Jacks Valentines dance

The 6th graders have a Valentine's day dance.  They have to dress up in best dress which means wear your church clothes.  Jack was kindof excited for this day. He took his valentines to school and didn't have to make a valentine's box.  yahoo. 

Here is a link to the video for the dance.  Not sure if it even works but I wanted to save on my computer and I couldn't figure it out.  They all looked so cute.  Jack is wearing khaki pants and a blue shirt and a tie.  He is in it a few times.!


https://vimeo.com/255976410

Here is Jack walking in to orchestra with his dance clothes on.  He wouldn't pose for  a pic.

However, here is his Orchestra class all dressed up.  This is the best pic I got of him dressed up

Valentine's day 2018

You know I really like Valentines day.  It is kindof Low key.  You can buy flowers, candy or whatever and show your love for people.  You go and buy some valentines at Smith's for School and attach some starburst and give them to the class and it is like 7.00 and SO fun.  Here is our Valentine's day.

I got everyone some socks.  The boys got Stance socks and Abi and Brooke got Under Armour socks they like to wear to the gym. I had already mailed Andrew's valentine to school.  He said he didn't get it yet because I didn't put an apartment Number on it.  Well, that was not my fault...he gave me his address..

These are the flowers chili wili sent to my school.  They were really pretty

                      These flowers were Abi's on the left from Josh, and  the glitter ones were from a week before from Brooke's friend Ty...

These roses were the current flowers from Ty for Valentines day.

Jim Bob's New Car

Back in December Brooke (Jim) totaled her car.  It was the day after Christmas and she rear ended this junker van.  Well, the damage was more than the car was worth.  Dang....so she has been looking for a car ever since.  It has been a learning curve to find a car, look at it, and decide you want it before someone else buys it.  I mean the pictures online make all of them look great!  But when you drive them, they are sometimes not great.  Like the Mazda3 we test drove and it stopped in the intersection about a block from the dealer.  I about died.  Luckily it started up, but NO way was she buying that car!!

So, After 6 weeks of juggling cars, she finally settled on this one.

A Kia Forte.  Her other car was  Kia.  So she is partial to them.  I really like it. Of all the cars, I think it is a great car.  (not like I have any idea about cars..I just own 3 of them now)  The guy quoted her 13.99 % interest then when we went to pick it up, it was down to 4.99%  That is HUGE.

So, here's to her first car she owns!!  Nothing is better than driving off the lot with your car!

These are the best pics I got.  You would think she wanted a picture since she is all about the attention.

Nick and his Free Throws

So Nick has been fouled a bunch of times and in this game, he had a bunch of free throws.  He actually made a few of them.

Rugby for Nick

Nick has decided to play Rugby.  Yes, Rugby.  His football coach is way into rugby so recruited the football kids.  So far he has just had a few practices and is really liking it.  Here is Nick, as he made the Instagram post of the South David Rugby club!

Nick is the one in the front with the red sweatshirt and yellow stripe on his shorts...Yes thats  snow.  That is a great pic of him.  I couldn't make it smaller because it was from instagram.!  Can't wait for the season to start!

Nick is #1 due to his position on the field maybe...

Here are more pics of Rugby.  He played in a Jamboree on Saturday, some kindof scrimage...they played 3 games.  He was soo tired.

Disappointment - mine

I have been thinking about this for a while.  It may not come out the way I am hoping it will. I have been noticing (or maybe its just me) that our lessons at church are more gospel centered than family centered.  If that makes sense...more on Faith, Hope, Charity than on family.  I am in primary now so that might have changed.  I have thought that it is because when you start talking about families, it is a bit controversial and stressful to people.

It makes people who have a bad marriage or a divorce or never been married feel bad if you are talking about happy temple marriages.  If you have a decent marriage maybe you don't think it is good enough...Or if you have wayward children or if you have no children because you couldn't have any....or if you had a child out of wedlock or your families are not involved in sports or active in the church.  Or you don't have enough money to provide or do all the fun things that everyone else is doing, like skiing or even going on a trip or even to a movie now and then.  I have a hard time thinking that most people have a perfect family although I could give you a list a mile long of people that look like they do.  I know in my heart that lots of people have families that are less than perfect....but it is also hard to really believe it because there are SOOOO many that appear to be perfect, two parent, one income, rich, attractive families that I see every single day.  Talking about skiing, Hawaii, new basketball shoes and going out to dinner.

