School or no school

So...Covid sucks.  Let's just get that out of the way. 

It's August.  School starts for my kids just after Labor Day.  So, we have about a month left.  Last we heard from OLG is that they plan to be in school IN PERSON.  I love this idea!  And, I am terrified of this idea!  

The whole open schools or not arguement...this is the bloody Kobayashi Maru.  It's freakin' Sophie's Choice.  It's Trump vs Clinton.

In other words...it's a no-win situation. 

Kim and I are pretty realistic about this whole Covid thing.  We follow the rules.  When we were told to stay home, we stayed home.  When we were told we could go out but we should wear masks, we listened...we went out and we wore masks.  We're in a place where we like that things are opening up, but we really wish people would stop being stupid and selfish.  So much of this can be controlled if people would think less about themselves and start considering those around them.  Why do we feel this way?  Because the doctors and scientists have told us to and I accept that they are much smarter than me.  

Back to schools.  

When they first started saying they would open the schools, it looked like things were improving.  But, then summer hit.  And people went to the beach or to rallys or protests or parties.  IE: people were dumb.  And, Covid went back up.  So, schools are now talking about sticking to virual learning. 

Virtual Learning is absolutely NOT as good for most kids as in person learning.  Certainly not for my kid.  It's hard to keep him on task, he tends to distract me from the work I need to do, and I am a horrible teacher as I don't know how to do this stupid hippie math they teach, now.  I absulutely do NOT want to do what we did the last trimester of last year.  

So, send them to school, right???   Right????

Well, no...not necessarily.  

Because we are still in a pandemic. 

The average age of a teacher in the US is 42.  The median is 41.  This means that 50% of teachers are over 40.  Many are teaching in to their 60s.  And...kids are germ factories.  These little bastards are carrying every germ known to man and many that aren't.  They don't show symptoms like adults.  That doesn't mean they don't wipe their boogers on their hand and then wipe that hand on something that someone else will touch.  That doesn't mean they won't cough and send their spit flying 100 feet towards the teachers desk.   

I feel pretty confident that, at some point, I am going to catch Covid-19 (actually...want to know a secret?  I actually think I already had it.  In the very early days.  But, it was before we knew it was a thing in the US, so we weren't testing).  It's out.  It's coming.  But, I am being pretty safe and taking precautions to ensure I don't pass it on.  I am a loyal mask wearer.  I wash my hands.  I don't shake hands or hug (This is actually great for me because I don't like touching people).  But...if Desmond gets it and is sitting at school with 25 classmates talking about Fortnite and forgetting to distance...what if one of them catches it and takes it home to their family?  What if one of his friends gives it to Grandpa?  What if one of the teachers gets infected?  That would be absolutely tragic. 

Desmond is a smart kid...I think he can handle the mask and the social distancing.  But, he's also going into 6th grade.  How the heck do you get a Kindergarter to wear a mask all day????  Don't worry, I will answer that for you.  YOU DON'T!  Masks will be slingshots, projectiles, napkins.  They'll be everything but a protective shield to keep germs from spreading.  

See...no win.  

What's the solution?  I have know f**king clue.  I'm a recruiter.  I hire software engineers.  This is why I look to the professionals and I choose to trust.  I trust the doctors and scientists to tell us what they know and offer suggestions.  And, I trust my kids' principals and teachers to have the best interests of the kids and staff at heart.  If that means we have to go all virtual, then (MOTHER EFFING SON OF A BERCHING ASS BUTT STUPID FACE) we will do all virtual.  If it means all in person, great...we will be ready with masks and sanitiser and anything needed to keep people as safe as possible.  If it's a hybrid, ok...we'll figure that out too.  None of this is normal. All of this is new.  And, we're all in in together.  

2020 sucks balls.  Sign me up for that vaccine trial! 

Maybe if we all have Principals like Dr. Lee here, we'll be good to go!  

Farewell 2nd Grade...on to 3rd

Desmond wrapped up the school year earlier this week.  My oldest little dude is rapidly becoming not so little. 

