Month: August 2015

Eye spy

Sibo cutie face

Last week mum caught me out. I’d eaten the last biscuit in the box.

“Sibo” said mum – “did you eat the last biscuit?”

Heaven only knows why I did it, but I fibbed. Probably because I thought I might get into trouble for eating that last little sucker.

“No mum”, I replied as innocently as I could, looking up at the ceiling, scuffing my toe against the edge of the carpet.

“I’m not cross with you for eating it, just for leaving the empty box there,” said Mum with a smile.

I dashed off to the kitchen and threw the box away. Then I gave mum a hug. “How did you know I was fibbing?”

“That’s easy” she replied. “You never look me in the eye when you tell fibs. Your eyes wander all over the place but don’t go anywhere near my face.”

Seriously? Can people really tell that you are fibbing if you don’t look them in the eye? I decided to google it because I did not really believe that it could be true.

Here’s what I found out… Firstly we have no control over the size of our pupils (those black bits in the middle of your eyes). Your pupils get bigger when you are interested in something and smaller when you are not.

Making eye contact makes a person seem more honest, trustworthy, attractive and confident. If you look a person in the eye whilst talking to them you are more likely to win them over. Also, it shows that you are listening to them and are interested in what they are saying. Of course, if your pupils get tiny and you look away – they can see that too!

But sometimes looking a person in the eye is very difficult; especially when it’s an adult you are talking to.

Here’s a little sneaky tip – if you are having trouble looking somebody in the eye – focus on the bridge of their nose instead. Or look at one eye only – they can’t tell the difference and it’s easier to do.

It’s a good trait to learn and practise – look somebody in the eye when you talk to them.

Sibo

 

Odd, slightly naughty but very cool word for the week: Fopdoodle

Meaning – a Victorian (very old) word for a “dumbass”

Example: I was such a fopdoodle I forgot to turn off the light in my room when the power went out – so when it came back on again the light woke me up.

Be Kind to Human Kind Week

Sibo and friends

Believe it or not “Be kind to human kind week” is celebrated from August 25th-31st every year. In case you are wondering why I’m telling you this now when it’s nowhere near the end of the month – it’s because we should all give it a bit of thought and see what we can do specifically during that week. Make some plans… maybe even speak to our parental agents or teachers about what we can do.

This year it starts on Tuesday 25th and runs to the following Monday 31st August. Each day has a special topic.

Touch-A-Heart Tuesday – Spread kindness, one heart at a time. We could write a letter to an old relative or friend. We can encourage our own friends instead of dissing them. The thing is to be kind and thoughtful. Not mean and nasty.

Willing-To-Lend-A-Hand Wednesday – Offer a helping hand. Maybe there is somebody you know that needs an odd job done and can’t do it themselves. We could wash the dishes, or help with the housework. Maybe ask our teachers if they have something that needs to be done. The thing is to do something – for somebody else.

Thoughtful Thursday – Treat others well.  Remember to say please, thank you and excuse me. (Guess we should be doing that all the time anyway.) Hold the door open for somebody. Offer to help your mum make dinner. Ask your Dad if you can bring him anything when he gets home from work.

Forgive Your Foe Friday – Come together.  Learn to forgive and don’t hold a grudge. If you’ve had a fight with one of your friends or family members – say you are sorry and give them a hug.

Speak Kind Words Saturday – Say something nice.  This is really simple and it’s all up to you. Just be nice! If you can’t think of anything nice to say – say nothing.

Sacrifice Our Wants for Others Needs Sunday – Show them that you care.  Do something good for one of your family members or friends.

Motorist Consideration Monday – Drive Courteously. If you go to school by bus or taxi – make a point of thanking the driver. Walk on the pavement and cross on the zebra-crossings.

See what else you can think up.

Sibo

Cool word for the week: Foe

Meaning: enemy or opponent

Example: Dad and his foe patched up their friendship after 10 years of not speaking to each other and now they have a drink together occasionally.

Visit the “Be Kind to Human Kind” website for more ideas.

Eggsellent food!

 

Sibo and eggs

I was reading interesting stuff about eggs the other day and thought I had to share it.

For starters, eggs are an excellent source of nutrients. One egg contains some healthy unsaturated fats and 6 grams of protein. Eggs are also a good source of zeaxanthin, lutein and choline – all things that your body needs. For example, lutein and zeaxanthin can protect you against losing your eyesight and choline has been associated with preserving memory – just what we need for school exams!

Even more interesting, studies have shown that eating eggs for breakfast can help you shed body weight. Not that kids should be worried about weight, but this might be useful information for our parental agents.

The colour of an egg shell does not say anything about the nutritional value of an egg. It tells you about the breed of the chicken that laid it. Hens with red feathers produce brown eggs and hens with white feathers produce white eggs.

The colour of the egg yolk (that’s the yellow bit of the egg) is determined by what the hen eats. If you break open your egg and find its dark yellow, the chicken was maybe fed green vegetables. A light-yellow yolk would indicate a diet of barley and wheat and a medium-yellow yolk would show that the hen ate alfalfa and corn.

Eggs contain high levels of healthy fats and protein. Healthy fats help your tummy feel full and satisfied. Protein helps you build muscle. Eggs also contain antioxidants that help decrease the effects of aging and fight cancer – definitely something you should share with your folks.

And… there really is an Easter Egg Chicken… it’s called the Araucana Chicken because it produces brown, pink, green and naturally blue eggs. Imagine that.

You can make yourself scrambled egg really easily in the microwave. Just break an egg into a cup. Moosh it up with a fork. Pop it into the micro with a bit of kitchen towel over the top of the cup (to stop it exploding all over the oven) and cook it for ~50 seconds. You can add a dash of milk, some herbs or grated cheese to make it even tastier. Yum.

Have a great week.

Sibo

Cool word for the week: Alacrity

Meaning: quick and cheerful readiness / willingness or eagerness

Example: When mum discovered eggs were good for weight loss she dashed off to the shop with alacrity to stock up.