The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[21stamps]

Do you mean like Happy Days

What a great show! Does anyone remember all of the old Nick at Night shows in the 80s? Dick Van , Patty Duke, etc?
Confession- I’ve always been a little bit too obsessed with Audrey Hepburn. I have every movie that she was in.. probably every biography.. and too many coffee table books and old magazine compilations that I’ve collected over the years.
I also watched Bye Bye Birdie more times than I can count when I was younger..as well as the production. I used to dance around in my bedroom pretending I was Kim.. (or Olivia Newton John while listening to my ‘Physical’ record, depending on the day )
Oh, and I have every episode of I Love Lucy, and many Lucille Ball biographies as well.

Hollywood makes that time look so great, as does photos of my grandparents.. but when I really look at that time, I am glad that I missed it... but it does look so nice!

 

[DryerLintFan]

Right, but not everyone can afford preschool. So if you can't afford preschool, and you aren't particularly well educated yourself, where does your kid learn all the stuff they need before kindergarten? When I was doing my observations before my student teaching, I was at a k-12 school and one of my 8th graders there I'm pretty sure was illiterate. I gave a quiz and one of the questions had something to do with "How does the French Horn differ from other brass instruments?" and this girl's answer was "5". You ask the kids to read a paragraph in the textbook, she's not even looking at the book. I asked the teacher about it...this girl had been moved SO many times, and it seems that every time someone talked to the parents about their concern, they moved. So if that girl has kids, how would they learn the basics when their mother can't teach them, and because she's illiterate, she's not going to get a great job...she probably can't afford preschool. So that's my question...public school is free, so everyone can send their kids there, but preschool is expensive...How can you expect kids to get that education prior to the free education?

They have free public preschools here, similar to public elementary schools.

But the illiteracy rate in America is abysmal and a large part of that is exactly what you're describing.

 

[MinnieM123]

I'm glad I was born when I was. I got to be a kid. No stress or worries, just play with my friends. Use my red wagon like it was a car and made roads that I would drive across country in. Play baseball with my friends in the field next door. Float around in the little wading pool my parents bought, watch the Mickey Mouse Club with my early love, Annette singing for me and then watching Superman save the world while munching on a fluffernutter. Of course, before that I would sit at the table and use my coloring book while listening to the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet on the radio. Go outside and with a couple of wooden planks and a small sawhorse create my own store complete with cash register. In other words I had a childhood not an adult competition to have the smartest child ever. Will today's kids end up more successful financially then I ever did? Chances are pretty good that they will. It's to bad they missed out on all the joys of being a kid for awhile before being thrust into competition and pressure to learn everything.

I have no way of knowing which was the best way to go and that will probably not show up until after I am taking that dirt nap, but, I still am glad that I got to be that kid. I loved the 50's. They were, in spite of being the cold war time, very fun for me.

Sounds very much like the way I grew up as a kid.

 

[MinnieM123]

I’m so glad that I’m a “young” GenXer I forget the specific term we’re called “Oregon Trail Generation” I think.. we’re some of the last ones to experience that kind of childhood. I would never trade my evening of Kick the Can, or parents’ rule of “come home when the street lights come on”, riding my bike around the neighborhood, to the candy store, and showing up at friend’s houses without our parents scheduling a play date.. Kids today have awesome technology, indoor play places, etc...but I definitely wouldn’t trade my childhood for it.
I think I’m getting old.. because I share the same sentiments as you do, it makes me a bit sad for the current generation of kids.

Yes. Agree.

 

[MinnieM123]

I think you grew up during a great time. I think kids had more time to use their imaginations. Actually dh and I were talking the other day. Over 100 and 200 years ago we had some of the greatest inventions created. There were no computers and kids weren't going to fancy schools. They were not bogged down on computers and homework and television. They were able to create because they had few distractions. Think of all the great things Da Vinci came up with that were centuries ahead of his time, or Jules Verne. Einstein, Ben Franklin. So many ideas. We had great thinkers with minimal education per today's standards. They had time to just read great books from the time of the Romans and Greeks, and scholars of their time. They were way more eloquent than people today. The Declaration of Independence is a great example of eloquence. Today's kids need it broken down into words they can understand. And since many don't learn cursive anymore, need it deciphered.

This, too.

 

[MinnieM123]

I actually saw 2 posts by WDW1974 last week. Once in a while he posted on Tom Bricker's Disney website. Tom's website is called Disney Tourist Blog. I go to Tom Bricker's website once in while although I don't comment on Tom's site.

Thank you. I'll have to look all those up.

 

[21stamps]

They have free public preschools here, similar to public elementary schools.

But the illiteracy rate in America is abysmal and a large part of that is exactly what you're describing.

I’ve never heard of that, just looked up my public school district.. they don’t have free preschool, but they do offer a preschool thru the public school system, not terribly priced.
Apparently the City of Cincinnati school district does have free preschool- even meals are included.
I’m impressed, that’s pretty neat.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

You aren't the only woman who has never owned a VB bag....um....I'd never even heard of it until today. Do we have a blushing emoticon? Yeah....I'm not a real trendy person. I couldn't care less what brand it is or what's in style as long as it's comfortable and meets my needs.

