April 30, 2013
Bon Jovi
A couple of weeks ago I finally got to go to what I would call my first REAL concert since junior high when I saw Color Me Bad. (I seriously loved that group, you know you did too! Ha ha!) Okay, I've been to a lot of concerts since then, but mostly local bands or bands of friends as a teen and college student, then once I had kids my concerts consisted of Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, and Victoria Justice from Nickelodeon. Those were fun with the kids, but they don't really count for me. So finally, I talked Mike into seeing Bon Jovi! We had so much fun!! Jon sounds as amazing in person as he does on the radio, maybe even better. He has so much energy too and really interacts with the audience. We were very impressed. Mike told me after the concert that he had never really had any interest in going to concerts before because he thought it was just for girls to go swoon, but now that he's been, he can understand why guys go too and it makes you appreciate the artist so much more. I think I see more concerts with Mike in the future! We both have had Bon Jovi songs stuck in our heads since the concert and love it. Now we just need to get the kids to love it too! :)
April 17, 2013
Some Unexpected Fun!
Trying to figure out something fun to do with the kids on their short 3-day spring break a few weeks ago, I remembered we hadn't paid the new Scheels a visit yet, and thought the kids might like it. At first they were NOT excited at all - Ashton hated the idea of it being a store, and Brayden hated the idea of dead, stuffed animals everywhere (I swear she will become a member of PETA someday!), but if they wanted to get out of the house, that is what we were doing! Once we got there, the kids were immediately impressed - they loved the statues outside of the store!
Reading the "Declaration of Independence" (If I remember right!)
With President Lincoln!
This is as close as Ashton would get to the grizzly bear.....as you can see, Brayden isn't even in the picture! We had to go around a special way just so she wouldn't have to pass it!
The ferris wheel!
So many skunks!
And they even got to get their pictures taken catching some BIG fish!
Fun stop at the bakery/deli for lunch, with dessert consisting of fudge and gelato! Oh, and the best free caramels they give you with your lunch order!
I'm so glad I was able to talk them into this, because it was a fun day! I'm sure the kids won't complain nearly as bad the next time I ask if they want to go to Scheels! :)
April 8, 2013
Brayden's "Incident"
I don't write my feelings on here too often, but sometimes something happens and I just feel the need to vent, and this is one of those times!
Last Wednesday, Brayden came home from school really proud of herself saying that she felt like she changed the world, or at least the school, that day! She told me about a recess/lunch aide that hasn't been very nice to the kids - and this wasn't the first time I'd heard of her not being nice, both of my kids have talked about her all year, and I have seen her do things I didn't agree with myself when having lunch with the kids. So Wednesday, something happened with the aide and the kids had had enough. Brayden decided to write a note to the principal about her not being nice, and had other kids sign it who agreed. The note said this:
"Dear Mrs. Ward (the principal),
Mrs. Hansen (the aide) hasn't been very nice to any of us, and these are the people who agree:"
(And then other kids put their signatures below.)
The kids then took the note straight to the principal. At the time the kids did this, they had no idea that this is considered a petition - they didn't even know what a petition was. They just wanted to be heard and have witnesses so maybe someone would listen to their concerns. When Brayden told me about this, I thought it was kind of funny but pretty smart, and was so proud of her for stepping up and doing something. She's always so quiet and timid, so this was huge for her, and this aide must be pretty awful to push Brayden to do something like this.
Then Thursday, I got a call from the Vice Principal, Mr. Butler. He told me he had an "incident" with Brayden, and explained what she did (the note with signatures) which I already knew. He said he had to take her into his office to have a talk with her about how wrong what she did was. He kept saying that Brayden was the "ring leader" and "stirring up lots of drama". Anyone who knows Brayden knows she doesn't do that. And I got every detail from Brayden, and she said she just wrote the note herself with 2 friends around, and they quietly and calmly asked other kids if they feel the same way and if they could sign it if they did. It wasn't like some big rally to get the aide fired or something. The vice principal kept saying that writing a "petition" isn't the right way to do it, if they have a problem they need to come talk to him or the principal (isn't the note to the principal considered talking to the principal??). I can kind of see his point as far as all of the signatures go, but I also know how some teachers are when there is a problem - I don't think they really respect the kids enough to hear them out. The kids felt like they needed more witnesses, and I don't blame them.
