My little cat decided that she couldn't see out the door so she solved that problem
Friday, November 13, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
National Novel Writing Month has begun
I have accepted the challenge this year, I am 10,245 words in and my fingers are typing furiously. I had an outline of the story I am writing in my head and so this has been an easy start. The only downside is that I have 2 other stories in my head that have to be put on the back burner this month while I focus on the 50,000 word task at hand.
For all you writers out there, get started, you have 25 days left.
Friday, October 30, 2015
American Candy
In my ESL class today I gave them an assignment to write about American Candy. The results were much more humorous than I anticipated.
KitKat
It is 2 pieces of bread
with chocolate over it
Skittles
They taste like fruit,
but not the outside of fruit
Skittles
They taste like fruit, I
have a small cousin that cries a lot, I think I should feed her this so she won’t
cry.
Gummy Worms
They are sour and two
colors, like ombre
Whoppers
They are round and taste
a little like chocolate and a little like Starbucks
M&M's
They taste like chupa
chup candy that we have in Vietnam. They bring me a lot of happiness
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
4 sets of keys
I have 4 sets of keys
one for home
one for office
one for school
one for off site work
My life has become a series of keys
pull into my driveway- keys connected to car will get me into the house
pull into office- pick up keys with red band to get me into my office
pull into school- pick up keys with flashlight keychain to get me into my classroom
pull into off site work- pick up keys with the clip to get me in the office
Only today did I notice how much my life revolves around keys
attempted to put office keys into school lock (fail)
carried home key to my office then had to dig through my purse to correct this error
I have begun to pick up keys and hold them in my lap as I am driving so I know where I am going
office keys get the most fiddling with, red springy band allows me to fidget
school keys are the heaviest, key chain creates this problem, not the keys
off site work keys are the most convenient to carry (the clip) but there are many keys on this key chain that I don't know what they go to
home keys are the most valuable
When did I start carrying keys? 16 when I started driving.
Oh I long for the first 15 years where I could roam free without the responsibility of keys, well actually I would not trade those days for the ones I have now.
With keys, comes great responsibility. They say, "I am trustworthy" " I can be trusted to protect all that is inside these locked doors"
Keys have become an integral part of my life, locking and unlocking things as I choose.
Keep
Everything
You have
Safe
one for home
one for office
one for school
one for off site work
My life has become a series of keys
pull into my driveway- keys connected to car will get me into the house
pull into office- pick up keys with red band to get me into my office
pull into school- pick up keys with flashlight keychain to get me into my classroom
pull into off site work- pick up keys with the clip to get me in the office
Only today did I notice how much my life revolves around keys
attempted to put office keys into school lock (fail)
carried home key to my office then had to dig through my purse to correct this error
I have begun to pick up keys and hold them in my lap as I am driving so I know where I am going
office keys get the most fiddling with, red springy band allows me to fidget
school keys are the heaviest, key chain creates this problem, not the keys
off site work keys are the most convenient to carry (the clip) but there are many keys on this key chain that I don't know what they go to
home keys are the most valuable
When did I start carrying keys? 16 when I started driving.
Oh I long for the first 15 years where I could roam free without the responsibility of keys, well actually I would not trade those days for the ones I have now.
With keys, comes great responsibility. They say, "I am trustworthy" " I can be trusted to protect all that is inside these locked doors"
Keys have become an integral part of my life, locking and unlocking things as I choose.
Keep
Everything
You have
Safe
Sunday, September 27, 2015
International Student-Language Barrier Issues
The international student staying in my home this year is doing well. He stays in his room a lot, but lets be honest, if I didn't speak the language and it gave me a headache trying to figure out what people were saying every minute of every day, I would probably stay in my room as well.
We have had several language issue barriers which have created awkward moments (which are now humorous enough to share.)
The hair cutting incident.
He has been in our home for a month and his hair is getting kind of long so I asked him (through Google Translator). " do you want to get a haircut".
He said "ok" and so I set up the appointment.
I picked him up one afternoon to go get a haircut and as we were driving he had his translator app say "no scissors"
I said, "you don't want scissors"
"No"
"Do you want clippers" and I made the sound and ran an imaginary clippers across my head
"NO"
"What do you want?"
Back to the translator "No haircut"
What? I thought you said you wanted a haircut?
Translator app "You say I must get haircut"
"Must" as in YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! That is what the poor kid thought I said. Stinking Google Translator. Because he is a respectful boy, he was going to do it.
