random Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Mar 20 2011

The Sunday paper

It’s Sunday so I’ll keep this brief.

As usual, as I do every Sunday, I’m reading the newspaper.

I don’t like our local paper much, but I buy it for the local section. After reading the local stories, I scan the national news to see if anything has changed (as the publisher often repeats stories throughout the week – explaining why I don’t like it very much).

I also buy it for the ads, but that’s another post.

Two things strike me today as I read.

The first is the number of stories recently about downsizing. Everyone is doing it. Decluttering. Sorting and donating. Selling and throwing away. Joining Freecycle*. I’ve been doing it, too. I’m happy to read these stories, knowing for once in my life, I am actually in fashion.

The second is the number of stories about schools. And none of them -– not one, not today anyway — are good stories, either.

A boy suspended for wearing his hair too long. In New Orleans, a city characterized for dubious decision making, flamboyant dress, and less than conformist behavior already. A city where there are already plenty of other things to worry about. I happen to like boys in short hair and I completely agree that schools need a dress code – even a uniform policy in many cases. Did I mention the boy is a Native American who grew his hair out as a religious and cultural observance?

A girl with a peanut allergy so severe it could actually start to kill her with one strong whiff. A girl’s parents so worried about her exposure to peanuts in school that they hired a peanut-sniffing dog to check out her classroom. A girl who eats lunch alone and whose classmates are sent to the restroom for hand-washing and gargling twice a day, so that she can avoid contact with the possible odor of the deadly nuts. A situation where other classroom parents are complaining because their children are being short-changed a minimum of 40 minutes per day since the peanut cleansing routine is so time consuming.

And then there are teachers on every page, it seems. There are teachers defending their right to teach. Teachers defending their requests for raises. Teachers having to explain to the ignorant that there is much more to classroom teaching than just delivering information. Teachers refusing to go to work until the settling of union disputes. And citizens, who have obviously never spent a day in a public school classroom in the last twenty years, asserting that teachers have cushy jobs with summers off. And then, people complaining on one page about the abysmal state of our nation’s system of public education then offering suggestions for balancing budgets by cutting dozens school teachers on another.

I could go on, but it is Sunday after all. I’m spending time with my family which means that I’m planning to soak up as much of every one of them as I can. Plus, we watched the movie, “Freedom Writers” again last night. That movie always gets us thinking…and makes us especially happy to have the freedom to homeschool and be together each day.

Here’s wishing a great day off to you, too.

*http://freecycle.com/

Mar 15 2011

Homeschool moms

I remember going to my first homeschooling conference more years ago than I am willing to admit. As my rolling duffels and I waddled awkwardly across the hotel lobby, I couldn’t help but notice the swarms of impeccably dressed women sipping white wines and expensive coffees in the nearby lounge. Each had hair directly out of the salon and purses that I imagined must have cost more than my car. Some carried leather totes too, while others pulled croc or tapestry or signature valises. Many had canvas bags with girly-logos, eye-lash trim, toile and tassels.

So these were the homeschool moms.

Fast forward a few minutes later as I entered the exhibit hall. There, I saw women in pony-tails, no makeup, in comfortable shoes. I saw women holding 3, 4 and 5 hands at once. There were women in nursing bras badly hidden under roomy t-shirts, and some wearing children both front and back. I saw women with gray hairs, women in scarves, women with too-short bangs [self-inflicted hair cuts], and women with hair to the ground.

I saw women juggling teacher carts and baby strollers at the same time, often with a potty or a lunch cooler inside one. These were women with a purpose, women with focus, women on a mission, women who exuded confidence and determination with every step.

But they were also women with eyes all around their heads it seemed, because they never seemed to lose sight of the many little people toddling all around them. And they did it with ease, with grace, gliding up and down the aisles effortlessly because it seemed the most natural thing in the world.