This was a good year, I think.  Desmond's teacher, Ms. Hoch, was just what he needed.  Kind and loving with just the right amount of kick you in the pants when you're out of line. 

The beginning of the year started a bit rough for Des.  Multiple card changes (the equivalent of getting your name on the board followed by a check or two when we were kids) and we got a few not fun notes home from Ms. Hoch. 

But, he turned things around!  We've been getting fell greens the vast majority of the time since January.  He still slips up here and there, but it's usually more about not paying attention than keeping his hands to himself, now.

Top this off with good grades and exceptional MAPS test scores (outscoring the district and national averages by considerable margins...brag alert!), and the kid makes us proud.

But, that's not all!  Second grade is a big year for little Catholics, too.  This was the year Desmond made both his first Reconciliation and his First Communion! 

I don't recall if I posted about this, but there are a couple pics for you.  He was a bit scared going in, but he confessed those sins like a champ! 

Then there was First Communion.  He looked so sharp!  Shaundar, Kim and I all walked up with him as he received his First Communion from Fr. Jack.  It was a very proud moment for me as a Catholic dad. 

This was taken just before mass.  I mean...COME ON!

With Fr. Jack

With his homie Garret

The Communion class, looking adorable.

And that's about it.  On to 3rd grade.  The 3rd grade teacher is young.  I'm hoping he large class of boys doesn't forget everything the Ms. Hoch taught them.  I'm sure they'll do fine!  Onward!

First Reconciliation - My how things have changed

Next month, Desmond will celebrate his first Reconciliation at Our Lady of Guadalupe.

One of the advantages of attending Catholic school is that this is all part of the curriculum.  We don't need to send him to special CCD classes.  There are a few additional Sunday meetings, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the years of after school sessions my mom sent me to.

A part of Desmond's journey that I have enjoyed, however, is the parental involvement.  I honestly don't remember if my parents were involved in my first sacraments (outside of baptism, obviously) in the way that the Church is making us participate.  But, I have been grateful for the experience and the refreshers.  At first, I may have groaned a bit (UGH...I already did all this 25 years ago!).  But, I have actually found it pretty enlightening.

Mostly in regards to how Confession/Reconciliation has changed.

Or...rather, how it should have been at Our Lady of the Lake when I was growing up.  Turns out a lot of these "changes" that I am enjoying were part of Vatican II.  But, apparently the memo didn't get to Lake Havasu City.

Here's how I remember Confession.

You would stand in a line outside the room with a bunch of other people, silently tracking how long the people before you were in there.  At Our Lady of the Lake, the confessional was a small room, not like the "box" that you see at many churches.  It was dimly lit.  There was a screen with a kneeler.  There was also a chair across from the priest.  There was no screen in front of the chair.

Here's the thing.  I happened to have a pretty good relationship with my priests when I was young.  Fr. Rudy and Fr. Greg.  See, I was an alter server, I taught CCD classes to Kindergartners, I was a Eucharistic minister in my high school and college years, and I think I even joined the choir for a bit.  I had a particularly good relationship with Fr. Rudy.  The point is, they knew who I was, they knew my parents, the knew my grandparents.  For some reason, I felt like I had to sit in the chair facing the priest.  Although, there was one time that I used the screen.  Fr. Greg was on the other side.  About half way through my confession he says, "Is this Jason?"

 So, when you are 8 or 10 or 13 or 16 or, frankly, even 39...sitting across from someone you admire and who you want to think highly of you and telling them about all the things you did wrong...that's not really fun.  In fact, I hated doing it every single time.

And, I was one of the good kids!  In the grand scheme of ways kids can get in trouble, I was pretty lame.  I am pretty darn confident that I didn't have any "sins" to offer any priest that they haven't heard a bazillion times before.

