In Other News
I've been working on some Top Secret spinning (it's a gift for someone) which I'll show you in a week or so. It's coming out very nicely.
My Lair is such a disaster area that I go down there and I'm overwhelmed with possibilities. I read an article a while back on various working styles. Some of us (frequently the ones accused of being messy) need the visual reminders of what needs doing, what we're working on, what's possible. So we leave our stuff out because if it's all put away, we don't see it and we forget that we're supposed to be doing anything. But I've been dragging so much stuff out lately that I've overwhelmed my brain with possibilities. Too much yarn. Too much fiber. Too much fabric. Alas, I think I need to spend a few weeks making things worse before they can get better. That is, I need to open up all the various boxes, purge, resort, relabel, and then put away. But that's such a daunting task that I just sit at my desk and make little swatches. If I start to seriously start organizing, usually Owen appears and demands attention when I'm about 15 minutes in, so I have learned helplessness about the whole thing. But maybe this week I can at least put away about half the distractions so I can focus on getting a few things done.
Knitting
I've also been working on some socks that go in and out of dormancy, depending on what else gets bumped to Priority One. One of these is the Charade Socks I started a few months back. I finished the first, cast on for the second, got about 2 inches in and stopped. Last night I got a couple more inches done, so maybe that'll get done before barefeet season is really and truly here. Also, I'm hoping to finish some socks that I'll send to my dad for his birthday later this month. The first one is done and the second over half done, so just the home stretch there.
Rant
I have a little rant about the time change to get out of my system, too. I always thought the time change was a minor inconvenience until I had kids. But ever since I became a parent, I've come to despise the time change. When I'm in charge of the universe, we will just have one time all year round. We'll split the difference between so-called Standard Time and Daylight Savings Time. I know there are nice, easy, flexible children out there somewhere. Children who fall asleep when put to bed, and wake up cheerful when it's time to get up, but not before it's time to get up. Well, those are not my kids. I am not exaggerating when I say that it takes my kids at least a week to really make the time change. The Little Emperor has been awake until 11 p.m. several times in the past week and we wake him about 7:30 on weekday mornings. Yeah, this is not a good sleep pattern. Honest-to-Maude, we start him moving toward bed at 7:30. This is a kid who had night and day reversed his first 4 months of life, so no real surprise that he's still bent that way.
So until someone appoints me Time Czar, I have a plan that could be put into place quickly and effectively and would improve school behavior and learning in every community that adopts it. Schedule Spring Break for the week following the time change! Is that just too darn logical for any modern bureaucracy? The kids would have a week to adjust. They would not have this week of rampant tardiness and tired, fidgety kids. The teachers might even enjoy it, too.
So, there you go, a rant and a solution! How often does that happen?
Enjoy the approach of spring.
9 comments:
Your idea is very logical! The only issue would be to get all the school systems to have spring break at the SAME time (ha!).
New theory: Messy is because we need to see what needs doing? I'm willing to accept a theory on messy, being a practitioner myself, but that one fails too easily, i.e. too much stuff. We can keep trying. I also despise the time change--especially the one in Spring when you have to get up earlier. Despise is the exact word. Thank you for that, cafergov.
I live in a tiny area that's always Mountain Standard Time. Until I moved here I never really thought about how much I disliked the time change but let me tell you it's heavenly. Can't wait to see the secret spinning.
You have my vote for Time Czar.
For some reasons my children, even the intractable one, have no problem with spring forward, but all three just die at fall back. I just want light evenings and dark mornings. All year long. And 70 degree weather no matter the season. And I want the butler to show up with the chilled white wine when I want it. And the nurse to show up with the freshly washed children promptly at 5:30 for their good night kisses.
'scuse me while I go clean up some vomit and dose some feverish children.
What a splendidly logical solution! Write your congresspersons and tell them. Or more properly, your state legislators and the new superintendent of Wisconsin schools and the governor. Wisconsin could lead the nation to DST/school rationality!
Brilliant! I mean about the spring break time change thing.
I totally buy the "need to have it out in sight" theory, and totally fall into the visual information overload/booby trap situtation. No good advice on how to deal with it, just lots of empathy.
As a middle school teacher, I'm in support of your idea. The kids were nuts all week long! And some of us staff were dragging a little bit, too.
About once every six months, I stop everything and clean up my craft room. Wish I could get myself to do it more often!
Look at the LE go on his bike.Wheeee! I hear you about the time. I hate getting up in the dark again and Ben's stomach clock is all out of whack!
My verification word is 'peath'...as in 'on earth'. I gueth.
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