School fees

Only Elementary school is 'free' in Utah. That, of course, means that it is fully funded by tax payer dollars and teachers are absolutely forbidden from charging fees. They can ask for donations, but everyone gets to do whatever it was, whether they paid the donation or not!

Jr. High and High School, however, assess fees. Apparently the tax payer dollars are not enough. There are library fees, locker fees, activities fees, textbook rental fees, p.e. fees, science class fees, computer lab fees, tech ed fees, English class fees, band class fees, etc. The list goes on, and on, and on..... How many fess you pay really depend on the class load you choose.

Will's Jr. High fees this year set us back $153.00. That includes the yearbook.

Helena's High School sophomore class fees will be $254.00, including yearbook and parking permit!

All fees must be paid before the start of school (or you have to work out an auto deduct monthly plan with the school). Will's are paid and Helena's will be by this time next week.

You would think that that is the end of it and we can sit back and enjoy the rest of the year, dollar free. You would be wrong! Every field trip costs and if you don't cough up in time, your child doesn't go on the trip! Field trips can cost anywhere from $1 to $60 depending on destination, then you need to send a minimum of $10 with your child because the bus usually stops at some mall for lunch! No one wants to pack a smashed up brown bag on the field trip, especially when all the other kids are enjoying the food court! I remember once I forgot to send cash with Will and he ended up skipping lunch and waiting on the bus while the other kids went in! I was so upset with myself that day!

Of course, if your child is in a band/orchestra that travels, plan on shelling out A LOT more! I am very thankful that Will has no intention to join the marching band!

The Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house

Our family went to the open house this afternoon. It is the last weekend for the public to be able to see this temple (in West Jordan) before it closes for cleaning before the dedication ceremonies in late August. I wanted the kids to have a chance to see more parts of a temple that they have been able to see up until now.

We live pretty close to the Mount Timpanogos Temple and the kids go do baptisms there, but can't see any part of the temple other than the baptistry. Will had several questions for me about various different rooms and their purposes, but it wasn't a huge spiritual experience walking through the open house. We were SURROUNDED by very young children! I guess the parents thought that bringing their screaming 2 year old would somehow make the kid more spiritual? Mostly it just gave the rest of us a headache!

I am not against little children, just disappointed that they distracted so much from the experience. Will said he wished it had been quieter so he could feel what the Celestial room is supposed to be like. He wanted to know how old you have to be before you can get a temple recommend.

You ever have one of those days?

Or maybe one of those weeks?

I have been angry and/or frustrated at various different things for several days now. I can't seem to pull myself out of it.

I won't turn this into a complaint list, because I don't think it is healthy to revisit or share my frustrations with other people. I just feel I need a change.

I wonder if I am setting my expectations too high for the people in my life, or if maybe I am not being tough enough. How do I motivate other people to better themselves? How can I get unconditional love out of a teenager? How can I get kids to serve selflessly? How do I get my children to see the acid in their behaviours towards each other? How do I get them to want to change it? How do I get my husband to want to spend more time at home? How can I get my family all on the same page when I am the only one who seems to think it is needed or necessary?

HEAVY SIGH.

Seriously?!?

I went on facebook today, as always to see what my friends and family are up to. One little highlight gave me a bit of a shock.

Matt is engaged!

Don't get me wrong, I am not completely in the dark about these things. I knew he was seriously dating a girl named Michelle and that he was planning on marrying her. I just didn't expect to hear official news in such a back hand, random way. I would have expected him to call us and tell us officially before publishing it to the rest of the world.

Bill and I have noticed Matt pulling away from us. He hasn't called or texted in a long while. When he drove Michelle out to meet his mother, there didn't seem to be time to stop by here (even though it is on the most direct route to his mom's from San Diego) so we could meet her, too.

We really don't know what to think.

I need to call Matt to get the particulars about when the wedding will be.

My soon to be daughter-in-law's name is Michelle Brown. She works in a day care. She has a 1 year old son, Mitchell, from a previous relationship. So, not only will I have a new daughter-in-law, I will have a built in grandson.

Helena's Europe photos, part II

This first group of photos is a collection of awesome shots Helena took in Venice. You can't go too wrong with such amazing subject matter, but I think Helena has a fabulous sense of composition!

Helena standing on the side of the (one of the?) largest bridge in Venice. She said it was incredibly hot that day.

Helena in the Austrian Alps. They rode a gondola style ski lift to the top where they ate lunch. She said the food was disgusting and they ended up feeding it to a dog that was wandering around!

A group photo in the Austrian Alps.

A group photo after the 'rock star' style concert! Can you find Helena?

The city of Salzburg in the background. They toured the home Mozart was born in, now a museum about him.

She thought the cobblestone streets were very cool.

She said Dachau was incredibly spiritual. During her travelogue to us, she kept saying 'that's another church... there's another castle... no, I can't remember what it was called... I took a picture of that 'cuz the tour guide said something important about it, but I can't remember.'

