The Franz Family

Teasing v. Bullying

2012-01-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

A friend asked me about the middle school, wanting to know if there were drug problems, bullying, etc. Her daughter is getting close to the middle school age and she seemed concerned after hearing about all the bad things that go on in middle school. We've all gone through that as parents, the scare of sending out children off into the middle school oblivion were kids have to change clothes for P.E. and parents no longer volunteer in the classrooms. Nicholas keeps a tight lid on school happenings but he really opened up when I asked him detailed questions about school because I was asking on behalf of my friend instead of being a prying parent.

Do you know anyone who uses drugs? no
Anyone who smokes? no
Are kids pairing up as boyfriend-girlfriend? not very many, some kids say they are boyfriend-girlfriend but never actually speak to each other at school
Are there any gay students? yes, a boy who sits next to me in Social Studies.
He's only in 7th grade, how does he know he's gay? he acts and talks like a girl and tells everyone he's gay
Does anyone tease the gay student? no
Is there bullying that goes on at the school? no
Really? No bullying at all? well, maybe but I don't see it
Do you hear about cyber bullying? yes, the teachers talk about it all the time (Nicholas does not have a cell phone or a Facebook profile so he's still oblivious to the cyber world)
Ok, is there teasing that goes on? of course, everybody teases everyone else
Who's worse at the teasing, boys or girls? definitely boys
Do you get teased? of course, everyone does
What do kids tease you about? being Mormon, one boy sings a song from the Book of Mormon musical every time he sees me, I have the entire song memorized now (have you heard those songs? they're foul)
Really, does that bother you? no, they're just teasing
Are you sure it's not bullying? I'm sure

And the memories came flooding back to my high school years, defending my religion against repeated attacks and teasing on the part of my so-called friends and classmates. I never felt sorry for myself. I just put up with it and I believe it made me a stronger person and a better missionary because of it. But hearing him talk of coping with the constant teasing because of his religion still made my heart ache for my 7th grade son.

The Recital

2012-01-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

Holly's Studio Recital, January 14, 2012

Maddie performed Romance by Shostakovich and Two Ladies Gossiping by Khachaturian

Abby performed Springtime, a Strawberry Shortcake song

the performers

Zillow Rant

2012-01-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

I just got the notification from Zillow today. My home value has decreased again. We bought it 4 1/2 years ago and it's worth the least amount today, losing 90K in value in the past 7 months. It makes my blood boil when Obama says the economy is turning around because I'm not seeing it in home values, food prices, gas prices, or job creation numbers.

When I'm faced with the perils of the economy I just take a deep breath and thank the Lord for our jobs and the ability to pay our mortgage and other bills every month. Those are enormous blessings in tough economic times.

Radio

2012-01-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

Last night I called into a talk radio show to make a comment. Maddie and I were on our way home from violin lessons and I just couldn't help myself.

An atheist woman, the show host, wanted to know if Mitt Romney being a Mormon was an issue with voters because she happened to think it was no big deal. Callers were informing her that this really is a "big deal" and that Mormons are strange, with crazy beliefs, etc. Some callers were spouting off what they thought were strange Mormon beliefs and 90% of what they said was dead wrong. The last straw for me was when one caller said Mormons believed the stars are their dead ancestors. I knew I had to call in and set the record straight. So I did, telling the radio host that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard. Nicholas (my walking encyclopedia) said that belief is a common one among Native Americans like the Mayans. Mayans, Mormons...sounds the same, right?

I think people are fearful of electing a Mormon president because they are scared of the unknown. More and more I realize how little people know about Mormons, how misinformed they are about our beliefs and way of life. Americans don't realize that there are more Mormons in this country than Jews. People don't know there are Mormons all around them; we're just not wearing signs around our necks advertising our religion. There is a lot of misconception out there about our beliefs. I told the radio show host that if people want a clear picture of Mormons they should go to the reputable source Mormon.org

The Pew Research Center just published research data on this very topic: Mormons in America.

#1

2012-01-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of hearing me brag about Messiah In America, the Book of Mormon oratorio composed by my brother, Brett Stewart? I know, but I can't help myself. It's all so exciting...

Messiah In America reached #1 on the Billboard Charts for the Classical Traditional category and #7 on the Classical Combined charts (includes classical traditional and crossover). It was also one of the top independent albums. The good news has been spread in several newspaper articles.

The album is available on iTunes, CD Baby and other sites/stores. I've listened to the CD dozens of times since it's release in December and I have to say, it really is an inspired work.

14 Years

2012-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

Joe and I just celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. We went to a perfect little Fondue restaurant in La Jolla and enjoyed a quiet evening together while the kids were at home tearing the house apart. It seems like time has passed quickly, and yet it also seems like we've been together a lifetime. We certainly feel like we've crammed a lot into 14 years...

7 moves in 3 states, attending 6 different wards
graduations, +1 for me and +2 for Joe
+4 children, +1 dog
buying 2 homes and selling 1 home
buying 2 cars (I can't believe we've only bought 2 cars in 14 years!)
business craziness: career changes, job losses, bonuses, scandal, raises
taking out student loans and paying them all off
surgeries, hospitalizations, health emergencies
trips to Hawaii, Australia, New York City, Church History Sites, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Washington DC, the CA Redwoods
canceling each other out on political votes, often
attended 7 sibling weddings
lost 3 grandmothers and a cousin and gained 19 nieces and nephews
Favorite TV shows started and ended...X-Files, Alias, Lost, 24
some challenging church callings for Joe...YM President, Scout Master, and for me...Stake Music Chair, Seminary Teacher
some really fun callings for Joe...primary teacher, and me...primary music leader (Joe still hasn't received his dream calling...nursery worker)
4 failed vegetable gardens, 4 failed fruit trees (gardening's not our strength and yet we've never thought to seek professional help)
performed in hundreds of concerts
attended countless classical music concerts
Joe's lost some hair and we've both gained some grey hair
As life gets busier we have gone from communicating during the day in person, to phone, to email, and now to text; there are a lot of texts going back and forth each day. Maybe we'll get back to that "in person" sometime in the next 14 years.

at the cabin

2012-01-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

Joe's parents have a cabin on Henry's Lake near Yellowstone. We spent a few days after Christmas at the cabin with the extended family. The kids had fun playing in the snow and riding on the snow machines. Grandpa wanted to take them all ice fishing too but I shot down that idea, not ready to send my little kids out in the middle of a frozen Henry's Lake. The extreme cold temperature and wind were hard on my arthritis so I stayed inside where it was nice and warm. Everyone else braved the Idaho winter weather.

the girls thawing inside the lodge after a day of downhill skiing

Joe and the kids in front of Henry's Lake
(there really is a large lake underneath all that ice and snow)

Joe and the kids snowmobiled to the Continental Divide

the cousins
Nicholas, Diesel, Essence, Madeline, Persia, Abigail, Jonathan, Mia

Bob and Marilyn Franz with all their kids and grandkids

the San Diego Franzes

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

We're having a white Christmas at Grandpa and Grandma Franz's house.

This is the first Christmas in many years where everyone has been together...Bob and Marilyn, their 7 children, 4 spouses, and 8 grandchildren.

The Political Scene

2011-12-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Joe and I are both registered Republicans. We don't see eye to eye on a lot of issues however. We're a complicated group of thinkers in the Franz family. We've watched almost every primary Republican debate and find them fascinating. Romney is my favorite because his views most closely match with mine. Joe has always liked Santorum but he knows that will be a lost vote, so he has a Romney sticker on his car for my sake. Maybe he'll vote for Romney too. The one thing we agree on absolutely, is that Obama has got to go. I mean, really, adding 4 trillion to the debt? Who does he think is going to pay that off?

JOE

very conservative
pro gun
pro military
limited government
pro boarder fence and kicking out all illegals
anti environmentalism
anti welfare (get rid of it completely)
pro Israel
wants more tax cuts
anti Obamacare and anti Medical
pro traditional marriage
pro life

HOLLY

moderate conservative/independent
pro gun control
pro military
pro environment
anti national healthcare
pro state healthcare if organized through private companies
pro national education system
pro boarder fence and having illegals pay a fee so they can stay in the US
anti welfare (cut welfare system in half)
anti 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
against selling debt to China
pro traditional marriage
pro life
pro Medicare and Social Security

Violin

2011-12-18T20:07:00.000-08:00

Maddie is performing Paganini's Theme and Variations, accompanied by Mom, at her violin recital. Her fabulous teacher, Ondrej, is the man tuning the violin. Maddie has been studying violin for 2 years.

Messiah In America

2011-12-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

The much anticipated Messiah In America album has been released. I purchased it yesterday on iTunes and have been listening to it ever since. It brings out so many emotions when I listen to it. What a way to bring the Book of Mormon to life. I cannot describe in words the power of this great work. It is truly inspired.

Messiah In America was composed by my brother, Brett Stewart, and recorded by the Mormon Choral Organizations from California (OCMCO) and Arizona (EVMCO). In June the choirs and orchestras traveled to Salt Lake City to perform and record this oratorio in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and Abravanel Hall. Joe is one of the choir members, traveling up to Newport Beach every week for rehearsals. He keeps saying he's too busy and needs to quit but all I can say is he is addicted to singing, to this choir, and to the organization.

To purchase Messiah In America go to iTunes, Amazon, or www.messiahinamerica.com for store locations. If you are a fan of classical music this is something you will absolutely love.

Dear Santa,

2011-12-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

My name is Jonathan and I have been good all year long. I only had some mistakes like when I had to take out the garbage and I threw it over the fence into my neighbors' yard. I am going to do better next time.

You better not get stuck int the chimney so you should get an exercise bike so you don't get stuck. If the exercise bike does not work I think you can go to a yoga class.

I am supposed to tell you what I want for Christmas. I want a Transformers helmet and two Lego sets from Lego Alien Conquest. That's all I want for Christmas. I will be too excited and I will want the days to go faster which will make the days go slowly. I hope you can get my presents to my house safely. I know you aren't real. I give you thanks for all the stuff that you do for me. (I did that last sentence so I can fake it.)

Sincerely,

Jonathan Robert Franz

Old Poway Park Field Trip

2011-12-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

What, no pictures?

2011-12-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

We made it through a couple of really challenging weeks. Schedules were crazy, sleep was deprived, and meals were whatever food happened to be in the fridge. With all the running around to concerts and events we completely forgot to take pictures. So, here's a description in words...

The school choirs, Melody Makers, performed in concert. Jonathan, Maddie and Abby all participate. The director was really sick and for a few days I had to prepare to step in and direct if needed. That added much stress to my days.

I had several students competing in festivals/competitions last week. Some did well, some did average. Oh well, for better or worse it was a learning experience for all.

