tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog/1 2012-02-03T16:16:33Z A Spectrum of Kari! Movable Type 4.31-en tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1518 2012-02-03T16:14:30Z 2012-02-03T16:16:33Z

This is the view down our street: Indeed, the house with the Patriots mailbox is on one side of the street, and the neighbors with the framed Giants jerseys in their living room is directly on the other side of...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com Indeed, the house with the Patriots mailbox is on one side of the street, and the neighbors with the framed Giants jerseys in their living room is directly on the other side of the street. Thankfully, there will be no fisticuffs, as the Patriots house is the one with folks who do fabulous holiday decorations and are those who gave marmalade to everyone in the neighborhood, even if I didn't know it was them originally. And then the Giants house is a sweet school secretary and her family. These people are all fine folks who aren't truly going to battle. But I wonder which of the two brought out the chalk!]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1515 2012-02-02T14:20:00Z 2012-02-02T15:22:09Z

This is making me more giddy than it should, but I had to share. The professional photographer at my son's latest meet snapped his photo at the same moment I snapped mine. He is in my shot, and I am...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com latest meet snapped his photo at the same moment I snapped mine. He is in my shot, and I am in his. We got the whole picture, both back and front! [I am at upper left, middle in the bunch of three] [obviously, the photographer of the first shot is at lower right in my shot]]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1507 2012-02-01T20:12:24Z 2012-02-03T16:48:14Z

As soon as the New Year hit, our mailbox filled with summer camp brochures. Already? I approached my kids, careful not to imply that school was almost over, even though I'm sure the time will fly: which camps do you...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com As soon as the New Year hit, our mailbox filled with summer camp brochures. Already? I approached my kids, careful not to imply that school was almost over, even though I'm sure the time will fly: which camps do you want to do this year? The result was unanimous, and as they promised last year: Camp G! My youngest will go to Camp Galileo, and my oldest will go to Galileo Summer Quest, where he thrived last year. My kids won't be reprising their experiences from last year, though. Sure, the camp culture (rubber chickens!), Galileo Innovation Approach, and super-fun will be the same. But 2012 brings new themes and new challenges!]]> [sign above a workspace at Galileo Learning HQ] My youngest is looking forward to the Galileo Olympics. Although he knows plenty about the sports involved (like his favorite, gymnastics) he'll learn more about the history, art, and science of the Games. He's also excited to Celebrate the Golden Gate, where he'll learn to build a suspension bridge, plus will also paint his own Victorian house model. (I think we'll end up having a field trip to see the real things shortly after camp is over!) My oldest majored in Video Game Design last year at Galileo Summer Quest. He's thrilled that there is now an Advanced Video Game Design concentration within the High Technology Majors. Summer Quest is now a one-week session instead of two weeks, and the campers are focusing only on their major, rather than splitting their time amongst a major and two minors. This means the campers can really get in-depth with their projects for the whole week, and then do another in-depth project the next week, and so on! My son is very excited to do his advanced game design major, but also to try Web Design during his second session at camp. (Maybe I'll put him to work afterwards?) Not into computer science like my son? Not a problem! Summer Quest also has majors in diverse subjects like the culinary arts, fashion design, and go-karts (Hello, Mario Kart!) Also new this year at Galileo Learning is an extended financial-aid deadline (April 6), plus plenty of discounts. For example, if you are a new family to Galileo, tell 'em "Kari Dahlen" sent you (enter code GLRAF2012 along with my name if registering online) you'll receive $40 off! (And so will I.) You can then give your name to your friends, and rack up $40 off your bill for each friend who enrolls (and each of your friends will also receive $40 off their tuition.) If you enroll by March 1st, you'll get $20 off every session. And of course there is a multi-session discount, so if you enroll for two or more weeks, you get $20 off the 2nd week of camp, $40 off the 3rd week, and $60 off the 4th week (and beyond!), plus receive 50% off extended care if you enroll for 2 or more weeks. Bonus: all these discounts can be added together - Imagine the possibilities! While it might seem early to think about camp - it is definitely worth your while (and your pocketbook) to check out the Galileo Learning Camps before March 1st to enroll your child before his or her favorite sessions fill up! -- Disclaimer: My kids get a week of free camp in exchange for publicizing my love for Camp G! I am paying for additional weeks on my own dime since I'm a huge Galileo Learning fan. Please find Galileo Learning on Facebook to keep abreast of the latest news. During the summer, the stream fills with fab photos of happy campers!]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1514 2012-01-29T01:05:07Z 2012-02-02T15:36:14Z

This week was tough in many ways - two of the four of us battled the stomach flu - but I think we won, at least from a psychological perspective. My older, non-sick son had a violin concert Thursday night....

