FHE Frostys

Last Halloween, Aunt Gerilyn got all of the kids gift certificates for Free Frostys.  We redeemed a bunch of them a few weeks ago but still had a ton of coupons left.  Tonight was the last night before the gift certificates expire and so we used up the rest for a Frostie FHE.  Thanks Gerilyn!!

Sunday Mornings

Sunday mornings are difficult -- always have been.  Rick is gone to meetings and I am flying solo trying to get everyone ready and out the door.  Jenna woke up with diarrhea so bad that we had to strip the bed and bathe her (sorry for TMI).  Then I had to change her two more times before heading out the door to church.  She was cranky and ornery.  Josh was running around in his underwear not wanting to get dressed.  Everyone was asking for something -- "put on my tights," "I can't button this shirt (amidst a huge melt-down typical of Josh), "I need a drink,"  "I can't find my shoes,"  "can you get me some cereal?" and so on, all while my fingers were covered in greasy turkey juice as I prepared dinner for after church.   I kept yelling up to the boys to please come help me.  It was almost time to leave when I realized I hadn't had time to eat breakfast myself and I don't run well on an empty stomach and so I was downing the soup Janika made last night minutes before we left.  I don't know what I would do without Janika's help -- she usually does at least one or two of the girl's hair on Sundays.  Unfortunately Janelle came down crying because she didn't like the hairstyle she gave her today.  But Jaiden loved her cute messy bun.

But it seems I always enter the van on Sunday mornings feeling completely uptight and frazzled.  Since we are always running around to get out the door on time, our morning prayer ends up being said in the van on the way to church.  Once all of the kids are in their classes I finally start to relax and unwind -- until sacrament meeting when I am trying to keep everyone quiet and occupied.  I am sure that ours is the messiest bench in the church with cereal crunched all over the floor.   Luckily I have several helpers (age 15, 13, and 10) who are more than willing to take unruly children out in the hall.

But there were some positives about the day -- Rick gave the combined lesson for RS and Priesthood.  He is such a wonderful teacher and I always feel all sorts of warm fuzzies when I watch him teach.  He is also very animated in ASL and fun to watch.  Janika helped to teach the primary a song in ASL to prepare for a Stake Primary Choir and Janika and Jase both gave talks in ASL and did a great job.  Jase was stressing on the way to church because we forgot his talk.  I told him that since his talk was only four sentences long, I was confident that he would do just fine without it.  Janika was bright and animated for her talk and didn't even ask for any help with her signs.  She is getting better and better.  Next week will be her first time leading the music for sacrament meeting in ASL.

Getting dinner on the table was a little stressful too but at least we enjoyed a wonderful family meal (without Rick since he didn't make it home for another four hours).  After the long clean-up process I was even able to take a nap -- oblivious to the fact that my boys were playing on our roof.   Janika and I made cookies -- she made regular ones and I made gluten free.  I haven't had treats in a long time and was craving something sweet.  Unfortunately I ate a few too many!   Now all of the kids are currently occupied and Rick and I can go snuggle while we catch up on the CES Broadcast that we missed last Friday.  So the day ended up being a great one after all.

Mismatched Day

So the whole weird make-up and hair party last week were supposedly to practice for this week's spirit week  battle of the sexes at the middle school where the guys and girls did each other's hair and makeup.  The practicing paid off since the girls won. Today was mismatch day.  I think Janika looks gorgeous -- no matter what she wears!

Deaf Branch Youth Fireside

Our Deaf Branch Young Women's Presidency Toni Pemberton (first counselor) and Meredith Winn (President).  They're awesome!