Nicholas performed in a concert with the middle and high school bands. It was extraordinary.

I was in charge of the program portion of the ward Christmas party. After dinner everyone went into the chapel where the primary children put on a nativity presentation. It was darling, funny (not that we rehearsed it to be funny), and sweet. The children sang beautifully and performed their speaking parts well.

Jonathan and Nicholas performed in their Christmas piano recital. I'm not going to lie, they've played better, much, much better. It was totally a reflection on the craziness that has been our house since Thanksgiving.

Joe had his work Christmas party, another late night, but lots of fun.

Maddie performed in the Nutcracker, 3 performances. She was darling on stage and executed her ballet moves with grace.

Only a couple more things before Christmas...a violin recital, Joe's parents visiting, my students giving a Christmas service performance at Joe's nursing home, making a hundred red and green popcorn balls, and packing for a trip to Idaho.

Winner

2011-12-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

Maddie was the winner in the Contemporary Music Piano Festival yesterday for her division, age 8-9. She will represent San Diego at the state level, San Francisco, in February. She performed Romance (from Puppet Dances) by Shostakovich and Two Ladies Gossiping by Khachaturian. This is a highly competitive event. Maddie was the only caucasian in her division. We are seeing this more and more in music. The Chinese-Americans are working harder and are in it to win. It makes for some tough competition. I am so proud of Maddie and all her hard work. It's not easy for an 8 year old (I guess technically she just turned 9) to focus and practice as long as it takes to be competitive in music.

Autumn Happenings

2011-11-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

This fall...

Abby went on her first kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch.

Halloween 2011

Jonathan...the sick patient, Madeline...fairy, Abby...Alice in Wonderland, Nicholas...Chuck (The other kids in the photo are our friends, Alena and Oliver...queen and fireman.)

Nicholas and Jonathan participated in the Popular Music Festival.

Maddie celebrated her 9th birthday and entered the world of the iPod.

Maddie ran in the school Turkey Trot (Jog-a-thon) on her birthday, running 19 laps (over 3 miles).

Presidio Brass came to Nicholas' middle school to perform for the band students. There was a concert that evening where the school bands got to perform with Presidio Brass.

offense

2011-11-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

I offended someone greatly. It was completely unintentional on my part. I didn't gossip about them, patronize them, or criticize them. I simply commented about a particular musical instrument, about it being made in China, that it was cheap and unreliable. No, I wasn't in her home. My facts weren't wrong and I wasn't really saying it to anyone in particular, just to myself, apparently loud enough for someone to hear. A woman, however, was offended and my first reaction was this...

I wonder how many times I've offended someone by something I've said. I would never intentionally hurt someone. I would never consciously say something mean or spiteful. But, I'm sure there have been other times people have been offended by something I've said. There have been times I've been hurt by things others have said even though I know it wasn't their intention to offend me.

The person I offended came to me right away crying and yelling. I'm actually glad she did. I would rather someone tell me that they were hurt rather than harbor bad feelings toward me without me knowing why. As it turns out this woman had so many tragic things happening in her life that my words were really the straw that broke the camel's back. She took what I said personally to mean she and what she had to offer was worthless. I apologized and assured her this was not the case. I couldn't possibly have known what was going on in her life. I should have known that professional opinions aren't always appreciated in a non-professional setting. I didn't and was yelled at for it.

I wonder if I could ever be so bold as to confront a person who has offended me.

Money Saving Food Tips

2011-11-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

some of my efforts to save money on food...

#1 See Julie's Refried Bean recipe below. It is so cheap to make compared with the price of canned refried beans.

#2 I'm embarrassed to admit this but I can make Top Ramen soup for our family of 6 for $4. It's totally high in sodium but my kids love it. I throw in frozen mixed veggies to add some nutritional value. If my kids had it their way we'd eat this at least once a week, but I do have a conscience.

#3 Thursday nights Joe is at OCMCO rehearsals so that's when we make our weekly Taco Bell run. It costs about $10 to feed us all (from the $.99 menu and we don't buy drinks) and that's cheaper than a home cooked meal, unless it's Top Ramen noodles, of course.

#4 I try to never buy produce from the grocery store. Sprouts (formerly Henry's) has the best prices for fresh produce in my area. Many times they are cheaper than Costco and you don't have to purchase the huge quantities.

#5 Homemade cookies are really cheap to make. We make a couple of batches each week to go in the kids' lunches. I can't imagine they're any less nutritious than Kudos bars or anything else the kids want to take to school. We have to hide our cookies in the back of the freezer or else they're gone within a day.

#6 I'm not a bread maker nor do I have the desire or time to learn. We got a bread machine for our wedding and we recently discovered it still works. The bread loaves are too small to make it worth the effort but Joe found out it makes fabulous pizza dough that is super cheap. Add a can of sauce that I can get on sale for $1 and we've got a pretty inexpensive meal.

#7 We've tried cutting back on cold cereal. It's very expensive and not that healthy. The kids have learned to love oatmeal, cream-of-wheat, and their favorite, malt-o-meal.

#8 Costco eggs are pretty cheap and my kids love them...fried, hard-boiled, scrambled in a breakfast burrito, creamed and served over toast.

#9 Avoidance. I avoid shopping at all costs. I don't trust myself. When I enter a store I spend, so I just don't enter. I have been sending Joe grocery shopping. He's much better than I about sticking to the list.

#10 Sale items...when I do venture into a store I look for things that are on sale and I stock up. I was in Target the other day and saw Cream of Chicken soup for $.60. It's usually more than double that price, so I filled the cart with many many cans.

Recipe: Refried Beans & Dip

2011-11-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

My sister sent me this recipe and I LOVE it. We eat a lot of Mexican food and these beans have made everything taste so much better. Adiós Rosarita Refried Beans in a can.

Julie’s Refried Beans

Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled and halved

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed

½ fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 Tbsp minced garlic

5 tsp salt

1 ¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground cumin, optional

9 cups water

Directions:

Place the onion, rinsed beans, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on High for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking then the temperature is too high. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency.

Refried Bean Dip

Ingredients:

Refried beans

2 cups salsa

2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese

2 cups shredded pepperjack cheese

8 oz. cream cheese

16 oz. sour cream

2 Tbsp chili powder

½ tsp. ground cumin

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and let cook in the slow cooker on high for a couple of hours until flavors taste blended. This makes a HUGE batch if using Julie’s refried bean recipe so you can freeze leftovers

it's not my imagination

2011-11-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

I have been griping about food prices for the past few months. I know I have growing boys and they are eating more food now. But lately my grocery bills have been out of control. So, I did a little research to see if it was all in my head, and no, it's not. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food at home prices for San Diego at the end of August had increased almost 9% in 12 months. Sounds about right. Between inflation and my boys' appetites, my grocery bill has nearly doubled in the past couple of years.

So, because I'm feeling a little poor and at the moment a little hungry, I'm going on a quest to find ways to feed my family for less money, and hopefully save time in the process. Stay tuned...

how to be attentive in church

2011-11-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

We were sitting in church recently when I noticed my son, Nicholas, paying extra close attention to the speaker. It was like he was hanging on every word that was spoken. I thought, wow, this speaker is really getting to him, Nicholas must be internalizing what is being taught. I was so proud of my son for paying attention instead of bugging his sisters, which is what typically happens in church. When the speaker concluded his remarks Nicholas leaned over to me and whispered, "that man said 'um' one hundred and fifty-two times".

a dyslexia discovery, part 10

2011-11-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

A child with dyslexia usually has a close relative with dyslexia. We don't know of a close relative with dyslexia but we've discovered, and think it's fascinating that Joe has many dyslexic tendencies. A person can have dyslexic tendencies without having severe dyslexia. Now, first I must say, Joe is much smarter than anyone in our family. He could beat me at any mind game, especially one involving trivia. The random facts that come out of his head are astonishing. Dyslexic tendencies come through in spite of his intelligence, or perhaps as experts suggest, because of it. Some of the tendencies are: Joe cannot spell, often misspelling his own kids' names, no joke. He is ambidextrous. He has to stop and think anytime he is asked to distinguish his left from his right. And, he has dysgraphia (extremely illegible handwriting) which commonly goes along with dyslexia. When reading silently he is a fairly slow reader but he remembers everything he's ever read. Unlike most dyslexics, Joe did fairly well in school. He had no problem completing his MBA in one year, for example.

Joe is going to die when he reads this post because in past generations there was a stigma attached to the label dyslexia, like it was a bad thing. Today we understand it as a way the brain processes language. It has nothing to do with intelligence or IQ. In fact, most people with dyslexia have an IQ that is above average. There have been many amazing, intelligent, and creative people with dyslexia...Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Tom Cruise, Thomas Edison, Jay Leno, Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Graham Bell, and Steve Jobs.

Since Jonathan's diagnosis I have talked to countless friends who tell me their husbands, brothers, etc. have dyslexia. They keep it very quiet because they think it is embarrassing to have dyslexia, like it's a contagious disease or something. Studies show people with dyslexia use the right brain more than the left brain. These are the creators, the inventors, and the artists. Wouldn't life be boring without them? Isn't it interesting how in education we put so much emphasis on left-brained thinking, teaching, training, and yet it is the right-brained dyslexic thinking that created the computer I'm typing on right now and created the movie I'll be watching tonight.

Perhaps those of us non-dyslexics, the left-brained thinkers should think of ourselves as the ones with the disability after all.

Crutches

2011-10-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

A nasty tackle at practice brought an early end to football season. Jonathan's not allowed to put any weight on his foot which has been a challenge. The yard duty at school got after him for attempting to play handball with his crutches. He must have been getting bored at recess so he's inventing new ways to get attention. Yesterday Jonathan turned entrepreneur, charging for use of his crutches. Apparently kids are willing to pay just for a chance to try them out at recess. Of course, we told him he had to put an end to that money making venture right away. I wonder what he'll think of next.

Flat Tax

2011-10-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

All this talk of a flat tax is making me a little uneasy. I am the tax accountant of the family and I know the tax code is overwhelming and complicated. But each year I tackle it, thanks to the help of H&R Block software. I'm always looking for more deductions, ways to get taxed less. It's sort of like a game, not one I particularly enjoy playing, but a necessary part of living and working in the USA. The thought of paying a flat percentage and losing my precious deductions is unthinkable. My stage in life includes 4 child tax credits, a substantial mortgage deduction, and of course a great charitable donations deduction. Those three categories alone decrease our family taxes significantly. Every flat tax plan presented recently will crush us financially. I suspect we're not the only middle class family who would be so affected.

