Monitor Media Influences... The half time show with Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers was a refreshing break from what has become the norm for prime time musical performances. Instead of watching gyrating scantily clad women singing risqué lyrics, Bruno Mars and his band actually played instruments, danced, and sang songs that were appropriate for every age group in the room. I also applaud the performers for resisting the urge to use scantily clad women as back up dancers. Bruno Mars did a great job in planning for the viewing audience at home! Every day, I give credit where it is due!

Try to Stay Abreast of Trends in Education, but... This morning on the news, my 15 year old heard that the Texas State Board of Education is likely to get rid of Algebra 2 as a graduation requirement. At first he rejoiced, then he got angry because he is currently taking Algebra 2. "I should have waited!" he yelled. My 13 year old gave a smirk that translated into "Too bad for you, but great for me." Back in July 2012, an article entitled "Is Algebra Necessary?" appeared in the Opinion Pages of the New York Times. It questions the necessity of upper mathematics courses in general. In November 2013, I had a chance to share the article with high school teachers in New Orleans, La. and high school teachers in Houston, TX. The discussions got pretty heated with both groups, but there were more supporters for keeping the courses than getting rid of them. The arguments presented in the article have since gained traction and now in January 2014, we see that the Texas State Board of Education will likely eliminate Algebra 2 as a graduation requirement. Of course, it will still be offered but will be taken by significantly fewer students. I am still trying to decide if this is a good or bad thing for students. What do you think? Everyday I try to make the right decisions for kids. I'm a mom!

Try to Rest, but...

School was canceled in Houston for the second time in as many weeks due to weather, so I went to bed last night with every intention of resting today. However, my husband was determined to disregard the school/business closures and weather warnings and set his alarm for 4am. Needless to say, my plan was squelched. By 8 am, I realized that I would be in the house with my 13 and 15 year old sons all day so I needed a game plan for keeping their stomachs full. I approached the day as if it were a Sunday and baked a rack of ribs, fried a head of cabbage and made mashed potatoes. It is a little after 5 pm and I am just hoping that they've left enough for their father. In the meantime, I did the things I do every day: 1. I prayed that my husband would make it to and from all his destinations without incident or accident, even though he should have had enough sense to stay home. 2. I pressured my oldest son to finish an essay that is due January 31st. He's been working on it FOREVER. He says that he's finished...we'll see. 3. I guess-timated the calories in everything I consumed. 4. I conversed and gossiped about the Grammy's with my mother, sister and sister-in-law on the phone all day. 5. I kept putting them on hold to take calls from my husband who wanted me to fax this, scan that, and email the other. Everyday I take care of my family! I’m a mom.