Where’s AL Gore when I need him –
LET THE POOR LADY DRY HER CLOTHES ON THE CLOTHES LINE
So in Bend Oregon, aka a hip place to live attracting lots of environmentalists, a woman (Susan Taylor) decides to dry her clothes the old fashioned way – on a clothes line in her yard,. Bend Oregon is known for its 300 days of sunshine, so this makes sense. Not to the homeowners association of the Bend upscale neighborhood where this woman lives. They complained about the airing of Susan’s clean laundry. No more, they threathened legal action.
I say, “Get a life.”
My mom hung her laundry to dry out in our yard all year long, well, in the winter she sometimes hung laundry in the basement, but for the most part, she hung our laundry in our backyard, freeze or shine. It did make you plan days in advance, especially in the winter, when you wanted to wear a certain pair of jeans that took like four days to dry. I remember feeling lots of frozen jeans in my backyard. “When will they be dry, Mama?” I’d ask. “In three days, Cornelia,” she’d says.
I always tell people that my mom was waaaay ahead of her time. She recycled before it was popular, she hung her clothes to dry when no one (except her kids, athletic kids) noticed.
In environmentally-friendly Oregon, cutting-edge Oregon, give the poor lady Susan Taylor a break. In fact, declare her a hero for saving the environment by drying her clothes (clothes dryers burn up 6 percent of the electricity used by U.S. households. Okay, I also say, change the neighborhood association rules.
Perhaps Al Gore could come to the rescue? No, he’s probably busy driving his SUV to another screening of his movie on how to save the planet
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE AND INTO PRISON
VISITING PRISON
Last night I visited the Seven Step program at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem Oregon to be part of an essay presentation I helped organize through the church we attend (Rolling Hills Community). I had never been to a prison before so this was a way out of my comfort zone experience for me.
When we first got there, we went through all of the security measures – one gal in our group could not find her driver’s license and was not allowed in. When we finally got through all of the gates and check ins and beeping, we were ushered into a room where the inmates were waiting for us with cookies, apple tarts and coffee. We were supposed to find a place to sit among the denim-dressed men and so I asked one of our group, Marupong, to sit by me. It was all men prisoners and I felt a bit looked over.
Marupong and I sat by a group of smiling prisoners who immediately asked if we were believers and what church we came from --they were also Christians; I asked them to tell me their stories. They seemed so, well, normal. Several had grown up in the church but had gone astray with drugs, landing them in jail. Many of these men have children they don’t see and their lives have been forgotten. Some hope to get out, others I am not sure. One man’s deep blue eyes pierce your soul.
The essay presentations began and we all shared our stories on parenting and life and what we do differently from our parents and how our childhood affected us today. I shared my “We are a living textbook on parenting” essay and my “PocketFul of Sunshine poem-essay.” Several inmates came up to talk to me afterwards about the essays and advice for their lives. One gentleman said, “How can I keep in touch with my two kids, age 4 and 6?” Oh, my heart bled for him. I have a 4-year-old that I see everyday. I cannot imagine the pain of not seeing a child.
The evening seemed orchestrated by God in so many ways, though I admit at first I was not sure I even wanted to go, but I was asked by Gary Strudler from church and I wanted to help him out. Go out of my comfort zone. When I met Rick German from Bridges to Change I knew it was meant to be that I was there. Rick visits the State Pen inmates at the Seven Step program monthly as his life was transformed by Christ and now he gives back helping drug addicts and homeless folks get their lives back together. Amazing thing – Rick’s transitional housing center that he assists with is in West Linn, the very city I live in!
I also met Tim the security guard who is a believer as well - He told me every day when he walks through those gates into the State Pen he prays to God: ”Dear Lord, use me today to bring light to a dark place.”
He is so aware of darkness while we are sometimes asleep in the light.
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Last night I visited the Seven Step program at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem Oregon to be part of an essay presentation I helped organize through the church we attend (Rolling Hills Community). I had never been to a prison before so this was a way out of my comfort zone experience for me.
When we first got there, we went through all of the security measures – one gal in our group could not find her driver’s license and was not allowed in. When we finally got through all of the gates and check ins and beeping, we were ushered into a room where the inmates were waiting for us with cookies, apple tarts and coffee. We were supposed to find a place to sit among the denim-dressed men and so I asked one of our group, Marupong, to sit by me. It was all men prisoners and I felt a bit looked over.
Marupong and I sat by a group of smiling prisoners who immediately asked if we were believers and what church we came from --they were also Christians; I asked them to tell me their stories. They seemed so, well, normal. Several had grown up in the church but had gone astray with drugs, landing them in jail. Many of these men have children they don’t see and their lives have been forgotten. Some hope to get out, others I am not sure. One man’s deep blue eyes pierce your soul.
The essay presentations began and we all shared our stories on parenting and life and what we do differently from our parents and how our childhood affected us today. I shared my “We are a living textbook on parenting” essay and my “PocketFul of Sunshine poem-essay.” Several inmates came up to talk to me afterwards about the essays and advice for their lives. One gentleman said, “How can I keep in touch with my two kids, age 4 and 6?” Oh, my heart bled for him. I have a 4-year-old that I see everyday. I cannot imagine the pain of not seeing a child.
The evening seemed orchestrated by God in so many ways, though I admit at first I was not sure I even wanted to go, but I was asked by Gary Strudler from church and I wanted to help him out. Go out of my comfort zone. When I met Rick German from Bridges to Change I knew it was meant to be that I was there. Rick visits the State Pen inmates at the Seven Step program monthly as his life was transformed by Christ and now he gives back helping drug addicts and homeless folks get their lives back together. Amazing thing – Rick’s transitional housing center that he assists with is in West Linn, the very city I live in!
I also met Tim the security guard who is a believer as well - He told me every day when he walks through those gates into the State Pen he prays to God: ”Dear Lord, use me today to bring light to a dark place.”
He is so aware of darkness while we are sometimes asleep in the light.
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE INTO PRISON
VISITING PRISON
Last night I visited the Seven Step program at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem Oregon to be part of an essay presentation I helped organize through the church we attend (Rolling Hills Community). I had never been to a prison before so this was a way out of my comfort zone experience for me.
When we first got there, we went through all of the security measures – one gal in our group could not find her driver’s license and was not allowed in. When we finally got through all of the gates and check ins and beeping, we were ushered into a room where the inmates were waiting for us with cookies, apple tarts and coffee. We were supposed to find a place to sit among the denim-dressed men and so I asked one of our group, Marupong, to sit by me. It was all men prisoners and I felt a bit looked over.
