Injury

Poor kid.  What is it with running in herds in PE class?!?!?!  My buddy biffed it on the concrete in a mass tumble - skidded on his head and rolled.  His head, side, elbow and knee are just beat up to pieces.  The first phone call from the nurse sounded pretty tame - but the second call was a bit more revealing as to just how bad it was.  He's in a lot of pain and asked for a blessing tonight.  A prayer or two tonight for him would be appreciated greatly!  

Fluorine

9 protons, 10 neutrons, and 9 electrons.  9 is its atomic number which is why it has 9 protons.  

I love being a Mom!  I've dreamed of this day for a long time!  My daughter's first periodic table diorama!  She did an awesome job!  Woop woop!!!!

Letter to the Mayor

(name and address is blocked out)

So I have these kids . . . and they are smart.  And opinionated.  (I have no idea where that part comes from!)

The old Braums - that holds many many family memories - has closed.  They have built a big brand new one almost directly across the street.  It's big and new and shiny!  And my sweet Cowboy T just sobbed and sobbed at the prospect of his old stomping ground being gone.  As we drove past (with heavy sobs from the backseat) he asked - "Do you think I could write a letter?"  Of course I say "Sure".  We're civically minded . . . you bet!  I thought that would pacify the hurt.  Which it did - temporarily.  About 30 minutes after we arrived home Cowboy T brought me the above letter.  Which is now in an envelope ready to be mailed.  I was so impressed!  What a smart kid!  Addressed to the mayor no less!

I should mention this is not the first unprompted letter writing that has occured in our family.  Kbugs wrote her favorite author Beverly Cleary one spontaneous day.  She actually got a sweet handwritten postcard back.  My Buddy emailed Troy Dungan (our former local weatherman) - and was so incredibly amazed when he got an email back!  That was an exciting day in our household.  He also wrote President Monson a letter shortly after he was called as President.  That reply came in the mail and is a treasured item to him.  

So you see - when it comes to letters - my kids need no prompting and have no fear!  I am so proud!  

Hello-Hobo!

Image Source: http://www.timboucher.com/journal/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/hobo-bindlestiff1.jpg

One of the houses I lived in when I was young backed up to a (usually) dry creek bed with train tracks on the other side.  When we first moved in those trains were LOUD!!!!  And then we got used to them and barely heard them at all.  All the neighborhood kids loved to play army in the dry creek bed and we also LOVED to watch the trains go by.  We'd count the cars and wave to the engineers - or the passengers - when the rare Amtrak train went by.

Of course, we were all under strict orders to never ever ever go near the tracks or cross the creek bed.  Not only because of the danger of the trains - but also because the heavily wooded area behind it contained . . . HOBOS!!!!!

Ok - so clearly - in my 7-10 year old experience - hobo's looked like the picture above.  Right?!?!?!  Such mystery surrounded these never-seen hobos.  Where did they live?  What did they eat?  Where did they get the red handkerchiefs to tie on the end of their sticks?  And what was in there anyway?  Why would they walk around so much if they lived back behind the train tracks? Clearly it was perplexing.  From time to time we would all wonder about the hobos - and then luckily turn back to our play without ever really devising a full plan on how to scout out a hobo.

Now being much older - I have an entirely different concept of hobos - I don't want to know what they carry around - and frankly - am incredibly grateful we never sought out hobo-ville - which we were sure was just around the bend.

The ironic thing is - I told my children the above tale regarding the hobos long ago - in a moment of car travel entertainment desperation.  Unfortunately my grandiose descriptions have only served to build up the romantic hobo depiction even further.  Now EVERY conversation we have can somehow end up relating to hobos!  Never in my life did I imagine so many questions or such fascination could surround the aforementioned demographic.  OH MY GOSH!!!!!  If I hear a hobo question one more time - I may go MAD!!!!!!!   (I should mention - it is debatable at times that I may already be there!)  heh heh heh  But seriously!!!!  Every conversation!  I kid not!  

I'm willing to guess that prior to this post - the word hobo had not crossed your mind in perhaps years.  I am here to solemnly profess to you - that I hear the word hobo several times a day.  Everywhere we go - everything we do.  Hobo hobo hobo hobo!  Filtering in and out of my sleep now!  Oh save me from the hobos!  :o)

May you have a hobo-free day!

(Disclaimer:  I love my kids - they constantly crack me up!!!! And I hope their kids like hobos too!)

A Favorite Quote

• "In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike--and they will--you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham's seed."

