Saw this article today in a nursing home industry news letter: A kindergarten everyone should attend.
The author is amazed at how well both the children and the residents do when the two generations spend so much time together. Hmm. Sounds familiar. Sounds like something we've been saying for years. (That's the collective "we" the homeschool fanatics.)
Maybe the crazy idea of not isolating children only with other kids of the same age will catch on.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Feeling Better already
Notice I haven't been posting much lately? I've been so busy, running hither and yon. We went to Homeschool Day at Six Flags (great fun!) and spent a day out of state with the in laws. Work has been busy and we've been trying to get ready for vacation (starting Saturday morning!). Plus the Girl Scout season has started up and that's been busy. Oh, and 5th grade started of course!
Well, yesterday was my biggest day of all. I had to drive three and a half hours, spend time at a trade show booth, give a presentation, attend a social function, and finally collapsed into bed at 10 pm. Ten is the earliest I think I've gone to bed in months. When I finally got to my hotel room I was so tired (and had maybe one more appletini than I should have - just enough to make me really tired), I just crawled into bed.
It was my first presentation before a live professional audience in more than 5 years. I've done audioconferences, where they can't see me reading my notes as I go. I've done training sessions and reports to Girl Scout leaders. That's not quite the same either. I had a last minute co-speaker (my original co-speaker, actually I was to be her co-speaker, resigned from our firm). But I had written the session and gave most of it. (I was so glad to have the co-speaker though because she was most familiar with the section I was least familiar with.)
There was a slight panic attack before the session started when I couldn't figure out where to get my computer plugged in. My poor co-speaker started running off to get hers from her hotel room. Luckily we figured it out and caught her before she'd gone too far. I'm lucky she didn't kill me, but I had warned her I wanted to get there early to figure it out. I haven't spoken since before the days of hooking up your own computer to their equipment.
Anyway, our session was packed. It went well. Kind of bummed that we had no questions to fill our time allotted for questions and we ended early. The attendees didn't seem to mind. Hopefully the association sponsoring this won't mind. Don't know when we will get our evaluation summary...
But that doesn't matter, because now I'm all but on vacation! In a few minutes I'll head down to the breakfast buffet and hopefully meet a few co-workers there. I'll need to check out of my room - I'm heading home tonight! I want to attend a session later this morning, I have to work the trade show over lunch (I'll still get my oh so yummy box lunch though provided by the conference), and I'm sitting in a round table discussion but in the audience not in panel (my boss is in the panel and has asked a few of us to be there in case any questions come up that she's unfamiliar with). Then I drive back home.
Compared to yesterday, today is a cake walk!
Well, yesterday was my biggest day of all. I had to drive three and a half hours, spend time at a trade show booth, give a presentation, attend a social function, and finally collapsed into bed at 10 pm. Ten is the earliest I think I've gone to bed in months. When I finally got to my hotel room I was so tired (and had maybe one more appletini than I should have - just enough to make me really tired), I just crawled into bed.
It was my first presentation before a live professional audience in more than 5 years. I've done audioconferences, where they can't see me reading my notes as I go. I've done training sessions and reports to Girl Scout leaders. That's not quite the same either. I had a last minute co-speaker (my original co-speaker, actually I was to be her co-speaker, resigned from our firm). But I had written the session and gave most of it. (I was so glad to have the co-speaker though because she was most familiar with the section I was least familiar with.)
There was a slight panic attack before the session started when I couldn't figure out where to get my computer plugged in. My poor co-speaker started running off to get hers from her hotel room. Luckily we figured it out and caught her before she'd gone too far. I'm lucky she didn't kill me, but I had warned her I wanted to get there early to figure it out. I haven't spoken since before the days of hooking up your own computer to their equipment.
Anyway, our session was packed. It went well. Kind of bummed that we had no questions to fill our time allotted for questions and we ended early. The attendees didn't seem to mind. Hopefully the association sponsoring this won't mind. Don't know when we will get our evaluation summary...
But that doesn't matter, because now I'm all but on vacation! In a few minutes I'll head down to the breakfast buffet and hopefully meet a few co-workers there. I'll need to check out of my room - I'm heading home tonight! I want to attend a session later this morning, I have to work the trade show over lunch (I'll still get my oh so yummy box lunch though provided by the conference), and I'm sitting in a round table discussion but in the audience not in panel (my boss is in the panel and has asked a few of us to be there in case any questions come up that she's unfamiliar with). Then I drive back home.
Compared to yesterday, today is a cake walk!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
8 things that have happened recently
So much to tell you, so little time to blog. Don't you hate it when responsibilities get in the way of your internet life? I sure do!
1. I bought a new outfit for my presentation in a couple of weeks. What do you think?
2. We had a possum on our deck the other night. He was in the corner birdfeeder. We couldn't figure out why one of our cats was glued to the deck door. We turned on the light and there he was. Haven't seen him again, but we are kind of hoping we do.
