Valentine's Day

I get spoiled year round. I married Prince Charming, what can I say? But I thought post-February 14th I could share a slice of my daydream of a life.

Morning. I'm the morning person in our relationship. I can think of about three times in our marriage he has ever gotten up before me; likewise, he can probably think of about three times I've ever stayed up past 11:30 pm. My sweetheart was awake BEFORE me making delicious scrambled eggs and OJ for me. Bonus, he washed dishes...which is always a delight. Since moving to this apartment and realizing the sink does not have a garbage disposal (and no dishwasher!) dishes have become a sheer horror for me. My sweetheart has become a superwasher now, I've got entire weeks without touching a dirty dish. That's love, friends. 

After breakfast we headed up to Salt Lake City. We both were delighted to be away from Happy Valley for the afternoon, especially to go hang out with DINOSAURS! You read that right, we hit the Utah Museum of Natural History up by the U. It's a delightful museum. I highly recommend it. Currently the exhibit of interest is the Chocolate Exhibit. Have some chocolate handy before you come because this exhibit stinks up the whole museum. You will INSTANTANEOUSLY  have  a craving for chocolate as you try to read about the Utahceratops. It's going to happen. 

After some delightful "museuming" (Museuming needs to be a word...museums are truly meant to be experienced as a verb,) he let me pick our restaurant. Lo and behold, I've been away from Salt Lake City for too long and totally forgot my favorite sushi restaurant wasn't open until evening. We headed off to downtown to go to an old sandwich shop I used to frequent...but my observant sweetheart pointed across the street to a doner kebab shop.

Dear Americans. This isn't a grilled veggies and meat on a skewer shop. The DONER part of doner kebab is very critical. Doner Kebab is only the most magical thing you could wrap your lips around and sink your teeth into. I got introduced to doner kebab when I was in Germany three years ago. It is a Turkish thing. It's closest cousin is probably the Greek Gyro...however doner kebab is prepared and served with delightful seasonings and spices that you would never find in a gryo. 

The place is called Spitz, and although a doner kebab in Utah is not the same as a doner kebab in Ulm, sitting on a bench staring up at the world's tallest cathedral...it's stunningly delicious for something you don't have to cross the Atlantic to get. I daresay, the fries are simply to die for. I about cried from joy eating this food much like what I enjoyed during my time in Europe. 

All in all...a fabulous Valentine's Day with the love of my eternity. That was even before he unveiled two giant bags of SweetHearts and a tin of Pirouette Hazelnut cookies. What can I say? The man knows me well. 

Education Series: At-Home Education and Socialization

We're going in to opinion blog mode for a bit. So make some popcorn, sit down and prepare to get offended!

Education is a hot topic these days. It won't be hard for you to do a new search and find articles about the US slipping in education, the impeding student loan crisis, the value of a college education declining, bullying at school, STEM...I could be here all day. School/Education is a big part of American culture, it's no surprise we would discuss it at length. (now if we could actually do something about it...)

I'm sure at one point or another I'll address these topics here, but initially I just wanted to talk about homeschooling. Homeschooling has been a big part of my education and there are a lot of misconceptions about what homeschooling is, what it does and how it works.

I will address the #1 problem people have with the idea of homeschooling is the concept of socialization. First, let me paint a picture of what socialization at your local junior high looks like. It goes something like getting body slammed in to a locker...and this happens just when your bruise from last weeks body slam healed. Your money is stolen. A girl pulls on your hair, stripping out the bobby pins and headband from your hair. You don't even know who she is.

But wait, there's your friend and she's got some classmates with her. This should be a delightful respite from another rough day, as you stand up from picking up your books and initiate conversation you are in moments reprimanded. She asks, "Why are you talking to me?" Your friend is quick to lecture you, "You do not talk to my friends." They leave you and you are uncertain what just happened to you. You turn to head to history class, only to have your bra strap snapped by one boy and get groped by another.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't sound like socialization happening. I think the equivalent of saying to a child they need to go to public school is a lot like telling a woman with a black eye and fat lip that she should stay with her boyfriend because she needs to learn how to have a relationship. When your school allows students to roam in large packs in the halls and there's so much anonymity that stealing, hitting and groping can occur with no consequences that is a bad situation that is best left behind, not stuck out so you can learn more about tolerating abuse.

I'm not saying public schools are bad. I just happened to go to a bad school. The troubling thing is that a lot of people don't recognize a bad school when they see one. No one would call my school a bad school if you asked them. The demographics of my school probably were along the lines of 90% church-going families or something like that. I came from a very upper crust white-bread neighborhood and all but a couple families sent their children to this same school.

In short, kids aren't learning social skills by imitating each other. Junior high age students do not know how to properly conduct themselves. Elementary school students hardly know how to properly conduct themselves. High school students...well, maybe some start getting their act together, but let's be honest my adult friends; one of the worst experiences you have to endure when you're on public transit is seeing a pack of teenage girls getting on. Be honest. Your skin crawls.

"Social skills" are learned at school, yes--but improved social skills are learned from those with superior social skills to your own.