Marupong and I sat by a group of smiling prisoners who immediately asked if we were believers and what church we came from --they were also Christians; I asked them to tell me their stories. They seemed so, well, normal. Several had grown up in the church but had gone astray with drugs, landing them in jail. Many of these men have children they don’t see and their lives have been forgotten. Some hope to get out, others I am not sure. One man’s deep blue eyes pierce your soul.
The essay presentations began and we all shared our stories on parenting and life and what we do differently from our parents and how our childhood affected us today. I shared my “We are a living textbook on parenting” essay and my “PocketFul of Sunshine poem-essay.” Several inmates came up to talk to me afterwards about the essays and advice for their lives. One gentleman said, “How can I keep in touch with my two kids, age 4 and 6?” Oh, my heart bled for him. I have a 4-year-old that I see everyday. I cannot imagine the pain of not seeing a child.
The evening seemed orchestrated by God in so many ways, though I admit at first I was not sure I even wanted to go, but I was asked by Gary Strudler from church and I wanted to help him out. Go out of my comfort zone. When I met Rick German from Bridges to Change I knew it was meant to be that I was there. Rick visits the State Pen inmates at the Seven Step program monthly as his life was transformed by Christ and now he gives back helping drug addicts and homeless folks get their lives back together. Amazing thing – Rick’s transitional housing center that he assists with is in West Linn, the very city I live in!
I also met Tim the security guard who is a believer as well - He told me every day when he walks through those gates into the State Pen he prays to God: ”Dear Lord, use me today to bring light to a dark place.”
He is so aware of darkness while we are sometimes asleep in the light.
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Last night I visited the Seven Step program at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem Oregon to be part of an essay presentation I helped organize through the church we attend (Rolling Hills Community). I had never been to a prison before so this was a way out of my comfort zone experience for me.
When we first got there, we went through all of the security measures – one gal in our group could not find her driver’s license and was not allowed in. When we finally got through all of the gates and check ins and beeping, we were ushered into a room where the inmates were waiting for us with cookies, apple tarts and coffee. We were supposed to find a place to sit among the denim-dressed men and so I asked one of our group, Marupong, to sit by me. It was all men prisoners and I felt a bit looked over.
Marupong and I sat by a group of smiling prisoners who immediately asked if we were believers and what church we came from --they were also Christians; I asked them to tell me their stories. They seemed so, well, normal. Several had grown up in the church but had gone astray with drugs, landing them in jail. Many of these men have children they don’t see and their lives have been forgotten. Some hope to get out, others I am not sure. One man’s deep blue eyes pierce your soul.
The essay presentations began and we all shared our stories on parenting and life and what we do differently from our parents and how our childhood affected us today. I shared my “We are a living textbook on parenting” essay and my “PocketFul of Sunshine poem-essay.” Several inmates came up to talk to me afterwards about the essays and advice for their lives. One gentleman said, “How can I keep in touch with my two kids, age 4 and 6?” Oh, my heart bled for him. I have a 4-year-old that I see everyday. I cannot imagine the pain of not seeing a child.
The evening seemed orchestrated by God in so many ways, though I admit at first I was not sure I even wanted to go, but I was asked by Gary Strudler from church and I wanted to help him out. Go out of my comfort zone. When I met Rick German from Bridges to Change I knew it was meant to be that I was there. Rick visits the State Pen inmates at the Seven Step program monthly as his life was transformed by Christ and now he gives back helping drug addicts and homeless folks get their lives back together. Amazing thing – Rick’s transitional housing center that he assists with is in West Linn, the very city I live in!
I also met Tim the security guard who is a believer as well - He told me every day when he walks through those gates into the State Pen he prays to God: ”Dear Lord, use me today to bring light to a dark place.”
He is so aware of darkness while we are sometimes asleep in the light.
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
BRAVO TO TWO TENACIOUS OREGON MOMS
BRAVO TO TWO TENACIOUS MOMS
Several years ago I interviewed a developer in West Linn Oregon where much new house construction has been underway for a while. I asked him if he is wiling to help pay for schools while he builds on every last piece of land left in this suburb, that boasts of the “best schools in Oregon.”
In fact, developers when they go to sell their houses, boast about the great schools in West Linn. People, in fact, move here for the schools.
Yet, this developer said he is not willing to pay for the very schools her brags about when selling houses; instead he said to me, “Over my dead twitching body will I help pay for schools in West Linn.”
I was so irate about this; I wrote a column about it but did not go very far with it. I did talk to my city councilors, who at the time were very supportive of charging developers high fees (David Dodd and Mike Kapigian were ahead of their time), but I got tired like everyone else does on this issue.
The law in Oregon as it stands does not require an system development charge on developers to pay for schools and this is just not right. Well, two moms in Oregon, featured in a story titled “Two Tough Moms” in the 9-27-07 edition of The Oregonian have been fighting back. They campaigned for 5 years to find additional sources of funding for school construction in the ever growing Clackamas area. Due to the moms’ (Pauline McGuire and Julie Volpel) tenacity, the North Clackamas district will be the first district to enact a construction tax the 2007 Legislature approved to give overcrowded districts additional dollars for new buildings. It was not easy for the two persistent moms-- they discovered just how strong and powerful the construction lobbyists are and how politicians just bow to them.
It is time for new construction to pay its fair share for schools in Oregon, the very thing that home buyers look for when searching for a place to locate. And finally, after years of people speaking out, the Oregon Senate did pass a new construction tax that would require developers to help shoulder the costs of new schools. Under the plan, builders would pay $1 per square foot for new homes, 50 cents per square foot on new commercial buildings and 25 cents per square foot on industrial buildings. Statewide, the tax could raise $60 million a year to build and repair schools. Critics say this is too little, and I would agree, but it is a start. May we not, as I did years ago, let this issue go away. Our kids are too important.
I am back on this bandwagon.
Cornelia Seigneur
aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Several years ago I interviewed a developer in West Linn Oregon where much new house construction has been underway for a while. I asked him if he is wiling to help pay for schools while he builds on every last piece of land left in this suburb, that boasts of the “best schools in Oregon.”
In fact, developers when they go to sell their houses, boast about the great schools in West Linn. People, in fact, move here for the schools.
Yet, this developer said he is not willing to pay for the very schools her brags about when selling houses; instead he said to me, “Over my dead twitching body will I help pay for schools in West Linn.”
