In a Vase

Flowers from my E
on MLK day.
How many wives can say they got flowers from their husbands
on MLK day?
Thanks my sweet Eric!

However,
This probably means
I won't get any on Valentine's Day now,
doesn't it?

Frustrated Me

I try to be supportive of public education, since I worked in public education.
I try to go into my children's classrooms with open minds.
I don't go in there to spy or search for fault.
But I feel so frustrated sending my son away to school--
a supposedly safe place of learning--
when so many frustrating things are happening.

I generally say don't complain, just do something about it.
But I've tried
and so far nothing's changed.

I see
*Teachers teaching curriculum, and not people. You are not hired to teach your reading program, you are hired to teach kids to be readers. If they are ready to learn and use strategies and skills that are "more than one grade level ahead of curriculum", than by golly why can't they?
*Teachers shaming kids in order to get them to behave, i.e. name on board, "everyone point to the person who is talking", "You are such a naughty kid today."  For serious, I saw and heard all that.
*Teachers speaking in the Third Person. Do you know how hard it is to get your children to speak correctly when they hear things like "Mrs. ___ (refers to self) told Brandon (who she is looking in the eyes and talking to) to get out his book." "Go put it on Mrs. ___'s table." "Mrs. ____ said to line up." all day at school. From someone who is supposed to be instructing children in the language arts. Yes, these are all direct quotes from the teacher, all referring to herself, all things I heard while volunteering in my son's class. No wonder at home he looks at me and says "What does mommy want to do now?" "Can K(himself) go outside?" No more third person please.

I know that not all teachers are like that.
There are some amazing educators out there
who see themselves as professionals
and strive for best practice.
But why can't my son by in their class?

On the Court

Kacin is so happy basketball season has started.

He loves it.

He's been talking about playing basketball

for over a year now.

Once he got rid of his first-game jitters,

he had a blast running around

and he was so proud he shot a basket.

Kyler still says soccer is his number one,

but he's loving basketball

and playing well with his team.

He has some awesome coaches

who are teaching him well and helping him have fun.

Go Wolverines and Dragons!

Public Transportation

As we stood on the corner,
Kacin kept checking his watch
and announcing

"4 more minutes . . .

3 more minutes . . .

2 more minutes . . .

1 minute . . .

It should be here now!! . . .

Where is it?! . . .

Oh here it comes! I see it, I see it!"

The bus pulled up and opened its doors.

We climbed aboard the empty bus,
dropped a handful of quarters into the slot,
and Kyler led us to the seats in the very back.

Why were we riding the city bus?
Because it seemed like the thing to do with a free afternoon.
Every time we are out in the neighborhood and pass a bus stop,
Kacin is so intrigued and curious.
He has a million questions about the bus system
and checks each schedule.
So we planned a trip using public transportation.
A kind, thoughtful neighbor saw us waiting for the bus
and stopped to see if we needed a ride somewhere.
But our bus ride was strictly for fun and for the sake of adventure.

We turned the corner, and the shops and restaurants came into view.
I nodded to Kyler and whispered it was time.
He reached up and pulled the yellow cord.
Stop Requested lit up in red overhead.
The doors opened.
We smiled and thanked our driver
then stepped out onto the sidewalk.

We started our afternoon with a visit to the library.
The boys each picked a book.
We sat in the window seat as I read the two books to them.
As we were leaving,
Kyler pointed out a bookmark on display on the wall.
It was the one he had made at school
and submitted for the library's competition.
He felt like a famous artist with his work up for everyone to see.

We walked a little ways to a toy shop
to play on their train table and purchase some puzzle glue.
Then we were off to look around at the market.
After all that walking, we sure were ready for a treat.
At the doughnut shop,
Three maple bars, please.

We browsed at the book store for a few minutes
before heading to the restaurant across the street.
To pass the time, we had a Tic-Tac-Toe match.
We enjoyed our chips and salsa, burritos, and tostada
and talked about all that happened at school that morning.

When we came outside again, it was very dark.
According to Kacin's watch,
the bus was scheduled to come in 3 minutes.
No bathroom stops for us,
we had to hurry.
We arrived at the bus stop
only to wait and wait.
I don't know who was more anxious for that bus to come,
Kacin and Kyler
OR the guy waiting next to us
who had to listen to the boys belting out impromptu songs
about buses and mommy's hair.
But it had to be entertaining for him
when my 7-year old boy suggested,
"Let's do yoga while we wait!"
and proceeded to go into tree pose and Warrior II.