Well at this point we are almost at the haircutting place so I took him in and introduced him to my hair stylist and let him know that there had been a miscommunication so we were just coming to make introductions. My international student said that he would let me know when he needed a haircut.
We left and drove home in silence. Well that was awkward. I talked to him about the miscommunication and we agreed that the word Like was a better word for him to understand.
Would you like to get your hair cut?
We have had several language issue barriers which have created awkward moments (which are now humorous enough to share.)
The hair cutting incident.
He has been in our home for a month and his hair is getting kind of long so I asked him (through Google Translator). " do you want to get a haircut".
He said "ok" and so I set up the appointment.
I picked him up one afternoon to go get a haircut and as we were driving he had his translator app say "no scissors"
I said, "you don't want scissors"
"No"
"Do you want clippers" and I made the sound and ran an imaginary clippers across my head
"NO"
"What do you want?"
Back to the translator "No haircut"
What? I thought you said you wanted a haircut?
Translator app "You say I must get haircut"
"Must" as in YOU HAVE NO CHOICE! That is what the poor kid thought I said. Stinking Google Translator. Because he is a respectful boy, he was going to do it.
Well at this point we are almost at the haircutting place so I took him in and introduced him to my hair stylist and let him know that there had been a miscommunication so we were just coming to make introductions. My international student said that he would let me know when he needed a haircut.
We left and drove home in silence. Well that was awkward. I talked to him about the miscommunication and we agreed that the word Like was a better word for him to understand.
Would you like to get your hair cut?
International Student starts school
It has been 2 full months of having a 15 year old International student in our home. The first month was filled with Google translator and sign language to communicate. He has done really well with learning how to communicate with us.
The second month began the start of school. Now luckily, we send our kids (and new international student) to a private school that focuses on International students. So he was not the only Chinese speaking boy in a school full of English kids. He had people he could communicate with. So how is school going for him? Not well.
While he has learned the routines of our household, even learned to predict what I will say so he can translate it in his head. He has not adjusted to school life very well. I saw him sitting with another Chinese boy on the first day and I asked him if he made a friend. He didn't know the boys name so I told him to introduce himself the next day and make a friend. (It has been 3 weeks and he still doesn't know that kids name.) Now onto classes.
He is shuffling around to the 7 periods he was assigned, He got that part down, which classroom to go to when the bell rings. But he doesn't bring home very much homework, I think because he doesn't understand what the teachers are saying so he misses big gaps. The only homework I have helped him on is Spelling. He brought home his first spelling list and it was words like. Immeasurable, Improbable, Impoverished. WHAT? Those are the kind of words that a 1st year English student is assigned? Well my son (who is in the same grade and same class) brought home the same list. It began to make sense. 10th grade Spelling words, no adjustment for non-English speakers. So I helped him learn how to spell them, he still failed the first quiz.
Week 2 spelling words (I before E except after C rules). Really? Although these words were easier to spell, they were almost more confusing. Receive and Receipt spelled with and EI while Grieve and Achieve are spelled IE. Then we got to the word Beige, this does not follow the rule so how will he learn to put it into a category? I couldn't even begin to explain to him the word Beige, I gave up and told him to just learn to spell it. As the Host Family for this student, I made him learn how to spell it rather than learn the meaning, if this 15 year old boy ever needs to describe that color, I give him full permission to just say TAN!
The second month began the start of school. Now luckily, we send our kids (and new international student) to a private school that focuses on International students. So he was not the only Chinese speaking boy in a school full of English kids. He had people he could communicate with. So how is school going for him? Not well.
While he has learned the routines of our household, even learned to predict what I will say so he can translate it in his head. He has not adjusted to school life very well. I saw him sitting with another Chinese boy on the first day and I asked him if he made a friend. He didn't know the boys name so I told him to introduce himself the next day and make a friend. (It has been 3 weeks and he still doesn't know that kids name.) Now onto classes.
He is shuffling around to the 7 periods he was assigned, He got that part down, which classroom to go to when the bell rings. But he doesn't bring home very much homework, I think because he doesn't understand what the teachers are saying so he misses big gaps. The only homework I have helped him on is Spelling. He brought home his first spelling list and it was words like. Immeasurable, Improbable, Impoverished. WHAT? Those are the kind of words that a 1st year English student is assigned? Well my son (who is in the same grade and same class) brought home the same list. It began to make sense. 10th grade Spelling words, no adjustment for non-English speakers. So I helped him learn how to spell them, he still failed the first quiz.
