I was so excited to have parent teacher conferences this year. I already knew that Jenny's would be good. Her teacher basically said that she is almost beyond what they can teach her in PPCD, though she is still having her speech issues - which are much better by the way. So Jenny may be going to Pre-K for part of the time now. We shall see. We are probably going to have a phone conference about all this some time next week, after the next benchmark they have.
Ryan was a different story. He is having some behavior issues, as evidenced by the notes sent home every day(they have a new system where you get something, good or bad.) 75% of the time Ryan has been talking, or disruptive, or uncooperative, or not doing his work. Darrell and I were thinking that maybe he is getting bored, which is possible. So like I said we knew that there were some things to discuss. We were shocked to find out that the boy is not writing. They are given 20 minutes a day of writing time. When the time is up and Ryan has not written anything, what he tells his teacher is that "I was thinking". And so the perfectionist is back. He also got a 0 on his writing benchmark. When the math teacher was showing us his math benchmark, his homeroom teacher commented that that was the most writing she had seen from Ryan. He is writing too much in math and not enough in writing. So we are now having writing time every night at home. I am aiming to teach him how to utilize his time at school and I think that it is working. I am going to e-mail his teacher next week and ask her how it is going.
The other thing they said was that while he may be bored, he is still learning some new things along with the rest of the class, and he just needs to get used to it. I do have to agree with that, even though it is hard because he is at such a higher reading level than everyone else. On the level they use they want first graders to be at a level c and he is at a level i - he could be at a level j if he would slow down and think about the story he is reading more. Just to give an idea on his reading. Crazy huh? Oh, and he is getting 100 in his math, so soon, since they have done the benchmark, he will start to be challenged in math. I am excited about that. Now we get to see where he can go with that, because up until now, it has been all about the reading.
Anyway, I am glad that we were able to go and have a good conversation with both of our children's teachers. Now to keep up the communication, and help our children to be able to live up to expectations.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
My children at school
I love this time of year. When we get to have school pictures. I am so very pleased with how they turned out! My children are just way too cute, aren't they?
I personally think that Ryan did much better this year. I am so proud!:)
Saturday, September 19, 2009
here comes #4
So, for those of you who don't already know yet, I am expecting baby #4. I am about 5 /2 weeks along now. Things, as far as I know, are going well. I only have a small case of morning sickness so far, THANK GOODNES! With the girls it was a lot worse, so maybe we are having a boy... Ryan wants me to have twin boys, and I said "I don't think so!"
Anyway, have a wonderful day!
Anyway, have a wonderful day!
The Vortex
Well, it happened. I was sucked into the vortex of Facebook.
I really didn't think I would be one of THOSE people. It turns out I am.
I am sorry that I have not been keeping up with this blog all that well, and I promise I will do better.
I really didn't think I would be one of THOSE people. It turns out I am.
I am sorry that I have not been keeping up with this blog all that well, and I promise I will do better.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Its Horrible, Dr. Horrible that is
So, on Sunday, Cake Wrecks does what is called Sunday Sweets - cakes that are actually good. Anyway, this last Sunday he did a post about Dr. Horrible, including a link to go watch it.
I liked it!
Love the music. Definitely catchy!
You can watch it on Hulu here.
Oh, and I didn't realized that the main character was played by the actor who did Doogie Howser until my hubby pointed it out. I just have to say - he turned out hot, didn't he? Too bad his is gay ...
I liked it!
Love the music. Definitely catchy!
You can watch it on Hulu here.
Oh, and I didn't realized that the main character was played by the actor who did Doogie Howser until my hubby pointed it out. I just have to say - he turned out hot, didn't he? Too bad his is gay ...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Great Shoe Roundup
Ever wondered what it looks like to gather all the shoes you are keeping from birth to the present?
Here it is in our household!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Let Him Do It With Simplicity
I have been toying with some ideas for this blog for a while, and I am going to go ahead and start this one.
If I have not mentioned it before, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I want to be better about living my religion, so in an effort to make The Sabbath Day more meaningful to me, I am going to do a review of a General Conference talk each week. I believe that in this crazy world pulling us in many directions it is a good idea to be stronger in living what we believe to be examples to our families and to others around us, whether it be silent or not.
The first talk I am going to look at is from the November 2008 General Conference given by Elder L. Tom Perry titled "Let Him Do It With Simplicity".
