The history of the world is full of men who rose to leadership, by sheer force of self-confidence, bravery and tenacity.
~Mahatma Ghandi
When you are assigned a video history project that is supposed to be informative and funny about Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini or Ghandi who would you choose?
Daniel’s school follows the “Character Counts” model as a code of good student conduct and three times a year the faculty and staff select students who reflect the six pillars of character®.
Monday night, my son’s teacher called me to let me know that Daniel was chosen to receive one of the Character Counts Awards at the school assembly the next day. He is a good kid. He is truly trustworthy, responsible, fair, kind and an all-around good citizen. I was so determined to be there, especially because the award was to be a surprise. I wanted my boy to see just how proud his family is of him for being the wonderful young man that he is. As it worked out, there were quite a few members of the family circus there: Zoë, Abby, Hazel, Fallon and myself. Daniel walked in to the assembly with the rest of his class and he knew he was getting something. But what pillar of good character award would he get?
Turns out this guy exemplifies all the pillars of good character according to his teacher and was awarded the “All-Around Outstanding Citizen” award. Seriously, we could not be prouder.
Then again, looking at Daniel’s face here I think we could be…prouder that is. He should be proud of himself. He is an amazing, wonderful young man.
Congratulations Daniel!
It’s Monday but not your typical Monday where you hit the alarm, roll over and mutter “Damn! It’s Monday!” At least it hasn’t been here under the Big Top.
I’m still enjoying the after-glow of a birthday party thrown by my darling husband and my circus clowns…it’s not my day of birth yet…it’s coming…soon…but I do tend to make it into a week-long celebration. So yeah, I’m going to just birthday on…because I can.
My son is once again student of the week which means once again we had to create an “All About Me” poster for him to take and share with his class. Yes, that meant that Mom and Dad had homework this weekend. Still Daniel was quite proud of the poster that the three of us created. Can you believe that we made him help create his poster? We’re those kind of parents.
After some oral surgery and wearing braces for three years then a retainer for a year and then wearing more braces for two more years, Jodie is finally braces-free. She has not stopped smiling. Can you blame her?
Worth. Every. Penny.
I seriously doubt that we are done with our favorite orthodontist though. I mean there is Daniel.
It was that time again where I get to be a hero for at least three people here in the Central Valley.
It’s always a good thing when I get to donate.
But the best thing on a Monday happened this morning in a bank in Stockton.
Who wouldn’t like to pass their time in a long, slow-moving line at a bank on a Monday morning enjoying the impromptu singing of a made-up-at-that-very-moment song brought to you by Hazel? Apparently the good people of Stockton standing in said slow-moving line at a bank on a Monday morning. It seemed that they were even annoyed. They have no soul. What else could explain it?
Happy Monday!
You say crafts I say “Meh!” I don’t see myself as a crafty-type person. Sure I love to take pictures. I have dozens and dozens of photo scrapbooks (last count 78). There is this blog. I love to paint walls. Truth is I get so much joy from putting blue tape all over the place before I put the paint all over the walls. I’m actually nearly done with my bannister project and having fun with that. It’s the painter’s tape I think…or perhaps it is the lacquer fumes. But that is about as crafty as I can get. I think of being crafty and I see yarns and ribbons and threads…bits of paper, modge-podge, sewing machines and crochet hooks. That is so not me.
Not.
At.
All.
You should have seen me last night sewing a simple hook and eye on one of Jodie’s competition costumes last night. Comical and sad all at the same time. At least it holds together her lyrical costume.
But Valentine’s Day is coming. Daniel has class parties to attend and exchange Valentines with 50 of his fellow students. Yes, fifty thanks to his Special Day Class, speech and his mainstream class. I cringe. Daniel rubs his hands with glee just thinking of all the sugary-sweet, ooey-gooey, chocolate-ly Valentine’s treats he will receive. I could have taken the easy way out and bought a few boxes of those cheap-assed Sponge Bob Valentines at Walmart but…LAME! Only babies give those away my 10 year old tells me. They certainly won’t impress a certain girl.
That’s right fans of Daniel. There’s this girl… Our little man is growing up!
So now to get crafty but keep it cheap and simple.
So easy!
Get Daniel to pose with his outstretched fist.
Check.
Add a little message with Photoshop.
Check.
Order some 4 x 6 prints using a coupon so I only have to pay 7¢ per print.
Check.
Using sharp scissors cut a small slit at the top of the fist and the bottom of the fist in the picture.
Check.
Insert a tootsie pop and secure on the back with a little bit of tape.
Done!
Oh yeah! I am so crafty!
While there still seem to be peppermint candy canes lingering around here at last Winter/Christmas Break is officially OVER today.
Oh happy day!
So early this morning, with hugs and kisses, the clowns living under the Big Top were sent off to elementary school, high school and college.
You hear that? That is the sound of quiet…at least until Hazel and Fallon come over. Oh well, it will be good as long as it lasts. Back to the juggling we go!
With the kids back in school and the post-holiday bills coming in money is definitely tight around here…as it is in any other household. It is all the more challenging with Abby in college now just as I know it is for Zoë who is putting herself through school while living away from home. So how do my circus clowns attending college save money? Anyway they can. Even with scholarships, grants and (GASP!) loans, it is still a struggle here for our girls. I try to tell them it builds character and creates memories they can bore their own children with someday…like my stories of milk crate furniture and eating nothing but popcorn for a month…
Good times!
Fun times!
In collaboration with Campus Books Rentals, here are some practical and creative ways to save money while attending college.
Even better, not only can a starving student save some money renting books through Campus Book Rentals but they can do some good. Campus Book Rentals has “officially teamed up with Operation Smile, an out of this world, awesome organization, that performs life changing cleft lip surgeries on children whose families could not otherwise afford it. The long term improvement in quality of life for the children that receive these surgeries is almost incomprehensible. They have committed to donating enough to cover a minimum of 1,000 life changing surgeries. They hope to beat that number, but it’s a significant commitment.
So for EVERY book rented starting now, Campus Book Rentals will donate a portion of those proceeds to Operation Smile with their sights set on meeting and exceeding the goal of 1,000 lives changed.
Saving money…changing lives…I am on board with that!
This just in: So we ordered Abby’s books for this semester. New books totaled $343. Only one title was available at a used book price so the amended total would be $282. Ordering the books through Campus Book Rentals the total was $155. We saved $188! Yes, I am totally on board with that.
I was asked by Campus Book Rentals to write a post about money saving ideas for college students and in return I will be compensated with $50 towards the cost of my girls’ textbooks this semester which will help…and every little bit helps.
