E-Bay

I've checked out e-bay before....I was never all that impressed. However, times have changed. It is addicting, the bidding-losing/winning. The "darn it" when you really wanted something and loose it to someone for 50cents and the "Fhew" when someone out bids you on something you wished you hadn't bid on in the first place. You have to be careful. There are some great deals to be had, but then they really stick it to you with the shipping. Ahhh, the blasted shipping charges! I don't know why I am ranting and raving about all of this, but I realized that I was neglecting the blog, and immediately knew why. So, I thought I would take the first step and admit my addiction so that I could move on to dealing with it. (he he he!) But seriously like I'm going to find a ballet recital costume for 5 dollars( plus 6 for shipping) anywhere else!

Victory!

That's all it took! A moment to vent and voice my frustrations, and suddenly I understood. Totally weird I know, and I am not completely satisfied yet, but now I know what to do to change the background when I find exactly what I want!

FOCUS!!!!!!!

I can now admit it...I am an addict. Okay that came out a little harsh. I have become obsessed with changing the look of my blog. I really want to go with an Americana theme, but I am just not educated in the language of "HTML." I took French, what a waste, seriously. Most of the time I consider myself on the higher end of the intelligence meter, but place a page of computer mumbo jumbo in front of me and something happens to my brain. I inherited those fancy genes from my father that allow me to figure out how things work, without a great deal of effort. However, I think I am really out of my league.

This is what it has come down to. I am going to FOCUS and recommit to the true purpose of this blog. I will speak of my children with glowing reviews, post my pictures, and just be happy with the background that I have. It will be okay, because I will tell myself it will be. Then, one day, it will just click - I will understand and you will see the fruits of my brain working in my favor! Don't ask me when, but it will happen...

Ballet

It is a pre-requisite right. You have a girl...She takes Ballet. Simple. Straight forward. A Given! Alright I was so excited. Ashley LOVES to dress up and dance and twirl. As soon as she turned three (most places starting age) I had her registered for classes. She has two different courses....one on Tuesday, pre-ballet; and one on Friday, Ballet/Tumble. She is by far the smallest in either class, but that is something we are starting to get used to! It is so fun to watch her because you can tell she is really into it. I love to see her face when they try something new. And now, she dances through the stores and around the house proclaiming "SHAESHA! SHAESHA!"

Madison's Surgery

Madison has had chronic adenoiditis for as long as I can remember. We have spent a fair amount of time in the doctor's office and attempted various approaches to clear up her nose. This was our last resort.... So this morning at 6:30am, we left Allen, Wesley, and Ashley with friends and headed to the other side of Tucson to the Carondolet Foothills Surgery Center. We have been there before (side story) and we really like the facility. It is quiet and peaceful, and everyone is just wonderful; especially Dr. Perry her ENT who we adore. She was scheduled for surgery at 8:30am and in less than an hour we were back with her as she was coming out of the anesthesia. She is a little tired right now, but right after we got home, she ate lunch and was just her sweet happy self. She hasn't even complained about pain. I am so glad we are done with this!

Allen's First "Gymnastics for Boys' Class

He's done basketball, swimming, and pottery. He enjoyed everything. But when his gymnastics class started, I knew we had found the winner. They ran and they tumbled and spent some time on the parellel and uneven bars. He loved every minute of it!

