Friday 29 June 2012

Our Science Experiment

Nothing deep or profound here, just a record of the science project that Riley and I did yesterday. I love his new teacher, every Thursday he comes home with a fun little science project that can be done at home, this week it was colouring flowers.

I'm sure you have all seen blue roses at Coles and thought what the? I have and now I know.

Take a flower.

Put enough food colouring in a glass so that the base of the stem can rest in it.

Wait...

We added red food colouring to this white rose and within 30 minutes the flower had a tinge of pink and in one hour was quite pink.


We picked another one and put in it green to soak. This morning we had a bright green and a bright pink flower!


It doesn't work on carrots, but someone had to test it anyway.



There is an environmental message in this, our plants suck up the toxins in our gardens, so avoid using chemical fertilsers and pest control for your flower's sake.

Thursday 28 June 2012

My Midlife Crisis


Finally I have a label for the way I have been feeling lately, which is different to say the least. At first I thought I was really depressed, then insane, but I think I'm just having a midlife crisis. I am a qualified english teacher and am more than halfway through my Masters in Career Development. Last year I thought I might want to be an early childhood teacher and did some extra study in that area. I have worked in education for most of my adult life, but for most of this year I have just not been satisfied with teaching and I was resenting having to go to school to earn a living.

I looked over my transferable skills, like I was taught in my career studies, and I found I had lots of transferable skills, but most of them transfered to some type of job in education, one skill stood out as different and that was cleaning. Anyone who has been to my house knows that sits between barely clean and pig sty, pig sty more often than not. Therefore, when I decided to take this year off teaching to start a cleaning business I got a few raised eyebrows.

I have been cleaning houses for about two months now and am about to employ some casual staff and I love it. Its not perfect, this week I had a really sore back, so couldn't work for a day which meant no money earnt that day either. I also end up looking like a sweaty pig at the end of each day and some people talk to me like I am stupid, but I can live with these things. I will be hiring staff, so when I am unwell or away they can continue with my jobs. I have a nice warm shower, so being a sweaty pig is temporary. I know that I am not stupid.

I sound like a madwoman (maybe its the midlife crisis), but I get so much pleasure out of cleaning other people's houses. When I clean my mind is complely blank, completely, and that is a rare and beautiful thing. Previously and when I'm not cleaning my mind is a buzz and that gets tiring. I don't exercise, or meditate, I find it hard to just sit. If I am sitting down, I am either reading, writing or thinking. Cleaning has become meditation for me and I love it. I think I'm the happiest in myself that I have been since before I had Riley.

I am embracing my midlife crisis, I wish I had more money so I could go the whole hog and buy myself a convertable and really enjoy it!

Wednesday 27 June 2012

Wow, you have a Baby, Part 2.


I caught up with a friend of mine last week who had a baby a few months ago. It was not the first time I had caught up with her and met her little girl, it was the third time, but it was the same as the first time. All we talked about was her baby, how wonderful she was, how beautiful she was, how clever she was. Now I like babies, I even had one of my own and I know that it is a new and exciting journey when you have a baby. A baby changes everything, you begin to look at the world differently and things that were once important are no longer and vise versa.

I really enjoy talking about parenthood and will happily discuss feeding, sleeping, birthing, you name it. If you are my friend, I will cheer at your child's milestones and love them, but I expect the same in return. The first couiple of times when you ignore my child I will forgive you because you are probably sleep deprived and in wonderous awe of your new life, but after that I expect you to show some interest in my life, to speak to my son.

Just because a child is the centre of a parent's universe, some parents expect them to be the centre of everyone's universe and that is just not the case. No child could be cuter, funnier, more interesting than your own. So, congratulations to all those new mumys and daddys out there, your life is about to change in the best way possible, but just remember that many have gone before you.

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Wow, you have a baby!

I'm linking up with Edenland's latest blog post http://www.edenriley.com/. Eden tells the story of being with a loved one in a cafe post school drop off and having a toddler from another table bang his toys on their table and then pull up a chair and join them. They had just dropped their own loved ones off, so were not so interested in the loved ones of strangers. The parent with the toddler interloper acused them of not liking little people!

Who does not like little people I ask you? Not too many. But as parents of little people we relish the time that we are not with them.

A favourite little person, chapter two tomorrow.

Saturday 23 June 2012

Taking Action



As anyone who reads this blog will know, I feel passionately about improving education for dyslexic learners, but I also feel passionately about refugees and their treatment. Yesterday to mark the end of Refugee Week, we headed to Fremantle to attend the Welcome Fiesta and Walk Together. When it comes to social action, I'm a bit of a gunna and I think the last time I took part in a protest march was in 1989 when we marched to Parliament House as part of a teacher strike. I feel really strongly about the refugee issue, so I was determined to participate in this one.

The idea of the walk was that all people from all walks of life participate in recognition that Australians are made up of a diverse range of people, and its true, this is what makes our country so rich. Also, we are all human beings regardless of where we come from and how we arrived here. We have never talked about refugees with Riley before, but this walk was a good opportunity to explain what a refugee was, why they had to leave their country and why we had to open our country to them. I think that eight is old enough to understand this issue, and I was right and am happy to announce that my son is a humanitarian in the making.