I'm not really into name brand or trendy either. I like the Vera Bradley bags because they are the right size I need and I like the cross body style. I also like that they are cloth and I can put it in the washer when it gets dirty. I have one of them going through the wash right now! The price isn't too bad for the quality. I liked them before they started doing Disney patterns so when the Disney patterns were released that was a nice bonus!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I'll probably earn myself a cage for this à la @Mr Ferret 88 ... But my husband does our laundry while I'm at work (he works from home). I haven't had to actually do laundry for years, except after camping or vacation....

With the exception of the 3 months when hub's ankle was broken, I average about 2-3 loads of laundry a year. And that is usually when hubs is away on a church trip. He does all the laundry as well.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Well, we have a bit of a blizzard outside. Wind has been crazy all day and now it is snowing pretty heavy. There was a nice little layer of ice under the snow too. Oh and our power was flickering too. Our students had off today and we had parent teacher conferences starting at noon. Conferences were supposed to go until 8pm but the district cancelled anything after 4pm. We'll see about school tomorrow, my guess will be a 2 hour delay but who knows.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

Preschool is required here and is free. It was also free but not required when I was a kid; but we were in the middle of a move and my parents didn't send me.

When my 2 oldest went to preschool, I paid $800 a month for 2 and 3 days a week.

 

[MySmallWorldof4]

We must be psychic . . . I had planned to ask her the same question today as well!

We are so in-sync with each other. If only we had the same opinion of what good weather is.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

All this talk about pre-school....I went to pre-school when I was a kid. It was a half-day program held at our church. It wasn't just for members of our church though. The two nicest ladies ran the pre-school. I remember doing a lot of crafts, listening to stories, and singing. I already knew how to read by the time I went there but we probably did activities that helped with building early skills. I'm sure it wasn't very expensive because my parents didn't have a lot of extra money when I was little. I think my mom probably used it as a way to get a break since she was a stay at home mom at that time! I was also a very shy child (still am fairly shy) so she probably saw it as a way for me to learn to socialize a little too.

The district I currently teach in has what we call a 4 year kindergarten. It is optional but strongly recommended and just a half day program.

 

[DryerLintFan]

@ajrwdwgirl



It's a hard knock life, for us...

 

[Gabe1]

Teacher in service days are the worst for me.. at least on holidays kiddo can attend a camp.. but the random off days? Most of the time he comes to work with me now that he’s old enough to sit by himself.
The principal awarded the school with a No School Day! on the day after the Super Bowl, from surpassing the goals of one of our September fund raisers.. Kiddo came to work with me on that day too.

The practices.. oh my gosh, this is the first year that we don’t have any practice or games at 4-5 pm on a Weekday. Almost all of his baseball games were on Friday’s between 4-5, practices at 4:30. I know someone has to play at those times, but wow was it tough.

This year all of our practices will start at 6..games on Saturdays and Sundays.. it will be much easier.

Ugh. I remember. I had 2 kids that went to daycare. Don't miss that at all. I think it was even worse when daycare would send them home. Granted you get it when they are really ill but for a while there they were sending kid home all the time. The way preschools share their boogies the place was revolving half day kids getting the boot!

 

[DryerLintFan]

When i ordered from Basin i got both the medium and large bombs and being brilliant as i am i used the mediums first. I'm so glad i did, because i just used the first large one and there's no going back....

 

[donaldtoo]

Nope. Can't believe a sane person would pay that!

Mere pocket change to some.
But, that doesn't, necessarily, mean their sane, either...!

 

[Gabe1]

It is also tough to give out birthday invites at school and not give them to everyone in a class when they are young. Feelings will get hurt for sure. When they are older and have their little group of friends you no longer need those invites, but can just speak with friends’ parents.

My kids had to invite all the girls or all the boys or all of their classroom otherwise you must find alternative ways other than school property to hand out invites.

Don't miss this either.

 

[21stamps]

Ugh. I remember. I had 2 kids that went to daycare. Don't miss that at all. I think it was even worse when daycare would send them home. Granted you get it when they are really ill but for a while there they were sending kid home all the time. The way preschools share their boogies the place was revolving half day kids getting the boot!

I cringe when the school’s name comes up on my phone, I immediately think “please don’t tell me he’s sick and ask me to come get him!” Luckily it’s typically a playground fall, and the nurse is calling to tell me what happened, that he’s fine, and what she did to treat him. (Usually a bandaid and a lollipop lol)

When i ordered from Basin i got both the medium and large bombs and being brilliant as i am i used the mediums first. I'm so glad i did, because i just used the first large one and there's no going back....

My Sunday evening ritual is a bubble bath with a glass of Chianti. I’ve never purchased anything from Basin, always hear great things..maybe I should. The store definitely smells good!

 

[Gabe1]

Is anyone using Gboard/swype to keyboard on their phones? Like it? Hate it? User friendly?