What is Education?

I read a couple quotes by Albert Einstein that got me thinking. He said "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." He also said "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education."

I started thinking about my youngest son and how hard he is struggling against the "system". He doesn't want to conform. He doesn't want to be forced to learn what someone else thinks he needs. He wants to branch out on his own. Learn what interests him. And he wants to do it his way.

I look at all of my kids. Some are great in school, some do well, some struggle and some just get by. But I look at them and I see so much potential. Potential to be whatever they want to be. Potential to be an expert in whatever they choose. But I also see a system that can not allow them to choose. They have to learn to read NOW! They can not wait until they are ready because the teachers do not have the time to deal with children that can not teach themselves by reading it. I see a system that teaches children that their ideas of how thing should/could or might work is wrong because someone already looked into it and found out that it works another way. There's no use in trying it out for yourself. I see a system that takes nice round children and shoves them with all their might through a square hole and on the other side, our most mold able, darling children have been purposefully shaped into what the "system" wants them to be. They are looking forward to administrative careers, doctors, lawyers, nurses or IT administrators. Where are our pyrotechnics? What about our Roller Coaster Builders? Our treasure hunters? And how about our designers?

I remember when I transferred from a private school into public education. It was a very difficult transition. Suddenly I was a round child and I wanted nothing to do with that square hole. Not only did I have big dreams, I had been allowed to learn at my own pace. I was excelling in what I enjoyed and just mediocre in that which I did not. The "system" did not quite know what to do with a 5th grade child that could read at a 12th grade level. Their solution was for me to just wait until everyone else caught up. The end result: I was Bored. A bored child is never a good thing. It just always leads to trouble.

Then came the dream crushing. In my private school I could grow up to be whatever I wanted to be! I could be an astronaut, a fighter pilot or an explorer. I could even be a Mommy if I wanted to. And I wanted to! In private school they explained to me all about how I would need to know how to read well to be able to read bedtime stories to my own children. How I would need to know alot of Math to be able to run a checking account and a household and even help my own children with their homework one day. And I would need to know my history so I can teach my children about their heritage. I needed to know more than anyone else... in order to be a Mommy.

I did well in everything. I worked hard beacuse I wanted to know enough to be the best Mommy ever. Then came public school and in 7th grade we were required to decide what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. At 12 years old we had had enough experience to decide what we were going to do for the next 60 years. But I already knew. I was going to be a Mommy. Then it happened... I still remember looking at the half smirk half frown on the counslors face when he said, "You can't be a Mommy. You need to pick a real career." I was totally confused. Why was being a Mommy not enough? But I quickly pulled myself together and announced that if I could not be a Mommy, I would be a Pilot and travel the world. Again, the ha;f smirk, half frown but with a few more wrinkles this time, he was starting to get impatient with me. His answer: "You can not be a pilot, you are a girl." Strike two. What is a good career for a girl then? A Nurse! That was it! I would be a nurse. That obviously made him happy. And I was on my way to becoming a nurse. My courses of study were laid out for me and my path was chosen. I would make a great Nurse.....

WRONG! I hate nursing. I hate it with every fiber of my being. I followed that course that my counslor had set out for me and I really did try to be a great nurse. But I hated biology and narrowly managed to avoid having to disect any small creatures. I go tmy CNA and then my HHA and started into my LPN classes when it hit me. This is not my choice. I do not want to be a nurse. I have never wanted to be a nurse. I want to be a Mommy! And with that I quit. I quit my job at the nursing home. I quit my LPN classes. And I quit pretending that Nursing was what I wanted to do.

I have been home raising my children ever since. Picking up small, part time jobs here and there to help out and loving every minute (well, almost every minute) of my life as a Mommy!

And back to looking at my kids. How are they going to turn out? Does Big C really want to be a K-9 officer, or is there another desire, hidden in the depths of his dreams, afraid to surface, knowing that it is not the mainstream. And my Little Man, will he come out of 1st grade still longing to find out how and why? Where and what? Or will he have been forced to conform? Forced to accept the fact that everyone knows better than he? And my beautiful girls? Will they look to being a football player? A Pilot? Or a Roller Coaster Builder? Or will they sucumb to the pressure of a school counslor or a teacher telling them that they are better suited to being a Dental Assistant or an Administrative assistant? And me. Will I continue to allow it to happen, or will I be the Mommy I always wanted to be and make sure that my children have every opportunity to thrive, however they thrive best?

New Cell Phones

Here's a tip for anyone out there that didn't already know (i.e. people like me), if you have had your phone for over a year and are ready to replace it, Call Your Provider.

I found out that most companies offer upgrade services for their customers. I found this out when my husbands cell phone started having troubles. I'm not exactly sure what the problem was, if his phone could not make a connection with the cell tower or the satellite or whatever, but for some reason it would only send/receive calls and texts about 50% of the time. So after many lengthy calls to AT&T, being lied to about the length of the warranty and finally finding out that he was under warranty when I started dealing with this whole mess but is now not under warranty any longer. A very nice gentleman at AT&T informed me that he was eligible for an upgrade meaning that he could get a new phone at little or no charge by just extending our contract out another 2 years. Not a bad deal. (especially since he waived all the fees associated with it due to the warranty situation!).

