June 17, 2007

June 17, 2007

Well, we have had another fun-filled, busy spreadsheet week!

Marisa had tennis camp this week. It was 2 ½ hours each for 4 days, in the beating hot sun which got into the 90’s in the morning. She really enjoyed it, won a trophy for Most Improved Beginner, and tied for 1st place on most Accurate Serve. The only draw back of the experience is the interesting tan which she received. It is beautiful except for the line drawn at her ankles, which leads to stark, glowing, white feet! She thinks it’s hideous and claims it is called the “monkey tan” because, well, it makes her look like a monkey. Good grief!! So, she has spent sometime outside reading with all of her covered but her feet.

Marisa also started orchestra camp where she gets to take from the awesome high school conductor. She also started taking private lessons from the Principal Second Violinist in the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra. She really loves her new teacher and is excited to finally start private lessons.

Kayla started band camp this week and is enjoying that as well. She loves playing the clarinet and gets a 20-minute lesson once a week from one of the high school band instructors.
We went to the pool on Monday when the temperature went up very high. There were several hundred people in the pool. No one could swim, only bounce up and down in the water. We decided that was dumb so we will go back next week when the hours are extended until 8 in the evening. It also didn’t help that most of the kids were middle school kids I teach- not too excited about being seen in a swimsuit in front of them!

I took my massive midterm this week and it was a miserable experience. First, there was a mix-up in paperwork. Then I studied almost 3 days straight memorizing and studying everything he said we should. Lets just say if I could have literally memorized the text, I could have aced it. It was one of those college tests where very little of what you studied was on the actual exam and there were tons of questions I have never seen before. I have no doubt I bombed it. Now I am just struggling to get through the class so I can get credit for the dumb endorsement. This is just so wrong.

Movie review: When I subbed Marisa’s class last month, they watched the movie the “Rabbit-proof fence”. I just rented it from Netflix so we could see it as a family. It isn’t fast paced, but it is a beautiful, touching true story about the aborigines in Australia. Absolutely incredible what these girls did. I highly recommend it.

The “You Must Be Kidding Me” weekly moment: I took all of us girls to get our hair done on Friday for an annual girl’s day out. I waited 6 months for Alayna’s hair to grow out. We had a great time. I cut my hair much shorter, Marisa got layers and a sweeping bang, Kayla got layers, and Alayna got this adorable bob. Well, I went to watch a movie with Marisa that evening and when we came upstairs, we found that Alayna had cut her hair again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took everything I had not to drop kick her over the house. I had to literally hold Kayla back since Alayna cut their hair off her favorite stuffed horse. She also cut up a magazine, cut the hair off her slippers, and cut the Princess bag she got for Christmas into pieces. I was so angry…I thought we were past this point. When does it end? Needless to say, she is grounded from scissors for the rest of the summer, no…the rest of her life!!! What a geek! I put all the scissors in a box in a high cupboard. Yesterday, she had moved a stool over and climbed up the counter and up the shelves trying to get the scissors. Argh!!!! I think I may have to go with MJ’s lock and key idea.


This week: Marisa leaves for camp tomorrow, hopefully get in some evening swimming, and enjoy more summer time. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!!!

Secret Mission 2

Secret Mission

June 12, 2007

June 12, 2007

What a FANTASTIC week we have had!! I decided to make a spreadsheet of a very strict schedule and decided to run this house similar to a military compound- haha! Anyway, I had no idea it would work so well. We had such a great week that the kids are already calling it our best summer ever. We signed up for the fun library program (plus Marisa took her language arts teachers challenge- if Marisa can read more books than her this summer, she will take Marisa out to lunch!) We have a set workout schedule where we do strength training, family tennis, bike rides, family walks, etc. We also got a pool pass and have been trying to do that often as well. This week starts orchestra lessons (Marisa), band lessons (Kayla), tennis camp (Marisa), and private violin lessons (Marisa). The kids are getting in some great playtime. They decorated the playhouse outside and today I found the younger 3 on a “secret mission”. I will attach the picture I took. This summer has just been so great. Even Marisa has done the meals for 2 weeks for a personal progress project. Man, that has been awesome. Too bad I can’t get her to do it all the time. I am also teaching the kids how to deep clean (the poor souls). They get a special HUGE job each Friday. We also have a cool money program we are doing and I have a new “jail’ for items left around the house. It is working so great!!!
Bob doesn’t have to work overtime anymore, which is nice. He is still playing on a softball team, but we haven’t been able to see him play yet. I have also spent a lot of time studying. I am taking a GEO class from BYU which is brutal. So much so, that I dropped the second class before I even started it. It is ridiculously hard, even Bob agrees. Plus, I spend about 8-9 hours on each lesson. It should be way more than a 3 credit class. I tried to take the midterm today, but once again, there was a paperwork mess up and so now I cant take it until Thursday. Irritating since I was studying until midnight last night. My middle school class FINALLY became available. I have been literally waiting for it for 10 months. Anyway, I absolutely LOVE the class!! I am learning a ton and enjoy every assignment. And guess what, every assignment will help me in teaching middle school, no busy work. How about that?? The first paper I wrote had to do with my memories of middle school. Does anyone else have a hard time remembering that far back??
Just as a side note: we have been watching the “Planet earth” series as a family (we taped from the discovery channel) It is PHENOMENAL!!!! I highly recommend seeing it. It has the coolest stuff. There is also a real cool series called “The States” that we have been watching as well. I will tell you what we think when we finish it.
Well, we hope everyone else is having an enjoyable and fun summer.

Kayla before

Kayla after

Marisa before