a time of year that always gets me down anyway. Yesterday I was looking at online classifieds and saw a job advertised in New Zealand. Wouldn't it be nice to see things peeking up out of the soil in October, instead of slimy leaves and squashed squirrels everywhere?
I don't know what it is about this town, but we always seem to have a plague of dead squirrels in the fall. The first year that we lived here, I kept waiting for a newspaper article about it. "Brain infection afflicts area squirrels, causing them to fall from trees," or something. I want to tell them, "Guys, you are squirrels. Not lemmings. You are not supposed to be plunging to your deaths here." Except (a) they're dead and (b) they're not English-speaking squirrels even before their untimely demises. So that's probably a non-starter.
Huh, I started this post with no intention of writing about dead squirrels and look at that. Give a woman a blog and there's no telling where she'll go with it.
Remember the student who challenged every single grading decision on her midterm? After a fruitless email exchange I asked the professor to review it. She re-graded it without looking at my comments -- and came up with exactly the same score. To the half-point, which is closer than I expected for an essay exam. This prompts the small and petty person inside me to say "I told you so" and "so next time don't hassle me like that" but my inner big and charitable person is sitting on my inner small and petty person so she will be quiet. Wait, is it uncharitable for my inner charitable person to sit on someone else to shut her up?
Actually, that's sort of a serious question. Did you see the column Elizabeth Foss wrote on patience? She urges us to be patient with ourselves. I have so much trouble with that. I tend to confuse "patient with myself" and "slothful." Or maybe I am just afraid that being patient with myself would prompt me to plunge headlong into sloth, like a person who thinks she's a squirrel who thinks it's a lemming. Does anybody else worry about that (probably minus the four-legged comparisons)?
Yesterday I felt like I got some flak about not wanting to work full-time next year. Today I got some flak about not wanting to homeschool next year. ("If you like to teach, why aren't you teaching your own children?") I am feeling uncertain and gloomy. If you have any encouragement or good knock-knock jokes for me, I'd be grateful.
flak from others about your decisions? what business is it of theirs? sorry, but that's my opinion. I feel torn sometimes inside about our decisions that WE made for OUR kids, but that's different.
Oh, you said encouragement. I don't have knock knock jokes. Wait, I just asked Mac. He said he only remembers the bunny ones.
Knock knock. Who's there?
Ether. Ether who? Ether Bunny!
knock knock. Who's there? Nother. Nother who? Nother Ether Bunny.
knock knock. Who's there? S'more. S'more who? S'more Ether Bunnies.
Knock knock. Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you going to something about all these Ether Bunnies?
or I could try to come up with something encouraging... but I'll have to do that later. I have to run to a soccer scrimmage. And then to church. And then to bed. I hope.
(and p.s. Mac loves the interrupting cow joke.)
(and p.s.s. so do I.)
(and p.s.s.s. what is UP with those squirrels? Haven't they heard that they need to learn English? After all, this is the United States of America and there are those who say that the official language should be English and oh, they're animals? Never mind.)
(and p.s.s.s.s. I heard a sad story today. A friend has been volunteering at a local school to help with ESL kids (english as a second language). This little boy is half Mexican. For over a year, he's been receiving services for ESL because nobody can understand his English, and they assumed he spoke Spanish. Friend went to help, and can't understand him either. She met the grandmother (longggg backstory) and found out that NOBODY speaks Spanish in his household. HE HAS A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT AND AT THE LEAST, HE NEEDS SPEECH THERAPY. Isn't that SAD???? I am mad for him, but glad that somebody has figured it out. This was a long p.s.s.s.s.....)
Posted by: Tracy | October 28, 2009 at 03:29 PM
messed up the punchline. orange you going to DO something about all these Ether Bunnies?
Posted by: Tracy | October 28, 2009 at 03:30 PM
I am deficient in knock knock jokes (Teddy is only 9 months old, so not into them yet!) but I can cheerlead like nobody's business.
Why in the world is ANYONE giving you flak about your decisions? I mean, I don't know you IRL but I trust that you are not painting an false picture of your life online. That said - 5 kids, including an infant! An incredibly challenging PhD program, plus all the associated TAing, etc. Maintaining a house and your marriage and all your other relationships and your blog. You probably do more in one day than many people do in a week.