I saw women like me there, too. Differently dressed, slightly better coiffed, and there with fewer children and sometimes with no children at all. And though they stood out just a little bit more than the rest (as I thought I did), these other women still gave off the same vibe as the others…something that cannot be put into words — something you can only experience for yourself.

There were men there, too. Husbands and fathers I assumed. Some looked almost too young to be fathers (big brothers?) and some old enough to look like grandfathers. The homeschooling dads. Neat, quiet, and responsible, controlled. But it was really the women I watched because their peacefulness put me very much at ease. I felt a warmth, a gentleness, a sense of calm radiating in their aura as I walked in their wake.

And I felt very much at home.

So these were the homeschooling moms.

And even though my Northeastern college professor self may have looked a bit more like the women in the lobby, I felt much more comfortable with the women in the exhibit hall.

And I was relieved by that.

Homeschool moms can do that to you.

That was a long time ago. Times have changed. Homeschooling has changed. And many of the moms have changed, too.

But I still like them best.

SHARE it: Image: Freedigital

Feb 23 2011

Down time

I recently met a mom who told me about her children and their homeschooling. She reported that, “all of their waking hours” were spent doing book work. It was her belief that the children should be at the table completing schoolwork all day long. I saw the dining room table and, in fact, it appears that is what they did.

Because homeschooling is all about what parents deem best for their own kids, you can think what you want, but in the end, it is up to each family to do what they do.

In comparison, in my home, I always tried to make sure that my children had adequate “down time”. While we had (and still have) a very rigorous homeschooling schedule, I made sure to schedule time off on a regular basis.

As someone who needs time to myself, I suppose it was instinctive to make sure that my children had time off as well. (Now, we know that the literature says that children need personal space and time for play, too.) In fact, as they were growing up, I tried to enforce an informal rule that I established about leaving the house for activities – that is, one busy day out meant that the next day was spent quietly at home. This worked well for me, as I was always able to get things done at home on alternate days. Plus, my children had time to read, play, go outside, or whatever it is they were unable to do on days that we spent driving and schooling all over town in the van.

While this may not work for everyone, it is just what I did. Other families may adopt different schedules and create time off in other ways. It’s just something to think about.

During down time, children do many things. Homeschooled kids in particular seem to find many clever uses for their time. It isn’t always about watching televison and playing video games, although that happens (in my home) too. But it is often about other things, as well.

For example, when my children have time off they sometimes do things like this:

They also like to do this:

Sometimes, they try this:

And other times, they do this:

And even this:

I don’t consider this time wasted. In fact, if this kind of thing occurs in your home, you may in all good conscience award homeschooling hours for these kinds of activities. I do.

Now, it’s my turn to ask…Do your children have down time on school days? If so, what do they like to during time off?

Feb 15 2011

More favorite things

I am really going to miss watching Oprah next year. My satellite plan doesn’t give me access to the O.W.N. network and I only get to read her glorious magazine in the grocery check-out line. And though I don’t actually watch the show every day, just knowing she is available every day at 4:00 and 9:00 pm to solve mine and the world’s problems has become a very comforting part of my day.

To keep Oprah alive in my heart and on my blog, at least until the end of her last season, I have purposed to post as many of my “favorite things” here as possible. At least, until her daytime television show has ended, or I have run out of favorites, whichever comes first.

In my second installment, I present my next 5 favorites, in no particular order (if you want to see any of my previous favs, just click on the “I Love” tag at the end of this post). Enjoy.

These vintage sweats from Victoria’s Secret have got to be the most comfortable at-home pants available. Though I don’t like the price tag and I don’t care for the writing that inevitably appears either down one leg or on the back end, I never wear these out of the house and truly believe that the scrumptious feel of the terry-like fleece is more than worth the need to wear one of my husband’s oversized t-shirts in order to cover up the writing on the backside. I buy them only in black, but they come in many pretty colors.