More Caribbean Pics

2011-10-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Relaxing by the pool

Sisters

Holly & Heather

The Birthday Girl

Swimming with the Dolphins

Mindy dancing with the dolphin

Kristi giving hugs to the dolphin

Our Ship

Caribbean Cruise

2011-10-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

For my mom's 60th birthday we surprised her with a Caribbean cruise. It was an all girls trip: my two sisters, two sisters-in-law, Grandma Kay, and of course Mom. We left from Miami cruising to the Bahamas and Key West. It was so much fun to get away for a few days.

Heather, Julie, Mom
Kristi, Holly, Grandma Kay, Mindy

Kristi & Holly

The girls in Miami

The weather was absolutely perfect the entire trip.

BHMS Advanced Band

2011-10-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Nicholas (in purple) showing off his oboe at the morning Coffee Concert

Here's my first attempt putting a video online. The sound was really amazing so despite the low video/sound quality you'll have to imagine the grandness I felt listening in person. I am so grateful that despite the horrific cuts we've seen to education in the past few years, they still manage to hang on to the music. And my children are benefitting because of it.

Peace and Quiet

2011-10-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

Jonathan's teacher told me this...

The kids had come back from a 3-day weekend and were lethargic, sleepy, and not paying attention in class. She got after them all by letting them know that their parents were not sending them to school to sleep.

"Why do your parents send you to school?" she asked the class.

Jonathan raised his hand (something he rarely does) and said, "My mom sends us to school so she can have peace and quiet at home."

And there you have it.

Soccer

2011-10-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Abby is playing on a team for the first time, indoor soccer. I thought this would be the sport for her because she is quite aggressive. However, she gets on the field and tends to shy away from the ball, only occasionally coming into contact with it. She realy loves the yellow shirt, the after-game snacks, and socializing with her teammates.

Running

2011-10-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Nicholas is on the cross country team at his middle school. He runs every day and has competed in three meets so far. In this meet he got 9th place out of about 100 7th-grade runners.

Over-involved

2011-10-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have created a male replica of myself...Nicholas. He doesn't know how to say "no" to all the opportunities out there. He wants to be involved in everything, to have a hand in everything and it's killing me that I see him headed down that road to over-commitment, over-involvement, over-achievement, that path that has caused me so much anxiety and stress, possibly the trigger for all my health issues.

When Nicholas handed me the permission slip to join the before-school jazz band I knew he was reaching his limit. I asked him how he planned to do jazz band as an oboist. He said he'd just start a new instrument like drums or maybe pick up the clarinet again, or worst case scenario, the piano. He can't stand that an opportunity like this would come along and he not be able to participate. I asked how he would manage that along with all his other activities like Boy Scouts, piano lessons and practice, oboe lessons and practice, cross country practice and meets, ASB, and of course we can't forget his homework. I told him we would make a decision based on his current grades, to which he said he'd just pass on the jazz band, obviously not wanting me to see his grades. But I still wanted to see his grades as I was beginning to think the worst. So, we looked on the school site and he has straight A's, the lowest being a 91% in Algebra. Maybe that was the grade he didn't want me to see. Good grief, they didn't even offer Algebra to 7th graders when I was in middle school.

So now what do I say to him? Yes, you can do one more activity and continue to head down that busy path to stress?

a view from our house

2011-10-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

Team Photographer

2011-09-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to be the football team photographer simply because no one else would do it. It has been a blast being on the field so close to the action. I've already taken thousands of pictures. Here are a few shots.

Roof

2011-09-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

When Joe and I were first married he bounced a check, or two. I was mortified. Joe and I came from very different backgrounds. Mine was one of little money, buying all my own clothes by the age of 14. Joe's family, on the other hand, had the 6000 sq. ft. red brick with white columns house on the hill. Joe never needed to be concerned with money because his dad always made sure money was in his account. Once we got married that all changed. After Joe bounced those checks I took over the family finances and have pretty much had control of them ever since.

Then came the roof and everything changed. Money was already getting tight. Food is a lot more expensive; the boys are eating me out of house and home. Our family healthcare costs have skyrocketed. Fees for sports, ballet, and violin went up. The van has needed a few thousand dollars in repairs. And the roof started leaking, in more than one spot. Every roofing company who came out told us we had to replace the entire roof...too many broken tiles, too old (1972), poorly built in the first place, not enough support under the tiles, no plywood or tar paper under the tiles. We knew it was either replace the roof for thousands of dollars or lose the house to mold and rot.

That's what put me over the edge and caused me to give it up, control of the household finances. I was making myself physically sick, waking up in the night, panic attacks, all over the stupid finances. So I handed control over to Joe. We've been married many years. I can't imagine him bouncing a check now. If he can manage the finances for a nursing home with 100 residents and 120 employees, surely he can do it for our family home, right? Now he's the one at the computer in the evenings balancing the accounts and I get to fold laundry while watching T.V. (a role reversal for us). I'm much happier and can now look at our new roof without that sick feeling inside. I was even able to take a photo of it. See, here it is. I know, it doesn't look very different from the old roof. But it keeps us dry.

9/11

2011-09-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

I remember 9/11.
I remember the feeling.
I remember the fear.
I remember the sorrow.
I remember the prayers.
I remember the images.
I remember watching the towers fall on live T.V.
I remember the plane crashing near my home in Pennsylvania.
I remember hugging my babies a little tighter.
I remember I had never loved my country more deeply.
I remember the patriotism that followed on 9/12.

roller-coaster ride

2011-09-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

We're back in the routine, although an absolutely crazy routine!

I started water aerobics classes with the old ladies. I don't feel like I'm getting a super cardio workout but at least I'm moving my joints and increasing my flexibility.

I think I'm volunteering too much. I'm the football team photographer, backstage mom for the ballet, VP of the Music Teachers' Association, Counselor in RS, church organist, and room mom for Abby and Jonathan. I think I'll drop one of the room mom jobs but other than that I'm stuck.

I went to Back to School night and just about cried during one child's class presentation; it was completely overwhelming to think that kid would be able to keep up with this years curriculum. Then, I went to my other child's class thinking that kid would be bored to death. Here we go again.

We were so excited to return the rented plastic oboe, saving us $45 a month. Nicholas was able to borrow the school's best wooden oboe but after two days it broke down and we had to take it to the shop. Now, he's left with the school's worst oboe.

California Achievement Test results came back for Nicholas, Jonathan, and Maddie...so predictable. Must we keep spending tax-payer money to have students take these exams every single year? The scores don't change that drastically from year to year and it would save millions of dollars if we did them every other year. There's a money-saver for you politicians, roll back NCLB.

Abby is in half day kindergarten until October when it goes to full day. Every day when I pick her up she whines about having to leave school early. October, please get here faster.

I wanted to join OCMCO this semester but after looking at the schedule I realized I was nuts for even thinking such a thing. So, Joe will once again represent the family in this fabulous choir.

Our Bishop is awesome. We combine activities with other wards because our youth programs are so small in number. It got to the point where we were going to have 3 activity nights (T/W/Th) this year. The Bishop was able to mix things up in a big way to get us all on Wednesdays. YEA! That made my family's life a whole lot more manageable.

The economy is out of control. I can't keep up with the cost of everything. My water bill was $200 more than normal this summer because of price increases. The kids didn't even shower at home, using the pool showers after swim team every day.

The economy is affecting my studio like never before (and I've been teaching over 20 years)...down 3 students, up 2, down 4, up 3, etc. It's a roller-coaster ride.

a dyslexia discovery, part 9

2011-08-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Jonathan fell in love with the Kindle at Target one day. He played around with it, learning how to increase the font size and turn on the sound, and he was hooked. We got him a Kindle for his 11th birthday. I have been sitting with him as he reads and I think it's amazing that increasing the font size seems to help his accuracy. When the sound is on he is instantly hooked, following along as the computer speaks the words. Jonathan is now understanding and remembering what he reads. Thank you technology!

Summer 2011

2011-08-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Here's what we've been doing this summer:

visits to the library
fun days at the swim and tennis club
a weekend visit from Sally
Sunday dinners with Nicole
Joe's parents visit to bring Nicole to San Diego
Holly got released from primary and put in RS Presidency
Nicholas' first Boy Scout camp
Jonathan's last Cub Scout camp
Jonathan starting the cello
swim team practices every morning
Nicholas...oboe lessons with a new teacher
Nicholas & Jonathan fired Mom and got a new piano teacher
Jonathan started Pop Warner football, year 3
Joe's dad fixed our sprinklers, yea!
Bunnell family reunion at Duck Creek (near Cedar City)
family hike in Mammoth Caves (which we now call the "mud caves")
4th of July church pancake breakfast
riding bikes to the 4th of July parade
Nicholas' 3rd place win in the Pioneer Day 5K
shows at the Old Globe Theater: Amadeus, Gershwin, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest
back-to-school shopping
Nicholas' triathlon birthday party
Jonathan's laser tag birthday party
Joe and Jonathan deep sea fishing in Mexican waters
hanging out at the beach...La Jolla, Del Mar, Torey Pines, Huntington Beach
ballet recital

Poway Stake Fun Run

2011-08-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Running the 5K...Joe, Nicholas, Jonathan, Aunt Sally, Aunt Nicole

Running the Mile...Maddie

Running the diaper dash...Abby
Photographing the sweaty runners...Holly

Winners: Nicholas (3rd place for boys) and Nicole (3rd place for girls)

Ocean Fish

2011-08-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Joe and Jonathan had an exciting day of deep sea fishing off the San Diego coast (in Mexican waters). They caught a barracuda, sea bass, sugar bass, and two scorpion fish, had them filleted on the boat and brought them home to eat. Now we're not big fish people. Salmon is pretty much where our fish consumption begins and ends. So when Joe opened the packages the next day to grill the smell was so strong that he wimped out, wrapped them back up, and put them in the freezer. Fish anyone?

~FRANZ~

2011-07-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

I don't like that my name doesn't have a universal pronunciation. When I met Joe he pronounced FRANZ the German way with an a-as-in-on. Several months later I met his family and they pronounced it the Texan way with an a-as-in-apple. I was shocked because I had never heard it pronounced that way when studying the great composers...Franz Schubert, Franz Joseph Haydn, Franz Liszt. Joe said he liked the way the British pronounced it when he was a missionary in Manchester, so he decided to keep that German pronunciation. Once I met the family we were in a predicament, how to pronounce the name. Joe chose to keep it the traditional German way when my aunt (a fluent German speaker) said that was the most correct pronunciation. His family has given us grief ever since. After 15 years I'm not likely to change the way I say Franz. THAT would surely mess me up, the kids too. Joe however, after years of pronouncing Franz like the Germans, now changes the way he says his name from day to day. Could it get more confusing? I never had such complications with STEWART.