Working

Tuesday morning I got up early and got myself ready for the day and dropped Janika to school at 7:30 for her National Honors Society meeting.  Then came home and got the kids ready for school and dropped them off.  I had a babysitter scheduled since I had appointments all day long but Rick ended up calling in sick and Jase stayed home from sick (the stomach flu saga continues...) and so Rick ended up watching the kids instead (as much as he could while laying in bed all day).  I did five hours of interpreting and then hurried home for a quick bite to eat and to visit with Rick, Jase, and Janika for a minute and then headed back to teach my ASL class for a couple of hours and then stayed at the college to meet Rick and Janika for a Success Academy Parents meeting.  I was gone from home for eleven hours today and yet it was actually more relaxing than staying home with the kids and housework all day.  Pretty pathetic!  Well, it's back to my "real" job as mom and homemaker tomorrow! 

More sickies...

Saturday Rick went grocery shopping and I started on some cleaning projects.  Once afternoon hit I was so tired.  I plopped in some ear plugs and went two bed -- for two hours!!  Then to try and make up for my lazy retreat, I brought the kids to the park to take advantage of the sunshine.  A few hours after baths and bed, Janelle and Jared threw up.  Apparently the stomach flu is on an "every other night" schedule at our house.  It wouldn’t have been too bad except that both of them were sound asleep and neither of them made it to the toilet which meant showering Janelle, stripping beds, doing laundry, and scrubbing the carpet (yuck!) in the middle of the night.  And I let Rick sleep through the whole thing since I knew he would have church responsibilities the next day.   (I know, I am such a saint -- ha ha!)  Rick is actually the one who usually takes care of these night-time situations and so he deserved a break anyway.

As it turned out, I did stay home with the sick kids (and Jenna).  The kids laid around all day but didn’t throw up again.  I was going to try to at least go to sacrament meeting but wasn't feeling too great myself and so I didn't make it.  Then I felt a bit guilty when I found out they didn't have an organist today and had to do all of the songs without music (when I could have filled in on the piano had I been there).  Oh well, it is a deaf branch after all and the members can't hear the music anyway.  Janika called after church to say that she had just been called as the sacrament meeting chorister for the deaf branch (which means she needs to learn all of the songs in ASL)  and I needed to come watch her be set apart.  So I threw on a dress and some make-up in order to attend the setting apart and then brought the kids home.  She is very nervous but feels like it will be a good opportunity for her to serve and also learn more sign language in the process.  I normally try to have a nice meal prepared for when Rick arrives home from the church later but it didn’t happen today.  Thank goodness for leftovers I guess.   We felt too blucky for much religion today and ended up just watching a movie.  Rick and I made it outside for a much needed walk around the block.  I hate the stomach flu!

Hair and Makeup

Friday night Jared and Jase were having a great time roasting marshmallows around a campfire at a birthday party next door.  Rick and I didn't have plans to go out on a date like we usually do and so Janika asked me if she could have a few friends over that night to do hair and make-up.  I said sure, since all I was doing was watching a movie with the kids and catching up on folding laundry.  The result?

 

 Wow, now that's just downright scary!!

New Beginnings

Today I worked (interpreting) for five hours.  I hired a baby-sitter to come and watch the kids.  A friend had given me the name of a girl who was looking for a job and therefore was temporarily available during the day.  She has been great and the kids had a ball with her.  After school Jaiden had dance, Janelle had Achievement Days, Jase had Young Mens, Janika had New Beginnings for the Young Women and their parents, and Rick had class (Institute Choir).  So I had to leave Jared in charge of baby-sitting the three youngest.  I picked up Janelle and brought her with me to Janika’s New Beginnings Program.  Janika gave a sweet little talk on the virtue "knowledge."  It was a lovely program. 

Around 5:30 the next morning Jenna started throwing up.  Josh started throwing up an hour later.  After stripping beds and cleaning up, both kids slept with us till it was time to wake up.  I was so glad that I didn’t have any appointments scheduled for Thursday.  The poor kids were so sick all day long.  They didn’t eat a thing.  It was actually pretty quiet that day with them sleeping so much and so thankfully I was able to catch up on a little sleep as well.  Rick took over while I went to class and he brought Jase to his orientation/registration meeting for middle school next year. 

Congratulations, Rick!

