Nick's Music Program May 20, 2008

This was Nick's music program, I wish that I had known how to video using my camera so that I could have gotten Brendan who is the little boy to Nicks right in the plaid shirt who sang who has a fishing pole.... They were so cute!!

Yesterday I went with KMS to the The Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial (http://www.idaho-humanrights.org/ click on the link for memorial) for a tour. I was glad that I went it was an amazing tribute. The docent had our group read the quotes wall and wanted the kids to pick their favorite quote and then tell whether it was awareness or action. I have to say my favorite was the quote from Ghandi. (Thankfully I didn't have to talk in front of a bunch of middle school kids--one of whom was my son and already thinks I have 2 heads)

Be the change that you want to see in the world.
Mohanda Gandhi

So after the Human rights tour, we had lunch in the park and then to the Boise Zoo. As the middle school was leaving, Nicks Preschool was arriving so I spent an hour walking around the zoo with the Preschool. It was a nice day and again made me think about how lucky (for now) that I am able to be at home with my kids. I did however realize that I sooooo not cut out for 6 hours in the 90 degree heat!! I didn't sunburn thanks to SPF 60, but I was worn out! too much sun, not enough water and A LOT of walking.

I think we finally found an air conditioner for the attic/Zach's room that will keep it cooled off pretty nicely however I don't want to see the electric bill for that, but if it is 80 on the main floor it is 980 (okay so maybe not that bad) on the 3rd floor.

School is winding down and I can't wait until we don't have to have bedtimes and we can sleep late and really have no true schedule. Of course by mid to end of July, I will be screaming for school to start.

Jim is in the windy city for the next 2 days..I am so not cut out for being a single parent!! dinner tonight? can it go in the microwave, be ready in 10 minutes and use no dishes? that is for us.

Later

National Junior Honor Society

Zachary's Induction into NJHS
May 13, 2008

I pledge myself to uphold the high purposes of the National Junior Honor Society to which I have been selected; I will be true to the principles for which it stands; I will be loyal to my school, and will maintain and encourage high standards of scholarship, character, leadership, service and citizenship.

Last night was the National Junior Honor Society induction. The above was the oath that the KMS middle school students (91 were inducted into the Honor Society)had to recite. All the 2008 officers (which were 8th graders) gave little speeches on scholarship, character, leadership, service and citizenship. The whole program was very well done. One of the girls I think she spoke on character said "It is not just who you are when someone is watching, but who you are when no one is watching "if a teacher leaves you alone to take a test and you know exactly where the answer is in your notes do you cheat?"

We were very proud that Zach received this honor. Of course his statement was "this will look really good on college applications" I am positive that when I was in the 5th grade I didn't know what MIT was let alone that I wanted to go there and I am even more sure that college applications were not even on my radar in the 7th grade. I can also say that I didn't and wouldn't have voluntarily taken Algebra (at the high school) over the summer so I could take geometry as an 8th grader!!

Zach got to move back into his room today. After a week sleeping on the couch he cleaned his room this morning and was told his next offense would be 2 weeks on the couch!! He was without a doubt much more pleasurable to have around this week since he couldn't go hide in his room everyday. We will see next week when it is time to clean his room if he remembers his time on the couch!! I thought raising kids was supposed to be easy!!!

Nickolaus just came to ask me what friendship means...his definition "we are friends and we are in a ship" guess that about sums it up when you are 5.

Amelia's argumentative behavior landed her on the new "naughty stool" for 45 minutes last night. so far today no outburst or argumentative behavior. It is going to take a while but hopefully she will get it! No means No!!

Have a great weekend!

New Reality Show coming soon to your TV

HELLS KITCHEN MEETS


SURVIVOR

The top picture is Nick decorating Jim's chocolate cream birthday pie and the bottom picture is all the kids setting up camp in our front yard.

Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day!!

Field Trips/DUI and beyond

WAGONS HO! OF IDAHO

Ben's class went on a field trip yesterday, the event was called WAGONS HO! OF IDAHO, it was at Veterans State Park in Boise. I joined them later in the morning and was very impressed with the program. They had stations all around the outside of the wagon everything from washing clothes to cutting wood to doing dishes. The whole class was very well behaved as Mr. C explained that if they didn't follow the rules, they would go to jail..jail was located behind the wagon and he and your teacher were the judge and jury...punishment was anywhere from 25 to 100 push ups depending on the offense. If you went to jail twice and were convicted twice you would walk the path of "No Return". For some of the adults who happened to see, the DUI arrest in the park parking lot was rather entertaining. As they were giving Beverly her sobriety test she informed the officer she was not a ballerina...he said neither am I now do it.. At noon on a Tuesday, I guess it was 5:00 somewhere.

Mother's Day is this weekend, can you believe it? I am going to a movie and breakfast/lunch on Saturday with a friend. Saturday night we are going out for Chinese Food with my parents and on Sunday we are having some friends over to BBQ. Thank goodness this is the last food weekend for a while. The last 3 weekends have been food, food and more food. I need to get back on the wagon!! It is a great feeling to grab a pair of shorts out of the closet and put them on and they fit comfortably.....

Our trip to Colorado is coming together, slowly....we will be in Breckenridge and Pueblo..it will be a short trip...

I am so glad spring is finally here, although the weather is so menopausal right now, I did pull out my tan in a bottle yesterday so my ghostly white legs didn't scare anyone. I am thinking spray on tan would be a good idea. The farmers are all out working in there fields (Nick has been offended by the smell of fertilizer in the fields)...I have gotten pretty freaked out a couple of times driving around, as the farmers work in the fields it changes the way the fields have looked all winter, which then changes the way intersections look. I have been convinced that I am lost or took a wrong turn.

The other night Nick comes running into the house "they are moving the hay, it is all gone" so I told him that they would probably be putting more hay in that spot later and he ran back out the door screaming "not on my watch".

I spent all winter telling them to shut the door and now I spend as much time telling them to leave the door open and in another month the air conditioner will be on and we will be back to shutting the door....does it ever end??

Has anyone ever watched HEROS? I started watching it last week, from the first episode of season 1. It is pretty good. Seems like it is taking them a while to get all the "special people" together as a team...which is what I think is going to happen.