Things I’m Loving Lately #28 (#LinkUp)
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Good morning!
This post was supposed to go out yesterday. BUT, my life has been a bit scattered this week. For good reason.
This kid has been on Spring Break and I’ve been soaking up every free minute with him. (When he’s not catching up on his beauty sleep).
Typically, I will blog during the many, many hours he’s studying. But, since he’s been a free bird this week, blogging has taken a backseat. Though it’s only been a semester and a half, I’ve quickly recognized that I need to take advantage of any free moment I can with my husband. Because “free moments” become uncommon as we dive further and further into this medical school journey.
So, here I am. Posting a day late. And I will (hopefully) be back to a normal posting schedule next week!
Anyway, if you’re new around here, I write a post – each Thursday – where I include a round-up of things I’ve been loving lately. The extra quality time I’ve been getting with Ankur is what I’ve been loving most this week. But, below, you’ll find a few other things that have been making me smile! As always, play along in the comments and share one thing you’re loving this week. Or, if you’ve got your own Things I’m Loving post, drop your link in the link-up below! 🙂
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– Golden Curry
Do you know how certain scents or tastes will bring you back to a specific time in your life? That’s what this dish does for me. We had it for dinner last night and, each and every time I make it, it reminds me of the two years – immediately after college – when I lived with Gina in West LA. It was one of her favorite meals to make (and my favorite meal to eat!). It’s the dish that was responsible for me getting over my aversion to onions. (And, now, I can eat them cooked, pickled, raw. Any which way). And it just makes me feel all sorts of sentimental and nostalgic for that time in my life. Who knew a simple dinner could do that to your emotions?!
– Bananagrams with a Medical Student
Okay, I realize my obsession with Bananagrams is becoming a little unhealthy. But I think the enthusiasm might die down when Ankur goes back to school next week. We’ve had the tiles out on our coffee table for the past week and have been playing every single night. I really like playing against him. Because he tries to create fancy medical terminology with his tiles. And I’m across from him making words like “cat,” “bat,” “is,” and “fart.” And because it’s more important that you be speedy than be smart, I end up winning most games. I love winning.
– The Supreme Court ruling: Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District
This may, in fact, be more exciting than playing Bananagrams with Ankur all week long. (Sorry husband). Let me break it down.
Under the 1975 IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), school districts have been required to provide a “free and appropriate public education” for students with disabilities. Obviously, the word “appropriate” has remained unclear. The “appropriate” part has left things ambiguous and gray and made it easy for school districts to argue that they were doing the right things for kids.
Well, one kid, Endrew F. (diagnosed with autism and ADD), was put on an IEP by Colorado’s Douglas County School District. His parents argued that he wasn’t making adequate progress. The teachers, administrators, and school district did nothing about it. Endrew’s parents pulled him out of the school and placed him in a private school. He then proceeded to do better there. So the parents turned around and sued the district for the cost of the private school tuition.
That’s fair.
But then the lower courts sided with the school district. They argued that programs with MINIMAL benefits can satisfy the law. It can satisfy the “appropriate” part of the phrase, “free and appropriate education.”
That means that schools have been able to get away with setting low expectations for their students with disabilities.
But, NOW, in an 8-0 ruling, The Supreme Court unanimously rejected that reasoning. They claim that a child’s “educational program must be appropriately ambitious in light of his circumstances” and that “every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives” even if the child is not fully integrated into general education classrooms.
Sure, there is still so much to be done. Sometimes, meeting high expectations for students means having enough funding and enough resources to support them. Still, I can’t help but celebrate some good news this year.
Questions of the Day:
- What is one dish or smell that brings you back to a specific memory?
- Do you prefer a game like Scrabble (slow and steady) or Bananagrams (quick and speedy!)?
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I love quick and speedy games but I rarely have time to play them! Slow cooked vegetables of almost any kind brings back memories of my childhood. I grew up in the South and we love our vegetables! Nice post!
Beth || http://www.TheStyleBouquet.com
The blog posting on the planned date has been a challenge for me too. Even I do enjoy playing games with my daughter. Time is definitely a constraint.
Nisha
http://learn2livefully.com/
I am so glad they won that case! I had not heard about it, but gosh! The fact that they wanted to say that the minimal education was just fine and dandy is so frustrating.
Okay… so this isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned Bananagrams, I think you posted about it on my FB or blog. You may need to seek counseling 🙂
I agree! Food can make for some serious nostalgia! It reminds me of the book “like water for chocolate ” 😊
First of all, I lovelovelove that you took the time to be with your “free bird”–that is everything! And second of all, the banangrams! Ohmygoodness, LOVE!
