Ignore this thread!

[KrissiK]

They don't want me because my step dad is in prison. I'm biased.

 

Did I ever mention that I come from a white trash family? :laugh:

Well, I'm hoping they won't want me. My bil is a prosecuting attorney for the county.

[Jean in Newcastle]

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Wednesday! It rained yesterday and the temperature dropped so I went grocery shopping when I had a reasonable shot of my popsicles making it home still semi-frozen. Costco has their organic juice popsicles on sale right now, so I bought several boxes for my lactose-intolerant family members.  That pretty much sums up how exciting my day was yesterday.

 

I am reveling in the quiet, I tell you. Reveling. 

[Slache]

I'm irritated by the whole appropriation thing. Maybe I don't understand it. I was one of 3 white people in my grade all through middle school. My home town was extremely diverse, but over half Mexican. I never thought that Mexicans were supposed to do this and black people were supposed to do that so I can't do either. I love the bright colors of the Mexican culture, the dance styles of the African American culture and the arts of many Asain cultures and have incorporated them into my life. Does that make me racist? The only racist thing I see about that is expecting certain people to act a certain way because of the color of their skin.

 

Can someone explain this to me, please? I'm special and I don't get it.

[JoJosMom]

I wish we could do an Elephant Ninja Road Trip and Camp Out to Dawn's house.  She could go to Rocco's Island for a week and we could cover for her and chat and lesson plan and eat chocolate. :sad:

 

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Dawn.

 

[JoJosMom]

I'm irritated by the whole appropriation thing. Maybe I don't understand it. I was one of 3 white people in my grade all through middle school. My home town was extremely diverse, but over half Mexican. I never thought that Mexicans were supposed to do this and black people were supposed to do that so I can't do either. I love the bright colors of the Mexican culture, the dance styles of the African American culture and the arts of many Asain cultures and have incorporated them into my life. Does that make me racist? The only racist thing I see about that is expecting certain people to act a certain way because of the color of their skin.

 

Can someone explain this to me, please? I'm special and I don't get it.

 

Don't think I can help you, Slash.  It seems to me that history shows us that what we now are labelling "appropriation" is what, historically, is part of the growth and development of human culture.  Count me in the "Whatevs, " camp.

[Slache]

Don't think I can help you, Slash. It seems to me that history shows us that what we now are labelling "appropriation" is what, historically, is part of the growth and development of human culture. Count me in the "Whatevs, " camp.

That's what it seems like to me. Matt's exgangbanger friend calls it "white people problems". He says there's a whole list of things only white people worry about including appropriation and who should use what restroom. He's a pretty funny guy.

[prairiewindmomma]

Cultural appropriation...blame it on the Mycenaeans.

[Renai]

You don't understand because you're white.  :lol:

 

Nah, just kidding. I don't get it either. I was never "black enough," so I adopted everyone else's culture that would accept me. Oh, well.

[Renai]

:seeya:  :leaving:

[Slache]

You don't understand because you're white. :lol:

 

Nah, just kidding. I don't get it either. I was never "black enough," so I adopted everyone else's culture that would accept me. Oh, well.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

[Renai]

You should be ashamed of yourself.

:laugh:  :001_tt2:

[Slache]

I think that everyone that's upset about appropriation should stop using Singapore.

[prairiewindmomma]

In all seriousness, some parts of cultural misappropriation offend me: blackface, iconography in sports, some of the weird things boy scouts do with Order of the Arrow, and so forth.  Mockery of sacred things is never cool, no matter how it's done.

 

I grew up in an area with a fair amount of Native American people. I get how privileged I am as a white person. OTOH, I should be able to plant my corn, beans, and squash together or burn some sage leaves when I buy a new home without having to get into a heated discussion about whether it's appropriate for me to do so as a white woman.

[JoJosMom]

You don't understand because you're white.  :lol:

 

Nah, just kidding. I don't get it either. I was never "black enough," so I adopted everyone else's culture that would accept me. Oh, well.

 

That stinks, Renai.  As a conservative, I've had plenty of friends who have been "Oreos" or "Uncle Toms/Thomasinas" or "Coconut" or whatever.  Based on the rants I've heard, it gets really old. :grouphug:

[prairiewindmomma]

Dd is painting with watercolors and talking about shopkins in pretend play without about 7 different voices. I don't know how she does it.  I am guzzling diet pepsi in the hopes of having a steady stream of thought going in my brain.

