I Need To Vent.......

Last weekend was the annual Invent Idaho regional finals. How did Danielle do, you ask??? Well, she didn't. Here's why......

For some strange reason (that I will go into later) her school decided NOT to participate in the Invent Idaho program this year. Yep, they blew it. But.... then why do I feel like I blew it? I am just so ticked off. I had the whole weekend to vent about it, and think about it, and think about it some more, and I still woke up this morning irritated.

You know, Danielle has participated in this program for the past two years. Her first year she made it through her school portion, and then on to the regionals. The second year, she made it all the way to state. We happily traveled down to Boise to take in this awesome experience with our daughter, who was mesmerized. We had a great time, and it was such a great opportunity.

So, this year, as you can imagine, Danielle had multiple ideas of inventions that she was looking forward to creating. She literally talked about it all year long. Then came the article in the paper, and we all looked at each other in disbelief. "The Invent Idaho regional final took place yesterday......." What??? Why weren't we aware of this. It can't be. It must be a mis-print. Nope. It was true. So Danielle and I traveled to the mall, where the inventions were being displayed, and we talked to the regional coordinator, and we asked her if she knew why a particular school WOULDN'T participate in the competition. She just said that she wasn't sure, and she knew that we were from Post Falls, and she said she hoped that next year we would be able to participate again. So, Danielle and I left, and she was still bummed out, and I was really trying to find a way to help her through her disappointment.

When I woke up this morning I called the school. I spoke with the principal, and I tried to get an idea of why this would have happened, and I guess what I came away with was this. A small committee decided that since there were so many "enrichment" activities going on at this particular time at the school, they made an executive decision not to be involved with Invent Idaho this year. Huhhhh. Nice. So, all that I could really express to her was how disappointed we were, and that if it was a staffing issue, or a volunteer issue, I would have loved to have known, as I volunteer at the school on a regular basis, and I would have been MORE than willing to help coordinate the whole thing. But, I was not given that opportunity, and the PTO was not given that opportunity, and so it was left at that. Done.

So, the end of this story goes like this...... I have learned a lesson. I have learned never to "expect" something will just stay the same. Now I know that if we want to participate in something that is school related, I need to take charge and try to do everything I can to make sure my opinion is heard, and then maybe, just maybe, she will be able to invent away next year.

Just to let ya know....

If you happen to call me on my cell, be patient and let it ring for awhile. It takes me a couple of minutes to find it in my purse underneath all those snickers bars.
:-)

That's what I'm talkin' about!!!!!

What gets me up before 9:00am on the weekend??? A Gonzaga game, of course. But, it wasn't just ANY game, it was against #1 Memphis....In Memphis!!! Our boys hung in there like the big boys!!! At half time they were 1 point behind the Tigers. 1 point!!!!! I haven't screamed that loud since Danielle's game last weekend. :-)
Anyway, they ended up losing, but I believe they did an awesome job today. They had the Memphis Tigers sweating it, for sure. I mean, they could have lost to us, a team that isn't even ranked. So, I am hoping that they are happy with their effort, because they really did great. Go Zags!!!! Oh, and for what my opinion is worth, I think the tigers are overrated. There.

My New Occupation.....

