Responsibility

I guess I better get posting before I get to far behind.  I have a feeling this post is going to be a bit crazy.  Do to the fact that I'm feeling crazy, have been posting bits and pieces to this post for a couple weeks, don't have much time and want to make a couple more posts to catch up.  I just have to write it all down or my brain gets backed up and I start to put things that go in the fridge in the pantry etc.

Piano Recital!  Hayden played Indiana Jones and James Bond.

Kelton played Popeye the Sailor man and Pirates of the Caribbean

Kara played Do-Re-Mi and Edelweiss.  We just had one major hick-up.  I forgot the books, which would have been fine since my kids had their part memorized, but the piano teacher was playing along too and she did not have her part memorized.  It all worked out and I drove like a maniac home and then back to the place like another maniac.  I made it back just in time for their part.  They all did great and I loved all of their songs.  So much fun!

Then to Kara's friend who lives out in the Kiln and is in our ward for a birthday party!  She invited all the kids and they had a blast!

They have a fun house with lots of land and a big pond too.  I think she is selling it for $150 k if anyone is interested.

On to Mother's Day!  I use to not really like Mother's Day because sometimes Brent would just well you know not really meet my expectations for the day, and then I would feel sorry for myself.  I guess I was just being a little selfish.  This year was so much better because I reminded myself that Mother's Day is really just about being grateful that you get to be a Mother.  All day I was so grateful to have the opportunity to be a Mother to my children.  It made my day so great.  The kids gave me cute cards which they continued to make all day and Halle made this card at school that I loved.  It says, My mom is 25 (YEAH)!  She weighs 26lbs and is 22feet tall (I've always wanted to be tall and skinny!)  Her hair is Bran(brown) and her eyes are Bran(brown).  My mom loves to relax by layen on the cach.  She likes to wear pas and shrs (pants and shirts)(so glad I like to wear clothes).  She love to cook tacos.  Her favorite household chores is she likes to do the bathroom.  Her favorite show is the broc (She informed me this was the BSU Bronco's).  Her favorite song is bebyurafiyrwrk (Baby your a firework).  Mommy always tells me to dont go in the shtret (street).  It makes her happy when I do my chors (chores).  When my mom shops she loves to by chips(hmm maybe I need to reevaluate my shopping, well hey, chips are cheaper than clothes).  If she could go on a trip, she would go to Idho (Idaho).  I really love it when my mom Jump (jumps on the trampoline with me).

So tired after a long day of work!  Not even enough energy to play with her Barbies.

Graduation Day!

Camera was set to the wrong setting, hence the blurry photo.

I love the upside down sign.  For the last six months she has been asking me is this the last day?  Her teacher that was the helper was very strict.  She was retiring.  Halle was so excited.  I kept telling her she was still going to be there until the end of the year,but Halle said, "No mom she's retired."  It's funny though because for all her strictness now that school is out Halle remembers her as a nice teacher.  I think she really did love and want the best for the kids she was just very very strict and her disciplinary techniques were a little well............ hard to completely describe.  If you live in the South you'll know what I mean.

Award Ceremony!  The other kids names in the picture are Miracle, Trinity, Laila, Nyriah, Chase, and Gary.  Kelton knows all the kids names and they have some different names around here so we had to include some of the names.

It's the end of the year and we have been hunting down all of our library books. Kelton was getting rather frustrated and began to cry about not being able to find the library book. To console him I said, don't worry about it Kelton I'll pay for the book, it will be O.k. Well since then I have been searching the house for this book. Brent asked me what I was doing and I said looking for a library book so I don't have to pay for it. Kelton heard me and came in and said, "It was my responsibility! I will pay for it with my money. I don't want too, but the book was my responsibility so I will pay for it with my money.". Yeah we found the book in my neighbors car.

Kara Award Ceremony

Principle and Vice principle.

They are wearing their super hero capes.

 Kara forgot her final draft for one of her projects at home.  That day she was to give the oral presentation and turn it all in.  I was working and so was Brent.  Brent ended up using his lunch hour to drive 30 minutes home to take her project to her.  When she picked up the project the secretary said, "You have a great Dad."  I asked her what she said and she said I said, "Thank you!" and in my head I thought, "I know he's awesome!"

Celebrating in our little town!

The Choir Performance!

Swinging on our big Tree swing!

She loves this!

Touching the leaves in the tree!

Tricks!

Below is my update my mom asked for so I decided to save time and do a little copying and pasting.  It's long like most of my posts and just a little record for my own sake.