Still...sitting across from Fr. Rudy and telling him that I said bad words (oh boy did I say bad words) or that I lied to my parents or that *GASP* I watched one of those late night nudie shows on Showtime...that S-U-C-K-E-D!  And, candidly, I think it scarred me a bit for confession.  Because I don't go anymore.  Not on an individual basis, at least.  I go to the congregational confession when it's held.  This is when the priest holds a confessional service.  As a parish, we ask forgiveness for our sins, pray and are absolved of our sins.  No one on one where I spew out everything I'm ashamed of.

Fr. Jack, my current pastor, is the greatest priest I have ever had.  He's a wonderful man who teaches the ways of Jesus in a way that focuses on love, forgiveness, service and grace...not in the "do this or your going to hell" way that so many other pastors focus on.  I have often told Fr. Jack that he sounds like a Jesuit.  His response is "I have been accused of that many times."  I have zero desire to show him what's behind the curtain.

So, back to what I have learned from working with Desmond on Reconciliation.

First of all...it's called Reconciliation, not Confession.  The focus is on Reconciling yourself with God.  The way Ms. Hoch (Desmond's teacher) teaches it, when we sin, God does not turn his back on us...we turn our backs on God.  He's still there, waiting.  Still loving.  Always loving.  The sacrament of Reconciliation is the act of acknowledging our poor choices and turning, once again, back to God.

With this in mind, no longer do you sit in front of the priest and regurgitate all your sins.  Apparently now, it's more of a conversation.  What's keeping you from being the best person you can be?  What's on your mind and heart that has become a burden?

Kim and Shaundar have also both been part of this journey.  Neither of them are Catholic, but they've both been very active in learning about all these sacraments.  That's been great for me, as well.  For Shaundar to be supportive of something in our son's life that is important for me.  And, for Kim to learn about my faith in a way she's never been exposed to before.

I have yet to go to confession...*cough* sorry...reconciliation with Fr. Jack.  I mentioned to him that I may have to bite the bullet and give it a shot.  He says he looks forward to it (in a very sincere, "I think that's a great idea" way).  But, I'm still terrified.  Again, I'm positive I don't have anything to talk about that he hasn't heard before.  And, I suspect my confession would be much less juicy than others he has heard.  But, the discomfort remains.  Maybe it's pride?  Maybe I should confess that as well?  Who knows.

First Reconciliation happens on Feb. 4.  I have made it a personal goal to attend Reconciliation myself, 1:1 with Fr. Jack, by that time.  Let's see if I pull it off.  If I don't, I guess I will need to confess that I just lied to both of my readers.

2nd Grade Research Projects

Do you remember doing research projects in 2nd Grade?  I sure don't.  I also don't remember having to do an oral report on my research.

Well, that's what Desmond's class is required to do.

The class had a major project on South America.  This is a significant part of the year.  So significant that the teacher, Ms. Hoch, at the beginning of the year says, "This is a significant part of the year."  So it's not something that can be sluffed off on like it was reading or math or something else.  Each kid was to pick a South American country and present to the class on that country.  Des picked Venezuela.

Anyway...Desmond takes after me in a lot of ways.  One way being that he hates doing any type of homework.  So, this has indeed been a bit challenging.  However, we were able to crank out some solid research.  AND...we were able to do research in more places than simply the internet.  I know the internet is a perfect place to do research.  But, I also think it's important to remember how to use a library.  So, Des and I spent some time looking at the encyclopedia (remember that thing?) and learning how to use the "card catalog."  I put it in quotes because it's not really a card catalog anymore.  It's a computer.  Man, kids have it easy, nowadays.

Come to think of it...so do librarians.

For the record, Desmond's favorite part of the encyclopedia was that, when all the books are together, the spines of the books form a large picture.

Fast forward...we collect our information and we get to work.  Part of the oral presentation includes visuals.  What kind of visuals should Desmond provide?  This part was easy:  Legos!

In our research (with help from Kim), we discovered that Venezuela is home to the worlds tallest waterfall!  So, Desmond put together a lego model of Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall.  He also assembled a Lego model of the Venezuelan flag.  Check it out below.


South America Project from Jason Pankow on Vimeo.

I should point out...this isn't the full presentation.  Just a quick practice after he finished his models.

