A Fine Line - All Comments

re: Take the Opportunity to Downsize Your Life

kellyknoke — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:29:53 GMT

agreed! having just moved, I can attest to how much JUNK families accumulate. we went to goodwill no less than 7 times with a car load full of stuff we no longer need - maybe never needed. I'd love for everyone in my life to make donations to animal welfare groups for holiday/birthday gifts, but no one listens to me! change starts at home, right?

re: Open Your Bag, Here's a T-Shirt!

Joe Mangiamele — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:28:36 GMT

I strongly agree. Halloween is a crazy event and has no positive significance in our culturee. Let's put a complete stop to the event.

re: Open Your Bag, Here's a T-Shirt!

LizS — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:47:02 GMT

I had some "drive overs", who were football size, sans costumes, say that they would be back later for my tv. I am not joking. I shut it down right there and will never hand out candy again. What a bummer.

re: No Child Left Without A Party

woodshop — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:41:58 GMT

This tradition is weird for parents too. It happens almost a full week before Halloween. My own kid left half of her costume at school and had to improvise for Trick or Treat. We could happily skip this event or at least,do it on Halloween so we're not burned out on the "holiday" before it even gets here.

re: Open Your Bag, Here's a T-Shirt!

woodshop — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:32:44 GMT

Anyone else tired of handing out 350 jolly rancher pops to "Trick or Treaters" who have driver's licenses? If you don't have a ladder to block your walk, just let the Shorewood Village Board know how you feel and we can do better for our kids and our neighborhood next year. As for Halloween in the schools, yeah, what's up with that? At least come closer to the 31st.

re: Open Your Bag, Here's a T-Shirt!

Jaime — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:47:11 GMT

Foyne,

I could NOT agree more. Our block looked like it was the target of SWAT teams, with cars rolling up, doors flying open and 5-7 kids at a time charging up to houses.

My wife works in home health care and I agree with her assessment that some of those kids are safer here than in their own neighborhoods, where they could be assaulted and there are signs on homes like "Halloween is the work of the DEVIL'! (read: NO CANDY HERE)

However, when 2 lines have formed (entering/leaving) from the sidewalk to my porch, even my one Smartie® per bag approach has exhausted our supply in just 50 minutes and I have seen a grand total of 4 kids I recognize, I have to stop and think.

Even though I still have warm memories of smiling little princesses, Spidermen and frogs, the bags for "she/he is at home" thrust in my face by adults leave me feeling we can do much better than having FREE CANDY TIME on a Sunday afternoon!

re: No Child Let Without A Party

David Tatarowicz — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:30:18 GMT

Halloween was never as big a deal when I was a kid a million years ago --- very minor event at school, certainly no big buildup of anticipation --- most kids had very basic costumes -- if at all -- and this was in a suburb very much like Shorewood -- Oak Park, IL ... in any case, the biggy was going door to door after school -- and yes when it was DARK !!!

It amazes and amuses me to see my contemporaries celebrating Halloween today like it is some major holiday --- probably more adult parties than kids' parties ??? Like with many other things, I think the Boomers couldn't let go of when they were kids .........

Of course if the adults are going to play kids for Halloween -- than they have to really pour it on for the kids so as not to feel guilty for stealing their holiday ....

Oh --- yeah, and that of course means that they expect You and the other Teachers to do most of the work .... the parents are too busy having their own parties .....

re: Retire, Aspire. Sarah Lit the Fire!

Jaime — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:21:06 GMT

Foyne,

Absolutely brilliant!!! If anyone has the attributes of necessary grumpiness, executive & international experience, leadership and grit covered, it's teachers! Plus, giving them something to do after retirement leaves the "younger wannabes" to do the legwork for them!

re: Huh?

Shorewood — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:46:36 GMT

But what did you think about the answers of the two candidates?

re: How To Get That Teaching Job

Jaime — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:32:39 GMT

Foyne,

PRICELESS!!

