This is not a commercial

Can I tell you how much I love my kids' school? I really love it! Can I also tell you why? (For the sake of privacy and my kids' security, it shall remain nameless. But you can ask me about it later.) I will try to be brief. Here are just a few of the reasons:

1) Academics: Our school uses the wonderful Spalding Method for language arts (unlike some schools who claim to use the program, our school truly does), the Open Court literature series, and the excellent Saxon Math program. I also love that the children are required to memorize and recite poetry every term.

2) Patriotism: Flag Ceremony is held every morning before school, and parents are invited to attend any time. The children sing a patriotic song, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, observe a moment of silence, and hear a message about the Virtue of the Month. In addition, they learn greetings in various foreign languages, and practice skip counting aloud on the way to class. It is so amazing!

There are several "special" Flag Ceremonies held throughout the year, and one of them was today, in honor of Veteran's Day. The children are invited to bring any family members who have served or are serving in the Armed Services to enjoy breakfast and a special program where the children sing all the Armed Services songs, and the winners of the Veteran's Day essay contest read their winning essay. (Each student writes an essay... in class, without parental help... and the teacher selects 2 as finalists. The principal then chooses one winner from each grade.) This year Collin won for the 3rd grade! He was so excited, and we were so proud of him. Each of the winners receives a medal too.
3) Fund-raising: We don't send our children door to door selling crap! We have ONE fund-raiser a year organized by the parent association ... a carnival-type event, with games and other activities, food, a silent auction (the biggest money maker), and a raffle. Ours was last Saturday (which is one of the reasons I have been super busy... I was on the committee... big sigh of relief), and it went really well. Our profit was over $6500 (I know because I'm also the treasurer of the parent organization), and ALL of it will benefit the school and our kids..... not some "fund-raising company."

4) Dress Code: Our school has a pretty strict dress code, and they enforce it. I won't go into the details here, but I love that there is complete modesty on our campus.

5) Our school is not afraid to have a CHRISTMAS concert where religious songs are sung, have CHRISTMAS parties in class, and refer to CHRISTMAS break. (That's probably because it's a charter school.)

Thank goodness for charter schools because we have a choice. I'm not saying that all charter schools are good, because there are a lot of terrible charter schools around. (Though the really bad ones don't stay around long.) But thank goodness for our awesome school!

Doing the "Best" I can

Everyone keeps asking why I don't blog very much anymore. Well, I'll tell you. (Though I don't think I EVER blogged "very much.")

1) I'm stirring too many different pots, wearing too many different hats, I bit off more than I can chew... choose your favorite cliche. (read this)

2) I've been trying to heed Elder Oaks' most recent conference talk entitled "Good, Better, Best." While blogging is "good" it's not the "best" use of my time.

That doesn't mean I'm quitting. Just take the posts as they come.

The Big #1

Mary FINALLY lost her first tooth. She was so thrilled that she said she thought she was dreaming. She kept looking in the mirror and commenting on how different she looks. She was especially excited to find a shiny gold dollar coin under her pillow the next morning.

Tooth #2 is on it's way out. Should be any day now.

Disneyland Trip - Day 1

This is a first for my blog; an entry with a commercial sponsor. This Disneyland Report is brought to you by our friends, Jason King and Jocelyn, who let us stay at their lovely home in return for publicity on this blog.

[Jason King is concerned about his "Google Rating", and seems to think that my blog will give him enough of a boost to edge past "Jason King's Bail Bonds in Hackensack, though he will never surpass "Jason King" the 1970's British television series whose title character inspired Mike Myers to create "Austin Powers."]

On Wednesday, we drove to the home of our friends, Jason King and Jocelyn (did I already mention them?). We enjoyed visiting with Jason King and Jocelyn. Jay threw out his arm playing baseball on their Wii, but he and Jack had a great time watching the races at the Jason King Family Motocross Bonanza.
[This portion of today's entry was brought to you by our friend Jason King, and the DVD release of "Jason King." The following material is commercial-free... unless you count the publicity for Disneyland... as if they need it.]

On Thursday morning we drove the short distance to Anaheim and checked into the Park Vue Inn (the cheapest and closest motel to the main entrance) and spent the day at Disneyland having a great time. This was Jack's first time, so it was especially fun to watch his reaction to everything.
Jack was very excited to ride on Space Mountain....

Then somewhat concerned....

