Monday Musings

At noon Saturday, as I stumbled walked out of the testing center into the crisp spring air and gazed up at the  welcoming blue sky, I thought, I will never have to take another fill-in-the-bubble-with-a-number-two-pencil tests again.

I may only be two-thirds right.

I'm pretty confident I passed the Reading and Writing portions of the test.

Math?

Damn math.

It's not that I didn't know the math concepts on the test.  I was fairly confident in that department.  However, I did exactly what the big, fat, heavy indigo book told me NOT to do.

I spent too long on the first few problems.  Far too long.

Before I knew it, the proctor wrote "30 minutes remaining" on the chalkboard, and I was on problem 15.

Out of 40.

SH&%#.

And then I slightly panicked.  Flipping through the rest of the test booklet I searched for problems I could answer reasonably quickly.


TICK TOCK.  TICK TOCK. 


Okay, here are some graphs.  I can do graphs.  Nothing to it.  Each piece of pie pictured on the graph equals 15 real pies.  There are blueberry, cherry, and pineapple.  Who the heck eats pineapple pie?  I've had pineapple upside-down cake.  But pineapple pie?


TICK TOCK.  TICK TOCK.


Okay, so if Josie buys three of the cherry pies and they equal the same amount as the blueberry, but the pineapple that Mario buys is twice as much....Okay,  there.  $45.  That's the answer.


But where is the $45 bubble?  I see $50.  And $40.  But what about $45?


TICK TOCK.  TICK TOCK.


Okay, I'll have to guess.  The big, fat, heavy indigo book told me I should guess if I don't know the answer because you don't get penalized for wrong answers.  So let's see.  I'll choose THIS one.


And this went on for the next twenty minutes.  At the ten minute warning, I knew I wasn't going to finish unless I guessed.  So I've got a one-in-five chance that I'll get those problems correct.

Somehow I think I'll be sitting in that same room when the PRAXIS math test is offered again in June.

***

On a happier note, Husband gave me the best birthday gift ever.  

Saturday after I was released from PRAXIS prison, we hopped in the car and drove east-to-west along sweet, winding Route 101, through the towns of Peterborough and Dublin (which happen to be the setting of  Grover's Corners in Thornton Wilder's play, Our Town).  We reached the tiny city of Keene in enough time to grab a fab dinner at The Stage restaurant, a quaint pub off of the main drag.  

Then we strolled up and down the street for awhile, past the boutiquey consignment shops, with their assortment of eclectic, crunchy attire and Life is Good t-shirts.  We wandered into the greatest kitchen shop I've ever been in.  Of course, I spent a good amount of time "picking up and putting down" bamboo bowls, Le Creuset cookware, and OXO gadgets.

Then it was time for the main event: Ira Glass from This American Life, live on stage.


In the interest of full disclosure, I need to admit to you I've got a teenie, tiny crush on Ira Glass.

Photo by Kevin J. Zimmerman.

He's cute in that sort of Woody Allen, Jewish, nerdy sort of way.

I was happy to see that his persona on stage was exactly like his voice emanating from my car radio: quirky, smart, very funny.  He carried an iPad most of the show, pressing it to cue music or run a clip from the show.  He also quipped about the Mike Daisey-Apple, fact-checking fiasco, and even wore a daisy-print tie (which was kindly pointed out to my by Husband).

Not a bad way to spend an evening.

***

Wishing you all a fine week!

{this moment} Brothers

Once again, joining Soule Mama and others in a Friday ritual of posting one memorable photo to honor the week: a single, special, extraordinary-ordinary moment.

Happy weekend to you!

PRAXIS Problems

6:28 a.m.  I sit at my kitchen island.

Open in front of me is a large book, two inches thick, 536 pages long.  On its deep indigo cover is the word:

P R A X I S

Those of you involved in education may know about the PRAXIS.  It is the test a person needs to pass in order to be a certified teacher in New Hampshire.  

As I sit down with this ginormous book, I wonder why it's called PRAXIS.  It sounds like computer jargon or the name of a droid from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  I think I'll Google it.

Nooo Tonya!  Stay put.  You need to study.  The test is Saturday.  This Saturday.  Oh no.  It can't be.  When I registered and paid the ridiculous fee to put myself through this, April 28 seemed so far away.

