I need to apologize for not posting last week. I was distracted. That is my only excuse. But I was distracted by 2 really good distractions.
First, it was show time for the musical presentation that I participated in. It was amazing! This musical presentation was both choral and orchestral. I'd never sung with a full orchestra before. It brought a depth to the performance that I'd never experienced before. Everyone performed so well. It was definitely a heart touching experience.
We also had an wonderful director and producer who worked tirelessly to make this happen. The most amazing thing was that no one was paid to participate. Everyone (lighting, orchestra, director, choir....) was a volunteer. We gave of our time and talents to make this happen.
Another highlight of the last performance was that the composers were there to see it performed for the very first time! Yup, we were the very first in the world to perform it. The composers were so nice and fun. I only hoped we performed it up to their expectations.
My other distraction were some changes that my children's elementary school are proposing to implement next school year. My husband went to a meeting that explained the changes and then a flyer vaguely outlining what they wanted to happen was sent home to all of the parents. They weren't minor changes either. Let me explain.
Our school is the poorest school in our district. We haven't met the state testing requirements for over 5 years now. So they have decided in an effort to better focus our children on learning; our children will be required to wear uniforms, have longer school days and the most frustrating part for me, is that they will cut science and fine arts from the curriculum. Science and fine arts will only be taught if they are part of the lesson dealing with reading or math. I. Am. Not. Happy.
I'm not a big fan of uniforms but I appreciate how easy it will be for my kids to pick clothes in the morning. There will be no more, "What should I wear today?" But...... as I mentioned our school is in a poor area. Over 90% of our student are on free or discounted lunches. We have a backpack program that provides a backpack full of food each weekend to those children who wouldn't have any food to eat otherwise. I don't understand how they expect these parents to buy these uniforms. A fair amount of these parents rely on hand-me-downs or thrift store to provide clothing for their children. The school has acknowledged that some parents will need help but I don't think they are being realistic. They say that if a child comes to school with no uniform, they will provide one for the child to wear for the day. At the end of the day, the uniform would need to be returned to the office. The laundry, mending and teasing issues just boggle my mind. They also say they will help parents buy uniforms for their kids. How are they going to afford that? Say you buy only 2 uniforms for only 60% of the school, that still over $2500. But those uniforms won't last long because kids grow and tend to put holes in the knees.
Did I mention that they will also require a specified length for the boys hair and the girls bangs?
As for taking science and art out of the classrooms....... My daughter came home distraught when her teacher told her about this change. She was so upset that not only were they not going to do art projects but that they would no longer do science. She LOVES science! In fact, she's wants to be a marine biologist specializing in sharks. (I don't know why she chose sharks. They scare her but she is fascinated.)
I can understand that the school is trying to find a way to meet state testing requirement. I applaud the effort but taking science and art out of the classroom is not the way to do it. The fine arts have been proven to not only increase creativity and finding solutions to problems but it has been proven to enhance a child's understanding and learning of any subject from math to reading. As for science, elementary school is the time where kids are the most curious about there environment and how things work. It's also the time where a love of science is fostered. But the clincher of the matter is that our school is the only one in the district not being taught science. So when these children go to junior high/middle school, they will be so far behind in their understanding and knowledge of science that is taught at that level.
The worst part is that it feels like the school is being sneaky about this all. The note sent home to the parents was far from clear and they left out a lot of details. They also mentioned the new uniform rule first which, in my opinion, was done to take the focus off of no more science and fine arts. And from everyone I talked to, it worked. I mentioned the no science thing and every last one of the parents were appalled. They also only informed the parents less than two weeks before the school board will make a decision on whether to go through with the proposed changes. They are hoping to keep protests and objections to a minimum.
So, not only have a posted on my facebook page a link to email our school board representative but I have outlined the missing details from the note sent home. I have given the principal a chance to clarify the matter in an email. After that, both my husband and I will send an email our school board representative. I plan on getting as many signatures to a petition protesting these changes as I can. Then I will attend the school board meeting discussing this issue and presenting the petition at the meeting.
I do not plan on letting this go. My children deserve better.
Ella
© Ella's Places
April 30, 2012
April 20, 2012
Tater Tot
Tater Tot is one of my sons. It's not his actual name. But it is a fairly obvious nickname choice since he was born in Idaho where the potato reigns supreme. My Dad thought it would be funny. And it's stuck. We'll see for how long.
