War by Amela, age 12, displaced from Slavonski Brod.
It’s all so strange! Suddenly, it’s so important, everybody asking who you are, what you do, where you come from.
So many people have been killed fighting for justice. But what justice? Do they know what they are fighting for, who they are fighting?
The weather is growing very cold now. No longer can you hear the singing of the birds, only the sound of children crying for a lost mother or father, a brother or sister.
We are a children without a country and without hope.
- Dunja, age 14, from Belgrade.
This morning, I have been scanning documents, giving feedback on papers, grading tests, watching some TED talks to pass the time. Reed decided he wanted to help daddy out (or at least hang out with dad as he worked):
When Reed started getting into Thomas the Tank Engine, we got him some of the little wooden trains. One of the sets came with a little wooden track that Reed loved to put together, play with, and carry off. We looked into buying him some of the expansion sets, but they are so freaking expensive. So, yesterday I came across a guy selling knock-off Thomas tracks for 1/3 to 1/4 the cost.
The bulk box of 100 track-pieces came in the mail today:
The Box:
The sample track I built for him to come home to (the other bocks are part of what my dad made for him):
The big track we built with most of the left-over pieces:
Thomas and Victor meet up:
Reed playing:
In this nausea-inducing video, Reed hunts for flowers.
We were testing out our new camera (old one met the floor at too high a velocity to continue to participate in its telos) and this was our first video. For some reason the speed is at 1.5 or something and there is no sound.
While Meredith took her nap yesterday after a long night of headaches, Reed and I went to HyVee to gather mother’s day supplies. We stocked up on roses, cards, and foodstuffs. To make sure none of the roses got and funny ideas in their buds about escaping, Reed took along his Woody hat so that they’d know who was in charge:
Reed’s best gggrrrrrrr-face.
I’d tell you more about the day, but you really stopped here for the picture of Reed. But, just in case you wanna see the flowers and the hand-painted ceramic mug we got Meredith, check ‘em out:
Reed Imler tells Meredith and I who the characters are in his Thomas book. Also, he gets really excited about a ball.
(Left: “I need the coffee”; Right: “I HAS THE COFFEE!”)
(Left: “I drinks the coffee”; Right: “How you doing?”)
On a pot of coffee that is. My parents had Reed this last Sunday while Meredith and I scouted a Greek Orthodox Church, attended some leadership Woodcrest functions, worked on setting up online classes, participated in Welcome to Woodcrest, attended the launch of Woodcrest at the Edge, and participated in two follow-up discussions (translation: THANK YOU MOM!). That next morning, they gave him some kinda drink (which I like to think is coffee), which he obviously appreciated.
Check out the rest of Reed’s exploits at daycare: March 2011:Wacky Wednesday, outside and St. Patrick’s Day Parade
This is Reed helping shovel the driveway after the first snow of the winter. Some of the words to listen for are “Walka, Walka, Walka” which he sometimes says to himself as he’s walking from one place to another. “NO-wa, NO-wa” which is “SNOW” – he can’t say S’s very well yet. The last part is my favorite.