{sigh}

I know the PRAXIS has been on my mind because I'm having reoccurring high school dreams.  And not the kind where the popular guy finally notices you exist.  This is the dream where you know you've got an exam in some class or another and you cannot find the classroom.  You run up and down the halls, take different staircases, poke your head into different rooms, and none of them are the right one.  

Then you wake up and realize that you're 42 years old.  

BUT I STILL HAVE TO PASS THIS TEST TO BE CERTIFIED.

Back to the ginormous indigo book.

Now, it's not the reading portion of the test or writing test that I'm worried about.

It's math.

Damn math.

So I turn to the mathematics review.

And it's not too bad.  Hey, I'm breezing right through!  Adding and subtracting fractions.  Multiplying and dividing decimals.  I'm pretty good at this.  Ratios...okay, don't remember what I'm supposed to do with them, but this review tells me everything I need to know.  Easy peeasy.  

I complete the review test.  Not bad.  A few errors.  That's okay.

Then I turn the page.

REVIEW TWO

Wait a minute...

There's more?

And then I see "Order of Operations."

Algebra.

And I'm transported back to the front row of Mr. Mongilio's freshman algebra class.  Mr. Mongilio is at the board, his three or four chins quivering as he writes.  But my head is far outside the classroom, at band practice, watching Bill Goggins play the oboe as sit in the 4th chair of the saxophone section.  

Algebra my freshman year wasn't a total loss, though.  I did get tutored by Ray Hurd, a senior, although I remember more socializing than equation solving.

Okay, back to the book.

(5 + 3)^2 + 3 (-1)

                                                                               4

Let's see, add the 5 and the 3.  That's 8.  Then I need to multiply 8 and 8 to equal 8 to the second power, and that's 64...

Ray Hurd was cute, wasn't he?  He had a girlfriend, but he sure did flirt with me a lot.  Maybe he liked me!  I wonder if he would have asked me out if he didn't have a girlfriend...

{Slight shake of the head}

So then I need to add the positive 3 multiplied by the negative 1.  And what was the rule for multiplying positive and negative numbers?  Two positives equal a positive, obviously.  And two negatives equal a negative, but what about a positive and a negative?

Ray Hurd.  A senior!  Wouldn't that have been something if we went out?  Bill Goggins kind of liked me, I think, and he was a senior, but then I wrote him too many notes and stuck them in his locker. Kind of a turn off.  I wonder if lockers still have those little vents where we used to put notes? Oh wait, teenagers just text each other these days.  No need to wait until after math or English class to see if someone left you a note.  Instant gratification...that's what's wrong with the teenagers today...

You see what I mean?

Hopeless.

However, Husband made a good point.  He said that I could always take the math portion over if I don't pass the first time around.  Really?

Phew.

Now at the testing center, I hope I can find the correct room...

{Wordless Wednesday} Caught ya reading

{How does your garden grow?} Let it rain

Linking up again today with Val from Mental Chew.

In the past few days we've gotten some very welcome rain.

A wonderful occurrance, from a gardener's perspective, especially after the dry winter we had.

I'm sure these little spinach sprouts enjoyed a hefty drink with this weekend's rain.

I've decided not to thin out the seedlings this year.  I read in an organic gardening magazine about picking spinach and lettuce while they are tiny and eating the tasty baby leaves while letting the other plants grow larger.

Today on Val's gardening update, she pictured some mystery weeds.  Here's mine.

This is a nasty weed.  It completely takes over any unsuspecting plants that might be thriving in the yard.  According to Husband, who dug up this huge bunch, the roots are long.  And if you don't get them all, then it comes back, big time.  It's also sticky-picky.  Fun, fun!

What the heck is this?

I'm hoping to start some sugar snap peas soon in a large pot, like this:

photo credit: Sunnie Larson

Isn't that cool?  A friend of mine planted a sugar snap pea plant in a pot a few years ago.  She put it on her front steps and her kids would eat right pods right off the vine.

What's going on in your garden this week?

