I've taught them well

Reagon/Rebecca (I couldn't tell): Why do you have to do laundry?
Hannah: It's just life.

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It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The kids are gone! The kids are gone! Woohoo!

I love back to school. I get hours where the house is quiet and clean. No one whines or fights. I only wish they would keep the kids longer -- like until bedtime. That would be great. All I'd have to do is have prayers and send them to bed.

Actually Emma doesn't start school until next week because this week they are doing kindergarten testing. But on Monday they had the kindergartners come to school with their parents for an hour and a half. They showed the kids their seats, read them a story, and had them do a craft and make a snack. After that they took them on a tour of the school while the teacher talked to the parents. Emma was so excited because this year the theme is monkeys. For the snack the kids made peanut butter, banana, and chocolate sandwiches. She has asked for that every day for lunch since.

Today she went in for her meeting with the teacher. She did pretty well. It always amazes me how kids can know things at home (like shapes, counting to 20, and beginning sounds) and when they are tested on what they know, they forget everything. I need to remember that this isn't a reflection on me as a mother. I fought the urge to interrupt the testing and remind Emma that she knows the answers, or to tell the teacher how well she does at home.

I felt very old taking her to kindergarten on Monday. All of the other mothers were young and cute and skinny and so excited. I, on the other hand, brought a book to read while the teacher talked to the kids. The nice thing is that they're all so thrilled to volunteer for everything that I don't need to feel guilty for hardly volunteering at all.

Ashley and Celeste definitely weren't thrilled about school. They tell me they don't have any friends and that they hate their teachers and that school is stupid. Ashley keeps getting lost because she can't find her classes, and Celeste is upset that she didn't make the volleyball team. However, today they both came home feeling somewhat happy. I think Ashley's starting to talk to other kids, and Celeste found someone new she thinks will be a good friend. Neither girl will tell me anything about the boys (I keep asking).

Hannah, of course, was thrilled to return to school. She couldn't wait to go back -- and not just because of her friends. She likes school. Of course she also likes going to the dentist. She's just weird that way. Being in a new class this year she is making friends with new girls, but she tells me that her old friends are getting upset about that. There's not much you can say when this happens. It just makes me happy that I'm not 10 anymore.

Well, we're off to a good start. All of the girls did their homework today before I left for school. I hope this pattern will last.

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Finally

Travis had two phone interviews today and has another interview scheduled for tomorrow. That's as many as he had for the whole summer. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

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Go home already!

I hope Hannah enjoyed her birthday. We had her favorite dinner: fettuccine alfredo, corn, broccoli, and garlic bread, followed by cupcakes. For her present we gave her a bicycle.

On Saturday she had her birthday party. We decided to keep it pretty simple. We had the girls make necklaces and bracelets while watching Harry Potter IV and pigging out on candy. For the jewelry I just used memory wire and seed beads, it was pretty simple and I didn't have to attach any clasps.

They also played Apples to Apples and Uno. Afterwards we opened presents.

Then we ate cake and ice cream. For those of you who don't know, Hannah's favorite color is brown. So we did chocolate cake, with a chocolate pudding filling, with chocolate frosting, and chocolate ice cream.

I did not give out goody bags. I've decided that I don't like them and I'm not going to do them anymore. After all you've already entertained the kids and fed them cake/ice cream and given the parents free time. Do you really need to give them more candy and trinkets when they go home?

When the party was over the girls didn't go home, they stayed here and played hide and seek. I don't exactly understand this. The kids will stay and play for hours unless you physically make them call their mothers to come and get them. Didn't I state an ending time for the party on the invitation? Don't you think I might want to clean up and to take a nap when the party is over? The party was from 2-4. I had one mother call at 6 to ask if it was ok that her daughter was still there, shouldn't she have called before? Like at 4 when the party ended? I'm just saying. The last guest didn't leave until 8pm! And that was because I made her call her mother to come and get her. If you can't tell, this is one of my pet peeves. When the party is over -- come and get your child and take her home! Does it strike any of the rest of you as rude?

Anyway...(calming breaths) I thought I'd show you a few of the cakes I've made this year. I thought they turned out pretty well, of course they don't compare to Jim's. I tend to make the cake myself when I feel either broke or ambitious -- mainly because it takes forever and I make a huge mess in the process...

