Our Government at Work

I have heard of some pretty ridiculous things our government employees do to waste taxpayers' money and this is one of those that hit home. A family in Connecticut is being investigated for allegedly violating child labor laws because their children help out on weekends in their family pizzeria.

The children are all under the state's legal age for employment of fourteen, and apparently the Dept. of labor was sent there on an anonymous tip. Mind you, this is a family owned restaurant that has been in the community for fifty five years, each generation learning from the last. A family, passing on a culture and a trade to the next generation on weekends or after school.

I can't believe, after the investigator visited the restaurant that a report was even filed. After seeing it for what it was, a family teaching their children how the business works and spending that ever important "quality time together" doing it, the case should have been closed right then and there.

What is good to hear is that the family is fighting back, as well they should. Whoever tipped off the Dept. of Labor should be ashamed of themselves. As far as I'm concerned every family business should have their children helping out part time, the earlier the better. The pride a child feels from a job well done is something that will benefit them their entire lives. Not to mention, may also keep them off the streets and away from trouble as teenagers.

Today's Message

Warning: I'm in a bad mood and I went that way!

Message received and duly noted.

Seed Germination

This week we started a new science project to study seed germination. We decided to use some birdseed (hoping to get sunflowers to plant) to compare how long it takes the different seeds to sprout. We placed them on some wet cotton in a tray and we have a clear plastic top to cover them with. Condensation will form to keep the cotton moist.

After they sprout, we will identify and chart the growth of each type of seed. You can find many great charts and diagrams to use at Enchanted Learning.com. They also have coloring pages and booklets to print out as well.

I also found this great image from The University of New Mexico, that I was able to laminate and put up on our bulletin board to study. It identifies the many parts of seeds and germinating plants. You will find a lot of other helpful and very detailed reading on their site.

After the sunflowers sprout, we will plant them in the yard and then continue to observe them to see how long it takes for the flowers to bloom and return to seed once again. The other seedlings we will scatter under the bird feeder for the rabbits to munch on.

This is an easy and complete life cycle to learn from, plus you might even get some fresh sunflowers seeds to eat yourself when you are finished!

Can They See Me?

I hope not. I'll just be real still and they won't notice.

Ok guys, nobody move a muscle!

The Science Museum

On Sunday, we went to The South Florida Science Museum in West Palm Beach, Florida.
It was the last day of a dinosaur exhibit and my son's first trip to a museum.

The museum was smaller than I expected and in need of some updating, but he enjoyed it anyway.

Some of the displays did not work and some were very simple. I had never been to a "science museum" before and this one was definitely more of a children's museum.

They did have some native species of fish and a pair of baby alligators in tanks. I thought the tanks were too small but they looked clean and maintained.

I'm not sure if we will go back anytime soon unless they have a special event. It takes us about an hour to get there and West Palm Beach is not one of my favorite places.

We had a change of scenery though, something we really needed.

Someday I hope to live in an area with more to see and do, someday.

Mother's Day 2010

To all of you, who have ever feathered a nest,

Happy Mother's Day!

What Mommy Doesn't Want for Mother's Day

My son has taken notice of the Mother's Day commercials on TV this week and like most commercials, they have caused him some distress. I try not to have the TV on much, but when I do, I can't get to the remote fast enough to change the channel.

He has nightmares and trouble sleeping every time he sees one of those horrible home alarm system ads, that have a mother and her child screaming because someone kicked their door in. He now thinks any neighbors he doesn't know, are waiting to breakdown our walls and get him in the night.

After seeing several department stores ads about what your "supposed to get your mother for Mother's Day", he came to me and told me in a weak voice "I don't think I can give you a present for Mother's Day because I don't have any money" and he started to cry.

So we had yet another talk about what TV commercials really are and then I told him that all I needed for Mother's Day was a smile and a hug. He was not convinced, so I asked him what he would buy me if he did have money.

He said he would buy me "a fancy dress to wear on special occasions". At first I thought, how sweet, but then I realized that he has never seen me in a dress. It's been years since I wore one.
I suppose he just thinks that fancy dresses and the like, are things that women must want because that's what the TV says. It's no wonder so many adults today are held captive by materialism, if they grew up believing everything they saw in an ad.

I guess I need to do a better job showing him how to live happily without the "stuff" and turn off the TV even more. Maybe then he will quit telling me we need that upside down tomato grower so we can have "over 200 tomatoes". Now what would we do with 200 tomatoes?
Sometime it's feels like I'm living in my own version of "The Truman Show" around here.

Flowering Trumpet Trees

This is what we have blooming in our neighborhood right now and they are gorgeous!
This is a Golden Trumpet Tree. Also known as a Tabebuia, they come in other colors such as pink and white.

These tree branches have been completely bare for months and then suddenly, an explosion of color! It seems to happen overnight with the first spring rains. So nice to see a flowering tree on our walks. I do get tired of nothing but palm trees and pine cones.