Review - Little Creatures



On Saturdays I write a review on goods or services, today I'm reviewing Little Creatures. Little Creatures is located on Mews Road in Fremantle and is a seriously cool restaurant and brewery. The wait staff are young and hip and the buildings are multi-level warehouse style with a view to the working brewery and the harbour beyond. Even though you need to be a hipster to work here, they let anyone in to eat and drink and the every time I have been there I have seen a diverse range of people there. It is my family's favourite place to eat in Fremantle.


The weather was decent today, so we decided to meet up with a friend for lunch at Little Creatures, as always it did not disappoint. The place is hugely popular and has grown from one building to three with areas out the front, back, upstairs and downstairs to sit in, even though there is so much room, it can be difficult to find a vacant table. They do have a number of long communal tables and we choose one of these out the back, inside is very noisy and my ageing husband usually spends the whole time saying "what?". Outside is always the best option, but we usually grab any table and then go on a reconnaissance mission to find a table outside.


I ordered the steak sandwich with frites, which was very tasty. The frites here are brilliant, they are hand cut, skins and all. I'm not a big potato lover, but I love these. My husband, friend and the kids had pizza, which they enjoyed. Riley didn't actually want to eat his half of the pizza because he was too busy playing in the sandpit they have out the back. He was excited about the sticky date pudding, but didn't eat that either, I did though and it was really good!



I think that if you have visitors to Perth, or are coming to Perth Little Creatures is a must visit spot to take a break from exploring the many attractions of Fremantle. It is cool, but not pretentious, the food is generally good. There is a great vibe to the place and sitting out the back you can look over Fishing Boat Harbour while your kids play in the big sandpit. A friend told me that Lion Nathan have bought the place, but promise not to change a thing. I really hope they keep their promise because Little Creatures is a gem.

Friday 22 June 2012

I Ate an Apple


I'm pretty chuffed with myself, today I ate an apple and I ate one last Saturday too. This is pretty rare for me as when mango season ends it generally means the end of fruit eating until the next mango season . We have pretty bad eating habits in this household, it is a mainly carnivorous diet here with some starch thrown in for energy. It embarrasing to admit that we have a diet that mirrors uni students. Not the healthy uni students, but uni students who are living away from home for the first time and don't know what those round metal things in their cupboards are.

I think I am a pretty good parent, but when it comes to diet, I'm a pretty crap parent, but that is all going to change (after my husband returns with the McDonalds that we are having for dinner tonight). I know that one of the causes for our terrible diet is that we both work full-time and really hate food shopping, so each meal is a spur of the moment decision. I also know that if we did a weekly shop, we would eat better.



Before Riley came along we were very organised, trawling through "Gourmet Traveller" magazines and having a a meal plan for the week. Those were also the days when it didn't matter if you didn't eat until eight o'clock.

When Riley was younger we still tried to maintain this lifestyle, but after the 300th time that your child turns his nose up at your carefully planned and well executed meal you sort of give up and before you know it you have the eating habits of Homer Simpson. These days we are ready for bed at eight o'clock and I'm generally starving by six pm.

The times they are a changing. We are not going to eat fast food of any kind for the next month, I am going to try to remember to eat a piece of fruit every day, maybe two and we will be planning and cooking meals. This will be tough. If I can get Riley to eat my garlic lentils it will all be worthwhile.


Thursday 21 June 2012

Generational Gap


Riley has been enjoying the cartoons that I watched as a child of late, "The Road Runner", "Bugs Bunny" and "Tom and Jerry". He laughs loudly, slapping his thigh as he does so, it is pure joy to watch. He enjoys them more than I recall ever enjoying them. It is heartening to know that even now that cartoons are more sophisticated and prolific, the oldies are still goldies.

As a child I was just waiting for something new to come along, and when the above cartoons appeared they were like fillers and I knew I would have to sit through one and then hopefully be rewarded with something that I deemed better, like the movie "Ring of Bright Water". Did any of you see that film? The man with his pet otter who died in the most traumatic of circumstances at the end. That film was on at least once a year when I was a child and I would be hysterical at the end, every time.


When Riley became interested in these oldish cartoons, my husband and I were really pleased, him more so than me, because he really believes that these classics are the bomb. Me, I just like the idea of kids connecting with stuff that isn't right now.

When Riley watched his first few "Tom and Jerry" cartoons we had a discussion at the dinner table about how funny they were. Then Riley said, "Poor Jerry", both my husband and I sat up like meerkats. Poor Jerry! No way poor Jerry, we always felt sorry for Tom!


Tom is a cat, it is in his nature to want to eat a mouse. Mice are dirty rodents, Tom was trying to do his owners a favour. The things that mouse put Tom through in no way justifies the treatment that Jerry gave Tom. Riley feels similar empathy towards the road runner and we feel that the coyote was the one hard done by. The poor guy was just trying to get a meal and was generally blown up. Two animals in the wild, but one with a lot more ACME?