Congratulations Rick on passing the Utah Interpreter Certification test!!  Way to go, Rick! Now maybe we can go interpret together for dates some time.  :)

Ear Infection

We had a very busy weekend and so I was grateful for the holiday Monday -- even if we didn't end up doing anything special.  At least we got to catch up on household responsibilities and sleep.  Sunday night Josh came down with a bad ear infection.  We brought him in our bed with us and he cried for about two hours.  Tylenol wasn’t doing anything.  Finally after a blessing and some olive oil poured into his ears with cotton, he went to sleep.  Rick brought him to the Instacare the next day (MLK day) where he was prescribed antibiotics.  We had wanted to bring the kids somewhere fun but with Josh feeling sick and us being tired from being up in the night, it just didn't happen.  At least the kids had fun playing with all of their neighborhood friends and we did have family home evening (I think anyway)!     

Great Babysitter!

A family that Janika babysits for posted this about her and I thought it was so sweet!  Hopefully she doesn't mind if I copy it!

One in a million..............

Photos taken by Janika

When you have five kids six and under it's tough to find a babysitter you can really trust. Luckily we have Janika.  Most babysitters come in and sit the kids in front of the TV and talk on their cell phones to their boyfriend all night. Not Janika, she did a total make-over with our girls last weekend and then took pictures. She always has a whole bag of things for them to do. Thanks Jani for being a great girl. You are truly one in a million...............

College Ahead

Last Tuesday morning I went to Janika's 9th grade SEOP (Student Education and Occupation Plan) meeting at the middle school.   There were several classes who met together for this meeting in the little theater and parents were invited.  Hers was scheduled at 8:25 a.m. which definitely makes it tricky for moms like me who have three kids to get off to elementary school by 8:55 and a four and two year old at home.  My friend was kind enough to take the two youngest and I shipped the others off to school early to eat school breakfast and arrived at the meeting about ten minutes late.  There were only a handful of parents there, which is too bad since there was a lot of great information.  Of course this is my oldest and so college preparation for kids now days is all brand new territory for me.  There are a lot more options available than when I sat in my ninth grade class listening to a similar lecture. 

Education was always heavily emphasized in my family.  There was never a question of "IF" we went to college, only "where" we would go to college.  It was just expected of us.  And every one of the six kids in my family all graduated with at least a bachelor's degree.    We have this same expectation of our children.  At the same time, however, I remember being stressed out as a teenager with the pressure of having to get perfect grades and good test scores in order to get a scholarship.   Rick was lucky because his beautiful tenor voice paid for all his years of college and more.  I wasn't so lucky.  I worked hard and earned good grades in high school but didn't have a very impressive ACT score and only had a scholarship my first year.  I then had to  work during college and also  borrow money from my parents after that.  After I received my associate's degree I was offered a half tuition leadership scholarship at BYU (I was President of LD Singers and on the executive council for LDSSA at Snow College), but then changed my mind at the last minute and went to USU instead -- thus no scholarship.   I had a wonderful experience at USU and was very involved and had great roommates there too.  So I feel I made the right decision -- even though the last minute change did cost me financially.  But the sign language skills I learned on my mission landed me a great full-time job as I neared the end of college and so I was able to pay everything off before I got married.   So luckily it all worked out.

But anyway, back to the meeting.  I think the ninth graders were all a little overwhelmed at all of the information.   I am sure that most of them were more interested in who they would be hanging out with that night than planning out their entire future.  But I found it all quite exhilarating anticipating all of the exciting things Janika had to look forward to in the coming years.  They had the students fill out their classes for the next three years (which required some guess work) and discussed core curriculum, ACT tests, grades, scholarships, financial aid and so on. 

At our local high school there are a couple of different programs available.  There are AP classes (which are available everywhere I think).  We also had it when I was in HS but I never took advantage of them because I wanted to take other classes and was too intimidated by the test.  Then there is concurrent enrollment so that students can take classes at the College and receive both High School and College credit at the same time.  The credits are paid for -- BIG bonus!  I think Concurrent enrollment starts in the 11th grade. 