Week 2 spelling words (I before E except after C rules). Really? Although these words were easier to spell, they were almost more confusing. Receive and Receipt spelled with and EI while Grieve and Achieve are spelled IE. Then we got to the word Beige, this does not follow the rule so how will he learn to put it into a category? I couldn't even begin to explain to him the word Beige, I gave up and told him to just learn to spell it. As the Host Family for this student, I made him learn how to spell it rather than learn the meaning, if this 15 year old boy ever needs to describe that color, I give him full permission to just say TAN!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Indoor Plant Hobby
Recently I have become an indoor plant enthusiast. I like the fact that many indoor plants are good at removing toxins and pollutants from the air. I also like that many plants are easy to take care of and thus, building the success rate of "things I can do".
It all started 3 years ago with a random trip to a local nursery. The mission was a rubber tree plant to keep in my classroom. I had heard it was extremely good for the air and would tolerate a bit of neglect. My daughter and I found one (which she promptly named Herbert) and it sat in my classroom that year. It did take a fair amount of neglect, including the wooden blinds falling on it and stripping it of many of its leaves. Never-the-less, Herbert persevered and I brought him home that summer. Back he went for year 2 at school and when summer came, Herbert was big, I mean really big, like needed a big pot kind of big. So Herbert made himself a permanent home in our kitchen and I decided that I was good at growing things.
My daughter and I went on the hunt for another rubber tree plant but they were all too large and so we kept looking. We found a ZZ plant, grape ivy and a peperomia. The 3 came home and were given names ( I still don't know how she comes up with those names but something about them speaks to her and she settles on a name.)
I have already blogged about the ZZ plant which out grew its pot and became 4. The grape ivy took off at a rapid pace and became 2. The peperomia is still slowly growing and I liked the look of it so much that I bought another one to go in my office at work.
Work, the unexplored frontier for plants. Well the peperomia was lonely (oh, geez, I am beginning to share my daughters affinity for giving plants human characteristics.) So I got another plant to go with it, I forget the name, it is striking with green and red leaves and the stalks are pinkish/ red. The two little plants sit in my office flanking my desktop computer. I have convinced myself that they are good for the air and they are sucking in all of the toxic computer rays that would otherwise contaminate my work space. I Thought I was done with the plant purchases but then I discovered snake plants. I now have 3 making a statement on the top of my hutch at work and my office is complete.
The only thing I didn't have was another rubber tree plant. I have searched high and low but had not found one. Until that glorious day I was just killing time before my meeting and I went into the original nursery. There she was, not to big, not to small, perfect. So I brought her home and named her Matilda ( because Herbert and Matilda seem like a good match.) Matilda loved her new home and outgrew the window sill in the kitchen and has now taken a place by the window. She popped up 4 new stalks with leaves and so I dug into the soil, discovered that they had sustainable roots and plucked them out of Matilda and into their new home. Matilda and Herbert had a baby. Anna (encase you were wondering).
Now to the point of this post. My husband has drawn a line. No more plants in our home. But before he said this, I snuck in 3 little lemon button ferns. Seriously, No More Plants! I do not understand this.
First of all, I am not asking you to take care of them.
Secondly, they do not interfere with your daily activities.
Thirdly, they are not creating problems(allergies) for anyone.
Finally, they just might clean the toxins out of the air and improve the quality of your life!
I have decided that perhaps we just see things differently.
I see this
It all started 3 years ago with a random trip to a local nursery. The mission was a rubber tree plant to keep in my classroom. I had heard it was extremely good for the air and would tolerate a bit of neglect. My daughter and I found one (which she promptly named Herbert) and it sat in my classroom that year. It did take a fair amount of neglect, including the wooden blinds falling on it and stripping it of many of its leaves. Never-the-less, Herbert persevered and I brought him home that summer. Back he went for year 2 at school and when summer came, Herbert was big, I mean really big, like needed a big pot kind of big. So Herbert made himself a permanent home in our kitchen and I decided that I was good at growing things.
My daughter and I went on the hunt for another rubber tree plant but they were all too large and so we kept looking. We found a ZZ plant, grape ivy and a peperomia. The 3 came home and were given names ( I still don't know how she comes up with those names but something about them speaks to her and she settles on a name.)
I have already blogged about the ZZ plant which out grew its pot and became 4. The grape ivy took off at a rapid pace and became 2. The peperomia is still slowly growing and I liked the look of it so much that I bought another one to go in my office at work.