When it came time to describe Dachau to us, however, she was full of facts and information. I am very proud of her for that. Touristy facts are interesting if you can remember them, but she obviously has her heart in the right place to know what is truly important to remember!

Opening night at the movies

We arrived at the theater at 9:45 pm for the 12:02 am show. There were literally THOUSANDS of people already there! Despite that, I somehow managed to get what Helena calls 'rock star parking'. There were outdoor lines built out of caution tape and security was highly visible. I found a security type to direct us to the correct line and we stood there for about 30 minutes. There were definitely more than 8 lines, each for a different auditorium with start times staggered one minute apart. Ours was the second line.

I had pre-arranged with Helena and her friend, Caitlin, that we wouldn't even bother trying to find 4 seats together. I would sit with Will and the girls could find their own seats. Bill decided to bow out and go to bed, which is why Caitlin came with us.

At 10:15, management took the 12:01 line inside. 5 minutes later, it was our turn. They took tickets before we even entered the building (they had swept the building clear of people before the event began) and had security posted throughout the building to prevent people from running. They had us loaded into our auditorium (no. 11) by 10:30!

There was an employee stationed at each auditorium entrance inspecting ticket stubs closely to verify that you, in fact, had the right to enter that particular room. I am pretty sure ours was a manager. All auditoriums were sold out!

There was a party atmosphere (obviously) with many people in costume. There were no hurt feelings in our part of the theater and on the whole, it was an incredibly fun night!

Oh, and the movie? IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!

A poorly timed illness

Well, yes, actually there can be a well timed illness! If you aren't prepared for the test and wish you had more time to study, a fever can be very helpful.

Not this time. Will felt poorly all yesterday afternoon (after lunch at Subway). He slept poorly, too. At 5:00 am he came to wake me up and tell me he still didn't feel good. I was only half awake, but the conscious part of my mind dimly registered the noise of the toilet eternally refilling in the background. You know how the stopper in the tank sometimes gets stuck? That noise was filtering through, so I got up to deal with it since Will had already awoken me anyways.

Apparently, while I was mending the toilet, Will realized he needed a toilet RIGHT AWAY! and bolted for the downstairs throne. He could have used the kitchen sink, but none of our minds were fully functioning at that time. He didn't make it. At least he made it to the bathroom, though. It could have been worse! He has been slowing regaining good health today. He probably would have been better right away if he hadn't have held it in so long!

Today was to be the first day of the High School sponsored lacrosse camp that only runs for 3 days. He didn't make it today. I don't think we will bother with it at all, actually. We are going to the midnight showing of Harry Potter (oh, you think a little food poisoning is going to stop him from going, do you? Think again!) which would make him too tired to get to the second day. So why bother paying for only one day?

Setting up for the art show

Yesterday was almost completely consumed by art show business. Will and I went to the library right after dropping Helena off at ballet, so we could install the panels for the adult division of the art show. That only took 1 1/2 hours, thanks to the teenagers that came to help. I think they were Heidi's neighbors. Heidi is the director of the entire show.

Anyway, after the panels were mostly up, the teens did what young people do...they started goofing off. We use zip ties to connect the panels to each other, and Will used several of the ties to construct handcuffs on himself. He showed one of the older boys (who just graduated hs last Spring), who quickly pushed Will's arms up and attached the 'handcuffs' to the scaffolding! One of the other boys held Will's legs still while they were also tied to the panel. All in good fun, of course. The photo was taken while they were strapping down a younger boy who asked for it, because it all looked like a tremendous amount of fun.

I couldn't resist the opportunity to tickle Will for a moment before he was finally released from the predicament.

In the afternoon, Helena and I went back and spent 5+ hours at the library for registration.

I won't go into tons of detail about that. I will say two things, though.

One, it will never cease to amaze me that people don't think they have to read the rules or instructions, nor do they have to follow them. Everyone is an exception, apparently. 'Where does it say it has to have a frame?' 'Why does it have to have a wire on the back?' 'Why can't you hang it from this flimsy little tab?'

Two, Helena showed TONS of self control and class in putting up with 'the eccentricities' of artist types. Not everyone on this planet is destined to be a 'kindred spirit', and the registration volunteers were a motley bunch, to say the least!

Barbecue at Kirsten's

We enjoyed an evening of spending time with family last night. After dinner, we all went out to the fire pit in Kirsten's back yard and roasted marshmallows. Some people tried marshmallows on peanut butter cups, a new twist on an old campfire favorite. It was a big hit, especially with Bill, who can't have graham crackers!

The marshmallows in the bottom of the bag were all smooched into a big lump, so Bill stuck that lump on his roasting stick and carefully cooked it. It was a holy MESS when it was time to eat it, though! Oh, how funny to see marshmallow all over his fingers and mouth! He sure enjoyed it!

3 cousins

Yesterday, we went over to Kirsten's house for a family barbecue. Jody came with her girls and her father. Erik, Deanna, and the boys were also there.