I was so irate about this; I wrote a column about it but did not go very far with it. I did talk to my city councilors, who at the time were very supportive of charging developers high fees (David Dodd and Mike Kapigian were ahead of their time), but I got tired like everyone else does on this issue.
The law in Oregon as it stands does not require an system development charge on developers to pay for schools and this is just not right. Well, two moms in Oregon, featured in a story titled “Two Tough Moms” in the 9-27-07 edition of The Oregonian have been fighting back. They campaigned for 5 years to find additional sources of funding for school construction in the ever growing Clackamas area. Due to the moms’ (Pauline McGuire and Julie Volpel) tenacity, the North Clackamas district will be the first district to enact a construction tax the 2007 Legislature approved to give overcrowded districts additional dollars for new buildings. It was not easy for the two persistent moms-- they discovered just how strong and powerful the construction lobbyists are and how politicians just bow to them.
It is time for new construction to pay its fair share for schools in Oregon, the very thing that home buyers look for when searching for a place to locate. And finally, after years of people speaking out, the Oregon Senate did pass a new construction tax that would require developers to help shoulder the costs of new schools. Under the plan, builders would pay $1 per square foot for new homes, 50 cents per square foot on new commercial buildings and 25 cents per square foot on industrial buildings. Statewide, the tax could raise $60 million a year to build and repair schools. Critics say this is too little, and I would agree, but it is a start. May we not, as I did years ago, let this issue go away. Our kids are too important.
I am back on this bandwagon.
Cornelia Seigneur
aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
4th grade NATIONAL READING SCORES DOWN Concerns Mom
I have twin fourth grade boys. One loves to read and one, though an excellent reader, prefers to do other things, anything but read.
Today’s cover story in The Oregonian newspaper’s Metro section states that Oregon’s Fourth –graders sink below the US average, and that does not ring happy in my ears.
And now into the fourth week of school – and discussing this with my children’s teachers at last week’s open house at the school -- I found out kids can choose whatever they want to read, and I just disagree with this. How do you monitor if kids even finish a book or not.
Whatever happened to assigned reading, where all the students read the same book and then discuss it. Summer is a time for choice reading while the school year should have mostly assigned reading, and classics at that. As a parent I do rely on the schools to pick books for my kids and my kids look to their school teachers as authorities in this area, so it is hard to come back as a parent and say, “Okay, choose so and so book.”
It is so important for schools to introduce classics to children beginning in the younger years, and required reading is one way to do this, but in my kids’ schools, even on the high school level, there seems to be this, “read what you want” philosophy for part of the time.
The schools are missing out on a chance to help kids learn to love good literature and discuss it together as a class. And with today’s scores showing reading tests are lower on the fourth grade level, maybe schools will listen.
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Today’s cover story in The Oregonian newspaper’s Metro section states that Oregon’s Fourth –graders sink below the US average, and that does not ring happy in my ears.
And now into the fourth week of school – and discussing this with my children’s teachers at last week’s open house at the school -- I found out kids can choose whatever they want to read, and I just disagree with this. How do you monitor if kids even finish a book or not.
Whatever happened to assigned reading, where all the students read the same book and then discuss it. Summer is a time for choice reading while the school year should have mostly assigned reading, and classics at that. As a parent I do rely on the schools to pick books for my kids and my kids look to their school teachers as authorities in this area, so it is hard to come back as a parent and say, “Okay, choose so and so book.”
It is so important for schools to introduce classics to children beginning in the younger years, and required reading is one way to do this, but in my kids’ schools, even on the high school level, there seems to be this, “read what you want” philosophy for part of the time.
The schools are missing out on a chance to help kids learn to love good literature and discuss it together as a class. And with today’s scores showing reading tests are lower on the fourth grade level, maybe schools will listen.
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Saturday, September 22, 2007
PRESS ONE FOR ENGLISH
LIVE HERE, LEARN OUR LANGUAGE
A Wed. Sept. 19, 2007 cover story in The Oregonian daily newspaper (Oregonlive.com) highlighted recent conversations between the Oregon department of education and the Mexican government to bring in Mexican curriculum for the large number of Mexican immigrants coming into this state. Okay, I just plain and simply disagree. People who come to this country are very welcome into this country but if they are going to live in this country, they need to learn our language, which last I checked is English. Though, sometimes I wonder. I get tired of having to “press 1” for English when I call my phone company or other businesses. When I go to another country, I am courteous enough to try to speak the language and I do not expect people to know English. With the education system in American teaching Mexican children in Spanish, they will never get proficient in English. there are so many immigrants in this country, and they should – and can – all learn English. German was my first language, as it was spoken in the home, and so I asked my mom how I learned English and she said just by being in the neighborhood and when I went to school my English got really good of course. Children’s brains are so pliable and they can so easily learn two languages side by side, if we require them to. My mom and dad are both immigrants from Germany having come here for college, and they dove right into the English language by taking classes (in English!) at their colleges. Of course, they had no choice and neither should school children. This whole idea of “English as a second language” does not work. Immersion, however works. Teach subjects in the target language and though it may be hard at first, kids adjust. Challenge our children, all of them, and give them the advantage of learning English by being immersed in English. The Mexican immigrants will hear enough Spanish in their homes and communities to keep up their native language, which I strongly believe in as well. In fact, one of the best gifts my parents gave me was raising me bilingual. I can get by in German speaking countries as well as here. Thoughts? Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMomwww.writermom.netwww.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
A Wed. Sept. 19, 2007 cover story in The Oregonian daily newspaper (Oregonlive.com) highlighted recent conversations between the Oregon department of education and the Mexican government to bring in Mexican curriculum for the large number of Mexican immigrants coming into this state. Okay, I just plain and simply disagree. People who come to this country are very welcome into this country but if they are going to live in this country, they need to learn our language, which last I checked is English. Though, sometimes I wonder. I get tired of having to “press 1” for English when I call my phone company or other businesses. When I go to another country, I am courteous enough to try to speak the language and I do not expect people to know English. With the education system in American teaching Mexican children in Spanish, they will never get proficient in English. there are so many immigrants in this country, and they should – and can – all learn English. German was my first language, as it was spoken in the home, and so I asked my mom how I learned English and she said just by being in the neighborhood and when I went to school my English got really good of course. Children’s brains are so pliable and they can so easily learn two languages side by side, if we require them to. My mom and dad are both immigrants from Germany having come here for college, and they dove right into the English language by taking classes (in English!) at their colleges. Of course, they had no choice and neither should school children. This whole idea of “English as a second language” does not work. Immersion, however works. Teach subjects in the target language and though it may be hard at first, kids adjust. Challenge our children, all of them, and give them the advantage of learning English by being immersed in English. The Mexican immigrants will hear enough Spanish in their homes and communities to keep up their native language, which I strongly believe in as well. In fact, one of the best gifts my parents gave me was raising me bilingual. I can get by in German speaking countries as well as here. Thoughts? Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMomwww.writermom.netwww.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Underage DRINKING AT crisis
A Sept. 18 Oregonian article points to the fact that youth drinking is at a crisis point. Are parents doing enough. . .?