[hornblower]

I think you have to look at appropriation through the lens of power & privilege and that's all I have to say. I thought that other thread explained things well when I last read it. 

[hornblower]

Ds is almost done for the year - just a couple more things left, including making a detailed plan for the summer & for next year. For the summer he has a list of ideas and even some goals but he wants help to get that translated into an actual plan, preferably with a schedule.  

I might as well make one for myself while I'm at it :D 

[Slache]

I think you have to look at appropriation through the lens of power & privilege and that's all I have to say. I thought that other thread explained things well when I last read it.

I only got about two posts in but it seemed like the same thing I heard over and over. I'll go read the thread. :)

Edited June 29, 2016 by Slache

[AMJ]

What's CE like?

 

((((((((Jean))))))))

 

((((((((Dawn))))))))

 

And again, ((((((((Slache))))))))

 

And (((((((everyone rose who could use one)))))))

 

 

Sorry for the delay in this response.  Partway through writing it I realized I was about to be late for an appointment.

 

Caesar's English (I & II) is part of Michael Clay Thompson's Language Arts program (MCTLA), available through Royal Fireworks Press (http://www.rfwp.com/pages/michael-clay-thompson/).  This program contains several different components, all of which are orchestrated to work together (this is the way we use it), but many people simply use one or more select portions instead of the whole program.

 

CE is the vocabulary component of the Levels 2 & 3 of MCTLA.  These levels of MCTLA work well for upper elementary students, though they can also be good for junior high students.  CE presents Latin stems for English words (a "stem" is a root, prefix, suffic, etc.) and English words that use such stems, teaching meanings and providing exercises, enrichment materials, and Lesson quizzes.  Each level of CE covers about one year of study if pursued at the rate of a Lesson a week (20 Lessons). 

 

The odd-numbered lessons each introduce 5 stems and 5 non-fiction vocabulary words, while the even-numbered lessons present 5 classic words.  This gives a total of 100 vocabulary words and 50 Latin stems over the year's course. 

 

MCT himself appears to be VERY much in favor of presenting quality literature to kids at every level.  Quotes from classic books are used periodically, and the vocabulary words are selected because they are literary and academic.  He also presents pictures, maps, and information on the ancient Roman world to teach more about where this part of our language came from and show the words presented in use.

 

You don't have to use every part of every lesson -- it is structured in a way to provide a variety of presentations of the stems and words.  You can do them all, of course, but you can also choose to skip portions that seem extraneous to you.

 

Typical portions of the lessons:

• stems and words (odd lessons) or words (even lessons) -- the stems and words aren't just defined, they are discussed.  I typically read these parts aloud to my kids while they follow along, so they not only hear the stuff read in an appreciable, expressive way, they also hear words new to them pronounced.
• Caesar's Math:  lessons teaching the use of Roman numerals.  My kids quite like these.
• Word search puzzle:  please note -- in CE 1 the word search puzzles are problematic (not all of the words can actually be found).  If you buy CE 1 and want to know which words to cross off the word search list for each lesson let me know and I'll dig out our CE 1 books and type up a list.  In CE 2 the word searches are all fine and functioning properly.
• classic words challenge:  Quotes are given from various books, with one word blanked out and 4 options listed below.  This is a game, not a lit quiz -- the students pick which word they think works best in the quote.  The teacher's manual tells which word the author used, but often other words also work (though they can alter the meaning of the sentence).  My kids would do these on their own, and then we would discuss the selections (theirs and the authors').  We discussed whether or not certain words worked in the stand-alone sentence.  We did not count it as "wrong" if the students didn't guess the authors' selections.
• Caesar's Grammar:  this section correlates back to the grammar books that are part of the program.  We mostly skimmed through this section because we were using the full MCTLA program.  However we did read the sentences as examples of use of the vocabulary words, and this section does give some good grammar instruction for those who are using CE and not using the grammar portion of MCTLA.  In his grammar portion MCT teaches a 4-level analysis of sentences (introduced a bit at a time).
• a writing lesson:  I don't recall if CE 1 had writing assignments, but CD 2 certainly does.  Again, these are optional, and correspond well with the writing portion of MCTLA.  They make handy practice, though we didn't do them all.
• next come various reading portions, usually making use of vocabulary words.  MCTLA includes a study of poetics, and so one of the items to read is a poem written by the author or a close associate.  There's usually a very short story, too, and a map with a short geography lesson.
• Each lesson ends with a cumulative review covering all words and stems taught so far.  The teacher's book also contains lesson quizzes to copy off and give to the students.

