Baby 5 due date: 12-30-09!

Our little Charter school is reeling a bit from the state's retroactive 7.5% budget cut for this year. One of the casualties was the literacy program for the elementary school. The first half of the program was purchased in the Fall, but there was no more money to buy the second half. To help raise money, the school held a cake auction (along with a silent auction, bake sale and raffle) on Thursday night. I volunteered to donate two cakes, which of course took me much longer than planned. I was pretty pleased with the results, though, and added together they brought nearly $100 for the literacy program. I haven't done much else festive for this holiday, so here's my one offering, along with a wish for a happy and loving day for everyone.

(p.s. I was a little sad that I didn't win the raffle for a new digital camera. I think it's obvious from the pictures that I need one.)

My 11-year-old and I can now share shoes (well, maybe snow boots, but his feet are just too stinky for me to let him borrow my red sparkly mules or yellow sketchers mary janes :-))! I think he's quite proud of this achievement. I'm still not ready for him to be this big and grown up. . .

I know I don't have a huge readership here on this blog, and that most of you who do read it are not here locally, but Guy and I have decided to do our (small) part to save our favorite restaurant. Guy and I discovered Pastorero Taco Grill in Brigham's Landing last Spring and have been there several times since. Lately, however, when we go in, it's sadly lacking in customers. We really don't want it to go out of business, so we're trying to spread the word that it's good food.

My favorite (actually, the only thing I've ever ordered because I like it so well) is the Tacos al Pastor. These are the only US tacos I've had that come close to those I ate at taco stands when I went to Mexico with Dad a couple of times. The Tacos al Pastor are pork with pineapple, onions and cilantro on soft corn tortillas served with lime and your choice of salsa (the avocado-lime is my favorite. Guy likes the pico de gallo). You get 5 tacos (last time they gave me 6, but maybe that's just because they like me) for $5.99. Guy has explored other menu items and liked them all, but I can't tell you much about them, because I always just eat tacos. . . Oh, we have gotten the cheese fondue (queso fundido) a couple of times and it's really good. ALSO, I'm not usually a fan of horchata, but this stuff is fabulous. I think it's the cinnamon.

So the takeaway from this post is hopefully more than a watering mouth (which in and of itself would be a grand blogging achievement). If you're in my neighborhood, go check out Pastorero. If you like it, tell more people about it so that my favorite restaurant doesn't go away and leave me wondering where to eat on our (rare) date nights.

Now I need to go find something yummy to eat. . .

As January began, I found myself really wishing for and missing homeschooling. I didn't want to send the boys back to school on Monday. I wanted to keep everyone in the warm, calm(ish) sphere of home, and with the first two days back at school ending up as a snowy mess, I DIDN'T WANT TO DRIVE! (I have lived in Utah for over 14 years now, but when it comes to winter driving, I still consider myself a desert-dweller and therefore unfit to be behind the wheel). But since I am rational enough (at the moment, at least) to realize that my children's schooling shouldn't be meteorologically determined, I decided to get it all out of my system and list the pros of each option.

Reasons I'd love to homeschool:
1. I don't have to put my shoes on to get the kids to school.
2. I actually learn a lot of neat things in the process.
3. There's no paperwork to fill out for our science projects.
4. No parent-organization responsibilities. Just parent responsibilities.
5. I could really tailor the work to the boys' interests.
6. NO HOMEWORK (well, it's all homework, but we're done with it by 2pm at the latest.
7. I love buying books and homeschooling gives me a great excuse.
8. No other teachers to deal with (there's really only one I'm having issues with right now).
9. I get to see much more of my boys.
10. Oh, and did I mention not having to drive in the snow!

Reasons public/charter school isn't all bad:
1. For Caleb, one word--FRIENDS (there are NO kids his age in the neighborhood, or even the ward).
2. Incentive (however uncomfortable) to actually FINISH the science projects.
3. Yesterday when I walked into Marcus's class, there was a beautiful chicken in a pen in the middle of the room. Marcus said he got to pet it, feed it and study it.
4. Sheridan has found a group of peers--kids who "get" each other. A week before Christmas, he was sharing with us the chemistry Christmas carols* he made up with his friend Austin and I felt this maternal joy that Sheridan had found some other soul who actually thought this kind of thing was funny.
5. Sheridan did get to go on a "mission" at a "space simulator." I think it was the highlight of his year so far.
6. Fine arts programs. It turns out Caleb will sing--just at school, though. And Sheridan's learning harmonies in Choir and the guitar. Marcus likes his Karate classes at school.
7. Some afternoons, I have about an hour when Mitchell is asleep and (if I let myself) I can just sit and enjoy a little quiet.

I've been tempted, but I'm not actually planning on yanking the boys from their schools at this point. I'll just have homeschool envy until the end of May and at the same time be grateful that I can just blame the State if my kids don't learn what they need to this year.


* These are the two "carols" if you're curious:

Dashing though the snow, on an unstable actincide
Through the trees we go, watching them all die. (Oh no, no!)
I think I am dead too, my hand looks like it's glue,
I woke up as a little blob, just sitting in the goo.
Oh, Actincium, Thorium, Protactinium
Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium and then,
Amaricanium, Berkelium, Einsteinium and last
Californium, Curium, Lawrencium,
Actincides that go boom!

Deck the halls with boughs of Cesium
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Spill the punch bowl in the hallway
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Don, we should have bomb shelter
Fa la la la la, la la la la
'Cause of CsH2O
Fa la la la la, la la KA-BOOM!