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Vid Axel
Tuesday, 09 May 2006
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Aliana and I enjoyed story time at the bookstore together today.
At first, though, when we arrived and checked the same part of the store where employees have held this event in the past, no one was there. In addition, a children's reading area with steps on which we had sat for previous story times, which had remained in its same position for as long as I've been familiar with this book store, had been removed.
Aliana told me that she thought there was no story time, and suggested, "Hey, we
could have our own story time," and handed me a Sesame Street/Elmo book. I felt joyful and impressed that she didn't start saying things such as,
"But they have to have story time!" and instead displayed the flexibility to suggest another way of getting her needs met.
It turned out, though, that just as I began reading the Sesame Street/Elmo book to her, an announcement sounded over the loudspeaker. Apparently the bookstore had moved the
location of story time. and
we were invited to join Marina in the cafeteria (she's the one who has done
this the most with us - and she said this would be her last time in a while,
so we might see someone different next time). So we had our story time after
all, and I read to her the Elmo book and several others (including one that Aliana
picked out about Jesus and his disciples) after the official story time was
over.
I was getting progressively more exhausted after we had been there
over an hour, when Aliana kicked off her shoes and started running around the
store. I didn't yell partly because I was so tired! I did talk with her a
few times, though, and after a few times, she started cooperating, we put
her shoes back on, and, at her suggestion, we went for a little walk outside
before boarding the minivan and driving home.
Then it was time for food and a nap.
Postscript: I wrote the first draft of this blog entry as part of an email message that I composed and sent to Cherita on the Tuesday date that's displayed with this entry. I did revise it somewhat later that day and the next morning. The events that I describe above did take place on the date that's displayed with this entry. |
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Tuesday, 14 February 2006
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021406 Tuesday Growth
Happy Valentine's Day!
While shaving, I had a "quick thought" that I want to jot down now for
further consideration.
I'm wondering whether I may choose to use the word "estimate" rather
than the word "prove" in many contexts in which I've used the latter
word historically.
With the word "prove," I'm concerned about leaving the implication in
the air that I'm taking a dogmatic position about something. In other
words, I want to avoid saying, in effect, "This is proven, so I won't
consider any alternatives. It's a closed issue."
For me at least (and I'm not yet consulting any dictionaries for
clarification of this), the word "estimate" doesn't automatically imply
a "wild guess." For me, it suggests measurement and calculation, the
grounding of a conclusion in an empirical foundation, and a logical
process of reasoning - all for the sake of reaching the estimate.
I'm wondering seriously whether I may choose in the future to think and
write in terms of "estimates" in which I have varying degrees of
confidence, rather than "proofs about which I'm certain." With this
approach, I could, for example, write about an estimate in which I had
an extremely high degree of confidence, rather than writing that "this
is proven and I am utterly certain of it."
In considering this very new idea, it seems to me that with this shift,
I wouldn't imply that "nobody can know anything." On the other hand, I
think that I would also avoid suggesting that I was maintaining
anything dogmatically.
At this point, though, this is just a kind of "thinking out loud," and
my daughter just expressed that she really wants to eat now. Since I
do, too, I will delay further writing for now. :-)
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Saturday, 14 January 2006
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CCCG at CCUU Correction: Requested Book
Table of
Contents
Deep Involvement
"The Book"
Additional, Introductory Information
Deep
Involvement
In yesterday's
What's New entry, I wrote that lately, I've been deeply involved in
something. I also indicated that since I've been involved in it, I've felt
moved, inspired, enlightened and encouraged.
This is so major that I will be revising various things that appear at this
web site, including my Credo.
I plan to write more about this soon, and to post my thoughts here. For now,
I will provide some links and information to some relevant information.
(Please click here to return to the
Table of
Contents)
"The Book"
That which I've discovered and in which I'm involved is a communication
process which is presented in the book, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of
Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D. Information about the
book is available here.
On that page, in PDF format, you can download and read major excerpts from
the book. By this means, you could even start reading it while waiting for an
ordered copy to arrive. You can also order it at that site directly from
Marshall Rosenberg's publisher. I've ordered from this source before and was
quite happy with the process.
(Please click here to return to the
Table of
Contents)
If you're buying just one copy, though, it is cheaper to buy it from Amazon,
and the link for that source is here.
Additional, Introductory Information
Nonviolent
Communication is often referred to with the initials "NVC."
It's also often interchangeably referred to as "Compassionate Communication" or
"Speaking Peace."