Desmond wants me to make it VERY CLEAR...he built these models by himself without instructions.
I don't know if this is standard for all 2nd graders or if it's an OLG thing.  Regardless, I am pretty impressed at what these kids are capable of at such a young age.  When I was in second grade, I was still getting in trouble for eating paste.

(Just kidding...I never ate paste.  But...I did lather it on my hand to make boogers out of it when it dried.)

How to talk to your kids, by Principal Ramos

Election night through today, I have seen a lot of people on Facebook asking, "How do I tell my kids?" 

Mrs. Ramos, the principal at Desmond's school, offers up the note below, which I would like to share with you because I enjoyed it so much. 

Dear OLG Families,

This week, it has been apparent that our students have absorbed a wide range of feelings regarding this election. We realize that most of them have been exposed to media coverage that can at times be confusing and fraught with tension. They have likely overheard emotionally charged conversations and divisive language. This morning, many families shared that it had been a late night for their whole family, watching election results pour in. We assume and appreciate that you are finding ways that are appropriate for your family to process questions, emotions, and media content related to the election.

As educators, we have been following the news about schools around the country reporting increased fear, aggression and division within their student bodies as the election progressed. For weeks, the question has been posed, "What will happen in the days and weeks following Election Day?" regardless of the results. No matter which way we lean politically, or which candidates we have been behind, I imagine that many of us would consider this election cycle a particularly contentious and unsettling one.

As a Catholic school community, we recognize this as a teachable moment about bringing the light of our faith to our everyday lives. Our OLG mission statement calls us to be "a sacramental community, united and empowered by the Holy Spirit." Through our practice of prayer and reflection, in the work we do to build the essential skills of listening, friendship building, conflict resolution and problem solving, and through our experience as members of a faith community, we are preparing our students to be bearers of the Holy Spirit both within OLG and out in our larger community.

Together, we hope we can instill in our students that in our community and world there is room for diverse viewpoints and that it's important to pray for wisdom and the Holy Spirit's guidance for our leaders. At times of significant transition and intense emotions, it seems especially important to partner in teaching our children to take time to listen deeply, to keep our hearts open, to be kind, to give ourselves time for what grounds us, and to pray. Out of that will come an authentic expression of our best selves in service to the world.

In these post-election days, our students will continue to pick up feelings and attitudes about the election, as it is discussed and processed by those around them, online and in the media. This can be a lot even for adults to digest in a healthy and balanced way. Please let us know if there are ways we can be sensitive to your child's needs, and don't hesitate to talk with Heidi Ehrenberg or any of us on staff.

With blessings and thanks for our OLG community,

Donna Ramos

An Open Letter to my son as he starts 2nd Grade

My homie Emily has a blog called Baby in a Bar.  Seriously...just the name tells you she's awesome.

Anyway, she recently posted an open letter to her little man on his first day of Kindergarten.  It's was sweet and mushy and all those things.  You can read it here: http://babyinabar.blogspot.com/2016/09/an-open-letter-to-my-son-on-his-first_24.html

I feel bad for not posting something like that for Desmond when he started Kindergarten.  And, I don't think I blogged about him AT ALL while he was in 1st grade.  So, to make up for it, I give you this post: An Open Letter to My Son As He Starts 2nd Grade.

___________________________

Dear Desmond,

Hey...put down the iPad.  I'm talking to you.  No...actually put it down, don't just look at me for 2 seconds and go back to it.

Ok...Dear Desmond,

Son, you are growing up so fast!  I still remember when you were in preschool.  How we had to buy a special "Bubba" just to keep at school with you for when you were sad.  Remember that?  That's how "Night Time Bubba" and "School Bubba" got their full names.

I also remember...hey...are you listening?  Oh really?  What did I just say, then?  Nope...try again.  See, you weren't listening.  Pay attention!

*Sigh*  I also remember your first day of Kindergarten.  I remember how, once you saw your pal Braden, you were all set.  You didn't need your ol' dad to hang around.  You were ready to...why are you interrupting me?  I'm talking and you're interrupting.  We've talked about this.  Fine...what?