What is wrong with this generation when a mouse becomes a hero for hurting a domestic cat?
We sit at the dinner table just metres apart, but the distance is vast somedays.

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Girls



Riley was telling me last night that some girls were following him around at lunchtime yesterday and it was bugging him. Always quick to slip into defensive parent mode, I asked him what they were saying. I was thinking perhaps he was being bullied by them. They were saying how cute he was and that they want to marry him! Well, how can I be angry, or complain about that?

Riley's main issue is that he and a little girl from his old school decided they were going to get married one day and even though Riley does not see her anymore, he still talks about the fact that he and Kate are getting married. He speaks of her eyes shining like the stars in the sky and her skin being as smooth as chocolate, very romantic stuff.

I tried to discuss with him the possibility of being open to other romantic interests, being eight and all, but he shut me down very quickly. As far as he is concerned at this point in time, his mind is made up and his marriage is all set to go ahead with Kate one day. I find this very cute and very amusing. He is a loyal little fellow and what woman wouldn't want that as a quality in a potential husband?

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Why I Need $100,000.00

I have just finished reading Barbara Arrowsmith-Young's novel, "The Woman Who Changed Her Brain" and it was was totally inspiring and has made me realise that I need $100,000.00, minimum which is a very big sum of money and a pretty depressing thought.

Arrowsmith-Young's novel tells of her own story, a young clumsy woman with poor brain function, she describes herself as almost doltish in all areas except for a photographic memory, which was the only thing that got her through high school and into college. Her grade One teacher told her mother that Barbara had a mental block and would never learn.

At college she began to study the work of a Russian psychologist named Luria, a believer in the concept of neuroplastcity, the idea that the brain has plasicity and can change. From her studies of Luria she developed a set of cognitive exercises for her brain and she found that they worked, she changed her brain and overcame the many learning difficulties she had.

She was so successful in changing her own brain, that she formalised these cognitive activities and set up a school in Toronto for children with learning difficulties, The Arrowsmith School. Her program is now employed in 35 schools in Canada and the US, sadly not in Australia though.

The case studies in her book are truely inspiring, with children moving from more than two years below their peers academically, to on par, or above their peers. She has successfully improved working memory, handwriting issues, reading issues, visual memory, auditory processing, concentration and many other areas for over 4,000 children.

I want Riley to be one of these children. Until his many learning difficulties are addressed it is going to get harder and harder for him to keep pace with his peers (he's already two years behind so we found out at a parent/teacher meeting yesterday). The gap is only going to grow and his self esteem will plummet. This breaks my heart, because there is an intelligent little boy in there.

I figured I need around $100,000.00 dollars to take Riley to Toronto, pay the expensive annual fees and manage a basic life there for two years. I have bought a Lotto ticket for tonight's draw, I don't want the 13 million, just enough to get Riley the help he needs. I'm going to read "The Secret", maybe there is something in it. I am also really hoping that you guys will talk about this blog post with any philanthropic people, or organisations you know.

I have a dream, it is not a selfish dream and if this dream comes true I think there will be a brighter future for the the most important and special person in my world.

Riley spelling 'cash' wrong again after studying this on his spelling list for 8 days.

Sunday 17 June 2012

Dyslexia WA



We suspected that Riley had dyslexia from when he was about six years old, but were not able to get a diagnosis until he was seven, even then we had to beg. Most clinical psychologists believe that dyslexia can't be disagnosed until a child is eight. I have since learnt that indicators for dyslexia are present at an early age and that you can accurately screen for dyslexia as early as four years old.

Riley had many dyslexic indicators before we even suspected that he had dyslexia, he struggled to ride a bike, made simple phonetic errors in his speech, such as 'bisgusting', rather than 'disgusting'. We just thought these words were cute, but errors such as these are early indicators of future problems with the written word. Other early indicators include poor ball skills, mixing up which foot goes in which shoe (Riley still struggles with this), difficulty remembering nursery rhymes, clumsiness and many, many more. We can tick almost every box in the early indicator list.

What bugs me is that we could have started intervention much earlier if we had known. We are seeing an improvement in his reading thanks to his reading tutor and lots of hard work at home, but I have to wonder if the gap would be even less if we had started working with him earlier. Dyslexia WA have just opened their doors and they provide early screening for dyslexia. Early screening is common in the US and the UK, where they have dyslexia friendly schools, but is not done in Australia. The early screeing test can be used with children from four to seven years of age. It is not a diagnosis, but does give a very good indication of whether there are the early markers for dyslexia which then leads to much earlier support and intervention for a dyslexic child.

I wish this was around when Riley was younger, we would certainly have got Riley screened.

Friday 15 June 2012

Review - Origin Energy

Image source greenenergyblog.com.au

On Saturdays I write a review on goods or services, today I'm reviewing Origin Energy's solar power service. I try to be as green as I can. I recycle, use Enjo cleaning products, don't use my clothes dryer and believe in harnessing the sun's energy for my power.

Encouraged by reports from friends and family of $10 power bills and the thought of being a little greener, we decided to get solar panels and chose Origin energy as our provider. The result has been less than spectacular.