Crazy Ideas

2011-07-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get these crazy ideas like...hey, let's turn our living room into a recital hall!

True, we bought the 50 chairs at the same time we bought the house with the big living room..for the purpose of holding recitals here. We didn't realize the work it would take to move out all the furniture and move in all the chairs for each performance. I don't have all my recitals here, maybe one a year or so. But now I'm re-thinking this crazy idea and this spring recital may have been the very last one in my home. Sometimes it's worth paying a couple hundred dollars for a place I don't have to re-arrange.

New Stats

2011-07-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

The kids had their annual health physicals this week and I'm always amazed by the variety of percentiles for height/weight. Here's where they stand this year.

Nicholas 55%
Jonathan 90%
Madeline 5%
Abigail 30%

This past school year Jonathan was the tallest 4th grader at his school and the littlest 2nd grader was Madeline. All within one family.

Home Energy Report

2011-07-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) sent me a "Home Energy Report" in the mail today which tells me that I am 55% less efficient in my energy usage than my neighbors, costing me $800 more each year. As if I didn't already know that. It was an in-my-face reminder that I need to start my dishwasher and do about 5 more loads of laundry. I wonder what the energy cost is per load?

Considering my neighbors don't have 6 people living in their homes, the max is 4, you would think the energy company would give me a little break. Do they know how much more I have to run my vacuum than the elderly couple next door? Kids by nature are absolute slobs. Do they know I have 2 refrigerators because I can only keep enough food for 3 days in the kitchen fridge? Pre-teen boys by nature are savage beasts when it comes to food. I bet they aren't aware that summer brings an extra load of laundry each day, beach towels.

I'll pretend I'm not offended by the percentages. I really want to do my part and conserve energy. It's just these people I'm living with won't let me!

odds-n-ends

2011-07-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

I emailed Jonathan's principal about the noose incident after learning it was illegal to have a noose on a California campus. The principal's decision, after speaking with the teacher, was to more or less defend the teacher by explaining his motives. Her description of events did not resemble Jonathan's story (which, by the way, matches perfectly with the stories of the other boys involved). Considering something illegal happened an apology would have been nice, and appropriate.

I was so ticked off to receive a traffic violation notice in the mail for failure to stop before turning right at a red light. After watching the video footage available online, which clearly showed that I had stopped for a split-second, I decided to ignore the notice. It wasn't an actual ticket anyway so I have no legal obligation to respond. We'll see what happens. Will they continue to hunt down that lady wearing the big dark sunglasses whom they can't clearly identify?

After living in San Diego for 9 years we finally spent a 4th of July in town. The day began with the church pancake breakfast (a Boy Scout fundraiser). The kids went swimming. Then we all hopped on bikes and rode to the parade. The evening was spent at a barbecue with friends. And of course, fireworks topped off the celebrations.

I am off work for the next two weeks. I live for these little breaks.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday

2011-07-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Nicholas' 12th birthday was in February but we couldn't do his birthday party until June because of rainy season and baseball. Nicholas wanted to do a triathlon (modified of course) for his birthday. So, we started early on a Saturday morning at the Swim and Tennis Club for swimming. Then we rode bikes to the community park where we ran.

Jonathan's birthday isn't until August but we decided to do his party in June so it won't interfere with football. He invited a few classmates to Ultrazone for laser tag. The boys had a fabulous time.

Getting Together

2011-06-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma Franz have seven children and now seven grandchildren. We all spent time together in Park City earlier this month. My kids rarely see their only cousins on the Franz side: Essence, Persia, and Diesel, who just moved from D.C. to Connecticut. It was really fun for us all to get reacquainted.

It's unfortunate

2011-06-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I think it's unfortunate that the "Book of Mormon Musical" is on Broadway. I wish it weren't there. I wish it had bombed in the ratings. If it were the "Koran Musical" it surely would have, or it would have just been bombed. But Mormons, no matter how devout, don't do that. Violence not being our nature, we just sit by and take the blows that come. I have read about this musical and watched several clips. It's more than a 'make fun of Mormons in song and dance'. Some of our most sacred doctrines are ridiculed. Missionaries are portrayed as ignorant brain-washed boys. Profanity dominates the dialogue and the song lyrics. It is absolutely vulgar, offensive and blasphemous.

I attended my high school bible study group once. It was a club that met at lunchtime. Many of my friends attended, so my Catholic friend and I showed up one day. As soon as we walked in the bashing began, against Mormons and Catholics. After several minutes my friend and I turned to each other and decided we didn't need to listen to this so we left. I had my eyes opened that day to a world of hostility against my religion. A world where I would have to defend my beliefs and my religion over and over.

As a missionary in Spain I did defend my religion over and over. The missionaries I served with were faithful, knowledgeable, hard-working young men and women. They were certainly NOT the types of missionaries portrayed in this raunchy musical.

There are untouchable religions. No one is allowed to openly criticize or make fun of Jews for fear of being called anti-Semitic. We wouldn't dare poke fun at Islam for fear of severe retaliation. I don't hear anyone laughing at the Pentecostals who roll around on the ground yelling and shouting. And open criticism about Jehovah's Witnesses is almost unheard of, yet they go door to door just like Mormon missionaries. So why is is okay to make a completely sacrilegious musical about the Mormons?

Mormons have been physically and verbally harassed and persecuted since 1820 and it hasn't ever let up. I have a feeling it never will.

a dryer, a cello, and a rope

2011-06-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

I got my dryer fixed (hallelujah!) and have been doing non-stop laundry ever since. We were hanging clothes to dry on a line outside. Abby calls it "the old-fashioned way". She was amazed that we could hang clothes like they do on Little House on the Prairie (a family favorite). Just so you know, clothes take more than 24 hours to dry outside in San Diego, at least during June gloom season. After a vacation, doing one load every other day for a family of 6 wasn't cutting it. We either needed more rope or a fixed dryer.

Joe's parents are in town and brought a cello with them for Jonathan to use. I am so exited to be saving $50 a month in rental fees!

I found a noose in my laundry room on Tuesday. After I calmed down (yes, I went hysterical) I gathered the information I needed to find out where it came from. It was very well made, definitely adult handiwork. Jonathan read By the Great Horn Spoon in school and his class was divided into groups to present portions of the book. Jonathan's group had a portion involving a hanging so the teacher tied the rope, showing the boys in the group how to do it, to use for their presentation. I think that's a horrible thing to teach 4th graders. So now I'm wondering what I should do about it. I believe a noose is considered a weapon and a student could be suspended for bringing it to school. The fact that a teacher would show students how to tie one is astonishing.

After only one week of summer I'm totally exhausted and my car has used up an entire tank of gas...driving back and forth for cub scout camp, swim team, piano lessons, ballet, the park, etc.

There's more...freaky.

2011-06-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

I am not typically a doomsday thinker, not a follower Nostradamus, not a believer of the Mayan 2012 end-of-the-world prophecies. But, I do believe the Bible prophecies in Ezekel, Isaiah, and Revelation. And I just have to say it's very interesting what has been happening this year. What I showed before is not the end. Here's more...

March 2011, Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupts again

June 2011, Tornadoes in Massachusetts

June 2011, volcano erupts in Mexico

June 2011, Wildfires in Arizona

June 2011, Volcano erupts in Chile

Salt Lake Tour

2011-06-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

Joe sings in the Orange County Mormon Choir. They just returned from a Salt Lake tour, recording and performing in Abravanel Hall and performing in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. The kids and I went for half the week, just for fun, and it was an amazing experience. The Orange County Mormon Choir combined with the East Valley Mormon Choir (Arizona) for these performances and recording sessions. The orchestras and children's choirs combined too creating a heavenly sound (400 singers in the adult choir, 200 in the children's choir, and 100 musicians in the orchestra). The choirs performed the oratorio Messiah in America in two sold-out concerts.

Mormon Choral Organizations of America perform in Abravanel Hall

The Mormon Choral Organizations of America, consisting of OCMCO and EVMCO, has a combined 1200 participants making it the largest choral organization in the world.

Random

2011-06-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Joe in his new, very large, TV watching recliner...best birthday gift ever.

Jonathan plays the lead role of King Arthur in his school choir musical and sings a couple of amazing solos.

Easter Sunday 2011

Abby turns 5!

Oh, the things people say

2011-06-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

1. My father-in-law called yesterday as we were driving home from Salt Lake City. He talked to Joe asking where he was and how the drive was going. He asked Joe if he was the one driving and Joe said, yes. Then his dad said, "It's good to see the man of the house acting like the man of the house."

Why would he say such a thing? I know he has definite opinions about a woman's place being anywhere BUT the driver's seat when a man is present, but oh, how I would have loved to have said this...Because driving a mini-van is so manly?

2. Thursday morning the choirs from MCOAmerica (combined choirs from Arizona and California) were doing their sound check in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. The woman who schedules the Temple Square events turned and said, "I had no idea there was this much talent south of Utah."

Really? Because only Utah residents can become accomplished musicians?

It's getting a little freaky.

2011-05-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

January 2011, Earthquake in Pakistan

January 2011, Rio de Janeiro flood

February 2011, Earthquake in New Zealand

March 2011, Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, Nuclear Disaster

March 2011, Burma Earthquake

Spring 2011, Uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa

May 2011, Mississippi River Flooding

May 2011, Volcano erupts in Iceland

May 2011, Tornados in Oklahoma

May 2011, Tornados in Missouri

May 2011, Spain Earthquake

The Best Field Trip

2011-05-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

Jonathan was at the airport at 7am Saturday morning for the best 4th grade field trip EVER.

They got on an airplane and flew to Sacramento!

The students got to tour the capitol building.

They visited the American River and panned for gold. Jonathan realized this was a lot of hard work. So, for $7 he bought his own gold flakes.

They stopped at Sutter's Fort and Old Town Sacramento too.

Jonathan got home at about 10pm and he couldn't stop talking about how fabulous the trip was.

The Faith Club

2011-05-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

After months of absences I finally went to book club last week. I figured my health is a little better which means I can actually read for an hour without falling asleep.

The book of the month: The Faith Club, A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew - Three Women Search for Understanding.

First of all, I did not like this book. But I have been thinking about it every day since I picked it up. There are so many things in the book that make me agitated, and yet it's still on my mind.

Three women of three different faiths join together to write a children's book and end up in months of discussions about religion, stereotypes, fears, misconceptions, and myths. Now that would be fine except I don't think these women were the best ones to represent their religions. The Muslim didn't attend mosque, didn't do all the prayers, and drank wine. The Jew didn't abide by Kosher rules and only attended temple on holidays. The Christian, who was the most active in her religion, changed from Catholic to Episcopalian because they are more liberal and don't require weekly attendance at mass. It seemed to me these women held certain beliefs based on family and cultural tradition. Were these women really sure about their religions after all?