I've actually talked about him quite a bit on here. He is the one who broke his leg and managed to ignore pain and lack of mobility to overcome any and all obstacles in his way. He is the one who refuses to say more than a few words and rarely any with consistency although we are up to 15 words now with only 8 understandable to others. He is also my almost two year old who just celebrate his 2nd birthday. It was Elmo themed; as if there would be any doubt.
What you don't know about him is that he refused to wear shoes until this past winter and only conceded because his toes would get too cold. Now, he's obsessed! Not only does he insist that he has shoes on at all times when he's outside but he parades around the house in any pair of shoes that he can get a hold of. Why is it that little boys are amazing at walking around in oversized high heels?
He also LOVES being outside! The moment he discovered it was warm enough to not completely freeze his fingers off, all he wanted to do was be outside. He spends every minute I allow him outside and has to be dragged in against his will.
And I can safely say that he does not like strangers. My sister moved in with us a year ago and it took him 3 months to allow her to hold him for a short time. He still avoids her if she tries to touch him. It took 18 months and much licorice for him to allow my Dad to hold him occassionally. There is a man at our church who has made it his mission to get my son to look at him for more than 1 minute. It hasn't happened yet.
He also terrorizes his older sister, Sweet Cheeks. It's so funny because she would terrorize Teeny and now it's come back to bite her in the butt, sometimes literally. He chases her around while growling and yelling at her. If she hits him (the same way she would hit Teeny), he slugs her right back. If she takes away his toy, he bites her; for which I don't approve. But he also adores her. If she gets dressed up in her tutu and dances around the living room, he borrows a tutu so he can join in the fun. He follows her around trying to do everything that she does. And when he gets caught being less-than-nice to her, he always gives her a kiss and hug to say sorry.
So this is my not-so little Tater Tot. (The doctor just said that he's all set to be as big as a linebacker when he grows up.) He's loves to laugh, is an amazing cuddler and doesn't allow small things to get in his way. He loves shoes, getting dirty outside and ignoring everyone but family. And if you see him with his sippy cup, take a step back and leave him alone; it's his sacred time.
Ella
© Ella's Place
I've actually talked about him quite a bit on here. He is the one who broke his leg and managed to ignore pain and lack of mobility to overcome any and all obstacles in his way. He is the one who refuses to say more than a few words and rarely any with consistency although we are up to 15 words now with only 8 understandable to others. He is also my almost two year old who just celebrate his 2nd birthday. It was Elmo themed; as if there would be any doubt.
What you don't know about him is that he refused to wear shoes until this past winter and only conceded because his toes would get too cold. Now, he's obsessed! Not only does he insist that he has shoes on at all times when he's outside but he parades around the house in any pair of shoes that he can get a hold of. Why is it that little boys are amazing at walking around in oversized high heels?
He also LOVES being outside! The moment he discovered it was warm enough to not completely freeze his fingers off, all he wanted to do was be outside. He spends every minute I allow him outside and has to be dragged in against his will.
And I can safely say that he does not like strangers. My sister moved in with us a year ago and it took him 3 months to allow her to hold him for a short time. He still avoids her if she tries to touch him. It took 18 months and much licorice for him to allow my Dad to hold him occassionally. There is a man at our church who has made it his mission to get my son to look at him for more than 1 minute. It hasn't happened yet.
He also terrorizes his older sister, Sweet Cheeks. It's so funny because she would terrorize Teeny and now it's come back to bite her in the butt, sometimes literally. He chases her around while growling and yelling at her. If she hits him (the same way she would hit Teeny), he slugs her right back. If she takes away his toy, he bites her; for which I don't approve. But he also adores her. If she gets dressed up in her tutu and dances around the living room, he borrows a tutu so he can join in the fun. He follows her around trying to do everything that she does. And when he gets caught being less-than-nice to her, he always gives her a kiss and hug to say sorry.
So this is my not-so little Tater Tot. (The doctor just said that he's all set to be as big as a linebacker when he grows up.) He's loves to laugh, is an amazing cuddler and doesn't allow small things to get in his way. He loves shoes, getting dirty outside and ignoring everyone but family. And if you see him with his sippy cup, take a step back and leave him alone; it's his sacred time.
Ella
© Ella's Place
April 16, 2012
Secret to Motherhood
Have you ever wondered what happens at other people's houses? What their lives are like everyday? How they do things?