(Please click here to return to the
Table of
Contents)
The nonprofit organization, the Center for
Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), offers much information about the process
that Marshall Rosenberg advocates. This page from that site provides
concise answers to the questions of what NVC
is and what NVC
skills are.
(Please click here to return to the
Table of
Contents)
Bob Sandidge and Anne Ward are the dynamic duo who presented a Speaking
Peace series which I attended with my father at Countryside
Church Unitarian Universalist (CCUU). That series included six, two and
a half hour sessions and explored the NVC
process. Bob and Anne are members of the Unitarian Universalist church in Elgin,
and although they offer this sort of training professionally for a fee, they
offered it to us in Palatine for no charge. (And I am truly, ever grateful that
they did.) You can view their photograph here.
Recently, Bob and Anne gave a sermon at the UU church in Elgin,
which, because I was involved elsewhere, I could not attend.
(Please click here to return to the
Table of
Contents)
Nevertheless, separately from their live delivery of it, they created, in the
studio, an audio recording of the sermon. This recording is available here - just go to this page and click the words
"Speaking Peace" to get to it. (I think it's about 20 minutes long.)
The sermon provides a whirlwind of an introduction to NVC. |
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Monday, 02 January 2006
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30 July 2005
Recently, my wife Cherita announced to me that she was launching a new,
physique transformation program for herself.
Those of you who have visited our various web sites over the years will know
that at various times, we've engaged in fitness and physique transformation
efforts.
Not only have I enjoyed spending time with Cherita while she talks with
eagerness and excitement about this. I've also taken inspiration from her.
With all the changes that have taken place in our lives this year, about
which we've written quite a bit in our Year 2006 newsletter (which we will post
soon), keeping on track with my fitness has been a challenge. I've maintained my
nutritional habits throughout the year, and early in the year, lacking access to
some of our fitness equipment, I improvised using a stability ball and
calisthenics in order to exercise nearly every day.
Then, one day, our new cat managed to burst that ball, and not only did I
feel discouraged because I need exercise... I went one step further and stopped
doing daily workouts.
The result has been that I've lost noticeable muscle mass this year. My body
fat is still low, so I'm still lean. But I've lost muscle size and strength.
I'd been "planning" to re-integrate exercise into my daily routine, and even
did some working out for a string of days several weeks ago, but then, in
preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner, I stopped again.
Now, though, with Cherita's inspiration, which happens to coincide with the
arrival of the new year (but which, as she explains, doesn't take the form of a
New Year's resolution), I've decided to engage in some physique transformation
myself.
Yesterday, we took our "before" pictures. Today, we rose earlier than we had
been recently and did our workouts. After I shaved and showered, I also
meditated.
Every time that I've resumed exercise like this I've felt amazed by how much
it "centers" me. My whole day seems to go more cleanly, smoothly and lightly.
I'm glad to be doing this again.
Day 1... a twelve week transformation takes 82 days. It has
begun.
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Sunday, 11 September 2005
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Enter Page Title Here
Aliana and I continue to focus on the letter "T." She initially brought
her interest in this letter to my attention when she noticed the letter on a box
of Wheaties cereal. She even noticed that the same letter appears on the Teen
Titans TV show. We've several times repeated that the letter "T" makes a "tuh"
sound. Plus, her interest in the letter "T" is already leading her to look more
closely at - and ask more questions about - other letters and numbers that she
encounters in her environment.
I'm right now simply going with the flow and following the lead of her
interest, letting her direct the process, and as these situations arise, sharing
my enthusiasm for the subject matter. I have run across an idea or two
regarding how to teach a child how to read, and I think she may be
ready to learn some very basic reading.
I'm also paying close attention to things that appeal to her and in which
she wants to involve me.
For example, as of Monday, September 12, I thought she was picking up on
something that I had said in passing to Dad in the minivan the day before, when
Cherita was shopping.
During that time, Aliana started mixing characters from children's shows
that she watches on television, in stories that Aliana was spontaneously
creating, starting with the words, "Once upon a timeÃââ‚â?œ" For example, she
incorporated characters from Dragon Tales, Blue's Clues, and Dora the Explorer.
In addition, though, she wanted me to be involved in adding aspects to these
stories, or in telling some of my own. Sometimes, she would name what characters
she wanted me to include, but I had to admit that I didn't know much about them.
At one point, I said something like, "I need to watch more of Aliana's
children's shows with her so that I can be more familiar with them and better
incorporate them into the stories she and I make together." I seem to remember
her since saying something to the effect that I need to watch her shows with her
more often.
It's quite amazing both to watch her begin to learn the connection
between letters and sounds, and to start creating her own stories with
beginnings, middles and ends.
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