Ideally solar panels should be installed on the North facing roof, the installers told us that they would not all fit on our Nothern roof, but they would put them on the West roof and this would only affect the panel's effectiveness by 10%. I eagerly awaited our first power bills post installation and was stunned to see that the bill was pretty much identical to the bill for that period the last year.

Solar panels are quite an expensive investment for your avergage family, so I was a little upset by the lack of return we were seeing from them. After many attempts to speak to someone at Origin about our issue and getting nowhere, I posted a comment about how disappointed I was on Twitter and some-one from Origin phoned me the next day. I read out all of the readings on our solar meter and she agreed, the panels were not working effectively and arranged for the panels to be placed on frames so they would get more sun.

Nearly 9 months on and I have worked out that our power bills are on average, $10 less than they were before the panels. I live in Perth, we get a lot of sun, even in winter. Something is not right with these panels. I have sent Origin numerous emails about this issue and have received no answer. I can't contact the one person at Origin who was helpful because her number was always blocked.

What I want now is form them to remove the panels and refund my money, but they never reply to these requests either. I still want solar panels, but will be shopping around for a company with better customer service than Origin Energy.

The Storm That Wasn't





Perth Storm, We will Rebuild via M. Parcej

We of Perth are very lucky with our climate, unlike our Eastern neighbours we don't seem to have floods and unlike our northern neighbours we very rarely see a cylclone down this way. We did have some pretty crazy weather earlier this week, a cylone apparently. There were a few northern suburbs that had a tordedo and on Tuesday night all of Perth and the South West was on high alert and told that the storm of the century was on its way.

Weather in Perth is normally mild, the news of the storm of the century put all residents on high alert. People were posting photos of the weather radar on facebook, twitter and facebook were all trending Perth storm. The radio stations were abuzz with the storm of the century.

The storm passed without too much damage. I'm not saying that some people's lives and homes were not impacted on. I know that some suburbs were without power for more than two days, and some roofs were lost, some fences too, and there were lots of trees down and branches scattered, but on the whole Perth fared pretty well against the storm of the century.

There are some very funny pictures circulating on facebook regarding the storm, and 'Perth Storm, We Will Rebuild' was trending for a while on facebook and twitter. I think these photos are hilarious and it was clever of people to take them and post them. What I worry about is whether as a community, we Western Australians are prepared if we do get the storm, or disaster of the century. I'm thinking we are not.

There are some Western Australians who are partially ready for the acopalyse like the Belgian Patrick Geryl, but most of us are not and we really do not have the infrastructure to cope with a major weather disater. Unlike cities to the east of us we are very islolated, the most isolated capital city in the world even. It would take a long time for other Australian cities come to the aid of Western Australia.

I sincerely hope that what the South West of Australia saw last week was the storm of the century, but I'm buying a torch just in case it wasn't.


Thursday 14 June 2012

Dyslexia Friendly Schools

This is the face that we see almost daily when we tell Riley it is time to do his reading. I don't blame him, because it is really hard for him. Dyslexia is tough.


The UK, USA and New Zealand have all embraced the concept of dyslexia friendly schools. It is not such a hard thing to do and is based on the belief that “changing practice to accommodate dyslexic individuals often results in good practice for everyone”.

The British Dyslexia Association have a produced a Dyslexia Friendly School's Information Pack and the strategies and practices outlined just seem like good teaching practice to me. They require teachers to identify and repsond to the diverse needs of their students and to participate in relevant professional development. They demand excellence and have a zero tolerance of failure. They believe that if a student doesn't learn the way that they teach, then teachers should teach the way students learn.

The words in my mind are not the same as the words in my
hand, or at least my pen.
William Dyslexia Friendly School's Information Pack

They outline some practical approaches such as sitting a dyslexic child next to a well motivated non dyslexic student so that they can work as study buddies, teaching continuous cursive writing (dyslexic kids make fewer mistakes this way and don't lose their place) and not getting a dyslexic child to read aloud in class.

Using reader friendly fonts such as Verdana, Comic Sans or Dyslexie, the new font developed to aid dyslexic readers, will benefit not only the dyslexic readers, but all children in the classroom.

Learning should be multisensory, providing children with lots of different ways to learn, cement and master knowledge.

There is so much assistive technology available to help a dyslexic reader and it is hard to believe that in a world where most schools have laptops, or iPads available for student use, that schools can't afford to purchase this technology.

There are many, many more things that a school can implement to assist dyslexic children, the British Dyslexia Association and The New Zealand 4 Dyslexia sites are brilliant for lots of ideas.

What I really do not get is why it is taking Australian governments so long to see that there is a real geniune need for dyslexia friendly schools. The only real reason I can think of for the delay is that by introducing dyslexia friendly schools, each govenment would have to acknowledge that dyslexia is an actual learning disability. Believe me, when I see Riley's very sad face and the way that he struggles to read I have no doubt that dyslexia is a very real learning disability.

