Tag Archives: children

Whoa, there!

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Not to be redundant, but Gorilla Girl is amazing.  She has been interested in horses and riding them for a few years now, perhaps because two of her cousins ride, and has been astride a horse only a couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in children, family, motherhood, summer | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Monkey Girl: the super kid formerly known as Gorilla Girl

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I must have known when I started writing here about Gorilla Girl that she was gifted with talents I could neither imagine nor predict. I’ve noted here her artistic flair, but have continued to stand in awe at her physical … Continue reading →

Posted in children, family, motherhood | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Signs that you might be a successful parent, or at least a subversive one

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

While driving in the car to therapy, Monkey Man and Gorilla Girl asked me to play Bruce Springsteen on the CD player, specifically “Shackled and Drawn.” We also sang along to my favorite, “Death to My Hometown.” I guess Springsteen … Continue reading →

Posted in children, class, corporate greed, family, singing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Trying on jerky pants — or what it’s like to be a 7th grade teacher in February

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

On my way to class the other day, I passed a few colleagues on hallway duty in the break between lunch and the start of classes.  One colleague was waving her arms like a traffic cop, desperately attempting to quell … Continue reading →

Posted in education, growth, lessons | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Raiding the cookie jar in 2013

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

When we were kids, back in the stone age, we’d sneak cookies or whatever snacks we could find around the house.  I suppose all kids do this, and always will.  But there is a new twist to the desires of … Continue reading →

Posted in children, family, humor, motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

How craigslist connects us in the most unexpected ways

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

It has been almost a year since I caved into the allure of purchasing expensive in-home exercise equipment.  My aging ankles consigned me to elliptical machines at the gym, but my six-year olds seemed incompatible with an absentee mom, so … Continue reading →

Posted in children, community, connection, encounters, family, identity, Vietnam | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A frigid winter’s night

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

What does believe mean? Believe — It means truth, without seeing, Knowledge without touching. What do you believe? I believe in love. Love? Well, you can’t see love. I can. A small hand reaches out to touch my face. It … Continue reading →

Posted in children, dreams, experience, family, lessons, poems | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Lift every voice

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Earlier today, I visited Monkey Man and Gorilla Girl, and all of the kindergarten classes as they participated in the “King Sing,” led by their amazing music teacher. A former principal was visiting the class today to read from Martin’s … Continue reading →

Posted in children, education, holidays, rituals, singing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

In the blink of an eye: oasis naan

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Oasis naan that was on the menu for this week’s Baking with Julia, and it took  just the blink of an eye to throw together — thankfully, since May was a real challenge not only with keeping up with my … Continue reading →

Posted in bread, summer | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Shake it off, and get right back on the bike

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

One of the new buzz words in education is “resilience,” and even though this notion of helping students build inner strength to deal with the obstacles, failures, and disappointments of life seems like a good idea, I wonder why it … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, children, class, coaching, education, experience, growth, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments