Everything I needed to know...I learned in Kindergarten

Cut and Paste and Categorize - I was up until 12:30am with Robert (oldest son) helping him out with his Science Standards Portfolio Project. The project consisted of identifying the the 8 different topics they have been learning about in 8th grade science so far this year (only 6 more weeks of school left), identify the California Education Standard it covers, write 2 paragraphs stating "what you learned" and "how you apply it to life", find 3 pictures to represent the science topic and then find 4 example of work for each. While Robert did all the "academic work": the identifying the California standards, the writing of the paragraphs and finding pictures for the divides he had to create for each topic...I helped out with the "busy work": cutting of the pictures, cutting of the standards and cutting out of the paragraphs, which then needed to be glued onto a piece of brightly colored construction paper. Together we located 4 examples of his work for each of the topic. And at 12-midnight, while he went to go brush his teeth, I inserted all the "stuff" into plastic sleeves. I guess this serves as a good review prior to the State Testing (which starts up next week), but in combination with all the other work that has been assigned to prepare them for State Testing, they definitely could do without all this last minute busy work. If they have to study for a test that really doesn't have much bearing on their grades, there should be a better way than cramming in everything the week before, causing them to loose sleep. (ranting about all state testing preparations is done)

Say you're sorry when you hurt someone - as per the guidelines of exchanges, I did alert the moderators of each, that I might be a tad bit late on the 2 exchanges. I have finished stitching the L*K exchange and have stitched 75% of the Seasonal Exchange...then I am hoping to make some time over the weekend to finish each of them so that I can get them in the mail on Monday, May 3 (2 days later than the deadline).  Making and keeping a committment is very important to me - and it bothers me that I couldn't make a deadline. I will be able to fullfill my "obligations" but not within the assigned time. So, I publically apologize up front that I will be a little late to mail the exchanges...but will do my best to not let this happen again.

Clean up your [own] mess - yesterday I came home from work to start working in the house: cleaning and straightening up. My parents are visiting from Minnesota over the weekend. And while my mother says, "we are coming to see you, DH and the kids" - I know that there is a little part of her that checks out the house. My mother is a clean freak (and I say that with lots of love). I grew up in a very clean environment. There was never any dust on the tables, tooth paste grime in the sinks...and whatever you wore to bed, it was cleaned and folded on your bed when you got home from school to put away before you started your homework. I started out that way - when I was first married, when the kids were young...before I had to drive to the hockey rink 4-5 days a week after working 4 hours outside of the house, help with the homework and organize everyone's activites. I finally learned that, while it is important to have a certain level of cleanliness in the house, spotlessness is not a priority. Anyway, in preparation for my mom & dad's visit, I did manage to get 90% of the house clean, before I needed to make dinner, help study for a 5th grade history test and work on a 8th grade science project.

Remember to say "Please" and "Thank you" - I would like to thank you all for visiting and reading my blog. I would like to acknowledge with much appreciation your comments, especially the very supportive ones on my last post. I do find jounalling on my blog - about my passion of stitching or the trials and tribulations of my life - very helpful in my daily living; and to have you sweet blogfriends actually read and comment, well it makes me feel good. So, dear blog friend: "Thank you" and "please" do come back again!

Well, as I conclude the posting for today, please remember: don't run with scissors in your hands and...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often! Lisa