I do. I'm afraid that I'm doing something wrong. That as a Mom, I'm lacking in some way. And if I could just observe the home life of other people I could figure out what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. And then fix the stuff I'm doing wrong.
It's one of my secret fears. I haven't even told my husband yet. What if I am a failure as a Mom? My Mom wasn't available for most of my life so, what if I missed out on some "Mom secret" that my Mom was supposed to teach me but couldn't? What if there's a manual of "how to raise your kids" that I don't know about because my Mom didn't clue me in?
If you know the secret but have been sworn to secrecy, I beg of you to contact me. You don't even have to tell me what it is; although I won't say no if you do feel inclined to share. I only want to know if there is in fact a secret to Motherhood. Something that will allow me to say the right things at the right time to help each of my children to be the best that they can be. If I know there's a secret to Motherhood, maybe I could find a loophole in the secrecy clause and convince one of my Grandmothers to enlighten me. But I can't ask if I don't know.
In the meantime, I'm just going to love my children. I find that they forgive me more easily for my mistakes if I give the regular cuddles and kisses. Although, I'm still going to wonder what other people are doing too.
Ella
© Ella's Place
I do. I'm afraid that I'm doing something wrong. That as a Mom, I'm lacking in some way. And if I could just observe the home life of other people I could figure out what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. And then fix the stuff I'm doing wrong.
It's one of my secret fears. I haven't even told my husband yet. What if I am a failure as a Mom? My Mom wasn't available for most of my life so, what if I missed out on some "Mom secret" that my Mom was supposed to teach me but couldn't? What if there's a manual of "how to raise your kids" that I don't know about because my Mom didn't clue me in?
If you know the secret but have been sworn to secrecy, I beg of you to contact me. You don't even have to tell me what it is; although I won't say no if you do feel inclined to share. I only want to know if there is in fact a secret to Motherhood. Something that will allow me to say the right things at the right time to help each of my children to be the best that they can be. If I know there's a secret to Motherhood, maybe I could find a loophole in the secrecy clause and convince one of my Grandmothers to enlighten me. But I can't ask if I don't know.
In the meantime, I'm just going to love my children. I find that they forgive me more easily for my mistakes if I give the regular cuddles and kisses. Although, I'm still going to wonder what other people are doing too.
Ella
© Ella's Place
April 4, 2012
Bits and Pieces
1. I love Dancing with the Stars. I wish the costumes were more modest but I've loved ballroom dancing for years. Ever since the movie Strictly Ballroom and those ballroom competitions they used to broadcast on PBS.
2. We picked up Sweet Cheek's new backpack for school. It's perfectly striped for her!
3. My baby is crawling everywhere and into everything!!!
4. While we were in Utah, our dog managed to escape several times. My poor sister was seriously stressed. After having to pick him up from the pound during her lunch hour, she decided that he needed some time in his crate to contemplate his behavior.
5. My oldest thought that it would be a good idea to start the car while I was in the house. I had a mini heart attack when I heard the engine start up.
6. There are 2 birthdays in our house this month. The worse part is that they're only 6 days apart. There's going to be way too much cake at our house. Please feel free to stop by and grab some.
7. We just found out that my husband has to travel for work the week before my son and I head out to California. He'll get home Sunday and we leave Monday. At least I'll get a vaction after my week alone with the kids!
8. While down in Utah, my kids had sleepovers at my Grandma's house. My Grandma and my kids were both super excited! They all had so much fun!
9. My daughter will be turning 7 this month and has requested this cake. Talk about sugar overload! I'm still going to make it for her though.
10. I'm participating in a choir at my church that is going to perform a newly released musical program by Janice Kapp Perry and Bonnie Hart Murray. The best part is that they are going to be there for the last performance! It's been so long since I've been able to do something like this. Who knows, maybe I'll even start acting again.
Ella
© Ella's Place
2. We picked up Sweet Cheek's new backpack for school. It's perfectly striped for her!
3. My baby is crawling everywhere and into everything!!!
4. While we were in Utah, our dog managed to escape several times. My poor sister was seriously stressed. After having to pick him up from the pound during her lunch hour, she decided that he needed some time in his crate to contemplate his behavior.
5. My oldest thought that it would be a good idea to start the car while I was in the house. I had a mini heart attack when I heard the engine start up.
6. There are 2 birthdays in our house this month. The worse part is that they're only 6 days apart. There's going to be way too much cake at our house. Please feel free to stop by and grab some.
