Mmmmm, cake

Back in April I bookmarked Heidi Kenney's campfire cake because I had a feeling Sam would love it for his birthday. And when he said he wanted to have a camping sleepover party it was the only choice.

Oh my gosh, did I have fun making this cake. The center filling is dulce de leche, made by boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for three hours. There are no words- heavenly! Sam and I picked the chocolate cake recipe from one of my cookbooks; it was a not-quite flourless cake (only 1/4 c) and was just chocolaty and delicious. The fudge style frosting was also delicious.

Damn. Wish I had a slice now.

The Girl Effect

I so want to believe that this is true- that the men would respect the female business owners who brought fresh water to their villages, and that these men would invite these women to the village councils. But somehow I'm completely cynical; I think the misogyny in our world is too profound to overcome.

In my women's studies classes I would puzzle over the various theories that sought to explain centuries of inequality . None of them ever made sense to me. In the make-believe world in my head, men are awed by women's reproductive powers. They honor women and their life-giving bodies, they honor the at-home work of raising children- the citizens of the future!

I want to be wrong. I want the world to be transformed. I do believe that when girls go to school, their lives and the lives of their families can be transformed. But I think that those with the power cling to it too desperately to ever have the chance to see that the more good there is in the world, the more good there is for everyone.

Turn Back the Clock? No

My laptop is unwell- poor thing can't charge because the jack is wiggly. I've known this for a while and managed, but I think we're at the point of no return. I need to get it in for service.

In the meantime, thankfully, I have an older laptop from my Dad. When I turned it on so that Sam could play with a new program, there was a message about the time/date setting. I think the battery on this thing doesn't stay charged, or something. In any case, the date was set as January 1, 2000.

I turned that over in my mind a bit later, and realized, no, I wouldn't turn back time. Wouldn't change a thing. Have there been moments when I wished for a do-over? Oh yes. Of course. All in all though, I think it's been a good journey, and the now is good too. So I wouldn't do it over, and I'm happy to be in 2008 and not back in 2000.

Nine Years

Happy Birthday my sweet boy. It's nine years since I met you, nine years that you've been teaching me. Can't wait to see where else you and I will go on this path of motherhood/son-hood.

My Heart is Full

Yesterday was the last day of school, and I spent a wonderful morning there. The school holds an awards program for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Although I don't have a 5th grader, I had tears in my eyes as the principal said goodbye to them.

It was such a wonderful morning. My heart was full to bursting all day. Yes, I am proud of Sam for his accomplishments and the recognition he got from his teachers. More than that though, I am just full of love for our school, our teachers, and the wonderful, warm community that makes up our school. It was fabulous hearing about the successes the 5th graders had this year--one won a statewide essay contest, another won a statewide music competition, one young person has had straight A's since Kindergarten. I was so proud of them, their families, and their teachers.

After the awards assembly Sam's teacher invited parents back of to the classroom where he handed out class awards and spoke a few heartfelt words about each child. He is such a wonderful man, and it was great hearing him talk about each child and give them a hug. All of the children at our school hope that they will have him for third grade. I believe it is because they know that he genuinely enjoys and respects children. He loves his job, he's enthusiastic about teaching, and he helps his students be enthusiastic about reading. He got choked up when he was talking about Sam, and more than ever I wished that Sam could somehow stay in his class for another year. I know that Sam will be in a new classroom come August, and that there will be more adventures, learning, and love no matter who his teacher is.

In the afternoon I went to Maya's class luau. The kids were adorable, and the boys especially had a great time dancing. My sweet girl is so proud to be moving on to first grade. She's really grown a lot, and learned so very much. Tonight she came to me quietly crying; she was crying for her teacher, she misses her already. She sat on my lap and typed out an email to her.

It's been a fantastic school year. We're going to do a lot of fun stuff this summer, and then we'll be back at school ready for new experiences, challenges, and learning opportunities.