Klowns in my Koffee

Daily Kup (My Life Swilling Nyquil)
Rasping coughs fill the air. Loud, sticky SNIFFs are interspersed with the mom voice: "Get a tissue!"

Yes, Princess Potatohead and Attila the Son stayed home from school today. I tried to rouse Attila early this morning to assess his condition. Since I couldn't get his little head to pop out from the sheets on the top bunk, I plunged a hand in and found a feverish melon-y head. Back to sleep, little boy, while I call the school.

Three hours later, when he woke to consciousness, he was very annoyed that he would be missing an event where they watch a movie and eat pancakes.

I'm very grateful for many of the things that the school does, but I stand by cluelessly at some of the activities. Multiplication tables are passé but pancakes are in.

I remember in Kazakhstan that kids went to school for an additional half-day on Saturday. The whole country has a ten year plan to turn their newly found oil wealth into modernization, industrial diversification, and benefits for all the citizens. They saw the Middle Eastern countries become dependent on supplying oil and developing few other industries while growing the gap between the few on top and the multitudes on the bottom. In Kazakhstan, they felt part of the solution was universal and rigorous education. I'm not sure that the answer is school uniforms and not pancakes, but that may be food for thought. Literally.