That’s right!!! As of today, we officially survived another year of home-schooling! Tests are graded, report cards are done, prizes have been awarded- school’s out for summer!!!
Eve and Elijah, tied for the semester- down to a tenth of a percent! They both had a 94.2% average. Everyone was above 90% and I am one proud teacher…mom… both. :)
I look forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning. That is, if Ella doesn’t wake me up asking for “bagels” or “moatmeal” at 7am…
(Pictures throughout this post are from a recent neighbourhood Bible outreach program our church held- Charity made a new friend)
So while I was grading all the tests and figuring out averages for report cards, Keona asked me if she could help with anything. I suggested she turn the oven on for dinner and she could throw some chicken fingers in for me. (Seeing as my Grandma came by last night at 11pm and dropped off 3 crates of mangoes and 12 boxes of chicken fingers- I think she may have thought of us while she was stocking up for her restaurant…) So, Keona put on chicken fingers, then she put on a pot of soup, and heated up some leftovers for the ones who didn’t want soup… this girls made dinner for 8 while I marked tests. I heard her open the oven and then she shouted in to me, “Mom, I think the chicken fingers are done!”
Me: How do you know they’re done?
Keona: Cause they look like your chicken fingers do when they’re done.
I told her to cut one open and make sure it was cooked through…
Rewind about 8 or 9 years to the first time that I cooked a turkey…
Me: Scott, I think the turkey’s done!
Scott: Umm… how can you tell it’s done?
Me: Cause it looks like my mom’s turkey does when it’s done.
Scott insisted I cut it open to make sure it was cooked through…
No joke.
It made me laugh.
Keona and her new friends
Speaking of making me laugh…
Ella, was sitting on my lap today when she looked at me and said, “You’re brown.”
I laughed and said, “Yes, I am brown. What colour are you?”
She looked down at her hands and said, “I’m brown too.”
I suggested that maybe she was a bit lighter, maybe a bit more white like Dad.
“No… I’m brown!” Was her response.
At this point, Jeddy came over to throw his hand in the mix and insist that he was brown as well.
Jeddy: I’m darker than you, Mom!
Me: See Ella… Jeddy is brown too.
Ella: I wish I was black.
Me: Like Jada? (her cousin)
Ella: Yeah, like Jada. I want to be black…
Even Ella made a friend
I found this conversation so amusing. As a kid growing up, I had a white family and a black family. I was in-between. I remember being asked ALL THE TIME “What are you?” I still get asked that question as an adult! Talking about race has never bothered me. Never even phased me really. But it was funny to hear Ella’s perspective. Like every little girl, I wanted to look just like my mom. I wanted to have skin that turned “pink” in the sun, long straight blonde hair, and anything but brown eyes. As I grew up, obviously I realized that I would never be white (or pink!) my hair would never be straight, and my eyes weren’t about to change colour, and I wouldn’t have it any other way now.
Sorry to disappoint you, Ella…
It was pretty amazing to see so many different cultures and ethnicities represented in one area. And all the different, beautiful skin tones!
I’m pretty sure Jed was just there for the food! :P
I still get asked What are you? or Where are you from? I never quite know how to respond to the second one... ummm... I'm from Texas but if you want to know my ethnicity, my mom is Korean (South Korea, bc they always ask that next) and my dad is West Texas white boy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the 2nd grade, I was bused downtown to a school in the projects. Myself and Stacy next door were the only white girls in my grade. That was the fun year that I learned the different hand clapping games and I still regret not learning to double dutch jump rope. I remember walking in from school and begging my mom to let me have 10 ponytails like the girls at school. If I can have 1 or 2, why can't I have 10? Plus, they had SO many pretty, colorful barettes, I was always so jealous!
It's funny, I never thought I looked like either of my parents. My dad was so white and my mom so Korean. It wasn't until I was older and looked back at pictures of my mom when she was in her 30s. That is when I saw ME... and if those pictures look like me, then I must look like my mommy! :) And then I finally had a better sense of belonging... it made me very very happy.
wow, do you make report cards for all subjects? i have never made a report card for my kids... okay, i don't even grade anything other than math. is it a requirement where you are?
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