Sneaky Claus

So about a week before Christmas, Gracie’s teachers decided to have all the students “write” a letter to Santa. They then posted the notes outside the classroom so parents could see them without their preschoolers noticing.
Gracie’s note said: “Dear Santa, I have been a good girl this year. I would like *a “big, big” teddy bear *chickens *a new car (for Barbie) *princesses and tinkerbells. Thank you.”
Well, Mommy had shopped on Black Friday and had the new car for Barbie, the princesses and tinkerbells all covered. By “chickens,” my daughter meant “DaDonald’s” chicken McNuggets, so an Arch card will work for that. The “big, big” teddy bear had me stumped.
Due to winter play practices, the next time I had to go shopping for Christmas was when I had Grace with me. On Monday, Dec. 23, I took her to see Santa for the first time. She was a trooper, climbing on his lap, telling him what she wanted – which included the teddy bear yet again – and receiving her candy cane, all before I had time to get out the camera. She really surprised me, so we were shortly on our way to Walgreens.
When we walked in, she noticed the “big, big” teddy bears all along the aisles. I asked her which one she asked Santa for, and we continued our shopping. When we got to the front to check out, I whispered to the clerk, while Grace was playing with a Rudolph ornament to be purchased for her stocking, “I need some help being sneaky.”
I then told her that I had a black trash bag in the car and wanted to buy one of the large teddy bears and was hoping she could do that while I took the first load to the car, and then I’d come back in the store with Grace and help them taking out their “garbage.” She smiled, I gave her the cash for the bear, and we went out to load the car.
On the way in, I explained to Grace that around Christmas it’s good to help other people, and I was going to help Walgreens by taking out their garbage.
When we went back in, the clerk apologized from afar that she got swamped, but she still came over and took the trash bag from me, then the manager of the store took it, winked at me, grabbed a bear quite swiftly from the top of the shelves and took it over to the photo area to ring me up. Grace was paying attention to a “Hannah ‘Ta’tana” popcorn bucket by the front doors, and didn’t watch the humorous task of having two grown men shove a large teddy bear into a trash bag again and again.
They brought me the “trash” and my change and we went out to the car again with my profuse “thank you”s and smiles for all.
I strapped Grace in her car seat and then put the trash bag into the car. When I did that, she said, “Ew, Momma. Stinky.”
I thought, “Not stinky, Grace. Sneaky.”