The acting US surgeon general Rear Adm. Kenneth P. Moritsugu says that "underage drinking is dangerous. . .and should be unacceptable for our communities, for our adults and for our youth."
If kids get addicted as teens, they are more likely to have trouble as adults.
We as parents need to take a stand. - and what are we role modeling. . .
thought how are we behaving at auctions. . .
Cornelia
The acting US surgeon general Rear Adm. Kenneth P. Moritsugu says that "underage drinking is dangerous. . .and should be unacceptable for our communities, for our adults and for our youth."
If kids get addicted as teens, they are more likely to have trouble as adults.
We as parents need to take a stand. - and what are we role modeling. . .
thought how are we behaving at auctions. . .
Cornelia
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
BONO SPEAKS at prayer breakfast
You have got to link onto this to see Bono at the national Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC - link onto UTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvthfJVlnH8
God is using Bono to unite people, to inspire people, to challenge people to action, to help, to get off of our couches. . .
which I need to go do. . .I talk about kids and electronics, but what about us - okay, let's get personal - me. . .
Cornelia
Monday, September 17, 2007
WISHFUL THINKING or REAL LIFE PARENTING?
Saturday I drove to Salem Oregon to watch our two high school kids compete in their cross country races held at Bush Pasture Park. I had the option of taking our 4-year-old son Augustin or having him tag along with my husband Chris, who was doing the soccer thing with our 9-year-old twins. Divide and conquer as they say.
Chris said, “Leave Augustin with me. Make your time less stressful.”
But I love having my kids with me, especially if they are well behaved!
Before I left, I looked up Bush Park online it showed this really nice play structure and I thought, oh, I really want to take Augustin to show him this park -- and yet, another “reality” voice inside me said – “You know how impatient Augustin can become in situations where he has to wait and you are going to Salem to watch cross country races where there will be lots of waiting. Maybe you should leave him with Chris,” I thought to myself.
But, Augustin can be an angel with me and I love having him with me, and the sentimental thoughts begin to get to me – “this is your last child and he will be older before you know it,” and the wishful thinking dream life takes over, and the thoughts of a sweet 4-year-old brown eyed beautiful little perfect boy flood my mind and heart- he really has been perfect at events, so I brought Augustin along. . . .and you guessed, he had one of his impatient days, as any 4-year-old might. He was really good for the first part of the race, but I had told him that there was a play structure at the Park where the race was and soon that was all he could think of, and the sweet little guy got impatient and tired and wanted to go to the play structure, which I promised him we would do; then he got hungry so I promised to feed him lunch after staying for the second race, to see his brother run, but he did not want to.
Our older son, Ryan, now 16, was the exact same way at age 4, and back then I had to face reality – Ryan did not like to go shopping or having to wait anywhere (neither does Augustin) but in contrast, I could take Rachel, now 17, anytime, anywhere. I used to host a banquet at the Rhinelander Restaurant in Portland at the end of the term teaching a Germany class through Clackamas Community College and I only took Rachel with me, leaving Ryan behind. I could not chance in a professional situation taking Ryan, because, bless him, he just might act up. I love all my kids but realize that, yes, indeed, they are different. With different temperaments. And that temperament will take them far later in life.
` For now though, it might mean, not with me in certain circumstances.
Be well and keep in touch –
Cornelia Becker Seigneur
http://www.writermom.net/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
http://www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
Chris said, “Leave Augustin with me. Make your time less stressful.”
But I love having my kids with me, especially if they are well behaved!
Before I left, I looked up Bush Park online it showed this really nice play structure and I thought, oh, I really want to take Augustin to show him this park -- and yet, another “reality” voice inside me said – “You know how impatient Augustin can become in situations where he has to wait and you are going to Salem to watch cross country races where there will be lots of waiting. Maybe you should leave him with Chris,” I thought to myself.
But, Augustin can be an angel with me and I love having him with me, and the sentimental thoughts begin to get to me – “this is your last child and he will be older before you know it,” and the wishful thinking dream life takes over, and the thoughts of a sweet 4-year-old brown eyed beautiful little perfect boy flood my mind and heart- he really has been perfect at events, so I brought Augustin along. . . .and you guessed, he had one of his impatient days, as any 4-year-old might. He was really good for the first part of the race, but I had told him that there was a play structure at the Park where the race was and soon that was all he could think of, and the sweet little guy got impatient and tired and wanted to go to the play structure, which I promised him we would do; then he got hungry so I promised to feed him lunch after staying for the second race, to see his brother run, but he did not want to.
Our older son, Ryan, now 16, was the exact same way at age 4, and back then I had to face reality – Ryan did not like to go shopping or having to wait anywhere (neither does Augustin) but in contrast, I could take Rachel, now 17, anytime, anywhere. I used to host a banquet at the Rhinelander Restaurant in Portland at the end of the term teaching a Germany class through Clackamas Community College and I only took Rachel with me, leaving Ryan behind. I could not chance in a professional situation taking Ryan, because, bless him, he just might act up. I love all my kids but realize that, yes, indeed, they are different. With different temperaments. And that temperament will take them far later in life.
` For now though, it might mean, not with me in certain circumstances.
Be well and keep in touch –
Cornelia Becker Seigneur
http://www.writermom.net/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
http://www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
Friday, September 14, 2007
MEDICAL TEAMS WEBSITE correction
The REAL. LIFE. Exhibit housed in the Medical Teams International Headquarters in Tigard Oregon as I wrote about in my earlier blog today [both here and My Space] is amazing. However, I had published the incorrect (former) website - the correct one is:
www.medicalteams.org
Please visit this hands-on exhibit. God may use it to change your life.
Blessings, CORNELIA aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.medicalteams.org
Please visit this hands-on exhibit. God may use it to change your life.
Blessings, CORNELIA aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Every 3.6 seconds . . .
REAL. LIFE.