As an organization nut, I am always on the lookout for products that simplify my life and make things look neater, too. That’s why I love these Huggable Hangers by Joy Mangano. You can buy them online or through HSN; and, you’ll occasionally find them in stores, too. These babies have literally transformed my life and I will never go back to plastic or wire hangers again!

A few years ago, I discovered this Emeril product at a local grocer and bought it totally on impulse. Within two uses, I was completely hooked. It tastes great on just about anything you sprinkle it on and makes the absolute best Thanksgiving turkey you’ll ever taste. Don’t go light on this stuff – dump it on in large heaps and let it cook a good, long time. Yum.

Now, I wouldn’t be a french cook if I didn’t own one of these. But despite my heritage and the shame cast upon me if I didn’t have one, this is the kind of gadget I would go out and buy for myself anyway. The original Mouli Grater and this Mouli cheese grater are staples in any good cook’s kitchen. It shreds hard cheeses with very little effort into perfect little strands every time, plus it is a heck of a lot of fun for kids who like to help in the kitchen.

Finally, what can I say about my Brother P-Touch that Martha Stewart hasn’t already said before? There isn’t a challenge that this little guy isn’t up to tackling and it’s the kind of thing that can completely change your perspective on organization, labeling and storage (if you let it). Refills are expensive, but so worth it. I have owned another brand but swear by the P-Touch…to me, it’s far better than the others.

[A final note: I liberated each of these images directly from the manufacturer’s web sites. In advance, I’d just like to say thanks to these good folks for forgiving the fact that I didn’t ask permission to borrow their images (which I justified because I am providing them free advertising). Please don’t tell.]

Feb 11 2011

What do practical moms want? (more favorites)

It’s Valentine’s Day and though I don’t consider it a major holiday or anything extraordinarily special, I always think it’s nice to celebrate by sharing a little extra love and baking something heart-shaped every February 14. I’ll be making heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast this year accompanied by strawberry smoothies. I’m sure I will enjoy the day just as much as anyone else.

But as I look through the newspapers and watch the television commercials at this time of year, I am always amazed at the growing number of silly gifts and useless merchandise that is peddled in honor of Valentines Day. Jewelry, I understand, particularly if there is an engagement, wedding or anniversary to be celebrated somewhere in the near future. Flowers I get, too. Though they don’t last and may cost a fortune, it can be awfully nice to be remembered with a burst of scent and color during this otherwise dreary time of year.

But what about the other gifts? Just because it’s either red or pink doesn’t mean it’s a suitable gift for anyone, no matter what time of year – does it? I admit I ask myself every year who all of these people are who are purchasing pink satin boxers, fluffy heart-shaped slippers, and entire place mat and napkin sets bearing the words, “Be Mine”. Is it really important to hang Valentine-themed fingertip towels in the powder room or switch out all of the household candles to glittery red ones just for this one day? And what of the ridiculously overpriced candy boxes designed to delight children, but only end in disappointment when they realize that there are only 3 individual chocolate pieces inside?

I don’t mean to sound grinchy, as I enjoy a box of milk chocolate cremes as much as the next person (and I can tell you the contents of each piece of candy without even looking at the cheat-sheet under the lid!), but I am here to say, on behalf of all of the women whose men love them enough to shop on Valentines Day – enough is enough.

Barring a beautiful pair of diamond/ruby earrings that I received several years ago and will treasure forever, here are some of the best gifts that this practical mom has ever received:

(Mother’s Day, 2006)

(Just Because, 2007)

(Birthday, 2009)

(Stocking stuffer, 2010)

In between times, I have received many lovely gifts ranging from spa certificates, dinners out, jewelry pieces, even heart-shaped boxes of my favorite chocolate cremes. But when I look back at the practicality of these gifts and how they have served me as a busy, working homeschooling mom, it’s the other gifts I treasure most.

Weird, right? That’s the practical mom syndrome, I suppose. When faced with making choices between luxuries and things that may enhance, streamline or otherwise improve the home-life, which do YOU think practical moms want most?