Work, the unexplored frontier for plants. Well the peperomia was lonely (oh, geez, I am beginning to share my daughters affinity for giving plants human characteristics.) So I got another plant to go with it, I forget the name, it is striking with green and red leaves and the stalks are pinkish/ red. The two little plants sit in my office flanking my desktop computer. I have convinced myself that they are good for the air and they are sucking in all of the toxic computer rays that would otherwise contaminate my work space. I Thought I was done with the plant purchases but then I discovered snake plants. I now have 3 making a statement on the top of my hutch at work and my office is complete.
The only thing I didn't have was another rubber tree plant. I have searched high and low but had not found one. Until that glorious day I was just killing time before my meeting and I went into the original nursery. There she was, not to big, not to small, perfect. So I brought her home and named her Matilda ( because Herbert and Matilda seem like a good match.) Matilda loved her new home and outgrew the window sill in the kitchen and has now taken a place by the window. She popped up 4 new stalks with leaves and so I dug into the soil, discovered that they had sustainable roots and plucked them out of Matilda and into their new home. Matilda and Herbert had a baby. Anna (encase you were wondering).
Now to the point of this post. My husband has drawn a line. No more plants in our home. But before he said this, I snuck in 3 little lemon button ferns. Seriously, No More Plants! I do not understand this.
First of all, I am not asking you to take care of them.
Secondly, they do not interfere with your daily activities.
Thirdly, they are not creating problems(allergies) for anyone.
Finally, they just might clean the toxins out of the air and improve the quality of your life!
I have decided that perhaps we just see things differently.
I see this
He sees this
This must be the problem. Perspective. I see a dainty, well organized addition to our home. He sees hoarders, plant addition. I think I will show him this picture and remind him that things could be significantly worse. I will keep you posted if any other plants join the family.
Well ok, 3 more have already joined the family, but before you lump me in with that second picture. I have found them a home in my classroom. So I am listening to my husband's wishes, no more plants in our home. We just won't remind him that in June, school will end and those 3 will have to go somewhere.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
The right to speak out
On my way to work this morning, I stumbled across a radio station that I don't usually listen to. There was a lady speaking on what I initially thought was the Republican debates and clearly she wasn't Republican so I waited to see who she was going to trash. The interview quickly shifted from the debates in general to one specific topic, Republicans and their stance on Abortion. As I listened further, the speaker shared her views and gave a plug for her organization. She spoke eloquently and was witty, even making fun of the fact that the radio station would get hate mail and their twitter would blow up for a few days because they had her on. I wondered who she was. Finally at the end of the show they thanked Lizz Winstead for joining them.
Now I had a name to go with this speaker. Lizz Winstead, I had never heard of her, possibly because I stand on the opposite side-of-view on all the topics she spoke about. However, she was charming and engaging and this would be the kind of person that I would enjoy having these types of discussion/debates with. So often, people on opposite sides of the spectrum on; politics, religion, social issues, etc can't even exist in the same room without someone's head exploding. This lady stood firm on what she believed, spoke well about it but didn't leave you with your blood boiling if you didn't agree with her.
As I finished my drive in, I thought how fortunate we are to live in a country where there are people who are passionate about what they believe and can share those views publicly without fear of retaliation (well, except for social media).
Now I had a name to go with this speaker. Lizz Winstead, I had never heard of her, possibly because I stand on the opposite side-of-view on all the topics she spoke about. However, she was charming and engaging and this would be the kind of person that I would enjoy having these types of discussion/debates with. So often, people on opposite sides of the spectrum on; politics, religion, social issues, etc can't even exist in the same room without someone's head exploding. This lady stood firm on what she believed, spoke well about it but didn't leave you with your blood boiling if you didn't agree with her.
As I finished my drive in, I thought how fortunate we are to live in a country where there are people who are passionate about what they believe and can share those views publicly without fear of retaliation (well, except for social media).
Saturday, August 1, 2015
First full day with International Student
Having an International Student from China has taught me many things, like for instance, did you know that China and Los Angeles are 15 hours apart. Neither did I until I tried to sleep in a house with a boy who was wide awake. 11pm for me was middle of the day for him. He didn't get to sleep until somewhere around the 5am mark. He was quiet and stayed mainly in his room, I heard him a couple of times go to the kitchen, cough, things like that.
My 2 cats were a source of frustration to my attempt to sleep. They recognized that something wasn't right, the downstairs bedroom that is always closed is now open, and there is a person in there that they had never smelled before, so they kept jumping on me, standing on me and meowing at me so that I was fully aware of the intruder in our home. Thanks a lot dear sweet cats, you will just have to adjust to the new person in our home. He will be here for a while and I can't take 11 months of the feline informational bulletin.