No, you can't turn the iPad back on...I'm talking.  I don't even understand what you're doing.  What's so exciting about watching someone else play video games on YouTube.  Let me finish.

Anyway...now you're in second grade!  This is a big year!  Not only are your reading and math skills improving consistently, but this is the year for First Reconciliation and First Communion at OLG!  I am excited to be with you as you reach these Catholic milestones!  When I was in 2nd Grade....

UGH!  WHAT???  I don't care about what Wyatt said about Communion wine.  I'm trying to be sentimental!  Judas Priest!  Why can't I just tell you a story.

Remember for your 7th birthday how, instead of presents you asked everyone to bring food for the West Seattle Food Bank?  I was so impressed with how....you're looking at the iPad, again.  This isn't gonna happen, is it?

Fine, fine...you go back to your screens...I'm gonna go surf Facebook for a while.  Just remember how much I love you and how proud of you I am.

Love, Dad

Teachers and stuff

It's September and you know what that means!  It's time for the annual Teacher Strike!

This time, it looks like there are 2 districts striking.  Pasco and my home town of Seattle.

This is a real hot button issue for me.  I frequently disagree with my liberal friends and neighbors in the area.  Also, I know quite a few teachers who have strong opinions on this.  When you hear me vent about striking teachers, I can understand how you might think I am "anti-teacher."

But, that couldn't be further from the truth.  I am VERY VERY pro teacher. 

So, I felt moved to write a post to my blog because that's what I do when I have something I want to say. :-)

Here are the fundamental reasons why I oppose teacher strikes:

1. Teachers are public employees. 
2. Teachers are salaried professionals.  Why do they even have a union?  They're not machinists or plumbers.
3. NOBODY is hurt by teacher strikes except the parents and students.  Districts are given their money from the state.  Teachers will still get paid.  Districts will still get paid.  In the meantime, parents need to struggle to find and pay for child care and the kids get to go even longer without their education.
4. On average, teachers make good money and receive good benefits for 9 months of work.

Ok...I hear people yelling at me already, particularly on the 9 months of work and the good money part.  But, I want to point out that I said, "on average." 

You see, here is the thing that pisses me off most. 

There are some amazing teachers out there.  AMAZING!  These teachers are not paid enough. 

There are also some crappy teachers out there.  These teachers are paid too much. 

How do we determine good teachers from bad teachers?  I don't know because teachers don't want to be evaluated in meaningful ways.

See...my problem ultimately comes down to the union, not the teachers.  Because of the union, no meaningful criteria can be used to evaluate a teacher.  Therefore, there is no real way to determine who is an excellent teacher and who sucks.  Also, because of the union, so much focus is put on seniority over talent.  I don't care if a teacher has been teaching for 30 years.  If that teacher is not as good as this younger teacher who has only been teacher for 5 or 10, they should not be making as much money.

Why can't we run education more like a business?  If there is a teacher in Minnesota who has received multiple awards and has lead 100% of their students to passing grades and is largely seen to be amazing, why can't we offer this person $100k/year? 

On the flip side, why can't we fire the English teacher who plays movies in class every day? 

We have failed our teachers.  Our good teachers.  We have failed them because we let the system get to this point.  I know it's not PC to say, but when you have a job that pays you $60k a year, gives you 3 months off in the summer, 2 weeks for Christmas, 1 week for min-winter break and another for Spring break while offering you incredible job security, it's really not that hard to attract people. 

"But, teachers teach because they have been called to!"  Yes...some of them have.  But, many of them haven't.  Many of them like the easy paycheck and 3 months plus of vacation time.  And frankly...many of them weren't smart enough to be engineers.  This was my problem when I was studying to be a teacher.  We have lowered our standards for teachers and because of this, talent is going down. 

The teachers at Desmond's school have been called to teach!  They teach in a small private school where I am willing to bet they make less than a public school teacher.  They seem happy to be there every single day.  They are not striking today.  They are in class teaching. 