I've heard that you can tell what is really important to a person by how they spend their time and money. If you walk in my house you'll see three pianos and an old kitchen. My receipts prove that I spend a lot more money on music books than I do items for my kitchen. Yes it's true, I love music and hate cooking. So what can I tell from these women who are writing about how to get along, resolve religious differences, when they aren't as involved in their religion as one would expect from the title of this book? Wouldn't you think they would want to be active in their religions if they are representing them?

Maybe this is the new American religion...to affiliate yourself with a belief system and adjust it to meet your personal needs, wants, and desires. The problem is, if it's all about what we want, where does God's desire for us fit in? What about what he wants us to do? Isn't what God wants us to do a whole lot more important than what we want to do? Isn't faith believing enough to actually follow God's will, not just write about it?

Projects

2011-05-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

The past few months have been life-changing for me. I've spent a lot of time sitting instead of going. The first several weeks after my arthritis started I watched a lot of television, in too much pain to get up and do anything. When I'm not being productive I go absolutely CRAZY. And there hasn't been a lot of productivity since the arthritis took over my life. For a while it was all I could do to get up and teach my students. Then, as the medicines began to work I was able to do a little more. I still don't have the energy I once did. I'm tired earlier. My body gets worn down easily and the pain returns.

Joe bought me a laptop computer for Valentines Day and it has changed my arthritic life. I feel like I am able to be creative once again, as I sit. I've been working on a couple of projects that I'm ready to share. The Music Callings site is not finished yet, still hundreds of things left to add. During those moments when I am too exhausted to move I'll keep plugging away at my projects.

www.MusicCallings.com

www.ArthritisDiary.blogspot.com

Financially Approved, or Not?

2011-05-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

I heard Suzie Orman (whom I respect as a financial advisor) tell a couple on her show that they shouldn't even think of starting a family until they had their finances under control, debt paid off, 8 month cash reserve, etc. I don't know the extent of this couple's financial troubles, or their ages. Maybe they were young and had made stupid choices. I don't really know. But it got me thinking about what Suzie would have said to us when we were young and got pregnant with Nicholas.

We had been married only 4 months, barely out of college and were waiting to hear back from graduate schools. Our only possessions were an old car, a bed, and a kitchen table. Joe was selling used cars, making no money, and I was bringing in less than $1000 a month teaching at a music academy. We were living at the poverty line; still, we purchased private health insurance and started a family. Just like that.

Nicholas was born (1999) while Joe was in the MBA program at University of Pittsburgh. We lived off student loans and money from a few piano students to pay for living expenses including health insurance. We never went on welfare, food stamps, WIC, or Medicade, although we certainly qualified. We just took out more student loans to survive.

Joe graduated and found a job that offered great work experience but low wages. So, I accepted more students and we went to work to live and pay off debt. Along came Jonathan (2000) and we continued to work and pay off debt, triple the amount since we added a cute little Pennsylvania house to that debt load. At that point, I wonder what Suzie would have said? Well, she wasn't around and we got pregnant again with Maddie (2002), sold the house, moved to California, tripled our incomes, quintupled our living expenses, and continued to pay off debt. By the time Abby came along (2006) we were completely debt free. I think Suzie might have approved Abby, except we hadn't purchased a house yet, so maybe not. It didn't last long because the following year we bought a California house and now have more debt than we could have ever imagined. I can't even think about the fact that the California house was 8x the cost of that Pennsylvania house (which had more land). Suzie would so disapprove.

BUT, debt or no debt, I don't regret my children in any way. I don't regret when I had them no matter how poor we were at the time. They are everything to me. They complete our family. So, financially approved or not, I am so grateful they came when they did.

In the Paper

2011-05-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

I am opinionated and outspoken. I know this about myself and over the years I have tried hard to control it. I don't want to be rude or intolerable. But sometimes when I am so passionate about something my mouth just gets the better of me and I say, or write what I think.

Our local weekly newspaper comes for free to most homes within our school district (about 200,000 people). This is a great this little paper with most articles and editorials relating to our surrounding community and school district. I read it faithfully. And sometimes my opinions get the better of me an I send in something.

The first time I sent in an opinion that was published was during the Prop 8 campaign. The California Teachers' Union had donated $100,000 to the "No on 8" campaign, a gross misuse of funds in my opinion. I didn't think the teachers' union should have anything to do with gay marriage, using their teachers' dues to enter into a political fight that had nothing to do with education. That money could have purchased a lot of textbooks, paid for a lot of field trips, or saved for today, 2011, when the union would be in the biggest fight of their lives.

Last week another article, “Rebuild our education system, with fewer teachers" made me furious. The writer says we need to re-do the entire education system and sit every kid in front of a computer to be taught. We'll only need half the amount of teachers because they'll just monitor what the kids are doing on the computer. I don't want to send my kids to school just to sit in front of a computer all day with a teacher ratio of 60 to 1. So, I wrote in and was published again, in the paper and online.

It seems these education topics really get to me. I don't like people messing around with our kids and education. It is so important to the future of our country that we have well-educated youth. And yet, we do stupid things with funds so there's less money that goes to educating students. I am so grateful to be an a fabulous school district. Our schools are in the top 10% in the state. Our high school graduates are getting amazing SAT scores and attending the top universities. The reason our schools do well has nothing to do with the state. They have messed around with the money and there's little trickling down to our district. The parents, though, have really stepped up and donations are pouring into the schools, covering basic costs. Teachers are continuing to do an incredible job despite a series of pay cuts. But, what about other districts that don't have the parent support we have? They are operating with large classes, no aids, no money for supplies, and fewer programs. California is at the bottom when it comes to per-student spending, below the poorest states, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Kentucky. For a state with an economy larger than most countries, that is truly embarrassing.

General Conference

2011-05-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

In April all the youth and their leaders drove to Salt Lake City for the LDS General Conference. Joe went as one of the leaders and Nicholas, being a brand new "youth" was able to go as well. This is a picture of the 4 new Deacons. They all had an incredible experience attending three conference sessions and working at the Humanitarian Aid Center.

Red, White, and Blue

2011-05-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

There is still patriotism in the schools. Our 2nd grade teachers put on a great musical program each year where the kids sing about 20 different patriotic songs and recite memorized lines. This year I got to be the pianist which was a really fun way to volunteer at the school. Maddie (somewhere on the front row but the kids all look alike) was a trooper, singing her heart out and reciting the lines of other children who were absent, even though she was sick that day.

Messiah in America

2011-05-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

I wish I had an audio clip to share so you can get a taste of what I'm talking about here. Without hearing it I'm sure to sound really snooty. But, if you heard what I heard you would agree with me completely.

On Saturday I attended both OCMCO concerts in the fabulous Segerstrom Concert Hall. The oratorio, Messiah in America, was performed by 4 world-class soloists, a choir and orchestra of 400, all members of the Orange County Mormon Choral Organization. Composed by my brother, Brett Stewart, this powerful oratorio has all the compositional and musical aspects of the greatest oratorios ever written, comparable to Handel's Messiah or Mendelssohn's Elijah. Brett's writing most closely resembles the music of the Romantic Era...Brahms, Mahler, Saint-Saens. However, he also brings in many elements of the other music periods including Baroque, Classical, Impressionistic, and Contemporary. The libretto for Messiah in America was compiled by Brett Stewart and Bruce Richardson. It comes from 3 Nephi, the Book of Mormon's account of Jesus Christ visiting the American continent after Jesus' death and resurrection. The music begins with the words "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold" and thus begins the story of the wickedness and destruction of the people. The second half is one of hope, wonder and awe as Christ visits the people. The children's choir enters and sings of Christ blessing the little children. When describing the concert one audience member said, "he drew down heaven".

The choirs belonging to Mormon Choral Organizations of America (OCMCO and EVMCO) are going on tour to Salt Lake City where they will perform this great oratorio in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on June 3rd. Tickets went on sale Tuesday morning at 10. By 10:32 all 3500 seats were completely sold out. The Temple Square box office said, "We don't know what we are going to do. We have never seen this. We are shocked". As people throughout the organizations were both celebrating and lamenting (those who didn't get tickets) the sold out concert I received this email from my grandma, "The Maestro's Grandmother has NO TICKETS!!" The managing director of the organizations has requested a second performance. It was so incredibly difficult to get even one performance in the Tabernacle that I can't imagine them granting a second without avoiding another lengthy painful process, even though the Tabernacle isn't being used for other evening concerts that month. There are just a lot of hoops to jump through when dealing with Temple Square.

In my opinion, Messiah in America is hands down the greatest LDS work ever composed. Thousands in Arizona and California have been able to experience this great oratorio and I am thrilled that Salt Lake City will have that same opportunity.

6th Grade Camp

2011-04-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Nicholas spent a week at 6th Grade Camp, an outdoor education program for the students at his school.

Nicholas had a fabulous time with his classmates, 350 of them. Kudos to those dedicated teachers for spending a week with Middle School kids.

The students spent time working on projects.

They got plenty of hiking and exploring time.

The students discovered a natural water slide, so of course they had to try it out even though they were fully-dressed.

The Last Race

2011-04-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

This was Jonathan's final Cub Scout pinewood derby. After 5 consecutive years, the Franzes are retiring. We've built our last car. We've raced our last race.

Experiences vs. Things

2011-04-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

I can't remember most of my childhood toys.

I can't remember if the cars we drove were new or old.

I can't remember most of the clothes I wore, or if they were in style.

I can't remember most of the shows or movies I used to watch.

I don't remember what our T.V. even looked like.

I do remember all my school orchestra concerts.

I remember performing the piano in recitals and festivals.

I remember trips to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and Six Flags.

I remember each of my teachers and whether they were mean or nice.

I remember extended familyThanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

I remember picking cherries in my Grandparent's orchard.

I remember all the family reunions I attended.

I remember every play and musical I was in.

I remember every family vacation.

The other day there was a discussion on the radio about the best use of tax return money. The experts were saying that it is better to use your money to buy experiences rather than things. Experiences last forever, things don't. Kids remember experiences, not things. So, I put it to the test. I tried to remember makes, models, and brands of my toys and clothes as a kid and I couldn't remember a thing. It isn't important now. However, the experiences I had as a child are still with me, family activities, vacations, teachers, school and church activities. I agree with these experts. Things lose their worth; they'll get old, used up, and trashed. Experiences are priceless and get better with time.

