Stamakajuna

P is for Play.

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J would love this!

H is for The Party for J that Happened.

While cleaning the studio, it is so close! I just found the following note. It is an unparty list, or, a perfect recipe for a great party! We put everything out and let them have at it. Hordes of boys, food, sugar, sunshine are the making for a perfect party.

legos/k-nex

whackers

big balls

cardboard blocks

origami

trampoline

marbles

bubbles

hats made out of bags

TV commercials/Laugh In Skits

Making Pizza [Baking took too much time, bought them at Costco. Perfectly fine.]

theater at clothesline [Aborted. There were wasps in the poles! No matter, the costumes worked out in the house!]

> cups, napkins

> root beer

> carrots, celery, jicama

> cotton candy!

> cake!

Epi Pen -- Thankfully, didn't need it! Didn't get it, yet.

friends, this school, that school

cousins, all the out of state showed up!

sweet neighbors

girl friend(s)

To give is to grow.

I've been feeling rather negative lately... well, extra negative.

N's hearing/processing is getting worse. Need to find a solution. Will an occupational therapist recognize something? This is a Big deal and I don't know what to do about it. The vicissitudes of his hearing drive me nuts, and really drive him nuts. No one else (except Dr. Pitt) seem to think it is unusual. They seem to think, "What?! He's deaf! Whaddya 'xpct!?"

Called Dr. Warren today about a 2nd implant today. He seems like a great doctor.

More Dr. visits. J's hip hurt mysteriously today. Another Dr. visit?

Lovely conversation with MVL and we even set a date (Woot! Woot!)!

Ginger was groomed today!

Noticed that I love to wash my hands in COLD, very cold water. One thing for the 25 random thing list.

There are yicky dishes in the sink.

Oh yeah, don't do Shrinky Dinks in the microwave, as N did. It kills (as in Dead) the microwave. Helium balloons and their strings kill ceiling fans too. FYI, just trying to help.

Positive Influences on J

After less than a week of school I am thinking about the role of a school in a child's life and growth. School is so positive -- the right one can be!

Thinking about the time spent home schooling J... not so great. In the long run, if home school had continued I think the ill-effects would have outweighed the positive, especially for him as a child. I loved being with him, when I was able to be. He benefits from outside influences.

The list is long:

• cleanliness (You keep your desk clean here too?)[I love that our new school has the children vacuum, clean etc.]

• ideas (The Wizard of Oz as an allegory of family, growth and friendship.)

• sunshine & rain!

• beauty (We went on a field-trip today up the canyon. It was so beautiful.)

• projects, beyond what we do at home. Seeing other people's solutions to projects.

• different talents (You can spell? I like math!)

• playgrounds

• friends (!)

• teachers (Mrs. X played an oboe today!)

• habits (You tie your shoes?)

• traditions (Did you know that in India they...?)

• class parties and childhood games

• smells (...)

• tastes (I'll trade you some broccoli for one of my mom's whole wheat chocolate chip amazing cookies! Deal.)

• rigorous work ethic

• technology

• critical thinking and writing, that includes editing and organization and presentation of ideas

• music (You like classical music too? Does your mom like Funk music? Mine does!)

• language & pronunciation, especially for N & M

• attitudes (The world is good place, & not just because my parents tell me it is.)

• and finally kindness.

Even the less than great teachers have taught my children some important life lessons, and make the truly great shine even brighter.

J's needs are finally being addressed. I appreciated his teacher's insight today. I am anxious to see how we meet his needs and how he grows, learns, writes, reads and expresses his brilliance in the future. He is a marvelous sweet, bright, happy, generous, grateful, energetic and loving boy.

If YOU have, are, will, or want to home school: GREAT. A school setting might not be for every child for every year, but then again homeschool might not be either.

PR is for Party Report

Wrote this in an email to MVL & thought I should save it:

J was completely surprised and the party was a chaotic smash. A smash. Wow. It was so much fun. I couldn't figure out how to get the kids, all different ages from one game to another so I just decided not to worry about it and put toys out. The cardboard blocks were out and the huge exercise balls and the trampoline and the costumes and the race tracks and the cotton candy machine and the pizza, watermelon, grapes and Cake and pinata and ...!

Just writing about it makes me hyperventilate, but yesterday it was actually pretty smooth -- not everything happened at once, or in the same space. (The surprise wasp nests moved the costumes inside, away from the "new" ClothesLine Theater. Boo hoo.) Everyone had fun, no one was hurt and then after we wrapped that fete up we got ready for round two and S had a bunch of friends over for cotton candy and music 'til midnight.

We missed some special cousins... but the cotton candy machine goes back tomorrow. I hope J has a great year and gets to play with new friends and even cousins -- even though some think we have germs, we like them... our germs. We like your germs too! I mean that in the best possible way!

J is 12!!!

GREAT! I don't think he has a clue about his surprise party. (TIP: don't tell the 5 year old sister!) In 2 weeks it is our dog Ginger's 12th birthday. I suggested that we have a party for her. He said that would be great but he looked a little sad... tee hee hee.

M is for Missing ... K & J!