If you haven't signed the petition to get dyslexia recognised as a learning disability in WA, please do, the link is below. If you don't live in WA, why not start your own petition.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-dyslexia-as-a-recognised-learning-disability-in.html

Tuesday 12 June 2012

You're not Special

Worth a read

David McCullough Jr.’s commencement address: You’re Not Special

By David McCullough Jr.
Thursday, June 7, 2012 -
Dr. Wong, Dr. Keough, Mrs. Novogroski, Ms. Curran, members of the board of education, family and friends of the graduates, ladies and gentlemen of the Wellesley High School class of 2012, for the privilege of speaking to you this afternoon, I am honored and grateful. Thank you.

So here we are... commencement... life’s great forward-looking ceremony. (And don’t say, “What about weddings?” Weddings are one-sided and insufficiently effective. Weddings are bride-centric pageantry. Other than conceding to a list of unreasonable demands, the groom just stands there. No stately, hey-everybody-look-at-me procession. No being given away. No identity-changing pronouncement. And can you imagine a television show dedicated to watching guys try on tuxedos? Their fathers sitting there misty-eyed with joy and disbelief, their brothers lurking in the corner muttering with envy. Left to men, weddings would be, after limits-testing procrastination, spontaneous, almost inadvertent... during halftime... on the way to the refrigerator. And then there’s the frequency of failure: statistics tell us half of you will get divorced. A winning percentage like that’ll get you last place in the American League East. The Baltimore Orioles do better than weddings.)
 
But this ceremony... commencement... a commencement works every time. From this day forward... truly... in sickness and in health, through financial fiascos, through midlife crises and passably attractive sales reps at trade shows in Cincinnati, through diminishing tolerance for annoyingness, through every difference, irreconcilable and otherwise, you will stay forever graduated from high school, you and your diploma as one, ‘til death do you part.

No, commencement is life’s great ceremonial beginning, with its own attendant and highly appropriate symbolism. Fitting, for example, for this auspicious rite of passage, is where we find ourselves this afternoon, the venue. Normally, I avoid cliches like the plague, wouldn’t touch them with a ten-foot pole, but here we are on a literal level playing field. That matters. That says something. And your ceremonial costume... shapeless, uniform, one-size-fits-all. Whether male or female, tall or short, scholar or slacker, spray-tanned prom queen or intergalactic X-Box assassin, each of you is dressed, you’ll notice, exactly the same. And your diploma... but for your name, exactly the same. All of this is as it should be, because none of you is special.

You are not special. You are not exceptional.

Contrary to what your u9 soccer trophy suggests, your glowing seventh grade report card, despite every assurance of a certain corpulent purple dinosaur, that nice Mister Rogers and your batty Aunt Sylvia, no matter how often your maternal caped crusader has swooped in to save you... you’re nothing special.
Yes, you’ve been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble-wrapped. Yes, capable adults with other things to do have held you, kissed you, fed you, wiped your mouth, wiped your bottom, trained you, taught you, tutored you, coached you, listened to you, counseled you, encouraged you, consoled you and encouraged you again. You’ve been nudged, cajoled, wheedled and implored. You’ve been feted and fawned over and called sweetie pie. Yes, you have. And, certainly, we’ve been to your games, your plays, your recitals, your science fairs. Absolutely, smiles ignite when you walk into a room, and hundreds gasp with delight at your every tweet. Why, maybe you’ve even had your picture in the Townsman! And now you’ve conquered high school... and, indisputably, here we all have gathered for you, the pride and joy of this fine community, the first to emerge from that magnificent new building...But do not get the idea you’re anything special. Because you’re not.

The empirical evidence is everywhere, numbers even an English teacher can’t ignore. Newton, Natick, Nee... I am allowed to say Needham, yes? ...that has to be two thousand high school graduates right there, give or take, and that’s just the neighborhood Ns. Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That’s 37,000 valedictorians... 37,000 class presidents... 92,000 harmonizing altos... 340,000 swaggering jocks... 2,185,967 pairs of Uggs.

But why limit ourselves to high school? After all, you’re leaving it. So think about this: even if you’re one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you. Imagine standing somewhere over there on Washington Street on Marathon Monday and watching sixty-eight hundred yous go running by. And consider for a moment the bigger picture: your planet, I’ll remind you, is not the center of its solar system, your solar system is not the center of its galaxy, your galaxy is not the center of the universe. In fact, astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center; therefore, you cannot be it. Neither can Donald Trump... which someone should tell him... although that hair is quite a phenomenon.

“But, Dave,” you cry, “Walt Whitman tells me I’m my own version of perfection! Epictetus tells me I have the spark of Zeus!” And I don’t disagree. So that makes 6.8 billion examples of perfection, 6.8 billion sparks of Zeus. You see, if everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless. In our unspoken but not so subtle Darwinian competition with one another–which springs, I think, from our fear of our own insignificance, a subset of our dread of mortality — we have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement. We have come to see them as the point — and we’re happy to compromise standards, or ignore reality, if we suspect that’s the quickest way, or only way, to have something to put on the mantelpiece, something to pose with, crow about, something with which to leverage ourselves into a better spot on the social totem pole. No longer is it how you play the game, no longer is it even whether you win or lose, or learn or grow, or enjoy yourself doing it... Now it’s “So what does this get me?” As a consequence, we cheapen worthy endeavors, and building a Guatemalan medical clinic becomes more about the application to Bowdoin than the well-being of Guatemalans. It’s an epidemic — and in its way, not even dear old Wellesley High is immune... one of the best of the 37,000 nationwide, Wellesley High School... where good is no longer good enough, where a B is the new C, and the midlevel curriculum is called Advanced College Placement. And I hope you caught me when I said “one of the best.” I said “one of the best” so we can feel better about ourselves, so we can bask in a little easy distinction, however vague and unverifiable, and count ourselves among the elite, whoever they might be, and enjoy a perceived leg up on the perceived competition. But the phrase defies logic. By definition there can be only one best. You’re it or you’re not.

