Ashlie Has a Dream

Ashlie wrote the following "I Have a Dream" speech after studying Martin Luther King, Jr. and his speech by the same name. Her teacher had her read it to us for the first time at Parent/Teacher conferences.  I echo her words.

 I Have a Dream

            I have a dream that the hurricane of war will cease.  I have a wish that there will be many rivers of peace that will drown the earth.  I wish that the tsunami of divorce will be stopped.  I hope that someday the weeds of depression will be plucked out of the earth to make room for the blossoms of happiness to grow.  I have a dream that the mountain of drugs will swiftly be chipped away.  I have hope that the terrible disease of cancer will leave forever.  I have a dream that the valley of worry will be flooded with the waters of confidence.  I wish that the fog of bad air will be lifted from this world forever.  I hope that the tempest of blackmailing will quickly die away.  

 Ashlie Jackson, age 11

I Love This Boy

 

Doesn't he look old?

 

Fake smile!

KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)

The other day my sweet Avery was playing with some toys I got at a garage sale a couple of years ago.  It has a little crane with a strong magnet on the end of a string, then a truck pulls a trailer that holds a bunch of blocks with large, strong magnets on one side.  Avery had a good time connecting the magnets, then pulling them apart.  He also enjoyed putting the little blocks into the trailer, then dumping them out.  Repeat.

I love classic toys that allow kids to learn and be creative.  Toys have become too darn electronic if you ask me.  Although I am not yet disciplined in keeping the many, many low-quality toys out of my house I believe it's wiser to give kids fewer toys, and make sure the ones they have are worthwhile and foster creativity. Seeing my angel playing so well with this simple toy encourages me to dejunk our toy collections!

After repeatedly insisting, Avery finally flashed me this (below) "smile" - he didn't want to stop his playing to smile for his nagging mother.

I love the post by The Lazy Organizer, entitled What Kind Of Toys Do Children Need?.  

A while back The Lazy Organizer took away more and more of her daughter's toys because she couldn't keep her room tidy.  Eventually she took away almost all of the toys. And her daughter didn't seem to mind one bit.  She just used her imagination and was probably happier because she didn't have so much STUFF to keep track of and put away.  This is a good lesson for most of us!  The story is told in her more detailed words here: Getting Rid of the Clutter.

My Girl

Here's a picture Ashlie and I took of ourselves - just after I got my hair cut. Isn't she beautiful?  I cannot believe how old she's getting.  Ashlie is very mature for an eleven-year-old, and is delightful to have around.  She is helpful, pleasant, and optimistic.  She is talented in many things and never afraid to try new things - a quality I wish I possessed.  I am so proud of her and so glad she is a part of my life! 

 

I cut off about 12 inches, to be donated to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to the treatment of illnesses such as Cancer.