about mother's day and various other things

I've been trying to decide what to get the mother's in my life for mother's day this year. And yes, theoretically no "thing" is necessary, just our love and devotion. So since we know that we don't all work that way I've been mulling it over and frankly I'm pretty sure that the mother's in my life, including myself, really don't need anything. If my mom gets one more box of tea I'm positive she is going to need to build on a storage room. And so I'm looking at things shopping through One Cause, World Vision, and Oxfam thinking that maybe its time to think more outside the box on the whole gift giving thing. Oxfam is not a christian organization, although its roots might have orginated there but I know there work from our time in Africa and there is a real commitment within Oxfam to help and serve. World Vision is a good trusty christian org that does a good amount of work in supporting children in needy areas. One Cause is a new favorite way to give actual things. A portion of your purchase will be donated to the registered cause of your choice. From what I can tell it takes a while for the individual company to process the percentage of donation off your purchase. But that has dissuaded me and hopefully it won't discourage you. If you are shopping online anyway, you might as well make that purchaser give a little back to something you believe in. A little goes a long way.

We've been thinking at our house about our green-ness also. I've been thankful that the rains are holding on a little longer because it saves me watering our new grass. The grass feels like something important. More than @ having a play area. I'm trying to get some bushes growing too but the sun is so hot, they seem to burn up pretty quick. Trying to reduce our energy consumption too, which is easy with the light of the sun, but the nights are hot without AC so I think I will choose sleep.

@ started school yesterday and this morning I decided to pull him out. Yeah, I didn't. He didn't have school today anyway. But the whole sit at your desk and teach 3 yr. olds to write is really bothering me. We want him to have local language but I'm afraid they are teaching him to hate school with this heavy handed academic thing. Can you imagine anything to squealch a 3 yr. old boy's creativity more than "write the alphabet" and "you didn't do it right."? By the way, they didn't really say that but giving him a grade on handwriting on his first day? Really. He got a B- which I think is something to brag about given the circumstances. I really want @ to like school because I think it could really help his creativity grow. Anyway, Jonathan is going to help me not pull @ out of school before the first week. Jonathan is in charge of being level headed at our house.

@ just got up from what is yet another sleepless nap time. His eyes are beginning to look really dark and I can't seem to get him to rest or sleep. He's turning into a real sleep fighter these days.