Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Compliment

Peter was admiring the bright color of my blouse:

"Mom, when you grow up to be a grandma, wear shirts like that so you'll always look young!"

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:53 PM 0 comments

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Not-So-Small Joys

Easy things--

Sweeping the floor.
Playing piano at church.
Lifting a gallon of milk with one arm.
Driving a car with manual transmission.
Attaching the seatbelt buckle on my right with my right hand.
Carrying my bookbag, computer, and purse on both shoulders.

These activities weren't so easy after severing a tendon in my shoulder. Now, a year later as of today--what joy that it's healed!

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:32 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

FB

Etiquette
Social networking
Hacking
Monitoring
Cyberbullying

Lots of Mom's time

posted by Stahlkes @ 2:28 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

F-Bombs

With Rahm Emanuel as Chicago's new mayor, you'd think his salty language would make the news. It certainly did when he served as chief of staff for Obama in DC. Either the Chicago media doesn't report it, or Emanuel has turned a new leaf (which I doubt!). At least they are letting us know all the good things he's doing as mayor.

One of our children decided to pull an "Emanuel" on their Facebook page. I normally follow their postings as a friend, but had neglected this task in the last few weeks. Walking pneumonia doesn't help.

A parent of a classmate telephoned to tell me he had "defriended" his child from our child's Facebook because of F-bombs. I checked it out, and it was definitely true. "Do you understand what you're saying when you use that word?" "I didn't mean it that way!"

So I went to the online version of Merriam Webster and printed out the lengthy definition of the F-word. It took about fifteen minutes for my child to read it back to me (in a private place). Now I need to shred the printout.

The best part was hearing the title of the poem in Latin and Middle English where the word first appeared in print (before 1500). This work, titled "Fleas, flies, and friars," satirizes the Carmelite order of Cambridge,England. Supposedly, according to the poem, the friars didn't keep their vow of chastity. I think anyone would have trouble reading the original title: "Flen, flyys, and freris."

posted by Stahlkes @ 4:26 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 09, 2012

Mnemonic

The hot weather necessitated open windows in our red car as we sped down the highway. Between the sound of the wind and my hearing loss, it was difficult to make out the words:

"When we get there, can you give me a ___?"

"Do you mean a 'card'"?

"No, mom, a __!"

"Spell it for me."

"C-O-M!"

"Oh! When you say that word, use more of an 'O' sound, and a strong 'M' at the end, and then it will be easier for me to understand you. And also, 'comb' is one of those weird English words that isn't spelling like it sounds--it's C-O-M-B."

This conversation made me think of the word "comb" in a new way . . .

"I know a way you can remember how to spell "comb." In Ukrainian school, you learned about the myakiznak (м’який знак ), one of the letters in the Ukrainian alphabet. It's the one that looks like 'b' but doesn't ever make a sound, because it just tells you how to pronounce the consonant that falls before it."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, think of the 'b' in comb as a myakiznak for the letter 'm.'

And sure enough, I looked up the etymology, and there's an Old Church Slavonic word similar to 'comb.' Whether the 'b' in comb is a myakiznak or not, it's certainly useful to me as a spelling lesson.

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:20 AM 0 comments

Friday, July 06, 2012

Lack of Schedule

Since 2005, we've always had at least one child, and often multiple children, in summer school. This summer, everyone's home. And the flexibility of the schedule, with its CONSTANT changes, is driving Jonathan and me crazy.

posted by Stahlkes @ 2:22 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

From Reader's Digest

On his birthday, my husband was stuck driving our six [!] rambunctious children around. As usual, they were yelling, punching, and annoying one another. My husband had finally had enough.

"Kids," he said over the din, "if you would behave and be kind to each other, that would be a very nice birthday present for me."

Our six-year-old shot back, "Too late. I already got you another present."

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:45 PM 0 comments