When Brayden came home that Thursday after everything with the vice principal went down, she told me she was in the vice principal's office for a half an hour where he just lectured her, and basically tried to get her to admit and say things he wanted her to say, siding with the aide. Brayden said she felt like he was acting like a judge and might as well have had a gavel he was slamming on the desk saying. "Guilty!" without hearing Brayden out. (This was her explanation, I thought it was cute!) He also told her that he and the principal would be discussing her punishment. (Seriously? A punishment? For this??) Then, the vice principal came into Brayden's classroom to lecture the whole class and to tell the kids how disappointed he is in all of the kids who signed the note, and that any of the kids who didn't sign it should be very proud of themselves. Poor Brayden felt humiliated and awful all day. She said she thought she was going to pee her pants and throw up at the same time, and had a hard time walking that day because her knees were so shaky. That made me really sad.
When I had told Mike about the vice principal, Mr. Butler, calling me, Mike called him right away because neither of us agreed that Brayden should be in so much trouble. It was so ridiculous. Mr. Butler kind of backed down to Mike, but not really. He didn't give up the fact that what Brayden did was wrong, and Brayden still had a punishment set for Friday, where she didn't get to go on lunch recess. Brayden didn't care since it was supposed to rain anyway, but it's SO ridiculous that she was even punished. Even Brayden's teacher thought it was ridiculous. Anyway, Mike and I have had lots of talks with Brayden since last week about how proud we are of her, and that we don't want this to stop her from taking any action she feels necessary in the future. To me it was just so sad that one day my daughter comes home so proud of herself, feeling like she "changed the world" in her words, to the next day sitting in the vice principal's office being lectured, then being humiliated in front of her class, then punished more the next day, all because of a little note that was only meant for the principal to see, trying to solve an issue so many kids were affected by. There is something way wrong with that. Why it was so blown out of proportion is beyond me. Did they see it as a threat somehow? Who knows. All I know is how it was handled wasn't right. One thing I do know is that Brayden did change the school that day. Mr. Butler had told Brayden that he wasn't going to say anything to the aide because he "didn't want her feelings to be hurt", but I'm sure they will be keeping a closer eye on her, and Brayden told me today (Monday) that she felt like someone must have said something to her because she was being way nicer to the kids today than she had been all year!
We won't let this incident deter our kids from speaking up however they feel necessary. It's just sad that they have to worry about being punished for it, but they will never be punished by us, their parents, for something like this. We are so proud of Brayden, and absolutely love the smart, sweet, brave, world changing girl that she is!!!
Last Wednesday, Brayden came home from school really proud of herself saying that she felt like she changed the world, or at least the school, that day! She told me about a recess/lunch aide that hasn't been very nice to the kids - and this wasn't the first time I'd heard of her not being nice, both of my kids have talked about her all year, and I have seen her do things I didn't agree with myself when having lunch with the kids. So Wednesday, something happened with the aide and the kids had had enough. Brayden decided to write a note to the principal about her not being nice, and had other kids sign it who agreed. The note said this:
"Dear Mrs. Ward (the principal),
Mrs. Hansen (the aide) hasn't been very nice to any of us, and these are the people who agree:"
(And then other kids put their signatures below.)
The kids then took the note straight to the principal. At the time the kids did this, they had no idea that this is considered a petition - they didn't even know what a petition was. They just wanted to be heard and have witnesses so maybe someone would listen to their concerns. When Brayden told me about this, I thought it was kind of funny but pretty smart, and was so proud of her for stepping up and doing something. She's always so quiet and timid, so this was huge for her, and this aide must be pretty awful to push Brayden to do something like this.
Then Thursday, I got a call from the Vice Principal, Mr. Butler. He told me he had an "incident" with Brayden, and explained what she did (the note with signatures) which I already knew. He said he had to take her into his office to have a talk with her about how wrong what she did was. He kept saying that Brayden was the "ring leader" and "stirring up lots of drama". Anyone who knows Brayden knows she doesn't do that. And I got every detail from Brayden, and she said she just wrote the note herself with 2 friends around, and they quietly and calmly asked other kids if they feel the same way and if they could sign it if they did. It wasn't like some big rally to get the aide fired or something. The vice principal kept saying that writing a "petition" isn't the right way to do it, if they have a problem they need to come talk to him or the principal (isn't the note to the principal considered talking to the principal??). I can kind of see his point as far as all of the signatures go, but I also know how some teachers are when there is a problem - I don't think they really respect the kids enough to hear them out. The kids felt like they needed more witnesses, and I don't blame them.
