Is there an eight year old in the house? A Sonar Birthday

We have a Sonar X8 in the house today. And I have to say, I really like the way he’s turning out.

This morning, before school, when I told the Sonars briefly about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, X8 said, “Do you remember that book we read, where the man sets fire to the field in order to save everyone from getting killed by a tsunami?” And I did. He was talking about Tsunami! by Kimiko Kanjikawa, a lovely story about sacrifice and the value of human life in the face of disaster.

There’s a little mischief in that eight-year-old smile…

Last week in school they studied the American presidents. Here’s something he wrote to display at the school open house:

If I were president I would open more libraries. And lower the prices on stuff. I would make sure there won’t be chaos. I would make sure that there was one day a month when all movies are free.

 

He really gets the civil in civilization, huh? I particularly like the bit about chaos. You hear that Mr. President? That’s the future talking. Libraries, low prices, and free movies (sometimes): yes. Chaos: no.

Collaborative Souvenirs: Destination Imagination and a bunch of knitted vegetables

For the past six months, Sonar X10, his five teammates and two Sponsor Teachers (aka Teachers who have given so much of their time and patience that they deserve cookies, medals, a nice bottle of scotch, and a reality-based legislature) have been preparing for the local Destination Imagination (DI) competition. When people ask me what DI is all about, I always tell them it’s a creative problem-solving activity. But that doesn’t really give DI it’s due, so go check out their website and know what an awesome enrichment opportunity DI is. 

Sonar X10 and his teammates have had a lot of fun, they did great at their competition, and - like any group that works together over time to solve problems, deal with stress, and learn something - they developed some inside jokes. One such joke had to do with jalapeños. The team knows how to say the word ha-la-PEN-yo, but they choose, with a giggle to say ja-LA-pen-o - hard j. This joke amuses them so much that they named the setting in their DI skit Jalopolis. In the skit, which was part of the “Verses! Foiled Again” Challenge, their hero Ace (played by Sonar X10) tried to steal Abraham Lincoln’s platinum pocket watch from the Jalopolis History Museum of History, but he was foiled by his family and a time traveling hat with sparkly hair.

To commemorate the months of work and some of their silly jokes, the Sonar and I decided everyone on the team should have a jalapeño. The teammate implicated in the jalapeño joke’s origins already had her own chili knit, which I talked about here. THAT jalapeño became something of a lucky charm, or perhaps a de facto team mascot. So I made a new batch, a whole carton of jalapeños for the kids and their sponsors. For the teammate already in possession of the lucky jalapeño, I made a carrot. That makes perfect sense, right? 

Six jalapeños and a carrot, knit-wise

Sonar X10 then made tags for each vegetable. The other side says “Minute Green Jalepeno [sic] 2010-2011” plus the school and DI team names. 

Greetings from the Jalopolis History Museum of History Gift Shop. Wish you were here.My method and pattern for these new vegetables was unwavering. I used Acorn Bud’s great carrot pattern for all of them. Because surely there’s no better way to commemorate a bunch of smart kids doing smart stuff than to give them knitted vegetables.

A Call for Action In support of Texas Educators and Students

The news in Texas education is dire. The Texas legislature is working on a budget right now that could cost thousands of Texas educators their jobs and could have a negative impact on our children’s education. If you are a Texas educator, your job may be at risk.

If the current budget in the Texas legislature is approved as is, here are some things that could happen:

—-School budgets could be cut by anywhere from 10 to 20%. The largest expenditure in any district budget is personnel. How many teachers and support staff would be lost in your school if 10-, 15-, or 20% of them were laid off?

—-Not all school districts are talking openly about the budget projections, but Austin ISD projects over 1000 job cuts; Dallas area school districts project over 3000 job cuts; Round Rock ISD projects hundreds of job cuts; just to name a few.

—-Speaking locally, G-PISD has won awards for efficiency. Our district is a great place to work and to learn, but in a lean machine all cuts can bleed.

—-TEA has begun their layoff process.

Here’s what else you need to know:

—-Wrangling between Governor Rick Perry and the Federal Government is preventing Texas from receiving almost $900 million in education money. The federal government requires the states to ensure that this money be earmarked for education. Governor Perry won’t make that promise, so Texas schools can’t touch a dime.

—-The state budget plan is in the hands of the Texas House and Senate up in Austin. The votes of the Republican majority in both houses will determine the budgets that districts will have to live with for the next two years.