Majority Of Parents Abuse Children, Children Report

April 13, 2007 Issue 43•15
LOS ANGELES—
A chilling national poll of U.S. children ages 3 through 12 estimated that nearly 75 million youngsters suffer both physical and psychological abuse at the hands of their parents on a daily basis.The poll, whose findings are part of a 700-page report released Tuesday by a coalition of child abuse monitoring and prevention organizations, indicts nearly 95 percent of American parents. It documents abuses ranging from less severe offesuch as children being denied snacks just before dinner, to more egregious, long-term cases of neglect, such as never ever getting what they want, ever.
"My parents always tell me that I have to finish all my math homework or I won't be allowed to watch TV," said study participant and abuse victim "Derek," 10, who told researchers that some of his earliest memories were of this kind of mistreatment. "They're so mean. I hate them."
"I hate them, I hate them, I hate them," he added.
Encouraged to speak freely and confidentially about their home lives, subjects shocked even seasoned child welfare advocates with tales of systematic deprival and gratuitous cruelty. One Illinois boy told of being forced to linger with his mother in fabric stores and later leaving a Toys "R" Us empty-handed, even though the store sold a water gun he really wanted. An Arkansas 9-year-old said he spent all of third grade carrying a boring brown backpack instead of a super-cool Spider-Man one like a friend, whose parents love him, had. And a 6-year-old girl from Wisconsin was forced to sit at a dining room table for nearly two hours until she finished her canned green beans, a food widely considered by poll respondents to be disgusting and suitable only for adults.
"To hear the sadness in these kids' voices when they talk about how they are scared—literally scared—to bring home poor report cards, is heartbreaking," said Dr. Deirdre Fulton, child psychologist and director of the Nationwide Coalition to End Child Abuse, who co-authored the study. "Some of the children we interviewed even wished they were dead so their parents would feel guilty at their funerals."
"No child should ever wish to die," Fulton added.
According to pollsters, most victims were surprisingly open, even eager, to discuss their abuse, although some were less forthcoming about traumatic experiences that involved inappropriate touching.
"It's so embarrassing, and everybody sees it," said 7-year-old "Harry," whose mother hugs and kisses him goodbye in front of the school bus every day. "When it's happening, I close my eyes and wish it would stop, but it just goes on forever."
Other victims recounted similar forms of privacy invasion, such as being asked if they were wearing clean underwear, and being stripped naked and made to bathe, even after clearly stating that they did not need a bath.
Hair is another focus of unseemly pathological fixations, many children allege: Six out of 10 girls interviewed said that their mothers routinely and painfully pull, twist, and tug their hair into "stupid" hairstyles like pigtails, and some boys said that their mothers go so far as to use saliva to paste their hair into place.
According to the report, a shocking 100 percent of children who claimed to have been abused said their parents repeatedly answered "maybe" to a request, and then withheld from them a definitive answer for hours or, in some cases, days.
In addition to those who admitted to being touched inappropriately, 93 percent of children said they have, at one point or another, been subject to various types of physical abuse.
"My parents make me practice the piano for like 20 hours a day," said 8-year-old "Lacy," adding that sometimes she will hide in her closet to avoid rehearsal. "They told me if I hate it so much I can quit when I'm in seventh grade. That's like 40 years from now."
Some children, mostly boys, have even been pressed into brutal physical labor by their fathers, who demand their sons help them in the yard on Saturdays—one of only two days off for children who spend an average of 600 hours a week at school.
"He treats me like a slave," 12-year-old "Michael" said. "It's like it's my fault that my dad decided to buy a house with a lawn. And then when I do help, he says I shouldn't have had a bad attitude about it."
"Mom just sits there and lets the entire thing happen," "Michael" added.
In some of the more disturbing cases of abuse, parents reportedly take a domineering interest in their children's social lives, often threatening severe but undefined punishment for not being home by dark. Some children said their parents attempt to cut them off completely from the outside world, making many websites and television channels inaccessible and never letting them hang out with their friends. The National Parents Association declined to comment on the overwhelming levels of abuse. When asked why they wouldn't comment, the NPA released a tersely worded statement: "Because we said so."

Ashley's First Day of Preschool

She was just way too cute in her backpack and piggy tails.
Of course we got the picture by the tree.

I will get them posted ASAP. It was a weird feeling to leave her there even though it was only for a few hours. We will see how long I can handle being away from her!

Baby Blessing

When both Madison and Ashley were born while Aunt Alexis was onher mission, we made sure to postpone Madison's Baby Blessing until she came home. Because of this we also decided to bless her in Gilbert at my parents house and invite a member of their ward bishopric to attend. It was a wonderful experience, and so much easier on baby Madison.
So, a tradition was born.

When Sean and Brooke had Kaylee in June, my mom started working on her blessing gown. On Sunday the 9th, she was blessed with family and friends all gathered in Gilbert. I was a sweet and quiet blessing and so nice to have it in their home were we could all be close and hear the blessing clearly.

Check ups!

Ashley and Madison had their checkups on Thursday. ( I love being able to combine Dr.'s visits. That way you really only wait half as long right?) So here is the report.... Ashley is on the Chart! Yeah for us. Now granted this is a new chart for 3yrs up, but it is a growth chart that she is actually on, so we are totally excited. Drum roll please 25lbs 4oz. that puts her in the 5th percentile! and 34in which places her in the 3rd percentile for height. We even got out of the office without a new goal for her next checkup.
Madison is just cruising along with an even 29lbs and 32.25inches. She is healthy and happy even after having to get an "owie" (their name for shots). So we don't have to go back for a whole year with them, at least to that office. Madison is scheduled for her adnoidectomy on Thursday. I hope she comes out of that as cheerful as she does everything else.

What a World? What a World?

WARNING: Contains moments of Sarcasm!

I've thought it before, but it hit me again Monday night.... What kind of world do we live in? It's scary and crazy, mixed up and falling apart. Let me back up a second.
So, Monday night we are driving back from Gilbert where we spent our wonderful Labor Day. We were about 45minutes from home, but kinda in the middle of nowhere, when we got a flat tire. (Now let me side note and say that we have been very blessed to never have a flat away from home before this.) So we pull off the road go to get the spare and our flashlight doesn't have batteries. Totally my fault, I will take all blame for that one. However, this is when I start to get a little frustrated. We just happened to pull off I-10 about 50 feet in front of a tow truck. Silly me I thought that they would pull up a little and see if we needed any help! What was I thinking? Just because that is what we do if we see someone in need of assistance. Who am I to think that that courtesy would be returned? No. We (when I say we I mean Chad) spent ten minutes just trying to get the spare out from under the SUV, because he couldn't see but for the headlights of oncoming traffic. Then used those same passing lights to place the jack! The fun part was getting the spare back on when we couldn't see the bolts! All in all it took about half an hour to change our silly tire.
I just couldn't believe that no one even slowed down let alone stopped to offer assistance. All we really wanted was a little illumination! After starting off again, I started thinking, "Would I really have wanted someone to stop?" There are so many creepy people out there. Maybe we were better off not having to worry about that part of our dilemma. Oh I don't know. How sad that I still can't decide which way we would have been better off! But, you have to know that the flashlight received new batteries as soon as we got home.
Life is such a learning experience!