So what if you don't want to work full time next year? Is the critic worried that you'll fall into idleness? Not likely!
And why is it so bad NOT to homeschool? I am the child of a Catholic teacher who went to a different Catholic school; I was never instructed by my mother, but both my parents certainly taught me immense amounts.
In any case - it is no one's business but yours. You have done an amazing job to date and I have no doubt that you will continue to do so in future. As long as you don't go hurling yourself out of trees along with the autumn leaves. :)
Posted by: Sarah in Ottawa | October 28, 2009 at 06:00 PM
I just saw my first dead squirrel of the year this afternoon. Weird stuff.
Posted by: Amy F | October 28, 2009 at 08:10 PM
I had a professor in grad school who answered grading inquiries thusly: "Sure, I'll regrade it. But chances are pretty good that there actually points I should've taken off of you and will catch this time. Still want me to regrade?" The answer was usually NO. :)
It's no one's business WHAT you do next fall. Seriously. I find it fascinating that depending on the crowd, everyone has an opinion of what you (the generic you) should be doing: stay home with the kids, don't stay home with the kids, send them to public school, homeschool, whatever.
Posted by: mary | October 28, 2009 at 08:44 PM
oh, sweet mama.
1st- boo to those who are not in your shoes judging any of your decisions that you are making for you and your family. i can count on one hand the number of folks who have even an INKLING of what my life is like, they are the ones i go to for advice/co-miseration/empathy. the rest? i just say "oh, that's an idea, i'll think about that." and promptly pray that God gives that person some busy work to fill up all the spare time they have to spend thinking about my life.
2nd- CONGRATS!!so much progress on your paper!! that is AWESOME!! i haven't made any progress. maybe i should go work on it now. we have been treading water here just surviving, but we have a temporary caregiver situation set up, which should get us through the next few weeks at least.
3rd- patient with myself- i just end up feeling like i'm not getting enough done. period. always barely keeping all the plates spinning on the sticks.
i wish my pnut was awake to remind me of good knock knock jokes, i always forget key lines.
Posted by: pnuts mama | October 28, 2009 at 10:37 PM
I can't believe any one is giving you flak. (And that you would ever think of accusing yourself of sloth. In fact, I think you inner slothful person has been squashed and sat upon within an inch of her life. Give her a break, wouldya?)
Posted by: rachel | October 29, 2009 at 08:07 AM
I can't believe anyone would say something like that to you about working full time or homeschooling. How appallingly rude. What do people like that think they're accomplishing? You're clearly capable of deciding what's best for your family.
Posted by: Pippi | October 29, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I don't have a fresh knock knock joke, but I have a regular riddle:
Q: Where do bees go when they get sick?
A: To the WASPital!!
Posted by: Maria | October 29, 2009 at 09:27 PM
It's not a knock-knock joke, but...
So two muffins are in an oven, and one of them says to the other, "Wow, do you think it's getting hot in here?" And the other one says "AAAAAHHH! A TALKING MUFFIN!"
As far as the homeschooling nonsense goes (I'm allowed to call it that, as a homeschooler. It's in the rulebook), I wish people would realize that it's just not that simple a decision. There are a LOT of factors to consider, like what educational opportunities are available in the community, how the kids are faring where they are, what your educational goals are for the year, learning styles, local laws, family needs, blah blah blah. It's complicated and not everyone needs to home educate. You, as their mother, have a God-given wisdom about what is best for your kids. I wish people would put more faith in that.
Plus, if LIKING TO TEACH were the deciding factor, I would be ineligable to educate most mornings.
OH! and here's one for Tracy!
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Consumption.
Consumption who?
Consumption be done about all these Ether Bunnies?
Posted by: Kira | October 29, 2009 at 09:59 PM
I find you inspirational.
Posted by: Steve B. | October 30, 2009 at 06:35 AM
What a nosy jerk. That whole comment has a 'get back to the Kinder and Kuchen, woman' flavor that's really distasteful. I bet she (?) wouldn't have said that to your husband, but isn't he a professor? Your kids seem to be thriving.
Here's a joke:
-Knock knock
-Who's there?
-Boo!
-Boo who?
-Don't cry, it's only a joke.
Posted by: Clare | October 30, 2009 at 08:22 AM