Cold Spaghetti

If you only read one blog post this week, let it be this one.

I see now that the warning signs were there… sore back, stiffness, occasional twinge. So when my back exploded this morning, after an hour of fun playtime with the kids in the front yard, it didn’t completely surprise me.

The good news is that it happened today, not yesterday… my interview as a finalist for the Schweitzer Fellowship was yesterday. Last week was completely crazy; this week is a better one to take a rest.

My Mom is meeting us to get the kids tomorrow morning and taking them to Mobile until Wednesday. I’m moving around (barely) but can’t pick up anything or anyone and loopy on the pain meds. At least now I know for sure how to recognize the signs that this is coming. Next time, I’ll head it off before it starts.

Last Saturday, we attended the annual fundraiser for EB… it was a huge French-themed party. We saw some friends and enjoyed the music, but got there too late in the afternoon to fully sample all the top restaurants that were serving food… the food went fast! We bid in the silent auction and got a semester of gymnastic/tumbling for Will at a close-by gym (he’s thrilled). Below are some pictures of the event…

Zulu Connection was great; the kids loved the stilt walkers!

Pictures from La Divina Gelateria. For their coming commerical!





La Divina is the only place in the State that makes all their products completely from scratch — from milk solids. Some of the flavors below include: Abita Turbo Dog, Cinnamon, Aztec Chocolate, Hazelnut, Strawberry Creole Cream Cheese, and Sweet Cream.

Last weekend was characteristically busy. Earlier in the week, I took some pictures for our friends at La Divina, to be used in a commercial they are making to air on Channel 26. Friday night, we joined up to take pictures of the kids enjoying panini and gelato.

I ate the one below. It was fantastic.

This is what happens when you ask Kate to smile. The response must be genetic: it is exactly the same expression I gave at her age when asked to smile.

It’s after midnight. On a Tuesday night. And I can hear the microphone feedback from across the house. Paul has decided to sleep with Will on the other side of the house. Now I can hear Kate stirring.

I am so, so, so, so, so tired of this bullshit.

Going with Kindergarten:

Pros:
— Will won’t be bored.
— He’ll be with kids the same age.
— He’ll do the summer program and will have had a little French already.
— We’ll be going with the way the system is structured, which we feel is sort of part of committing to the way the learning environment works.
— The kids will be spaced 3 years apart which gives them only one year of overlap in college (okay, that is really not in our considerations.)

Cons:
— Will he be ready to sit at a desk and do math, science, homework, and the like in 18 months (1st grade is serious stuff)…?
— Will he be at a disadvantage without having the extra year of French before 1st grade?
— Are we cutting his childhood playtime short? Does he need more time to play?
— Is he still going to need a nap in 6 months?

Going with PreK

Pros:
— One more year of playtime.
— Naptime continues one more year (Kindergarten-ers don’t have nap.)
— Two years of French immersion before 1st grade.
— If he continues with this grade progression, he’ll be “bigger” physically compared to his peers later, which I understand is a plus for athletics and social issues for boys?

Cons:
— He’ll be the oldest in the class (I’m not sure if this is a pro or a con… but Will doesn’t do the alpha kid thing and I don’t see him being one to set the example… I see him more adopting whatever behavior seen in the other kids. This may not be a good thing.)
— He’ll be in class with 3-year olds who may be in very different places developmentally.
— He may be bored?

Thoughts/suggestions welcome!

From The Guardian Weekly:

“The slums of Nairobi have been the backdrop to some of the worst violence since Kenya’s disputed elections in December 2007. In Kibera, a settlement on the edge of the city, approximately 700,000 people live in extreme poverty. Much of the area has been destroyed, but there are bright spots amid the ash and rubble. Every few meters there are white, hand-painted signs calling for peace and brotherhood. Luhya artist Solomon Muyundo (aka Solo Saba or Solo 7) has been painting peace messages in public places every day since the fighting broke out.

This reminded me so strongly of the beauty within the NOLA Rising messages; the joy those little signs bring to me when I see them. This artist is trying to calm his troubled nation, to stop those in the throws of chaos from harming each other. Here is the artist, in his own words:

“
I’ve been going out and painting messages of peace in Kibera, trying to calm the violence that erupted after the election. I write things like “Peace wanted alive” and “Keep peace and justice” in white paint.

Some people have started urging me to paint in their areas too, in places that I haven’t reached. They are encouraging me to do more, and I’m really happy that they like what I’m doing. I want so much to restore peace in our country.
…

I think the messages contribute to a more positive attitude in the community. Wherever there is a message of peace, someone feels secure. People are resuming their normal activities with less fear.
…

When people were trying to loot the marketplace I ran around the stalls with charcoal, writing “ODM” on as many things as I could. The looters never took any of the goods that I wrote on. That made me think that perhaps signs could speak louder than I could.
…

People want a way in which to protest peacefully. Perhaps we should be printing T-shirts with peace messages and giving them out for free. That way people can advocate peace wherever they are.

I haven’t heard of any other artists in the country promoting peace in this way. But if Kenyans can think of a way to assist the community in this manner, I encourage them to do it, without worrying about who will pay them. They should display peace wherever they are, in all the places I can’t reach. As artists, we are talented, and we have a role to play in the community.

“

I wonder how the ‘Grey Ghost’ would respond to that?

Had to make the $7 CCEX splurge for Will to play dress-up! Extra bonus: he wears the hat now helping Paul around the house.