Then sort of stunned....
But in the end he loved it, and wanted to ride it again and again, which we did. He also enjoyed Splash Mountain... can't you tell from this photo?
The kids also enjoyed the Woody's Roundup show in Frontierland.

We felt really lucky when we somehow got selected to ride in the VIP car on the Disneyland Train. We had no idea it existed before. It was nice and plush, and a nice break when our feet were killing us.
We went on all the other rides too (not the first day though), including "It's a Small World".....

And the Haunted Mansion, which Mary wasn't so sure about.

I thought it was fun that we ran into this little "Band of Pirates" (get it?) in New Orleans Square after riding "The Pirates of the Caribbean."
We watched the big parade on Main Street that evening, and didn't stay up too late.

The weather was great, and we had a blast!

Now do you get it?

My sister featured me on her blog yesterday. I'm flattered, but kind of embarrassed by something. I guess it's my own fault for being so vague with the title of my blog.

Even my own sister thought my title referred to me being a "kind" person. Though I would love to be known as a kind person, I'm afraid that is not always the truth.

She did get it right that "aliceknd" = my first name + middle name initial + maiden name initial + married name initial. But the "i" is in there to create a word similar to "mankind" or "humankind," as in "alice-and-her-husband-and-children."

So, I hope that clarifies things.

And thanks, Liz, for thinking I'm kind. I'm not so sure about the part where you point out my big nose, and how I'm SO much older than you. But I'll forgive you, since that would be the kind thing to do.

"Super" Halloween 2007

Spiderman costume.... $0.99 on eBay.

Wonder Woman costume.... $14.98 from Lillian Vernon.

Batman Costume.... FREE from mother-in-law's stash.

Continuing our tradition of theme-dressing for Halloween....
Priceless.

Pushing Daisies

I can't help being totally smitten with this show. It is the perfect blend of funny/quirky, sweet/romantic, with a little drama and action to boot. I also love that the creators aren't afraid to throw in cheesy musical numbers, ala "Grease" and "They Might Be Giants." No one can blame them. After all, with the hilarious and talented Kristin Chenoweth among the fabulous cast, how could they help it? Not to mention "the" Prince Charming himself, Lee Pace, and the absolutely darling Anna Friel. Add to that the eye-popping sets and "Chuck's" gorgeous wardrobe, and there is enough eye-candy to last until the next episode. Even Jay likes it. And that's saying something.

We're Back

We returned from our trip Sunday evening. I found many birthday wishes waiting for me... email, voice mail, and snail mail. Thank you all.

We had a great time, and I will tell you all about it later. (I'm still trying to recover from the trip.) I was going to post a photo to hold you until them, but blogger won't let me. According to the error message, they "are aware of this problem and currently working on a fix." Sorry.

Fall Break

We are leaving town tomorrow morning for Disneyland. See you next week!

My Theme Song

I feel exactly like this.... my new theme song. Listen closely.... maybe a few times.


UPDATE: The link will be taken off YouTube eventually, so if it doesn't work, search on YouTube.com for "Anita Renfroe William Tell."

I've Been Tagged

So, I've been tagged, and because I like Jen, I will respond, even though I don't want to.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago...
1) Learning to be a new wife.
2) Building a house (the one we live in now).
3) Working full-time for my dad's company.
4) Dreaming of having children.
5) Teaching the Mia Maids in Lindsay Ward.

5 Things on my "to-do" list today....
1) Go to Adult Institute at the Stake Center (loved it, as usual).
2) Get a poster laminated at Teaching Tools (done).
3) Make visiting teaching appointments (actually, my companion did).
4) Visit neighbor who just had her first baby (still pending).

5 snacks I enjoy....
1) Smoothies made of mixed frozen fruit and skim milk.
2) Unsalted chips and fresh chunky salsa.
3) Whole grain pita chips and roasted garlic hummus.
4) Fresh fruit.
5) Chocolate and peanut butter

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire...
1) Be a philanthropist.
2) Be a philanthropist.
3) Be a philanthropist.
4) Be a philanthropist.
5) Be a philanthropist.