The difference a day makes

2011-04-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a horrible day. I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck, stiff and in pain. The kids were fighting all morning. The house was a disaster, not looking like it had been cleaned two days earlier. I sat in bed with a heating pad working at my computer when I asked Nicholas to bring me my piano binder. My MTAC notes were in there and I needed to type them up before the next meeting. Okay, my notes were not in the binder and I panicked. I started looking everywhere to find that notepad. I had everyone searching, and picking up the mess of a house as they searched. I called my husband in tears asking if he had seen the notepad so I wouldn't get fired from my secretary position (not that I get paid anything). We finally gave up and I decided it was time to begin my taxes. I went to turn on my newly repaired computer and nothing, completely dead. I called Joe again, in tears. It started raining, thus the intense pain I had been feeling all day. I had three students not show up to their lessons so I cuddled up on the couch and watched Emma.

I had the Scarlet O'Hara idea, "I'll think about it tomorrow."

Thursday came, the rain stopped, I was mostly pain free. Joe went to unplug the computer to take it in for repair and decided to try turning it on, and it worked. (I'm afraid to turn it off now) I prepared my taxes all morning and found fewer complications than I had anticipated. The piano tuner came and made my piano sound gorgeous again. My students that afternoon all showed up and were well-prepared. I dropped Nicholas off for his scout trip and the kids, now that one was missing, calmed down, and there was peace in the home. The rain started again so I went to my bed at 8, with the heating pad, and my box of receipts to organize for taxes. I watched a couple of movies as I categorized receipts. At the bottom of the receipt box was the lost MTAC notepad.

Old Town

2011-03-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

We spent time in Old Town for the Mormon Battalion celebration and reenactment.

The newly renovated Mormon Battalion visitors center is really fabulous. It's like taking a step back in time.

The kids gained some gold panning skills.

The water pump was a big hit.

We couldn't imagine coming west in one of these.

The kids played with pioneer games and toys.

The girls learned to sew a bit.

For a snack we had biscuits on a stick roasted over a fire.

We watched the Mormon Battalion reenactment. That translates to: we watched them march, and march, and march.

Tidepools

2011-03-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we've lived in San Diego for over 8 years and had not visited the tide-pools. Our friends dragged us to the La Jolla tide-pools and we had a blast exploring the star fish, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, and more. It was fun, educational and totally free. LOVED IT.

Hard Things

2011-03-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

My son's second grade teacher had a sign up in her room that said:

YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS

As I look back at a few of the "hard things" I've had to do, I feel like these things that seemed so overwhelming at the time really helped me to grow in ways I could not have imagined. When I made this list in my head I realized I've done some pretty hard things and guess what, I'm still alive, I'm still here, I'm happy, I'm stronger, I'm more knowledgable, and I'm grateful.

When I was 12, the oldest of 5 kids, my family was torn apart. I thought it would kill us all, but it didn't.
I had to sing a solo in "The Wiz", the only solo of my life, on stage as a senior in high school. I thought I would pass out on stage, but I didn't.
I began my mission in Spain with a 4 hour train ride by myself, scared to death, not being able to understand a word of Spanish. I survived.
I was called as a Seminary Teacher when Jonathan was 2 weeks old (Nicholas was 18 months). Not only did I survive the two years it but I grew to love teaching those teenagers.
Nicholas was 3 and Jonathan was 2 when Maddie was born. We had just moved to a small apartment in California leaving our darling Pennsylvania house. I knew almost no one. My new ward was not welcoming and was not helpful and yet I survived.
I thought I was going to die when I had to direct Handel's Messiah. But I didn't. As one of the most intense and challenging experiences of my life, I grew tremendously.
I testified on behalf of someone who had been falsely accused. I was terrified, physically shaking, as the attorney grilled me in a rather harsh way, twisting my words. I was tough and held my ground wishing never to repeat that horrendous experience. I would do the right thing again if I had to and I would probably survive it again.
I survived the agony that precedes visits to pediatric medical specialists, not knowing if you'll get good news or bad. We've seen pediatric neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, rheumatologists, psychologists, radiologists, etc.
I've survived periods of Joe's unemployment. These times are the scariest of all for me, testing my survival instincts to the very core.
I have endured months of pain, and am still surviving. The medicine is starting to work and hopefully this will soon be off my list of "current hard things". Then I'll look back, as I do with these other "hard things" with rose-colored glasses and forget how hard it really was.

And soon I'll be on to my next "hard thing". I wonder what that will be?

a dyslexia discovery, part 8

2011-03-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

Music in the morning...that's what we hear starting at 6 a.m. and it doesn't stop until 8. The fact that the kids practice in the morning is purely out of convenience. I'm teaching in the afternoons and although we have a second piano in another room, the chances they'd actually practice without me hovering over them are slim. Some mornings are crazy and not everyone gets the practicing in. It was on those days I started noticing a change in Jonathan. On those days he brings home more homework because he is unable to get it done in class. It's on those days he gets in a really bad mood. It's on those days he's a little disobedient, mouthy, and disagreeable. So, I started keeping track of Jonathan's days when he had practiced piano in the morning vs. the days when he didn't. The difference is remarkable. Something about the music, the concentration it takes to learn new notes, and the physical aspects of playing get him off to a great start each day. I shared this discovery with some colleagues and they weren't surprised at all considering the studies we've all read regarding music and autism, music and ADHD, music and learning disabilities, music and brain development. Something about that hour at the piano each morning gets his mind prepared for the rest of the academic day.

I'm finally ready to share...Ladybug

2011-03-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from September, Maddie's ballet recital. For weeks Maddie practiced her dance. As the lead ladybug, she was the first of her group to go out on stage, leading them in their dance. Joe and I were so excited to see her come out on stage, and then were horrified when we realized she was still wearing her sandals. Apparently it was such chaos backstage that Maddie, and the mother helpers, forgot to have her change into her ballet slippers. So she did her entire dance without even realizing she wasn't wearing the right shoes. Her sandals, hard to see in these photos, had florescent green and pink straps so they really shone from the stage. Maddie's teacher was so mad at herself that she didn't notice in time and I'm sure the ballet school director, who produces the best ballerinas in the county, wasn't very happy about it either. For the next few weeks at the studio Maddie was known as the girl who danced in her sandals. I'm not very good with embarrassing moments, neither is Maddie. But, we can all joke about it now which is why I'm finally ready to share these photos.

Tiger Mother

2011-03-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

I just finished this book and absolutely LOVED it.

Is that shocking? Does that make me a scary mother? Many of my friends would cringe at this book for sure. But they parent differently from me. I'm not saying I am as hard core as Amy Chua. After all my kids only practice one hour a day per instrument, not several hours like the girls in this book and we don't practice when we're on vacation. I do believe calling my kids names is degrading. And I believe sports are an important part of childhood.

Like the author though, I am a harsh critic, my kids (and students) know it. I refuse to compliment if it isn't deserved or earned. I see no reason to give false praise. My kids know that when I give a compliment it is big deal and they take it seriously; it means something to them. I believe in pushing them hard to excel.

I am in total agreement with Chua regarding play dates, sleep overs, etc. I get so annoyed when friends' parents want to schedule play dates, especially on school days. Afternoons are busy... my kids work on homework, practice instruments, do chores, and depending on the day there are other activities like Scouts and Ballet. I tell my kids that school recess is their play so they better enjoy it to the fullest.

My kids know that only the best grades are acceptable. They are certainly capable and anything less than an A means they haven't put forth their best effort. Of course, I've had to hold Jonathan to a different standard as we're working through the learning disability. But, he knows we expect him to do his very best work on school work and we can tell if he's not giving his all.

My kids are up at 6 a.m. every day practicing...2 pianos and a violin, then two pianos and an oboe. Next year we add a brass instrument into the mix (Jonny hasn't decided which one yet).

As Chua points out, and I agree 100%, many parents today are more concerned with how their child feels, what he wants, and allowing him to make his own choice on every matter. What are we seeing in America? overweight spoiled kids who talk back to their parents, a lack of respect for authority figures, a lack of commitment, too much time in front of the T.V. and video games, and overall lazy kids without a work ethic. As I've said before, I see evidence of this lack of commitment and work at all the music competitions. They are dominated by the hard-working Asian kids who put Caucasians to shame. I love this quote by President Spencer W. Kimball...If we strive for perfection--the best and greatest--and are never satisfied with mediocrity, we can excel.

I feel very alone in this parenting route. Only my siblings parent this way. Some of my friends are "fun" parents. They take their kids out of school for a Disneyland or Sea World day, something I'd never dream of doing. They go to park days and play dates. They have friends come over just to "hang". I don't do those things. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only parent in the world who was so structured with my kids, so demanding, so intense. Then, when I read this book I was reminded of something I'd actually known all along.

Bill O'Reilly said something a few years ago really stuck with me...it is the parents job to give their kids the tools necessary to succeed in life. I think most parents are really trying to do this. We just have different ways of going about it. One thing Chua learned is that every child is different and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for the other. I've learned that too. You can choose a parenting model but it may need to be tweaked a bit for one child. I'm sticking with my parenting methods but like Chua, I too have learned that situations and people change and I have to be willing to adapt, change, or admit I was wrong.

Now that I've shocked everyone with my parenting vision I have to admit it sounds more harsh than it is. I LOVE my children and try very hard to create a home environment where they can grow, learn, pray, work, eat, play, study, and love.

Piano anyone?

2011-03-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

I have a few students who are practicing on really crummy pianos. And I'm not just talking about my beginning students. They say this and that about not being able to afford a better piano as they jet off to a vacation spot or drive up in a new luxury car, etc. Well I found just the right thing for them. Apparently you don't have to pay much for a grand piano in Miami, just towing fees. I was giggling when I read this.

What Wasn't Lost

2011-03-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

Yea, the Geek Squad saved my photos. Here are some of the precious things that could have been lost.

Nicholas and Abby at Christmastime

Grandpa and Maddie

Ready for church

Abby's blessing day

Hanging out at Grandma's house

Maddie, missing her Mommy so she fell asleep in her parents' bed

Abby, just a few weeks old

Jonathan with newborn Abby

Easter Sunday

Abby's 1st birthday

The end of an era

2011-03-07T12:46:00.000-08:00

The computer died, just like that. One day it was fine, the next, nothing, nada. It would take hundreds of dollars to fix so I just paid to have all the files put on an external hard drive so I can use them on a new computer. It's sad. Don't get me wrong, I hated that computer. It was slow and would freeze all the time. But, still I had all my programs on it, my life. I don't want to start over. It's expensive and time-consuming. But, I'm told my 2005 machine was a dinosaur in computer years. Joe is shopping for a Mac. He's done with Windows, never wants to use it again. I feel like my life is starting a new chapter, one that's red with a bite out of it. As tasty as that sounds I don't think I can give up my past life altogether. So, I'm thinking Parallels, along with that apple, will become my new friend.