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com This week was tough in many ways - two of the four of us battled the stomach flu - but I think we won, at least from a psychological perspective. My older, non-sick son had a violin concert Thursday night. It was the first time he performed in a "real" auditorium, complete with cool lighting. For awhile he's been working on a specific piece that he knew he'd play alongside high schoolers. (Those kids are big! But then, to me, some of the 5th graders are big...) He was understandably nervous, but was pretty excited to play with so many people, too. It was fun to hear the 5th graders, and then an inspiration to hear the middle school groups, and finally the high-school strings. It is phenomenal how quickly the kids seem to progress: will my son really sound like that in just a year / five years / seven years? Then the finale was spectacular: over 200 musicians from 5th-12th grades, all crammed on the single stage, playing Carmen's "Habanera."]]> Alas, the photos will probably show him looking queasy and tired. His scores were markedly lower than his amazing performance two weeks ago (when he won all-around, plus 3 event golds and 3 event bronzes.) He got a couple medals today, but they were for 7th and 8th place in event finals. He didn't place in the top-ten for all-around. But he did that while feeling severely under the weather. Instead of just calling the meet off (as I suggested multiple times) he wanted to compete. He kept going, and told us that he loves gymnastics, so couldn't possibly not compete. His team won second place. His coach chose him to bring the banner home, because he showed dedication to the sport of gymnastics, and did not quit. In many ways, his meet today will end up meaning more to him than his multiple wins two weeks ago. Perhaps it is okay that the photos will be of that determined moment.]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1506 2012-01-25T02:12:33Z 2012-01-29T01:04:17Z

I was tracing my son's nose with my finger as he slept last night - Oh, come on parents, you know you do that. And you stiff their heads, even if the newborn smell is long gone - and I...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com I was tracing my son's nose with my finger as he slept last night - Oh, come on parents, you know you do that. And you stiff their heads, even if the newborn smell is long gone - and I had a memory flash. For months, my younger son has had a problem with a specific bully. Most kids do at one time or another, and most of the time the kids who pick on my son end up showing remorse when an adult notices, or they are simply fickle, so any perceived slight one day is forgotten when the kids are best friends the next. These types of problems need not over-reaction, for "boys will be boys." But one kid has been a persistent problem. I've made excuses for him. He's smaller than his age. His parents have recently gotten divorced. He is less accomplished in some areas than my son and his friends. And yet he is very clever. He is clever enough to allude some adults' notice of his misbehavior.]]> well, last month she wasn't there because she was on her period, and since it has been roughly a month...) They were hitting each other in play-fighting, seemingly unaware of the others around them. They nearly knocked over a display and they stepped on my toes. They bashed into my son, trying to get him to participate in the banter. We were all part of the same group, so his misbehavior reflected negatively upon us, especially as I instructed him and his cousin to "Stop that right now!" - in an uncharacteristically loud voice for me - but to no avail. There were other parents from our group present. But their looks of horror and attempted polite "redirects" of the two unsupervised children failed. If three sets of parents were unable to control the pair, then could anyone? Of course the father showed up as soon as his son and cousin were standing (relatively) quietly. He hadn't witnessed a thing. Of course these kids are angels to him, right? But something I forgot until last night, was that in the midst of the disruptive behavior, the bully's cousin looked at me, smiled sweetly, and said, "They look alike!" referring to both my sons. When I am with either of my sons individually, people comment on the aspects in which they look like me. My older son looks like my brother, and has some of the features that my brother and I share. My younger son has different aspects of me, plus looks a great deal like his paternal grandfather (while my oldest looks like his maternal grandfather.) My sons don't look alike to me, but separately they resemble me in their own ways. The bully's cousin continued, "They have the same nose." Surprised, I told the bully's cousin, "Well, they are brothers." He looked genuinely stunned, and pleased with himself, "They are? Cool!" He then went back to pommeling his cousin. Shortly thereafter, I reprimanded them for their behavior, and the cousin's earlier comment was forgotten... ... until tonight. As I traced my son's nose, I thought about that young man's observation. Perceptive, just as his cousin has shown to be shrewd and clever. If only these powers could be used for good. There is so much hidden wisdom, and yet poor behavior can overshadow it all. It is something I've though a lot about in the past, and clearly I'll be reminded of it in the present and future as well. ]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1505 2012-01-23T14:52:38Z 2012-01-26T03:01:54Z

