Pumpkin Fun!

Check out this surprisingly addictive website where you can carve your own pumpkin.

It's fun, and much cleaner than the real thing!

Happy 16th Birthday, Scott!

Today is Scott's 16th birthday. My BABY is 16! That makes me feel old. Here he is, oh so many years ago:

And here he is today, with his birthday presents:

Scott is a great kid, and I'm glad I get to watch him grow up.

Happy birthday, Scotty!!

Great Public Service Commercial!

I have always loved the Public Service Ads the Church shows on TV. This ad just won an award for best PSA. Well deserved, I might add!

Wasn't that great?

Nice Surprise

Today I was checking my bank account online.  I do that almost every day.  I like to know when things have cleared the bank, and it makes balancing my checkbook very easy and fast.  I'm sort of obsessive compulsive about things like that.  

Today there was a new entry on my account - "Chase Pays Your Bills Winner".  And $30.02 had been put back into my account.  Apparently, if you pay bills at Chase online you are entered into a contest where every 5 minutes Chase randomly picks a bill someone has paid and pays it for them.  And I won!  I was very excited.  I will take a free $30.02 whenever I can get it!

Of course, it would have been nicer if my electric bill or cell phone bill had been chosen.  They are both bigger bills and closer to their $200.00 limit.  But I'll be happy with whatever they want to give me.

Oh, and it doesn't look like there's a limit on how many times you can win, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I'm lucky again!!

Gratitude? In High School?!?

Scott's English teacher had the students draw posters about a word of their choice.  Scott's word was "satiric", which isn't really important to the story but gives an example of a word.  The teacher hung the ones that were visually appealing out in the hall.    

One of the posters was for the word "condescending" and showed a mother reading a book to a child.  I don't like the sentiment of that poster, but apparently it was very well done, which was why it was one of the ones hung in the hallway.

Today Scott heard some of his friends talking very loudly in the hallway.  They called him over and showed him something on the poster.  Apparently if you looked very closely, you could read part of the cover of the book.  It was "The Book of Mor___".  Scott's friends know he's Mormon, and they were appalled on his behalf.  Their loudness brought the teacher out of the room.  When they pointed the words out to the teacher, she removed the book from the hallway.

I'm grateful that Scott has been open with his friends about his beliefs.  I'm grateful they realize how important what he believes is to him, and they respect him for those beliefs. I'm grateful his teacher listened to them and took appropriate action.

When I got home tonight, Scott was making thank you cards for his friends and writing a thank you note to his teacher.  

Sometimes good things even happen in high school! 

When Will it Stop?

The rise of gas prices, that is.  Monday I drove by Kroger. Gas was $2.28 a gallon.  Up from last week.  Yesterday I drove by Kroger.  Gas was $2.38 a gallon!  Up 10 cents from the day before.  This morning I bought gas at Kroger. Gas was $2.45 a gallon!  Up 7 cents from the day before, and 17 cents from two days before!  Craziness!  What's it going to be tomorrow?  Where will it end?  I don't want gas prices over $3.00 again!

At least at Kroger, I get my 10 cents off a gallon, so I only paid $2.35 a gallon today.  Small consolation.

Friday Night!!

Friday night Kimberly and I are going to see the Houston Symphony.  But not the symphony by itself, oh no.  We are going to see Brian Stokes Mitchell sing with the symphony. For those of you who don't know who Brian Stokes Mitchell is, here is a clip of him performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

Isn't he amazing?  I am so excited!  It is going to be a wonderful concert!

Thanks for the early Christmas present, Kimberly!!

House Hunters

I like to watch the show "House Hunters" on HGTV, but sometimes it makes me angry.  Tonight, for instance.  A couple is looking for their first house.  They look to be in their mid-twenties.  Their budget is up to $450,000.  They just looked at a nice house for $366,000.  What did they think of it?  Well, it was nice, but...

"There's no waterfall in the pool area."

"I don't really like the laminate counter top - we'd have to change that."

"I really want stainless appliances, not these white ones."

"I'm not fond of these white cabinets, but with the money we're saving that would be an easy fix."

Seriously, do they not realize that they sound like selfish, spoiled brats?  These people are buying a first home that is nicer than most people will ever have!  And they are complaining!  Episodes like this one make me wish I could reach in the TV and smack them both upside the head!!

Homework Vent

Scott came home Friday with an assignment for English.  He was to type, word for word, the conversations held on 6 pages of the book "A Tale of Two Cities".  Then he had to type what he thought the main character was thinking.  

Tell me the point of making every student in the class spend time typing the dialogue already in the book!  Please tell me - because I don't get it!  If the teacher wanted them to analyze the dialogue, why didn't she just provide it for them?  Do these kids not have enough to do?  I hadn't realized he had signed up for an "Intro to Keyboarding" class (although they would never use Dickens to practice typing).

Oh, and this assignment made Friday?  Was due today (Monday).  Scott had Band after school on Friday, then a Band meeting in the evening.  He left at 6:30 on Saturday morning for a Band competition and didn't get back until 6:30 Sunday evening.  He mentioned the contest to the teacher, but she already knew and wasn't concerned.  That's nice.

Can we say late night for Scott?  And Mom - staying up to be supportive.    

Wow

They will give a prize to anyone nowadays.

Hey, Richmond Ward Ladies!

Give me a "G"!

("G"!)

Give me an "N"!

("N"!)

Give me an "O"!

("O"!)

What's that spell?!?

(Huh?  What?)

Oh, never mind.

Girl's Night Out!

Tuesday at 7:00!

5 Guys Burgers and Fries!

Be There or Be Square!

My Kids - Together

Jeffrey came home from A&M for the weekend, and Kimberly came down for the day on Sunday.  This was the first time since August of 2007 that all four of the kids had been together.  And I have pictures to prove it!

Here they are, in a nice sibling photo:

Here they are - in goofball mode:
It was fun to have all four of them at home at the same time.  

Not Happy!

I was walking from my garage to my house a few minutes ago.  Our big Siamese, Brynner, was in the backyard chasing something.  I looked and it was a mouse!  NOOOOO! I ran in the house and shut the doggy door - locking both Brynner and his little mouse friend outside.  I told Robert he needed to go kill that mouse, since he's now in my backyard, which means he's kitty accessible.  But Robert is not being helpful.  He says it's good exercise for Brynner.  I will agree that Brynner is a tad pudgy, but why can't he stick to chasing lizards!  I don't need him chasing mice!