By Cornelia Seigneur
Every 3.6 seconds a child dies from hunger or other preventable illness. . .this and other sobering statistics were presented in a walk through museum, called the REAL. LIFE. Exhibit *cq* housed inside Medical Teams’ International headquarters in Tigard Oregon , which I had the chance for visit for a story I am writing for The Oregonian’s the SW Weekly (published Thursdays in Tigard, Sherwood, Tualatin). With Yo-Yo Ma playing Gabriel's Oboe *cq* in the background -- think the movie, The Mission -- I walked through the 10,000 square feet exhibit where I saw, heard, and even smelled some of what Medical Teams International workers have lived through helping millions around the world.
About 9000 visitors have walked through the multi-sensory, multi-media exhibit the past year it has been opened, and they are in need of volunteers to help guide school children and youth groups, among others, through the 14 vignettes. Some of what you see when visiting: a simulated Romanian orphanage with real baby cribs and a large screen video playing of Romanian children in orphanages; a life size hut where a displaced family of six from Uganda would live; a Mexican garbage dump where families live and work; and a refugee camp in Kosovo for those fleeing ethnic cleansing.
The last room is called the Resolution Room where you can make a decision to respond in one of four ways – pray, act, give, volunteer.
The exhibit is located at the Medical Teams International Headquarters, 14150 SW Milton Ct. in Tigard. The website has more information: www.medicalteams.org
Peace,
Cornelia
http://www.writermom.net/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
http://www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
By Cornelia Seigneur
Every 3.6 seconds a child dies from hunger or other preventable illness. . .this and other sobering statistics were presented in a walk through museum, called the REAL. LIFE. Exhibit *cq* housed inside Medical Teams’ International headquarters in Tigard Oregon , which I had the chance for visit for a story I am writing for The Oregonian’s the SW Weekly (published Thursdays in Tigard, Sherwood, Tualatin). With Yo-Yo Ma playing Gabriel's Oboe *cq* in the background -- think the movie, The Mission -- I walked through the 10,000 square feet exhibit where I saw, heard, and even smelled some of what Medical Teams International workers have lived through helping millions around the world.
About 9000 visitors have walked through the multi-sensory, multi-media exhibit the past year it has been opened, and they are in need of volunteers to help guide school children and youth groups, among others, through the 14 vignettes. Some of what you see when visiting: a simulated Romanian orphanage with real baby cribs and a large screen video playing of Romanian children in orphanages; a life size hut where a displaced family of six from Uganda would live; a Mexican garbage dump where families live and work; and a refugee camp in Kosovo for those fleeing ethnic cleansing.
The last room is called the Resolution Room where you can make a decision to respond in one of four ways – pray, act, give, volunteer.
The exhibit is located at the Medical Teams International Headquarters, 14150 SW Milton Ct. in Tigard. The website has more information: www.medicalteams.org
Peace,
Cornelia
http://www.writermom.net/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
http://www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
You know you are getting older when. . .
your dad turns 70. . .and he is the last to turn 70-y mom reached the 7 decade mark three years ago and my husband's parents are also over 70. . .but I still feel 25. . .except for these knees, my hip, my feet, my hands, my side. . .and I am tired. . .but thankful for being able to sit on my deck this morning, watching the sunrise and reading my Bible and praying and taking in the fresh air and thanking God for the ability to breathe, to see, to smell, to hear. . .
even when I am old. . .
Cornelia Seigneur
West Linn Oregon
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
even when I am old. . .
Cornelia Seigneur
West Linn Oregon
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Saturday, September 8, 2007
WHEW! survived the first week of school -but does Saturday provide relief??
Though it was only four days, the first day of school felt never-ending! Whew! Glad we survived. Getting ready was one thing and now the first week behind us. It was filled with early morning lunch making sessions, breakfasts rushed again, making sure kids brush their teeth, tracking down matching socks and remembering where those shoes were placed and where is the backpack and homework and reading book; and we were back to getting kids to bed early in the evening and dinners on time and dishes done after wards – alone (back to the “I have homework” excuses from my kids). So, after this week, I just was looking forward to sleeping in today. . .but, then reality hit me -- the twins had their first soccer game this morning. If that was enough, I also realized that they did not have the uniforms to play in, so we had to drive to the soccer supply store in Lake Oswego on our way to the match in Wilsonville. First things first, Rachel, 17, needed to go to cross country, making a stop on the way at the store to pick up items for her tea party with the girls’ team after practice. Initially, she was going to take the other car until my husband needed it to last minute to go help an Boy Scout Eagle Scout event.. . After dropping Rachel off at her practice we arrive at the soccer store only to be told they did not have the uniform sizes that the boys needed, and that we needed to come back. So, we scurry to the game, barely getting there on time and had to borrow one uniform from the opposing team for one twin and trade with the goalie for the other twin. . .Okay, we make it through the first game and I am ready to crash, but soon discover that my keys to my car are missing. Fellow team members’ parents help me look for them and we finally find them and I am soooo ready to go home and recover from the week. Take it easy tonight. . .
But instead we will be heading to a birthday party for a neighbor boy. I better go clean my house from the busy week – and get organized – before we start this over again.
How has your back to school week been?
Write me. . .
Cheerio - Cornelia Seigneur aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net/
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
But instead we will be heading to a birthday party for a neighbor boy. I better go clean my house from the busy week – and get organized – before we start this over again.
How has your back to school week been?
Write me. . .
Cheerio - Cornelia Seigneur aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net/
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
WHEW! survived the first week of school -but does Saturday provide relief??
Though it was only four days, the first day of school felt never-ending! Whew! Glad we survived. Getting ready was one thing and now the first week behind us. It was filled with early morning lunch making sessions, breakfasts rushed again, making sure kids brush their teeth, tracking down matching socks and remembering where those shoes were placed and where is the backpack and homework and reading book; and we were back to getting kids to bed early in the evening and dinners on time and dishes done after wards – alone (back to the “I have homework” excuses from my kids). So, after this week, I just was looking forward to sleeping in today. . .but, then reality hit me -- the twins had their first soccer game this morning. If that was enough, I also realized that they did not have the uniforms to play in, so we had to drive to the soccer supply store in Lake Oswego on our way to the match in Wilsonville. First things first, Rachel, 17, needed to go to cross country, making a stop on the way at the store to pick up items for her tea party with the girls’ team after practice. Initially, she was going to take the other car until my husband needed it to last minute to go help an Boy Scout Eagle Scout event.. . After dropping Rachel off at her practice we arrive at the soccer store only to be told they did not have the uniform sizes that the boys needed, and that we needed to come back. So, we scurry to the game, barely getting there on time and had to borrow one uniform from the opposing team for one twin and trade with the goalie for the other twin. . .Okay, we make it through the first game and I am ready to crash, but soon discover that my keys to my car are missing. Fellow team members’ parents help me look for them and we finally find them and I am soooo ready to go home and recover from the week. Take it easy tonight. . .