Seattle teachers are on strike.  Skipping out on their responsibilities to their students.  Already talking about how they don't earn a "living wage" and how they will likely ignore the courts if they are ordered back to work, trying to lump it under civil disobedience.  You know, like the civil rights and anti-war movements.

I fully support the raise that the Seattle teachers are looking for.  But, only for those that deserve it.  Show us who those are and I will gripe less.  Find other ways to get your point across besides these illegal and annoying strikes and I will be first in line to support you.  In the meantime, I will complain like I do every single year.

Bottom line from me: Great teachers deserve great salaries.  Bad teachers deserve to be fired.

Kingergarten comes to an end!

Well, phase 1 of 13+ of what I like to call "Desmond Gets Edumacated" is complete!  Kindergarten has come to an end!

The end of school was celebrated with mass, a dance, playground time and that's about it!  Here are some pics:

 

End of school mass!

 

Huey, Dewey and Louie...aka Wyatt, Desmond and Braden. Kindergarten buddies/troublemakers.  

 

Desmond and Ms. Zbaracki, the saint who put up with his antics and got him ready for 1st Grade.

Two ridiculously good looking dudes. 

 

And...here are a couple videos captured by The Great Jodie O'Toole (TGJO'T).

 



 

 

Here's what I learned from Kindergarten. 

• My kid is SMRT...I mean, SMART!  I knew he was smart, but he's smarter than I think Kindergartners should be.  He catches me off guard sometimes.  Part of that, I think, is that he is learning things I don't remember learning in Kindergarten.  But, I am often pleasantly surprised. 
• Volunteering is fun! But, also very time consuming.
• Moms wear yoga pants a lot...but, don't actually go to the gym.
• The 6th grade teacher has a lot of MILFs checking him out every morning.
• New group of friends = new people to invite to hangouts and parties.
• I have no idea how to help with Math.

That's about it. 1st grade, next year!  Mrs. Gazewood. 

Only 9 Days of Kindergarten left!

OMG!  It's hard to believe.  I almost have a first grader.  It feels like only a couple days ago that I was uploading this post. 

We just got Desmond's class picture. 

Sorry for the poor cropping.  I just took a photo of a photo.  Haven't actually scanned it, yet. 

But, this picture helped to validate something for me:  school uniforms are awesome!  I mean, look how adorbs this kids are!  And, not once did I ever hear about how so-and-so has this awesome shirt or these amazing shoes!  It's perfect! 

Ms. Zbaracki and Mrs. Morley have been great!  Desmond has been a handful, I am sure.  And, I know Ms. Z can sometimes be strict.  But, I think that it's been a good combo.  She has really helped to prepare him for what to expect in 1st grade and beyond.  And, I am grateful! 

9 days left.  Judas Priest!  Soon he'll be driving.

School Concert

Ok, ok...I am fully aware that the only people who are interested in watching kids in their school concert are said kids parents and grandparents.  But, this is my blog, so I do what I want!

Last week, Our Lady of Guadalupe held their spring concert.  It was super cute!  Ms. Sager, the music teacher, put together a concert with a "reruns" theme.  Each class sang a theme song from the past and a commercial jingle.  Such themes were "The Brady Bunch," "Full House," and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."  Such commercials were...uhhh...now I don't remember any except the one Desmond's class did. 

The Kindergarteners sang the theme from the Flintstones and the old Band-Aid jingle.  Here they are for your viewing pleasure:


Flintstones from Jason Pankow on Vimeo.

BandAides from Jason Pankow on Vimeo.

PS...Edie totally won the day with that bone in her hair!

Helping with Math homework

So...I'm helping Desmond out with his math homework. The question is simple:

3 + 4 = ?

Desmond looks at the question and then asks me, "Dad...what's 10 minus 3?

I say, "Seven." 

Desmond writes 7 as the answer to 3 + 4. 

Correct answer right? 

But, wait...I say, "I don't get what you just did.  That's the right answer, but I don't understand why you asked me what 10 minus 3 is."

"BECAUSE!" Desmond says, hating to have to explain something to a simpleton like myself.