We finally woke him up about 1pm (a little cruel for a kid that just spent 15 hours on a plane and endured the biggest culture shock of his life) but he has to start adjusting to the time zone that he is in. I immediately thought of the movie Sydney White. There is an exchange student from Africa and his days and nights are messed up so they start setting his clock back one hour a night until he is on track with the rest of the fraternity members. Silly movie but good lesson on International Students. Who knew that would ever come in handy. So we woke him up and got him up and moving around.
That night after I got off work, we went to dinner. Marie Calendar's is down the street from my house and their menu has pictures on it so I thought it would be a safe choice. I did not choose Chinese food, let me tell you why. Being raised in the south, I am used to a level of southern cooking that you just can't find anywhere else. People here in California are always saying, oh, I know this great southern food place. It is never "Great Southern Food" so I have tried not to do that to people. Plus I don't know where the authentic Chinese food restaurants are and I highly doubt that Panda Express is going to curb his cravings for home style food. I digress. . .
We are seated at Marie Calendar's and the searching the menu begins, conversation was strained and awkward but he is putting more words together. I still can't predict what he means, but that will come with time.
I notice that he picks up the silverware that is neatly rolled in the napkin with the little white band around it to keep it from coming unraveled. He peers into the top where he sees the fork and knife but then puts it back down. The waiter comes over and takes our order and a few minutes later they bring bread for the table.
I cut it up for all of us and he looks confused. I take my napkin/silverware roll and remove the white tab that is holding it together and discard it, he watches me very closely and nods, understanding what to do now. He tries the bread first without butter, then dabs his knife in the butter like he saw my husband do, he tastes the butter but shakes his head no. He clearly doesn't like the bread but being a respectful boy who doesn't want to offend his host family or the culture of the restaurant, he eats the slice that I have given him.
His sandwich comes to the table with French fries. My husband told me that he had taken him to In N Out for lunch so we knew French Fries would be a winner. Again, typical teenager. The sandwich is being held up with a toothpick. He touches the toothpick then takes his knife and peers into the sandwich to see if the toothpick is part of something. My husband catches on that he doesn't have a clue what to do with it so he picks up the toothpick from his sandwich and tosses it next to the plate. Again the same nod and the look of understanding. He plucks his toothpick off and places it on the edge of his plate and begins to eat.
Wow, I had never thought of those type things that are culturally so insignificant but to an outside culture can seem daunting. We made small talk and he told us where he was from. I asked if he had any questions about our family but something was lost in translation and I heard the familiar "What?" I dropped the subject and we finished our meal in silence.
Overall I would have to say, the first 24 hours went as smoothly as possible.
My 2 cats were a source of frustration to my attempt to sleep. They recognized that something wasn't right, the downstairs bedroom that is always closed is now open, and there is a person in there that they had never smelled before, so they kept jumping on me, standing on me and meowing at me so that I was fully aware of the intruder in our home. Thanks a lot dear sweet cats, you will just have to adjust to the new person in our home. He will be here for a while and I can't take 11 months of the feline informational bulletin.
We finally woke him up about 1pm (a little cruel for a kid that just spent 15 hours on a plane and endured the biggest culture shock of his life) but he has to start adjusting to the time zone that he is in. I immediately thought of the movie Sydney White. There is an exchange student from Africa and his days and nights are messed up so they start setting his clock back one hour a night until he is on track with the rest of the fraternity members. Silly movie but good lesson on International Students. Who knew that would ever come in handy. So we woke him up and got him up and moving around.
That night after I got off work, we went to dinner. Marie Calendar's is down the street from my house and their menu has pictures on it so I thought it would be a safe choice. I did not choose Chinese food, let me tell you why. Being raised in the south, I am used to a level of southern cooking that you just can't find anywhere else. People here in California are always saying, oh, I know this great southern food place. It is never "Great Southern Food" so I have tried not to do that to people. Plus I don't know where the authentic Chinese food restaurants are and I highly doubt that Panda Express is going to curb his cravings for home style food. I digress. . .
We are seated at Marie Calendar's and the searching the menu begins, conversation was strained and awkward but he is putting more words together. I still can't predict what he means, but that will come with time.
I notice that he picks up the silverware that is neatly rolled in the napkin with the little white band around it to keep it from coming unraveled. He peers into the top where he sees the fork and knife but then puts it back down. The waiter comes over and takes our order and a few minutes later they bring bread for the table.