I know that smells can take you back to some specific times in the past, I know I have experienced it, but I cannot now remember what are the smells! :O Oh well. 🙂 I’ve never played bananagrams but it sounds more fun than scrabble. 🙂
Madara
http://lookforsmile.com
My mom’s homemade chicken wings always bring back great memories because that was what we would always choose to have for dinner on our birthdays when we were kids. I don’t live in the States so I didn’t know about that Supreme Court Ruling, glad to hear things are moving in the right direction!
Love banana grams! Need to add this game to my Friday night game rotation with my husband. Thanks for the idea!
I have heard so many good things about Bananagrams! I must give it a try.
Yes, soak up all the time with him you can! I don’t blame you for that at all! And I love Bananagrams, we take them with us on vacation because they’re easy to pack and so much fun to play!
MMM that curry looks amazing!!! And bananagrams are so fun… I have only played once, but I definitely need to invest in the game. They come in that little banana holder, right? hahaha. I think I prefer faster games because my attention span is awful these days ha (:
Food tends to have that effect on me, too. I love when I smell something and it brings me back to a distant (or maybe not-too-distant) memory and it’s as if it’s right there, in my grasp 🙂 I’ll have to try this sauce. Sounds magical.
Also, bananagrams! I’d love to play 🙂 Sounds like fun. Also glad you guys are enjoying some much-needed quality time while your hubs is in the medical school chaos. That’s important! The blog can wait 🙂 Enjoy your weekend (and getaway!). XOXO
I love Scrabble any day. My favorite relish is a mango-tamarind chutney that my grandmother makes. You truly can have it with anything, from parathas to sandwiches!
I used to play Scrabble so much in college! I also had Bananagrams but always gravitated towards Scrabble, so I guess I like slow-paced games lol.
http://www.insearchofsheila.com
Banagrams looks like a fun game. Glad to see some progress taking place in the continuous effort to make sure that students with disabilities are able to access meaningful educational opportunities.
Thanks for explaining the court case. I’m glad the Supreme Court seems to agree that more care should be done for kids that need extra help. Minimal should not be in the vocabulary.
Yay for getting time with your husband this week. You know, I’ve never played Bananagrams but it looks really fun!
-Lauren
Bananagrams..?? I must check this out…. 🙂 I’m so glad to hear about the court ruling, I had no idea. That’s sad that the parents had to go to that length to get their child’s needs met. My new obsession the last few months is essential oils….have you tried any?? Have a great weekend!
I am a leisurely Scrabble player, but now I’m really curious about Bananagrams. It sounds like fun, too! I do really like word games.
It really is so much fun! I think I enjoy it because it’s quick and easy but has all the fundamental components of Scrabble that I love! 🙂
girl. don’t even get me started on the public school system…
i’ve never made curry at home, but we love to go out and eat curry at this restaurant in town. my husband is one eater thats like “if you ruin this for me, i all never forgive you” so i just don’t make it!
anytime a filipino person cooks, its like that scene in Ratatouille where all the memories come rushing back in that one bite lol
I love bananagrams! Fun and educational. The kids have been so into games lately so I keep finding new (and old vintage) ones. So fun!
Which ones have you been playing? I’m always in the market for new board games!
Oh I didnt know about that ruling. Im going to check more about that out!
My in laws literally play Bananagrams at every single family function! Love it!
I love soaking up time with my man! We are always so busy during the week, so we love spending lots of quality time during the weekends, even if that means napping next to one another on the sofa! lol
I love Scrabble! Haven’t heard of Bananagrams, but it looks pretty similar, right?
Happy Friday xxx
It’s definitely similar to Scrabble. Only you build your own board, you don’t add up points, and it’s a race to the end!
I love bananagrams! My mother-in-law brought it on a trip to Costa Rica and we had so much fun with it!
Sarah | http://www.sugarmaplenotes.com
Yes! It’s a fun game and also so easy to pack in your travel bag!
I love scrabble, all the way! As for foods and memories, I think most of my memories are tied to foods. Buckwheat pancakes, sauce cooking all day, so many cookies that my Great Grandma or Grandma or Mom made. Sometimes when I miss those I have lost I cook the things they cooked so I can share that piece of them with my children.
I love games at home. We play backgammon or chess once a week. No phones, tablets, TV’s or laptops. Just time for us to hang out, cook, sleep and have fun. Every couple regardless of what is going on in their lives should spend time together enjoying each other.
I hadn’t heard about that case. How interesting!
I like to play all sorts of games. I do enjoy Scrabble. I haven’t played in ages.
Spring break and time for your family is so much more important! good for you for enjoying it! I’m not a big game person but I do love Apples to Apples sometimes.
