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Savvy Source City Guide: Indianapolis

Michelle — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:17:22 +0000

So this month of June, which has just flown by, has been a busy one here at Kahuna Manor. Besides transitioning from going to work to being on summer break, having Jr turn two, AND having MaM lose a tooth, I’ve been busy on the internet.

I SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED a NaPoBloMo, which is kind of amazing. And really, it wasn’t a big deal or very tedious, except for this past weekend when I posted really lame posts from my iPhone really late at night. Other than that? It was fun.

But here’s the new: I have a new internet gig over at SavvySource.com. I am the new city editor for Indianapolis, and I’ve worked my fingers to the bone building content for the Indianapolis page to launch. In about two weeks, I’ve built all of the content currently on the page. I now know when and where storytimes, free movies and special events are happening around the city. It is very cool and very fun and I’m looking forward to featuring ALL of what Central Indiana has to offer!!

So….go check it out if you’re so inclined. And let me know if there’s something around Indy you love that I’ve omitted, or if there’s a special event coming up that I can add. I’ll be adding events weekly!

Capturing the “Right Now”

Michelle — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:51:48 +0000

There’s nothing like a 6th grade graduation to make you realized that childhood is fleeting. It was the first graduation in my little school’s history–these three 6th graders started as preschoolers 9yrs ago and have been in our little school ever since.

At the ceremony, there was a sweet slide show, capturing their time in their elementary classroom, as well as their preschool days. That was fun and it made me a little nostalgic for some of the students I’ve had in the past.

Then we got to the part of the program where they showed baby pictures. And those funny moments in the bathtub, the cute baby’s first halloween pictures, the required “smash cake” photo, those were in there too. By the time it was done, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.

Time is so fleeting. Sure when I’m up to my elbows in vomit, or calling about the upteenth ear infection it seems like it will never end. But it will. And knowing that (and seeing that slideshow) makes me really want to be in the moment and enjoy the wee-ones.

Right Now.

So right now, on June 3, 2010, here’s what shakin’ in our house:

As I type, the kids are zoned out in front of Blues Clues. They’ve just gotten home from their 2nd to last day ever of the little daycare we’ve been a part of for four years. (MaM is there this week since school’s out but I’m working on my classroom)

Jr. is a chatty, chatty boy. He loves race cars and big trucks with all of his heart. He plays with his Little People Parking Garage like it’s going out of style.

MaM is a collector of silly bandz and she’s becoming a big reader. She tries to read every word she sees. She only wears big puffy dresses. They have to have layers, and they have to twirl. She won’t even try them on if they appear not to be of the twirling variety.

At the Children's Museum this weekend

Day 3 of my attempt at NaBloPoMo is complete!

Phew, Again…

Michelle — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:37:09 +0000

I don't usually wear a hat in class, but that tray of shapes? Use it all the time!

So three years ago I wrote Slowly Exhaling, where I summarized, without too much detail about the accreditation process/ evaluation my school goes through every three years. Three years, two kids and one minivan later, it was that time again this week.

Once again, I volunteered to go first, so my room was observed today and I had my consultation this afternoon. Our conversation was considerably shorter than last time–about 20 minutes total. Anyhoo, all is good. I got compliments up one side and down the other, and good advice/constructive suggestions that I can use. I must be getting soft hearted in my old age, because she told me I was too nice/ not strict enough, which made me laugh. I stop smiling tomorrow (an old teaching adage is not to let them see you smile til Christmas).

The nicest thing about today is that our evaluator gave a parent talk tonight. She sang our accolades to the parent body, which she didn’t have to do, but she did. She also recommended a website called Kids Talk News and I have to say, it is fabulous. Want to know more about the Montessori way of looking at the world? Go on and click through.

Next time our school goes through this process, I’ll be in the midst of my 16th yr of teaching and mom to a 2nd grader and a pre-K student.

Does time fly by this fast for you???

Grown in My Heart: Adoption Carnival VI

Michelle — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:42:12 +0000

Friday the sixth topic for Grown In My Heart’s Adoption Carnival was announced…….racism. And I was stumped. I’m an adoptive mom to two kids who, well, look just like me and my husband. We didn’t plan it that way. We certainly didn’t request it. It just so happens that Jane and I are the same height. That Geoff and BgK have the same hair color. Our kids “blend” into our family so well based on appearance, it’s really by choice that we tell people they are adopted.

So racism doesn’t really come into play in our lives as a component of adoption. But of course, as a white family in midwestern Americana, I know racism does exist. Indiana has an awful history of racism and hatred. In my day-to-day life I don’t see it, but that’s because I’m white.

Anyway.

My daughter attends and I teach at a very nice suburban preschool. It is probably one of the most diverse private schools in the metro area, if not the state. My classroom is nearly 50% non-white. Many of my daughter’s friends are children of immigrants. Children who visit grandparents in Pakistan, Kenya, New Zealand, India and South Korea. There are children who’ve been adopted internationally (and bi-racially). In central Indiana, this as diverse as it gets.

My son attends the daycare where Mam did. It’s very different from our little preschool, but his class is still nearly 50% non-white. His friends speak Spanish at home and English at the center. His first three caregivers were African-American, as are many of his playmates. I feel like my children have been exposed to as much diversity as we can get in the middle of Indiana.

