It's official

Yakov will be a Tarheel.* But not before a year in Israel. At least he didn't pick out a Carolina blue cap.

When we first moved to NC, I would see house flags throughout the neighborhood with this image.I wasn't really aware of the tarheel phenomena yet and I kept wondering why anyone would have a house flag that meant "We have stepped in it again" or at least that was my naive interpretation. Gradually I became aware of the UNC Chapel Hill Tarheel connection and realized my mistake. PRM

* For my confused readers, that means he is going to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for college.

Seventeen years old

How did that happen?

Tonight she is going to her first big concert, Dave Matthews Band, with a friend. They have driven to Charlotte, about a 70 mile trip. The ticket is my gift to her. And for this Jane Austen addict, we also have a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. We will celebrate with a family dinner out and cake Saturday or Sunday night.

She is such a treat, so self-possessed and confident. She deserves a better photographer. PRM

Dinner last night prepared by

NOACH! Thank you, Boy Scouts.

Noach was practicing his cooking techniques because he has to cook for his patrol on their campout this weekend. Another boy was planning to do this when they made out their menu Monday night. He chose fried chicken. When that boy canceled, the leader called Noach Tuesday and gave him the opportunity to fulfill this advancement requirement. Noach grabbed the chance.

So Wednesday morning, Noach went to the grocery with $40 and bought the food for all the meals for his patrol. And Wednesday night, he practiced frying chicken. After a discussion about the difficulties preparing chicken, we hit upon the idea of frying the chicken in strips rather than using bone-in pieces. I well remember my more experienced sisters-in-law advising me prior to my wedding to avoid the temptation to try frying chicken until I had more experience cooking. Chicken frying was not as easy as it appeared, they said. I am experienced now but I still don't fry chicken well or often. Actually we just don't eat much fried food.

The requirements include planning the menu using the 4 main food groups, budgeting, proper storage of uncooked food as well as cooking the meals. We have discussed Salmonella risk with chicken and the need to wash hands often with soap and water. Raw chicken in this setting disturbs this old gastroenterologist. Salmonella enteritis can be serious business.

I know there are issues with the Boy Scouts, especially about homosexuality and atheism, but I have seen how much Noach has gotten out of his scout experience. He is more confident in many ways. He's not an outdoor guy but the activities get him outside and he enjoys them. It has really stretched his comfort zone. I have to be grateful for that. PRM

Break's over

At least, I hope so. There are so many projects in play right now, college decision, trailer trip in less than 3 weeks, Bar Mitzvah to plan, summer camp and year in Israel, just to name a few, that I am finding blogging to be a task and one I can put off for another day.

I love a good road trip but 1720 miles in 7 days was a trial. Noach and I left home last Sunday, and returned Saturday, weary. We enjoyed visiting family and accomplished much in Hot Springs.

Noach will be 13 in July, time for a young man's Bar Mitzvah. We have chosen to have his Bar Mitzvah in Hot Springs rather than in our local synagogue. Our favorite rabbi, the teacher our children adore, moved to Arkansas 2 years ago. Noach wanted Rabbi Fox there for his Bar Mitzvah as he had been for Yakov's and Shoshie's. Fortunately Hot Springs is much closer to their homes for some members of our family so we decided to travel there for the service and festivities. Planning a Bar Mitzvah is hard work for me and even harder at a distance.

My 88yo mom traveled to Hot Springs with us, her home being a convenient halfway point. I think she enjoyed the trip but we were all exhausted when we got back to her house. And we returned to hear that her sister, my Aunt Jean, had fallen and broken her hip that afternoon. Another reminder that so many of my relatives are getting quite elderly. PRM

Blog break

It's Pesach.

Then working field trip for Noach and Mom. More info next week. PRM

Terror in Teddy Town

or Natural Selection in the Teddy Graham World

Teddies are a peaceful species that have lived separately from other cookie species for several generations. There are two kinds of Teddies, those that react to stress by holding their arms up, squealing and running for cover and those that react to stress by having what looks like a temper tantrum with arms rigidly at their sides, feet apart and standing still.

A band of monsters have entered the Teddy homeland. These monsters include the infamous Teddy Muncher, Grrrrrrr, Graham Grinder and Fluffy and they have chocolate cookie on their minds. With each raid, they reduce the population by 4 Teddies but always the ones who stand there with their arms at their sides looking defiant. These monsters are not interested in unnecessary chasing. Shortly the Teddy numbers are replenished by a method not to be discussed. But alas the monsters return as well.

This reduction and replacement continues for several generations but over time the monsters find fewer foolish Teddies to consume as the smart Teddies become the dominant form. So they move on and leave the Teddy World alone.

Well, at least that's one story. You can create your own. This website has a similar story. For the older student to demonstrate the gene shift that takes place this pdf. is better.

Science and cookies, a good combo. PRM

Well, this is exciting

The college acceptances are coming in. Makes those 6 weeks of torture during the late fall/early winter seem worthwhile now.

In the end Yakov sent 7 applications. He has not heard from 2 of them but he has 5 acceptances. One well-thought-of small liberal arts college seem to pursue him with frequent emails, even a phone interview at their request, all before he had even sent in all his documentation. Yesterday he received the BIG envelope from them. This morning, for the first time, I looked in the envelope and he had overlooked a letter offering him a merit scholarship.

I cannot deny that some of my excitement is a feeling of having accomplished something myself. I did it! I got my son in some FINE schools. I didn't do the academic work and certainly didn't do the application but I directed much of the operation.

And I will do what I need to again next year for Shoshie. She will not need the direction from me that he did. She is much more self-directed and frankly just pays more attention. And as she has seen his success in the last few weeks, she has been more motivated to study hard. PRM

Proud tax-paying citizens

Not!

"They want more of my money?"
"Why did I bother going to work? So I can give it away?"
Just another learning experience. Maybe not the most pleasant. PRM

DNA -> Chromosomes-> Genes-> Trait

The next step in the study of biology with my younger students was to translate the DNA into actual traits one can see. Once again the people from the University of Utah provided a great activity, A Recipe for Traits.

Paper strips of symbols represent genetic code for the characteristics of a dog. The students pick the different strips, arrange them like genetic code, and translate the strips into characteristics of a dog, body and head shape, color,etc. Then they draw their dog. This is harder to describe than to do. They are holding up their genetic code, each short colored strip is a gene. They also are showing their drawn dogs. The pictures were taken with Shoshie's phone so they aren't the best. But the kids had fun. And may have learned something. PRM

Laundry day

Folding towels is one of those tasks best done while watching television. But I rarely watch television so the towels are not often folded.

Soooo, I was thrilled to find that Masterpiece Classic is offering David Copperfield for online viewing through March 29th. Episodes 1 and 2 are available at this website. I watched Episode 1 Sunday afternoon. This morning I spotted a full laundry basket and knew just what to do. I was unable to finish the second episode so I may have to wash some more towels later.

This production of David Copperfield was one of Daniel Radcliffe's first big roles.He is cheek-pinchingly cute in this. Zissa punim.

Check it out. And you, too, can have a drawer full of folded clean towels. PRM