Drive

The one word that comes to mind when I think of Zack is "drive"!!! He does not give up very easily, and he takes pride in conquering random fears. He wanted me to take pictures of some of the skateboard tricks he has learned in the last couple of weeks.

He now knows how to jump a curb and land it as you see below:

He can nearly jump up a curb and practices this maneuver at least 100 times each time he skateboards! And the next shot captures the fact that he's learned how to turn at the top of a half or quarter pipe. The older kids who skate at the parks we go to are amazed at this little guy out there "tearing it up". Truth is he's good for 6, but he really looks like he's 4.

And lastly, he can land on the platform of a ramp.

I think that by 8, he'll own the half pipe. I just hope he'll wear a helmet as he gets older even though it's not cool. But, that is likely a pipe dream on my part!

Sophia gets right down there with him, but she just hangs along the bottom of the ramps!

As for me, I'm cramming for my CSET! Wondering if any of you out there realized that DNA is found in the nucleus of a cell? Can you remember how the speed of light functions in a vacuum? How about the four stages of development as set forth by Piaget? Remember B.F. Skinner? How about the Jim Crow laws? Ummmmmm, algebraic equations? Geometry? Statistics? Iambic pentameter? Is epilepsy considered a handicap in a PE class? Protons, neutrons, electrons...????

Can you say a wide range of knowledge? One of the study guides says the test is like a game of trivial pursuit based on all you've learned during your entire academic career! The other study guide said that one would have to read several books of over 1,000 pages to be fully prepared!

So yeah, I'm just a little freaked out! I study best with the ipod blaring. Quiet drives me bonkers! Too bad I can't take the test while listening to The Cure! And, I have a few friends who will confirm that I got through both degrees while listening to music in class or playing solitaire on the computer! What kind of learner does that make me? And, why the heck do I have to remember all of this STUFF to teach elementary school?????? That's what lesson plans are for! Dude, just test my IQ and have me teach you a lesson based on a plan I created. If only it were that easy.

Next step is entering a Masters program. I am back to the self that has goals and aspirations outside my everyday life. That's a piece of me that I realize gave me a level of self satisfaction that fueled me to reach higher. I hope my kids will learn to value education as it can make life a whole lot easier.

What are you doing for Halloween? I am taking the kids to a fun activity that includes candy, bounce houses, rock walls, and several other games and activities. Of course, we'll do a little bit of trick or treating so they can gather the sugar!

And lastly, I am proudly voting NO on 8. I do not have an ounce of fear that Zack or Sophia will "turn gay" if they hear at school that it is an option to marry someone of the same sex. I also know that they will not believe that they came from monkeys or that the earth is millions of years old- even though they hear this at public school.

MANY of my friends disagree with my stance on this, and I respect that 100%. That is what makes America the great nation it is! We can have differing opinions, vote accordingly, and not be persecuted for it. So disagree with me if you must. Tell me you disagree if you feel the need to do so. But, remember that my right to vote no mirrors your right to vote yes.

It is also wonderful as a Christian to embrace the doctrine of the priesthood of the believer -the unique ability of each Christian to decipher through the Holy Spirit the Scriptures; and then to live accordingly. We will each give account for ourselves. I am ready to shoulder my NO vote with a clear conscience.

Another First

The kids experienced another first today! They rode ponies! For me, it was a sentimental moment because my dad used to take me and my sister to the pony rides all of the time. Horses were his thing. The kids were so excited to hop on and ride. They were giggling and smiling the entire time. I can't wait until they are old enough to go horseback riding!

It's a great pumpkin, Zack Rivera.

She is just getting WAY too big for me!

Zack's new weight lifting routine!

The End of our Minimum Days

Today Zack had his quarter's end spelling test which reviewed lessons 1-6, and he got another 100%. I told him that if he did he best, he'd earn a Coke! He was jazzed because he says he loves coke. However, he earned it and didn't drink it! He wanted water! Go figure!

