America

A few weeks back Picasso's school teacher contacted me about helping her with a project.  The school's silent auction was coming up and his class was doing a 4th of July theme.  His teacher wanted to do a framed picture with the word AMERICA across it, but she wanted each letter to be made using the kids.  I was hooked!  I went in for my regularly scheduled volunteer time armed with a white backdrop and my camera.  The kids all wore red and blue to school that day.  The teacher had mapped out how many kids for each letter and we arranged them in the proper shapes while I took their pictures from above.  It worked great!  The kids had a ball making it and were all excited to see what it turned out as.  I got home, downloaded the pictures, and just played.  It turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself.  :)  I took the pictures into the teacher and she was very pleased.  She got it printed out, framed, and matted.  It looked gorgeous!  Of course Picasso then begged me to buy it at the auction.  Guess what is waiting to be hung in the den?  Yep, the framed America picture!  Honestly I got a great deal for it and would have paid about the same to get it printed and framed myself.  Picasso was SO excited that I bought it.  At the end of the day, that is what matters, making my kiddo smile. 

Yay for Hubby!

My sweet husband got a promotion!  I am so proud of him.  He has worked really hard for his company for many years.  He has put in long hours, taken calls on vacation, and learned the systems better than most anyone.  He is now the service delivery manager.  He is excited about the new challenges it will bring.  Good luck in the new position sweetheart!  I know you do not need it, you will do amazing!

Snowy Spring Day

This is going to be random, I can guarantee that right now.  Sorry, but not really!

I watched the DWTS results show tonight and have to say how impressed I am with Selena Gomez!  Too many young stars go off the deep end when they want to become more adult in their music.  I get not wanting to stay a teen pop star or a Disney star forever, everyone has to grow up.  However there is a good way and a bad way to go about that.  I did not pay too much attention to the lyrics of her song tonight, as let's admit it I was doing two other things at the same time, but I loved the dancing!  The Bollywood them of it was really fun.  It had a bit of sexy thrown in, but not in an inappropriate manner.  Angel has been so excited to watch the results because she loves Selena Gomez, a lot.  She is a Wizards of Waverly Place junkie.  So knowing that I am okay with her watching this performance is great.  So thank you Selena Gomez.  Thanks for remembering that you still have many young fans and keeping it within the realm of appropriate.

We have been having an awesome spring snow storm today.  The snow has been steady and at times vertical.  Not a lot of it has been sticking, but I will take what I can get.  When we got home from school pickup today there were a bunch of robins hanging out in our tree out front.  They were all plumped up to keep warm and enjoying the berries on the tree.  We pulled in slowly as to not scare them, but I think they were just so happy munching away that they did not even care.  I love springtime snow storms! 

We braved the snow storm to head to a local mall that was hosting an art show for the school district.  Angel had a picture she made in school featured!  She did a great job on the picture.  She was surprised by what was in the show as she was expecting it to be something completely different.  Good job Angel!  We are so proud of your accomplishments.

In other news my sweet husband got a promotion!!!  I am so happy for him, he totally deserves it.  Good luck in your new position sweetheart, I am sure you are going to rock it!

Grandparents

I am lucky enough to have 3 of my 4 grandparents still living.  My paternal grandfather passed away before I was born, so I never knew him.  My other grandparents I have been fortunate enough to know well.  We spent most every summer that I can remember with travels to visit.  My first trip as a baby, when I was just days old, was to visit my grandparents.  They have been a very important part of my life.  I know that there is only a finite amount of time left with all three of them alive.  They are all in their 90's and a couple of them are not in the greatest health.  I think about them daily and miss them terribly.  If only travel were not so expensive! 

When my paternal grandmother turned 90, six years ago, the kids and I all travelled out for a surprise party.  Unfortunately my sweet husband was unable to travel with us, but we had a great trip as it was.  We were able to see all my grandparents, my husbands grandparents, many aunts, uncles, and cousins.  It was truly a trip to remember.  Since then I had not been able to make it back out for a visit.  Six years is a LONG time!