I cut it up for all of us and he looks confused. I take my napkin/silverware roll and remove the white tab that is holding it together and discard it, he watches me very closely and nods, understanding what to do now. He tries the bread first without butter, then dabs his knife in the butter like he saw my husband do, he tastes the butter but shakes his head no. He clearly doesn't like the bread but being a respectful boy who doesn't want to offend his host family or the culture of the restaurant, he eats the slice that I have given him.
His sandwich comes to the table with French fries. My husband told me that he had taken him to In N Out for lunch so we knew French Fries would be a winner. Again, typical teenager. The sandwich is being held up with a toothpick. He touches the toothpick then takes his knife and peers into the sandwich to see if the toothpick is part of something. My husband catches on that he doesn't have a clue what to do with it so he picks up the toothpick from his sandwich and tosses it next to the plate. Again the same nod and the look of understanding. He plucks his toothpick off and places it on the edge of his plate and begins to eat.
Wow, I had never thought of those type things that are culturally so insignificant but to an outside culture can seem daunting. We made small talk and he told us where he was from. I asked if he had any questions about our family but something was lost in translation and I heard the familiar "What?" I dropped the subject and we finished our meal in silence.
Overall I would have to say, the first 24 hours went as smoothly as possible.
Host Family for an International Student
Our family decided to host an international student in our home this school year. I emailed the principal on Monday night to let him know we would be interested. I got a response back on Tuesday morning that we would be approved to host. I had already stated in my email that we would be willing to host either a boy or girl and if we had enough time to plan, I could convert the full bed into bunk beds and we would be willing to have 2 kids. I got a message on Tuesday mid-morning that there were 2 Vietnamese boys that would be coming to our school and were in need of a host home. I emailed back that we would be willing to take them. I turned off my phone and went into a meeting, when I was done with the meeting I turned back on my phone and I had a message. The two Vietnamese boys were placed somewhere else but they did have a Chinese boy who requested a single room. Great! That meant that I didn't have to get bunk beds. I called back to let him know that I would be fine with a single boy. While talking to the principal, I was informed that I needed to complete some paperwork and send pictures of my home and family. Easy enough (thanks to Facebook) and then I waited to see if this was going to be a match. I later Tuesday evening I got a call saying that everything was approved and he would be arriving Thursday.
Wait, WHAT? Thursday, as in 2 days from now?
I was informed that he was coming for 11 months rather than the traditional 10 months. O.k. I guess that will be fine. (Silently panicking that the room is not ready). I mean really not ready, the guest bedroom had not been used by anyone in about a year so it had collected yoga mats, craft supplies, books that I had finished but was not ready to donate yet, etc, etc, etc. So I took the day off work on Wednesday to move out all of my clutter, wash the bedding and clean and sanitize the room. I went to Walmart and purchased new pillows, towels and toiletries for our new student.
Wait, do I even know his name? How old is he?
I sent another message to the principal asking for some information about him. I got a reply from a worker in the front office with his name and age. Ok, 15 not bad. Name was interesting but not hard to pronounce. My nervousness began to kick in, what would he be like, is our home going to be drastically different than he is used too, how much English will he know? The questions kept coming as my husband and I cleaned. We finally were satisfied that his new room and bathroom were up to a standard that I would want if my son was moving to China for a year.
Thursday came just like any other work day, I had a busy day which helped the time pass by, finally it was time for his plane to land. He arrived and we were introduced.
He seems like a nice kid, quiet, respectful, Very Little English. He said 4 words to me between 8-11pm. He said "Name" then said his name. I completely butchered it several times before I got used to saying it. Then we asked him is he was hungry and he said "No" then when we got home and showed him his room and got him settled, I asked him "do you need to call your mom?" he looked at me so I said it again. He wrinkled his face a little and said "what?" Never mind, if the boy can't figure out to call his mom and tell her he made it safe and the host family is not serial killers, then we have bigger problems!
While I was thinking about what a challenge this language barrier is going to be, he walked into his room and pulled out a notebook from his backpack. He opened it and shuffled through several pages. He then looked at me and said "WiFi" I knew at this point everything was going to be ok. He is a typical teenager. Not a solid grasp on the English language but resourceful enough to learn the important words.
Wait, WHAT? Thursday, as in 2 days from now?
I was informed that he was coming for 11 months rather than the traditional 10 months. O.k. I guess that will be fine. (Silently panicking that the room is not ready). I mean really not ready, the guest bedroom had not been used by anyone in about a year so it had collected yoga mats, craft supplies, books that I had finished but was not ready to donate yet, etc, etc, etc. So I took the day off work on Wednesday to move out all of my clutter, wash the bedding and clean and sanitize the room. I went to Walmart and purchased new pillows, towels and toiletries for our new student.