This one is the one I made for Hannah's birthday. (Big, brown, swirly thing)

And this one was for Emma's family party this year. (Giant cupcake)

And this one was for Emma's princess party. (Castle)

So, now the birthday is over and I don't have to do it again for 2 months!

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Decision Time

I was very impressed with the level of response to my post. Of course in our family, I guess which college to attend is somewhat of a controversial topic. I must say that I'm SHOCKED at how many people would even consider the U which is peopled with criminals. I thought we were a Y family.

Also, Mom and Suzanne saying that the older children need me more concerned me, especially being a younger child myself. Is that what happened to me, Suzanne, and Cheryl? We were neglected for the needier older ones? Being a younger child as well, I'm amazed Suzie took this position (traitor).

I think Celeste wins the award for blatant self-interest. William wins for originality. And Marjorie wins the spirituality award.

I know that you're all awaiting this decision with baited breath. So, to end everyone's suspense I've decided on....





WEBER!!

While many of you are correct that the U is more prestigious -- I'm not 22 and single. I need to consider finances, babysitting, location, and other factors. The teachers at Weber know me and (I think) like me. The students are older. I know what to expect there. And the big accounting firms still recruit from Weber (after all I was invited to Discover KPMG being a Weber student.)

The only real drawback to Weber is that they're the wildcats and their colors are purple and gold. I'm getting some horrible high school flashbacks.

Also, isn't it against Utah state law to have attended both the Y and the U?

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Utah v Weber?

The U starts next week and Weber starts the week after. Yet I'm still trying to decide which school I should attend.

The U costs more ($13,000), but is more prestigious and more heavily recruited. Weber is cheaper ($6,500) and I like the teachers and know what to expect. I plan to probably work for a large local firm instead of one of the big 4 since I'll need flexibility in my schedule and can't work 60 hour weeks for most of the year -- so do I need the heavy recruiting at the U?

Also, at the U I would have night and day classes. When Travis finds a job I will need to find a babysitter for Emma during the day, but I'd be home most nights for the girls. At Weber the classes would be only in the evening. This would work better for Emma, but I'd see less of the girls in the evening which means Travis would have to do homework and lessons with them.

The schedule at the U would be Tuesday and Thursday morning and Monday and Wednesday evening from 6-10, plus 6-8 hours a week for the graduate assistantship. Weber would be at the Layton campus on Monday 6-9, Tuesday 3-6, Wednesday 6-9, and Thursday 3-9.

Each school offers classes that the other doesn't. The U has forensic accounting and cost accounting. Weber has advanced auditing, internal auditing, and government accounting.

Further, I don't know who does the class scheduling at the U, but many of the classes I want are offered at the same time. As a result, this fall I will have to take 2 nonaccounting classes just to make my schedule work. No classes overlap at Weber so all of them can be accounting.

Weber will make me take one class from an instructor that I don't like, but I might not like the teachers at the U -- since I haven't met them yet.

Either way I can graduate next spring.

So, I'm asking you to vote. All of you. Utah or Weber? (I need to decide this weekend) (Also please give me your reasoning)

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Back to School

How do you prepare for school?

Selling the freezer for $150.
Selling the electric scooter for $70.
Selling shelves for $100.

Back to school clothes and supplies for the girls...priceless.

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Update

As some of you may know, Ashley had an MRI on Monday to check on her uterine fibroid.

Today I got a call from the nurse practitioner to say....(drum roll)...








Ashley is the proud owner of a 4 cm uterine fibroid!

In other words it hasn't changed size at all. You may ask what this means. We don't know. The doctor was out of the office today and will give us a call next week to discuss it.

The good news is that Ashley is pain free. After her hospitalization in May it hurt less and less frequently. The last time it bothered her was one evening at trek, and that was a month ago.

We'll keep you posted.

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Unclean! Unclean!

I'm giving you fair warning to keep your distance.


21 credit hours.

Root canal.

Ebay goes under.

Unemployment.

Ashley in the hospital.

Truck repossessed by Don.

Travis in the hospital.

Basement floods.

Lying creditors.

Soulless teachers.

Hormonal teenagers.


Dad got too close and he was injured. Save yourselves!!

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