This past week I was able to make the long awaited trip back to Idaho to see my grandparents!  I was elated that it all fell into place to make it happen.  I wish the kids could have gone with me, as do they, but it just was not in the budget.  Of course after I got my plane ticket there was a snow storm that postponed the kids Destination Imagination tournament.  It got rescheduled for, you guessed it, the weekend that I would be out of town.  My sweet husband took care of everything though!  So I packed my bags and off to the airport I went.  Thanks to my mom who drove me to the airport then watched the three youngest kids until Archer got out of school! 

Visiting my paternal grandmother was hard.  She is in a mental care wing of an assisted living community.  She has dementia.  I do not know if she truly understood who I was or really realized that I was there, but I know that I was.  She is still my beautiful grandmother.  Her smile lit up the room.  When she first saw me, I think she knew for a moment who I was.  Her face lit up and she smiled so big.  She struggled to sit up in her chair.  By the time we were able to have her moved to a table to visit the recognition was gone.  There were a couple times where she would look at me, smile, and grab my hand.  She would squeeze it so tight and would hold on.  Then it would pass and the moment was gone.  When she was younger she was a hair dresser and she loved my hair.  My hair is really long, down past my waist.  Every now and then she would reach over and grab my hair.  She would hold onto it and run it through her hand while smiling.  It may seem like a small thing, but it is a memory I will treasure.  My grandmother may not be able to remember now, but I truly believe that she will have those memories back someday when she has left this life.  In the meantime, I remember.  I will share those memories with my kids.  I will treasure those memories.  I am so thankful that we had this time together.  It was hard, but it was more than worth it!

 

My maternal grandparents live just under two hours away from my paternal grandmother, so I took a drive to see them.  They still live in the same home that they have since I was a child.  As I drove those familiar streets I was anxious to see them again.  I truly had been too long since I was last out to visit.  As I walked up to the door I did not even have a chance to ring the bell as the door swung open to reveal my grandfather with a huge smile on his face.  My maternal grandparents have some vision issues and my grandfather is not in the greatest health, but they still remember.  I loved being able to sit and talk with them.  More than that, listening to them talk to each other.  Their conversation was varied and random, but it was so much fun!  I truly think they are happier together now then ever before.  My grandpa smiles and laughs more.  My grandma leans in for a hug more.  They tease each other.  It is a beautiful relationship.  I was able to spend the night at their house and have breakfast with them before I had to leave for the airport.  It was bitter sweet having breakfast with them as I knew that I would soon have to leave, our visit was coming to an end.  After hugs and kisses I went to the car.  As I drove away my grandma was standing in the doorway watching me leave.  It made me want to cry, as I do not know when I will be able to see her again.  I hope it will be in this lifetime. 

On my trip I was also able to see my dad and step-mom, all three of my aunts, and a few of my cousins.  It was wonderful to see them all!  They are good people and I love them all dearly.  My aunt let me stay at her home and it was a lot of fun to have the extra time to talk together. 

My grandparents mean the world to me.  I feel blessed to still have them in my life as so many of my friends no longer have any of their grandparents still living.  I am thankful for all the things my grandparents taught me and the little ways they have effected my life.  My paternal grandmother always carried Trident gum.  To this day it is the only type of gum I will buy.  My maternal grandfather always has a puzzle book next to his chair.  I keep a puzzle book in my vehicle to work on while waiting for kids at school pickup.  My maternal grandmother always remembers all our family members names, even now she can name all 57 of them down to the newest great-great grandchild.  I do my best to remember not just all the nieces and nephews names, but also their birthdays.  I know how loved it made me feel when my grandma remembered mine.

I love my grandparents, more than words can say.