You will want to get both the teacher's book and student books for each child.  I bought separate student books for each child and let them write in them.  The teacher's books are all black & white, and contain a copy of the student books (with answers filled in) as well as the quizzes and notes to the teacher in the back of the book.  The student books have some options in color, some with some VERY nice color treatment (more expensive, but we splurged a bit and got these).  This most expensive color option has the student book split into 2 volumes for the year, since the paper and treatment of the coloring make it heavier.  None of the books are unwieldy, but the heavier paper would stress the binding over time if they weren't split.

 

The kids and I really enjoy the full MCTLA program and would gladly recommend it to anyone.  I like the fact that all of the pieces coordinate well with each other, and the kids really like his approach to the topics.  Poetics might seem like an "extraneous" topic, but it has proven to be quite enlightening and FUN.

 

If you do decide to get the whole program DO take the time to go through the website information and DO look over the implementation slide show (http://www.rfwp.com/pages/michael-clay-thompson/downloads/).  It might seem strange to start the year with just grammar and cover all of grammar in just the first few weeks, but he has good reason for suggesting this approach and my kids certainly appreciated the unusual sequence.

 

If you don't go with the whole MCTLA program you might still like CE as a stand-alone.  Check it out on the website.

 

 

Caveat:  I did find that the MCTLA program did not cover spelling to the extent we needed, so I added How To Teach Spelling to our LA studies so we would cover various rules, whys, and wherefores that affect spelling.  To keep it less onerous and intimidating for the kids I bought them workbooks that were lower than their working level.  They didn't mind working these because it was "easy" to do so, but they still got the review of spelling rules and exceptions to the rules.

 

 

Hope this helps!

[AMJ]

Good Morning! Coffee! And then..... jury duty. I've gotten out of it for years and they finally had enough of my excuses. It's not that I am fundamentally against jury duty. I really would like to do it someday. Just not when I have to arrange child care for 5 kids. I wish they would just wait for 10 years. They I would be at their service,

 

I have the opposite problem -- I WANT jury duty (yes, I'm deranged), and they never summon me.  Last year I finally got a summons (more than 13 years after my previous summons), and I didn't even get picked to be in a pool.  Meanwhile breadwinner DH gets summons after summons after summons, it seems....

[Junie]

I have the opposite problem -- I WANT jury duty (yes, I'm deranged), and they never summon me.  Last year I finally got a summons (more than 13 years after my previous summons), and I didn't even get picked to be in a pool.  Meanwhile breadwinner DH gets summons after summons after summons, it seems....

 

Years ago I had a one or two day long temp job that involved being on a mock jury.  A local lawyer hired some people to pretend to be the jury while they made their case in front of us.  Then they recorded our deliberations so that they could see where the holes in their case were.  It was pretty interesting!!

[AMJ]

That stinks, Renai.  As a conservative, I've had plenty of friends who have been "Oreos" or "Uncle Toms/Thomasinas" or "Coconut" or whatever.  Based on the rants I've heard, it gets really old. :grouphug:

 

I grew up hearing George Jefferson refer to "Zebras".  They also tossed around the term "honky", which I have now appropriated and use in the car whenever some nitwit gets impatient in traffic and thinks using his horn will help matters. 

 

I did tell the kids that the word means something else to other people (I did explain what) and so they shouldn't use it, so they just roll their eyes at Mom's literalism when I use it.

[AMJ]

I only got about two posts in but it seemed like the same thing I heard over and over. I'll go read the thread. :)

 

What thread is this?

[AMJ]

Years ago I had a one or two day long temp job that involved being on a mock jury.  A local lawyer hired some people to pretend to be the jury while they made their case in front of us.  Then they recorded our deliberations so that they could see where the holes in their case were.  It was pretty interesting!!

 

Well, that sounds like more fun than actual jury duty!  Where can I volunteer?  :thumbup:

 

 

What do you know, a jury booyah!

