One afternoon when our older son was only three years old we were heading south from Nairobi when suddenly a giraffe started running alongside our car. Its lanky trot was beautiful to behold when Eric exclaimed, “Never in all my life have I seen something...
Tonight was the last class for this semester. We traditionally have pizza. So there I was coming from the far end of the parking lot carrying seven extra-large pizzas and my book bag filled with all that stuff teachers accumulate during the semester. Before I...
My mother used to make me clean my plate every night. Her rationale was there were children in China starving; therefore, we should not waste food. My question was just because someone else doesn’t have enough food why do I have to overeat? Child developmentalists...
It’s that time of year when college teachers really do work. Finals, essays and other projects pile up in a seemingly endless heap. While pondering what grade to give a particular student I suddenly remembered being on the receiving end of zero grade. There was...
Long I stood pining over the Oreo section. When I was little there were only Oreos. Now the selection is wonderful. There are double stuff, triple stuff, orange flavored, mint flavored, thin ones (Why would anyone want a thin one?) vanilla flavored and then I...
This evening in my Child Development class one of my students presented a paper on sensory perception disorder. It manifests itself as a process that sends mixed and often times offensive sensory data to a child’s experience. To a degree all of us have this...
While Japanese diplomats were in Washington D.C. pretending to negotiate, a Japanese aircraft carrier was being positioned to launch a devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. On December 8 an incensed President Roosevelt began his declaration of war with the following words. “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941...
Don’t you hate it when someone comes up to you and says, “Do you remember me?” Chills run up your spine. Well, actually, it depends on the tone they use. If they aren’t smiling and lean in too close, that makes me want to run. ...
The little wise men and the shepherds were ready. The designated donkey jockeyed his hat bearing long ears. The little boy shifted his camel hump. Joseph was bearded and standing tall. The manger was waiting and the congregation was wondering why the delay. All were...
I have a confession to make. My favorite store is Dollar Tree. One never knows exactly what will be available. When wandering about I stock up on things I know I will eventually need. If I see my usual kind of toothpaste I will get...