My Dad

I have always been grateful for the parents I was blessed to have. They are great people and have always set an example of integrity, honor, spirituality, valor, and goodness to me. Since my eye issue, my dad has gotten up every morning early to take me to school and has picked me up every single day. I could probably drive myself now, but the mornings scare me because I never know what I will encounter on the road. He comes every morning and asks me if I need a cough drop. OR, he will ask where my gloves are. When I tell him they are in a basket upstairs, he grunts and says I am just like my mom. "What a couple of ninnies!" he exclaims. His choice of music is always fun, too. Today we listened to the Sons of the Pioneers. Sometimes its Herb Albert and the Tiajuana Brass. We have also listened to Nat King Cole, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a few LDS CDs, Christmas tunes (that was last week--just because its good music and he likes it) and EVEN a few contemporary country stars.
He shares his political views, his ideas to fix the world, how much he detests Wal-Mart and his love and concern for his family.
My favorite part of these drives is when he talks about his life. He never did that much when I was a kid. His childhood was not what you would call golden, but he rarely mentions how hard it was. He doesn't blame anyone, but considers it his lot in life.
I just wanted to write a few of the things he has talked about on our drives, so I don't forget them.
My favorite one is how he talks about how he felt about my mom when they first met. He always says that she had a good head on her shoulders. He tells me at least once a week how smart she is, that she has so much more energy that him and that she is beautiful. He says that when he first laid eyes on her he knew "she would be a great mother to my children." It touches my heart that he was thinking about us like that, and that he thought of her in such a tender way.
He says that one of his earliest memories was when the doctor came to his house one day and he and a cousin were shooed out. Being somewhat curious, they peeked in a window trying to see what was happening. Someone saw them and ordered them away from the window. He said that when they were finally allowed back in, there was a new baby. He and his cousin COULD NOT figure out how that doctor got that baby in there without them noticing.
He said he never, ever had milk growing up. It was expensive and his dad felt it was something they could do without. They also had pancakes every single morning.
He told me he that his dad was a great gardener. His rows were always perfect, and there were never any weeds in the garden. He said he tried to pass that talent for gardening on to us, but we couldn't figure out what were plants and what were weeds.
Today he shared a time I can't remember when he amd mom were having FHE with us and they made play money and passed it out to us. They then proceeded to take some from each of us for "paying the bills." When we were done with bill paying, he said somberly, "Well, what will we do? We don't have any money left for food." He said he wishes to this day he had a picture of our faces when that realization hit us. He said he thought it might have been mean, but he then taught us about saving and only buying what you really need.
Not a day goes by that he doesn't express love and gratitude for my mom. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversay and I think he loves her more now than he ever has. He also mentions me and my brothers and sisters and says specific reasons why he loves us and is proud of us.
I am not going to lie and say this man is perfect. He is not. Sometimes he will say or do things that I can't believe. But I don't know if I have ever known a better man. His life is his testimony. He serves someone every single day. Last summer when he was having some health issues, the fact he couldn't go to the church and set up for a funeral was as devastating to him as the illness had been. Each Saturday night he goes to the Stake Center and cleans out the drinking fountains so they sparkle for church. "Nothing is too good for the Lord," he has told me.
He is a good man, and I owe him more than just for a few rides to school.

With love,
Kathy

Big Foot's Music

Tristen stays with us to go to church. We don't watch TV until after 5 so he is a little bored. We wanted me to teach him to play the piano, so I said I would, "in just a second."
Pretty soon he comes in with an old Primary songbook--the one with a green cover, except that its missing both covesr. He tells me this is BigFoots book. Of course I don't understand so I ask him what he means.
"Mrs. Heath told us about bigfoot. He wrote ALOT of music--I think she said 500 pages. This must be his music."
Being somewhat dense I still don't get it, until he told me, "you know BigFoot, he wrote the 5th song."

Beethoven.

Loves to all this week,
Kathy
PS, If you are in my ward, don't forget Literacy Group this Wednesday 7:00 Jana Lee Hatch's (there will be a chocolate fountain--as if the book isn't enough.)