Edited June 29, 2016 by AMJ

[Junie]

I think this is the thread that was discussed up-thread.  It's not too heated (yet).

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/615421-can-we-talk-about-jesse-williams-speech/

[AMJ]

I think this is the thread that was discussed up-thread.  It's not too heated (yet).

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/615421-can-we-talk-about-jesse-williams-speech/

 

Thanks.  Going to peek now.

[AMJ]

That thread is an eye-opening reminder that there are always more concerns on which I end up out of touch.  I'm not entirely ignorant of the topics -- they've been around for generations -- but I have been unaware of the latest discussions on them.

 

I need to find a way to bring these sorts of matters into discussion with my kids, too.  If I don't they will be just as clueless as I am, stumbling into discussions already in progress and not knowing where it started.

 

This is one curse of being a natural introvert -- having our minds so thoroughly on our own matters for so long we lose touch with what is on the minds of others.

 

 

So, can anyone recommend resources for this absent-minded stays-more-than-busy-enough-at-home introvert who nonetheless would like to have a better clue of current affairs?

[Slache]

I have some bright red bleeding. The doctor said "it can be normal". I don't think it's normal. I think something is wrong and nobody is listening to me.

[prairiewindmomma]

Huffington Post seems to include cultural issues along with the news.  YMMV, for me it's a mix of gems with stuff that does not appeal to me.

[prairiewindmomma]

We're discussing this at our house currently: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chronic-malnutrition-madagascar-stunting_us_5772b07fe4b0f168323b1eb0?section=

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have some bright red bleeding. The doctor said "it can be normal". I don't think it's normal. I think something is wrong and nobody is listening to me.

 

Is the bleeding new since yesterday?  "Can" be normal means that it can also be abnormal.  Can you go in to be checked?  Does Kaiser have an urgent care?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm going to tell you all a secret.  Quite often I check in here and everyone is giving me hugs and I have to scroll up to see why.  I think it is so cathartic to tell you all the little annoyances of the day that I then move on and forget all about them! 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ds doesn't want me meeting with the college guidance counselor with him.  OK.  He is 19.  He can do this.  But there is a bit of a feeling of "ack! he doesn't need me!  And what if he screws it all up!" 

[Slache]

Is the bleeding new since yesterday? "Can" be normal means that it can also be abnormal. Can you go in to be checked? Does Kaiser have an urgent care?

It started about an hour ago. He said yesterday shouldn't have been damaging, just painful. There's an urgent care but last few times I went they listen to me for a minute, told me that I'd feel better in 2 days and sent me home.

[prairiewindmomma]

I have some bright red bleeding. The doctor said "it can be normal". I don't think it's normal. I think something is wrong and nobody is listening to me.

 

Remember how I said that about this point the scab from where the placenta attached would come off?

 

It all comes down to volume...if it's just a pad every couple of hours that's normal. If there are big clots (like more than a few inches across) and you are going through a pad an hour, that's serious.

[JoJosMom]

I have some bright red bleeding. The doctor said "it can be normal". I don't think it's normal. I think something is wrong and nobody is listening to me.

 

I found this, Slash.  It may be normal BUT I think you should get it checked out.  I really, really hate Kaiser.  IME, they are just fine for routine stuff, but for everything else...not so much.  Are you stuck with Kaiser urgent care?  If no, I'd try a different one.  If yes, go and take your loudest, pushiest, meanest friend.  (I wish I were there.  I do loud, pushy, and mean very well.) :grouphug:

[Susan in TN]

It started about an hour ago. He said yesterday shouldn't have been damaging, just painful. There's an urgent care but last few times I went they listen to me for a minute, told me that I'd feel better in 2 days and sent me home.

That's a whole lotta "can be" and "shouldn't have".

 

I am so grateful for the Vanderbilt medical facilitites here, including 3 walk-in clinics and an ER within 5 miles of my house, AND insurance that covers them all. They are awesome. Bring your family here and I'll adopt you and get you some decent care.

[prairiewindmomma]

Ds doesn't want me meeting with the college guidance counselor with him.  OK.  He is 19.  He can do this.  But there is a bit of a feeling of "ack! he doesn't need me!  And what if he screws it all up!" 

 

***hugs***  I'd be hyperventilating in your shoes as well.  I've been trying to hand over the reins more to my 14yo with EF issues and celebrate the successes and not panic over the failures.

