Sing, Sing a Song Saturday

Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY, and more.

This week I'm featuring a singer named Oren Lavie. He's an Israeli songwriter, singer, playwright, and theater director. He's the same age as I am, born in 1976. Lavie was born in Tel Aviv and spent his youth in Israel. In 2001 he moved to New York. In 2003 he moved to Berlin.

His music video for Her Morning Elegance earned a 2009 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Short Form Music Video".

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I love stop animation videos. I googled, "Stop Animation, Music Videos" and that's how I found Oren Lavie.

Her Morning Elegance

Oren Lavie's music isn't the type to dance to. It's calm and relaxing. It's the type of music you can write and read while you're listening to it.

A Dream Within a Dream

Check out Oren Lavie's Website.
Check out Oren Lavie's Facebook Page.

Random Tid Bits

1. I was thinking about the Statue of Liberty. My kids were talking about it. If it were made today; I think most of it would be from China. The materials anyhow.





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2. Do you ever think about the end to mankind?
   
   
   Do you think we'll ever die out?
   If so...how?
   If we do I personally think we'll destroy ourselves somehow.


3. I've been reading a lot about Common Core this week. I'm not against it, and I'm not for it. If you are not familiar with it, it's all about showing your work, backing up why and how you got to the answer you did, and if you do not show your work...even if you got the answer right, you just got the answer wrong for not showing your work.

Most of the things I was reading were negative, but the negativity was coming from parents. I didn't know if parents felt badly about it because they didn't understand it, or was it because they truly thought it was a bad thing?

Isaak's using Common Core, but Mica is not. I think when they put any new structure in a kid's curriculum, and want kids to switch gears, it's bad. They have to start the practice from the beginning. If it's taught as an alternative, then they should introduce the alternative in the beginning as well. Isaak's being started with it now in Kindergarten. Don't take a kid that is in third grade, throw them into common core, and expect them to grasp everything. It doesn't work.

Parents should be educated on what the schools goals are. They want parents to work with their kids on homework, parents should understand what their kids are doing.

I don't think Common Core should be the only way of learning. Have a few chapters on it. Every kid learns differently. I know I'm very right brained, and Common Core could have helped me. I'm a visual learner. Flat facts were hard for me to understand. Math didn't make sense until touch math was introduced to me. It was new when I learned it. Once I got that, math was understandable. Not everyone thinks the same way. I've always been in left field.  

Isaak seems to be grasping math better than Mica. His math is like this 8-5= ? There are 8 dots above the problem. He has to fill in 5, and then count the reminder to put in the answer. He gets it! He gets subtraction to! Mica didn't learn subtraction until first grade. I do like that kids are learning to not just spit out an answer, but reason and logic is there to back up that answer. I get college students in all the time that can say artwork is nice, but they can't back up why they like it. When they get in the real world as young adults they will have to back up their portfolio pieces to sell their work. Otherwise they may not get a job they are interested in.  

There is a great article on Common Core here if you'd like to read it. In the end I think everyone learns differently. Common Core may work for my kid, but not yours. I think different math practices should be taught from the beginning, and each kid can choose a way that works from them.


4. Next month my sister has her baby! It's both crazy and exciting.


5. My students are working on a Children's Book assignment. It's one of my favorite assignments!

I Shop for Birthdays and Christmas All Year

Do you shop all year for birthdays and Christmas?

The upsides to shopping all year:

• You can save money if you see a deal.
• When you see something someone would love, why not go for it? The chances of you seeing that perfect thing later isn't a high chance.
• Spending money periodically is much easier than getting things all at once.

With every up side there is a downside to:

• All the sudden kids change their minds about what they want and like. If you already got them things, you can't go back and change.
• It makes returns nearly impossible. 

I usually do not get clothes, because of the return thing.

I also stash away things I've won for myself, and for everyone else. If anyone needs a gift for me I'm like, "Here you go! I've been waiting to get this."

My husband thinks I'm nuts, and my mom doesn't support giving me things I've already gotten. Hey I'm still happy about getting it. It saves money. Why not?

I saw this on Zulily {see below}. The thing is...I stashed it in my cart, and didn't buy it fast enough. I tracked the product down, and the JuDanzy had it for about the same price, no shipping costs in the US and the price goes to the small business, not Zulily. I love Zulily, but they do tend to rip off small companies.

This is for Emerson's birthday in July. It's for ages 3-7. It was $20, and I got it for $15. It comes with the leg warmers, tie, and hat. I think it will look so cute on him! I'm not big into argyle, but my sister is, and I happen to love red. Win! Win!

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I have another nephew (age 6, Isaak's playmate) that would seriously sleep with a baseball bat if you let him. He's that into baseball. I found a baseball necklace and stocking cap, and bought them. They are for Christmas.

The necklace has 2 bats and a ball on one side, and a single baseball on the other. Source

For the new baby nephew coming in May I bought a turtle diaper and matching wet bag. Mainly because his oldest brother (Mica's playmate) loves turtles. I thought he'd get a kick out of seeing his brother in a turtle diaper. My sister uses cloth diapers. You can never have too many of them!

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I have many more things stocked up. Do you stock up on toys, and other gift items?

If Walmart Paid Its Employees a Living Wage

I posted this on Facebook, but wanted to share it here. Tell me your thoughts. I think Walmart should raise their wages.

Hummel Park

A few weekends ago we went hiking. It's kind of sad to hike right now because everything is still brown. There is hardly any leaves on trees yet. It was still fun!

When things look brown they look more aged, and prehistoric. That's a good thing. 

I got some photos of Isaak, but Mica was running the whole time.

Nature Around Nebraska Right Now

Tree bark

An old mossy log

No log at all - It decomposed

This looked like a shark tail sticking out of the ground to me

A hut that the kids built the year before at camp

Do you like to go hiking?

WW: Dario's Brasserie {Linky}

We went out for our 12 year anniversary to Dario's Brasserie. Yes the kids came along this time.

While we waited for our food, we took pictures of each other.

Kale Smoothies

Daddy doesn't like kale very much. I do. I think it's just as good as spinach leaves that we are used to eating.

I've been trying to find a way to sneak them into our diet.

We all like the smoothies that I make for breakfast.

It's super easy, and gets kale into our diet.

I broke it down for a family of 4 and a family of 2. I first made it with orange juice, but this morning made it with water, and it was good as well.

April Fools Part 2

I forgot to write about the trick played on me.

Yes I to was fooled on April Fools Day!

Mica brought home a paper of things he needed for a skit he's going to be in soon. I know he's preforming in the Music and Art Festival later this month. I didn't think anything of him needing things for this skit.

On the list were:

• 7 metal hangers
• A package of sequins 
• 7 paper clips
• Red felt
• Mica choose: Bananas, so we need 1 bundle of bananas. 

*We need these things by tomorrow!

I said, "Well we're lucky that we have metal hangers, some people do not have those anymore. Mica we'll have to go to the store to get these other things, I don't have some of this stuff. You really need these things by tomorrow?!"

Mica said, "Mom there is more on the back!"

I flipped the paper over and it said, "April Fools! Really we are running low on tissues and soap, so if you have any of that, that would be great to send to school tomorrow."

I was had. In the end Mica/his teacher got me.