--Jeffery R. Holland  "For Times of Trouble," BYU Speeches, 1980

Sore Throat

Image source: http://images-cdn01.associatedcontent.com/image/A2186/21865/300_21865.jpg

OWWWW!  bummer

The other reason . . .

(you should really go down two posts and read up from there . . . )

This one is just plain ugly.  It's taken me a month to calm myself about it.

If we hadn't already made the decision to pull the boys out - this would have instigated swift and immediate action.  

The last day they attended the charter school my Buddy was talking with his friends.  One of them asked him what church he went to - and when he replied - a teacher overheard and felt the need to comment.  Ok - comment is not the right word.  She decided to ATTACK!!!  A teacher - in a position of authority - in a publicly funded school.  Interesting isn't it?  She didn't just say she disagreed or thought we were wrong in our beliefs - she covered point by point every doctrine - every principle - every facet of our religion in a lengthy ugly tirade.  To a ten year old - at school - in front of his friends.  A meek quiet humble ten year old.

What she didn't count on is that he's a ten year old who lives by the Spirit.  Who reads his scriptures and says his prayers.  Who believes in a living prophet and the power of the Holy Ghost.  Who was silently praying for divine assistance.  Whose testimony was only strengthened by the things he heard.  A ten year old whose prayers for help were answered.  

The first I heard of what happened was the day I was stranded in north FW with a broken down car and Bob had flown in that day and then drove with the kids to rescue me.  While he was fixing my car - my Buddy was telling me what had happened.  As I listened the Mamma Bear in me began to well up and rage inside.  Given my red hair - it was not an unfamiliar look to my sweet son - and he mentioned that it was ok - I could calm down.  :o)  (There's nothing like a raging Mom stranded in the middle of who-knows-where raging and foaming at the mouth about "how dare they" "not my baby" and other assorted phrases and also something about marching in the school at 6pm on a Friday - long after they closed.)  (Ok - most of that was just what was going on in my head - not actually what was coming out of my mouth)  Anyway - as he continued his story I realized he was right.  He was ok.  He told me the things he said and what he was thinking and I was so impressed by my son.  I don't know if I would have had the same courage and presence of mind.  At first - I worried that how could he have possible been prepared for such a vigorous attack.  But I realized that every family night - every primary lesson - every testimony, sacrament talk, and scripture study contributed to that moment.  

Bless his heart.  He begged me not to go up to the school and say anything - and I haven't.  But perhaps someday I'll run into the director or principal and maybe they'll ask why we left.  I'd love to remind them of separation of church and state which prohibits publicly funded schools from promoting one religion over another.  Not to mention a person in a position of authority that a child respects should never abuse that trust.  Hmmmmm . . . it's taken wild horses and a promise to my son to keep me from marching through their door.  

In any case - he's none the worse for the wear.  It's just that protective side a Mom discovers she has when she hold a sweet baby in her arms and realizes she has a whole new purpose in life -- to care for and protect her children.  I'm just really proud of him and the quiet choices he's made in his life.  

Changing Schools (again)

Ok - here's the scoop with the boys and school!  Sorry - I kind of just threw out there that we switched them out of the charter school!  I'm known to be pretty random . . . hahaha!

They started out the school year "reviewing" and started with pretty easy academics.  As time went on - it didn't get harder and they weren't learning anything new.  We requested parent conferences - and never heard back.  So I spoke with the principal about the fact that my guys maybe needed a little more academically then what was being offered.  I got reassurances that never materialized.  You know its bad when your kids are begging to be challenged!  We gave them a fair shot to meet the boys needs - or even respond to our requests - but it became clear nothing was going to happen.

That was our main issue with the school - although there were many other smaller things too.  Typically we're pretty understanding that each place has its strengths and weaknesses - but academics isn't an area we were ok with overlooking for a whole year.  I think because they are still relatively new the school is still trying to figure out how everything is supposed to work.  And while I admire their zeal - I'm not willing to watch my kids fall behind to give the school room and time for growth. 

Decision prayed and made.

Last month when I went back to the school district to enroll them we learned that transfers were closed and so - it was with a great leap of faith that we enrolled them in their home campus - the very school that we'd been transferring them out of (ugh!)  Imagine by now the dread, guilt, worry, stress of all these decisions.  I felt terrible - but kids are resilient right?!?!?!  We put the whole thing in the Lord's hands and I think he had this mapped out all along.  