Hayden, Kara, Kelton, and Halle did really great this year.  I have to brag on them a bit because when they started the school year they were all shocked by how hard the school was.  Kara received a 60 percent on her first test and Hayden was getting C's in 3 out of his 7 classes.  They decided to really commit to getting good grades, and they all ended up doing great.  At the end of the year they give out awards for different accomplishments.  Let's start with Halle who received the good behavior award which means you were consistently doing what you are supposed to and always following directions.  This was the only extra award for Kindergarten.  Halle can also write in complete sentences, and is a great speller too.  She is reading 1st grade level books like a wiz kid with out having to sound any words out.  Kelton received the Good Behavior award, Math, Spelling, Reading (these awards are for the child who had the highest percentage points in that course all year), and Honor Roll (having A's and B's all year).  Kelton had straight A's all year.  He never missed one spelling word.  He actually had a 104 percent average because he got all the bonus words right too. Each week the kids were tested in every subject with multiple choice and essay type tests (even Halle was tested this way). Kara received the Good Behavior award, Reading, Science, Language Arts, and Honor Roll.  Kara loves writing and is so good at English.  Neither me or Brent understand the English, it is very difficult, I never knew there was so much to English.  Hayden received the Star Student award (voted by the teachers), was on the honor roll, and received the Star Performer award.  His band teacher said he has never had a better beginning Tuba player.  He said if Hayden sticks with him he will be able to get him a full ride scholarship to any college in the United States.  Hayden also never missed a spelling word all year and never studied for a spelling test either.  All of the kids have been taking piano lessons and doing great.  They have a sort of a love hate relationship with piano.  Kara had her choir performance and did amazing.  Everyone was so amazed that such a big voice came out of that little body.  Her choir teacher told me I should get her into music lessons because she thinks Kara has some real talent.  She said she did not know how good Kara was until she tried out for this part and she was amazed by her.  Anyways lots of bragging by me, but I am really proud of the kids for adjusting so well and then really performing, even when it has really been such a struggle for us.

The kids have been staying at our neighbors while I have been working.  Our neighbors are really into baseball and so play every day after school with the kids.  They told me Kelton is really good and has a real natural ability for baseball.  Their daughter loves Kelton, she is Halle's age.  She drives Kelton crazy though.  So the other day I was watching her and she was just following Kelton around like crazy.  I finally made her go outside with Halle to give Kelton a little brake.  So Kelton makes a fort in his room and Kara makes a sign that says "No Girls allowed
(except Kara), Hayden Ladner and Halle are not allowed.  Hayden L and Halle came in from outside and saw the sign.  Hayden came down and said, "that sign is not nice."  Kelton was accused of writing the sign, but later I find out Kara wrote the sign.  Kara said she didn't want to put Halle on the sign, but she thought that would be really mean to put only Hayden's name on the sign.  She was afraid Hayden would destroy everything (which she would have).  Anyway I thought that was a little bit funny. 

So I was writing the above when I was interrupted by a call from Ryan offering me a job in Reno at his surgery center.  So you can imagine what I have been doing lately.  Halle keeps saying were moving to Ryno!  Kara of course keeps correcting her and Halle keeps saying were moving to Ryno!  I think this is a cross between Ryan and Reno.  So were packing up and moving to Ryno here soon.  The kids are bouncing off the walls with excitement, and I'm well I'm sure you can guess what I'm doing.  I did however have a black snake slither across the street in front of my car while driving home the other day.  I swear it was a water moccasin, but Hayden wants me to prove it (of course).  Can't I just say it's a water Moccasin with out having to say how I know it.  Anyways, I screamed and scared the children.  It was chasing a cute little squirrel across the street in front of our home over to the bay side.  It's actually the second time in the last couple of weeks that  a black snake has crossed my path.  So I'm taking that as a sign that I'm doing the right thing by moving to Ryno.  Halle was a little scared about going to school in Ryno, but Hayden assured her that she could talk during lunch, sit by who she wanted to, does not have to say yes Ma'm and No sir, and won't get in trouble for turning her head the wrong way.  She just wanted to make sure she can sit by Cierra.

Well you know me I could write forever about absolutely nothing, but I've got to get back to work.  

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Well another week has flown by and we are all still alive!  The termites have calmed a bit, thank goodness.  I only find them occasionally which is way better than they were so I have much to be grateful for. 

 This is the girls during one of the Termite filled nights.  It didn't really help to sleep on the coach, but I guess it made them feel good that they were all out on the coach together with the Termites.  I was thinking about making a post and wondering if I had taken any pictures to put up, so I got my camera down to check and low and behold the kids had filled my camera with pictures.  I only put the best ones up so you can just imagine all the pictures they had taken.  Actually I think I had gotten my camera down before I left for work and had instructed them to take a picture of Kara and her project before she took it to school, but there was not one picture of Kara and her project.