"Because why?" I ask.  "How did you know that 3 + 4 = 7 by asking what 10 minus 3 is?"

"Easy!" he replies. "Because 4 plus 6 is 10.  So, all I needed to do was take 3 away which makes 7.  That's how I got it."

Huh?  What the heck just happened?  Everything he just said is correct.  But...what does 10-3 have to do with 4+3? 

My head hurts.

School Jog-A-Thon

Today was Desmond's first Jog-A-Thon.  I think just about every school has a Jog-A-Thon.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is no different!

It was held on the soccer field by the school.  Not quite as big as a normal 1/4 mile track, but not much shorter.  The kids practiced running in the gym.  This is relevant.  Stay tuned.

Desmond loves the show American Ninja Warrior.  Turns out, one of the more famous of the contestants on that show is an OLG alum!

You can read about his visit to OLG to inspire the kids here.

Part of the inspiration was telling the kids that anyone who ran 30 or more laps got a free American Ninja Warrior T-shirt!!!  Obviously, Desmond NEEDED this.  So, despite the classes goal of only 14 laps per person, Desmond declared he was going to run 31 laps!!!

Until the run started.  I ran with him for some of it.  About half way through lap 2, Desmond declares with a pant, "This is a lot bigger than the gym."

Indeed it was.  He didn't make the 30.  I think he wanted to, and he might have actually been able to do it.  But, unlike the Jog-A-Thons of my day, they stop the event after an hour, no matter how far you've gone.  So...after an hour, everyone stopped.

Des totally rocked it!  He made it through 17 laps!  Not bad for a 6 year old, me thinks!  I haven't gotten the official donation amounts, yet, since most people pledged per lap.  But, if my math is correct, he raised $258!  This is before the company matching!  Super duper proud Dad right here!

Here are some pics:

 The Kindergarten class warms up with Ms. Zbaraki.

What's the point of running if you can't stop to show off for the girls?

Pushing Through!

With Braden after the run.

And, a celebratory milkshake.

As I was looking through the pics, one looked familiar.  It didn't take me long to figure out why:

Just Bought Our Honeymoon via the School Auction

Kim and I just attended our first annual Our Lady of Guadalupe School auction!

I've only attended 1 other auction in the past.  And, I ended up spending $200 on a wheel barrow full of beer.  The beer was great!  I ended up donating the wheel barrow back to the organization, mainly because I couldn't fit it in my sedan.

Anyway...this auction was 1000 times more fun.  First of all, I knew many of the people in the room this time.  And, those that I didn't know well...well, what better opportunity to get to know someone than when you are both drinking. :-)

We didn't totally know what to expect going in.  Kim felt pretty sure that people would be dropping large sums of money.  I didn't think so because most of the parents I talk to at OLG are in the same income bucket that I am.  Well to do, but certainly not rich.

Kim was right...I was wrong.

Some examples of items that were sold at auction (amount they sold for is from memory, not official...could be wrong.  I was drinking.):

• Bowling with the Principal!  Sold for about $1000.
• Dinner and Theatre with Fr. Jack!  Sold for about $1200.
• They had a class project from every grade.  Some kind of craft made by the class.  The lowest was $350 or so.  The highest was $1500.
• A Mariners game complete with a tour of the booth with Tom Hutyler, the PA announcer at Safeco field.  $1200.
• A sailboat trip with Ms. Sager, the music teacher and church musical director who is amazing! I actually wanted this, but it jumped to over $1k pretty quickly!

And, a ton of other great stuff. 

One of the big ticket items was a stay at the Grand Wailea resort on Maui. Kim and I had not landed on a place to spend our Honeymoon, yet.  And, this was certainly a possibility.  So...we figured we would target this.   

Well, the good news is...we got it for below face value!  The bad news is...someone else wanted it, too.  So, we had a bit of a bidding war at the end.  I feel like we probably could have gotten it for cheaper.  However, Fr. Jack is great at getting people to spend more.  He was walking around the room blessing people encouraging them to give more money.  

