Lament

I'm feeling a little down tonight. A little melancholy. A little sad. A little sorry for myself.

*sigh*

Spring Break

Oh my goodness. This past week has been the longest week I've had all year. All kids, all the time. Kids. Kids. Kids. Kids. All I can say is, sheesh.

Oh, and Whoo-Hoo!! (I can't believe Wamu was the first to think of using this as an ad slogan. It's perfect, if you ask me). It's 9 AM and they have all gone off to school and mommy is finally alone. Now I know I could never homeschool. I need my time to myself.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. More than anything. Really. And I am devoted and dedicated to their lives and making them happy. Maybe that's the problem. So much devotion and dedication can get pretty wearying, you know? Plus there's all the drama. This is a special feature of my own family that I'm pretty sure I can attribute to myself: Emotions, sensitivity, and a lack of resiliency (more on this at another time).

I didn't take one walk, one exercise class, or eat healthy at all. I saw one friend one time (our trip to Indian Island) but we couldn't talk, because my children were consuming all my energy and attention. (Well, to be fair, it was one child who was consuming me).

This past week we experienced: 3 play dates, (2 of which included dinner and one was a sleepover) at my house, a trip to Huntington, a trip to Peconic, a hamster lost (in the house) for several hours, no fewer than 5 temper tantrums, and a vomiting episode AT THE TABLE at a local restaurant. Oh, and a Riverhead K-9 police officer and his dog sniffing around our backyard!

I won't go into more detail, though I know it would be very funny - all of it, out of respect for my kids. The humor in it might be the only thing that kept me from hurting anyone. Let me tell you, the Adventures were abounding this week. And this old girl has had enough.

What am I going to do this summer? Sleep away camp, anyone???

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Day at the Beach

Well it's Spring Break, and we're definitely "breaking". No school, no karate, no dance, no meetings, no commitments.

Today we went to Indian Island Park with some friends and had some real spring fun. The trees are blooming (the buds really look like flowers at this point) the sky was blue and the water was actually warm!

At the beach there was this great big tree whose roots had eroded down the sandy bank, and had landed half in the water! The other mom bravely ventured out to the far limbs and we all followed her. It was so much fun.

One of the roots looked prehistoric. We couldn't decide if it looked more like an Apatosaurus or the Loch Ness Monster.

All in all it was a very nice day - good friends, good weather, good spot - what else could we ask for?

p.s. I didn't get the job. I was sure they would offer it to me. Sure it would be my decision whether to take it or not. I wasn't sure what I'd have said, but the rejection is a bummer.

Screen Turn-off: 2 Days In

This is a picture of the most cherished Screen Turn-off activity at Wading River Elementary School: The TV-off-the-roof ceremony. I didn't take the picture, but a teacher did and she printed it for me and I took a picture of the picture. I hope you can see what it is.

Monday morning started with the kick-off assembly and then the entire school - about 44o kids - stepped outside to watch as our principal and PE teachers climbed on the roof. The students chanted "Throw it! Throw it!" and the two men swung and then sent a donated, unusable TV crashing down to the pavement.

The symbolism is clear: Kill the TV. At least for the week.

Thus started our Screen Turn-off week. We have a great deal of participation this year. I haven't counted them all, but I think we have at least 125 contracts (commitments to go screen-free for the week). That's over 25% of the school. And that's more than I expected. I realize how hard it is to turn everything off. And many families don't want to commit.

Monday night, the teachers sponsored our 1st ever Family Math Night, with activities and math games for younger kids and a kind of math game show for 4th and 5th graders. It was attended by a small group and everyone had fun.

Tonight was our traditional "Gym Night". The gym teachers set up all their favorite activities in stations around the gym. They played Beach Boys music and the place was packed with happy, active children - NOT watching TV or playing video games.

Tomorrow night the librarian is running a Story Time - where a few of the teachers will come in and read their favorite books to the kids. Thursday and Friday night we have Bingo events with prizes and raffles and lots of fun.

Each school day there is a raffle (1 name is pulled from each grade's coupons for the previous day of being "screen free") and I wrapped up the little prizes (books, notepads, pencils, markers, games) in pretty cellophane and ribbons, which I think made it really special.