is.........getting the five finger discount on snickers bars at the local grocery store. Atleast that is what the whacko-checker-lady thought yesterday. Yep, she thought I was helping myself to the chocolate in the candy aisle. Here's the story....
I was finished shopping, and I went to the check-out counter and put my groceries up on the conveyor belt thing-y. I put every last item in my cart up there, except my Coach purse, and after I did the rude checker lady goes "Is that everything?" "Yep". I replied, happily. Then, she says "What about the snickers bar?". "What Snickers bar?" I said, confused as hell. "Oh, the one inside your purse."... The Bi*** says. So, I look in my purse, and I remember that there is a empty Snickers WRAPPER in my purse, as I just came from a hockey game, and Danielle scarfed one down and I didn't want to just leave the wrapper for some poor guy to have to pick up later, so I shoved it in my purse. So, I looked at the lady in disbelief as I took the WRAPPER out of my designer purse, and I say "Oh, we just came from a hockey game and my daughter ATE it there, so it's just a WRAPPER.". She gets pretty quiet from there on out. Nope, doesn't even say sorry, NOTHING. So, I wander out of the store with my bags and I am a bit confused and in some sort of weird daze. But, as I thought about it more on my drive home, it really started to tick me off. I mean, I probably spend nearly 500 buckaroos in that store a month. I am in there almost every fricken day. This lady has the gall to insinuate that I am stealing a snickers bar. A fifty cent candy bar?? Hey lady, for your information, if I am shopping in the candy aisle, and I get a bit hungry, I'm just gonna chow down on whatever I feel like, because hey, I deserve it. And you can just mind your own darned beez-wax. OK, that is a bit harsh....I guess, but if I want a snickers bar, I will go buy 50 fricken snickers bars, I don't NEED to get a five finger discount on ONE. Christ. Plus, if I was gonna steal one, I'd put it at the BOTTOM of my purse, where she couldn't see it. :-)

Gotta love them hoops!!!!!

Today was Danielle's first basketball game!!!! She stayed at her grandma's house last night with 4 of her cousins, and let me tell ya, there was not a whole lot of sleepin' going on. I warned Joe about it, but he was like...."Oh, my mom will make them go to bed cause she'll be tired too...". Ok, NOT!!! Danielle and her older cousin happily stayed up till 4am. Woo-hoo!!! They had an absolute blast, and she can't wait till her next trip to Grandma Sherry's. But, all is good with us, because it didn't seem to effect her at all!!!
So, we got to the gym, and she was raring to go. They pair up the kids before the game, and the girl that she was playing defense against was like twice her size. AND, Danielle isn't a small fry by any means. So, I took a look at the match up and nearly got sick to my stomach. I was sure that Danielle didn't have a chance of making a basket against this girl that stood about 12 inches above her. But, not to worry, because she played AWESOME. I don't know why I even doubted it??? Duhhhh. I think that other girl maybe scored 4 points against Danielle, but Danielle scored 8 points off of her, so I was screaming so loud I nearly lost my voice. After the game I asked Miss D. how it went, and she was like..."It was super fun, I loved it. But, I wish everyone would stop screaming." So I looked at my mom and I was like...."yeah,(in my barely there voice due to my extra-loudness...) grandma was really cheering you on, wasn't she..." Oops. Note to self.......Try to keep my mouth shut at next Saturday's game. This might be nearly impossible. :-(
Oh, and the score isn't supposed to matter, because it is all for fun, but the mighty "filling station" (D's team) girls won, 18-14. That's what I'm talkin' about!!!

Bumper stickers that irritate me....

First of all, you never thought you'd see an image like this one on my blog, did ya??? But, this is something I have been noticing on some of my fellow North Idahoan's cars lately that is driving me absolutely crazy. I am sorry, but if (and those of you who know me know I would never be caught dead with one of these...) I HAD put a bumper sticker like this one on my car a few years ago, I would be out at my car as we speak frantically trying to remove it with goo gone and a razor blade. But, obviously, I must be the only one who thinks this way. Who knew????

She Knows "What's Up"....