But instead we will be heading to a birthday party for a neighbor boy. I better go clean my house from the busy week – and get organized – before we start this over again.
How has your back to school week been?
Write me. . .
Cheerio - Cornelia Seigneur aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net/
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
But instead we will be heading to a birthday party for a neighbor boy. I better go clean my house from the busy week – and get organized – before we start this over again.
How has your back to school week been?
Write me. . .
Cheerio - Cornelia Seigneur aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net/
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
Friday, September 7, 2007
PAPER OVERLOAD !!
So the first week of school is over for my kids -- Hurrah! I am exhausted! With four kids in school and one set to start preschool next week, I am inundated with papers, papers, papers. The kids came home each day this week and tossed papers at me and placed papers in front of me and it was, “sign this” and “look at this” and “read this” and “initial this” and some of it I did right away if my kid stood there and waited but other papers I placed in a basket, the ever expanding basket that if it gets forgotten, gets shoved in a corner in my bedroom when guests come only to be found at Christmas. Maybe.
Can any of you moms, parents, nannies, grandma’s etc. relate?
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Can any of you moms, parents, nannies, grandma’s etc. relate?
Cornelia Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
www.writermom.net
www.myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
www.writermom5kids.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 6, 2007
I GOT HAD
I GOT HAD - A LESSON IN READING LABELS BETTER!
By Cornelia Becker Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
The juice looked natural and appeared to be natural and even tasted natural and on the top this big label said, “100 percent” which I figured meant 100 percent juice, i.e. natural.
After a day or two in our fridge, my very health conscious 17-year-old daughter said to me, with a smile on her face, “Mom, you bought juice with only 25 percent real juice in it. The rest is flavored juice and corn syrup. I cannot believe you.”
I got had.
The words 100 percent caught me off guard as I usually look for the words 100 percent juice on the top, but must have somehow missed this one.
In another situation at a store, I noticed a yogurt container that said, “Lite” on it and I thought, great, lite is good, but when I read the ingredients it said Splenda Added.
Yes, I have been “had” when it comes to sugar content before. The labels are sooo misleading when they boast: “No Sugar Added” – because in reality there is FAKE SUGAR ADDED.
Just on Tuesday when we were at Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream store, I noticed a couple of ice cream flavors boasting No Sugar Added, but when you read the fine print, beware of the splenda, which I just do not like. I like natural sugar or none or light on the sugar.
Once I called Yoplait Yogurt Company to complain of their too sweet yogurt.
“Can you just lower the sugar content?” I asked.
Their solution? “Try our sugar free or lite versions.”
I countered, “But those have fake sugar in them. I just love your yogurt but I want less sugar in it.”
. . . I did not get had that time.
Have you ever been fooled by labels. . .share your stories. . .
www.writermom.net
myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
By Cornelia Becker Seigneur aka Nellie aka WriterMom
The juice looked natural and appeared to be natural and even tasted natural and on the top this big label said, “100 percent” which I figured meant 100 percent juice, i.e. natural.
After a day or two in our fridge, my very health conscious 17-year-old daughter said to me, with a smile on her face, “Mom, you bought juice with only 25 percent real juice in it. The rest is flavored juice and corn syrup. I cannot believe you.”
I got had.
The words 100 percent caught me off guard as I usually look for the words 100 percent juice on the top, but must have somehow missed this one.
In another situation at a store, I noticed a yogurt container that said, “Lite” on it and I thought, great, lite is good, but when I read the ingredients it said Splenda Added.
Yes, I have been “had” when it comes to sugar content before. The labels are sooo misleading when they boast: “No Sugar Added” – because in reality there is FAKE SUGAR ADDED.
Just on Tuesday when we were at Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream store, I noticed a couple of ice cream flavors boasting No Sugar Added, but when you read the fine print, beware of the splenda, which I just do not like. I like natural sugar or none or light on the sugar.
Once I called Yoplait Yogurt Company to complain of their too sweet yogurt.
“Can you just lower the sugar content?” I asked.
Their solution? “Try our sugar free or lite versions.”
I countered, “But those have fake sugar in them. I just love your yogurt but I want less sugar in it.”
. . . I did not get had that time.
Have you ever been fooled by labels. . .share your stories. . .
www.writermom.net
myspace.com/corneliaseigneur
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
JUNK FOOD CITY
So, this morning, an hour later than my super Tuesday, I am once again making lunches for my kids for school and I say to Wesley, 9, "Hey, did I give you guys too much junk food in your lunch yesterday?" and he says “Yes,” can you believe it?! So now I am feeling way guilty because I really like to eat healthily and I really am not that much of a junk food person but I wanted, like I said yesterday, to make their first day of school special and so I bought every pre-packaged food item you could find, but today I made up for it; I added only one junk food item in their lunch boxes -- chips-- oh, do granola bars count as good food? I also added more whole, fresh foods-- carrots and a banana in addition to a pear.
. . . Speaking of junk food, I saw the news on Monday night and there was a segment on how public schools are going to offer better foods for kids to eat this school year, to battle the bulge in today’s sedentary children, which I commend on the one hand, but on the other hand, there are other ways to overcome obesity in children and it’s called exercise naturally and do not buy all that junk food at home, which I confess is easy to buy because it is easy (fast) to serve. Yes, food intake is important but just as important is living an active lifestyle. Ideas: Walk to the store for a gallon of milk instead of driving. Ride your bike with your children to school instead of having them take the bus. My mom used to send us kids with a dollar on our bikes in Portland Oregon to the local supermarket or gas station to buy milk. It was a way to build exercise into our daily life-plus save money on milk. And, we never had junk food in our lunches, and sometimes I wanted junk food. I used to drool over potato chips that I saw next to other kids’ sandwiches. So, now, I am giving a little bit of junk food to my kids but not as much as the first day of school!. . .
PS> Update. . .I did not make lunch for my husband this morning, like yesterday. Back to the old routine. I seem to barely be able to make lunches for my kids.