Wait, do I even know his name? How old is he?
I sent another message to the principal asking for some information about him. I got a reply from a worker in the front office with his name and age. Ok, 15 not bad. Name was interesting but not hard to pronounce. My nervousness began to kick in, what would he be like, is our home going to be drastically different than he is used too, how much English will he know? The questions kept coming as my husband and I cleaned. We finally were satisfied that his new room and bathroom were up to a standard that I would want if my son was moving to China for a year.
Thursday came just like any other work day, I had a busy day which helped the time pass by, finally it was time for his plane to land. He arrived and we were introduced.
He seems like a nice kid, quiet, respectful, Very Little English. He said 4 words to me between 8-11pm. He said "Name" then said his name. I completely butchered it several times before I got used to saying it. Then we asked him is he was hungry and he said "No" then when we got home and showed him his room and got him settled, I asked him "do you need to call your mom?" he looked at me so I said it again. He wrinkled his face a little and said "what?" Never mind, if the boy can't figure out to call his mom and tell her he made it safe and the host family is not serial killers, then we have bigger problems!
While I was thinking about what a challenge this language barrier is going to be, he walked into his room and pulled out a notebook from his backpack. He opened it and shuffled through several pages. He then looked at me and said "WiFi" I knew at this point everything was going to be ok. He is a typical teenager. Not a solid grasp on the English language but resourceful enough to learn the important words.
Friday, July 24, 2015
ZZ plant
Gardening has become a new hobby of mine, well not true gardening but a couple of vegetables in the garden and several indoor plants. As I was out purchasing indoor plants, a unique plant caught my attention. It had shiny leaves and grew straight up. Zamioculcas zamiifolia was its name and so I took it home. It was within a month, it had grown taller and was beginning to push the boundaries of its pot. After one quick search on how to divide a zz plant, I had a plan.
Here is a picture of the original plant.
So I took the plant outside and took it out of its warped pot. What came next will probably upset "true botanists" but I took a kitchen knife and did my best to divide the plant so that I wouldn't slice too much of the tuber's. What was supposed to become 3 plants turned into 4 when one of the little sections that did not have a tuber connected to it just fell off. I thought what the heck, the only thing that I thought was "what's the worst that can happen". I repotted the 4 little zz plants and waited to see what would happen.
The only problem that I had was one leaf that was almost almost buried when I started, it is turning yellowish. It has been about a month and it is still hanging in there. Not any different, just sitting there.
The above plant and has new growth starting, to the left of the yellowish leaf. The plant below has grown significantly and the shoot on the left has doubled in size from the small shoot that was there when I cut it.
I just wanted to share the experience I had dividing the plant. I did not have much luck finding any info online about how to do it, I may have done everything wrong, but it seems to be thriving in spite of the kitchen knife.
Here is a picture of the original plant.
So I took the plant outside and took it out of its warped pot. What came next will probably upset "true botanists" but I took a kitchen knife and did my best to divide the plant so that I wouldn't slice too much of the tuber's. What was supposed to become 3 plants turned into 4 when one of the little sections that did not have a tuber connected to it just fell off. I thought what the heck, the only thing that I thought was "what's the worst that can happen". I repotted the 4 little zz plants and waited to see what would happen.
The only problem that I had was one leaf that was almost almost buried when I started, it is turning yellowish. It has been about a month and it is still hanging in there. Not any different, just sitting there.
The above plant and has new growth starting, to the left of the yellowish leaf. The plant below has grown significantly and the shoot on the left has doubled in size from the small shoot that was there when I cut it.
I just wanted to share the experience I had dividing the plant. I did not have much luck finding any info online about how to do it, I may have done everything wrong, but it seems to be thriving in spite of the kitchen knife.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
New Cat Murphy
About 2 years ago, someone tossed out a baby kitten in the parking lot at my work. One of my employees found it and brought it inside. The poor little thing was only 2 weeks old and needed to be bottle fed or it wouldn't survive.
I took it to my vet and they took it in and kept it safe for the next 6 weeks while it grew stronger. I checked on the little kitten several times and found that it was healthy and would be eligible for adoption. While I had never been interested in having multiple cats in my home, I just couldn't turn down this little abandoned kitten. When she was big enough to be adopted we took her home and named her Murphy.
