Seeing Nicole mourn for the gastric brooding frog was a sober reminder to me about who will suffer the most from our negligence to care for our planet and God's creations. I may mourn for the future, but our children and grandchildren will live it.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Extinct species
Nicole was telling me tonight that her two favorite animals are otters and turtles. I mentioned that most sea turtles are endangered. She asked what that meant. I explained what "endangered" and "extinct" meant. I told her how global warming affects the ocean and marine life, such as turtles. She asked what animals are extinct. I told her the passenger pigeon, the western black rhino, (functionally) the northern white rhino, and the gastric brooding frog are some. I told her that the gastric brooding frog's eggs would hatch and mature in the mother's belly, and then the babies would crawl out of her mouth. Unfortunately, this frog became extinct in the 1980s, shortly after it was discovered. The next moment, I look down at my side and see Nicole is red in the face walking toward me. She bursts into tears and embraces me in a hug. "But that's so cool!" she sobs. "I want to see that frog..." I hugged her back. She said that she loves animals and wants to take care of them. She wanted to know how she can prevent animals from going extinct. Although there is little a five-year-old can do, I told her some environmentally friendly practices she can incorporate into her life - turn off lights, only put on your plate what you can eat, don't waste, etc. Now, she declares, she wants to be a scientist that studies animals (as well as a mother and a karate instructor).
Seeing Nicole mourn for the gastric brooding frog was a sober reminder to me about who will suffer the most from our negligence to care for our planet and God's creations. I may mourn for the future, but our children and grandchildren will live it.
Seeing Nicole mourn for the gastric brooding frog was a sober reminder to me about who will suffer the most from our negligence to care for our planet and God's creations. I may mourn for the future, but our children and grandchildren will live it.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
The lawn
Don't tell Grandpa: Last month, the lawn got a little overgrown...
We didn't have a lawn mower, and then we went on vacation...
The patch of clover may have buried my children...
Fortunately, I discovered them safely asleep hours later...
The clover in the seed mix we used last year was called, "microclover"...
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| Nicole's hand |
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| My hand |
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| Nicole's hand |
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| We found a tiny patch of these special, mutant, red-tinged clovers |
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| I liked the shape the white lines made |
Clover portraits. Want one of your own?
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| Clover portrait |
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| Clover portrait |
The biggest...
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| This microclover measured fifteen inches high |
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| It's not quite as big as it looks |
Now, the lawn is under control...
Flashback to what it looked like a year ago...
And now it has...
a playground!
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| Picnic and kickball |
Beep bo bo
Where's Allie?
Beep-bo-bo!!
And now some pictures, because she's still growing:
Beep-bo-bo!!
And now some pictures, because she's still growing:
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| A Mr. Bean-like moment |
Friday, May 24, 2019
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Kindergarten graduation
Nicole graduated from kindergarten on Wednesday!
They played Pomp and Circumstance, and Nicole solemnly folded her arms the whole time, as they paraded in a line behind us and through the center of the room, to file neatly into their chairs.
They had a little musical program prepared to tell us everything they learned this year.
Nicole completed four projects this year so she could qualify for the Patriot Pride award at the end of the year - she got a little medal that she was very excited to receive. She was also surprised to receive IB Student of the Year - one of two students from her grade level! They read out her name, a short paragraph about her, and then the principal said, "Nicole? Nicole? Is she here?" Nicole sat there confused because she "didn't know they said, 'Nicole F.'" Eventually, her teacher went up and let her know she should go up and receive the trophy. When she sat down, her excited classmates wanted a look at the trophy, so they passed it around a little. Afterwards, one of her classmates told her, "You got two awards! Good job!" She is lucky to have such friendly, positive classmates!
I'm honestly not sure of the criteria for the award, but because it's "IB Student of the Year," I imagine it has to do with the IB qualities:
Inquirers: Develop a natural curiosity that allows them to become lifelong learners.
Knowledgeable: They explore ideas of importance and dig deep into its meaning creating a balance of their learning.
Thinkers: They apply thinking skills that allow them to tackle complex problems in creative ways.
Communicators: They understand and can articulate information in confident, creative ways, including a second language.
Principled: Students are honest, fair, just and full of integrity. They strive to solve their own problems and to take responsibility for their own actions.
Open-minded: Students understand and embrace other cultures. They recognize and celebrate their own backgrounds and learn tolerance for others.
Caring: Students actively care about others and participate in active service.
Risk-Takers: Students are brave in the face of new challenges. They strive to take on new roles and to defend their own beliefs.
Balanced: Students understand the need to be emotionally, physically and mentally balanced. They strive for this in themselves and others.
Reflective: Students reflect on their own learning. They are able to adjust for weaknesses and strengths.
Congrats, Nicole! I hope she continues to enjoy learning and place value in the IB qualities so she can become a well-rounded contributing member to society.
Because we have had such a positive experience with this school, because of its strong community, and because the nearby charter school we were considering abruptly closed (long story), we've decided to continue to make the drive so Nicole can attend this great school another year!