Disney on Ice presents Treasure Trove in Review

Tonight the family went to see Disney on Ice presents Treasure Trove.  The younger kids had been excited all day.  Angel put together a Belle costume from the beginning of the Beauty and the Beast movie, Picasso made a Gaston costume complete with a "No Beast" sign, and Princess dressed up as Belle ready for the ball.  Due to their Beauty and the Beast wardrobe, they were slightly disappointed that was not one of the main storylines.  However they still greatly enjoyed the show!  Princess was so overly excited that she chattered almost non-stop. 

For the show itself, it was really well done.  Disney on Ice shows normally are!  The show started with Alice in Wonderland.  The playing card guards were my favorite part of that segment.  They descended in size as the numbers went down.  The double faces were somewhat freaky, but not in a bad way.  They did some nice precision skating.

From there we went to Wonderland with the crew from Peter Pan.  This segment was my least favorite.  There was nothing wrong with it at all and the crocodile parts were awesome.  It was my least favorite as it seemed a little more chaotic than the rest of the production.  Not a big deal and I did still enjoy it, just not quite as much as the rest.  There was some nice aerial work going on though.

After leaving Wonderland we arrive at the African savannah and the Lion King.  This was my favorite part of the evening.  It was slightly odd that during the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" song the parts of Zazu were done by Rafiki.  Scar was sufficiently freaky and the hyenas had my kids laughing.  When Simba and Nala met back up and danced to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" it was pretty fantastic.  I think it was probably the best skating I have seen live, which is seeing something.  It was really well done! 

The second half of the production was shorter storylines for Snow White, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Tangled and Princess & the Frog.  Each one of these storylines showed a specific portion of each story. 

With Snow White we see the dwarves and Snow White interacting.  The dwarves leave for work when the evil queen shows up as a hag.  Snow White eats the apple and sleeps until the Prince awakes her with a kiss.

In Aladdin we see the discovery of the Genie in the lamp, Aladdin's entry into Agrabah, and the magic carpet ride he takes with Jasmine.  I have to commend them on having the seat belts on the carpet the same colors as the costumes.  Seamless blending and safety all in one.  Well done prop department!

With the Little Mermaid we went under the sea to see Ariel, Sebastian and some undersea creatures entertain us to the tune of "Under the Sea". 

In Tangled we meet up with Flynn Ryder taking a frying pan to the head before helping Rapunzel to see the lights.  A young girl from the audience helped them send up the lantern.  It was really sweet!

In Princess and the Frog Tiana and Prince Naveen do a fun dance number with some fabulous jazz number.

In true Disney on Ice style the production ends with all the princesses and their princes coming out for one last dance. 

Oh and don't forget Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy!  We must not forget them.  Goofy is still my favorite and always will be, but the others did do a great job too.  ;)

I asked everyone what they enjoyed most about the show.  Archer, in true teenage boy form, said his favorite part was cheering on Snow White to eat the apple.  The punk!  Angel liked Timon and Pumba.  Picasso really enjoyed the hyenas.  Princess, well she just liked all of it!  My sweet husband really liked the playing cards from Alice and Wonderland.  My whole family really enjoyed spending our evening at the Denver Coliseum watching Treasure Trove.  This is a great show for not just girls, but for boys too.  It is not heavily princess oriented, though the princesses will always be a big focus.  I do recommend Disney on Ice presents Treasure Trove.  It is a great blend of  the different Disney movies, it is fast paced, and just good fun for everyone. 

Tickets are still available at www.ticketmaster.com/treasure.  For the April 5th show you can still use the coupon code STN26 for $4 off your tickets (not valid on VIP or Front Row)!  The April 7 evening show is in Spanish.  As always, parking is free at the Denver Coliseum!