So, then why this is soo touchy....I decided it is because we put so much effort into our families-it is very personal.  I worry constantly about how to provide financially for my family and I am exhausted trying to do that.  And I always come up short.  Every SINGLE time.  I worry about being enough as a mother.  It never seems to be enough.  I am not kind enough, supportive enough, helpful enough, or a good enough teacher for them.  Nor am I good at their spiritual well being or having FHE or family prayer or anything ....Not even a job chart.  I can get you to school on time.   My marriage has been over for 10 years (and I'm not divorced yet) and I have failed them in that department.  And constantly making bad choices.  It never ends the wrong choices I have made or the guilt because of not being good enough or even a close second to the normal regular mothers out there.

I have thought about that the things that matter most to us get our most effort.  Could I be a better teacher?  maybe - but it doesn't pull on my heart that much..could I do my yard better?  absolutely.  Could I clean my house better or vacuum my car better?  yes.  But I don't care about these things in my heart like I do my family.  When I get to the pearly gates, that is where I will be accountable and will come up short.  I don't think God is going to ask about our fitness or the color of our carpet or if we mowed the lawn every week.  (although these things bug  me too...)  I will be accountable for my family.  I really believe that.  And how am I going to stack up?  Not that great I am afraid.  I have failed them soo many times.  More than I can count and I'm sure they can count. 

It is my fault.  It is hard.  Every night I go to bed, exhausted, and I was just mediocre most days.  Maybe not even that good.  It is a struggle to be the ONLY one taking care of the family. Not sure who I expect to take care of my family other than me...doesn't work that way. People are not in line to take care of other people's families.  The constant worry is exhausting and debilitating sometimes too.

I really do love them with all my heart.  They are fabulous kids.  I think that is why this is so hard. 
I have failed people that I care about. And they didn't have a say in it.  I can't imagine that they decided to come to THIS family.  Who would? It was probably they got last in line and all the good families and functional mothers were already chosen.  So far, they have turned out to be the best!  Really, in spite of me.  They are kind, smart, hard working and awesome.  I love to spend time with them.  They truly are my world.  I am very grateful for that. !  How much better of a life could we have if I had my act together.  I will forever have that guilt in my heart and in the depth of my soul.

Science Fair for Jack (last one EVER!!!)

Jack has had to do the Science Fair.  He is in 6th grade. I was hoping to get out of it this year but no...

He did a project on "Does it Matter".  He took 3 different liquids with different densities and layered them. We changed up the order 4 times and every time they layered according to density.  We calculated the densities of each substance and took lots of pictures.  He made a nice chart and data table.  We calculated the mass on a digital scale, and measured the volume using syringes.  Mixed up the order in 4 different graduated cylinders.  Each time, Corn Syrup was on the bottom, Oil was in the middle, and Alcohol was on the top.  Every single time.  Quite the science experiment.

We did an ok job.  I think he liked it.   I sure would like to know what the kids do who doesn't have a parent who has a degree in Science. 

oh a side note, I absolutely HATE science fair.  I think it is an assignment for the parent. There is NO way any kid could do a science fair project without LOTS of parent involvement.  Its not that I mind helping, it is that it is lots of work and I am not convinced that they learn anything because the parent has to say ok do this, and then make this graph by putting these numbers here.  .  .He even wrote his name directly on the board.  (We learned a few years ago to not write your name on the board.  Write it on a piece of paper and glue it on...!  Just in case you have to share...shhhh)

Moby Dick

Abi got an email from the orchestra teacher saying that students could attend the dress rehersal for Moby Dick.  It is an Opera at Capital Theater. Students were free and guardians are 5.00. Wow.  That price is right!  So we went.  We also got to listen to some lecture before the show about the show and production.  It was super interesting and we got a synopsis of the play so that helped.  I am not sure I would have even understood any of it had I not been to that class.  I have been thinking maybe I should read the book...

We then went to the show.  It started at 7:00 and we got finished at 10:00.  That was super long!  It was really well done but Opera isn't my first love.  Around 9:30 I thought they could have wrapped up the story.  The big deal was how the whale was to appear onstage.  Well, it ended up being just a circle disc that raised up from the floor that had a whale eye.  It was cool and everything, but they said the Opera Company was sworn to secrecy about how it was going to appear...seems a bit over rated.  I also can't imagine they sang for 3 hours and are not miked.  That takes some talent.  We learned that fun fact during the class.  I haven't seen many operas so it was a good cultural experience.  It was a super good night and fun to go with Abi.