So...our honeymoon will officially be at the Grand Wailea!  I have never been, but I hear it is Amazeballz!  Go look at the website.  Or...just look at some pictures here. 

Aloha!

Conversation Pieces - Words that have the "Sh" sound

Don't worry...it's not what you think.

Desmond's class learned the "sh" sound last week.  Today, on the way to school, as I sometimes do, I quizzed him on what he was learning.

Me: "So...you learned the 'sh' sound in school?"

Des: "MmHmm."

Me: "Can you think of any words with the 'sh' sound?"

Des: *silence...he hates when I quiz him.*

Me: "Maybe 'SHoe?'  Or 'SHip?'

Des: "Richard SHerman?"

Me: "Yup...that qualifies!"

1st Day of Kindergarten pics!

As promised...here are some pics of my little dude's 1st day of school!!!

Here is the very first 1st day of school pic.  As you can see, he is revving and ready to go!

Here are more!

Bunny ears for Dad.

Getting a hug from his buddy, Conner. 

 Our new family!

With almost step-mom Kim.

With Grandma.

Getting a kiss from Mommy. 

 On the way!

Welcome to Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Big Day, tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the first day of school!  Not just the first day after summer, but the first day of KINDERGARTEN! 

The very very first day of school ever!  My little buddy is almost a student!

He's attending Catholic school in West Seattle.  And, I know I am biased, but DAYAM...he looks super handsome in his school uniform. 

Pics will be posted, tomorrow.

Desi takes a spill at daycare

Yeah, yeah...I'm a blogging slacker. I have 3 blogs and I haven't touched any of them in weeks. Some in months. Time to get on it.

Today, there was an event at daycare that has me ready to tell you all about it. Still trying to figure out exactly how I feel about it.

I am at work, today, and I get a call from Shaundar. Apparently, the daycare has called her and told her that Desi has fallen, head first, out of his crib. The crib assigned to Desi hasn't been lowered, yet. As I haven't been updating the blog, I don't think I've talked about "Standing Desi," yet. Desi stands. Has been pulling himself up since my trip to New Orleans. Does it quite frequently, now. I lowered the crib at home on the first sign that he was thinking about pulling himself up. Apparently, daycare didn't think to do it.

Shaundar, being the protective mother that she is, immediately blamed us. We should have DEMANDED that the crib be lowered. Me...I don't see why we need to be babysitting the babysitters. I mean, sure...there are things to police. Like, "Hey, I'm Jewish (we're not really Jewish). Don't feed my kid pork." Or, "Hey...don't regurgitate your Democrat propoganda in front of my kid." But, "Hey...you should really lower the crib for kids who are standing."? You would figure they would get that on their own.

Anyway...he was napping. The girl in the room (and, I call her a girl because she can't be older than 17 or 18, max) was changing one of the other babies. After changing, she turned around to wash her hands. During that time, Desi woke up, stood up, and flipped himself over the rail and fell onto the carpeted floor, head first. This is their story.

Personally...I call BS. I mean, Desi hasn't mastered the art of standing in 5 seconds, yet. He still takes it pretty slow. So, unless she was washing her hands for 5 minutes, I find it hard to believe that she was at the sink long enough for him to wake up (without making any noises, which is unusual), scoot himself to the rail, pull himself into standing position, climb the rail, and tumble over the rail. No...I think she just wasn't paying attention to him.

So, I've been struggling. On one hand...kids get hurt. I have a boy. He is going to have plenty of injuries while he's growing. But, this one seems wholly preventable. I didn't bite anyone's head off when I picked him up, today. But, still...what the heck? How can my 9 month old be put in a position where he can take a 5 foot spill onto his head?

For the record, I took him to see the doctor. She says he looks, "Perfect." She always says this about him. I think my baby doctor really digs my kid. Everything is functioning properly. When I got him home, he wanted to play. So, asside from a fair sized bruise on his forehead, no problems.

I think I may stay home with him, tomorrow, anyway. And, I think I may call some other daycares to see what the wait list looks like.