If you’ve learned anything in your years here I hope it’s that education should be for, rather than material advantage, the exhilaration of learning. You’ve learned, too, I hope, as Sophocles assured us, that wisdom is the chief element of happiness. (Second is ice cream... just an fyi) I also hope you’ve learned enough to recognize how little you know... how little you know now... at the moment... for today is just the beginning. It’s where you go from here that matters.

As you commence, then, and before you scatter to the winds, I urge you to do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance. Don’t bother with work you don’t believe in any more than you would a spouse you’re not crazy about, lest you too find yourself on the wrong side of a Baltimore Orioles comparison. Resist the easy comforts of complacency, the specious glitter of materialism, the narcotic paralysis of self-satisfaction. Be worthy of your advantages. And read... read all the time... read as a matter of principle, as a matter of self-respect. Read as a nourishing staple of life. Develop and protect a moral sensibility and demonstrate the character to apply it. Dream big. Work hard. Think for yourself. Love everything you love, everyone you love, with all your might. And do so, please, with a sense of urgency, for every tick of the clock subtracts from fewer and fewer; and as surely as there are commencements there are cessations, and you’ll be in no condition to enjoy the ceremony attendant to that eventuality no matter how delightful the afternoon.

The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life, is an achievement, not something that will fall into your lap because you’re a nice person or mommy ordered it from the caterer. You’ll note the founding fathers took pains to secure your inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness–quite an active verb, “pursuit”–which leaves, I should think, little time for lying around watching parrots rollerskate on Youtube. The first President Roosevelt, the old rough rider, advocated the strenuous life. Mr. Thoreau wanted to drive life into a corner, to live deep and suck out all the marrow. The poet Mary Oliver tells us to row, row into the swirl and roil. Locally, someone... I forget who... from time to time encourages young scholars to carpe the heck out of the diem. The point is the same: get busy, have at it. Don’t wait for inspiration or passion to find you. Get up, get out, explore, find it yourself, and grab hold with both hands. (Now, before you dash off and get your YOLO tattoo, let me point out the illogic of that trendy little expression–because you can and should live not merely once, but every day of your life. Rather than You Only Live Once, it should be You Live Only Once... but because YLOO doesn’t have the same ring, we shrug and decide it doesn’t matter.)

Because everyone is.
Congratulations. Good luck. Make for yourselves, please, for your sake and for ours, extraordinary lives.
None of this day-seizing, though, this YLOOing, should be interpreted as license for self-indulgence. Like accolades ought to be, the fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct. It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things.

Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion–and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special.

Because everyone is.

Congratulations. Good luck. Make for yourselves, please, for your sake and for ours, extraordinary lives.

The End of the World as we Know it?


I remembered this morning that the world is meant to end on the 21st of December this year. This is based on the the Mayan Calendar, which it seems comes to and end on this date. Some people also believe that the ancient Egyptians predicted this date as the end of the world and believe that because NASA have predicted an increase in sunspots and sunflares, this surely points to the end of the world as we know it.

In 2008 a Belgian guy named Patrick Geryl quit his job to set up a community of like minded people to prepare for the end of the world as we know it. He has an 11 page list of what the community need and believes nothing on Earth (save his community?) will be left. Considering that was four years ago, I imagine he and his like minded friends will be quite prepared by this stage.

The Age newspaper article, The End of the World is coming, but Christmas is not, reported that 1 in 10 Australians also believe that the world will end in 2012. I, however, am not in that number. I really do not think the world will end this year. I think, like all calendars, that the Mayan one will just start again.

I just can't see why the world would end. I think if a giant asteroid was heading our way, we would probably know about it by now and if not a giant asteroid, then the only other real threat I can imagine is a nuclear war. Even if there was a nuclear war, I don't think our whole world would be destroyed, maybe just some countries, which would be awful, but I think our world and many people would survive.

I choose to be optimistic about this prediction, but just incase, I'm not going to buy my Christmas presents until after the 22nd of December. I also have a friend who has stockpiled, a little like Patrick Geryl, and I know where she lives.


Monday 11 June 2012

From Now On, I'm Teflon

When I started my blog a friend warned me that I would get criticism, well it happened today.

The message I received today about my blog from a girl I went to high school was nasty and judgemental. I was and am really hurt by what she wrote, including, that it is good that Riley can't read, so he can't read my blog and that I should stop writing about him and spend more time with him.