Cornelia Seigneur
www.writermom.net
. . . Speaking of junk food, I saw the news on Monday night and there was a segment on how public schools are going to offer better foods for kids to eat this school year, to battle the bulge in today’s sedentary children, which I commend on the one hand, but on the other hand, there are other ways to overcome obesity in children and it’s called exercise naturally and do not buy all that junk food at home, which I confess is easy to buy because it is easy (fast) to serve. Yes, food intake is important but just as important is living an active lifestyle. Ideas: Walk to the store for a gallon of milk instead of driving. Ride your bike with your children to school instead of having them take the bus. My mom used to send us kids with a dollar on our bikes in Portland Oregon to the local supermarket or gas station to buy milk. It was a way to build exercise into our daily life-plus save money on milk. And, we never had junk food in our lunches, and sometimes I wanted junk food. I used to drool over potato chips that I saw next to other kids’ sandwiches. So, now, I am giving a little bit of junk food to my kids but not as much as the first day of school!. . .
PS> Update. . .I did not make lunch for my husband this morning, like yesterday. Back to the old routine. I seem to barely be able to make lunches for my kids.
Cornelia Seigneur
www.writermom.net
JUNK FOOD CITY
So, this morning, an hour later than my super Tuesday, I am once again making lunches for my kids for school and I say to Wesley, 9, "Hey, did I give you guys too much junk food in your lunch yesterday?" and he says “Yes,” can you believe it?! So now I am feeling way guilty because I really like to eat healthily and I really am not that much of a junk food person but I wanted, like I said yesterday, to make their first day of school special and so I bought every pre-packaged food item you could find, but today I made up for it; I added only one junk food item in their lunch boxes -- chips-- oh, do granola bars count as good food? I also added more whole, fresh foods-- carrots and a banana in addition to a pear.
. . . Speaking of junk food, I saw the news on Monday night and there was a segment on how public schools are going to offer better foods for kids to eat this school year, to battle the bulge in today’s sedentary children, which I commend on the one hand, but on the other hand, there are other ways to overcome obesity in children and it’s called exercise naturally and do not buy all that junk food at home, which I confess is easy to buy because it is easy (fast) to serve. Yes, food intake is important but just as important is living an active lifestyle. Ideas: Walk to the store for a gallon of milk instead of driving. Ride your bike with your children to school instead of having them take the bus. My mom used to send us kids with a dollar on our bikes in Portland Oregon to the local supermarket or gas station to buy milk. It was a way to build exercise into our daily life-plus save money on milk. And, we never had junk food in our lunches, and sometimes I wanted junk food. I used to drool over potato chips that I saw next to other kids’ sandwiches. So, now, I am giving a little bit of junk food to my kids but not as much as the first day of school!. . .
PS> Update. . .I did not make lunch for my husband this morning, like yesterday. Back to the old routine. I seem to barely be able to make lunches for my kids.
Cornelia Seigneur
www.writermom.net
. . . Speaking of junk food, I saw the news on Monday night and there was a segment on how public schools are going to offer better foods for kids to eat this school year, to battle the bulge in today’s sedentary children, which I commend on the one hand, but on the other hand, there are other ways to overcome obesity in children and it’s called exercise naturally and do not buy all that junk food at home, which I confess is easy to buy because it is easy (fast) to serve. Yes, food intake is important but just as important is living an active lifestyle. Ideas: Walk to the store for a gallon of milk instead of driving. Ride your bike with your children to school instead of having them take the bus. My mom used to send us kids with a dollar on our bikes in Portland Oregon to the local supermarket or gas station to buy milk. It was a way to build exercise into our daily life-plus save money on milk. And, we never had junk food in our lunches, and sometimes I wanted junk food. I used to drool over potato chips that I saw next to other kids’ sandwiches. So, now, I am giving a little bit of junk food to my kids but not as much as the first day of school!. . .
PS> Update. . .I did not make lunch for my husband this morning, like yesterday. Back to the old routine. I seem to barely be able to make lunches for my kids.
Cornelia Seigneur
www.writermom.net
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
BACK TO MAKING SCHOOL LUNCHES. . .AND remember DADS
This morning was the first day back at school for my four school age children and so I was up at 5:30 to make breakfast [well coffee for me first] -- and then it's to baking crepes. . .I like to indulge the kids in German crepes with lemon and powder sugar on the first day of school, a tradition. Then it's assembly line fashion creating lunches. . .each child has a different wish. Micki likes turkey with cheese, on rye, Wesley prefers peanut butter and jelly on Potatoe Bread, Ryan orders ham on white and there is mayo and mustard and lettuce to add to the sandwiches and Rachel, well any veggies and fruit and yogurt will do, though she often makes hers the night before. Then it's juice boxes and chips and pudding and fruit roll ups, grapes, and water bottles filled and napkins and spoons and granola bar and rice crispy treats. Man, these kids better not think this will be every day like this, just the first day splurge -- I want my kids to look forward to lunch, something from home, from their mom. . .I remember being a kid and thinking about lunch all day - between reading writing 'rithmatic and so I want my children to have good memories of school lunches, especially this first day monument.This morning I was also thinking of my husband as I used to make his lunches, a long long time ago , before kids went to school, but now he fends for himself, poor guy. But, but this morning, I had all these supplies out for sandwiches and I thought, let me surprise Chris and make his lunch and so I did, and he was shocked, sure enough. . .I am not promising anything tomorrow. . . stay tuned. . .
Cornelia Seigneur
www.writermom.net
Cornelia Seigneur
www.writermom.net
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Aahh! SCHOOL SUPPLIES SEARCH
Okay, so I waited once again for the week before -- make that 5 days before -- school starts to get school supplies for my four school -aged children. Every year I vow to begin in June or July or at least by early August to begin purchasing the billions of colored pencils and markers and glue sticks and folders and pens for my kids. And when you start early in the summer, at least when those first ads hit the Sunday paper, you get better deals and better selection.
But no, I did not once again do that; instead I wait for the day of the open house at my twins’ school, Cedar Oak Park Primary in West Linn last Thursday, when they can bring in their school supplies and meet their new teachers.
So, we decide to go to Fred Meyer in Clackamas as I figured Target would be the most sold out of items -- I have learned this from past experience. I happened to be watching my friend Nancy’s son, Jonas, 8, for a few days so he tagged along with me, the twins, age 9, and Augustin, 4, and the store is packed. And Augustin wants to use one of those carts with the large pink plastic cars where he can ride in the front and I say, Okay, and that turns out to be a disaster. He gets into the car part of the cart which weighs like a thousand pounds and one of the twins decides to climb on top of it and the other twin decides to try to climb into the car as well, and Jonas also gets on top and now the thing weighs like 2000 pounds and the kids are really really loud and then Augustin starts screaming, “Get out Wesley, it’s too much,” and Micki the other twin says, “It is my turn,” and so he climbs in and that lasts a few seconds before Augustin begins screaming again, “It is too much in here, get out,” and all the while I am trying to shop. I figure while I am at Fred Meyer I better get a few groceries, another chore I had been avoiding.
