WANDERER

Will it offer flexible time or can you work half-time in it? Higher salary jobs tend to overlap more into personal time and to get that family friendly edge (time off for special school events, sick kids etc) flexible time is a great thing to have. When doing your sums on financial aspects: work out when you start to make money and how long that will take in terms of debt payment...this is your break even threshold that you have to commit to. Store night packing does seem to be the job of choice for many students who need the extra money. Working for a good income does help. While work does take up a significant proportion of your life and may be a long career (twenty years etc)...it's not your 'real' life. Low income=...no money to spend on the things that you are passionate about outside of work....this can be dull.

I believe in the power of God. Faith in that I have.

So how does that affect people who cannot read english?

One LDS blog introduced me to the term "theological porn" and I'm still trying to scrub the term out of my head. If only you could vomit up some ideas and feel better afterwards. Dealing with it is today's issue.

Having been taught that the KJV is the inspired word of God and all else is not (fundamentalist charismatic sect) I find the discussion interesting. Even to use a concordance or Greek translations was to understand the KJV inspired version better....not to consider original translations better. The 'change not one single word' was generally conveyed to have meant the KJV version. Even many light years away from those perceptions I've still laboured under the belief that the KJV was 'more authoritative'. Eeek to all of the above. Especially when the intention of publishing the KJ version (or at least one of them) was to make the Bible accessible in the common language of the time. That is worth restoring.

It's an interesting topic...I'm now reading about the whole KJV movement to put the Bible into common (vulgar) language accessible to all...it was considered a very disrespectful thing to do at the time by some and they were persecuted for it. How bizarre and ironic that it has become the very thing they tried to change. Um..some interesting discussions on the bloggernacle about this.

I guess if you have to make a public prayer at any stage you can write it down and get a member to transcribe it into King James english for you...to avoid getting it wrong. Almost everyone says the Lords Prayer in King James English...if that's any comfort. I'd kind of find it cheesey to pray in private like that...sort of like being in an oatmeal commercial. But that's probably cultural conditioning. Considering the Book of Mormon is written in KJV and the people of Joseph Smiths' time didn't speak in KJV I guess you would have to wonder why God would do that? Just as easy to use the english of the time. Therefore it might logically follow that it might be a required language for sacred texts...prayers, hyms.... I'm not sure...just thinking out loud...about why it might be as it is.

Apparently the carbon trading emissions scheme from Rudd is starting to get a response as everyone realises who will be paying for it...something about adding $200 a year to family electricity bills and so on. It's never going to float.

Cheer up. The only thing RMs probably get asked is when are they going to get married and have a family. At least it spares you that question for a while.

Respecting differences in opinion or belief or practice is the ability to disagree without being disagreeable. Esteeming others merely for their agreement with us in religion, opinion, and manner of living is only a less offensive kind of self-adoration.

I'm not a fan of Al Gore...however I'd like to think that kids will still be able to catch tadpoles in creeks for many years to come. I have no doubt someone will think we need to be taxed to pay for hybrid cars and green electricity....they will try anyway....however I don't think there will be a tremendous amount of support for increased taxes ; ). As for green electricity and carbon offsetting I think it will have to be competitive enough in the market place...in a stressed economy some things will always come second before the family food budget. Doing things better means doing things better. Environmentally good and cheap! Otherwise it's being sustained by an environmental cost (money comes from using resources doh!). I can see the point in having a nice environment. You don't have to be a global warming advocate or an Al Gore fan in order to support that. Reduced carbon is worth doing I would think. The debate is about *how* not whether we should do it...is that correct?I don't care who gets the nobel peace prize...the value is in what they did not the gong.

