Monday, December 31, 2007

tsotsi



Sometimes a movie is just amazing. If I tried to explain all the reasons why I love Tsotsi, I couldn't begin to do it justice.
(I will mention that watching Conner & Aaron dance to South African rap definitely increased my affection for this film.)

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Ben Harper - The drugs don't work (cover)

Such a hauntingly beautiful song. The original (The Verve) is fantastic but I'm a little partial to Ben's version.

music that makes me smile - Avett Brothers 'Paranoia in b Flat Major'

Sunday, December 16, 2007

this weekend...

  • The boys slept late (7 am) 2 days in a row - woohoo!
  • I discovered that decorating for Christmas is easy when you have twin 18 month old boys. You just don't put anything out.
  • We put ornaments on the tree. Said ornaments have proven irresistible.
  • Made it to church for the 2nd time in 3 weeks AND the boys almost made it to the kids' part of the sermon.
  • My little escape artist, Conner, freed himself from his diaper and corduroys during naptime and proceeded to make quite the mess of himself, the crib tent and everything in his crib. (I'll let you use your imagination on that one.)

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

some things i've learned that i wish i didn't know

Over the past 24 hours I've been thinking about some facts of life I've learned since I started teaching. Among those things are some sad realities that in my sheltered middle-class upbringing I didn't know, including:
  • Countless little children spend every night sleeping on a floor. They may have a house but furniture is a luxury. Others have 1 bed for everyone in their house. My school is a small one, but there is such a great number at my school who don't have a bed that I can't imagine how many there are in this country.
  • People live in campers. I don't mean motorhomes. I mean tiny little campers. Whole families squeezed into one. When the campground closes for the winter or for renovations they drive off to another campground.
  • There are an unimaginable number of children who love school not because they enjoy learning but because it's the only time they are warm in the winter, the only place they get to eat a real meal and/or because it's the only safe place they know. Thinking about what happens over Christmas break and the summer makes me hurt.
  • There are families without running water in their house. (I can still remember how much this one through me for a loop my 1st year teaching. I honestly thought that all houses in our country had running water and toilets. I can't believe I was ever so naive that I thought outhouses were a thing of the past.)

I have to stop now, I have tears running down my face and that wasn't where I was going with this. I really intended on writing something about how the lessons I wish I didn't know remind me just how blessed I am, but right now I'm just sad.

Monday, December 10, 2007

the cupcake project


Over the past week my friend Melissa just took those who read her blog through the greatest journey, "The Cupcake Project". Each day I've looked forward to reading the latest installment. It's too great for me not to share.

The Cupcake Project
The Cupcake Project ; Day 3
Day 4 of `The Cupcake Project'
Day 5 of `The Cupcake Project'
Day 6 of `The Cupcake Project'
The Final Day of `The Cupcake Project'


Saturday, December 08, 2007

sad


I'm going through the overwhelming number of photos from June `06 - June `07 and I can't help but cry. There are almost no pictures of me with the boys. Lots of Steven with the boys, a good number of my mom with the boys, my dad with the boys, and some fabulous ones of my sister with the boys. In a year's time there are less than 20 with me and the boys. I told Steven all the time that we needed pictures of me with the boys but he never takes pictures so it never happened.

Can't fix it now.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

just a quick message...


Happy Birthday, Jessica!!!