After the 10th time of telling the kids to calm down, I see an empty shopping cart and I say, “Abandon Ship!” everyone out of the shopping cart, we are moving to a new one. They try to talk me out of it with, “We’ll be good,” but I remain firm.
So, with a new shopping cart and new instructions to hold on to each side of the shopping cart and “do not lean on it and do not play in it and do not touch each other,we are off to get the school supplies which is in a totally different part of that store, as far as New York is to Oregon it feels like.
We finally find the area and see all the other late moms and their tag along kids. And here I am, with a list a mile long, trying to find pearl erasers and Fiskar scissors and certain crayons and specific this and exactly that, and I am looking at shelves and they look empty and my 4-year-old is running all over the place and the twins are bugging him again and he screams really loud once again, “don’t bug me,” and these kid-less people are staring at me with that “why don’t you control your kids” look.
I see a couch and I say to Jonas, my friend’s kid, “could you do me this huge favor and sit here with Augustin” – he calls him Gus – “and read him this book,” and Augustin runs to the couch and jumps on it, and I say, “No jumping on the couch, sit here Augustin,” and so he does. And Jonas reads to him, which works for a while, while I continue searching for supplies.
I ask a Fred Meyer worker where the rest of the supplies are and she shows me a whole separate area, a bit away from the couch. We begin checking things off the list but I will not buy 12 glue sticks when they are like $3 for four of them. I will go to Costco for the rest. And while I am there I also look for items for my high school students, though they seem to need less, just a notebook and paper and pens. Jonas comes over to tell me he has finished the book he was reading to Augustin, and the only other ones on the shelf are violent or have no photos in them, so I find more children’s books for him to read to Gus and he does and soon comes over to show me how much Gus knows in the book and the twins are getting tired of looking for school supplies and it is getting close to the open house time and I see another mom from my kids’ school and her daughter has the same teacher, Weaver, as Wesley has. And I am trying to act really calm and really, deep down, I am thinking, why oh why did I wait so late again to get school supplies for my kids? Wesley worries that we did not find everything on the list but I assure him, it will be fine. We will find it at a different store later. For now, I just need to get out of here. Before we miss the open house, the very reason we chose this day to school shop. I suppose it was a good motivator, otherwise, I may have waited for the day before school starts to buy supplies, and by then the stores may have already been totally sold out of school supplies and they may have decided not to reorder, and instead to focus on the next big event, which will be Halloween. I better not wait till the last minute for that event.
But no, I did not once again do that; instead I wait for the day of the open house at my twins’ school, Cedar Oak Park Primary in West Linn last Thursday, when they can bring in their school supplies and meet their new teachers.
So, we decide to go to Fred Meyer in Clackamas as I figured Target would be the most sold out of items -- I have learned this from past experience. I happened to be watching my friend Nancy’s son, Jonas, 8, for a few days so he tagged along with me, the twins, age 9, and Augustin, 4, and the store is packed. And Augustin wants to use one of those carts with the large pink plastic cars where he can ride in the front and I say, Okay, and that turns out to be a disaster. He gets into the car part of the cart which weighs like a thousand pounds and one of the twins decides to climb on top of it and the other twin decides to try to climb into the car as well, and Jonas also gets on top and now the thing weighs like 2000 pounds and the kids are really really loud and then Augustin starts screaming, “Get out Wesley, it’s too much,” and Micki the other twin says, “It is my turn,” and so he climbs in and that lasts a few seconds before Augustin begins screaming again, “It is too much in here, get out,” and all the while I am trying to shop. I figure while I am at Fred Meyer I better get a few groceries, another chore I had been avoiding.
After the 10th time of telling the kids to calm down, I see an empty shopping cart and I say, “Abandon Ship!” everyone out of the shopping cart, we are moving to a new one. They try to talk me out of it with, “We’ll be good,” but I remain firm.
So, with a new shopping cart and new instructions to hold on to each side of the shopping cart and “do not lean on it and do not play in it and do not touch each other,we are off to get the school supplies which is in a totally different part of that store, as far as New York is to Oregon it feels like.
We finally find the area and see all the other late moms and their tag along kids. And here I am, with a list a mile long, trying to find pearl erasers and Fiskar scissors and certain crayons and specific this and exactly that, and I am looking at shelves and they look empty and my 4-year-old is running all over the place and the twins are bugging him again and he screams really loud once again, “don’t bug me,” and these kid-less people are staring at me with that “why don’t you control your kids” look.
I see a couch and I say to Jonas, my friend’s kid, “could you do me this huge favor and sit here with Augustin” – he calls him Gus – “and read him this book,” and Augustin runs to the couch and jumps on it, and I say, “No jumping on the couch, sit here Augustin,” and so he does. And Jonas reads to him, which works for a while, while I continue searching for supplies.
I ask a Fred Meyer worker where the rest of the supplies are and she shows me a whole separate area, a bit away from the couch. We begin checking things off the list but I will not buy 12 glue sticks when they are like $3 for four of them. I will go to Costco for the rest. And while I am there I also look for items for my high school students, though they seem to need less, just a notebook and paper and pens. Jonas comes over to tell me he has finished the book he was reading to Augustin, and the only other ones on the shelf are violent or have no photos in them, so I find more children’s books for him to read to Gus and he does and soon comes over to show me how much Gus knows in the book and the twins are getting tired of looking for school supplies and it is getting close to the open house time and I see another mom from my kids’ school and her daughter has the same teacher, Weaver, as Wesley has. And I am trying to act really calm and really, deep down, I am thinking, why oh why did I wait so late again to get school supplies for my kids? Wesley worries that we did not find everything on the list but I assure him, it will be fine. We will find it at a different store later. For now, I just need to get out of here. Before we miss the open house, the very reason we chose this day to school shop. I suppose it was a good motivator, otherwise, I may have waited for the day before school starts to buy supplies, and by then the stores may have already been totally sold out of school supplies and they may have decided not to reorder, and instead to focus on the next big event, which will be Halloween. I better not wait till the last minute for that event.
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