Occasionally I Have To Be A Student First
Another Hot by BlogHer post coming tomorrow, I promise, and there will be updates on my progress. Did the Girl Scout cookies superglue themselves to my ass or did I beat them back into their little brightly colored boxes? Did I dare attempt another Bollywood torture session? All shall be revealed!
But for the moment I’m nearly being crushed by pharmacology textbooks in preparation for an exam tomorrow. Who knew I’d have to study so much, or that the textbooks would be heavier than my preschooler?
More to come, but I’ll leave you with this: Mira has decided crawling is, like, so 8 months old. Now that she’s 9 months, she’s moving on to pulling up and shuffle-stepping along the furniture. Apparently all the cool kids are doing it now.
More From The Curly Headed Child
As I am feeding Mira, Cordy comes from behind and bumps into me hard, clearly on purpose.
Cordy: Oh, I must have been sleepwalking!
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Me: Cordy, come here and let me change your diaper.
Cordy: (doing nothing in particular) No! I can’t.
Me: You can’t? Why not?
Cordy: I’m busy right now, mommy! I’m busy!
Can’t imagine where she learned that one…ugh.
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Cordy: (Climbing into my lap) Mommy, I need a big hug.
Me: (hugging her tight) OK, I can do that.
Cordy: I love you, mommy.
Me: I love you too, Cordy.
Cordy: (looking up at me) Best friends, mommy?
Me: Yep. Best friends.
Cordy: Awww…best friends.
And you can bet I’m going to remember that exchange for those days when she’s sixteen and screaming that she hates me because I won’t let her borrow the car.
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Finally, we received a gift in the mail the other day from a certain Ms. Sugarpants. Now that Cordy will let us touch her hair, Karen thought some proper hair clips were in order.
She’s right, and Cordy loves her new “clippies!” a lot. We’ve already lost one in her room because she insisted on going to bed with it in her hair. (No worries, I can probably find it under her bed.) And she likes to wear the other two together at the same time.
Thank you so much, Karen!
Next Week She’ll Be Starting Physics
I was the ultimate geek in high school. While math and science are generally considered subjects where the boys excel, I was always near the top of the class. My senior year, I received the math award for highest math grade of the entire class over all four years. And science? Well, let’s just say that I loved chemistry equations, and I could work a genetics Punnet square faster than anyone.
Sure, I was teased for being a math/science nerd. I was looked at funny for knowing these subjects, because, well, I was just a girl. I also tutored several classmates through Biology and Chemistry, although I had trouble explaining the concepts – I didn’t study much, I just seemed to know the material.
Maybe that’s why I’m now going back to school for nursing: I enjoy science and medicine. (Math, sadly, is no longer a love of mine. I can do basic algebra without problems, but I’d rather never see calculus again.)
I’m hoping that my two girls will also toss gender stereotypes aside and know that science and math are important subjects for everyone – not just boys. These subjects provide a framework for logic and an understanding of how our world works. Actually, I find it upsetting that even science is getting a backseat to other subjects now as standardized tests put more emphasis on english, reading comprehension, and math. All important subjects, but science and the arts are also needed for a well-rounded education.
I think Cordy may have a knack for math and science already. She loves taking nature walks, enjoys learning about different animals, and has a way with numbers, patterns, and shapes that I don’t see in many kids her age. I’m happy to encourage her interests and find opportunities to teach her about science and math whenever I can.
And then there’s the issue of her new favorite book:
She found the book in the car one day and hasn’t put it down since then. She can now tell you about the periodic table, and how it shows us all of the stuff everything is made of.
** If you want to read more stories about encouraging science in kids, check out today’s PBN Blog Blast. The theme is “Bringing Science Back, Baby!” and if you contribute a post before midnight tonight you have the chance to win a $100 VISA gift card, courtesy of The Zula Patrol.