They played Pomp and Circumstance, and Nicole solemnly folded her arms the whole time, as they paraded in a line behind us and through the center of the room, to file neatly into their chairs.
They had a little musical program prepared to tell us everything they learned this year.
Nicole completed four projects this year so she could qualify for the Patriot Pride award at the end of the year - she got a little medal that she was very excited to receive. She was also surprised to receive IB Student of the Year - one of two students from her grade level! They read out her name, a short paragraph about her, and then the principal said, "Nicole? Nicole? Is she here?" Nicole sat there confused because she "didn't know they said, 'Nicole F.'" Eventually, her teacher went up and let her know she should go up and receive the trophy. When she sat down, her excited classmates wanted a look at the trophy, so they passed it around a little. Afterwards, one of her classmates told her, "You got two awards! Good job!" She is lucky to have such friendly, positive classmates!
I'm honestly not sure of the criteria for the award, but because it's "IB Student of the Year," I imagine it has to do with the IB qualities:
Inquirers: Develop a natural curiosity that allows them to become lifelong learners.
Knowledgeable: They explore ideas of importance and dig deep into its meaning creating a balance of their learning.
Thinkers: They apply thinking skills that allow them to tackle complex problems in creative ways.
Communicators: They understand and can articulate information in confident, creative ways, including a second language.
Principled: Students are honest, fair, just and full of integrity. They strive to solve their own problems and to take responsibility for their own actions.
Open-minded: Students understand and embrace other cultures. They recognize and celebrate their own backgrounds and learn tolerance for others.
Caring: Students actively care about others and participate in active service.
Risk-Takers: Students are brave in the face of new challenges. They strive to take on new roles and to defend their own beliefs.
Balanced: Students understand the need to be emotionally, physically and mentally balanced. They strive for this in themselves and others.
Reflective: Students reflect on their own learning. They are able to adjust for weaknesses and strengths.
Congrats, Nicole! I hope she continues to enjoy learning and place value in the IB qualities so she can become a well-rounded contributing member to society.
Because we have had such a positive experience with this school, because of its strong community, and because the nearby charter school we were considering abruptly closed (long story), we've decided to continue to make the drive so Nicole can attend this great school another year!
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Picnic day
Daddy and the girls planned a family picnic yesterday for an early Mother's Day outing!
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| Allison training to be a gymnast |
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| Picnic |
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| The girls enjoying watermelon or, as Allison called it, "maddamidi," or "numbidumbus." Pronunciation guide: MAH-duh-MIH-dee," or "NUM-bee-DUM-bus." |
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| Family picture (except Mom) |
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| Our cool girls |
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| We had fun! |
School shoes
Nicole
Last month, Nicole was one of her elementary school's students of the month. Each month, they recognize a student for exemplifying one of the IB qualities. For Nicole, it was "Reflective."
Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
She met with some administrators, got a cookie, and took a picture with the principal. That was a fun day for her, because she also got to have lunch with her teacher for passing off the last of the "sight words" for her class! We will really miss that school if Nicole doesn't return next year.
Allison
Allison's daddy likes wearing shoes all day. (In contrast, I hate wearing shoes.) Apparently, Allison has gravitated toward her daddy's philosophy, because she has developed a love for wearing shoes. When I rush out the door in the morning to take Nicole to school, if I don't put Allison's shoes on her, she yells, "Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!" (Sometimes sounds like, "Sue's.") In the car, you may hear her mumbling, "Shoe. Shoe. Shoe. Shoe. Shoe." In the morning, she knocks on the shoe closet and says, "Shoes." When we went to a bridal shower last week, I eventually extracted her shoes. But later, I found her with her shoes back on. My sister-in-law confessed, "Allison walked over to her shoes, looked at them sadly, and said, 'Shoes...'"
The next morning, the first thing Allison said as she woke up next to me was, "Shoe! Shoe!"
Last month, Nicole was one of her elementary school's students of the month. Each month, they recognize a student for exemplifying one of the IB qualities. For Nicole, it was "Reflective."
Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
She met with some administrators, got a cookie, and took a picture with the principal. That was a fun day for her, because she also got to have lunch with her teacher for passing off the last of the "sight words" for her class! We will really miss that school if Nicole doesn't return next year.
Allison
Allison's daddy likes wearing shoes all day. (In contrast, I hate wearing shoes.) Apparently, Allison has gravitated toward her daddy's philosophy, because she has developed a love for wearing shoes. When I rush out the door in the morning to take Nicole to school, if I don't put Allison's shoes on her, she yells, "Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!" (Sometimes sounds like, "Sue's.") In the car, you may hear her mumbling, "Shoe. Shoe. Shoe. Shoe. Shoe." In the morning, she knocks on the shoe closet and says, "Shoes." When we went to a bridal shower last week, I eventually extracted her shoes. But later, I found her with her shoes back on. My sister-in-law confessed, "Allison walked over to her shoes, looked at them sadly, and said, 'Shoes...'"
The next morning, the first thing Allison said as she woke up next to me was, "Shoe! Shoe!"
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