—-Texas has a backup plan. Called the Budget Stabilization Plan, but more frequently known as the Rainy Day Fund, this fund was established in the late eighties, and is replenished each year with revenues from the oil and gas industry. The purpose of the fund is to “prevent or eliminate a temporary cash deficiency in general revenue.” Here’s a short article about the importance of the Rainy Day Fund in the current debate: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-taxes/rainy-day-fund/texplainer-what-is-texass-rainy-day-fund-for/

If you work in Texas education, your job might be in danger. If you voted for a legislator who is now supporting cuts that could cost you or your coworkers or your children’s teachers their jobs, those legislators need to hear from you. They need to hear from all of us.

Please take a little time to let our legislators know how you feel about Texas Education. I’ve included contacts below, with particular relevance to residents of the Texas Coastal Bend. You can also use the Who Represents Me tool: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/ and the contact info at the Governor’s Office: http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/

Remember, your STATE legislators are key in the budget battle. Personal notes and direct phone calls are more effective than a form email, but every little bit helps. The calls you make and the letters you write could save jobs and prevent the deterioration of our children’s education.

Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All of my information comes from one the following sources:

The news feed at http://www.texasisd.com/ 

The news feed at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/

And other professional, local, state, and national news outlets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you live in the Texas Coastal Bend, some of these contacts are for you. 

Gov. Rick Perry

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 12428

Austin, Texas 78711-2428

Citizen’s Opinion Hotline: (800) 252-9600

Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: (512) 463-2000

Email link to form: http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst

Capitol Station

P.O. Box 12068

Austin, Texas 78711

Ph# 512 463-0001

Email link to form: http://www.ltgov.state.tx.us/contact.php

Joe Straus – Speaker of the House

Capitol Address:

Room CAP 2W.13, Capitol

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

Ph# (512) 463-3000 OR 512-463-1000 

Susan Combs – Texas State Comptroller 

Mailing Address:

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Post Office Box 13528, Capitol Station

Austin, Texas 78711-3528

Ph# (512) 463-4444 

Email: susan.combs@cpa.state.tx.us

The Honorable Florence Shapiro – Senate Education Committee Chair

Capitol Address:

P.O. Box 12068

Capitol Station

Austin, Texas 78711

Ph# (512) 463-0108

Email link to form: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist8/

dist8.htm#Form

The Honorable Judith Zaffirini – District 21

Capitol Address:

P.O. Box 12068

Capitol Station

Austin, Texas 78711

Ph# 512-463-0121

Email link to form: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist21/

Dist21.htm#form

Rep. Hunter, Todd - District 3

Capitol Address:

Room E2.808, Capitol Extension

PO Box 2910

Austin, TX 78701

Ph# (512) 463-0672

Email: todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=32&session=82

District Address:

15217 SPID, Ste 205

Corpus Christi, TX 78418

361-949-4603 (w)

361-949-4634 (f)

Rep. Aliseda, Jose - District 35

Capitol Address:

Room EXT E2.812, Capitol Extension

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0645

(512) 463-0559 FAX

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=35&session=82

Rep. Scott, Connie - District 34

Capitol Address:

Room E2.302, Capitol Extension

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0462

(512) 463-1705 Fax

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=34&session=82

District Address:

701 East Houston St.

Beeville, TX 78101

361-358-9400 (w)

Rep. Guillen, Ryan – District 31

Capitol Address:

Room EXT E1.320, Capitol Extension

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

(512) 463-0416

(512) 463-1012 Fax

District Address:

100 N. FM 3167, Ste 212

Rio Grande City, TX 78582

956-716-4838 (w)

Email link to form:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/email/?district=31&session=82

A defense of Library Funding

The Texas Legislature’s budget proposal will cut 70 to 98% of funding for state library programs, gutting services and displacing higher costs onto local libraries. Libraries are essential places in our community, especially in small communities like ours.

Here is why libraries are so important:

Libraries enhance the future of our country by supporting the education of our children. Libraries extend learning by making knowledge both available and valuable.

Libraries make readers. In a library, even reluctant readers can find something that sparks an interest, lights a fire, matches or challenges their growing abilities, makes them want to read and know more.