Math word problem

In my own personal afterschool program.
Child: Help me, I can't read.
Me: OK, Mrs Hughes bought 18 oranges at the store. Over several days, her children ate 10. (Yes, apparently they have to clarify that the kids ate them slowly and not 10 all at the same time-DUH!) How many oranges does she have now?
Child: 18-8=
Me: ??? I re-read the problem.
Child: OK, 18- . . .
Me: I think you know this.
Child: It says 8.
Me: No, buddy. Think--you know she had 18. You know some went away. How many?
Child: 10
Me: OK, so write down how many they ate.
Child: 18- . . . 8
I now hold my head in my hands and shake it back and forth. He grabs my NOSE! He really did!
Me: Why do you say 8?
Child: It says "8."
Me: No, it says the kids ate 10. Write 18-10= What does it equal?
Child: I told you it was 8.


Yep, it was one of those days.

Random Ramblings

This has been on my mind all day long. When you go to bed at night, you expect to be reasonably safe. You probably don't think that a plane will fall out of the sky and kill you. Along that same line, a woman at church said that they would be taking a red eye out of SLC for their romantic getaway to the Bahamas. I remember thinking, "I wouldn't want to fly in the night. If there was a crash you wouldn't be able to see the ground coming up and it would be terrifying." Some of you who know me will accept that statement and not try to convince me otherwise, others of you will say it would be better. I think I would rather know the exact moment of impact--I don't know why.

Yesterday the brother of the kid I wrote about in an earlier post came in from lunch and collapsed on the floor. As he lay there writhing, I ask him what exactly was his problem. "I am having SO much pain from my spleen!" Interesting fact. I didn't even know I had a spleen until I was in my mid twenties.

President Obama's stimulus package and programs. Don't even get me started on that, but I heard a very funny commercial on the radio yesterday about his "simulas" package. (Is that anything like simulation?) They repeated that phrase about five or six times. Idaho, what can I say?

I have a radioactive friend.

And now, just to get the respect of all of my faithful blog readers....today I worked with 24 sugar crazed students. They were like addicts. I wouldn't let them eat anything until after last recess. They were like alcoholics who had to have a drink. When they finally got the candy and cookies they were CRAZY!!!!!

Today Mark came in for Doughnuts (Danish) with Dad at school with Tristen. He came to my classroom to tell me goodbye. One of my kids brought in a puppy. The kids fell all over themselves laughing because I told them a story about a time that Mark was reading the paper and asked me, "What is a chi-who-u-who-u, and why does it cost $400?" I said "what in the world are you talking about?" and went to look at the ad.
Yeah, it was chihuahua. I tell all my students and they laugh every year.

Lastly, I don't have to pay any taxes this year. I can't even start to say how happy that makes me.

I warned you, these were random and rambling.
Love ya,
kathy

Six and Six Tag

Here's the game:
1) Go to your picture folder, or wherever you store your photos on your computer
2) Go to the sixth folder and pick the sixth picture
3) Post it on your blog and tell the story that goes along with the picture
4) Tag four friends to do the same.



This is my youngest daughter. Kelsey is and always has been daddy's little girl. She is talented and sweet. She is as beautiful on the inside as on the outside.
Last night she gave the BEST family home evening to us about the Atonement. It meant a lot to me that she could do such a great job. I guess she WAS paying attention.
Love you Beaner!

I tag Katie, Rozla, Briannia, Sarah

Love, Kathy

Super Bowl

Here are just a few pictures of our fun Super Bowl party.
We had lots of good food.

Here we are wearing our "stylin" neat 3D glassess. (Sadly, I could not "see" what all the excitement was all about.)

This is Kelsey's future husband.

Here is the happy couple without those fun glasses.

My favorite part was The Boss.

I really only watch the super bowl for the commercials. They were OK this year, but my favorite one wasn't a super bowl first run. I LOVE the new T-Mobile commercial with the older couple. I laugh every time the man says, "I love you. This time I really mean it."
Have a good week!
Love,
Kathy