5 things...

1. May 19th -Kindergarten Singing program

Crowded. Twice as many parents came as there were seats.

2. Weekend family hike Saturday morning.

We thought since it was still cool enough, we'd hike up to the ranger station again before it gets too hot. It was still pretty warm but overall, it was the perfect time to go up. Lots of wildflowers blooming. The girls favorite things to do on our hikes: climb rocks, pick flowers and inspect the wild life.

We had breakfast before we went up and brought some juice and snacks for when we reached the top. We were pretty out of shape. Even the girls' legs hurt a bit on the hike up. And mine were a bit sore the next day.

We had our picture taken after we got down by the Press Enterprise. They wanted a picture of a family hiking, but we were all done. We had to tell them how to get to the actual trail head. If they weren't able to find another family on the mountain, I think they were just going to use ours. If anyone sees it, let us know!

3. The girls in the sprinklers to cool off after our hike (the first time this year).

4. Sunday the girls' had pestered their dad into making them char siu baos (chinese bbq pork buns) for dinner.

They were really tasty. I love it when he cooks on Sunday (not only so that I don't have to, but we get to try new things).

5. Today, Emily went with the 2nd graders on a walking field trip to Stater Bros. Emily was so excited to get a cookie credit card. The bearer gets a free cookie every time you produce the card at their bakery.

Last week, she watched a movie in their class. It was not educational. You think I'm kidding about them just coasting through the rest of the year?

The Calm Before The Storm...

Three more weeks before school is out for the year (scary). I think the teachers are more ready for summer vacation than even the kids. All the library books have been turned in last Friday so that they can close the library already. That was also the last week of homework for Emily. Caitlyn still has some token homework assignments until the end of this week at least.

The school sent out a note a couple of weeks ago saying that although the CST testing is done, there was still a lot of work to be done and a lot more that they need to teach the kids but I don't see it. I think the teachers are just going to coast through the rest of the month (at least for the older kids). The younger kids still have Benchmark tests this week.

I went to a PTA meeting a couple of weeks ago to meet the new principal. I still don't know what he is going to be like, but I'm looking forward to the change. The old principal was like a politician...talking and saying nothing. At least the new principle was somewhat interested in my concerns. I had regretted that I did not make more of an effort to get to the PTA meetings but I felt better after the meeting as they really didn't do anything and that's two hours of my day wasted that I will not get back.

Mother's Day Rant

Warning: If you don't want to hear it, don't read it. 

I have a bone to pick about Mother's Day...which has inexplicably become Women's Day. What is so offensive about honoring your mother or motherhood in general that the politically correct society we live in feel impelled to change? It diminishes the self-less sacrifice and devotion mother's all around the world have made to care for their children and families...putting our children first (as it should be).

Oh, but we can't offend the women who don't have children for whatever reason...What woman is offended by not being included in Mother's Day when they are not a mother?!

If a woman has decided not to have children yet or is not in a situation yet where she can have children, well, that's kind of up to the choices they make in life. I chose to have children later in life. I was never offended in not being included in Mother's Day celebrations for the simple fact that I was not a mother. Pretty simple, you would think. I had my own mother to celebrate for all she did for me. I had friends who were mothers who could use help or a surprise to brighten their day.

If a woman is unable to have a child for whatever reason or has lost a child, does this lessen her pain? I think if anything, it would make a mockery of their pain. I think they feel the pain every time they see a sweet child or family together. Are we to ban children in public as to not offend anyone?

Are people offended on Veteran's Day when people pay tribute to Veteran's because they don't happen to be one? I've never heard of such a thing. And after all, there have been people in the world that have not been able to serve their country because of one reason or another.

The ridiculous notions people come up with in the hopes of not "offending" a few, ends up offending the very people Mother's Day was established to honor.

So, what's the big deal you say? It's just a made up holiday perpetuated by greeting card companies and florists, right? Being a mother is sometimes (or more often than not) a relentless and thankless never ending job. Can you just leave Mother's Day alone? Is that so much to ask?

We may all have a duty and responsibility to "mother" others and succor those in need, but it doesn't actually make you a mother.

It is bad enough that our kids don't really honor and respect us as we would like them to. Mother's Day is just kind of a reason to party for mine. They like to make all the Mother's Day crafts and other fun things, but they don't really see a need to be any more thoughtful and obedient in matters that count...even just for one day.

In the end, it puts a lot of pressure on the Dad's to jump through hoops to try to make Mother's Day special for the mother of their children. To try to coax the kids to behave and plan surprises for the "kids" to give mom.

Christian, I mean, the kids got me a cookbook that I've been waiting for for years now (ever since I heard that it was in the works. It sold out to quickly for Christmas apparently because it was out of stock every where. I know I have a lot of cookbooks but I do love them and I can't wait to use it.

After watching a little video on how to make Cream Puffs on my computer one night, Emily was determined to help Dad make this for me for Mother's Day. My own dad used to make it for us when we were younger and they are so good!

They turned out great! Christian made Paella for dinner and we had cream puffs for dessert. There is no picture of the finished product as we inhaled them too quickly!

The girls licking the
beater from the whipped cream.

Christian checking
the cream puffs.

We went on Saturday to have dinner with my mom with the rest of my siblings and their respective families. We usually do a potluck with all the kids bringing something so that my mother doesn't have to cook. Christian, bless his soul, did all the dishes for us while we got to visit with each other and cleaned her stove and everything so that we left it cleaner than when we got there. What a great husband!

On Books and Reading...

Caitlyn has come so far in her reading this past year. I am so excited for her to know how to read on her own. Both Christian and I are avid readers. We both spent our childhoods immersed in books and hanging out at the library.

While Emily reads extremely well (according to the ATOS levels of the books she reads, she reads at a 4th or 5th grade level), and she appreciates and likes books, it is difficult for me to get her to read a lot of the time. I don't know why that is...it seems kind of contrary. I guess there is just too much else that she would rather do? Anyway, I can count the times Emily elected to read more than she had to or wanted to read just a little longer because she wanted to find out what happens next in a book (where she has no other ulterior motive like getting to stay up later). The first books she read that excited her to read (that is to do her required reading for school without whining), was the Rainbow Fairies books. She was in 1st grade at the time. She got the first book as a reading incentive from school. But the catch is is that each series has 7 books. Each book is like a chapter in a regular book because there is no closure until the last book for the story. We ended up getting several sets for her at some point because they got her excited to read. It was a great introduction for her to get into what they call chapter books but after a while, it only took her 20 minutes to get through a book (at nearly $5 a book, it didn't seem like that good of an investment anymore...we had to get her to move on to something more challenging).

I go to the library every week or two to get new books for Caitlyn to read (and stuff for ourselves). We had somewhat recently discovered the Elephant and Piggie Books by Mo Willems. These simple little books are so incredible. Cailtyn adores them. I love the characterizations and emotions in the drawings. The first time Caitlyn read one, she laughed so much that she couldn't keep reading.

We searched out some of his other books and she loves the Pigeon books almost as much as the Elephant and Piggie books.

She also likes the Knuffle Bunny books but not with quite as much enthusiasm.

The Cat the Cat books are a little too young for her already. But we will definitely keep an eye out for more books from this author before she is too old for them.

I have found Caitlyn starting to pick up a book to read now and then on her own. It is so exciting to see. I've caught her waking up before everyone else and sitting on her bed with her miniature princess board books, reading them by herself (not just looking at the pictures, but actually reading them). I hope that she continues on this road because, yes, reading is a big deal.

She's not reading an Elephant and Piggie book in the picture. She's currently reading through the Frog and Toad Treasury by Arnold Lobel...also great books for those beginning to read.