My boy

This morning my boy and his stuffed dog were sleeping in my bed. I asked my little man why he was in my bed... his reply, "Skittles was scared."

I'm glad I made the stuffed dog feel better.

So I decided to make a mass post... because I keep not posting...

In no particular order.

Hannah is running for student council and thinks maybe she can make it so they do more art projects and get some recess at her school--really she'll get to be in charge of the school service projects and spirit week but she dreams big. I love her go-get-em attitude!!!

The kids have spent the entire year practicing filling in bubbles and preparing to take the big end of the year tests. They finally finished the tests at the end of April and all of a sudden every kid has five big posters and projects due on the same day. It seems the teacher are trying to fill all the real learning experiences into the last month of school since the test is soooooo important here in Texas!!!

The four biggest kids are doing swim team. That means 3 hours a day for mama at the pool. It is long and hot and there is no park nearby. Aaaah the joys of motherhood!!

I miss Oregon less and less everyday but it still pulls at my heartstrings. If only we could make a living there.

Cyrus bought another practice in a town called Humble. It is the direct opposite of the downtown practice. Where the downtown practice is mostly high end professionals, Humble is a working class town. He'll be doing 3 days downtown and 2 in Humble. It is exciting!! Maybe we'll have those loans paid off sooner than we thought!

We took the kids to Disney World... all I can say is it certainly isn't Disneyland. It was fun but we probably won't go back. When we need our Disney fix we'll stick with the LAND...

On the way to Disney World we went to the most beautiful beach on the panhandle of Florida--Destin was the name of the town. It was AMAZING... too fun and beautiful for words.

Sam turned four and is so fired up about reading I can't believe it. He nags me all day to do his spelling words.

Katie is so smart but school here stinks for her. If she doesn't have a better time next year, she is going to come home to school with mama.

Carolyn is playing the flute this fall and Hannah is going to start with the violin. All three girls are going to keep up with their piano. I may start with Sam on the piano this fall--just at home with me. He'll start regular lessons in 1st grade, I think.

We found a beautiful and fabulous house on a cute private lane with 2.2 acres and then someone else bought it.

The fruit here is nasty. We're going to have to grow our own.

Cyrus bought a dog. We had to get one that was hypoallergenic because of his asthma so no rescue pup for us. His hygienist is going to house train it for us. Now we just have to move to a house that allows dogs.

At swim team they were doing this little thing where they had each of the 6 and under swimmers run and jump in the pool when their name was called. All the other kids who couldn't swim just opted to not jump in, but Sam just ran and jumped like he knew what he was doing. The coach pulled him out and Sam says to me, "Mom, I sinked." I told Cyrus that level of fearlessness was dangerous. That kid has got to learn to swim.

Taxes

Last night Cyrus did our taxes.

Today I saw this picture.

Good times.

Why my children's school stinks...

So there has been one over-riding thing that I can't stand about Texas. It is my children's school. It is everything that was/is bad about education today.

Here are my problems:

1. They use a bull horn to communicate with the children. Obviously their method of discipline of shouting children down isn't working very well.

2. Communication is terrible. They are so busy using the bull horn they can't answer email or phone messages.

3. Positive discipline is unheard of... instead of the arm on the shoulder and a admonition to try it again the right way if a child is caught riding their bike or running on campus, they use the old, "GET OFF YER BIKE!!!!"

4. They go on one field trip in five years of school.

5. They use television excessively in the classroom.

6. A kid called Carolyn the B-word on the bus and the response of the teacher was "that is normal for this age." Normal, maybe, something that should go uncorrected, NAY.

7. They are allowed one 10-minute period outside a day. They don't go out if it rains, is slightly cold, there is any dampness on the grass, or a kid talks out of turn.

8. Tests are ***IT*** at this school. They teach to the test, practice for the tests, stress kids out about the tests, tie everyone's worth to the tests.

I could go on and on. This chaps my hide every day.

Here in Texas they salute and pledge allegiance to the Texas flag every day. We, being the blasphemous Texans we are, changed the pledge...

The real Texas pledge:

Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee Texas. One state, under God, one and indivisible.

(funny story: the kids that lead that pledge all say "I pledge allegiance to THE Texas" instead of "thee Texas." We thought that was the right words and that the state of Texas was run by morons. We now know the right words but still aren't convinced on the Moron part)

Our new pledge:

Honor the Kohrville. I pledge allegiance to THE Kohrville. One school, in Texas with no recess.

We say it whenever we pass the school. It makes us feel better.

So does saying, "Boys and girls, it is entirely too LOUD in here" with a heavy southern drawl. It makes us laugh.

Also, we eat a lot of ice cream.

For Christmas, my sister in law took all my parents photos and scanned them into the computer, organized them and sent them to us on discs. There are so many gems. Like this one where Cyrus and I look like we are 12.



And this one that shows that my kids didn't get their fashion sense from strangers...



On this day my mom must have cursed me with the "I hope you have children just like you" because I have seen this exact mess in my own kitchen countless times!!! Sometimes I even make that same mess the only trouble is, now I have to clean it up!!