Tag: back-to-school

As it Appens

 

 

Back-to-school time once again and with it comes a sudden, distinct briskness in the air, a certain desire to buy new markers and discussions with The General about how education has changed on our daily walks.

I read lately that this current generation of parents, right now, will very likely be the last to wax nostalgic about genuine, hard cover books as opposed to interactive ebooks and ipad versions. This is not to say that they will eschew the technology for their own children of course but rather, be the last to sentimentally recall reading an actual picture book – exclusively – whilst propped up in someone’s lap. There are plenty of arguments for and against ebooks vs books and redundant to list them here (and unless you have been living in a sealed cave you will have seen the Stephen Fry meme noting that “Books are no more threatened by Kindle, than stairs by elevators”) but what strikes me, is that we often don’t acknowledge that the reason that we were so wholesomely amused in The Good Old Days was because nothing else was available.

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Top Ten Reasons to Celebrate NOT Having to do Back-to-School

10. Think of the time you can use for yourself rather than filling out ALL.THOSE.FORMS that come back after the first day! I briefly considered having a rubber stamp made with my signature on. 9.    Think of the cash that you no longer have to root for under couch cushions to include with many of Read More

The Stomach Knows: Part II

 

Fast forward to Frasier’s first day at school which was preempted by much psychological preparation including nightly readings about what that first day would entail ( I seem to recall the protagonist was a young raccoon) the purchase of a special, fancy knapsack and a lunch that included sliced grapes (no choking hazard) and sandwiches that were cut into the shape of a duck. His teacher, a kind and vivacious woman who was all flowy skirts and paisleys (think: Ms.Frizzle) actually came to the house to introduce herself over the summer and had already made quite an impression.

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The Stomach Knows Part I

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I am visiting my September pasts. I am walking along our street at a lazy pace, the kind of speed which will accommodate my small son’s wish to examine every dead earwig and share a secret with every nudging, neighbourhood cat and inspect each snail shell in case ‘someone is home.’ The sun filters weak coins of light onto our backs but the first indicator that the season is changing comes from within. Specifically, my stomach. Before I even had a chance to be fully awake this morning, the open window carried to me the smell of fresh earth but with a new chilliness that was not there even yesterday and that burnt, peppery smell of leaves that are just beginning to crisp. Already a fluttering of anxiety had begun in my stomach, creeping downwards like a cold syrup, so steady that I could feel it unfurling like a flag. But really, what was actually wrong? 

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