So for those of you wishing to update your old phone, call your service provider and see if they have an upgrade plan available to you.

Education in Education

For any mother, getting an education is tough, but necessary. And what better field to get your degree in than education? Your children will need you to have that information when they bring home their homework and if you end up needing to work, what better place than in your own child's school?

That being said, I have spent some time recently looking into getting a degree in Elementary Education. I have always thought that being a teacher would be great and I love education and children. However, I have never liked the system. I'm not sure that getting into the middle of it would be the best idea.

I found St. Xavier online university that looks like it would be a great option for anyone that is looking at getting their MS Instruction from home. They offer a masters program in curriculum and instruction that could help you further your career in education even. They offer key components such as a focus on literacy, diversity, integration of technology and an interdisciplinary perspective in education. This course examines integration of the theories of curriculum and instruction, learning, growth and development, the implementation of technology and research, and the application of assessment into the practice of developing and delivering an effective curriculum for K-12 classrooms, college, and other educational arena. All of which are great in a classroom and even better in your home. Not to mention, they are accredited so your degree will be recognized.

They offer flexible schedules to work around your busy lifestyle. So really there is no good reason not to get your degree.

Spring Fling

Spring is here and Spring cleaning is upon us and the house is not the only thing needing a little TLC. Now is the time to take your sweetheart and spend some time getting to know one another again. As we move from the winter vacations into summer vacations the intermittent spring time brings slower times for the hospitality industry so you start to see some amazing packages and specials. Here are my picks for the Utah area:

Eden
Spring Skiing at Wolfcreek:
$199 Per Couple, Per Night Includes:
Luxury Lodging
Massages for Two
Two Lift Tickets to Wolf Creek Utah Ski Resort
$100 Club Dining Certificate
Continental Breakfast
*Based on double occupancy. Minimum two night stay. Offer does not include taxes or gratuities, excludes holidays and is subject to availability.

Moab
Upgraded Rock & River at Big Horn Lodge:
$294.95 per person (based on double occupancy)
reg rate $369.95

3 Nights Lodging for two
Full day Raft on the Colorado River with Lunch
2 hour Hummer Tour
Your choice of:
Horseback Riding
Fiery Furnace Hike in Arches National Park

St. George
Signature Package at Red Mountain Resort & Spa:

The popular spa program from $199 per person, per night, double occupancy
Deluxe Accommodations with High-Speed Internet Service
Three Delicious & Nutritious Meals Daily
Daily Guided Morning Hikes
Unlimited Fitness Classes including Yoga, Pilates, Chi Ball & Drums Alive
Healthy Life Classes & Events at the Wellness Center
Personal Discovery Activities ~ Meditation Hikes, Fire Ceremonies, Tai Chi on the Rocks & More
Eat Well, Feel Well Cooking Demonstrations
Use of Resort Facilities including Indoor and Seasonal Outdoor Pools, Bicycles, Walking Trails, Strength & Cardio Studios

There are just a few of the best so grab the sexy lingerie and your sweetheart of choice and go find out what you have been missing all winter long.

April Foolin' Around

The idea of april fools day seems to have come about near the beginning of the 16th century when Pope Gregory XIII ordered that the old Julian calander, which celebrated the new year on April 1st, be replaced with the gregorian calendar that we use today which celebrates the new year on January 1st. Rumor has it that the French adopted the new calendar right away, but peasents in the outlying areas did not get word of this and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1st and were soon looked upon as "Fools" by the upper class. Once all was settled, they decided to continue the practice as a day of fun and joy and April Fool's Day was born!

For April Fool's Day this year, I made a dinner my family will not soon forget! I made Not Chicken Pot Pies for "Dinner". They were made from small potpie tins filled with green mini m&m's (peas), papaya dices (carrots), yellow starburst pieces (corn), banana dices (potatoes) and dried apple ring pieces (chicken) and covered in butterscotch pudding (gravy). Then covered with *mini, precooked pie shells made to look like pot pie tops. They looked SO realistic I fooled everyone!

By the time I got out "Dessert" they were all pretty suspicious. My oldest guessed right away that my "cake" was not what it seemed. And was he ever right! It was a "beef cake" as my husband called it. I filled 2 8" cake pans with meatloaf and cooked for 30 minutes on 375, drained off the grease, and layered them on top of each other with shredded cheese in the middle. Then I "frosted" my cake with mashed potatoes that I had colored blue. With a large decorator tip and bag full of colored mashed potatoes, I accented the edges with mashed potato shells. It did look very convincing.

But the best part of the whole evening is when my husband decided that he had had enough fun and it was time for a drink. He picked up his glass to try the "fruit juice" that I had served, only to set his cup back down with a groan and a roll of his eyes. He found out the hard way that the "fruit juice" was actually a cup full of jello and he would be pretty hard pressed to get a good drink out of that cup!

It was really a night to remember for the whole family! Happy April Fools Day!