Fishes

I really enjoy the Aquarium in Denver. There is something calming about watching fish swim in big tanks. We had a very nice time. Xander was not as excited about it as he was when we had been before, when he was 1. About 1/2 way through he said, "Ok, Bye Bye Fish" "Enough Fish" "Enough fish".

But he did enjoy, Squishing pennies and putting pictures on them. He loved turning the crank and watching the penny go around.

Aquarium

There is nothing quite like the simpleness of a Bubble Machine
to make you happy!

He makes me happy!

Dillon was such a good sport to play in the bubbles with Xander

The higher you are, the more bubbles you can get!

More Weekend

Xander really enjoyed having his brother come and visit for the weekend.
He wanted nothing to with Mom and Dad for the weekend.
It was all about Dillon. Dillon was very kind to Xander and they played
Legos, Adventures, Cars, Trains, and he even let Xander sleep with him.

Xander loved every minute.

I know I can be bitter about certain aspects of this crazy life of mine, but these kids are great!
They are so sweet and really love and care about Xander
and that makes me happy!

Weekend

There is nothing like a good Cupcake to make you happy.

My friend, from High School has an awesome little Bakery pretty close to the
Denver Zoo that we are probably always going to have to go to
when we are in the area.

THings that make me go hmmm

We have a visitor with us this weekend! Xander is in Heaven!

But something just makes me go hmmmm....

Child tells us that he received play station 3 for Christmas, ipod touch, plus he was flown here to Denver with Mother. Mother is staying in Marriott, and rented car for the weekend and then flying home with child on Sunday.

Family A pays Family B a big child support check every month, that makes Family A qualify for Medicaid.

Yet Family B, claims they make only $15.00 an hour, has not had a raise in 10 years and her Dad is her Boss.

Yet Boss can afford to give child 25,000 for down payment for house, Takes family on Disneyland Vacation every year, Has Lifetime membership in Condo club and 5+ Season tickets to University of Utah football games, which they also go to away games.

But Family A is paying almost $1,000 a month in child support because Family B makes so little.

And that is why sometimes things make me go hmmmm......

But I am thankful for my testimony and knowledge of the Gospel and I know if we continue to be honest, pay our tithing and do our best. We will be blessed. And like I told Jeremy the other night, I would rather have a wonderful husband and father for my children then "things".

So if family B, feels good about how they report their income and what they are doing, so be it.
But sometimes it just makes me go hmmm.

A Picture Post

Xander has really been into imaginetive play lately like the other day when his trains picked up Crayons and took them places or the crayons were something that caused all the trains to crash.

The Red cup was his Water Tower (with no water in it) That would dump on the trains as they got crayons and the stack of letters with the dice on top was part of his city.

While Xander played, Mama got her toes painted.

By her loving Je Rem Yi

Not to shabby Mr Yi!

And last but not least we have been enjoying a good supply of this.

He has a bowl pretty much once a day. Big bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer from Costco and fresh strawberries while they last!

I am so thankful that my son enjoys fruit. Loves fruit. Sometimes will eat 5 or 6 clementines in one day and has taught himself to peel them.

I really think that is why he is so healthy and rarely gets sick. I looked up blueberries on the web to see the health benefits and it said that it BUILDS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM to fight off common colds and the flu. Well knock on wood but Xander has not had a serious illness or even really bad cold since his short time on earth and I think it is due to his fruit loving nature. He eats some kind of fruit everyday.

I have been so blessed. I think Heavenly Father also knows how much I hate anything to do with Hospitals or such, so he is sparing me the pain.

Education

I have been thinking a lot about education and teaching and the problems going on. My friend is a teacher in the Adams 12 district and the parents had a candlelight vigil to mourn the loss of funds. She linked the news story on facebook and I watched it and it made me think. They have to cut money from the budget. 30 million to be exact. So in protest parents went to a designated meeting place and lit candles as a funeral for lost "things".

Of course on the chopping block is "No Middle School Sports", "Parents pay for textbooks" and cutting 130 teachers. When I heard the sports thing, I had a flashback to my Middle School days (20 years ago) when the threat to cut sports was made because of budget shortage and all the kids signed a petition and then we were going to do a "Walk Out" to protest and all these other things...and you know what? Sports did not get cut, I think some extra fee was added to pay for the sports and everything was fine. So it just got me thinking...Why are these always the first things to go, "Sports", "Teachers" and "Textbooks". Things that directly impact the students and their success in education and desire to stay in school.