The whole event is sponsored by the PTA and I think it's one of the most important things we do as an organization at the school. It's really a group effort - parent volunteers, teachers, the principal and, of course, all the students.

I'll keep you posted!

Give Your TV a Rest!

National Screen Turn-Off week starts tomorrow, April 14, 2008.

This is a worldwide event sponsored by the Center for Screen-Time Awareness (http://www.screentime.org/) and celebrated by schools and families each year. Although the national Turnoff Week is officially scheduled for the following week, the elementary schools in the Shoreham -Wading River school district are celebrating the week of April 14, just before our Spring Break. How do I know this? Because I am chairing the event for the Wading River PTA.

During Turnoff Week, millions of children and adults will be turning off the screens in their homes. Instead of watching or playing games on the screen, they will read, exercise, and spend time with family and friends.

Children who reduce their screen time are more likely to read well and be physically fit. Recent research has also shown an increase in focus and attention when children aren’t watching TV. Turning off the screen also allows for more family time. In the course of a year, American children spend more time in front of the television than in school!

So, I challenge all parents reading this post to join us and turn off the screens. We've sent home copies of the the "No TV" icon to all families in our schools, as well as a contract for children and parents to sign. Can you commit too?

If you turn off the screens, you might find that your kids have more time, more energy and they might even listen better!

Let me know if you plan to try. Check out this blog http://www.unplugyourkids.com/tag/tv-turnoff-week/ for some inspiration. Or this website http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/ for something a little more radical.

Good luck!

Updates (aka Trying out inbedded links)

"I may not be able to see you, but I can hear what you are saying." I LOVE this quote from Governor David Paterson, as he announced his final decision about Broadwater, the LNG facility proposed to be built in the middle of the Long Island Sound. This incredibly brave person turns out to be an incredibly brave Governor and I, for one, am ecstatic! He agrees with all of Broadwater's opponents that the ecology and the well being of our beautiful sound would be compromised if this project were allowed to proceed. And he traveled all the way from Albany to Sunken Meadow State Park to make the announcement.

I just want to mention that my personal reasons for being against this project were not just due to "NIMBYism" ("Not In My Back Yard"). From the evening back in November of 2004 when representatives from Broadwater made a presentation to the Officers and Trustees of the Wading River Civic Association, I knew that this was the wrong way to go to ease the Energy crisis on Long Island. After all, isn't natural gas another fossil fuel? Isn't it a limited resource? Although it burns cleaner than oil, doesn't it still emit carbon into the atmosphere?

Long Island needs to move toward energy efficiency and conservation and the whole country needs to move toward alternative energy sources. This is the way of the future. And the governor of New York knows it.

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Some other updates:

The interview went well. I'd say I nailed it, actually. Turns out, with all the volunteering and organizing and leading of groups that I've done over the past 9 years, I had a lot of experience to refer to during the interview. I was asked back for a second interview and I will know if I have it by the end of next week.

It's one of those jobs that's you'd never thought existed. Something your kids might have trouble telling their friends. I'd be the administrator of the Chemical and Molecular Engineering program at Stony Brook. Sounds bigger than it is -it's part time. But they're offering health benefits, something my husband and I pay for ourselves, since he has his own company.

I was really excited at first. Thinking this would be the perfect job for me. But as time passes I'm starting to get cold feet about leaving home and the kids for so much time. Plus there's this other opportunity that's been brewing. Money's not as secure - kind of a commission paid gig. But the organization is very worthwhile, and I know I would love working with the director.

So I guess I'm in a good position. There are two things I might be able to do. And that's nice.

In December I posted about a commitment to exercise. I'm happy to say that I have stuck with it and i feel great. I won't lie to you and tell you that the results have been miraculous. I'm no supermodel or anything. But, maybe, if it's a miracle that I feel better than I have in years, then it has been. I have both more energy and more of a feeling of calm. I'm more flexible and I haven't hurt my back for 6 months. I still love my yoga and really miss it if I have to miss classes for a week. Jazzercise is fun and I don't feel quite so goofy as I did in the beginning.

The whole exercise thing has been really empowering for me.

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Finally, I realize that I never talked much about my epiphany. I'm afraid that this new dream has been placed on the back burner for now. I realize also that I never spoke of what it was. But this is OK. Better even. It's still living inside me. And it's mine to cherish. It's not going anywhere.