So, the Niners aren't going to the Superbowl. But for a moment I was reliving the Glory Days, if only for a second. I remember how I used to play with my grandpa's football, even though since it had all...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com So, the Niners aren't going to the Superbowl. But for a moment I was reliving the Glory Days, if only for a second. I remember how I used to play with my grandpa's football, even though since it had all the signatures of the players, I really shouldn't have even been touching it. I remember eating in the Niners' cafeteria, knowing that I was exceptionally lucky to be ingesting the same lunch as the team, if only in smaller quantities. Rice and Montana were folks I met, not just people I saw on the TV screen. (Although, Montana lives in my same city, and my parents have run into him a couple times at our grocery store.) My grandparents and my dad got to go to the Super Bowl on the team family plane and ride around in an official NFL car. My dad went several times. I remember being pretty angry he wouldn't take me because I had final exams. Sigh. Our football privilege came from my uncle, whose involvement with both the Niners and the Broncos make him the person with the most Super Bowl rings. At least, for now. My grandparents, living in a tiny home and on a modest budget, couldn't have possibly dreamed one of their sons would eventually treat them to a celebrity-studded event like the Superbowl. But it isn't just the glitz and glamour that I remembered today as I cheered on the Niners. It was how I used to steal my grandpa's hat, or how I'd try to climb my grandma's laundry line in her backyard. It was how we'd watch planes fly overhead since their home was so close to SFO. And yes, how it was fun to go to the Stick to watch a game, or how we'd get giddy while watching the TV if we happened to catch a glimpse of my uncle. Sometimes I wish I could go back, if only for a second. While it didn't happen for the Niners this year, I appreciated the flashback. [photo: My cousin Tim Dahlen modeling his father's rings]]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1504 2012-01-22T23:05:41Z 2012-01-26T03:02:17Z