Over the summer I had worked with the vice principal at our local home campus that the kids are supposed to go to - so I went and spoke with her and let her know the boys were coming.  She and the entire staff has welcomed them warmly - the boys are so happy to be learning and working again!  (funny how kids really crave that - even if they'd never say it!)  Within the first week of school there was an incident after school where a 6th grader hurt Cowboy T - but the kid was suspended for two days and now the boys get to wait in the office after school everyday - which they are ok with - and we are too.  The staff is quite protective of them and are willing to let the boys stay in the office until I can get there after dismissing my students.  I'm just down the street - so it's worked out great.  No more after school program!  Yea!!!  Bonus!

Come to find out - the teachers they have are great and they really like the boys.  The boys are doing well - and after that one instance - no one has bothered either of them since.  Thank goodness.  They are more focused on academics then they have been in a long time.  We'll get through this year - and take the next one as it comes.  It's been an interesting path - but one that clearly had its own purpose.  Every one of us has come away with important lessons - and I'm sure we'll continue to see reasons and learning experiences from the whole process.  

My Buddy's Turn

So now that the boys are back in their home school (no more charter - didn't work out - long story short - the academics weren't great) . . . Bobby's ready for orchestra!  Hooray!!!  He's so excited!  He wants to play the cello.  The school is fresh out of cellos :o(  so if you hear of any half size cellos out there - let me know.  

Between the violin and cello - we're expecting some Master and Commander type music!  hahaha!  I love listening to them play!

See . . . I wasn't kidding!

(see two posts below)

I will no longer obssess.  Just had to share.  I will learn to let go.  Take a deep breath.  Breathe.  And ooooooohhh!  Look at the pretty fall tree!  :o)

Maybe . . .

Maybe they'll paint the shutters brown so then I can think about mint chocolate chip ice cream!!!  Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Un-be-lievable!

Image Source: http://www.beachrentalsofsouthwalton.com/images/thm_ndsc01393.jpg

So this is the color they are currently painting the vacant house across the street from us.  

At this very moment.

If only the actual house had the same charm as the one in this picture.  Then maybe it would be ok.  Alas - it does not.

Or maybe if we lived in a tropical area.  But we don't.

I don't understand.  

I suppose I will nail the blinds shut today and never look out my window again.  It's too blinding!

"Look away!!  Look away!!!"  

How much trouble would I get in if I snuck over in the night with a bucket of paint?  hmmmm . . . 

Sigh.

Our Land of Freedom!

Image Source: http://sbfmedia.relationalhost.com/prodimg/TALE_OF_TWO_CITIES,_A.jpg

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."  -- Charles Dickens 

I love our country!  I marvel that we seem to be so fiercely and evenly divided.  The results of the election reminded me of a passage in one of my all time favorite books - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  How we all live in the same place and see things so differently is one of our strengths as a nation.  It provides our checks and balances and keeps our passion for this country stirred.  I don't know if we are at the end of the world or the dawn of a new day (although I do have my own theories) . . . but I find that this is not a new theme - because apparently in the year of 1775 the emotions ran just as high and the zeal for country burned just as bright as it does today.  (never mind what happened after that paragraph in the book . . . hahaha)

May God bless America!

Congratulations Kbugs!

Image Source: http://keywestviolinstudio.com/ALLWEBSITEPICS/Resources/20061130_violin.jpg

First Chair - First Violin!  What an accomplishment!  I'm so proud of you!  All your hard work has really paid off!  Good job!

Ugh!

One of my students broke their leg yesterday on the playground.  

Just an accident - but oh it was so so so very sad!

Love him!

For all the Texan folk . . .

Image Source: http://texas.campusrn.com/images/texas_homepage.gif

Ok . . . try not to let this blow your mind . . . If you are looking for anything to do - I mean anything . . . check out this site below.  It's stunning!

Things to do in DFW! 

Ho Ho Ho! Jingle Jangle!

101 Classic Christmas videos (posted 2006)

101 Classic Christmas videos (posted 2007)

Ok - so I know.  It's obscenely early to think about Christmas . . . but just click on the links above and look at all the videos there are to watch!  Holy Cow!  You'd better get started!!!  I'm just trying to make sure you have plenty of time to get in all the specials!  

I love these sites because inevitably our favorite specials come on the same night we have something else going on!  Now we can watch them at 4 in the morn or just after a new cousin is born.  We can watch them in a box.  We can watch them with a fox.  We can watch the Grinch - We can!  We do like them - What a plan!  (too much PreK . . . sorry!)

So have at it!  Sit those kiddos in front of the electric glow of the yuletide laptop with a splash of egg nog and cocoa (freeze-dried crunchy marshmallows included) and have a hap-hap-happy holiday!  Ho Ho Ho!