Another program here is Success Academy which the counselors described as "concurrent enrollment on steroids."   Those accepted into the program go to high school half day and then to college half day and are with other high school kids -- whereas the kids in concurrent enrollment are in classes with regular college kids (I don't know if I like that idea).   Success Academy starts in the 10th grade and so the time to apply is now.  All ninth graders who are currently in Geometry or Algebra II can apply for Success Academy but they only take 50 students from our entire county (chosen by a lottery).

In success academy the students have their associate's degree by the time they graduate from high school and it is all paid for.  Then if they graduate with a a good GPA they have a good chance at the New Century Scholarship that pays for the next two years towards a Bachelors.   This all sounds extremely appealing for a family of nine living on a one-income teacher's salary with concerns about how we will get seven kids through college.  

But as I was listening to the lecture I started to worry.  I had a good high school experience and was involved in a lot of activities.  Would I have still been able to be involved in the school plays, drama club, track, cross county, and choir if I was doing something like this?  Perhaps.  College was a much better experience for me than high school was.   I learned so much in all of the years, but especially those first two.   I went to a small Jr. college (Snow) and it was a perfect fit for me.  I went not knowing a soul but was blessed with wonderful roommates.  (And it was my roommie my second year who ended up lining me up with my future husband several years later!)  I absolutely loved being in the LD Singers and made lifetime friends.  I loved being a part of LDSSA.  It was at this time that I made the decision that I wanted to marry a Seminary teacher!  I look back on those first two years of College with such fond memories.  Would I be robbing my daughter of that experience if she graduated from high school already having her Associates degree?  Or would she still enjoy the normal college-living-away-from-home  experience when she graduated except that it would be her Junior/Senior year instead of her Freshman/Sophomore year?

Would she lose out on some of the extracurricular activities and social life that high school has to offer or would this simply expand her social opportunity since it would be with bright academically minded kids from all different high schools rather than just the one she attends?   Right now she is in the Honors Program and it has been such a good experience.  She has a great group of friends -- such good kids -- who are also in Honors.  She is in better classes with better kids.   A couple of years ago she was given the choice but opted to not take the advanced Math class.  As it turned out she  ended up in an awful class with a bunch of goof-off kids.  She said she had a difficult time learning anything in that class.   That may not always be the case, but being in the Honors program has raised the caliber of students that she associates with.  That might also be a benefit with Success Academy. 

My daughter is very social and right now her much of her life revolves around her friends.  She is worried that a program like this might cause her to miss out on social time with her friends due to the rigorous schedule and time being away from high school.   She would only be at high school half day and then at the college half day and they said the kids would have three hours of homework a night (whether that is true or not, I don't know).  

I have heard some positive feedback from others who have done similar programs.  We don't even know if she would get in since it is just the luck of the draw but we want to be prepared with all of our options.   So anyway, I have mixed feelings and we will just see what happens.  I've asked Janika to pray about it since ultimately it is her decision.   It will be exciting to see what lies ahead!

New Missionary!

Friday night our missionary – Elder Lee arrived.  Last year some time we received a call about the possibility of having a deaf missionary come out to our area for a service mission.  They were calling various deaf branches looking for a place for him to serve.  Rick really jumped on this opportunity and did everything he could to get him to come serve here (and he was successful).  So everything was put into place and he and his mom arrived from Texas Friday night.  Rick and I met them at their hotel and took them out for dinner.  We had a great visit and  then took them around and went to Iceberg where a deaf social was going on so that they could meet some of the local deaf people.  He and his mom were able to attend the ASL temple session with us on Saturday and church on Sunday and then Elder Lee took his mom to catch the shuttle to the airport where she would fly back to Texas.  I promised her that we would take good care of her son.  Elder Lee came over to our house for dinner tonight and then he gave the FHE lesson.  Then Rick met with him alone so that they could plan out his schedule for the next week.  We are really excited to have him serving in our branch for the next 18 months -- Welcome, Elder Lee!