My grandma lived a lot longer than my grandpa, but she didn't have to work or worry after his death because of his pension. Of course "pension" is a word practically unheard of these days, as is the concept of...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com My grandma lived a lot longer than my grandpa, but she didn't have to work or worry after his death because of his pension. Of course "pension" is a word practically unheard of these days, as is the concept of job loyalty, because of course, companies aren't loyal to their employees, so why would there be reciprocal feelings? Still, as I sat down to read the paper this morning, I saw a photo of Google employees bowling. The accompanying article naming Google the best place to work in America talked about the high air quality there, and the commitment that this company has towards its employees. But last night I listened to This American Life's Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory. I had never heard of Shenzhen nor Foxconn City until last night. This morning, I read The Times article detailing the difference between American and Chinese business culture. Specifically the article focused on the iPhone, but the overall theme applies to many, many products. It is unlikely that "Made in the USA" will be on more products than "Made in China." ]]> There is no way that I'd agree to work for a company in which I'd have to live in a dormitory on a factory's campus and be on-call 24 hours a day. I would not sell my soul for a corporation. And I'm not alone. Sure, call us "Lazy Americans," but I'm living a life. I juggle many balls, but I also take time to watch one son in a golf tournament and another at a gymnastics meet. Yet, I have my electronics with me so that I can work in a pinch. Last Sunday I pulled out my laptop in a pizza parlor since I had a deadline and I knew I wouldn't make it home in time. (But, I was not willing to walk out of the gymnastics meet to go do the work in the car.) Work-life balance arguments abound here in the States, particularly surrounding women. But these mean nothing as compared to workers whose entire lives are spent for their company - and why? I have no solution. After all, if everyone were required to take vacation, it would be the one who "cheated" and worked instead of rested who would get ahead. It is the person willing to be on-call for longer than his coworker who gets the promotion. But in time, the person who didn't rest would make more mistakes. Accuracy will suffer because of speed. Why should quality of life be sacrificed for yet another dime that can't be spent in a positive way anyway? (Meanwhile, the big-wigs take longer vacations and buy bigger yachts because they saved money by taking that lowest bid: less money, faster production.) I'm watching football this afternoon. But, I'm not just lazy on the couch. I've done work today. And I did work yesterday. I work every day. People of my grandparents' generation say we are rude for bringing our phones everywhere: but if we don't, we will miss an urgent message from work or a client that requires our attention. (Yes - those very phones that someone sacrificed sleep over.) We are always connected, so we can always be commanded. If we are not available, then we will be left behind, since there is someone else who is "more available" than we are. Alas, while there are definitely those in the states (usually unmarried, or without children,) the ultimate "someone else" lives in a dorm on the campus of a factory overseas. While some may say Americans have to buck up, I hope we never end up with that sort of obligation. Let's come up with a new strategy. Let's go 49ers! (My grandpa would be proud.) tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1450 2012-01-21T21:41:27Z 2012-01-22T00:04:58Z

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com ]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1502 2012-01-14T17:49:19Z 2012-01-22T00:05:17Z

I've been fortunate to have met a bunch of famous, influential, and/or special people in my lifetime thus far. Sometimes it is random, like running into David Hasselhoff in the parking lot of a mall, and sometimes it is a...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com hanging out with Elizabeth Edwards. Yesterday, my younger son and I had the opportunity to meet Shannon Miller. Many people may not recognize that name, but gymnastics fans who watched the 1996 Olympics surely do. With 16 World Championship and Olympic medals, she is considered the "most decorated" gymnast in U.S. History. During those Olympics, my face was pressed to the television screen to watch the Magnificent Seven win the team Gold. In my recap of 2011, I showed a photo of my son with 2004 Olympian Brett McClure, and me with 1984 Olympian Bart Conner. Adding Shannon Miller to the mix of famous gymnasts I've met was quite a thrill. I wasn't the only one in the gym yesterday with happy tears in my eyes. One friend recalled how he was in Egypt during the 1996 games, so never ever even dreamed that he could possibly someday meet Shannon. He beamed and cried as his son posed with her. Even though my son wasn't born before Shannon's accomplishments, he was duly impressed, especially when she pulled out her gold medals to show the crowd. He had her sign a photo, and then went back in line and had her sign his leo: Aside from the excitement of my son's own competitions, the next big gymnastics thrill will be when we attend the Olympic Trials this summer. And, of course, we'll be watching London with rapt attention.]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1501 2012-01-12T17:04:25Z 2012-01-18T03:49:27Z

