Lessons From the Kitchen

Working with young children has the capacity to teach adults many lessons. By nature, children are kind, inquisitive, present, loving, and above all, they have an inherent trust in the adults around them. Taking a moment to reflect on that trust brings forth the realization that our tasks, as early childhood educators, are nothing short of monumental.

                Think about that. The children around us spend their lives imitating all that we do. They are fascinated with the “adult world” and spend their time role playing, creating scenarios in order to make sense of it all. It asks of us, the “adults” in their worlds, to be conscious of our actions, responsible, respectful, and authentic. Children learn lessons from us during every waking moment, watching carefully as we maneuver through our day-to-day activities, internalizing our gestures, actions, and habits.

Get Up and Go!

I’m going to begin by telling you what I had for breakfast…the real version, not the “what my mother would like to hear” version. A coke, because that’s just standard. Not a coffee drinker. Two Chips Ahoy, string cheese, half a piece of leftover pizza, and a glass of V8 fruit and vegetable juice, primarily because I knew I’d be writing this down. Without a doubt, however, I can say that the days that I start off with some V8 (peach and mango) and/or oatmeal, I hit mid-afternoon in a much better mood. 

The Great Pacificator

September 9, 1850

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) ended with an American victory and some new land for the United States. Alta, California and New Mexico were purchased for $15 million. Additionally, Mexico now officially recognized Texas as a part of the US, having not viewed it as such after the Texas Revolution back in 1836.

US President James Polk had achieved his goal to expand American Territory all the way to the Pacific coast. The political implications pointed directly down the road toward civil war, however, as the Southern slave states and Northern free states could not agree on the status of the territories.