I like both kinds of games. For board games I prefer them to last a while, for things like card games I prefer them to move more quickly.
It’s hard to choose between the two games I like them both for different reasons. But the main thing I like about both games is I get to the sharpen my vocabulary skills
Curry takes me way back to my childhood. Homemade bread too. Now as an adult I make it when Im homesick. I have never heard of banangrams before though. Will have to look it up!
I have heard of this court decision which is important to me as my daughter has autism. With that, I can only remember a scented candle that smelled of candy. It made me go to my local store and buy it.
I love your blog! I’m a teacher too! I would have to say the smell of bread being made reminds me of my mom and her obsession with her breadmaker. It’s always so good though! Anytime I smell cookies, it reminds me of my grandma’s house. If I had to choose between scrabble and banana grams…. I would go for the banana grams. I like that it’s speedy! LOVE your blog!
I’m so glad you have been able to enjoy your time with Ankur! And that Bananagrams looks like so much fun!
Bananagrams is such a fun game! We don’t play it as often as we like, but it’s a top pick on family game nights!
Yay for spring break! With as busy as his schedule must be, you have to spend time with him when he is free! Can you believe I’ve never played Bananagrams? I love word games, so I’m thinking I need to make a purchase. 😀
I’m so glad you got to send some time with your husband. My hubby works and travel a lot so I know how important can be that time we spend with them.
I love Scrabble but I’ve never played (or heard of till date) Banagrams. Something I need to look into! The court ruling is great…such a major achievement and huge implications for the future!
This is a great list. I had never heard of bananagrams before!
That’s very cool about the Supreme Court ruling. I used to teach and I didn’t know about that one. I do know people who work with kids with special needs in the school district. It can be challenging there from what I have been told. Hope districts can get their act together and figure out better ways to integrate kids. It’s also good that the ruling was 8-0 as this means that support for this ruling will be easier to come by.
I love all this!! I especially love that you included The Supreme Court ruling: Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. My kid is one of those high functioning ASD kids and there is not enough attention to these issues theses days. Thank you for the post!!
I hear you on taking advantage of the free time you do have with your husband in medical school. Sometimes it does mean placing your own priorities on the back burner, but it’s definitely worth it for your relationship. I’m glad that he got to rest this week!
Good news on the SC ruling, for sure! I’ve only played Bananagrams once — introduced by my brother in law. It was fun! I like both Bananagrams AND Scrabble — depends on the mood, I guess 😉
Curry, Bananagrams, and a lawsuit? That sounds like an awesome week! We personally love both scrabble and Bananagrams in our house…..just depends on the mood! Yay for a progressive ruling by the Supreme Court!
Thats great that you soak up all the time you get with him and are very supportive throughout the process. It will pay off eventually 🙂
I prefer Scrabble. I feel it gives me more time to plan my strategy. I miss playing it though. We rarely have time to do stuff we enjoy. The one dish that reminds me of the good times when I was a little girl was my grandmother’s apple pie. I have not had anything that tastes the same as she makes it.
It makes me ill how poorly kids with disabilities are treated. I’m glad you are lobbying for change.
That victorious court ruling is amazing and it’s great, but kids with special needs and the lengths/fight their parents have to go … it’s sad. 🙁
Your hubby looks snug as a bug in a rug snoozing away there. It’s kind of adorable. 🙂
I hope you’re having a great weekend hun. xo
That golden curry sauce sounds delicious..would definitely check this out
It’s always nice to take a break and enjoy precious moments away from technology doing real things. I am biased towards scrabble though
Happy Sunday DivyAnkur!!!
Ankur looks so adorable in his cozy couch nap pose.
Glad you both could bond and do things together this past week.
May God Bless you both with lots of happiness, health, and prosperity.
Amen.
PS Yes. Banangram fun family game.
Another fun family game………..Spanish Dominoes.
Yayyyyyy to the court ruling.
I love Bananagrams! It’s super fun! Hope you’re having wonderful time with your hubby!
I live Bananagrams too! Such a great game for the mind 🙂
I am so glad they won the case. My 4yo has autism, he is very high functioning but some how I don’t feel he is getting a good education where he is right now. I am definitely looking around and researching for schools that might be better for him.
Extra quality time with loved ones is important and is so much fun! They make the best memories. ❤️
Gennifer Rose | http://www.GenniferRose.com
I love scrabble but I’m intrigued by banagrams … I think I’m going to have to give them a go!
I’m going to do more research on that Supreme Court case! I think all students should have an education that helps them succeed, no matter what their abilities or disabilities are. Schools should help them reach their full potential and shouldn’t be satisfied until that happens!