I usually sit on the sidelines when it comes to gender politics. And yet, sometimes things get under my skin. In the last few days, three things have prompted a sensitive reaction from me. [1] Last night I was reminded...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com I usually sit on the sidelines when it comes to gender politics. And yet, sometimes things get under my skin. In the last few days, three things have prompted a sensitive reaction from me. [1] Last night I was reminded of the rather common viewpoint that young girls with special needs are "victims" who "can't help it" whereas the boys are "bullies" who "need to be taught to behave." I've talked about this before, typically when connected to age of diagnosis. After all, a meek female who is quietly suffering in the back of a classroom because of stimuli sensitivity isn't going to garner the same attention as a young boy who lashes out physically because of the same sensitivity. The boy is a problem, whereas the girl is not. Schools will eliminate the problem that is most disruptive to the class rather than also identifying kids who need assistance because they are silent and withdrawn. Ultimately, this ends up hurting both: it hurts the boy because his behavior is being seen as being completely in his control, and it hurts the girl because she doesn't get the help she needs until she is much older. I have plenty of other thoughts about how the parents of such boys are viewed versus the parents of the "poor females," but I'm sure you can guess them. Ditto on the whole fine line between excuses ("can't help it") versus high expectations. Each child - male or female - is different, and it does a disservice to think otherwise. Last night's reminder of the gender differences in special needs was surrounding a much more minor issue than usual on this front, and I'm not "in the middle" of it, but it opened up an old wound.]]> he was most comfortable with. Meanwhile, other people did pressure him. Relatives talked about how he needed to get a "proper boy's haircut" as if it would be a complete tragedy if anyone possibly thought he was - gasp! - a girl! One person actually sent me money with the request that I use the money to get him a decent haircut. Not only was this insulting from a financial perspective (no, not getting a short haircut wasn't because we are poor - and/or was this a bribe?) but also because it effectively told my son that he wasn't accepted for his appearance. I sent the money back. [If I had a daughter with long hair, would my relatives pay me to have her cut her hair? If I had a daughter with short hair, would my relatives complain and insist she grow it long? Or, would her hairstyle choice be seen as her choice?] I remember all of the controversy last year about the family keeping their child Storm's gender a secret. Many people thoughtfully considered how the family would react if Storm leans towards his or her stereotypical gender role. Indeed, it is an interesting consideration, since ultimately being respectful of choices includes if that person wishes to pursue societal norms. By that logic, I should be okay with my son having long hair, and I should be okay with my son having short hair. And so, for three years when he wanted it long, I supported him. And when he decided recently that he was ready to go back to having short hair, I supported him in that decision, too. I'm frustrated that to be a "strong woman" essentially means to be more masculine, and yet even showing male characteristics isn't accepted completely. I dislike how "men can be assertive" while if a woman behaves in a similar manner, she is seen as "bitchy" or "aggressive." I've had firsthand experience where I've done something exactly like a male colleague only to get reprimanded while the colleague was seen as a bold risk-taker. Relevant here is that it is considered OK for a woman to wear pants or have short hair because they are "trading up" to the "more powerful" gender, while it is not OK for a man to wear a dress or to have long hair because "why would someone want to be perceived as weaker?" Every time someone criticized my son's choice of hairstyle, they were criticizing him and they were essentially criticizing women. (Many also criticized me, as if I was forcing him to have long hair, which I was not. Showing support is different than forcing values on someone else.) All my life I've gone through phases with my appearance: combat boots versus dainty sandals, flannel shirts versus frilly blouses, long blonde hair versus short red hair. Why should it be different for my boys? I want them to be comfortable with who they are and how they choose to present themselves to the world appearance-wise. [3] Over the weekend, my boys made it clear that because I am a woman, I am expected to be the one who cleans, while it is OK for males to be messy. I've tried to teach my boys to pick up after themselves, but they aren't perfect, mainly because they are still kids who get easily distracted. My older son is better at cleaning up than my younger son is, but when I addressed them about being even more vigilant, they gave me a gender excuse, citing their father's messiness as proof that it was okay for them to not pick up after themselves. Other stereotypical roles have come to light recently, too - such as the teacher who was horrified because she believed I had gone back to work so couldn't volunteer in the classroom (I had always been working, even when I took the time to do school duty.) Why the assumption that the women should volunteer? Why the assumption that it is the mother who helps with homework? And last night when I watched my DVR'ed Dance Moms, of course I cringed when dance director Abby Lee Miller reprimanded a woman for daring to be at work rather than attend her daughter's dance rehearsal. Why are men not similarly chastised if they cannot juggle all the balls of extra-curricular activities, volunteering in class, and so forth? (And oh yeah, why is it the mom who must have been lax about discipline to cause the problem in [1] or whose pressure must have been the reason a boy didn't get a haircut in [2]? Why are the fathers considered innocent bystanders in all this?) In fact, men who volunteer are put on a pedestal, and are seen as being saints for "babysitting" their own children to "allow" the [selfish, lazy] women to have a "girls' night out," while it is perfectly acceptable for guys to go out and do their thing even with children at home. [I give credit to a teacher who recently addressed both me and my husband instead of just me. It made me feel happy that he was treating us both as parents.] I don't rant about this gender stuff often, but when I do, it hits deep. -- [Above graphic from an interesting color study by realitypod]]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1500 2012-01-11T16:33:19Z 2012-01-14T18:42:49Z