I don't know why I started writing about my life with Riley, but I really enjoy it and talk to him about what I am writing and we do spend lots of time together doing stuff.

For me writing about my life is a way for me to unpack what is happening, to reflect on what has happened and to connect with others who have similar stories to tell.

I hope her natsy comment will be the last, but if not, it will be the last one that I let hurt me.

Saturday 9 June 2012

Only Child Blues

As a parent I am often asked if I am going to have another baby and for a while we might have, but for a number of reasons we don't. Riley is an only child and most of the time he is very happy. There are lots of times when he is lonely though. 


The other week, after visiting a friend and her baby he asked again, "Can I please have a brother?". He then also asked me if it was true that hawks brought babies (I think he meant storks) or if we could get a baby from India (I don't know where he got that one from). It breaks my heart when he asks me this question. Today we had lunch with the world's longest eyebrow title holder, who is going to India next January, and he asked him to bring him back a baby brother.

I have a few friends who are only children and all of them have said that they loved being an only child and although there were times of loneliness they were happy overall. He is too young to realise that he get's things and opportunities that he wouldn't if we had two children, or more. Even if we did have more than one, I know life would still be good, so the guilt is huge.

I have no idea what he will think when he grows up, but I hope that he will look back happily on his single child upbringing and have a relationship with his older cousins and marry some-one with lots of brothers and sisters.

Friday 8 June 2012

Review - Maths Online

On Saturdays I write a review on goods or services, today I'm reviewing Maths Online. Maths was one of the learning areas in the first phase of the National Curriculum and Maths Online markets itself as an online maths tutor and is linked to the National Curriculum for maths. Anyone who has ever seen Mathletics or the Khan Academy will be familiar with the concept of online tutoring.My husband and I are pretty hopeless at Maths, so we are happy to pay for a service that supports Riley in this area.

The Khan Academy is free and has a short lesson where the concept is explained on a blackboard, Maths online do the same thing, but the graphics are less cluttered and the teacher is an Australian. Unlike the Khan Academy, Maths Online has all of its lessons linked to the Mathematic strands of the curriculum and levelled from Kindergarden to Year 12. Each lesson explains a mathematical concept, shows the working out and provides a few examples and only lasts for a few minutes. Students then move on the the questions for that concept. You can skip the lesson all together if you like, or watch it over again. I like it more than Mathletics because of the lesson feature.

There are lots of things Riley hates having to do for homework, but he doesn't mind his Maths Online time 

You can buy an annual, six monthly, or month subscription. A year costs $197, which is pretty affordable. Many schools subscribe to Mathletics, but I think in time that Maths Online will probably become the prefered option for schools.



$197

The Hair Issue


Riley has pretty long hair for a boy, this was born first from lazy parenting, and now it looks 'cool'. Most people over the age of 50 have an issue with Riley's hair, this includes my husband. I think his hair looks nice, when he brushes it, which is not often enough. Riley loves his hair, and is very opossed to getting it cut.

I see the Mahjong Nazi a few times a week, and every time I see her, without fail, she either asks, "When are you going to cut his hair", or tells me,"You really need to cut his hair". Every  single time. My husband uses threats of getting his hair cut as a conseqence, "If you don't do the right thing, I'll take you to the barber". I probably do deserve worst parent of the year award for not arranging a haircut, but I'm on team Riley and think it looks nice, most of the time.

What I don't get is the fact that he has such little regard for the maintenance of his hair. If that was my hair, I'd be brushing it all the time, because it really is such lovely hair. Is there a personal grooming gene? If so Riley does not have it. He constantly needs to be reminded to brush his hair and teeth and would go for weeks without a shower if not reminded. It's not that he is dirty, or opposed to any of these elements of personal grooming, it's just that the thought of these things do not cross his mind, ever, without us reminding him.

I know that when he goes to the high school he's down for he will have to cut it, but until then
I am content to remind him every day to brush his hair, maybe after a few more years, fingers crossed, it will become a habit.

Thursday 7 June 2012

Parenting: Child vs Adult


Riley and I have very different ideas about parenting, and tonight, I'm afraid to say, I've let him down again.

Riley believes that you should be able to start watching a movie at 7.15 on a week night, I do not.

Riley believes that a child should be able to have a new puppy every year, I do not.

Riley thinks that McDonalds should be eaten daily, I do not.

Riley believes that lollies are as important as fruit and vegetables (actually more important), again, I don't agree.

Tonight, there were tears before bedtime as I'm just not living up to his expectations of a parent. I really hope I am around when he has children so I can nod sagely and say, "I told you so".

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Lost Treasures



I was searching madly for an electronic cigarette that I bought last year, but haven't really used. Yes, I am a filthy smoker, as my dad would say, but am finally committed to really giving up for good. As I searched through every hand bag and junk space in my house (which are many), I got lots of pleasant little suprises that I had forgotten I owned.