[hornblower]

That thread is an eye-opening reminder that there are always more concerns on which I end up out of touch.  I'm not entirely ignorant of the topics -- they've been around for generations -- but I have been unaware of the latest discussions on them.

 

I need to find a way to bring these sorts of matters into discussion with my kids, too.  If I don't they will be just as clueless as I am, stumbling into discussions already in progress and not knowing where it started.

 

This is one curse of being a natural introvert -- having our minds so thoroughly on our own matters for so long we lose touch with what is on the minds of others.

 

 

So, can anyone recommend resources for this absent-minded stays-more-than-busy-enough-at-home introvert who nonetheless would like to have a better clue of current affairs?

You may want to look at some of the recommended sources on this list http://citizenshipandsocialjustice.com/news-sources/

 

huffpost Black Voices , Latino Voices & HuffPost Women usually hit whatever is topical. They're a bit light imo & occasionally like to veer off into the "let's present both sides of the contrversy" trap but at least they address the issues. 

 

mic.com 

 

slate, atlantic and mother jones are others that stand out in my mind. 

 

 

My teens actually get a lot from youtube channels. I can't remember the best ones off the top of my head though but if I remember I'll ask ds & post some. 

Edited June 29, 2016 by hornblower

[hornblower]

Ds doesn't want me meeting with the college guidance counselor with him.  OK.  He is 19.  He can do this.  But there is a bit of a feeling of "ack! he doesn't need me!  And what if he screws it all up!" 

:grouphug:

There's only so much they can screw up, really. You can always have another meeting or follow up by email. Send him with a list of questions/topics (if he'll let you lol) 

[Slache]

I filled one and overflowed once since posting. I called Matt. If I become concerned I'll call 911. He'll be home soon.

[AMJ]

I have some bright red bleeding. The doctor said "it can be normal". I don't think it's normal. I think something is wrong and nobody is listening to me.

 

Can you go see someone else?  I suspect it's time you got some non-Kaiser opinion on your current condition.

[AMJ]

We're discussing this at our house currently: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chronic-malnutrition-madagascar-stunting_us_5772b07fe4b0f168323b1eb0?section=

 

Wow, thank you!

[AMJ]

I'm going to tell you all a secret.  Quite often I check in here and everyone is giving me hugs and I have to scroll up to see why.  I think it is so cathartic to tell you all the little annoyances of the day that I then move on and forget all about them! 

 

You get another hug for that!

:grouphug:

[AMJ]

You may want to look at some of the recommended sources on this list http://citizenshipandsocialjustice.com/news-sources/

 

huffpost Black Voices , Latino Voices & HuffPost Women usually hit whatever is topical. They're a bit light imo & occasionally like to veer off into the "let's present both sides of the contrversy" trap but at least they address the issues. 

 

mic.com 

 

slate, atlantic and mother jones are others that stand out in my mind. 

 

 

My teens actually get a lot from youtube channels. I can't remember the best ones off the top of my head though but if I remember I'll ask ds & post some. 

 

Thank you, I'll start checking them out.

 

Maybe I can work a routine into each day in which I browse one or more for 15 minutes, say right after checking ITT.  I have to put time limits on it so I don't keep following rabbit trails to the detriment of all else, but clearly I need some designated time set aside or I'll always be getting other things done and not getting to this.  (Not so good if I'm to model keeping up with current affairs for the kids!)

[AMJ]

I filled one and overflowed once since posting. I called Matt. If I become concerned I'll call 911. He'll be home soon.

 

That volume worries me.  Get seen.  Quick.

[prairiewindmomma]

I filled one and overflowed once since posting. I called Matt. If I become concerned I'll call 911. He'll be home soon.

Yup, time to go in.

 

I've hemorrhaged before.  While you are waiting to go in, lie down if you can, and start sipping some water.  They will likely start you on a bag of fluids when you go in, but it really depends on who the ER doc is on rotation that day.  If why you're bleeding isn't obvious, or you have big clots, get them to run the clotting factors bloodwork while you are there.

[hornblower]

I filled one and overflowed once since posting. I called Matt. If I become concerned I'll call 911. He'll be home soon.

One pad in less than 2h is severe bleeding. Get seen asap. 

[Susan in TN]

(((Slache)))