Given that my children do see faces of people who don’t look like them on a daily basis, I’ve always sort of approached race by not approaching it–my thought was always not to point it out, and my children wouldn’t see it. Or they would see it, but they wouldn’t think much of it.

Then I read Nurture Shock. And realized I was wrong. The authors of Nurture Shock illustrate how children naturally sort and classify the world. If a group of children is divided by say, the color of their t-shirt, they automatically assume allegiance to their color. It makes sense. They further go on to illustrate answers children gave in regards to race, and how they do segregate the world by race, only they don’t talk about it because they’ve learned from their parents not to talk about it. Oh boy. I’m not explaining it well, but suffice it to say, after reading it, I feel like I’ve been doing a disservice to my own children as well my students.

Oh. My. Word. I have some explaining to do to my kiddos. I haven’t quite figured out how to talk to them about this, but I will. I have to. I’m their mom. If I don’t, who will????

Have some thoughts about racism? Link up at Grown in My Heart!!

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Two Weeks of Work v. 10 Weeks of Summer

Michelle — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:44:12 +0000

Almost done with week 2 of the 2009-2010 school year. Bedtimes are established, lunchboxes are being toted, daily reports from daycare are being received, and hey, we even have our first ear infection of the year (Jr, this time). We are up an running!!

Was PBS Kids in the Park just two months ago? Really?

It’s amazing how fast we can establish a routine around these parts. It almost feels like we never stopped leaving the house at 7:30 in the morning. It almost feels like summer vacation never happened.

That we didn’t eat 236 Flav-R-Ice pops this summer.

That we didn’t spend a fun week on Boston’s South Shore.

That we didn’t spend days at the pool, the park, and the library.

That we had days where we didn’t get dressed until noon.

That we didn’t watch fireworks. Or see sand dunes.

But we did. It’s a good thing I blogged about most of it.

It’s Like We Never Left…

Michelle — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:34:28 +0000

So we have two days of school under our belts–me, my 13th (!?!?!) batch of students, and MAM, her second year of preschool, known as Pre-K in some circles. The beauty of Montessori is in the routine, the consistency, the predictibility…so after two days, it feels like really, we haven’t skipped a beat. Only MAM is not the youngest student anymore, and she doesn’t take a nap at school anymore. And of course there are new faces, and all of the familiar faces have grown at least 6 inches in our 10 week recess.

The teething monster I mentioned in my last post has yet to subside…the boy as FOUR TEETH poking through on the bottom, and FOUR TEETH poking through on top. Who cuts eight teeth at a time? Is that even legal? I am this close to calling MJ’s doctor to get some narcotic relief for the boy. And myself.

A Sunday To-Do List

Michelle — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:04:32 +0000

I haven’t had a Sunday To-Do List since the last week of school in May. I can honestly say that I didn’t miss making one/completing one AT ALL (mine involves gathering items to send to daycare, making sure we’ve all got clean clothes and things for lunch, etc).

But even at age 35, the first day of school is kind of special, especially when I have a four year old to share the excitement with me. How excited is she for school to start?

Tonight I set out her clothes for tomorrow, and told her that as soon as she woke up, she could get dressed for school. I went downstairs to get her vitamins, and when I came back up, she was getting dressed. For school. It took a bit of talking to convince her that we had to go to sleep first, then it would be time to go to school. I’m not planning to sleep in my clothes tonight, but I am angling for a great day tomorrow!

Friendly PSA from the Neighborhood Preschool Teacher

Michelle — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:44:00 +0000

So….should you find a preschool child exploring something like, say, the beads in the photo here, and said child says that there is something in his nose, DON’T PANIC.

Just do the following:

1) Instruct child to close the nostril not containing the bead

2) Instruct the child to blow through the obstructed nostril (WARNING: DO NOT put your hand out to catch whatever is in there!)

3) After the shock of having something fling out his nose is over, have child retrieve bead, wash in sink and then squirt with Purell.

Good as new! (the nostril and the bead……)

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Full Circle

Michelle — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:52:00 +0000

I remember, at different times in school, having a student teacher. Student teachers were always way cooler than any normal classroom teacher. They were typically young, and genuinely seemed to like being around me and my classmates. Some told us fun stories of college (no bedtimes! road trips!), others weren’t quite as chatty, but were still way cooler than any regular classroom teacher. They were student teachers after all!

Way back in 1995, and then again in 1996, I got to be a student teacher myself. It was overwhelming and awesome–and I was genuinely happy to be there ( donuts in the staff lounge! hugs all day long from happy kindergarteners! exciting lesson plans like making a puppet named ROY G. BIV*!)

This week it’s all come full-circle–for the first time I am the supervising teacher to a student teacher. And it is awesome. She’s cheerful and optimistic, and genuinely happy to be in my classroom, and I am happy to have her (coffee break for me! catching up on record keeping! good conversations and insights on particular kids!).

Three cheers for Student Teachers!

** ROY G. BIV was a puppet I used to teach the colors of the rainbow. Go ahead–give it a whirl in the comments and tell me what the letters stand for!

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On to a Three Day Work Week

Michelle — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Jr. seems to have recovered from this wicked virus. Without getting too specific, things are, um, firming up. Thanks for the good vibes! Thankfully, no one else in the house seems afflicted by it. Phew.

So tomorrow shall start my three day work week. Only four more weeks and 23 parent-teacher conferences until Spring Break. And plans are brewing there. Squee!