College for Kids 2014

If you do even the most basic of searches here on Slapinions you'll find near annual posts about College for Kids at UW-Milwaukee. I'll skip the usual recitation of accolades about the program - all deserved - and just go over this years experience. 

Here was this year's lineup: 

Discovery Camp 3

Junie: 

9AM  Creating with Recycled Products

11:30AM  Plants around the world

2PM  Navigating Africa

Smiley:

9AM  Food Chains

11:30 AM  Blueprints to Buildings

2PM  Plants around the World

YaYa:

9 AM  Royalty

11:30 AM Ethics

2 PM  Kinetic Creations

LuLu:

9AM Royalty

11:30 AM  Ethics

2 PM Blueprints to Buildings

**NOTE: Due to scheduled appointment’s both Smiley and YaYa will miss at least one class, and possibly two, during the week

Discovery Camp 2

Junie: 

9AM  Japanese

11:30 AM  #10 and Beyond

2 PM Puppet Storeytime

Smiley:

9AM  A Capella 

11:30 AM  Music of the World

2 PM Japanese

LuLu : CANNOT ATTEND – PRIOR COMMITMENTS

YaYa:

9AM  Geocaching

11:30 AM  Japanese

2 PM The Writer’s Den

There were some changes along the way. That A Capella class of Smiley's was an error on UWM's part and he had to go into Puppet Storytime, the only class with an opening in his age group. He was SOOOO Angry, but in the end he loved the class (as did Junie, who took the later time). The teacher was great, and the class was mainly about puppet making itself, with the kids actually sewing their own puppets! (He thinks they should change the name to make it more appealing though!)

All the kids enjoyed Japanese, where they learned some basics of the language and wrote their names in Japanese script. 

YaYa didn't enjoy the teacher from the writing class but enjoyed the course. 

LuLu actually wound up taking a single morning class (geocaching with YaYa) in the second week. We then picked her up to take her to a 3 day dance intensive class out on Brown Deer Road. 

Royalty was loved by Lu, and enjoyed (but not to the same extent) by YaYa. 

Surprisingly, both of the girls really loved Ethics class. They learned the six pillars of ethical behavior and engaged in daily debates on controversial subjects. They couldn't stop talking about the class on the morning we asked about it!

Anyway, part of our tradition is a visit to Eeyore's house, a downed tree in Downer Woods that resembled the famous character's home. I say "resembled' because nearly a decade has passed and time and weather has knocked it apart. 

I took the kids on a hike from the Union to Downer Woods to keep up the tradition. 

Here's the house: 

I love these pics of the kids of TeamSlap!

Another great year! What a great program!

Not a Grand Day

Yesterday when I picked up the kids from UWM I walked with them down Lake Drive for a mile or so, enjoying the beautiful weather. We stopped our hike at Northpoint Custard, where we met up with Lisa, and I treated the family to ice cream. 

In return, Lu mocked Junie, Smiley somehow managed to get as much ice cream on his face as in his mouth, Junie got upset over OJ's taunts, and YaYa went on and on about how she'd prefer chicken wings, because, you know, it was National Chicken Wing Day. I was so annoyed I left the table. 

When the kids and Lisa joined me at the car Yaya stepped on a bee and was stung in her bare foot. (her first ever sting). Hey, I know it makes me sound like an awful Dad - but I gotta believe there was some Old Testament smiting at work. Thanks Big Guy!

My Thoughts - In defense of UWM

I notice the Journal is running yet another article blasting UWM students and listing the alleged grievances of neighborhood residents.

 A - UWM will always take a hit in the local press while Marquette would earn a pass even if their students lynched their neighbors. 

B - If you buy a home two blocks from a college, you lose all rights to complain about the inevitable fusses of *living two blocks from a college*, you idiot.

C - if you are a resident around UWM, you and your whining has led to the restrictive parking regulations that plagued me and everyone else for years. Ergo, FU.

Our Trip to UWM - pt 3

The university brags that the planetarium shows often sell out, and they encourage you to arrive at least a half hour in advance. Well, after failing to find food we headed over to the science building and waited. And waited. Finally someone showed up to sell tickets, 20 minutes before the show, and we were first in line. But with so much time left I bought the kids some snacks from a vending machine and we headed outside.







Now I don't remember that statue from my years on campus, but of course I could be mistaken. But if I'm right, it's in a sorry state, with chips missing and some of the concrete showing significant wear. Which, as I write this, probably invalidates my memory, no?

Anyhow, the kids held it together.





And YaYa even designed some smiley faces out of stones. Hey, it was a LONG WAIT.



Soon enough it was time for the show.



The professor in charge asked me how I'd learned of the show, and I told her my father had brought me when I was a kid. (I remember listening to Eddie Murphy's Party all the Time and Starship's We Built this City on the way to campus.)

The show itself was nothing to brag about. It was mainly a lecture, with the actual 'stargazing' limited to ten minutes at best. WTF? I noted my complaint on the survey form, but the important thing was the kids held it together for the hour - heck, YaYa even raised her hand and answered a question about constellations.

One great moment tho': when the lights did go down and the stars come out, LuLu gasped and said "Daddy it's beautiful!"

When we got out of the planetarium it was dark, and I drove around looking for a place to eat at least near campus. We eventually settled on a kitchy hamburger joint that has a branch near us.

The kids were tired at this point and ornery, and this was *not* a pleasant meal.





But the food was good . . .



Until I picked up LuLu's last chicken nugget and tore a piece off for myself. It was raw inside. Not 'half-cooked'. RAW. Like, "I just killed and gutted the chicken two minutes ago raw." I of course brought it to the attention of the staff, who reimbursed me the cost of the nuggets and later brought an ice cream sundae out for us.

They were fawning over us, but I set the manager straight: barring Lulu getting sick, this was the last they'd hear from me, so long as the cook would be reprimanded and trained. He agreed and at one point got on his knees to ask forgiveness of my daughter, which was WAAAYYY over the top.

She never had so much as a tummy-ache, by the way.

That ended our night. It was a nice ride home (with the girls singing songs from summer camp) and then on to bed.

A very nice day indeed.

Our Trip to UWM pt. 2

After our walk through the woods we hit a section of campus where I took 80% of my classes. Journalism and History were predominantly taught in the beautiful red brick buildings on the northeast section of campus.



The girls appreciated them for the handicapped ramps - perfect for YaYa's heely's!





Ah, the memories when I stepped foot inside. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I asked.

"It smells like church," Lulu said, wrinkling her nose.



I showed them the huge lecture hall where took several entry level courses, marvelled at my ability to recall the location of each restroom, and was slightly perplexed at the difficulty I had in finding Holton G90, the room where I took what, seven or eight senior and graduate level courses. But find it we did.

From there, we headed across to the library, and the centerpiece of a kid's memories of the campus, the fountain.



I remember playing in the fountain when my Dad took me to UWM, and the girls love it just as much.





I wanted to get a picture of all of us, but with no one around I did the old Lisa/Dan trick. It ain't a perfect science. (and curse my flat hair. I knew I should have used volumizing mousse that morning!)











Catch that wicked scar on YaYa's arm? She's got a matching one that runs down the side of her chest, courtesy of a fall out of a tree this summer.

We then headed to the Union to grab something to eat, but the place was shut down nice and tight. You could get in, of course, but there wasn't a scrap of food to be found. However, it was good to see the pool hall (where I'd gone when skipping many a class) was still open.



to be continued . . .