She grew and thrived in a loving home. She did have some strange habits, she slept on my neck every night and she is terrified of tape. But other than that, she is the sweetest little 4 legged addition to our home. Our other cat Hockey tolerated this little bundle of energy and he finally decided that it was useless to protest her presence and they became buddies.
They stick together and enjoy playing around the house. Ok, there is more laying around the house than there is playing. But they are a good team!
So here she is, our little Murphy, sweet, lovable and a survivor. I will never know who dumped her out that busy parking lot. I do know that she was brought into my life in a unique way and has brought love and joy into my families life.
I took it to my vet and they took it in and kept it safe for the next 6 weeks while it grew stronger. I checked on the little kitten several times and found that it was healthy and would be eligible for adoption. While I had never been interested in having multiple cats in my home, I just couldn't turn down this little abandoned kitten. When she was big enough to be adopted we took her home and named her Murphy.
She grew and thrived in a loving home. She did have some strange habits, she slept on my neck every night and she is terrified of tape. But other than that, she is the sweetest little 4 legged addition to our home. Our other cat Hockey tolerated this little bundle of energy and he finally decided that it was useless to protest her presence and they became buddies.
They stick together and enjoy playing around the house. Ok, there is more laying around the house than there is playing. But they are a good team!
So here she is, our little Murphy, sweet, lovable and a survivor. I will never know who dumped her out that busy parking lot. I do know that she was brought into my life in a unique way and has brought love and joy into my families life.
Butterfly
While on vacation, a beautiful butterfly landed on the rocks near me. Beauty is everywhere if you will look for it.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Picture a day website
I am working on a new project, my daughter and I are taking a picture a day for a year. We received a new camera (thanks grandpa) and we are trying to upload one a day for this year.
Take a look at the photos and let me know what you think. Copy and paste the link into your browser and it will take you to the site. You will be asked to input your email to gain access to the photo's and then you can select Photo a day by Joy. If you see something you like on the website and would like to order it then that is great, but I am just interested in seeing how the project goes.
Writing on a Toshiba Chromebook
I have started writing again, as usual, I had a dream that led to a story rattling around in my head. The difference here is that I have purchased a Toshiba Chromebook and it allows you to write offline. So I tested the feature as my family drove cross country.
First of all, the Chromebook is light and compact and very easy to tote around.
Second, the battery life is around 9 hours which is excellent and gave me the ability to turn it off and on as my turn driving came up.
Finally, the offline feature worked like a charm. I could read and edit previous sections and then continue on with new sections. When I got to a wi-fi spot, everything uploaded.
I would highly recommend a Chromebook for writers who are on the go, like to write outside, like the flexibility of writing whenever/wherever they are.
If you do not like the Google Docs format (which I can't imagine, the save automatically feature alone makes it worth it) you can always download it as a Word document later.
First of all, the Chromebook is light and compact and very easy to tote around.
Second, the battery life is around 9 hours which is excellent and gave me the ability to turn it off and on as my turn driving came up.
Finally, the offline feature worked like a charm. I could read and edit previous sections and then continue on with new sections. When I got to a wi-fi spot, everything uploaded.
I would highly recommend a Chromebook for writers who are on the go, like to write outside, like the flexibility of writing whenever/wherever they are.
If you do not like the Google Docs format (which I can't imagine, the save automatically feature alone makes it worth it) you can always download it as a Word document later.
Summer Reader, Future Leader
This is the last bulletin board I put up for the year. Summer reader=Future leader. Add Color photo's of books and you have a motivational bulletin board!
I AM motiviational bulletin board
This bulletin board takes some work. Start with a collection of old magazines that you don't mind getting destroyed. Go through the magazines and rip out anything that is in the color pattern you want. Do not over think this! Anything will work.
Print out words that are inspirational, motivating or that mean something to your students.
Prom Bulletin Board
Google celebrity prom pics and you will find dozens of photos that are great for high school prom bulletin board. I used pictures with the following celebrities
Bruno Mars
Beyoncé
Jimmy Fallon
Taylor Swift
Rhianna
Michelle Obama
Jeremy Lin
Kim Kardashian
Demi Lovato
The students loved them and it definitely made prom a talked about event. After prom, some of the students wanted to keep the pictures of their favorite celeb.
Game Controller Bulletin Board
I used a power point projector to blow up the picture of a game controller.. I traced the outline of it then added it to the bulletin board. If I was not under the time crunch of test week, I would have outlined the controller with black sharpie. My son and his gamer friends thought it was cool so I guess in the world of High School bulletin boards, this was a success.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Valentine Bulletin boards
Bulletin Board for Valentine's Day
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