 This week Brent had training in New Orleans all week.  It was about 80 miles from our home and so getting kids to school and moms and dads to work all at the same time was a bit tricky, but we did it!!!  I think Brent looks tired here.  I think the morning rush is getting to him a little!  We get up at 4:30 and I keep saying we need to get up earlier this is not enough time, but he gives me that look like your a crazy nut and there is no way I'm getting up any earlier.  So I guess my mornings will continue to be a crazy rat race: )

 I'm not a big fan of hot chocolate, but it sure makes my kids jump out of bed in the morning.

 Halle split her nose open last week but it is healing up nice.  She climbed up to get one of Hayden's trophies and the trophy fell and hit her right in the nose.  She had a real nice gash.

 Everyday I go to school and I look at the kids and I think of my Hayden and it scares the  you know what out of me.  The other day a boy went to the bathroom and got beat up by 10 other boys.  They followed him into the bathroom between classes and then just started beating him up!  Our school is almost like a prison, but if the kids can find a whole they will take it.  If you live in this are this is the only Middle School available to you and it is rough!!!  I finally have figured out how everyone becomes related to everyone.  Mom gets pregnant when she is 13 and has a baby, babies daddy kills someone and gets thrown in prison.  Then Mom gets pregnant when she is 15 and has a baby.  Dad runs off.  Mom gets pregnant when she is 18 and has a baby.  Dad parks his car on the train tracks and is killed.  Mom gets pregnant when she is 19 and has a baby.  Dad decides he doesn't like mom anymore.  Mom get pregnant when she is 20 and has a baby.  Now mom has 5 kids and those kids have 5 different Daddies!  Which means they have 10 sets of grandparents just on their Daddies side, and by the end who really even knows who's Daddy belongs to what kid, so your just all related!  This is what I call the break down of the family.  I think I've become more of a therapist to some of these kids than the nurse.  They come in and sit in the chair across from me and just talk and talk and talk, and these are the stories I hear.  Child after child after child tells me the same story, and the amazing thing is they still all long to have a mom and a dad that loves them and each other, even when generation after generation it has been the same.  How do you break a cycle like this.  I had one child this week come in beat up by her mom's babies daddy. She said they are not married and they don't like each other, but he lives with them.  I guess this incidence happened one other time, but when her mom found out she knocked the guys front teeth out so it had not happened again for a long time.  Another girl she comes from a family of 5 with 3 different daddies.  The mom is not living with any of the daddies, but she is living with a guy that she loves that is hurt because he was running from the po'lice and jumped out a window and cut his foot all up.  The daughter said she does not really like him because his friends all do drugs and he is not nice, but her moma loves him.  They said his foot might need amputated and so he can't work and just sits at the house all day while her momma works 2 jobs, but they are OK because they qualify for section 8 housing so they still have some extra money to do fun stuff together once in a while.  She gets along with her siblings which is such a blessing.  I am so happy when I know that they have someone that cares about them.

 Another little boy comes in and his legs are all twisted up.  He is able to walk but only on his toes pigeon toed.  His mother time after time has said that there is nothing anyone can do for him, but when I ask him if he has ever seen a doctor he says no.  He said once when he was very little, but never since.  I finally figure out that they do not have insurance, but I'm sure they qualify for medicaid or something so hopefully he will be able to get some help.  Another boy's mom was killed by an 18 wheeler on the highway last April.  I'll stop now because I could go on and on and on.

 I guess working at this school has made me realize just how important families are and how our choice have far reaching consequences.  They effect generation after generation after generation.

 I am grateful for my kids that like to make funny faces on my camera!

 I am grateful for parents and grandparents who have made good choices which have lead me to have so many great blessings and opportunities.  I think this leads me to the question for myself of what kind of choices am I making?  What kind of consequences am I leaving my children.  Will they be blessings or trials.

Happy Mother's Day to Every Mother out there that makes a difference in this world.  Mother's are the glue that hold a family together.  The love of a Mother is irreplaceable.  Happy Mother's Day to 4 very special Mother's in my life.  Happy Mothers Day Grandma!  Happy Mothers Day Nanny!  Happy Mothers Day KaraLynn!  Happy Mother's Day Mom!  Thank you for your love and choices which have lead my life to be so wonderful and blessed.  I love you!

Happy Mother's Day to my sisters and sisters-in-laws and friends who I know are wonderful Mother's and examples to me! 

May we never become so selfish that we forget the reason our lives are so blessed.