I found:
  • Two nearly new tubes of Jurlique hand cream;
  • A $150 voucher to a local shopping complex;
  • A jumper from Country Road that I bought a few months ago, but never removed from the bag;
  • A $50 book voucher; and
  • A candle from MOR.
What an awesome haul! I also found the electronic cigarette, which is being charged, so expect a few grumpy posts over the next week.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back


Three steps forward, two steps back. That's how I'm feeling with Riley's schooling at the moment. Riley is making great progress with his Dyslexia SPELD reading tutor, but I was disheartened to see the book that was sent home for his reading.


Schooling for a dyslexic child is very stressful, for the child and their parents. I know of other parents of dyslexic children who have been to over five schools, home school, or have moved to the US so that their child could thrive. Sadly, we don't have the financial resources to move countries, or home school, but if we did, we would. We moved Riley from his last school because after repeated meetings they still could not offer an appropriate classroom for him. We and Riley are happy with his new school, except for the level of reading he is being given.

I got some criticism about a previous post where I talked about the fact that we had moved schools. Parents do not make these decisions lightly, it is a long process of meetings and meetings and sleepless nights, but a parent does know what is best for their child and they recognise an environment where their child's talents are not valued.

Riley's class are hosting the assembly tomorrow. Riley has his first ever speaking part. Myself, my husband and the Mahjong Nazi are really excited. For me, this is evidence that the teacher can actually see that Riley is a bright capable boy. We have a meeting with her next week and I am sure that she will be heartened to see what Riley can actually read.

I have a good feeling about this school and will do whatever I can to work with them to help my child succeed, but if that does not happen, I will have no qualms about moving him, again.

Parents should not have to move to the US, or home school, or move from school to school to get a specific learning disabilty dealt with appropriately. The sooner dyslexia is recognised as a learning disability the better for all future Australians.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-dyslexia-as-a-recognised-learning-disability-in.html


Monday 4 June 2012

When Enough is Not Enough



We went to a lovely park for a picnic today, Riley had an awesome time, but when he failed to catch any tadpoles this was the conversation we drove home having.

Riley: Can we please go to the pet store and get a new pet?
Me: We don't buy pet's from pet stores.
Riley: I was thinking a mynah bird.
Me: No.
Riley: The dog was telling me that he is quite lonely and would love some company, he asked for a puppy.
Me: No.
Riley: The cat said he would be less grumpy if he had a kitten like the one X has.
Me: No
Riley: That's not fair, I will pay for it myself, I have a bag of money.
Me: Riley, sorry, but your bag of money is not enough to buy a new pet.
Riley: It is if we go to an animal shelter, which is what I meant.
Me: No.
Riley: You haven't seen my bag of money, there is more there than you think.
Me: No.

Silence

Riley: Maybe a fish?
Me: No!

We had to stop at a petrol station to get some milk.

Riley: Cool! Look at these sunglasses, can I get them please?
Me: No.
Riley: Look at these torches can I please get a torch? We need a torch, we don't have a torch.
Me: No.

Last leg home.

Riley: Can we go to X's house?
Me: No.
Riley: Can we go to Y's house?
Me: No.
Riley: Can we go to Z's house?
Me: No!



Friday 1 June 2012

Review - The Couture Portrait

On Saturdays I write a review on goods or services, today I'm reviewing The Couture Portrait. Popular Perth photograher, Jen Regan from Anna Rose Photography, has created a the most beautiful business in The Couture Portrait, where she promises "extravagantly beautiful portraits". She promises her photos will be the most beautiful portraits that you have ever owned and having sat for Jen I can attest to the truth of this statement..

Booking a session with The Couture Portait is an experience, the cost includes professional hair and make up then a sitting in Jen's residential studio, where the light is perfect. I personally hate having my photo taken, but Jen has a real talent for putting you at ease and before I knew it I was laughing and the whole process felt very natural.

Jen has done her research and knows how to hide your worst bits and bring out your best. I was a little uncomfortable about the photos as I was not at a weight I was happy with, but as Jen says on the website, "it's about finding your inner beauty right now". That is such a true statement, especially for women, we are so critical of our bodies and how we look, if we waited until we felt 100% happy with our looks we would probably never have a photo taken in our lives.

We've all seen those glamour photos where the person is hardly recognisable after the extreme makeover and soft focus lens, but Jen's photos are not like that. They are glamourous, but you still look like yourself.

These photos are really special to me, and I think as women, we should all spoil ourselves occasionally.



Godparents

We have not baptised Riley, but a few years ago we realised that we did need to have some sort of plan in case both of us die. Hopefully Riley will not end up an untimely orphan, but if he does, we know that we have picked the best people in the world to bring him up, his unofficial godparents. My husband has known this couple since his early 20s, I've known them for the 13 years of my marriage and we all love them and their children.

We probably only see each other about 10 times a year, but each time we catch up it is like putting on a comfy pair of shoes, it just seems right. They are funny and clever, supportive and interesting. If some tragedy does occur, I know that Riley will have the best life immaginable under the circumstances. He will also see a lot more of the world as they are richer and travel further than Bali. He will also eat well, as they have one of the best fish and chips stores in Perth, Lures, my favourite is the grilled dhufish, Riley is more partial to the prawns.


Fingers crossed that we both don't meet our maker any time soon, but if that does happen the best gift I can give Riley is the promise of a great pair of unofficial godparents.