Ummm, I guess it's a nonissue here...it's school...school just happens to start with the first grade being prep for four year olds...report cards, parent interviews, uniforms, curriculum and all the other aspects of school are there. There are private school options available for those who wish to send them to a catholic/anglican/whatever or just private with no affiliation. The Christian schools do faith based curriculums as PC said (my sister showed me the themes she did: stuff like 'God loves you' might be the theme and all the learning activities would center around the key concept thingy....whereas state schools might call their unit of work theme: the ocean). The government schools have religion class once a week (parental permission obtained, you can choose not to attend). The kids do Bible stories and songs for a half hour...they love having religion class... and it was quite funny because we were talking about space the other day and they all told me God made the universe. I wasn't expecting that...30 excited little voices had all forgotten the hands up rule and were all shouting out the answer as loudly as they could, "God made the Earth and the Sun and the planets". They did a complete inventory for me before they would settle and we went on with learning about the planets and the new solar system LOL. I have to model a safe and supportive environment where children feel free to express their beliefs and values and so on (with respect towards others). I try. We also have a school chaplain..so I guess community values show.

I was anti-prep...why would you bring 4 year olds to elementary school as a new grade...? They're too young. They need their Mums. We're not a replacement for parenting etc etc. Mums can teach them things we can't...they need one on one and smaller numbers per adult. Let them have another year at home. They need to play. Kids don't need an extra year of schooling. We are not cheap babysitting. Parents are overloading schools with their responsibilities. And so on. Up until now it has been a choice...children did half day programs and some only a couple of days a week. Preschool was part of the elementary school...just very separate...same block of land...some interaction...but not normally. A different world. Preschool teachers only taught preschool and did specialised degrees. Setup: free and compulsory...a new grade in elementary school....5 days a week...normal school hours. Disaster! So I thought. Pre-school teachers in grade one...grade one teachers in preschool and theoretically any teacher could be asked to teach the four year olds. Oh my stars!!!! I have changed my opinion on that one. It works superbly. I do playground duty there and it's been so much fun watching them change and learn and develop...the first three months I wasn't sold on the idea...6 months on it is just bizarre how fast they have developed and are thriving. I have no desire to teach there...I still see it as an intensely specialised job within teaching that requires a degree in early childhood education and tonnes of experience. The four year olds love it...they're happy...they're coping very well with the whole school thingy. Parents are happy. It was a good decision after all. It didn't result in systemic failure. I am so surprised. On the home front: yes, traditionally it has been done by parents up until now. Top third drive their parents onto discussions and activities and generate their own learning experiences and seem to thrive regardless of environment. They learn by investigating and *osmosis*. They will even make the worst teachers look positively brilliant. Middles benefit from input. They'll pick up on most things visually and orally...with help. Lows ...well...they've seen scissors...they just can't work out which hand to hold it in...little snips for control...which side cuts....that their hands won't fit into the small hole/big hole if they're holding it wrong..they may not have the hand strength....they need a lot of chatter about things and hands-on activities. They're not going to pick up on things without explicit help and intervention. I don't blame parents for a lack of scissor cutting skills unless there's obvious parental neglect and they have no lunches etc...there's something else happening in most cases and they needed occupational therapy perhaps...which they will get...but may have needed earlier. I don't think there's a problem with staying at home. We coped without having prep. I feel sad that parents are missing out...we get so much joy from them. There's no doubt that prep is fun for children...but will we see an emotional impact later...resillience, self-concept...and so on? What impact will it have on family dynamics? What about those important parenting aspects that school can't replicate? I can see pros and cons. On drilling your child into numbers and reading: research shows that many plateau at seven...despite gifted intervention programs and rich learning tasks and enormous teacher direction and input for individualised programs . It seems that rote learning loses effect and benefit over time as task complexity increases ..a splinter learning effect. It's not burn-out/or lack of continued support after entering school from the homefront (we have our own myths on this one)... or boredom (unhappy children produce unhappy teachers...try boring your own children and see how long you can stand it...it's very instructional...how high is your pain threshold? If you have to bore them (strengths and weaknesses exist)...you'd better trade nicely for their cooperation by finding something very high incentive in terms of learning. I get it wrong every now and then...and it's a dimension of suffering I prefer to avoid). That's not to say that hurricane classrooms don't exist or even hurricane schools. Rote can be beneficial for initial or superficial learning ...reading comprehension and understanding actually has a lot to do with oral and social comprehension. It's not wrong to teach kids the alphabet and reading...it's not wrong not to. All things in balance.