Anyhow, we went to see High School Musical 3 and then hung out for the night with some friends. On our way home, Zack said, "Mom, this was the best day ever". When I asked why, he said because he got a 100% on his spelling and even his teacher couldn't trick him. I was surprised by his answer but pleasantly so. I hope I can keep him in the zone of thinking learning is fun. Seems like right now he is super motivated by success.

Sophia, true to form, ate an entire bag of popcorn! I wonder who she gets that from???? Zack smiled as Troy kissed his woman! I have to admit, though, Zack was embarrassed to be watching HM3! He said it was for girls, but I know that he truly loved it. I saw it all over his face!

Practicing his tricks well into the night....

Zack now has a three track mind - skateboarding, spelling, and video games - in that order. He brings so much joy into my life - even when he's a little booger which happens now and again. He is getting much better at sharing which has been our focus lately.

Fall in Southern California

Another minimum day filled with fun. After having lunch with an old friend, we headed down to Corona Del Mar! The kids were so excited! Since it was a spur of the moment decision, I had to depend on what clothes I had in the car at the time! I had a bunch of boy's clothes but none for Sophia! She opted to dress like a boy so we could have a blast at the beach.
It was a GORGEOUS day today! The sun was shining on us as the waves were crashing against the rocks around us. All I could think was that "the best things in life truly are free"! I'll tell you if you don't believe in God, all you need to do is go to the beach to know that someone had to make this happen!

I am so glad that Zack and Sophia have each other! I played soccer on the beach with them and climbed on the rocks, but I can't keep up with them for too long! By the time, we were done playing, I was SOAKED!

Sophia proves that she can write her name!

Nothing like chillin' on the beach in October!

There is no fear of the waves anymore! I think she just may surf someday!

The tiny moments during which God weaves our lives together.

Photo compliments of Sophia.

Can you think of a more beautiful place to skateboard?

Good thing that bow is in her hair!

What God decided to do with His canvas.

Mr. and Miss Tough Stuff

Minimum Days

This week both kids have minimum days - 8 -12:30. That means they have plenty of time to play in the afternoons. Today, they were in the mood to climb trees so off we went to the park to enjoy a very hot windy day. The Santa Ana winds are in full swing here in CA, and most often, the leaves go from green to yellow to brown. We don't see a ton of colors in this area.

Fall Freedom

Elevation

Slingshot

The Sneeze

Heights

I CAN

I just finished reading the book "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards. I was hooked after reading the first page! She is a gifted author in my opinion. I won't give up any of the story, but suffice it to say that I am a better person for having read it. I have heard it said that "a man is the sum of the books he reads," and if that is so, I am glad this book has become part of the equation that is me.

The Note

So, the boy, who gets a ton of grace from Mrs. Ulrich comes home with a note yesterday - TOO MUCH TALKING IN P.E.!!!!!!! He got a referral slip from the P.E. teacher! So, Mrs. Ulrich had to "pull his card"!

Let's just say sometimes moms just know best! I have to admit that I did giggle because I never expected to get a note home for my kid talking in P.E. of all classes!!!!

As a side note, please keep me in your prayers (if you pray), as I take the CSET on November 1st. It is the multiple subject exam that pretty much tests a person's knowledge of all academic subjects - talk about a wide range of study! I hope I can remember all that I learned while getting my degrees! But, come on people, I am nearing 40, and the memory is shot!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with Zack and Sophia's teachers. And, it was a pleasure as both of their teachers are GREAT. I have been so fortunate. I have seen some of the other teachers in action, and I am so thankful that God placed them with the teachers they have!

Zack's teacher said he is functioning above average in all areas. She said that if I had not told her, she would not have known that he has been in America for under two years. He needs to work on his reading more and more so that he will begin reading more smoothly, but she said he is reading at a 1.4 level which is 2 months ahead. I was pleased with this, and it encouraged me to continue working with him at home.

The most shocking thing Mrs. Ulrich said was that she hoped I wouldn't take his video games away when he gets moved in class for talking or being fidgety! I told her it is really not a punishment but a means of teaching him about priorities. She said, he tries so hard to be a perfect student that she hates for him to miss out on anything at home. I told her I'd try it her way, but if he regressed, I'd need to go back to holding him accountable at home!

