Category Archives: Life

collateral damage

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 To: Beth

Good Morning!

Unfortunately _____ does not have his bag with him today. His sister vomited in the car on the way to school. His bag was one of the lucky ones that got hit. I’m sure he told you. My mom will be picking him up today at the bus stop.  Thanks so much!

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Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.   – Nido Qubein

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now i’ve seen it all!

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2 kinders cross paths at the doorway of our little classroom bathroom – one coming in, one exiting.  the one exiting has pants down and is walking out like nothing is unusual and is on a sunday stroll in the park. one coming in yells out, ‘cover that up! no one needs to see your _____ (anatomically correct body part)!!’ – like a very bad day at the park. well said, little one.

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I have as much privacy as a goldfish in a bowl.

Princess Margaret

you win some, you lose some, though you’re not sure which one happened.

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i love everything about baby soccer. the babies, so cute in their jerseys, and shin guards and special shoes, are running up and down and off the field, looking for parents, saying hi to siblings and relatives who come to watch, stopping to pet a dog, following a shiny object, laying on the field crying,  shrieking occasionally, taking water breaks from the exhaustion of standing on a line, asking to go to the playground just over the fence, running for sudden bathroom breaks – the fun is endless. coach does his best, just trying to harness everyone into one area and make sure they have a shirt on. he is patient and kind and cares about his budding athletes.

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here, my grandbaby b scores a goal, and then the reactions come. she stares at it wondering what is going on, and other players respond accordingly; check for a boo-boo on a leg, hang on parents, turn their backs, stand and look down the field, and one even run towards her, after the fact. it is truly a sport unto it’s own. there is no ego, no celebration dance, just pure wonder. 

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sloth and the art of possibility

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one of my favorite fund-raisers ever, sitting quietly at the register of my favorite local mexican street food carryout place.

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Tis not enough to help the feeble up, but to support them after.

William Shakespeare

 

 

 

 

global warning.

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first parent note of the year – love it.  school is in, bring it kindergarten!

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Raising kids is part joy and part guerilla warfare.
Ed Asner

 

 

kinder-ku

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stop crying, you are hurting my ‘ear-plums!’ – m

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first week back feelings

joy and tears rule kinder’s day

look to year ahead

 

 

to sign own self be true –

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except for now and except for this lane and except for this orange barrel and except for who knows how long?

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in complex trains of thought signs are indispensable. – George Henry Lewes

 words are but the signs of ideas. – Samuel Johnson

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the hills are alive….with the sound of squealing.

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     happy to welcome my kindergarten back yesterday, and not only the children, but the parents as well. i gain so much wisdom from them everyday.  one mother, returning with her 3rd young child, reminded me of how she’s able to get everyone dressed and off to school on time. i have always seen this process as a minor miracle, having had to deliver 3 young ones to school at one point in my own life.

     she told me she does the laundry and then simply dumps all of it into one giant pile. the kids then climb and all forage around it, until they are able to put an outfit together.  and that’s it, they are ready for the day. no stress, and always an adventure for all. i think this is brilliant.

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‘it’s better to have loved and lost than to do 40 pounds of laundry a week.’

– salvatore dali

stories told here

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     had an interesting conversation with my friend. we took turns coming up with one word that defined each of us, and he immediately blurted out the following word that he felt was me: rigmarole.while i had a somewhat negative image of what this word meant, i always liked the sound of it and it was an interesting word to say the least. i decided to look it up for further clarification. after referring to a traditional source, the oxford english dictionary, i found that i rather liked the definition, appreciated the origin of the word, and finally, embraced it as my own. i took it to mean that i simply live life, with all of its complications, and i share my stories, and though not all are long and rambling, i’m quite happy with that. 

rigmarole

Syllabification: (rig·ma·role)

Pronunciation: /ˈrig(ə)məˌrōl/

noun [usually in singular]

  • a lengthy and complicated procedure: she went through the rigmarole of securing the front door
  • a long, rambling story or statement. 

Origin:

mid 18th century: apparently an alteration of ragman roll, originally denoting a legal document recording a list of offenses

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Stories are a communal currency of humanity. – Tahir Shah 

 

 

 

 

haiku for pam on her birthday

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missing her today

my sis my friend and she was

gone way too early

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Do not fear death… only the unlived life. You don’t have to live forever;

You just have to live. – Natalie Babbitt