Heavy metal has been connected to the activity level of termites (if you have them) in your house. However, music is an inanimate object...it doesn't make decisions...anymore than books, movies or a breadmaker controls their users. A pity...the breadmaker was supposed to start of my home-made bread phase. I have a feeling that it would if you were passionate about bread. Music can only bring out the depths of emotion that you already possess...if you choose to express it or feel it. It doesn't possess intelligence.

Some things people choose to be provoked by: apostasy, apostate, restoration to the fallen, a Prophet who wanted to be President, witnessing to other Christians, a Mormon heaven (celestial is reserved)...or whatever it is that is not trust-promoting...because it is not trusting of others. It is a mirror effect. Sorry...but I feel I should be sincere and honest.

I was talking to the learning support teacher the other day and she mentioned that preschool (prep: 4 year olds) and Grade One (turning 5) was the best time to target them with repetitive activities because the kids still find them fun. Secondly you can tell the difference immediately between children who have had prep (or kindy 2 and 3 year olds) and who haven't. Things that are scarey: kids who hold books upside down, don't turn pages properly, don't pretend to read or write (you shouldn't see a circular scribble...it should look kind of like reading and they should realise that gaps are there for a purpose). The best will actually do a kind of scrawl from left to right and I've even seen kids model paragraphs and letter structures..all without being able to write the alphabet..they have the layout. It will look like printing (strokes) or cursive (circular horizontal scrawl). They may model lists. They will know many symbols: stars, hearts, circles, squares and dollar signs. They will pretend to read packaging and know where the word for what it is on it. They will use scissors and be able to hold crayons. Basically...they're bright little buttons already. Some have missed out hugely however. Even the most aware parents who don't send their kids to prep...you can still see the difference. Sometimes they need an extra year in prep because of this and they have to repeat...some kids are just too young and need to start a year later than their peers...I'd still suggest that they get it though. I actually can see the difference 4 years later!!!!!!!!!! Who it isn't beneficial for: the kiddies with recurrent hearing infections and grommets: they don't need exposure to the flu. Hearing deficiencies can be seen 4 years later too. Thirdly...it is so valued here that it is now part of elementary school (as of this year)...they all start in preschool. And the bonus: they are all going to be tested for hearing and eyesight...this makes me SO HAPPY. As kids who aren't picked up for those can go a couple of years through the education system before it is picked up... (in a worst case scenario: the size of the print is large until then and it starts to become problematic in year 3 and they can't verbalise it because they don't understand...). I guess you could home school prep and kindy...more power to you if you do...I know how long it takes me to plan work for the kids...plus the social skills and interaction with other home schooling mums and field trips and stuff...or you can ignore it. Lost...totally lost...straight from day one...when they try to write with the wrong end of a crayon, hold a book upside down and rip pages as they turn them and colour in pictures upside down. Yes, it happens. LOL at academic stress....5 hours of playdough, drawing, cut and paste, blocks, jigsaw puzzles, dress-up,cooking, singing, story time...stress is the teacher who keeps their portfolio of what they can do and work samples and tries to program games and activities to teach them new skills and positional language (it's the most covert teaching example...you wouldn't know the work that goes into it from looking as everyone looks like they are having fun and playing...which they are).

What he says makes sense to me. Perhaps it is not quite clear what he believes in terms of how that information was restored...yes revelation...but the actual recorded account? It also avoids the issue of it being historically true.

What happened with the Murray is that we now have salt plains...the water table is stuffed...land that cannot grow anything and is poisonous and is difficult to reclaim and fix. Drought, industry and a high degree of agriculture. Notice I didn't add global warming to that list...it's just that river...and it's a result of bad practice.