7. We just found out that my husband has to travel for work the week before my son and I head out to California. He'll get home Sunday and we leave Monday. At least I'll get a vaction after my week alone with the kids!
8. While down in Utah, my kids had sleepovers at my Grandma's house. My Grandma and my kids were both super excited! They all had so much fun!
9. My daughter will be turning 7 this month and has requested this cake. Talk about sugar overload! I'm still going to make it for her though.
10. I'm participating in a choir at my church that is going to perform a newly released musical program by Janice Kapp Perry and Bonnie Hart Murray. The best part is that they are going to be there for the last performance! It's been so long since I've been able to do something like this. Who knows, maybe I'll even start acting again.
Ella
© Ella's Place
April 2, 2012
California Here We Come!
Tickets have been purchased. A hotel and rental car has been reserved. Plans are being formulated. And I am getting so very excited!!
My oldest, Teeny, has saved enough money and we are going to the Oakland/San Francisco area at the end of May. For a week.
We are heading to see SuperCroc. My son is beyond excited to get his picture taken by this ferocious fossil. It will be the culmination of an obsession that has lasted over half of his life.
He is also super excited because he gets to go on vacation for a week with no one else but Me. While he loves his siblings, he sometimes feels as if he doesn't get as much of my attention as he wants. So, this is a big deal to him. We're going to pack as much fun as we can into our time together. We will be eating his favorite foods (even though I personally don't care for them): Chinese & seafood. He already has the restaurants picked out. He's decided that we need to visit the zoo on the day that the alligators are fed since we can see SuperCroc any ol' time. We'll ride the ferry across the bay. Take another ferry out to Alcatraz. Walk across the Golden Gate bridge. Gorge ourselves on ice cream. And spend every other available minute swimming in the pool at the hotel.
While all these things are interesting, I am especially interested in checking out Trader Joes. I have heard so much about it from my many blog wanderings and I'm intrigued. A store that sells cookie butter and chocolate peanut butter..... I feel the need to go check it out. The best part is that there is a store down the road from our hotel. Yes!!! I think I'm more excited to go there than I am to visit Alcatraz. My only concern is what I'm going to do if I love it so very much. There's obviously no location close to me. I might need to find a supplier.
Still there is one down side to our trip. I'm going to have to leave my baby (he'll be 9 months by then) at home with my husband. I'll have to go a whole week without snuggling, cuddling or kissing him. And what if he does something amazing and I miss it? I just don't know how I'm going to handle it. What if he forgets me? A week is an awfully long time to a baby.
I'm pretty sure copious amounts of sugar and chocolate will be involved in helping me get through this.
Ella
© Ella's Place
My oldest, Teeny, has saved enough money and we are going to the Oakland/San Francisco area at the end of May. For a week.
We are heading to see SuperCroc. My son is beyond excited to get his picture taken by this ferocious fossil. It will be the culmination of an obsession that has lasted over half of his life.
He is also super excited because he gets to go on vacation for a week with no one else but Me. While he loves his siblings, he sometimes feels as if he doesn't get as much of my attention as he wants. So, this is a big deal to him. We're going to pack as much fun as we can into our time together. We will be eating his favorite foods (even though I personally don't care for them): Chinese & seafood. He already has the restaurants picked out. He's decided that we need to visit the zoo on the day that the alligators are fed since we can see SuperCroc any ol' time. We'll ride the ferry across the bay. Take another ferry out to Alcatraz. Walk across the Golden Gate bridge. Gorge ourselves on ice cream. And spend every other available minute swimming in the pool at the hotel.
While all these things are interesting, I am especially interested in checking out Trader Joes. I have heard so much about it from my many blog wanderings and I'm intrigued. A store that sells cookie butter and chocolate peanut butter..... I feel the need to go check it out. The best part is that there is a store down the road from our hotel. Yes!!! I think I'm more excited to go there than I am to visit Alcatraz. My only concern is what I'm going to do if I love it so very much. There's obviously no location close to me. I might need to find a supplier.
Still there is one down side to our trip. I'm going to have to leave my baby (he'll be 9 months by then) at home with my husband. I'll have to go a whole week without snuggling, cuddling or kissing him. And what if he does something amazing and I miss it? I just don't know how I'm going to handle it. What if he forgets me? A week is an awfully long time to a baby.
I'm pretty sure copious amounts of sugar and chocolate will be involved in helping me get through this.
Ella
© Ella's Place
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