As Joe, Danielle and I were driving to her basketball practice yesterday, Danielle informed us that she would be tested today for her AR range. If you are wondering what this is, here's the jest of it.......
Each student in her school takes a "test" by reading a portion of a book, and some pre-selected words, to a teacher or trained reading volunteer. The person who is giving the test keeps track of how many words per minute they read, if they pronounce the words correctly, if they are able to retain the information, and so on. So, Danielle was tested a few months ago, and her range was 4.5ish to 6.2ish. These scores mean, fourth grade, (4), and half way through 4th grade (.5). Sixth grade (6), and 1 fifth into that grade (.2). So, if I have not confused you already, she was reading at a 4th grade to a 6th grade level. We should be happy. She is only in the 3rd grade. And not even half way through it. Hooray!!! All seems well, but it isn't.
Here's the reason. She has to take weekly tests according to her tested range. She is responsible for picking her book to read (it must be in the 4.5 to 6.2 range) and she has to get a certain number of points per week to meet her goal. These points vary, depending on the difficulty of the book. A month ago, she picked out a 6.2 book, and she brought it home, and she started to read it. It was super long, and it was about a family traveling from the east coast, to Idaho, by wagon train in like the 1800's. She was super interested in this. So, she read this book every night for over a week. She couldn't take any tests in the time she was reading it, because she wasn't finished with it yet. So, she didn't meet her reading goal that week, because she was still reading, not taking tests, because she needed to finish her book first. So, if you are not at your goal, you have to stay in at recess until you have met it. So, she had to stay in for most of the week.
Joe and I helped her get through a number of words in the book that WE found to be hard even for us. So, she read, and she read, and she read. Finally, she finished. She went to school that day, hoping to take her test and to get enough points to meet her goal, so she could go out to recess again. Well, she took the test, which, by the way, was a 6th grade test. When she got home that day, I asked her how it went, and she said she got a 50% on it. She was nearly in tears. She earned ZERO points, because she failed the 6th grade test. So she had to start all over. She had to go pick out another book, and start fresh. How frustrating is that?? I was not happy. And it wasn't with HER, it was with the system. She tried and tried and tried to finish the book, and retain the information so that she could go to school and take the test made for 6th graders. My question is...."Why can't she take a test intended for a THIRD grader. After all, she IS a 3rd grader. But, since she is ABLE to read at a higher level, never mind if she can retain some of it or not, she has NO CHOICE but to pick books within her tested range. How frustrating is that. Now, I have seen Danielle read well very at a fifth grade level. She reads even better at a fourth grade level. So, I have talked to her about picking "easier" books. But she is required to pick books within her range, and some of them HAVE to be 6th grade books.
So, now that I have confused you all, my original reason for posting this is because of what Danielle said in the car yesterday. She said..."I am going to take my AR range test tomorrow. Should I just miss a couple questions on purpose so my range won't be so high anymore?". WHAT?? It is totally ridiculous that Danielle should even be considering that. But she just wants reading to be "fun" again. Not so demanding. And she just doesn't see an end in sight. Some of the kids in her class are reading at fist grade levels, the range that they have been tested at, and they are breezing through these books that have like 20 words in the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, I am happy that the school has a system in place that challenges these children that are reading at above their grade level. But why on God's green earth should Danielle be "punished" because she reads exceptionally well??? Crazy. I am going to have to address this issue with the school, again......

Something you might not know about me.....

My mom cooked my brother and I pancakes every single morning before school for like three years. (Mmmmmmm, pancakes, what a surprise, mom....) If Joe reads this he will probably puke. He hates pancakes. I guess I should just be grateful I had a mom that cared enough to cook me breakfast. Thanks Ma!!!!!!

10 things I should do for 2008.......

1. Quit copying Lynsey's ideas for blog posts. (I am sure she would appreciate it....) But she has such good ideas!!!! Love ya Lyn!!!

2. Be a "funner" mom. Do you know how goofy Joe is with Danielle?? Well, he is putting me to shame let me tell ya. How can they laugh so hard about dumb stuff??? How can they be so silly all the time?? I am gonna have to start working on my "crazy" side.

3. Exercise. Yep, I should do it, I suppose. But it just doesn't sound like fun. I did buy a fitness ball, and I was ready to work out with it after I blew it up with a hand pump, but then all the pumping made me tired, and so I called it a day. Pathetic.

4. Tell people no. I am not good at it. I will find every single excuse in the book, just so that I don't have to tell people no. Why can't I?? I have definitely had people politely (and maybe not so politely) tell ME no. What gives???

5. Organize. This is what I was supposed to do last year. Where has the time gone?? I guess I just kinda spaced doing it. Oops. So, I am adding it to my to-do list again for '08

6. Remember things. I need to find a pill that makes my brain a little bit sharper. Oh, who am I fooling?? It needs to be ALOT sharper. I have the hardest time remembering where I put the groceries anymore. Gosh.