These photos are candids of a cute cousin moment. Helena was holding Tori, when Annie climbed up on the couch next to her with a chunky book to read. It was so wonderful watching the little cousins bonding with their big cousin!

I love that Helena seems to be a kid magnet. They all love her and want to be with her. The other day, when Jody brought the girls to our house, the first thing Simone said to me was, "Where's Helena?"

Crystal (Bill's sister) has told Helena that she better always be good, because her daughter, Sarah, has hero worshipped Helena for her whole life.

I am proud of her for being someone that her cousins can look up to!

new trim!

Our house is a 1927 Bungalow. The windows have been this pale, washed out cream the entire time we have lived here. I decided to paint them DARK! The strong contrast in color is more in keeping with the period. AND I LOVE IT!

beautiful trail photos

Here are a couple of photos from the trail ride with Bill and Helena. I am not a pro when it comes to taking a photo, but I thought these were very pretty!

standing at a crossroad

Recently, Bill asked Helena and I to go on a bike ride with him on the Jordan River trail. Will was not home, that is why he was not 'invited' that time. It was a beautiful afternoon and we both were a bit reluctant, but we went. We were both glad we did, though!

At one point on the trail, there was a fork in the road. Bill asked which way we should go. Looking down the two options, this is what we saw...

It may be difficult to tell on the second photo, but the view through the trees is of a church. I was immediately struck by the classic symbolism represented by this particular crossroad! On the left hand, a dark and gloomy trail leading to who knows where. On the right, a bright and sunny pasture and a house of the Lord!

So, which way did we go? The dark and gloomy trail, of course! After laughing about the symbolism, we struck out on the more exciting trail.

Of course, the truth is, that the trail ended there (since we had arrived at the lake) and the 'crossroad' was really just a loop bringing you back the way you had come. Bill had a great laugh about that. The 'dark and lonely path to sin' actually brought you around to the church in the end!

Photos of Will's Washington trip

I would call it 'photos of Will in Washington', but there are only two photos with him in them.

In fact, here is an interesting comparison for you. Helena took well over 400 photos while in Europe. Many of picturesque landscapes and quaint or awe inspiring buildings. But there are many of herself and her friends as well.

Will took exactly 27 pictures. That is all that was loaded in the 35 mm waterproof camera I sent with him to take on the sailboat. He shot those on his last sail with Grandpa and took mostly pictures of other boats in the marina. I also sent a digital camera with him that he could use at Grandma and Grandpa's condo, out on the town, etc. It never left his suitcase and came home as empty as I sent it.

This may be yet another boy/girl thing. Maybe it is the age disparity. Or, perhaps it is just their personalities.

At any rate, here are the best shots from Will's disposable camera.

An unplugged life

I read today that Sony's Walkman turned 30. They had a 13 year old try it for a few days and report about it on the website he edits. Here is his response to the out-dated technology;

"My dad had told me it was the iPod of its day," Campbell wrote. "He had told me it was big, but I hadn't realized he meant that big. It was the size of a small book."

Sure enough, people on the street noticed the antique clinging from his belt with amusement and friends on his school bus were quick to come up with some witty remark.

Campbell went on to criticize the portable cassette player's size, appearance, functionality and the "hissy backtrack and odd warbly noises."

Even when he discovered the cassette had more music on the other side (it took him three days), Campbell was still disappointed it could only hold a small fraction of what an iPod can.

"Did my dad ... really ever think this was a credible piece of technology?"

Ouch.

A daily dose of postings from The Chronicle's technology blog (sfgate.com/blogs/tech)
This article appeared on page C - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle

I have often thought about the world of technology that my kids live in. They have never known an unplugged world! There was never a time before microwaves. Never a time before CDs and DVDs, for them. They have always had video games. They don't remember a time when dad, or mom, was without a cell phone. To them a world without these things would seem primitive, backwards even!

I remember our first microwave. It was an enormous gray box that mom and dad placed next to the rotary phone (with the super long cord that was just perfect for stretching out of the kitchen, out the back door and onto the back deck for privacy). The microwave had a large turn knob, made copious amounts of noise, and 'dinged' when done. There was one heat setting... ON.

Grandpa thought it would fry all our brains.

I thought it was amazing that I could re-heat leftovers in minutes and didn't have to wait for the oven to preheat! Boy, do I remember the time Peder tried to 'hard-boil' an egg in it! His screams woke the entire family!

Our first VCR? It had toggle switches on the front. Dad placed it near the floor below the TV. I would lay on the floor and watch the TV shows we had recorded, then use my toes to operate the fast forward feature to SKIP THE COMMERCIALS! What fabulous technology!

Remember JR Ewing's car phone in the prime time soap, Dallas? It was as big as his head! It was incredible! Oh, how I wished I was rich enough to have a phone in my car someday! Hee, hee, hee! Now I have a bluetooth feature to the stereo in the car so that I can use my cell phone, hands free! And no, I am not rich.

I don't doubt that earlier generations wondered what would become of a generation that never knew a time before cars and airplanes. Have we turned out all right?