Jo Ann - Beautiful art work!
Shape - Oh my! Who would've guessed you could get a miniature chandelier at Auto Zone! That is the craziest thing I've heard of as of recently! Too funny! Lucky for you, though! Looks great in the conservatory!
I have to agree with you about children losing their childhood. It's true. I work with Pre-K students and what they are expected to learn now-a-days is what I learned in K and 1st grade. We have to test them several times a year to see if they are making gains. As they get older, it's more and more tests. The joy seems to have gone out of education. It has been replaced with stress to pass tests. Forget planned and spontaneous learning! Sadly, Teachable Moments may be a thing of the past. Behavior problems with students seems to be on the rise. And you are right about the lack of respect from children. That issue does not apply to every student, but far more than when I was growing up. School teachers and staff are over-worked and underpaid. Mark my words ... there is going to be a teacher shortage in the near future. Fewer and fewer college bound students want to take out loans to major in education. It will take them forever to pay back those loans on the low wage that teachers make. Things have changed so drastically. It is such a shame to have so much stress in a young child's life. But education is just the tip of the iceberg for what is wrong with the world today. I am forever hopeful that the future is indeed bright for children and adults alike.
