A Pirate-y Winter Book Fair

Water fall with treasure cave with cannon
Mermaid reading
Pirate ship with mast & sail

Sometimes I like being in charge so I can just run with ideas and not have a bunch of meetings that suck my life away. One of the people who help with the book fairs at school wanted to do a pirate theme. Every year at Christmas we do a "holiday" theme. Every. Single. Year. And every year we get grief from the administration about being "inclusive" and "sensitive". Seriously? So, avast ye hardies we were feeling the effects of scurvy I'm sure and abandoned all thoughts of a holiday theme. We turned the library into a pirate ship and a castaway island. Much fun was had by all and with the sales being the final result and they were up me laddies!

Glimmers of September

I made myself a goal that I would not wait until the end of August to separate and organize the kids school supplies when I need to start shopping. When they dumped their backpacks on the floor of my office I took everything out and put papers in one pile and supplies in another. Out of all of the supplies I sent last September I think I saved about 1/4 - not too bad. I pulled the supply list for each kid off the school website and checked off each item I had and set it with the saved supplies. Then I did the really clever thing. I made a list on my phone of the items I need. I am a coupon cutter from long ago and a sale saver so I will watch for the items and pick them up as I find them on sale and not duplicate items since I will have my list with me.

I find it very hard to pay $85 for a single kid supply kit and look myself in the mirror. I paid a total of $109 last year for all three and hope to have it lower this year.

Oo, Oo, Call on Me!

I was at a mid-year Room Parent meeting this morning. Why is it that I have something to say about just about everything? Why can't I just sit back and ignore what is going on. I have to throw out the obvious and the blatant ills of things? Is it genetic? Can I just stop and let others have their turn? Can I turn a blind eye and say, "Well, I'm past that issue so I don't have to comment on it."? No. I can't. I feel a need to point out that simpler is better and that group things aren't necessary a bad thing (don't mention the Egypt thing right now). I am tired of people trying to reinvent the wheel when the wheel works just fine that it's the driver who is the problem.

School, a thought

We are the Millers the mighty, mighty Millers! (Who wouldn't be afraid of someone with an ax?)

Matriculating from the public school system I really never gave high school much thought - I would go. My dad taught at the HS I went to, my sisters and brothers attended the same, I knew most of the teachers from the district picnics, this was a simple question of signing up for classes and showing up in a fabulous '70's outfit the first day. High school was no great challenge for me, I was motivated by the $10 we got for getting all A's, and I wasn't popular so I didn't have the distraction of being well liked by hordes or having boys showing off for me. But now I shutter at the public school system.

I called the school district again this week - I was told I could make an appointment to pre-register Connor in November - and asked again about the possibility of getting on a waiting list for another (better) HS. The woman I spoke to was the director of this department, she told me, "Due to your socio-economic situation you will not be released from the school boundaries you are in.". To be told because I was a homeowner that my kid couldn't go to another school seemed ridiculous! So, I did some intense research and sure enough the district has a policy that says basically that only those in low socio-economic situations will be given consideration upon appeal of assigned HS. WHAT? I am outraged that because I am in a good economic position my child won't be considered for a transfer. I don't want precedence I just want equal rights.

California's school system is screwed up with politicos that believe by giving a good show that will be lauded by their peers. One of the political messages here in CA this election season was for the person elected to REALLY represent their constituents. What a world it would be if we had people who really believed that and did it to the best of their abilities.

Hostessing Debate: Me: 1 School: 0

So, remember that whole thing I was protesting on Monday? That I was so angry about? Well, I shot off an e-mail to the PSA President (which I was asked to be but declined due to lack of children involvement and that I would have had to deal with people like me). She called to chat about it, I've known her for several years and like each other. I was clear in my debate with the administration stance and countered her points solidly. She called me back several hours later with the situation determined that if I have an issue with it then I probably wasn't alone. I wasn't: there were several other calls and e-mails - none as persausive as mine of course - and they decided we shouldn't do it this way. Me: 1 School: 0

Why does this happen every year?

Every year the end of the school year sneaks up on me. I swear it is April and then it skips to June! And how do I keep over booking myself for all this 'stuff' that happens in the last two weeks of school, such as:

8th grade graduation - The 7th grade parents put it on and I'm in charge of assignments, drinks, ice, serving and replenishing food and of course clean up.

7th grade field trip - Had to scramble and pull in quite a few favors for this one. Not one parent signed up (a case of "Oh, someone else (Sherri & Kim*) will take care of it!")

International Day - I get to represent the good ol US of A. I loved it last year and I'll make it great but still, one more thing!

*We, as a family, need to adopt Kim. She'd be a perfect fit. She totally gets our humor, knows all of the important family names and great in a pinch. All in favor say Aye!

So, basically, I'm a little stressed, Jim's gone (nothing new there), and I have "... a wedding to plan, my wife to kill and Gilder to blame for it: I'm swamped!"

Inigo Montoya: No, there is too much. Let me sum up...

It has been a very full two weeks ... so, in the infamous words of Inigo Montoyo ... here goes ...

My three lovely children started school on 9/9/09 ... a (sniff) beautiful day! This is Tylor the morning of school starting. He looked like a dead body. It took until 7:28 to get him dressed and out the door: just on time!