{right now}

Right now, I am:

• thinking how fast time goes by, knowing my last post was almost a week ago.
• relishing a lazy, rainy morning, sipping coffee, listening to the spin of the washing machine, the thunk, thunk of a plastic ball bouncing off the family room wall  - a way to keep the little boys busy on this dank, indoor kind of day.
• hoping and praying the rain doesn't continue the entire school vacation week.
• reminiscing about the two full days I substituted in the middle school library last week.  (They actually pay me for this?)  Really loving this age group when I never thought I would.
• Spying the funny missing space in Josh's mouth.  Thankful that the extraction of the baby teeth which were getting crowded out by the adult teeth wasn't too traumatic for him (probably due to the fact that Husband took him :-)
• watching the horses at the farm behind our house out the window.  They seem to be energetic despite the dreary coldness of the day.
•  missing a dear friend who lives about as far away from my home as you can get.
• thinking of another dear friend, who is experiencing tough times right now.
• making summer plans for the kids.  Wondering why on earth we have to rush the seasons so.
• contemplating the diagnosis we received for one of our littles a few weeks ago.  Hoping to share that news with you soon.
• reading about feathered friends
• awaiting the arrival of more seedlings

Wishing you a happy day!

{How Does Your Garden Grow?} Thankfulness

Today is one of those days when I realize why I love gardening so.  Crazy thing, really.  Digging in the soil as we gardeners do.  Many moons ago, planting and harvesting was not a hobby - it was survival.  Imagine what our ancestors might be thinking, watching us getting pleasure from something they did each season to put food on the table.

When Owen and I stepped out the door this morning, the air was dry, the sky was blue, the temperature was perfect - warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt, but not sweaty hot, as it was yesterday.

We discovered this:

Spinach sprouting!

No sign of carrots breaking their little greens through the earth.  However, carrots take a long time to emerge.

Then Owen and I planted lettuce - a loosefleaf blend.  Owen was a huge help, breaking up the soil, sprinkling the seeds, covering them.

We also have some little sprouts coming up in our indoor plants.

We've had such a bonding experience with our little garden, Owen and I.  I'm thankful for his enthusiasm and the wonder he has for the miracle of these teeny tiny seeds developing into plants which will eventually grow into something we can eat!  Amazing!

How is your garden growing?

I'm guest posting today!

Hop on over to one of my favorite blogs, becoming claudine, where I'm guest posting today. Claudine has a new addition to her family (that's FOUR kids!  Crazy woman ;), and I'm honored to be filling in for her while she enjoys time with the little one.  Reading Claudine's blog is like sitting down with a dear friend for coffee or tea.  Go check out her blog and make a new friend.

{these moments} Backdoor Beauty

Once again, joining SouleMama and others in a Friday ritual of posting memorable photos to honor the week.

First, a little background.  There are a few excruciatingly long minutes between the time I drop off Josh at school and when I take Owen to preschool - not enough time to come home and take care of the twenty seven thousand few things I need to get done to start the day.

This morning instead of the usual listening to kiddie songs while Owen climbs all over the van, I decided to take a little jaunt up a street about two miles from my home.  Here is what we saw this morning:

I want to thank you all for your encouragement as I unofficially began my dive back into the working world yesterday.  I had a great few hours checking out books and mingling with the kids visiting the library.  And to know that I was actually getting paid for it, well that's a huge bonus.  What we do as SAHMs is work - tough, tough work.  However, getting that little paycheck in my hand soon, well, that's going to feel pretty darn good.

Wishing you the happiest of weekends!

Five-Minute Post

There are grounds in my coffee and we're out of sugar.

It's one of those days.

However, I'm determined to bang out a blog post today, and now's the time to do it.  You see, in a few minutes I need to leave the house to fill in for the school librarian in the next town over.  My first substitute job!

And when I get home, the kids will need help with homework.  Then I've got to take the Teen to meet his dad. By the time I get home, I'll want to catch up with Husband.  Then maybe I'll get a chance to read a few pages of The City of Ember before I pass out.

So right now I will wish you all a good day.  We'll catch up soon.

Tuesday Teen Talk

Last Friday, the Teen had the opportunity to join in a youth lock-in at our church, which began after the Good Friday service.  Part of this sleepover was an optional fast.  I was curious as to whether he would participate.  We have never fasted here at home, and I have never fasted personally.  Ever.  Can't imagine going without food for more than a few hours.  Wimpy, I know.  That's just me.

Much to my surprise, he did fast (with the exception of Powerade and a few pretzels).  At 1:45 p.m. Saturday, he was sitting at his usual spot at the computer, engrossed in some sort of video game.

Me: Are you still fasting?