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com ]]> I came across a recipe for an orange-soaked bundt cake and was eager to give it a try. I decided to use mandarins instead of oranges since we had soooo many of them from the CSA box. I also decided to use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, since I've recently come to really adore the taste and texture that coconut oil brings to dishes. -- "CSA" stands for "Community Supported Agriculture." I'm in green-happy Northern California, so I've fortunate to have several such services in my area. I selected Farm Fresh to You and have been very satisfied. Although I do not receive compensation for mentioning them in this post, should you decide to sign up with them and tell them "Kari Dahlen" sent you, they will give me a referral credit. But, I'm posting these pics for fun! I'd definitely encourage you to search in your area for an organic produce delivery service - it is great to get super-fresh food!]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1497 2012-01-08T20:43:19Z 2012-01-14T19:09:23Z

I've had websites for a looooong time, longer than many. From the moment I saw that pulsing purple Netscape "N," I've been eager to have my own little virtual place. When I first started out, I was super hyperlink-happy. If...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com I've had websites for a looooong time, longer than many. From the moment I saw that pulsing purple Netscape "N," I've been eager to have my own little virtual place. When I first started out, I was super hyperlink-happy. If a subject had a website about it, I'd link it. So every other word was highlighted blue (or purple, if someone had visited that site, of course.) I linked where I had visited, what my favorite subjects were, and so forth. No, I couldn't yet link favorite stores, because this was before e-commerce, and before stores even had a static site to mark their territory. (I wrote to Victoria's Secret after a particularly frustrating mail order situation to offer that I design a website for them so maybe they could communicate and even take orders online! They declined.) And of course I linked where I was from. At least, I linked what I thought read where I was from.]]> the penny incident is Canadian. At the time I created my site, we hadn't really been in touch much, but I was still "interested" in him, so wanted to make sure my allegiance to Canada was clear, especially since he was in grad school in Toronto at that time. Heh. A couple months later, I went home for holiday break. After I had been home several days, my mom mentioned my website, and wondered why I found the need to lie about my origins. What?! Well, I had mis-coded my sentence "I am from California, but given my love of hockey, I wish I was from Canada" such that I didn't close the link for "California." The next bit of text that opened a link was "Canada." The text from "California" until "Canada" was therefore not visible. So, my website read "I am from Canada." Oh, NO. I immediately explained that it was a mistake (I still don't know whether my mom believes me) and I ran back to my parents' computer to re-code that section. I worried about whether the Canadian ex-boyfriend had seen the unintentional lie, yet I thought it would be just a bit bizarre to email him out of the blue to ask if he had been checking my website to clarify that I wasn't some kind of crazy, dishonest person. The irony? I am now paid to find and fix bits of code that cause problems for other people's sites. (But I still kinda wish I were from Canada.)]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1495 2012-01-07T18:49:18Z 2012-01-11T15:31:46Z