When Brayden came home that Thursday after everything with the vice principal went down, she told me she was in the vice principal's office for a half an hour where he just lectured her, and basically tried to get her to admit and say things he wanted her to say, siding with the aide. Brayden said she felt like he was acting like a judge and might as well have had a gavel he was slamming on the desk saying. "Guilty!" without hearing Brayden out. (This was her explanation, I thought it was cute!) He also told her that he and the principal would be discussing her punishment. (Seriously? A punishment? For this??) Then, the vice principal came into Brayden's classroom to lecture the whole class and to tell the kids how disappointed he is in all of the kids who signed the note, and that any of the kids who didn't sign it should be very proud of themselves. Poor Brayden felt humiliated and awful all day. She said she thought she was going to pee her pants and throw up at the same time, and had a hard time walking that day because her knees were so shaky. That made me really sad.
When I had told Mike about the vice principal, Mr. Butler, calling me, Mike called him right away because neither of us agreed that Brayden should be in so much trouble. It was so ridiculous. Mr. Butler kind of backed down to Mike, but not really. He didn't give up the fact that what Brayden did was wrong, and Brayden still had a punishment set for Friday, where she didn't get to go on lunch recess. Brayden didn't care since it was supposed to rain anyway, but it's SO ridiculous that she was even punished. Even Brayden's teacher thought it was ridiculous. Anyway, Mike and I have had lots of talks with Brayden since last week about how proud we are of her, and that we don't want this to stop her from taking any action she feels necessary in the future. To me it was just so sad that one day my daughter comes home so proud of herself, feeling like she "changed the world" in her words, to the next day sitting in the vice principal's office being lectured, then being humiliated in front of her class, then punished more the next day, all because of a little note that was only meant for the principal to see, trying to solve an issue so many kids were affected by. There is something way wrong with that. Why it was so blown out of proportion is beyond me. Did they see it as a threat somehow? Who knows. All I know is how it was handled wasn't right. One thing I do know is that Brayden did change the school that day. Mr. Butler had told Brayden that he wasn't going to say anything to the aide because he "didn't want her feelings to be hurt", but I'm sure they will be keeping a closer eye on her, and Brayden told me today (Monday) that she felt like someone must have said something to her because she was being way nicer to the kids today than she had been all year!
We won't let this incident deter our kids from speaking up however they feel necessary. It's just sad that they have to worry about being punished for it, but they will never be punished by us, their parents, for something like this. We are so proud of Brayden, and absolutely love the smart, sweet, brave, world changing girl that she is!!!
April 4, 2013
E~A~S~T~E~R~!
So I now have two non-believers of the Easter Bunny in my house, no matter how much I try to convince them he's real, it's no use! I'm so sad, I never thought that would happen so early! However, despite their non-belief in him, the Easter Bunny still paid a visit to our house! We had to wake up extra early because of early church, and Mike had to meet with someone from the stake for a new calling - he is now the ward clerk! So, with all of that in the morning we had to rush through some Easter stuff. The kids love the scavenger hunt they have to do each year to find their baskets, but this year they only got one clue to speed it up!
Ashton reading his clue.....
Ashton reading his clue.....
He found his basket under the kitchen sink! All he wanted for Easter was 10 packs of Garbage Pail Kids and a water bottle just like Dad's!
Brayden with her clue.....
Her's was in the dryer! She got a water bottle too, and the swarovski crystal necklace and earrings she's had her eye on!
Because I still believe in the Easter Bunny, he brought me a BIG load of chocolate!!! (He must not have been able to find my basket! I'll have to remember to leave it out for him next year!)
We had a great day at church, then came back and took some pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits!
Ashton had been VERY specific about what he wanted - a pink dress shirt with blue stripes. Somehow, after shopping everywhere, I came across his perfect shirt! :) (Luckily Brayden wasn't as picky, so I just matched her to him!)
Me and my favorite girl!
Since we had to rush to church, we saved the Easter egg hunt for after church! The kids are so competitive, so the hunt didn't last very long! They are fast!! Brayden won by 1 egg!
I forgot to take pictures of us dying eggs, but on Friday my brother Cameron and his wife Aubrey came over for dinner and to dye them with us! Here's Ashton with all of our decorated eggs!
I put the kids to work peeling the eggs to get them ready to make deviled eggs to go with dinner!
We had a quiet Easter with just our little family, but it was nice. Mike grilled hamburgers, then after dinner, since it was such a beautiful day, we headed to a park to throw a football around and let the kids ride their bikes! We had a wonderful Easter!
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