Minivan

Minivan for us? No way! Minivan for Jack? Fine by me! We went to a dedication ceremony for Junia and Eden today and all Jack cared about was the minivan. He patiently waited for his turn and then when all the other kids were distracted...WHAM! He climbed in the van and scooted around for at least thirty minutes. It was another beautiful day in Ventura and a lovely celebration for the girls.

Civil Disobedience

Today, Jack attended his first protest rally. Funding for education continues to be short changed in our country.

In just my little school district, 39 teachers have been fired. This is not because they were ineffective. Some of them had up to 7 years experience serving children in our community. But we have to cut millions of dollars to stay afloat next year. We won't have fewer students, just fewer ways to meet their needs. Fewer minutes of individual attention. Fewer moments to connect with them on a one-on-one basis. Fewer chances to get them inspired about learning. If I sound angry, it is because I am...mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more! So today, our family stood up for what is right, what is important. Someone must stand up for our children. My two-year old did! What are you going to do?

Luck o' the Irish

No pinching around our house today! Jack dressed up in all his green finery and headed off to Karen's house to play with his friends. We hope you all had a fun St. Patrick's Day.

Pool Time

It was gorgeous in Ventura yesterday, so we decided to take advantage of our new pool membership. Jack got all decked out in his swimsuit. (Mommy and Daddy were much less thrilled about wearing swim suits.) Then we loaded him up in the wagon with the towels and off we went. It's only about 50 yds. away, so the commute couldn't be any easier! First we played in the baby pool. It is only 2 feet deep, so Jack can stand up and walk around on his own. Come to find out, however, it is COLDER than the big pool. So we went and played in the big pool instead. We had a great time and left just as 8 more cars arrived and unloaded! Apparently everyone had the same idea on a beautiful, sunny Sunday.

Soapbox Warning

If you have children, grandchildren or are just concerned with the fate of education in our country, then wake up and smell the disaster! Funding for education in our state is being cut even deeper this year. In my district, any teacher with seven years in the district or less will be CUT COMPLETELY. We are talking about new, enthusiastic, highly trained teachers, ready to change the world...CUT! Just on my campus, 24 teachers will be whittled down to 20 (including me, who will be forced to change campuses after 10 years). We will not have fewer students on campus, just just fewer teachers! Children will be packed into larger classes despite the fact that research has PROVEN that smaller class sizes are better for student learning. Kinder - third grade, plan for 30+ students. Fourth grade and up, plan for 35-40 students per class. There is NO MAXIMUM! Additionally, students will often be combined into mixed grade classes to cut costs. Having taught combination classes most of my career, I can assure you that it is NOT in the best interest of the students! Even the BEST teachers are stretched beyond their capabilities, and the bottom line is we already have too little time to give students the individual attention they need for optimal success. Please contact your representatives in the state and let them know that education is supremely important and you won't stand for them balancing their budgets on the shoulders of innocent children!

Chef Rob

As I was reviewing our February photos I was shocked I had neglected to include Rob's first roast chicken! He got his first shot at our wonderful new oven with built-in meat probe...nice. I was hoping when he saw all the bells and whistles on this appliance he would be tempted to take it for a test drive. Just before Valentine's Day, Rob made dinner for me while Jack was at Grandma's. This included a yummy chicken, rice and zucchini. Perfect! What a great treat. A meal is always better when someone prepares it for you with love. Thank you Honey!

Room and Board

I know he's only two, but we are already teaching Jack about chores. Today he helped Daddy drag the trash and recycling to the curb. He absolutely LOVES being our big helper and we figured we might as well channel that enthsiasm while it lasts.

It was a beautiful day today, so we headed with Gracie up to the park. Gracie had a fantastic time chasing the frisbee. Jack, however, did not enjoy the trip. Some family had a Jolly Jumper set up right next to the playground and two year olds don't understand why they weren't invited to the party. He was so upset watching the big kids play in the jumper without him and we could find no distraction to ease his sorrow. We finally just put him back in the stroller and headed home. He screamed and begged for over 10 minutes. We felt horrible for him. He finally calmed down when we reassured him that we would watch Toy Story when he got home. Poor baby! Two years old is too young to learn that life is not fair.

Tonight he is having a fun bath with Daddy and then we will have some family cuddle time on the couch. Life is good.