CM

2011-02-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

Ah, the work, the stress, the worry...it's Certificate of Merit time again. This year I had 20 students participate including Nicholas, Jonathan, and Madeline. Yesterday they had their piano performance evaluations, sight reading and technique exams. I was so relieved that my kids performed well and I hope all my other students did too. Next Saturday is the theory and ear-training test.

It happens every year. I start pulling my hair out trying to get everyone ready. A few students, and there are always a few, procrastinate to the point of causing me major anxiety, then in the end are able to come through somehow. So why do I go through all this hassle every year? I wonder if the students learn anything, a lesson in procrastination perhaps. It does get them working harder, knowing they have to perform in front of an adjudicator.

I guess it's that way for a lot of things. My house is always cleaner when I'm having a party. I cook better when my in-laws visit. I finally get around to sewing on scout patches when there's a Court of Honor coming up. I'm probably not the only one to push things off until I absolutely have to. When these kids know they will be evaluated on the piano, suddenly practice becomes very important, a high priority even. Of course, I would prefer it to be important all the time, but with some students I'll take what I can get.

Me

2011-02-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

I'm a little less steady, walking a little wobbly and a little crooked; I'm a little more cranky and a little more tired. Some have noticed and asked, so here it is.

In September I felt pain in my fingers and hands. Over the next few weeks it spread to my wrists, ankles, toes, knees, elbows, hips, back, and shoulders. I saw a Rheumatologist who gave me something for the pain and sent me away. A month later I was back, this time demanding a different doctor. After extensive tests we discovered, through a DNA test, that I am HLA-B27 positive. That combined with other test results gave us a diagnosis of seronegative inflammatory arthritis. The exact type is still in question, these things take many months to determine, but it appears to be both Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis, which are Spondyloarthropathies. Although it is not RA, it has many similarities, including treatment. Maddie hasn't been tested for HLA-B27 gene, but the doctors suspect that if and when she is tested she too will be positive, thus providing the link between our diseases.

So what does that mean for me? It means expensive drugs in the way of really expensive injections ($2000 a month...so grateful for health insurance). It means I'm addicted to my heating pad and long hot morning showers. It means I get tired by 5pm. It means I can predict the rain. It means I walk like an 80-year-old sometimes. It means that although I'll live with this for the rest of my life, I feel blessed to have amazing 21st century biologic drugs available to me. It means that every well-intentioned person wants to give me medical advice, especially of the homeopathic sort. But it means the only advice I'll listen to are from those who actually have arthritis including my 3 dear friends who are suffering from RA, PsA, and AS.

I have learned a lot about pain. Now I totally understand why older people complain about their pain. Pain is all-consuming. It's like your brain can't focus on anything else except for the pain. One song brings me relief, It's My Life by Talk Talk. Strange choice, I know. But I have it on my iPod and when I put on the headphones and turn up the volume it distracts me from the intense pain. Joe calls it my arthritis song.

12

2011-02-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Chinese Parenting

2011-01-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

This was one of the most fascinating articles I've read lately, Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior, by Amy Chua, published in the Wall Street Journal. It's very controversial and it seems every time I turn around, it's being talked about among friends, on the radio, and on television. The article touches on the topic of strict and regimented violin and piano practice. Some may think it is exaggerated a bit, but I assure you it is not. I've been watching this very thing for years in California. With an increasing Asian population that pretty much dominates the violin and piano world, there is little room left for a student of another race who isn't just as committed or more than the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.

Madeline competed in her first piano competition Saturday. She was placed in a group of other children her age performing various Sonatinas. Maddie was the only Caucasian girl in her group of 14. In fact, she was one of 6 Caucasians in the entire competition, out of 100 participating students.

So when Amy Chua states that Chinese children aren't allowed to not play the piano or violin, I think I believe her. At least that's what I'm seeing here. And not only do they play the piano or violin, but they excel at those instruments. Many hours are spent each week in grueling practice. Perfection is not just a goal but a requirement.

I don't really know any Caucasian parents who want this for their children. Maybe there are some who think they might want it but in reality they just aren't willing to work as hard as Chinese mothers to help their child achieve this level of musical perfection. It is extremely demanding for the parent and the child.

Maddie is really talented. She plays the piano with such artistry. Regardless of her natural ability, she still had to practice countless hours getting her Sonatina ready for the competition. I knew it would be hard for her. More than once, just like in the article, she broke into tears and I raised my voice. But, for weeks we continued to strive for perfection. Then came the big day. Maddie set aside her nerves and performed beautifully. She placed 2nd in this, her first piano competition.

Maddie and I may not be Chinese, but the model still holds true. We know that to compete, excel, and succeed in these instruments, we have to work just as hard as they do. In this business there is only room for the committed workaholic perfectionists. I wonder how long we'll last.

Snow

2011-01-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

We love to play in the snow. We go to the family cabin in Big Bear a couple of times a year and always have a blast. After driving home from one of these exciting trips I'm glad we don't live in the snow anymore. Here are pictures from our drive home...beautiful and dangerous.

Home for Christmas

2011-01-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

This year we cheated a bit on our gingerbread house and bought an already baked one at Vons bakery. But hey, we decorated it 100% from scratch.We enjoyed a yummy Christmas Eve dinner together, thanks again to Vons for the roast chicken.The reinactment of the Christmas story followed.

Poor Joe...always the donkey.

Christmas pajamas

Christmas morning...patiently waiting to head downstairs.

December Moments

2011-01-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

Maddie is the lead, "Randy the Moose", in her class Christmas playAbby visits Santa

Maddie performs in a violin recital

Abby is the "STAR" of the preschool Christmas Pagent
Jonathan performs "Once on a Housetop" with the Sr. Melody Makers (far left, top row)

Madeline performs "A Holiday Moosical" with the Jr. Melody Makers (far right, 2nd row)

Joe and Holly are off to a Christmas party

Today

2010-12-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

The morning started off okay, while I was still in bed. It went downhill as soon as my feet hit the floor. I asked Joe to make sure the boys had church clothes ready and ironed. I showered and got the girls dressed, hair done. I was all dressed and curling my hair when I heard a fist fight going on in the boys' room, a fight over the same pair of pants. Apparently the second pair was nowhere to be found. I marched into the bathroom where Joe was showering and started yelling at him for not doing the one thing I asked of him that morning. I was pretty upset, screaming even. Joe told me to stop yelling at him and when I wouldn't let up he pulled the shower head over the top of the shower and sprayed me...NOT a good thing to do, like gasoline on a fire.

We finally managed to get out of the house, late. Rain was pouring. We ran to the van parked in the driveway with jackets covering our heads. I was driving. I backed out without realizing Joe's car was in my blind spot. Crash! Okay, THAT was gasoline on the fire. I sobbed all the way to church. I had just paid $3000 the day before for a new transmission and now I had two bumpers to replace. Not good.

Before church started we had a choir practice for our Christmas program. The kids were playing tag in the chapel while we were on the stage rehearsing. That's just when you want to say, "no really, those are not my kids".

Thank heavens for church friends who listened to me vent, and I mean really vent, in the hallway during Sunday School.

Maddie forgot to give her Christmas card to her Sunday School teachers so we drove by what we thought was their house after church to deliver it. It was the wrong house but she and Joe delivered the card anyway. They felt bad when an old lady answered the door and they didn't want to leave her empty handed so they gave her the card. I wonder what she thought when she opened it up and saw it wasn't addressed to her. Well, hope she enjoys the Jamba Juice gift card anyway.

At church a friend asked me if I would be going caroling tonight. I had completely forgotten about it. Maddie and Abby had both been members of Children's Chorus in the past. The director is terminally ill with cancer and a group caroling effort was being organized to go to her house and bring her a bit of Christmas cheer. Even though it was raining we decided to go. We figured the day couldn't get any worse so we might as well go sing in the rain. Hundreds of people showed up. I have never seen such an enormous caroling group before, former students, friends, neighbors, all united in the cause to spread Christmas joy. As the several hundred singers with umbrellas marched to her home I felt empowered, humbled, and grateful. I had my family with me (huddled under one enormous umbrella). We would be celebrating this Christmas together and hopefully many more in the future, unlike the person for whom we were singing. We sang several Christmas songs, each one changing my heart a little, causing me to thank the Lord for my family, the same family I had been mad at all day long.

We were different when we returned home from when we left, drenched of course, but different because our hearts had been softened. We ate a yummy family dinner in peace. Then we performed Christmas songs for each other on the piano and oboe. Together we read the Christmas story in the scriptures and then we prayed.

The pants don't matter so much anymore, neither do the the smashed car bumpers, the rowdy kids, mistakenly delivered Christmas cards, or even getting hosed down when I'm fully dressed. I have my family in good times and bad. That's all I need.

a do over

2010-12-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

It was only 5 days after I ordered Christmas card photos that this long awaited pic arrived from my sister via email. Now I want a do over. THIS is the photo I want on my Christmas card. This is our most PERFECT Yosemite picture moment, the best we looked all week. TRUE, the other one is more telling of the camping experience. It was shot after a 3 hour hike up a waterfall. We were tired, wet, and dirty. STILL, this is the one I really wanted.

a dyslexia discovery, part 7

2010-12-09T19:32:00.001-08:00

Yet another IEP meeting this week, discussing even more test results.

The school district could have saved A LOT of money if they had just listened to me in the first place. Everything they found in the testing I had told them previously. But unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

Our district won't use the term Dyslexia. According to the school Jonathan now has an "SLD" (specific learning disability). He will finally receive much needed reading help at school. I'm glad about that, but shame on them for making him wait until 4th grade to get help when he has been having reading problems for 5 years.

The school resource specialist wanted to label him ADHD as the primary cause of his difficulties, even though he is not hyperactive in the least. He apparently had a hard time with a test aimed at judging the attention level of a child. The only attention problems Jonathan has been displaying at school are due to the difficulty of his classwork. He gets so overwhelmed that he starts to zone out, a typical problem with dyslexic children research shows. I refused to have them label his academic problems as a simple ADHD case.

I told the IEP team, "with all due respect to your years of experience, I have been teaching for over 20 years and have been dealing with Jonathan for 10, 8 of which we've known something wasn't right. If you're going to sit there and tell me he has problems with reading, memory, vocabulary, etc. all due to an attention problem you're simply wrong. I have worked with ADHD children and they are capable of academic success if they pay attention. Jonny's problems are more than a lack of attention. When we pulled out all of our Christmas books we found one of Jonny's books he made at age 7. He had written his own name in mirror image, every letter being formed backwards. Tell me that's ADHD...."

I got what I wanted.

