We are going to a party...

I am taking my kids out of school tomorrow for the inauguration. We are going to the Nokia Theatre where the local tv news is sponsoring a showing of the festivities, all on jumbotron (or whatever they call the giant tvs now!). Glee was a little worried that now she won't get a perfect attendance award, but personally, I find those to be overrated anyway!

It's so important to me to have my kids be a part of this history, and to see the excitement in people. It's a new day, that's for sure. I'll put photos up at flickr after the event.

Glee is testing for GATE on Feb. 21st. It stands for Gifted and Talented something or other... and if she makes it in, she will just have more learning opportunities, which is what I am all about. You have to be in 2nd grade or higher for it.

Thomas on the other hand has amazed me lately. The reading bug has really kicked in for him, big time. Also, he was listening to some music the other day and he said "you don't always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need." I told him it was the Rolling Stones, and today he remembered. He also remember Oasis as the band that sings Champagne Supernova. He's got quite the musical ear, I tell you!

I also redesigned my business website. Spent a good chunk of today working on that.

Oh, we got a dog! We got her from LA County/Harbor Animal Rescue. Her name is Snowray... she's sweet. She's an Akita/Husky mix, with eyes so light blue they are practically white. We are working on walking, staying, and not digging under the fence to escape and roam the neighborhood. I didn't realize how stressful it would be to add a dog into our family, but now it's working out.

So this is Christmas... and what have you done?

Wow, it's here. The day was spent cooking, and cutting snowflakes and playing spirograph and planning the big guy's visit. We ate soup (corn chowder) and bread and scratched off lottery tickets (and made back $27 and two tickets). It is now 11:17pm and I have had to put Glee back to bed before she reached the bottom of the stairs. "has he been here yet?" but no, I don't want to ruin the surprise. Sure, he's been here, got here just before my shower and just after I finished the coffee cake for breakfast!

This is an amazingly magical time. They both believe so much with their hearts that it all must be true. We did a fairy and mermaid tea last weekend... they left her a magic freshwater pearl necklace (thanks Cost Plus!). Oh, and real live flowers covered in magic dust. They will grace our table tomorrow.

Happy Christmas to you all... and solstice and hannukah and kwanzaa and whatever it is you want to celebrate. Love your family and celebrate!

Report Cards and Christmas Lights

So... Thomas' report card said he is right where he needs to be in all areas except a couple. Those all include impulse control (he needs to follow directions, sit still, listen more attentively). I'll give him a pass on all of those for the first few months of school. He is coming from a preschool class that had vastly different rules, not to mention he's five years old. I am not excusing him... I am just giving him time to figure out the system. I had his conference today with his teacher and she said he is very smart but is working on impulse control. He knows his letters by sight and sound, he is reading (as of October he was reading 15 of the 30 words all kindergartners should know by the end of kindergarten). He's trying. The one thing I will be working with him on is small motor skills aka learning to write clearly. His letters can be pretty sloppy, and I know he doesn't LIKE to do it, but it's an important part of the education.

Glee, on the other hand (sort of), got all E's, which stands for excellent in every single category, work and effort, except one. In writing effort she got a VG+ (Very Good +). I think the only reason she got one VG was so that she wouldn't be promoted to third grade. Seriously, her teacher LOVES her... and I think it is mutual. I have her conference on Friday. I am hoping she will be tested for GATE this year (Gifted and Talented) which just means extra school work, and more learning chances. She needs it.

I spent a lovely weekend in San Francisco, and missed my family more than I should have. It sure is nice to come home after getting away.

I have to say, one of my favorite favorite FAVORITE things of this time of year is to see Christmas lights in the rain. Lovely I tell you. It is now cold, cold enough to wear my warm winter coat and my autumnal scarf. I love it...

Last night he read the whole book...

Yes, Thomas read 90% of a book called "Turtle and Snake Go To Work." He read it out loud to both X and I and I have to say, the boy can READ! Third month of kindergarten and this is what he amazes me with... he can read, he knows all of the states west of the Mississippi River by name, he can tell the difference between Joe Biden and John McCain, and he knows why we vote the way we do. He dresses himself, but all of a sudden in the past week most of his pants have gotten short and his t-shirts too small. He brushes his teeth, he tries hard to follow directions, and he is boundless in his energy. He loves us unconditionally and he tells us all the time "Mom, no matter what, I ALWAYS love you, even if you are mad." Such the boy I tell you. I don't know many adults who know all the states! He even knows that Canada is north of us AND he knows which way north IS!

Section 60

"he was the first to buried there three years ago... now five more rows stretch beyond him." This was on the Today show, talking about Arlington National Cemetery and Veteran's Day. His first name was Nicholas and he was born around when I graduated from high school. It was sad, to see all those moms out there mourning their sons. I am so sorry for their losses. I appreciate what their sons did. I am really anti-war, and I have been against this whole middle east thing for as long as it has been going on. I am naive to think we could just ignore any of it, but I feel like there should be a better way. Someday I will take my kids to Arlington, to see the National Cemetery. They said 1800 men were the first buried there, after the Civil War, in one mass grave, in the rose garden.

Thank you veterans, and even though I am a card carrying liberal, and what most of you would call bleeding heart, I appreciate your service and I am grateful to you for keeping our country safe.