Pumpkin Carving Party

For the past 2 years, I have hosted a Pumpkin Carving Party for the neighborhood kids who are in our acquaintance. We plan it for outside and start praying to the Mother Nature in late July for good weather (at least dry weather). She has not disappointed yet. This year, we had 15 kids and their parents for a total of 35 carvers. Our house sits on a 1/2 acre (doesn't sound much for my rural readers) but this is quite large here in the city. It is the perfect venue for carving tables in the yard (wood set on blocks and covered with plastic). Cider, withes brew and punch in a cauldron on the back porch and a potluck staring Chili and Butternut Squash Soup. The menu concluded with a pumpkin-styled cake and pumpkin pie.

Audrey along with her buddies crafted scary faces with googly eyes and scars. Creighton took on the project as a personal quest. He cut the lid, cleaned the pumpkin, designed and carved the face all on his own. He would not allow any help. His Jack O'lantern is a classic masterpiece. While Carson, hummmmm, he scribbled out a face and then talked someone else into carving it. He was too busy chasing his friends around in the "Jungle" as the kids call the bottom half of the yard.

I have so much fun watching the pumpkins transform into Jack O'lanterns, seeing my community of families turn into my village, and experiencing the last days of autumn as they slip into winter's slumber. I received one of the best compliments of my life from one of the moms who has become a good friend. She said. "You make it look so easy." Thank you, Susan. I love to host this event and I will have it every year until no one wants to come.

The Future...

One of my best friends is an instructor at one of the satellite schools for the University of Minnesota. She has her masters degree in paleoanthropology and has participated in several digs around the world. Since having children she has started teaching at the university level as way to supplement the family income.

During one of our talks, she mentioned to me that she is concerned about the course she is teaching this semester as the mean grade on her last exam was a D. She continues... She tells me about the syllabus, the daily lecture outlines that she gives before each lecture, and the four to five page exam study sheet (which she tells them is all inclusive of the material that will be on the exam) and still the students are at a D level.

What! Basically all the students have to do is show up to class. They don't even need to take notes because she has a lecture outline available and maybe review with an all inclusive study guide before the exam and surely they should be able to get a C. Isn't nine-tenths of life is just showing up.

So as a parent and college graduate, I find this appalling. And I hope all of you do, too. College the last step before entering the "real world" and this how we are prepping our next generation. Now, I really don't want to debate the generation XYZ crap. As part of Gen X, I find all that just a bunch of rubbish. But what I do think is relevant (which might be a generational issue) is that these students have any accountability for their performance and no respect for the accomplishments. Is this upbringing, technology, nature, nurture, blah, blah, blah? I don't know, but it is scary. I know that when I went to university, there wasn't an outline for each lecture. I was expected to attend class and take notes, read the text, and study for exams, PERIOD!

So I advised my friend to stop with all the study aids. Then, she said, my teacher evaluations will drop and I might not get my contract renewed. Here inlays the problem. She is evaluated as a teaching professional by those she is trying to educate, who couldn't care in the least bit whether they learn the material or not or for that matter earn a passing grade. These students will be in the professional workforce with a bachelors degree no less in a few years. Do they think their employer is going to provide them with an outline for their project? This is seriously setting them up for failure.

By the way, isn't college expensive? I wonder who is footing the bill for all this incompetence? Something to think about for all of you who have college funds building for your young ones... The best successes are the those accomplished on your own with accountability, persistence, determination and hard work. With love, these are my parenting values. Hopefully, I am giving my kids the recipe for success (however defined) and happiness.

World Series...Oh Yeah Baby!

I am so ready for this.

GO Rockies! Go Rockies! Go Rockies!

Anonymity

Over on my blog, I get quite a bit of traffic from work colleagues. So I can't really write about this over there.

I'm hoping that not many of them bother to come here given that Steph rarely updates her blog. But the people who I want to read this keep coming back time and time again with an endless hope that she will.

Work in Progress is one of my favourite blogs. I love how Lisa writes and usually I find what she writes interesting. When I've got something to say, I leave a comment.

So, go check out this post and subsequent comments. Pay particularly close attention to the string of comments.

I'm famous - AGAIN!!!!

Let's hope I don't get fired. :-)

Hockey

Don't be fooled. My sister is really a hockey fan. She doesn't care about baseball!

Go Rockies Go!!!!

Can you hear the crack of the bat? We can here in Colorado. Tonight is the start of the Rockies run for the National League Championship Series.

Game 1 - Rockies @ Diamondbacks/ 6:37pm

GO ROCKIES GO!!!!!!!!!