I'm sending this to a friend who is doing just that right now, applying for a teaching position!

I'm sure she'll enjoy it coming from a 'vet'!!

re: Free To Scream-Kids and the Shower Rod

David Tatarowicz — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:56:33 GMT

Foyne

Obviously your first mistake was Reading the Directions ........ you know a man would never do that :-)

Dave

re: The End of Paycations?

Jaime — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:26:52 GMT

Foyne,

Thanks...I needed a good reality chuckle!

My personal favorite is: “The neighbors are playing ukulele, hula dancing, barbecuing a bloody apple plugged chicken on a spit, pretending they’re in bloody Hawaii.”

I hope your summer is treating you well! :-D

re: Changing Behavior w/o Changing Minds

David Tatarowicz — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:07:20 GMT

Foyne The re-usuable bag campaign has sponsors because they are paying for the bags. The Conservation Committee has a tax paid budget of only $1500, which would not cover the costs. I don't think it is correct to link this project with school needs --- a much better link I think would be the $1,000,000 in taxpayer dollars that are going into plastic grass at the high school. By the Way -------- could they use one of those Smart Boards to keep score at the SHS Field :-) Dave

re: Changing Behavior w/o Changing Minds

Jaime — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:12:46 GMT

Foyne, We always ask for paper bags when available so we can recycle. All our recycling goes into paper. We also use plastic, but only for kitty litter and as outer protection for the paper bags we use for drippy garbage. It's my understanding that #2 plastic will deteriorate over time in landfills.(?) RE: the ads on bags: I guess for 'free' bags, it's okay, but I've never understood paying $$ for anything for the 'privilege' of displaying someone else's name/product around town! BTW, Smartboards rock; it'd be a real boon if a few of them would be around for the middle school!

re: Playdar: Is Your Child On the Screen?

Nancy Peske — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:17:40 GMT

Great piece! I think we forget that kids don't automatically know these skills or learn them from older kids. Too often, they get stuck playing inside because it's just not safe to let smaller children play outside in a public space completely unsupervised, so they're not quite as adept at some of these activities as we were at their age. Backyards and in front of the house are great, but then they don't have access to the monkey bars, foursquare grids, kickball diamonds, etc., so it's good to make sure they have playground time, too.

re: I Hear Sirens

rodney rovang — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:05:22 GMT

As a kid I liked the idea of impending bad weather. Bad weather could do all the things I would have done if I could have gotten away with it, like scare the teacher, get me out of school early, and even leave the school in a big pile of rubble. So maybe the teachers were all choked up about the bad weather but the kids were thinking, hey, we are getting out early and the funny smelling teacher can't hug me and tell me to read over the Summer.

re: Playdar: Is Your Child On the Screen?

rodney rovang — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:52:13 GMT

I don't think Brett Farve should come back. I think he should take his young'uns to the playground in Mississippi and teach them how to swing on a swing and spit tobacco.

re: Uptown, Upscale, Uncommon

rodney rovang — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:45:31 GMT

I went to school in the old days but I missed that creativity you are talking about. In third grade I almost perished from worksheet poisoning. I really feel badly about all the flies I captured just to pull their wings off so I could watch something more interesting than the assemblage of sea hags that were assigned to educate me.

re: Playdar: Is Your Child On the Screen?

David Tatarowicz — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:36:47 GMT

Foyne May I add that once someone has helped their child to learn the art of catching - throwing - bouncing - batting - a ball, or perhaps swinging a tennis racket --- they can further help the social development skills and independence of their kid by having them gather up their glove, ball, tennis racket or whatever the appropriate equipment for the preferred sport, along with perhaps a sports drink, and then locking them out of the house for a least 2 hours a day during the summer, to go to the park and actually engage in such activities with other kids --- and minimal parental interference ...

re: Fireony

Tim Fojtik — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:39:07 GMT

Brilliant.