I think it pulls at the heart strings of the public. and the Districts, (Administrators) end up getting what they want in the end.(More Money). I am sorry, but when we can't afford things and cuts need to be made they need to be made. But why always go for the things that actually benefit students and their success in education.

I think we could cut some fat out of the administration starting from the top down. A few less Principals, secretaries, and counselors. Yes, I would like to be able to keep everyone, but when you don't have the money to pay, things have to go. So why are Teachers always on the chopping block first. The ones that directly effect the students that our tax dollars are going for.

But would it be as easy to gather a bunch of parents to light candles if they said they were going to cut the few to many "Vice Principals"? or put a cap on their salaries? Nope don't think so....

Another thought, ok so, you keep the administrators and get rid of sports and class sizes increase because of Teacher cuts, and you have to pay for your textbooks.

Parents, it is time to step up. So no sports. Start a in school sports team. 3 or 4 teams could be created within one school. Therefore increasing participation and exercise within the school. Sports can still be a part of a Middle School without the cost.

Less Teachers. Looks like more parents need to volunteer. As a teacher myself. I could set up several small groups and easily instruct a volunteer to lead that small group. And as a parent myself, I do not put the education of my child fully on the Teacher. It is my job too. Maybe the best thing the parents could have done to mourn the loss of education is to read your child a book or help with homework. Not go stand and light a candle to blame someone else for a budget short fall.

Textbooks. How many textbooks are really needed. My favorite English teacher from Highschool once said that if everything was taken away, she could teach a kid everything they need to know from the Dictionary. Newspapers, the internet, the Library. We have so much access to information that if textbooks had to go, I think we could make due without them.

I hate cuts...personally I would rather cut some other programs ie...Planned Parenthood etc...and give all money to education.

But I hate Debt. I hate that our country is going further and further in debt and I don't like it. But if things have to go. They have to go. So be creative and deal with it.

The Easter story in Plastic Eggs

It is not even Easter yet....I love how it is going to be later this year. A little warmer, Maybe Xander can wear a cute Easter outfit with shorts this year..

But my Mom and I made these cute Easter Stories in Eggs. My Mom sewed the bags and I did the eggs with the scripture and a story. We made them for my siblings families...and we have to mail some of them, so that is why we got an early start.

If you are interested in creating one, just Google Mormon Easter Story in Plastic Eggs.
All the cute Mormon Mommy Bloggers explain in detail what to do.

But it is amazing how doing something about Jesus can change your mood. I was feeling so
awful a couple days before and focusing on the Savior and doing something for someone else
got me out of my funk a little bit..

And Friday I went to the Mall. I love Flatirons Mall. They have a clean play area for Xander. Pottery Barn for Kids has a Lego table that Xander can play with and I love drooling over the cute ideas in that store. I only got suckered into one thing. The Kiosk with the nail buffering. (Have they stopped you and made only your thumb nail shiny?)

They got me. With their never ending gushing over Xander and how shiny they made my thumb. I bought the kit, for thirty dollars. (I figured it was the same cost as one mani-pedi and now I can do my own ) And I now have 10 super shiny nails with their buffering stick, cuticle oil, and file.

Jesus and the Mall. My sure fire way to feel better!

Lists

I just feel like crying today.

Probably cause I am pregnant and I am tired of the pain. When I was pregnant with Xander, I couldn't eat anything.

This time, if I am not eating every 2 hours, I feel sick, but I hate eating. Nothing seems good. So I cry trying to think of something to eat so I won't be in pain.

I need to get out and try and make friends, but have no motivation to do so. I wake up at 6am-Work for American Envoy until about 12pm and after that I have little motivation to do anything.

I did put on make up today.

I am obsessed with Toys. Like I worry about Xander losing pieces, so I am constantly organizing and counting to make sure he has all his trains, cars and legos. Is that weird?

Jeremy is doing well in school. I just feel like it is never going to end. But we do only have hopefully only 4 semester left after this. But is it ever going to end....

I need to get back to doing my story blog. I was having fun with that.....Then maybe I won't feel like crying anymore.