5 bad habits...
1) Procrastinating
2) Biting my nails
3) Interrupting my husband
4) Taking too long to say what I want to say
5) Eating when I'm not hungry

5 things I would never wear again.... (notice the non-committal "would" rather than "will")
1) Jelly shoes
2) Polo shirt with collar flipped up, and a strand or two of bright colored beads
3) "Skinny jeans" (unless I can ever wear a size 0)
4) Enormous shoulder pads
5) Neon colors from head to toe

5 of my favorite toys....
1) iPod
2) ClearPlay DVD player
3) My new washer and dryer
4) My Steinway grand piano
5) Computer

5 people I tag.... (sorry if you've done this before)
1) Emily
2) Cindy
3) Sarah
4) Melissa
5) Laura

If I didn't tag you, you can still do it... if you want to.

Last Chance

Last weekend, my little brother, Stephen, and his cute fiance, Leone (rhymes with peony) were in town, visiting from Seattle. As usual, he made a trip to Last Chance (I think it is the only reason he comes to visit). Since we were headed over to that part of town for a barbeque on Saturday at my older brother's house, Jay and I couldn't resist making the kids suffer through a little "Last Chance" purgatory.

Jay headed for men's wear, while I hit the shoe department. After loading up my cart with shoes (I only bought one pair in the end, but they are super cute red flats), I headed toward the clothing and ran into Stephen who showed me his finds.

Stephen told me that he had seen Jay holding 3 dress shirts that he was planning to buy, and that Jay had said I wouldn't be too happy about it. He was obviously a little confused by that. I sighed, and then explained, "Well, you see, Jay already has about 50 dress shirts at home." Stephen laughed. He thought I was joking. I'm not.

Yes, Jay wears a dress shirt to work every day, so he needs to have plenty. But, hey, I do laundry at least once a week! Recently, Jay explained to me that he fears "Last Chance" might pick up and leave (after all, it's the only one in the country) and then how would he get his preferred shirts (these and these) for only $9.97? So, I stopped bugging him about it. Sort of.

I have been known to exaggerate on occasion (mostly when I was a teenager, but I've gotten over it, so give me a break please!) but I'm not exaggerating about Jay's shirts.

Well, maybe a little. I went and counted them, and he only has..... 46.... (probably because I insisted he get rid of some of them at our garage sale recently). So sue me!

But don't get me started on his shoes!

The Break-up

Dear John (1),

The last 10 years were good ones. You were always there for me. Don't take this personally, but it's just not working (2) for me anymore.

I can no longer put up with your complaining (3). It's time for you to move on (4). I'm sure you will find someone else who will take you (5).

Don't try to change my mind, because you can't. I have already found someone new (6), and we are deeply in love. He cares about the environment (7), takes up much less space and is much taller (8). My life (9) is so much better now. Yes, he has already moved in, which is why you have been sleeping on the back porch.

Goodbye forever. I hope I never see you again.

Regards,
Alice


1) My old washer and dryer.
2) Your drying function.
3) The loud noise you make during the spin cycle.
4) To a landfill... or perhaps a parts shop.
5) If I put you on the curb, I'm sure someone will pick you up.
6) Whirlpool Duet Sport.
7) Uses one third the water, and dries in half the time.
8) Because they stack!
9) My laundry room.

British Humour

A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH JACK THIS MORNING:

"Mommy, what is that you are putting under your arms?"

"It's called deodorant."

Jack nodded wisely, as if he knew exactly what I was talking about, and said, "Ooohhhh! De-ogre-ant."

I think he must have been thinking of one of his favorite story books.... "A Box of Ogres," by Tim Healey, and illustrated by Charles Fuge (published in Great Britain in 1991). I would tell you to run out and buy it, but you can't. It's nearly impossible to find. Knowing how much I love children's books, my sister bought it for me when she went to England as a college student, probably 15 plus years ago. (Thank you Helena!)

My kids love the book for it's crazy story and fun illustrations. And we all get a kick out of the funny British phrases, such as "Nip down to the corner shop," and "How would you like a nice, tasty lad to eat?" and "She handed me a five-pound note," and "I daren't think what they're doing to my kitchen." Plus, the use of words like "Mum" (for "Mom"), "dustbin" and "flabbergasted" are a treat. I enjoy reading it in my (pretty decent) British accent.

If you want to make an attempt to find this charming book, you will have to visit the UK, or find some amazing online book shop (which has so far eluded me) with a used copy for sale. (Yes, I already tried Amazon UK.) Sorry.

Though I did find it available from one library... in South Perth, Australia.

Amazing nieNie

Check out my amazing sister-in-law who was interviewed here.