This talk really jumped out at me. A lot of us talk about how busy our lives are and how much we wish that things could be a bit simpler. We also have a lot of ups and downs in our lives. Elder Perry addresses this. I especially liked that he said the following:
"We can't predict all the struggles and storms in life, not even the ones just around the next corner, but as persons of faith and hope, we know beyond a shadow of any doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and the best is yet to come."
The best is yet to come! I find myself forgetting that a lot lately. He went on to talk about a time when he had problems with his job and his wife was diagnosed with a severe illness. They would go to a special place just to strengthen themselves and talk. What a great idea! How many of us have that kind of a place? And how many of us have that kind of down time with our spouses?
It turns out that the place they went for their time of relief was called Walden Pond, the same place that Henry David Thoreau spent 2 years just to live simply. Through his experiences, Thoreau decided that there are four essential things a person needs to survive: food, clothing, shelter, and fuel. Elder Perry goes on to expand on these four things.
FOOD
In the church we have what we call the Word of Wisdom. It is basically a code of living that we all strive to live by in order to keep our bodies and our spirits healthy. This is located in The Doctrine and Covenants section 89. It is a good reminder to go back and read it again. I have not read it for a long time, but I know that it is more than just telling us not to drink coffee or take drugs. We all could do better in this part of our lives.
CLOTHING
There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to clothing. Elder Perry stated that "When we are modestly dressed, we also invite the Spirit of the Lord to be a shield and a protection to us." He later went on to say, "I believe very casual dress is almost always followed by very casual manners." Have you ever noticed that when you dress up for a special occasion, your posture becomes better, and you become a little more formal in how you act? I sure have. My husband has as well. He has said before that when he is wearing a full suit that it is hard for him to be more casual. I find it fascinating that what we wear can have such a bearing on how we act.
One thing that we do, for the Sabbath Day at least, is that my husband and I wear our church clothes all day. In Stake conference today one of the speakers talk briefly about that. He said that "we don't necessarily need to wear our church clothes all day, but are we really showing respect by wearing the same clothes we did for Saturday?" Granted, we don't let our kids do that, because they are young, and we are realistic about the probability of their clothes getting ruined if they did that.
Another quote I liked from Elder Perry's talk was by President N. Eldon Tanner:
"Modest in dress is a quality of mind and heart, born of respect for oneself, one's fellowmen, and the Creator of us all. Modesty reflects an attitude of humility, decency, and propriety. Consistent with these principles and guided by the Holy Spirit, let parents, teachers, and youth discuss the particulars of dress, grooming, and personal appearance and with free agency accept responsibility and choose the right: ("Friend to Friend,"Friend, June 1971, 3.)
SHELTER
The third requirement hits home especially now during the housing crisis, which was referenced in this talk. Elder Perry reminds us again how we are urged to stay out of debt, and how "Our income should determine the kind of housing we can afford, not the neighbor's big home across the street." He also said, "One of the better ways to simplify our lives is to follow the council we have so often received to live within our income, stay out of debt, and save for a rainy day. We should practice and increase our habits of thrift, industry, economy, and frugality. Members of a well-managed family do not pay interest; they earn it."
FUEL
The last requirement he speaks to is fuel. But he takes it to another level and talks about spiritual fuel. He mentions the parable of the 10 virgins, 5 wise, and 5 foolish at the beginning of Matthew 25. Elder Perry says that "We mush acquire knowledge of God's eternal plan and our role in it, and then by living righteously, surrendering our will to the will of the Lord, we receive the promised blessings."
I don't know about you, but I KNOW I need to do better in this area. I don't read the scriptures. I don't pray enough. I need to do better.
The last thing that really called to me in this talk was the last paragraph.
"In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives. May we comply with the inspired counsel and direction the lord has given us in the great plan of happiness. May we be worthy to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and follow the guidance of the Spirit as we navigate this mortal journey. May we prepare ourselves to accomplish the ultimate purpose of this mortal test - to return and live with our Heavenly Father.."
I know that I was meant to read this talk today. I am grateful that I have the resources to learn from these wonderful men who live their lives close to the Lord. I am also grateful that I can have the opportunity to make my life better, and simpler.
I hope you have found some truth you needed as well. Have a wonderful week!:)
If I have not mentioned it before, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I want to be better about living my religion, so in an effort to make The Sabbath Day more meaningful to me, I am going to do a review of a General Conference talk each week. I believe that in this crazy world pulling us in many directions it is a good idea to be stronger in living what we believe to be examples to our families and to others around us, whether it be silent or not.