We had been waiting about ten minutes
when I saw the way Kacin was dancing around and
began to regret the decision not to make that bathroom stop.
Just when I was debating whether or not to leave the bus stop,
get this kid to the bathroom,
and just catch the next bus in 30 min.
Our bus pulled up and we got on.

To conclude the retelling of this adventure,
let it suffice to say
that there is now a tree,
somewhere between the bus stop we exited from and our home,
that has been watered by Kacin.
I know, I know.
I really have to stop letting him do that.
The world should not be his bathroom.
But we were desperate.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience with public transit
and all really enjoyed our afternoon out.

An Old Adage

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I'm not talking about people here though.

When I grew up in sunny Arizona,
and the rain would finally fall to the dry earth,
we would all bound outside to dance and splash in the puddles,
where we'd usually meet a few neighbors outside, too
all soaking up the rain.
The rain was a precious thing
and it made us happy when it came.
We had known the sun for so long.

I distinctly remember the first time I saw it snowing,
really snowing,
where it was falling, sticking and piling on the ground.
It was magic sprinkled all over our house in Utah.
But then after the first year in Utah,
I began to strongly dislike the snow.
It was so cold, so much, and stayed way too long
for my liking.
I thought I would never want it to snow again.

Washington life has been a lot of rainy, gray days.
Whenever the sun is shining,
we've gotten into the habit of
stopping whatever we're doing and we head outside
to the park, to the trampoline, to our bikes
anywhere where the sun will kiss our skin
and the day seems brighter.
Relief from a drab day came last night too.
Around 10:00pm.
In the form of snow.
The white that blanketed our neighborhood
brightened our street
and the snow regained its magicalness.
I couldn't resist it.
I dragged E outside with me,
not even bothering with my big coat and gloves.
Too bad the boys were sound asleep.
I was tempted to wake them up to come play, too.
We left our footprints in the fresh snow
and a few snowballs went flying.
And may have even smashed into my face.

I am fond of the snow again.

Family Focus and Goals

At FHE last night,
with a drumroll and a Ta-Da!,
we revealed our family's focus for 2011:

When I Choose the Right, I am Happy.

As we were deciding on our family's "theme" for 2011, our thoughts and discussions kept revolving around choices--the small and the big choices we make each day, the effect of our choices, and how to make right choices. Our boys are growing up so quickly and spending more and more time away from home. All too soon, they will both be in all-day school. They are becoming so independent and want to spend more time with friends, playing sports, and other activities. We also know that this year Kyler will be turning 8 years old. It will be time for him to choose whether or not to be baptized. We hope that by focusing together and learning about our choices, we will all be ready to make thoughtful choices and accept responsibility for our choices. We want to feel the joy that comes from making good choices. 

Our goals this year include:

Family: study Preach My Gospel, hiking all the trails in our guide, singing the hymns at church, and reading The Chronicles of Narnia Series together

Kacin: read a chapter book, play the piano, stretch/yoga every day, and memorize 6 scriptures

Kyler: finish reading the Book of Mormon, create 5 different types of art (painting, drawing, pottery, etc.), stretch/yoga every day, and memorize 7 scriptures

Laura: play 3 hymns on the piano (not the made-easy ones), finish Personal Progress, study the life of Jesus Christ by reading the Gospels and Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage, and run a 5k or some such thing

Eric: read the Book of Mormon and D&C in Portuguese, study for and take the GMAT, grill with 5 different recipes in the summer, and run a 5k or some such thing

Note: the stretch/yoga every day goal for the boys came because the boys each wanted a goal to exercise every day. Because E and I feel they are naturally very active and we play at the park, ride bikes, and play sports all the time anyways, we wanted them to do something a little different. We also hope that by doing some kids yoga they will learn strategies to help them relax, breathe, calm down, and increase their focus.

The First's of 2011

The first moments of the New Year found us

at our good friend's (and neighbor's) house.

We had no intention of actually letting the boys stay up until Midnight.

We were going to be mean parents and go home early and put them to bed.

But somehow we ended up there well past the planned 10:00pm
(was it because of the salmon and the yummy treats or just the fun games?).
Kacin's first few minutes of the New Year . . .

Kyler's first few minutes . . .

Our first awkward nose smashing smooch of 2011 . . .

Our first date of 2011
to the Pacific Science Center
where we played mindbender games,
studied butterflies,
and looked at the Harry Potter wands and other artifacts
at the Harry Potter Exhibition,
in which no photography was allowed inside (lame)
so no pictures of us on the Nimbus 2000 or anything.