Sophia's teacher said she loves her to pieces and her energy is contagious. She said that she is progressing twice as quickly as most of her other kids. She is behind on letters and numbers, but at the pace she is learning, her teacher believes she will be on target or ahead by the end of the school year.

She said that Sophia is very driven to succeed and loves to work hard. The only thing she gets in "trouble" for is playing too rough with the boys! That is SOOOO Sophia!

I asked the kiddos how they wanted to celebrate, and they both said they wanted to go to Borders and to Dennys for dinner! Crazy kids - we do that all of the time! Just goes to show that kids love structure. So, I let them get dessert this time!

After dinner, I took them to a haunted house to check out the outside of the building. They were both promising me that they were big enough to go in. I decided to prove to them that it was MUCH more scary than they thought. Once outside, they were freaked out enough not to need to go in! Here are some fun pics from the crazy detour.

Noteable Quotes:

Zack: "Is my corndog in the 'makerwave'"?

Sophia: "Zack was doing stink bubbles in the bath"!

How do you measure fun?

Around here we measure it by the amount of dirt on Sophia's face!

They wrestled together for a good 20 minutes before someone got hurt, and no, it wasn't Sophia although her bow was hanging by a thread!!

Both kids are getting better on their skateboards. Sophia can now ride standing, and she can even turn the board.

"Mom, if I can't figure out these jumps, I will NEVER be a professional skateboarder"!!!! Those were his exact words as I took this picture. I had to fight the laughter back! Although, a woman did stop by about 3o minutes sooner asking how old he was. She said she won't let her 6 year old have a board, but was amazed at how good Zack was. LOL I think she's one of those weak at heart moms! Zack is just all boy!

From the looks of this picture, Sophia had a VERY fun day! She looks like the dog on The Little Rascals with that ring around her eye.

This picture reminds me of what they might be like as during their early college years! I think Sophia will definitely out "party" Zack! She'll be dragging him back to the frat house!

It is TRUE love. She wants so much to be like him and just is all over him all of the time. He is super patient with her MOST of the time!

This picture was NOT posed! Both kids were absolutely wiped out by the time we were ready to leave the park. I was hoping so because I wanted them to be wiped out for the sitter!

Update on school and soccer: Zack got another 100% on his spelling test. He seems to have great rote memory skills. He also learned a poem for class and proudly shared it aloud. That is huge growth for a kid who is extremely shy by nature. Zack also scored two goals in his game today. One of the goals was hard earned! He actually dribbled the ball all the way up the field and in and out of multiple players before aggressively scoring a goal. I wish I had a picture of the look on his face as he looked over to see who was watching!

I will find out on Monday how Sophia is doing in school. I have shared with you some of her accomplishments but until I speak to her teacher, I have no idea where she stands in "comparison" to the average kindergarten student.

I can remember teaching first grade and having parents thinking that their kids were doing extremely well only to find out that they were actually in the lowest reading group and significantly behind in other subjects. This is not to say that those students were not showing incredible improvement. It just meant that they were not functioning at grade level.

I have to say that my fear is not that my kids are not functioning at grade level. It is that they are not doing the most that they can with the abilities they have. I really don't want them to skate through life. I would rather them work hard now, and enjoy an adulthood of bennies. That from one who had the potential to go Ivy League and didn't know any better.

How do you know you're old? When you get home from a "night" out on the town at 7:30PM having had a full "evening"! I highly suggest the movie "The Secret Life of Bees". It was a very good movie full of touching moments, but what I walked away with was the concept that NO love is perfect. Everyone loves the best they can and usually when the love is painful, it is because those doing the loving are doing so through a thick veil of pain. I won't go into why because I don't want to ruin the movie for you. Let's just say, it was thought provoking and Dakota Fanning was incredible as usual.

My book is calling... Another mind boggling Mary Higgins Clark novel! I love her books even though they're not smart. Although, I have read the biography of Marylin Manson and Heith Ledger recently.