The first talk I am going to look at is from the November 2008 General Conference given by Elder L. Tom Perry titled "Let Him Do It With Simplicity".
This talk really jumped out at me. A lot of us talk about how busy our lives are and how much we wish that things could be a bit simpler. We also have a lot of ups and downs in our lives. Elder Perry addresses this. I especially liked that he said the following:
"We can't predict all the struggles and storms in life, not even the ones just around the next corner, but as persons of faith and hope, we know beyond a shadow of any doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and the best is yet to come."
The best is yet to come! I find myself forgetting that a lot lately. He went on to talk about a time when he had problems with his job and his wife was diagnosed with a severe illness. They would go to a special place just to strengthen themselves and talk. What a great idea! How many of us have that kind of a place? And how many of us have that kind of down time with our spouses?
It turns out that the place they went for their time of relief was called Walden Pond, the same place that Henry David Thoreau spent 2 years just to live simply. Through his experiences, Thoreau decided that there are four essential things a person needs to survive: food, clothing, shelter, and fuel. Elder Perry goes on to expand on these four things.
FOOD
In the church we have what we call the Word of Wisdom. It is basically a code of living that we all strive to live by in order to keep our bodies and our spirits healthy. This is located in The Doctrine and Covenants section 89. It is a good reminder to go back and read it again. I have not read it for a long time, but I know that it is more than just telling us not to drink coffee or take drugs. We all could do better in this part of our lives.
CLOTHING
There are a lot of choices out there when it comes to clothing. Elder Perry stated that "When we are modestly dressed, we also invite the Spirit of the Lord to be a shield and a protection to us." He later went on to say, "I believe very casual dress is almost always followed by very casual manners." Have you ever noticed that when you dress up for a special occasion, your posture becomes better, and you become a little more formal in how you act? I sure have. My husband has as well. He has said before that when he is wearing a full suit that it is hard for him to be more casual. I find it fascinating that what we wear can have such a bearing on how we act.
One thing that we do, for the Sabbath Day at least, is that my husband and I wear our church clothes all day. In Stake conference today one of the speakers talk briefly about that. He said that "we don't necessarily need to wear our church clothes all day, but are we really showing respect by wearing the same clothes we did for Saturday?" Granted, we don't let our kids do that, because they are young, and we are realistic about the probability of their clothes getting ruined if they did that.
Another quote I liked from Elder Perry's talk was by President N. Eldon Tanner:
"Modest in dress is a quality of mind and heart, born of respect for oneself, one's fellowmen, and the Creator of us all. Modesty reflects an attitude of humility, decency, and propriety. Consistent with these principles and guided by the Holy Spirit, let parents, teachers, and youth discuss the particulars of dress, grooming, and personal appearance and with free agency accept responsibility and choose the right: ("Friend to Friend,"Friend, June 1971, 3.)
SHELTER
The third requirement hits home especially now during the housing crisis, which was referenced in this talk. Elder Perry reminds us again how we are urged to stay out of debt, and how "Our income should determine the kind of housing we can afford, not the neighbor's big home across the street." He also said, "One of the better ways to simplify our lives is to follow the council we have so often received to live within our income, stay out of debt, and save for a rainy day. We should practice and increase our habits of thrift, industry, economy, and frugality. Members of a well-managed family do not pay interest; they earn it."
FUEL
The last requirement he speaks to is fuel. But he takes it to another level and talks about spiritual fuel. He mentions the parable of the 10 virgins, 5 wise, and 5 foolish at the beginning of Matthew 25. Elder Perry says that "We mush acquire knowledge of God's eternal plan and our role in it, and then by living righteously, surrendering our will to the will of the Lord, we receive the promised blessings."
I don't know about you, but I KNOW I need to do better in this area. I don't read the scriptures. I don't pray enough. I need to do better.
The last thing that really called to me in this talk was the last paragraph.
"In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives. May we comply with the inspired counsel and direction the lord has given us in the great plan of happiness. May we be worthy to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and follow the guidance of the Spirit as we navigate this mortal journey. May we prepare ourselves to accomplish the ultimate purpose of this mortal test - to return and live with our Heavenly Father.."
I know that I was meant to read this talk today. I am grateful that I have the resources to learn from these wonderful men who live their lives close to the Lord. I am also grateful that I can have the opportunity to make my life better, and simpler.
I hope you have found some truth you needed as well. Have a wonderful week!:)
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