Libraries build community. Bulletin boards, paperback swaps, children’s story time, book clubs, civic group meetings, educational workshops, reading support, job training. Libraries are a place for people to connect to other people. When my children were small, Mr. Kippy’s Story time was a place for me to be with my children and meet people with shared interests. Story time was a high point in our schedule and a valuable stop on our learning journey.

Libraries provide safe, cozy, and reassuring places to gather. Places to learn, to study, to work, to contemplate. Quiet places of knowledge, set aside for thinking and reading and learning.

Libraries are portals of knowledge. To the past and to the world outside our physical reach. History, novels, foreign language resources, newspapers, magazines, music, photography books, encyclopedias. The library is a place we can expand our knowledge reach and to keep learning even if we’re no longer in school.

Libraries provide resources and expertise for personal and professional development. Computer work stations, testing spaces, professional development books, self-help books, printing and copying resources, a place to check email, prepare for college entrance exams, or figure out how to find a better job. In a down economy, the library becomes an even more important place for people struggling with economic displacement or limitations.

Libraries are sources of reliable, credible, and stable information in a world where the internet sometimes flies too fast. While some would argue that a book doesn’t update fast enough to be reliable, the stability of information in a library means we have credible data when we need to make critical choices.

Libraries employ experts who know how to find information and media. We can sift through that data more efficiently with the assistance of librarians, who are trained to know how the information is organized, where to find the answers to our questions, and how to get our hands on resources that we need. Librarians are priceless.

Libraries are essential repositories of information in a democratic society. The free access to information allows citizens to make informed decisions and to fulfill civic responsibilities.

As author Philip Pullman so aptly put it in a recent protest of cuts to his local library, “Leave the libraries alone. You don’t know the value of what you’re looking after. It is too precious to destroy.”

Please oppose these drastic cuts to library services in Texas. Please protect the essential services that Texas libraries provide.

What can you do?

* Share this message.

* Contact your state representatives and local media.

* Visit your local library. Check out books. Read the bulletin board. Talk to the librarians. Be involved.

* Get more details through the Texas Library Association.

From the Archives: On the State of the Union

President Obama delivers the State of the Union Address this evening. I’ll be there, with popcorn, for a lot of good reasons, both civic and personal.

Below is a transcript of a post from January 2008 which explains why I’m a State of the Union geek. Please note that the tally of years is up to sixteen now. 

Love you, babe.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Politics, Personal

According to the U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 3

“[The President] shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

I celebrate the State of the Union Address today, not so much because of any political motivation, but because the (generally) annual speech to the joint houses of Congress and to the nation and the world, coincides with a more personal event for me. Thirteen years ago, my partner and I set off on our first adventure together.

It started on a Friday. We worked in the same lab together, he a molecular biology grad student, me a biochemistry undergrad. Chatting over epi-tubes one Friday morning, we planned a lab-group outing. A performance art group was presenting a new piece that night on campus. I was on my way to class, and so he said he’d pass along the event to the other members of the lab group when they came in. We agreed to meet at the theater 15 minutes prior to showtime.

I showed up a few minutes late to find him waiting outside the door to the theater. Alone. He shrugged, and said that he guessed everyone had other plans. I learned later in the weekend that he had completely neglected to mention the plan to any of our friends or colleagues. We watched the show. We went out for coffee. The time we spent together stretched longer and longer. The sub-zero nighttime air of the desert in January did not deter us from ending up on the roof of the Chemistry building in the middle of the night to look at the stars. We ended up at a different coffee shop at five a.m. And not a thing had passed our lips but conversation and food.

Our waitress happened to be another chemistry student. She was due to get off work at six. We cooked up a hair-brained scheme to go to Tucson all together when she got off work. (Tucson was a four or five hour drive from where we were, across the desert and one state line, and none of us had ever been there). We waited, but she backed out, begging fatigue. Undeterred, we climbed into his truck and hit the road.

There is no rational explanation for why we did this. It was really rather stupid. For both of us. For a lot of reasons.

We spent the day in Tucson, driving around, eating again, and then drove back home late in the afternoon. Sleep-deprivation makes the next couple of days a hazy blur for me, but by the time of Bill Clinton’s second State of the Union Address in January of 1995, after a dizzy weekend, we were firmly Together.

And though we were married in July a couple of years later, each year we tend to note the passing of the state of the Union with a little bit more nostalgia and enthusiasm.

So here’s to us babe, and our Union. May we bear witness to many more presidential speeches together.