Our Christmas letter 2008

Dear family and friends,
We hope this letter finds you happy, healthy and warm in the glow of the Christmas season. I cannot believe I’m actually attempting a letter prior to the 25th of December. Trust me, it’s not because I have the time to use in this manner, but I do have the cards printed, so I guess I had to do something about it!
Let’s recap the year: We were enjoying our first winter on Campus View Drive when Lincoln, in mid-January, received about 8 inches on top of frozen ground overnight and our basement flooded with about 2 feet of water. Ryan luckily was NOT electrocuted when he went downstairs into the water, even though much of his guitar equipment was plugged in and pulling electricity at the time. Although our insurance didn’t cover the losses, we were fortunate to only really lose a Christmas tree, several Gracie books and toys and 15 or so sets of guitar strings and pedals. All, of course, have been replaced, but it was a mess for a while.
In July, Ryan was honored with the Charles Rowe Award from the Associated Press for his series on bridges (after the collapse last summer) and on the retirement system in Illinois. He, at that time, also had decided to pursue a management position in his field and left the AP after 7 ½ years. He moved about 100 feet in terms of office space, but now has increased job responsibilities and more say over how he covers the Statehouse as the Capitol Bureau Chief for the State Journal-Register. It’s already been a busy year, thanks to our Senator being elected President, and an even busier month, thanks to our Governor losing his mind and his freedom. While he’s trying to be home more, as the boss, he takes more pride, it seems, in what is put out there by the paper, so he works harder. He also does a weekly TV spot on WAND-TV News at 5 on Thursdays out of Decatur. I don’t think he likes being in “my” world, but he’s doing a great job! As far as I know, the Governor hasn’t asked for his resignation unlike many of the Tribune editors, so he shouldn’t be mentioned in the affidavit!
I began this school year (my 6th at LCHS and 11th overall) taking on Accelerated Sophomores and a new class called Media Communication. I am thrilled to use my journalism degree again, and my 20 seniors have added an online-only school newspaper on our school’s website (www.lchs.k12.il.us) and are learning the ins and outs of the news business. We also plan to begin doing live-to-DVD morning announcements, skits and advertising in the coming months for our school and post them online as well. Lots of changes on the school front – friends left, new classes, new superintendent & schedule, censorship of my book choices, etc, – but so far, so good.
Now, for the Gracie update. She is 3 ½ and started going to preschool this year. She is LOVING her school, teachers and friends. She is learning a lot of new things, and it is very exciting for her mom and dad to be able to ask her questions and get complete answers (although we have also started lying about things – blaming Chippy and Pepper for her messes). Her room got a makeover this summer to “Cinderelly” blue and she upgraded to a double bed full of pillows and loveys. She is VERY close to mastering this whole potty training business – FINALLY! She is very anxiously awaiting Santa this year, helped put up the new Christmas tree and is obsessed with all the Baby Jesuses she can find in any nativity scene. Her Christmas concert scheduled for this week was postponed, but I have loved hearing her sing Christmas carols and teaching me the sign language to “Silent Night.” How fun and sweet! Chipper is still being a great big brother. At four, he is very relaxed and settling in to our house and routines quite well. He, however, ruptured his ACL last week
and has to have surgery to repair it on Christmas Eve. We have amazing veterinarians who love Chippy very much. In fact, this will be his second surgery this year – he had to have kidney stones removed (avoid Ol’ Roy food as much as possible if you can) – but he came out like a trooper, so we know he’ll be back to his 80-lb. self in no time!
Pepper is the youngest of our furry brood and she topped 125-lbs of love at her last checkup. She and Chip are truly best friends and have a lot of fun in the snow together. Chip is still trying to play, even with his injury, but our Miss Pep gets bored when he just tries to play with his front paws! Our sneaky little girl has been pretty trapped since we expanded our fence this summer, but she did manage to get her extra largeness outside the fence by squeezing UNDERNEATH it! We are still astonished at how she did it, but one second she was on the same side as us and the next she was in our neighbor’s yard.
2008 has been a painting year – we painted Grace’s room, our dining room and our bedroom. I still have other projects in mind for our house, but Chip’s surgeries have tapped out some of those funds. We wouldn’t trade him for anything, though, so it’s all worth it.
Gracie also added two baby girl cousins since we last wrote, Abigail Keith was born before 2007 was over and is days away from her 1^st birthday, and McKenzie Lyle Atwood (Julie & Kris’ third) was born in February. Should be an amazing Christmas with all her cousins!
We wish the best for you and your families always. God Bless You & Yours!
Love,
Ryan, Jennifer, Gracelyn, Chipper & Pepper Keith

Kindle-ing

So seeing Oprah herself at her own studio was amazing in and of itself. Then she had the audacity to up the ante with Il Divo singing "Amazing Grace," complete with a bag-piper piping and rising from a platform behind the 13-piece orchestra. Follow that with the fact that she intentionally filled her 400-spot audience with teachers, book clubbers and readers in general so she could share with us her latest find in gadgetry - the Kindle from Amazon. I have been debating about the purchase of such an item, and Ms. Oprah has ended such a debate. The Kindle is a form of electronic book that will truly be part of the book revolution. Authors can get published easier, I believe, through this medium and books will become cheaper. Textbooks can be put on this device and will be the future for all college students forced to buy texts at $400 per semester to only get a return of about $30 for the lot three months later.
She moved on to a cooking segment, but most of us were enthralled with the Kindle, the generosity, the luck to be selected for such a show, the joy of being in the presence of such a strong woman who has worked herself to death and shares so much of herself. I know some people are not Oprah fans, but I am, true and true. She truly (even if I disagree with her) has the right and privilege to say what she thinks. We do, and although I currently don't have the same amount of audience members, I know I have an influence. We all need to use it for good, and sometimes it won't, but for the most part, if it's got the right heart and mind behind it, it will be seen as good.
Oprah has been a gift to me throughout the years. Sure, I'm jealous of her money and her successes, but at times, I know she's jealous of me too, and that's the best gift! Kindles don't hurt though....

Oprah bound

Few things lately have given me joy at work - I still love teaching, but the book issue, which hopefully will be done, hasn't been much joy, to say the least. In fact, at the latest board meeting, I heard that while I "might be good people," my moral compass was off because I chose a book for students to read - and that was from my pastor.
However, due to that issue, I have exchanged emails with a Harvard/Princeton educated and New York Times Best Selling author and am going to see OPRAH for a show about books and book clubs.
We learn lessons from all we do, and yes, we have to find the positive in a tough time. My positive is Oprah Winfrey right now. I'll give you an update when we return - the "Railer Readers" and I, that is! :)

Interesting....