3. School got off to a pretty good start this week. Violet isn't too sure about this working on her own from her list. But I keep telling her it will get easier. I was helping her more at the end of the week. I assured her there are a lot of adults who couldn't take a to do list and have it all done by the deadline without any interference from anyone else. I work with a bunch of people like that. She's going to be so far ahead of the game when she gets to college if she masters this.
4. If you come to our house and we cook out, you might want to pass on the turkey burgers. We were cooking some on the grill tonight (or rather Mr. Incredible was, I was playing a game with Violet). First we ran out of gas in the tank and he had to microwave them to finish them. Then while we ate some in the other room, one of the cats (the possum spotter) jumped up on the counter and licked them! I'd recommend ordering a pizza.
5. I bought my first pair of shoes from Zappos. Man, is that the coolest sight ever or what! I bought a pair of plain, white, comfy Keds for walking. Got them a couple of days later. No shipping charges. And if they hadn't fit (which they did) free shipping back. I love them. I told Mr. I to put a parental supervision lock on that sight on my laptop.
6. Speaking of Mr. I. we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past week. Yep, 20 years he's put up with me. We didn't do anything since we are going on a trip in a couple of weeks and that is our present and celebration. But he did go out to the barber during the day and stopped at the store to bring me back flowers. And I had a Girl Scout service team meeting at an ice cream shop that night and brought him back a piece of apple pie.
7. At 5:00 am this morning, someone set off fireworks in our neighborhood. We actually heard them first in the front, then in the back, then in the front again. 2 people (groups? families?) setting them off at about the same time in the very early morning? I have no idea why.
8. Anyone remember when I was on the Girl Scout day camp committee a few years ago? I worked way too hard. Violet hated camp. We both vowed never again. Well, we've kept our word. But now we have a new Service Unit Manager and she has a very good idea. She is right that in the past the committee has been dysfunctional to put it very mildly. No punches have ever been thrown. No charges ever filed. But it came close a few times. She is calling a meeting of everyone who has been involved to air all the dirty laundry and come up with a good plan to move forward with. Long overdue and very brave of her. Not something I have any interest in being a part of. I've finally forgotten most of it. Luckily, she set up the meeting while I'm at the convention. Oh darn. Tee hee. I am going to send her a couple of notes on things I can still remember.
I'm sure there's more that I've forgotten to tell you, but that's what I can remember right now. Have a good remainder of the holiday weekend!
1. I bought a new outfit for my presentation in a couple of weeks. What do you think?
2. We had a possum on our deck the other night. He was in the corner birdfeeder. We couldn't figure out why one of our cats was glued to the deck door. We turned on the light and there he was. Haven't seen him again, but we are kind of hoping we do.
3. School got off to a pretty good start this week. Violet isn't too sure about this working on her own from her list. But I keep telling her it will get easier. I was helping her more at the end of the week. I assured her there are a lot of adults who couldn't take a to do list and have it all done by the deadline without any interference from anyone else. I work with a bunch of people like that. She's going to be so far ahead of the game when she gets to college if she masters this.
4. If you come to our house and we cook out, you might want to pass on the turkey burgers. We were cooking some on the grill tonight (or rather Mr. Incredible was, I was playing a game with Violet). First we ran out of gas in the tank and he had to microwave them to finish them. Then while we ate some in the other room, one of the cats (the possum spotter) jumped up on the counter and licked them! I'd recommend ordering a pizza.
5. I bought my first pair of shoes from Zappos. Man, is that the coolest sight ever or what! I bought a pair of plain, white, comfy Keds for walking. Got them a couple of days later. No shipping charges. And if they hadn't fit (which they did) free shipping back. I love them. I told Mr. I to put a parental supervision lock on that sight on my laptop.
6. Speaking of Mr. I. we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary this past week. Yep, 20 years he's put up with me. We didn't do anything since we are going on a trip in a couple of weeks and that is our present and celebration. But he did go out to the barber during the day and stopped at the store to bring me back flowers. And I had a Girl Scout service team meeting at an ice cream shop that night and brought him back a piece of apple pie.
7. At 5:00 am this morning, someone set off fireworks in our neighborhood. We actually heard them first in the front, then in the back, then in the front again. 2 people (groups? families?) setting them off at about the same time in the very early morning? I have no idea why.
8. Anyone remember when I was on the Girl Scout day camp committee a few years ago? I worked way too hard. Violet hated camp. We both vowed never again. Well, we've kept our word. But now we have a new Service Unit Manager and she has a very good idea. She is right that in the past the committee has been dysfunctional to put it very mildly. No punches have ever been thrown. No charges ever filed. But it came close a few times. She is calling a meeting of everyone who has been involved to air all the dirty laundry and come up with a good plan to move forward with. Long overdue and very brave of her. Not something I have any interest in being a part of. I've finally forgotten most of it. Luckily, she set up the meeting while I'm at the convention. Oh darn. Tee hee. I am going to send her a couple of notes on things I can still remember.
I'm sure there's more that I've forgotten to tell you, but that's what I can remember right now. Have a good remainder of the holiday weekend!
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