The Nutcracker Miracle

2010-12-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

Madeline performed in the Nutcracker on Saturday. She danced in two rolls, as a mouse and a Gigonne doll. The week before the performance Maddie started a severe arthritis flair. After a couple of days she was unable to walk. Joe and our home teacher gave her a blessing and on Friday morning she went to see her Rheumatologist who gave her steroids. He said she should be able to walk by Sunday or Monday, so we had little hopes of her performing on Saturday. Saturday morning she was able to put a bit of weight on her foot and by 2pm that afternoon was dancing all around the house. Maddie missed her Friday performances but she was so grateful to be able to dance on Saturday night. She did an absolutely perfect job, without missing a beat. It was a miracle.

Maddie's Baptism Day

2010-12-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was extra special this year. On Friday, November 26th, Maddie was baptized and confirmed by her dad. It was a beautiful gathering of family and friends, some who had traveled far to share this day with her. The cousins sang "Baptism" in beautiful harmony, a Stewart family tradition. Maddie's grandmas gave wonderful talks and her grandpas offered the prayers. Maddie looked absolutely darling. She had waited for her day to arrive for a long time.

Thanksgiving Celebrations

2010-12-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Abby's preschool class had a yummy Thanksgiving feast with all the foods a 4-year-old would love...juice boxes, chips, and chicken nuggets.Abby the little Indian girl, made herself a feather headband and a drum.

Maddie's class gave a fabulous Thanksgiving presentation of short plays, poems and songs. I think it's fantastic that her teacher, despite pay cuts and budget cuts continues to do these extra things that make 2nd grade a really fun experience.

Parallel Ailments

2010-12-04T13:30:00.000-08:00

The mystery, the connection?

Two girls in the same family

Twenty-nine years apart in age

Both with arthritis

Maddie's came 3 years ago following Mononucleosis

Mine, 3 months ago without rhyme or reason

We have amazing Rheumatology specialists

and great medicine.

Both are feeling relief with steroids,

a temporary fix, we know.

Hot baths, heating pads, blankets

This disease is nasty,

affecting my ability to play the piano,

affecting Maddie's dancing.

The challenge..

to remain mobile

to find a connection

to progress toward remission.

The Band Room

2010-11-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

by Nicholas Franz

I walk into the band room smelling damp clarinet and saxophone reeds. I see tubas and french horns looking like scrap metal and all the low brass instruments sounding almost identical to stalling engines. Horrible, horrible they sound so horrible. The trumpets are graceful cheetahs lurking in the grass while squawking clarinets are playful porcupines hiding in their caves. The flutes are millions of times better than the other instruments, sounding like little mockingbirds singing in the sun. Bing! Goes the xylophone, Bong! Goes the marimba. The saxophones are like crows cawing for food. I caress my oboe keys and it's soothing sound lulls me to sleep. I walk into the band room and see the conductor leading us all.

A Week of Giving Thanks

2010-11-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

by Madeline Franz

On Sunday I went to church, and I was thankful.
On Monday I went to ballet, and I was thankful.
On Tuesday I saw my teacher, Mrs. Mahelona, and I was thankful.
On Wednesday I had a violin lesson, and I was thankful.
On Thursday I went shopping, and I was thankful.
On Friday I had a piano lesson, and I was thankful.
On Saturday I had practice for the Nutcracker, and I was thankful.

a dyslexia discovery, part 6

2010-11-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

Jonathan finished his tri-annual testing through the school. The results...low in language, but not low enough to qualify for help through the district. I requested a non-verbal IQ test so we could see the true measure of Jonny's intelligence when no language is involved. He scored in the superior range. Although he does not qualify as having a "specific learning disability" according to the school district, I have no doubt after seeing the test results that we are dealing with dyslexia. The school district does not test for dyslexia. If we want more tests done we have to do it privately.

Jonathan visited with another vision specialist last week, an M.D. who works on reading vision therapy with children. The doctor noticed Jonathan had limited peripheral vision and will be working with him to improve that. He was surprised that Jonathan could read a series of numbers vertically without a mistake, but when the numbers were horizontal many mistakes were made. It's too bad we don't speak/read a language that is printed vertically.

Our next step is to try the Davis Dyslesia approach we read about in the book, The Gift of Dyslexia. After Thanksgiving we're pulling out the clay and a dictionary and getting to work molding the clay into letters, words, and pictures. Jonny scored so high in geometric and visual areas that I really feel this approach is the best for him. I have been doing intense phonics work with him for years and I'm sure it has helped. Now we'll try something new.

vote

2010-11-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

I'm proud of the way San Diego voted yesterday.

Wish I could say the same for the rest of our state.

California is the laughing stock of the rest of the nation.

I mean, really, we voted in one of our most dishonest ex-Governors and kept our most liberal Senator.

At least we voted against new taxes and pot.

things that make me smile

2010-10-05T11:03:00.000-07:00

my rose gardencalla lilies that finally decided to grow a houseplant that has managed to stay alivefinding a plant that grows well in the shade my polka-dot pot

my flower garden

a dyslexia discovery, part 5

2010-10-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Jonathan started out the school year excited and ready to learn. His classroom has a Star Wars theme so he knew it was going to be a great year.

Two weeks later he was completely overwhelmed and unable to finish his work on time. He was getting his card pulled on the Death Star Chart (a behavior chart) and even missing recess because he worked too slowly on his classwork. Jonny, a 4th grader, was spending 2 to 3 hours each night on homework. I met with the teacher who was unwilling to make the 2 modifications I requested: extended time on classroom assignments, and written directions for Jonny's homework so I can understand the assignments and help him at home. I left the meeting in tears and was about to walk into the Principal's office to demand a class change. Instead I contacted the speech/language pathologist that Jonny has been working with for a couple of years. She loves her students and is protective of them so I had a feeling she would help us. She immediately notified the team and called an IEP addendum meeting that very week. The principal took charge of the meeting and agreed to the modifications I requested, she even suggested a few more. In the end Jonny ended up with several classroom adjustments and modifications. This past week has been less stressful and much more positive for my son.

I have learned that any modifications I want for my son must be listed in his IEP where, by law, the teachers are required to accommodate. In the past we've been blessed with teachers who are simply willing to help Jonny in any way possible for him to succeed but sadly this won't always be the case. Teachers are claiming budget cuts, larger class sizes, and lack of teacher aids for their unwillingness to assist a student who is falling behind.

I have learned to find out who is on our side and request assistance from those outstanding educators, those who are in education because they love the kids and will do whatever is necessary to help kids learn. These are the people we want on our side. These teachers are the reason my son still wants to go to school every day.

Preschool

2010-09-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

I never could have imagined how fabulous preschool could be until we found St. Bartholomew's. I put my other kids in cheap city programs that weren't exactly qualified to call themselves preschools. Now I see why. What was I thinking back then? When I drop off Abby in the morning I love the warm cozy feeling at the school so much that I just want to stick around. Can I go back to preschool?

Can I just SCREAM?!

2010-09-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

EVERYTHING IS BREAKING THIS WEEK!

or so it seems...

The van has smoke coming out the hood.

The garbage disposal just died.

The vacuum makes it through one room then shuts off for hours.

The AC vents have stinky smells coming from them.

Water is pooling on top of the outside drains.

The TV is fuzzy.

The computer is infected with something.

Schooling

2010-08-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

First Day of School

I've been reluctant to write a post like this ever since I started this blog; maybe I was a little afraid because of all the homeschooling families I know. Recently I had a somewhat lengthy conversation with a friend who homeschools her kids. We exchanged ideas, beliefs, and opinions but it was like having a discussion with someone belonging to another religion. We both had such strong beliefs that neither was willing to accept or appreciate the other's point of view. I went home and thought about our conversation for days. My beliefs have not changed, but due to our conversation I was able to examine my thoughts and better understand and articulate my views.

In case you didn't know already, I am a HUGE fan of traditional classroom schooling, whether it's public or private. I honestly believe my kids are better off academically, socially, and even spiritually by attending school every day.

ACADEMICALLY: I see this problem all the time when I interview prospective piano students. They usually come with Swiss cheese learning (holes in major areas like technique and theory). Why? Because their teachers were not qualified to teach. Yes, the teachers could play the piano but that did not give them the credentials to be able to teach properly and completely. So the result is holes in their learning. In order for my children to have proper learning take place I want them to be taught by those having mastered the subjects being taught. I am not so naive to think I can teach them math or science. Sure I could learn it first, but just learning something doesn't make you qualified to teach it. I send them to school so every day they receive training by teachers who are credentialed in specific subjects.

SOCIALLY: Nothing can prepare a child better for the real world than the social interaction that takes place in the classroom and on the playground. That daily interaction with teachers, school staff, and peers is essential to their growth and development. I want my kids to understand bullying, not from a book, but from real life experiences. We all know it doesn't stop after 12th grade. I want my kids to learn to deal with a difficult teacher once in a while because years from now it may be a difficult boss, neighbor, or mother-in-law they'll have to get along with.

SPIRITUALLY: My three school-aged kids have all had experiences in school that have helped them to grow their faith. They have all engaged in religious conversations on the playground. They have all had the opportunity to explain their beliefs to their friends. They have invited their friends to church activities, their baptisms, and primary programs. I want them to have the strength to stand up for what they believe while they're in elementary school so they have the faith to do it in middle school, high school, college, and the work place. When Nicholas says the family prayer he asks for the strength to choose the right in middle school. That strength he is building now will help him throughout his life.

My kids have had so many opportunities available to them through the schools. I am so grateful for our schools and the experiences my children receive by attending school every day.

a dyslexia discovery, part 4

2010-08-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

School starts tomorrow.

Jonny should be totally ready, right? I'm talking about 60 hours of Sylvan Learning Center tutoring this summer. He had an assessment before he started Sylvan and another assessment a couple of weeks ago. The scores...the same. No change. No improvement. No progress, at least that the tests show. Very discouraging news after so many hours, not to mention thousands of dollars. He will get the additional 12 hours of free tutoring as they promised due to his lack of progress. But let's get real, if 60 hours didn't help, do we really think 12 more will do the trick?

According to the teachers at Sylvan, his dyslexia is getting in the way of his reading. Duh! That's why I took him there in the first place. They knew up front all about his learning disability and they said they could help. Their claims...unrealistic, at least for this child.

So, what do I try next?

I sign the paperwork tomorrow for his testing through the school district. His last tests were done almost 3 years ago so it's time to re-assess. The school and the doctor already told me that his chances of receiving help through the public schools is slim because he's not far enough behind to qualify, that would be 2 years below grade level. Our school district, like most, does not have a program for dyslexia. The reason...it's not mandated by state or federal law.

I wish I knew where to take him, where to find a qualified tutor, how to help this kid.