K is coming home on Tuesday night! Wa-hooo! I haven't laughed once, not once! since he has been at camp! Boo hoo hoo. Well, maybe once... I miss his silliness, having his friends around, his singing, talking about the news with him and the cello! He broke his right middle finger at camp, not sure how that will affect his cello-ing. His hand is taped up like a sharp shooter.

Tonight N & M were singing a song, well, 2 songs, not at all similar to each other though sung at the same time ... for J! They miss him the Most they say. He is both of their [?] best friend and their favorite brother. I can write this because I know that tomorrow they will say that K is their favorite ... what a fickle family of favorites. I miss his sweetness, his spontaneous kisses, his imagination and believe it or not his whistling! I also miss reading to him.

We've saved a few weeks worth of the funny pages for them both to fight over!

I don't miss the extra laundry, which I am getting 100% caught up on -- now that I've rinsed my last tie dye ever. School starts Wednesday for J! (C & I are really happy for him. The new school will be fantastic!) I'll just drop J & N off and take K & J's bags from camp directly to the Soap Box Laundromat and let Joyce work her magic -- then I'll come home and incinerate the boys' shoes. :P

House Update: My goal was to have the house "landed" before school starts. Every room.

GARAGE: Getting more and more there. H Bike, huge fan, wire equipt., tie dye materials, clay etc. now have a place to call their own. The entire space is now overrun with school supplies & donations, and of course the tub/misc. stuff to sell. Tie dye and clay are neat and tidy and put away. Still need to move and sell or donate the tub, then I can park INSIDE the garage. Huge sofa-holding-cardboard boxes are gone. Donation stuff needs to go.

DINING ROOM: Almost useable for working in. Will have Project party to celebrate the landed room. Sewing projects are in boxes, fabric is folded and tidy, do-dads are in boxes. To mend pile needs attention and to be done, at night.

LAUNDRY ROOM: So close! The floor is visible (a flood helped). Must iron all the wadded up stuff and fabric for quilt edges. Moved it into the family room, which violates a new rule: All laundry stays in Laundry Room -- didn't want to get dye on it as I rinsed out the tie dye. Amazing amount of clothes, table cloths, towels, getting rid of lots of it actually.

MASTER BEDROOM: Perfection. Simple. Empty. Clean.

ENTRY WAY: Clean. Counter useable for the "don't forget as you go out the door" spot! L------ville is up and looks fun, complete with new architecture, touched up buildings, stars and N's new fort. :)

B is for Big Brother...

If only all Big Brothers were this nice. K looks rather Orwellian here, not his true character. Menacing, prying, you know, evil.

He is at Birch Creek Service Ranch with J and we are missing him, them. And yet, the house is strangely quiet... which is appreciated!

K will be in 9th grade taking Drama 2, Adv. Orchestra, Adv. Choir. Oh, and Girls 101.

J will be in 6th, at a new school full of projects and field trips. He wants to volunteer at a dog kennel, maybe the pound. So sweet.

O has got to be for Oz.

J is for Jealous of Rob Ryan's art.

Oooh. I'm jealous. Man, oh man I wish I had created this. The book is available via Chronicle Books.

This world is full of artists, craftspeople, athletes. Everyone is one.

J & the L-bow.

Before:

This is FUD and J having a great day skiing in the spring... springy snow.
After:

This is K and J. J broke his elbow... in the springy snow. The slush grabbed him! Threw him up in the air and then slammed him into the slush, without mercy. The damnthing is, that elbow, as the slushy snow knew, was already injured by a dramatic bounce on a trampoline.

The first picture is from the top of Sundance and the second is from the most beautiful one room school ever. It is at Camp Floyd -- 25 miles from Lehi.

Awareness.

Simply sweet J.

:: Holiday Break :: 2

:: Holiday Break ::

Dapper J...
He didn't like the men's tights.



At the Nutcracker in SLC

M & Bopee in matching outfits

Bopee's beds

G is for Ghiberti's Doors.

Remember: Peace. Ancient concept.

Mr. Ghiberti's self-portrait

The DOORS! J needed to do a small report on Renaissance art. We chose the doors because we were going to San Francisco and I knew he could visit them. It was neat. We didn't have to travel to Florence, Italy--not that we would have minded.

A lovely bee.

Isn't this maze cooooool? I would love in my garden. It is for meditating. You walk along the path, thinking quietly... unless you are a child and then you run along the path making friends which is what J & M did.

Hi H,

Between Half Moon Bay and Pigeon Point Lighthouse, the San Mateo beaches we saw last week were San Gregorio State Beach, Pomponio State Beach, Pescadero State Beach, and Bean Hollow State Beach. The kids went digging, running and getting wet and sandy at Pomponio Beach. We saw the 'green flash' there. The Walgreen C.D. photos are from there and the Pigeon Point Lighthouse.
You can look up Green Flash on Wikipedia.

xxx, ooo, hugs,
Mom


Just right for her new Facebook pic.


Hey Kids! This is a Ph-one-boo-th! Phonebooth! Kinda like what Superman used... you know what I mean? No.

More Bars in More Places, 1