7. Do my part in keeping the garage clean. Yep, if Joe is reading this, his eyes just lit up. Either that or they rolled. He absolutely despises the fact that I am not doing my part of spiffying it up. He is a firm believer that come spring, we could just open up the garage doors and let the hard core "yard-salers" have a free for all.

8. Cook something new for dinner. I really have gotten in a rut with this cooking dinner business. I really like to cook, but I also really like to cook what I know how to cook. Mostly because I know I LIKE what I know how to cook. I probably rotate about 20 different things every month. That's all we get. No new stuff. Joe and Danielle probably dread coming home for dinner anymore. They are like...."Oh, spaghetti, what a surprise....". I need to step outside the box a bit. I vow to try out some new cuisine this year.

9. Save. Now that we have our fixer rented, it's time to put some moolah in the bank for a rainy day. I am not saying we don't save already, but more is better!!!! At least that's what I hear..

10. Last but not least.....
Spend. More time with our family, that is. I know it seems like I spend alot of time with our family, but the truth is, we have been really busy, and now that the fixer is done, we need to have some major get-togethers at the river this summer. I can't wait!!!

FYI...........

Just in case Y'all didn't know .........It's still SNOWING. Yep, it's currently "coming down". Gotta love it!!!!
:-)

Back to School

It's back to school for Danielle after two weeks of Christmas vacation. What happened to the girl that couldn't wait for school to start? I don't know, because she really wasn't excited about it yesterday or this morning. I am convinced they put to much on these kids at a young age. I don't think as a child I had homework until like 4th or 5th grade. Back then, we always had time to finish it in school, and if we chose not to, we would have to take it home. Well, those days are long gone. As a first grader, she had homework. As a third grader, she has alot of homework, that she truly dreads a lot of the time. What happened to school being fun? Yes people, I understand that school isn't for "fun", and that kids must learn things, but while they are still little, they should still look forward to going there and actually want to be there. I really have got to give it to the public school system here in Post Falls, though, because they will challenge your child till the cows come home. But still, as a third grader I believe that school should be fun and exciting. I think some of the demands on kids these days makes school a little less exciting. And I think it is really too bad. While the teachers are busy making sure Danielle is reading books that are at a 6th grade level, because she can, and she is capable of it, and don't get me wrong, Joe and I are super proud of her for excelling in her grade, Danielle is wishing that she could just have fun and read a regular old 3rd grade book. What gives????

"That Was Easy...."

I have always known that I gave birth to a "polar bear". Seriously, Danielle has been the first one in the river come spring, and the last one out of the lake come fall. She could care less if it is cold. She just loves the water. Danielle and I have been going to my moms and using her hot tub in the evenings, and my mom and I are not surprised that Danielle gets out of the hot tub and wanders around in the snow. We want to tell her to get her behind back in the warm water, but we know there is no use saying it, because she won't get back in till she is ready, and she doesn't get cold very fast. I know that the minute I have to get out of the hot tub, I am running as fast as I can in the house, while Danielle is calmly putting the cover back on, not worried that it is FREEZING!!!!
So, when this years annual Polar Bear Plunge in Coeurd'Alene arrived, we knew she would do it. She was ready, and she really didn't even hesitate. Their were TONS of crazy people waiting around to jump into the freezing water. Joe, my mom and I tagged along and none of us even considered doing it. So, we just watched, while everyone ran into the ice cold water, and as Danielle ran in at first and then DOVE all the way in. Yikes. It looked so cold. There was even snow on the ground. I think the temperature was in the 20's. Nuts. She is definitely nuts. I wonder if she will do it again next year?? Probably!!!

This is a picture of some of the crowd.....







This is a picture of us as we got there, brrrrrrr....





This is her (with her arm out in the middle....) as she was going in.....


I am so proud of you Danielle, you are one of the bravest girls I know!!!