Sad Christmas

Instead of lavishing gifts on our family and friends, things they don't really need or want, give to someone really in need.
Love to all of you and Merry Christmas.

We give our children life, they give us lanyards

Sad, Angry and a Bit Defeated

The "Governator" signed the California state budget and has made massive cuts to child care programs for low income families. Balancing the budget on the backs of children and those with little means is not the American way. What is happening to this country? Prisons get all the money they need, while education at all levels is being cut to the bone.

Fall

How exciting the last week has been. I have a new office and our ECE classroom has also moved to the recently renovated Nursing building. I have two new groups of students, who are lovely and excited to begin this journey. Everything is wonderful. I still have a stack of books on my nightstand and am enjoying "Tall Grass" by Sandra Dallas. Belated happy birthday to my dear Cassandra, miss you girl.

Where have I been?

Working too hard, moving and getting settled. I have begun reading again and will post my summer list soon. What are you all reading this summer? Last summer I blew through the Sookie Stackhouse books. Now I am looking for some light reading by the pool. I have a copy of The Faculty Club ready to go. I have been reading David Sedaris' books and love him. I also have The Philosophical Baby ready for a read. Suggestions?

Learning and the Brain Conference

I had a great time in San Francisco with my friend and collegue Rachel. Besides enjoying downtown SF, I learned tons at the conference. So much that I am trying to absorb and comment on. But, in the meantime, I met a professor from Arizona State, Dr. Jill Stamm. We not only attended her presentation, but also had the opportunity to have lunch with her. She wrote an excellent book that I purchased and sent to my sister in law. Anyone who is pregnant and looking for a great book that synthesizes the research on brain development and learning for infants and toddlers should pick it up. Here is the link to her book:
http://www.newdirectionsinstitute.org/documents/BrightfromtheStart.pdf.
copy and paste the link into your browser to see her institute and book.

I don't understand

Today I was in line waiting to check out at Target. There was a family behind me; mom, dad, a toddler in the cart and a baby that dad was holding. It was dinner time and the toddler was whining to be picked up out of the cart. Mom just kept telling him no and telling him that he could not be held. She was short with the child, it seemed as though she expected this two year old little boy to be able to handle waiting for dinner and to understand that the baby had to be held but that he could not get his needs met. Between telling the little boy no every time he asked to get out of the cart, she told dad that the child was probably hungry and why didn't he understand that he had to wait. I was a bit taken aback. I held my tongue and did not intervene. I wanted so badly to turn around and tell this mom that shopping with two children under age three and expecting them to understand that they had to wait to eat was just plain mean. Why don't people realize that toddlers don't have the patience or stamina to wait for meals, or to sit in a cart for over an hour! Ugh.

Daniel Radcliffe and social skills

So, I was watching a rerun of Inside the Actor's Studio and James Lipton was interviewing an eighteen year old Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter). During the course of the interview, James asked Daniel what brought him to acting. Daniel stated that he was telling his mom that he was "crap" at everything. His grades were not that good, he did not like sports and he was not good at anything. His mother told him that he had great social skills. He, at the time, discounted social skills as worthless, but mentioned to James that in the end his mom was right and social skills had been more important to him than anything else. Even a young actor knows how important it is to be socially adept.