Learning Curve

Junior high and Archer have become something of a frustration to me.  He is doing fine with his peers, no bullying issues thank goodness.  Honestly that is what I was most worried about.  He scores well on his tests.  His teachers all talk about what a smart, kind, and respectful person he is.  He does his homework.  Where might the frustration be you might ask?  All of that sounds great does it not?   He truly is a great young man.  However the kid cannot seem to turn his homework in on a consistent basis!  From talking to friends I am finding that this is a very common issue.  He had a hard time in a couple classes first term.  Second term did great, mostly A's with a couple B's.  This last term, back to his bad habits from the first term.  It seems like a huge waste of time to me to expend the time and effort of doing the work and then not reaping the rewards of it.  There is a large learning curve involved.  In elementary school teachers will remind you to turn work in, in junior high not so much.  In elementary teachers only have 20-30 kids in their classrooms, not over 100 different kids throughout the day.  So I understand why it is put on the kids to keep track of these things.  It can be hard for a child to learn to do.  The solution we came up with is that every Sunday evening, before the school week starts, Archer and I will sit down and review the upcoming week.  We will pull up Infinite Campus and make sure he has no missing assignments, we will review the scores he has gotten up to that point, and we will see what is due that week.  The hope is that he will get into the habit of doing it himself, but in the meantime part of my job as his mom is to help him learn to do it.  At the end of the day if he gets a C in a class that he struggled with and worked his butt off at, then I will be okay with it.  If he gets a C in that same class because he did not turn in work he had done, not so okay with that.  So the learning curve continues, for both of us.  Archer's learning curve is keeping track of assignments.  My learning curve is to help my child with this new portion of his life.  Just like we had to teach him to balance to ride a bike properly, we need to teach him how to do this to succeed at school.  At the end of the day, no matter how frustrating it may be I am so very proud of Archer and all my kids.  They are fantastic and I am blessed to be their mom. 

My Little Pony

Have you seen My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic?  I've seen most of the episode on Netflix, though my kids tell me there are new episodes on now.  I'm sure I'll be seeing them soon enough!  The original MLP shows were pretty cheesy.  I remember watching them as a kid and they were okay.  It was horses, so couldn't be bad.  The newest G4 ponies are pretty cool though!  The animation is great, the storylines are above average for a kids show, and the themes of the storyline are great.  I honestly do not mind watching this show at all.  Princess and Angel both love the show, Archer tolerates it, and Picasso loves it too.  Yep, my son loves MLP!  Do you know what?  I am 100% okay with that.  He would not be considered to be a "Brony", as he is too young to fit that demographic, but he definitely is one.  His favorite pony is Rainbow Dash.  She is one kick butt pony!  Build a Bear has some large Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie ponies the next month or so.  I am very tempted to go get one of each for Picasso and Princes as they have birthdays coming up in a couple months.  We will have to see if I end up getting them or not, but I am considering it. 
Today at the mall I stopped in at Hot Topic, as they are one of the only places I know of to get Doctor Who merchandise in stores in the US.  They had Doctor Whooves merchandise!  I promptly bought a t-shirt and a Doctor Whooves figurine.  The t-shirt was given to the kids before we walked out of the mall and Picasso had changed into before we got back to my mom's house.  The figurine will be saved for his birthday.  The shirt has this graphic on it, minus the wording.  I am sure there will be some fighting over who gets to wear the shirt on any given day.  It combines My Little Pony AND Doctor Who.  You cannot go wrong with that!  I will definitely be returning to Hot Topic to check out what other Doctor Who related stuff they have.  And if I happen to find a fantastic MLP item, well that may come home for one of the kiddos too. 

I know that there are those out there who would have an issue with my boy like MLP.  It is for "girls".  Give me a break is what I have to say to them!  Who puts these gender stereotypes on items?  Adults do, not kids.  Who cares if my son likes ponies or my daughter likes to dress up as the Incredible Hulk.  Why is it such a big deal if boys like "girl things", but not near a big as deal if girls like "boy things"?  I do not understand that double standard and there is a large double standard.  Personally I will support my kids in their likes and dislikes as long as it is not harmful to them or others.  So Bronies, rock on!  Enjoy those things in life that you find to be worthwhile, no matter what anyone else thinks.