http://neoscosmos.com/culturalexegesis/?p=158

Dandelion Whine

While at preschool on Wednesday, some teachers rushed over to Grace, panicked. Her back was to them, she was hunched over and it appeared she was gagging, choking or vomiting. When they arrived to see her from the front, she was holding a dandelion and was continuously blowing its petals away.
The teacher asked if she was okay. "Yeah, I'm just blowing my dandylion."
"Are you making wishes?"
"Yep."
"What are you wishing for?"
"For my mom to come back."
"You know what? Your wish is going to come true," my hero Barb said. "She's going to come back and get you, just not right now. Your mommy always comes back."
"I know - after lunch, after nap, after snack," a melancholy 3-year-old responded.
At 3 or 34, our wishes are the same.
I know my mommy always comes back. I'm so grateful I still have my mommy. I love her so much; she's one of my best friends.
I'm also so grateful that although I know she wanted to be by my side day and night, she still believed so much in what she taught me to trust me to be on my own.
I moved across the country to follow my dream, and now that I'm a mom, I know how much that killed her to give her blessing, but she did.
She loved me and she let me go, like the petals on a dandelion - into the wind, to do what God had willed me to do.
I hope Gracie and I are like that too, love our time together and let each other go when we need to, and that I won't have to wish on a dandelion for that to be true.

Lincoln Courier's opinion - it comes full 'circle'

Recently, “The Tenth Circle” – a book introduced to sophomore students at Lincoln Community High School – has caused quite a stir among parents, teachers and kids.

The issue revolves around sexually explicit material and foul language contained within the book.

Some things never change throughout history.

The idea of banning books was around before William Shakespeare and other great authors wrote them.

Some of those Shakespeare pieces taught in high school, surprisingly, contain quite a bit of sexual content and innuendo. The language is different, but the message and issues remain the same.

By looking into past literary content, another message has been consistent throughout the years: Teens dealing with sexual issues, peer pressure and pregnancy.

This idea isn’t new to this generation, or even the generation of our grandparents. As long as teenagers have hormones, it will continue to be an area of discussion.

Undoubtedly, many of the situations contained in this book have been spoken about among students in high school. Even if your children and their friends aren’t the ones speaking about it, they are overhearing these type of discussins in the classrooms, the locker rooms and the hallways.

Because of this, they will begin – at some point – to naturally develop thoughts and questions about these issues.

Banning a particular book isn’t going to take this subject away from these students. Sexual content isn’t just presented to teens in rated-R movies and pornographic novels. Most of this content can be seen on regular television or movies rated PG-13.

Denying that they have likely been exposed to much of the content found in “The Tenth Circle” may be a little naïve.

Another question has been asked: Is LCHS an appropriate venue to talk about these issues?

Yes. An even more important venue, though, would be the students’ homes.

Parents should be the first line of defense in guarding against ill thought out decisions by students. Guarding against what they see and hear isn’t impossible, but most of the time, it’s a losing battle.

Those hormonal thoughts are – through the grace of Mother Nature – already beginning to loom inside the minds of young high school students. Whether they act on these thoughts depends on having nurturing adults around them, who feel comfortable about discussing these topics with the students.

What should be monitored more than the content of a book is the teacher presenting this content. If the content is presented in an appropriate manner, and dealt with in an arena where adults are present and the students feel safe, it can only be considered healthy.

We highly doubt the subject matter was solely introduced through the book in question, the question is: Should we outlaw the content to prevent further exposure, or use the book to encourage students to speak about something already affecting their lives or the lives of their peers?

We feel if students are exposed to it, which they likely have been in other arenas, talking about it under an educator’s guidance is an appropriate step.

Providing an alternative reading, though, is also an important step. Some students determined they didn’t want to read “The Tenth Circle” because of its content. Teachers allowed these students to read the much more difficult “Dante’s Inferno” instead.

Unfortunately, because of an oversight, LCHS did not provide an alternative reading until students and parents were already upset about the content of “The Tenth Circle.” This is an error that can hopefully be avoided in the future.

Parents also asked educators to warn them in the future when students would be assigned readings with questionable content. This way, students can read the alternative text from the get-go.

We understand that some students may not be on that comfort level to talk about such matters, so providing another piece of literature gives them the opportunity to postpone speaking about the issue until they feel comfortable, or taking up the discussion in a venue where they feel more comfortable.

Talking about a subject presented through a piece of literature in English class is just as appropriate, if not more appropriate, than talking about it after reading the content from a textbook in Health class.

Literature can provide a good vehicle for a subject that addresses students on their level – a human level.

We support both the discussion of the book and providing an alternative to those students who don’t want to read the book. We cringe at the idea, however, of denying a piece of education to the group of students who are most in need of it.

=Editorial 9.24.08