Over the holidays a neighbor dropped off a jar of lemon-orange marmalade. I didn't recognize the name on the tag, and was disappointed that whoever it was didn't leave their house number. A new family had moved in a few...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com Over the holidays a neighbor dropped off a jar of lemon-orange marmalade. I didn't recognize the name on the tag, and was disappointed that whoever it was didn't leave their house number. A new family had moved in a few houses down, so I assumed it was them. Given the hectic holidays, I planned my "thank you" for New Year's. I made some fudge and delivered it to the new neighbor's doorstep along with a note of gratitude for the marmalade, wishes for a Happy New Year, and welcome to the neighborhood. This morning, the fudge was back on my doorstep. No, she explained, the marmalade was actually from a neighbor further down the street. She told me she was terrible with names, but was pretty sure it was from the house that has excellent holiday decorations. She hadn't yet met the new neighbor and knew for sure the marmalade didn't come from that house. Oh, okay then. So this means that I'm very late thanking the true gift-giver. Meanwhile, I thought it funny that the new neighbor didn't say anything. The fudge was off the doorstep, so I imagined it was being consumed. Ah well, it is a good "welcome to the neighborhood" treat I thought. But then this morning, the fudge was back on my doorstep, totally uneaten. I thought of a revolving fruitcake, and smiled, but then pouted a little because my excellent fudge should not be compared to a fruitcake! Attached to the intact fudge was a note explaining that they weren't the giver of the marmalade, but that they had received some, too. They didn't know which house the marmalade came from. I was sad to see the fudge. It has been several days now, so I'm not going to eat it. Throwing it away felt bad. I understand how the neighbor had a dilemma: eat the fudge even though it was intended as a "thank you" for another neighbor, or return the fudge. My intent had been that the fudge was also a welcome-to-the-neighborhood treat, but I understand how the new family was hesitant to take it that way. Oh, how I wished they had returned the fudge when it was still fresh! (Meanwhile, the people who actually did give me the marmalade are getting some fig jam in return, along with an apology for the belated nature of the thank-you. I just can't make more fudge...) ]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1447 2012-01-06T14:36:12Z 2012-01-11T15:32:00Z

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com ]]> tag:www.karianna.us,2012:/blog//1.1494 2012-01-06T02:31:57Z 2012-01-11T15:32:27Z

Since 2012 started, I've been doing what most people have been doing: working out more than usual, being more responsible about getting tasks done right now, planning [better] meals ahead of time, and so forth. At some point, things will...

Karianna http://www.kariannaspectrum.com Since 2012 started, I've been doing what most people have been doing: working out more than usual, being more responsible about getting tasks done right now, planning [better] meals ahead of time, and so forth. At some point, things will likely back up (although I'm trying to think positively, I need to be realistic!) but I hope that with each little "push" I can keep on top of things, at least mostly. But the one thing I don't want to be on top of are the kids across the street. Ordinarily I wouldn't complain about the folks living around me in the name of neighborly love - and, after all, my kids have their own quirks - but sometimes things get a little wacky. For example, there is a family down the street that believes in community property. As in, it is totally OK to come into our backyard to take toys, especially if nobody is there. One of the boys even tried to walk into the house. When he found the door locked (suprise!) he pounded on it, then shoved past me when I opened the door to inquire what was going on. (I'm glad he didn't beak a window.) Thankfully, after some super-polite correction time and time again, these kids finally got the drift, and no longer impede upon our lives. But, I fear a different set of kids may be the death of me.]]> ever, ever to do what they were doing. Over and over again I emphasized how cars are dangerous. How the dirt could give way so the kids slip into the still-braking car. How the car could move a bit too far into the dirt, hitting them. How it was a mistake to be comfortable so close to live cars. Yesterday I drove up our street. As always, I go pretty slowly. There are a lot of kids, and I've definitely had a few pop up in front of me before. The two across-the-street boys were going straight down the middle of our street on their skateboards. Other kids in the same situation jump off their boards and go to the side of the street when they see me. Not these boys. They kept going straight for my car. I stopped completely (of course!) They rolled completely up to my car. One brother went slightly off to the side, but the other lay down in front of my left tire. I repeat, since it is so unbelievable: He laid down in front of my left tire. I couldn't see him anymore. Had I turned to my son in the backseat to tell him something, or otherwise diverted my attention for a moment, I could have assumed that since I didn't see the kids in front of me, that they must have moved over to the side to let me pass. I'm glad I kept my eye on them to know that one disappeared in front of me. I waited. And waited. Finally he moved over a tiny bit. And then a little bit more. Finally I had enough room so I could dodge both boys, but they appeared completely oblivious to me. As they skateboarded back to their house, it took me yelling their names several times before they finally gave me their attention, only to shrug and roll their eyes when I admonished them for their dangerous behavior. I'm glad I'm not in jail right now for running over a neighbor; but if this type of behavior continues, I fear I may not be so lucky next time. And of course I fear my own boys' safety given that they enjoy playing with these other boys. I don't want them to have friends who have a lack of survival instinct.]]>