Teen: No, I just haven't eaten anything yet.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Although the weather here in New Hampshire seems to have regressed to chilly, windy March, I managed to get carrot and spinach seeds into the ground last week.  As I turned over the soil, I was happy to see many squirmy wormy friends.  I have yet to have the soil tested; however I hear we have acidic soil, and I'm considering adding lime.  If anyone has advice about the addition of lime, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

On the indoor front, the basil and cucumber seeds I planted in yogurt containers have sprouted.  However, the cuke roots don't seem to be taking hold.  A spindly, rather pathetic looking sprout emerges from the seed, then withers.  The seeds are from last year, and I've heard you really should purchase new seeds each year, so maybe that's the issue.

Onto a more successful seed venture:

These nifty little gardens were a fundraising activity for Josh's school.  We got to chose from a Taco Garden, Herb Garden, Pizza Garden, and a Salad Garden.  The kit comes with a watering tray, seeds, soil pellets, and plant markers.

And the coolest part is the website that works in conjunction with the kit.  Very friendly veggies walk you through the planting process.  A periodic update is sent to your email to check on your seeds' progress.  Josh and Owen really got into this.

I don't know about you, but I get chills up my spine when I teach the kids about where their food actually comes from

How's your garden growing this week?

Resurrection

~ Easter blessings ~

{this moment} Partners

Once again, joining SouleMama and others in a Friday ritual of posting one memorable photo to honor the week: a single, special, extraordinary-ordinary moment.

Have a wonderful weekend and a blessed Easter!

Filling the tank

Blah.

Do you ever feel that way?

I do.  For no particular reason I'm aware of.  It seems to come in waves.  A few weeks of feeling up, then a decline.  The ebb and flow of life, I guess.

Many times the needs of my children weigh me down.  They are so darn needy, these kids.  Always.

Sometimes I think if I solve XYZ problem for this child, I'll get a break.   And sometimes I do.  For about five-and-a-half minutes.  Then I get the call:

"Mom!"

Endless pits of need, these kids.

I know it's time to replenish the tank when I get to this point.

Because aren't our needs as moms as important as our children's?

Today, I will fill my tank.  Here's the plan:

• I will bring Owen to storytime at the library, then meet up with a mommy-friend for lunch.
• I will get out in the garden with the hopes of getting spinach seeds in the ground soon.
• I will work on some ideas I have for Whoopsidaisy.
• I will sit in the sun and soak in some much needed vitamin D.

What do you do to fill your tank?

Tuesday Teen Talk

6:30 a.m.  Teen is in the kitchen, getting ready to go out the door to school.  He spies a piece of clothing in a ball on the floor crammed between the kitchen island and a stool.  Picks it up, pulls it on.  Turns to me and says, "Mom, I need a new sweatshirt.  Both mine are dirty and they never seem to get clean."

Gotcha!

My post yesterday about the NPR story regarding an over-the-top preschool was an April Fools' joke.

I was duped too.  You should have seen me in the minivan as I listened to the report, absolutely incredulous that a preschool require something as evasive and ridiculous as genetic testing in order to whittle down prospective students.

Yep, they got me.

Husband too.

And maybe you as well?

My Stash

Sometimes I hide it in the kitchen cabinet where I keep my baking supplies, behind the five-pound bag of flour. Sometimes I'll climb a chair and put it above the microwave, in the cupboard where we keep the liquor.  Right now, it's in a plastic CVS bag in the storage room, behind an empty suitcase, a bunch of lumber from some project that we have yet to complete, and a pile of blankets.

My stash.

It's the little pick-me-up I need after an argument with the Teen or a treat for myself when I survive another four-year-old meltdown involving when Owen can play PBS Kids on the "compootor."

M&Ms.

Oooo, those delectable little chocolate pieces, covered in colorful, crunchy coating.  Right now, the pastel colors warm my heart, mouth, and tummy - baby blue, pale pink, cheerful yellow.  And the new flavors!  The sweet-salty combination of pretzel M&Ms is the bomb.  Or coconut!  Now, that's definitely one of my favorites.

Do you have your own stash?  Where do you hide it?

Preschool Craziness

Just had to post this story I heard on NPR this evening.  It's about this preschool on the Upper West Side in Manhattan where couples have to undergo genetic testing in order to help the administration to chose 32 children out of the 12,000 applications they receive each year.  How ridiculous is that?

photo credit:  kcolwell

April fool!