Gossip has another label *venting*. Sometimes people ask you to be a sounding board rather than taking their frustrations out on another person that they don't comprehend or understand or when they have information that they are finding it difficult to deal with. There's a two step process: Listen. Paraphrase to show that you understand and acknowledge their feelings etc. Relate to your own experiences and situations without name dropping if they need empathy. Change the topic and try to distract them from their problems if they are looping on them because they feel there is no solution. Suggest they sleep on it. Tomorrow is another day. They may not have the social skills they need for that particular situation. What not to do: join in with trashing the other person (this is just going to make their problem look bigger or exaggerate things). Tell them you don't want to listen and that they are horrible people which has the same effect. Moralise about how gossip is bad. Where is your patience and charity to that person? Forget. Yes you can...it's not useful information. It's only going to hurt your relationships with other people. The gossiper's experiences and perceptions have nothing to do with your relationship with the person being gossiped about and nor should they. WHo is living your life? Make your own decisions and choices. What not to do: pass on the information or try to confirm it with others. Tell the person who is being gossiped about. Third hand, fourth hand information...it's like chinese whispers. You do not need to vent...it's not your problem...avoid over-empathasising. Gossip is clouded information...it's clouded by the perceptions and experiences of that person and how well they are coping on that particular day. Don't be influenced by it. As they clarify things and understand things differently the story they tell will change or decrease or increase in importance. It's a variable. Note: there's usually someone who is a known gossip who overloads people with other information...sometimes they do it just because they believe if it said often enough other people will believe it : i.e. X is a bad person. This is the personal vendetta thingy personality trait. They actually stop telling you things when they realise you are not someone who will pass the information on...no purpose. They do target people who are trustworthy and believable, particularly if they repeat information 'aka the reliable witness'. *sigh*This is because their other sources no longer believe them or listen to them. If you are overloaded by interacting with this person then stop talking to them: yes you can. Do it subtly. They will twig that you stop talking to them whenever they bring up certain conversations. You are in control of what you listen to. Type 2 is the person who has no other conversation and uses information about others as friendship currency...they can be great social organisers. Change the topic...usually difficult to do. Ignore. They're generally nice people who have no idea that others would rather hide behind furniture than talk to them. You could show patience...the rewards of being the one person who is patient with them... are huge. Or use the above conditioning technique. Gossip does not include the information that people need to know: a friend is in hospital etc and is helpful to that person if you do know what's happening...and in most cases you can repeat it back to them (you have permission to know the information..in some cases you won't and you'll need discernment as to whether to take it on board or not)

I'm not a rampant greenie, but I think wise stewardship is commonsense. If it's practical and useful to do things that are going to make the environment in which you live a nice place then why not? I don't think we need to live in a world without technological advances in order to do that...but I'm bothered by the idea of doing whatever you like. Extremist millitant greenies also bother me and I've heard enough about Al Gore for one lifetime...but anti-evironment is just not productive...I'm pro having a nice spot in the world to live. After what's happened to the Murray River in our foodbowl agricultural area I just don't think anti-environment is sound reasoning. Eating is good. Why would anyone have a problem with that?

I also shop at Aldis.

Perhaps what they really need is to help you. Can you approach the mum over a cup of coffee and talk about the mess of things you've made and ask her what to do? I don't think they quite view their children as 'adults'and this is creating all sorts of friction. You can either embrace the positives of the situation or struggle with the negatives. The positives are that your in-laws may be good support (even if via your hubby and daughter) when things are not so good; the negatives are they are going to bristle like porcupines whenever they feel their self-esteem is under threat.

Not just drums and percussion: we're talking mainly pianos,organs or keyboards ...no brass. And not usually the piano and keyboard together (using the official online LDS site for reference).

I just can't imagine someone announcing an engagement or wedding in church to silence. It seems to be a conditional response that you just don't think about and would have to be mindful of not doing I guess.

Elphie ...well said. I couldn't agree more.