Also on September 9th, Connor talked to his dad about baptism and convinced him that he was ready to be baptized! Connor said his plan was to ask dad after his sauna when he is the most relaxed and open to ideas - good plan! We spent a harried week trying to plan the baptism. We had just a few obstacles: flood (our chapel is having roof work and they forgot to cover the holes when it rained on the 12th), no fire (the hot water heater for the font in our building had rusted and was surely toxic), the sky fell (okay it was the tiles in the building but it seemed like the sky), and scheduling. They always say you are really tested right before your baptism - it was like it was a Satanic conspiracy as to exactly how many things went awry. But it turned out great! We could see the Lord's hand working in our favor in so many instances; a call from a friend that couldn't make it while she was feeding the missionaries who could schedule the building we needed to be in, a prompting of the Spirit for another dear friend to call to say she couldn't come and ended up agreeing to give the Holy Ghost talk, and people dropping everything to be available for us. It was amazing. Brother James Howell, the Young Men's President, baptized Connor at 10 a.m. on 09/19/2009 in the Comanche Building in San Jose, CA.
Brother Daniel Tayco, the Young Men's first counselor, performed the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Yes, I cried. Yes, I am so happy. Thank you all for the notes and letters!


On September 20th Connor was ordained a deacon. Somehow I didn't think I could get away with taking a pic during the ordination. Brother Jon Conradt performed this ordinance. We now have the priesthood in our home for the first time. Connor's comment was, "I feel very peaceful.", to both the baptism and getting the priesthood.

Finally, on the 20th I was released as Primary President. I have spent about 4 1/2 years in the calling and have to say that I am very sad to let it go. My replacement, Maren Lopez (see smiling woman below), is amazing! She is a teacher and a leader, creative and spiritual. I love her and her energy. It was the Primary program as well. I cried. I cried some more. I will move on but I will truly miss Primary. It was by far the best calling, with the best blessings, I have every had.


9/27 - It has been a week since I was released. I went to RS for the first time in 11 years. No kidding. I have to say it wasn't nearly as fun. I found myself listening to the Primary children sing and picking out voices and listening to Sharing Time. Old habits are hard to break....

Number One is the Loneliest Number

Okay, it's not true. Connor sequestered himself with his I-Pod touch in his room for most of the day. Tylor played a computer game in my room. Lauren watched tv in the family room. No one spoke to each other. No one passed another in the hall. No contact. According to my children it was pretty near to a perfect last day of summer. So, one is not the loneliest number - it's the right number.

Tres, Tri, Trio, Touo, Three

I made a fatal mistake today. I mentioned the 'S' word (school). I have never seen 3 kids mope about as much as these 3. Seriously. You would have thought that I had mentioned a firing squad. I finally had to pull out the 'I' word (ice cream) to get them out of their collective funk.

I do not remember ever being in a funk to go back to school. I loved school because it wasn't home. I got more attention at school from dad than I did at home - no offense intended, it was what it was - and I loved it. Dad and I would split a lunch, get ice cream, or just hang out if neither of us had money. It was great. People will still tease me when I tell them my dad taught at the school I went to and I liked it. He was a great back up. If I was having problems with a teacher he would have 'a word or two' with them. (At least one time more than that!) I can remember a teacher calling him to the nurses office and the two of them laughing of me smashing my finger (my fault for being late to class and not hearing the instructions). It makes me smile still.

Thanks dad for being great!

Day Trip for 5

Five people went to the SF Academy of Science and one of them was not me! Connor, his friend Ben, Lauren, Tylor and Jim went. We were supposed to go to Great America but it was closed of all things! I couldn't join them so I was seriously bummed all day. No, call it a funk. When I mentioned it to Jim he said, "Now you know how I have felt for the past 12 years.". That made me sadder. Now I am a little sad school is starting ... Five days from now I'm sure it will change. ;-)

Six Shoes

Six shoes, three pair, one for each kid. School shoes were always a huge deal. We got the brown and white saddle shoes, they hid dirt better. They were school shoes, sunday shoes, all winter shoes. If they got wet you prayed the house was warm enough to dry them out by the next morning. New school shoes that gave you blisters on your heel every stinkin' year but you loved those shoes. The new smell, how clean they looked, how the leather was polished. I love school shoes.

Seven Deadly Sins

I know what the real 7 deadly sins are:

1. Coveting other people's school (that it is in early and we are still out...)
2. Greedily thinking of when my children will finally be in school for longer than public school
3. Being slothful and not buying school supplies, backpacks, shoes, or uniforms early!
4. Being proud when you finally finish it all and still have to wait for school to start
5. Envying parents waving good-bye to their little darlings daily starting weeks ago
6. Being wrathful that I can't find 2 green pens on the supply list
7. Gluttonously drowning my sorrows in homemade lemonade (oh, so tart!)

9 ....

Nine red pens ... 9.

Ten days 'til school,
Nine red pens,
And a happy dance on the way....

10 ....

Ten days until school starts....10.

3 More Weeks of Summer

There are many good things about attending private schools. They are:

1. School uniforms (No "I can't decide what to wear!", always, "Wear the blue or red.")
2. Longer school days (8 to 3:05 with public being 8:35 to 1:42 - no kidding)
3. Fewer weird days off (2nd Tuesday of each month is a 1/2 day - public every other Wed 1/2 and three weeks of early release)
4. One more week off ("Ski Week" - whatever!)



5. Social skills are expected and generally performed by each student
6. Out of school the first Wednesday of June facilitating an appropriately long summer

Things I don't like:

1. School starts on September 9th this year - WE HAVE 3 WEEKS OF SUMMER W/NO
NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS TO PLAY WITH!!

It's going to be a long 3 weeks....