A good day trip

We went to Ruidoso, NM yesterday (Sunday). It was nice. I can't wait to go back in the winter when there's snow. It's a nice little ski resort town, which happens to also be very beautiful when it's not snowing. It's green there! There were a lot of nice shops, but it being Sunday, lots of things were closed pretty early, and we spent most of our time playing in the river anyhow. It was really great. We are planning to go back to either Ruidoso or Cloudcroft in a couple weeks, for a little weekend getaway for Thak's 35th birthday! Just one day away from the ugly, dead, dry, brown city we live in was very refreshing.

On our way there, this picture was taken from Apache Peak, which is almost 8000 feet above sea level. There's still a little snow up on the mountain! I believe that mountain is actually where the resort, Ski Apache is. That is a good place to ski. They give a great military discount, and Army Times rated them as one of the top 10 ski resorts in the nation.


Then right after that, it started raining!! Yes, that is real rain on our windshield!! We hadn't seen rain, REAL rain, in about a year.


Then we arrived in Ruidoso! We were walking through downtown, and saw the river down one of the side streets, so we decided to go check it out.

Orren was scared of the water at first. It was LOUD rushing over the rocks!


He wasn't so scared when daddy took him in.



Erin and Orren playing in green grass!!


This field was really pretty.


Erin took this one of me and Thak.


Then we walked around a little more. This is downtown Ruidoso. I'll bet it's so pretty covered in snow!


Then we went back to a different part of the river, which had less steep banks so the kids could get in easier.

Orren had to do it on his own terms. It was still too cold for him, and he needed daddy to warm him up after a short time.


Sissy taught him how to throw rocks!


Looking for more rocks to throw into the river, and enjoying the mud! The mud was fun!


Me and my little boy on the bank of the Rio Ruidoso.



Shortly after this, Orren fell into the river, and Thak had to fish him out. We had to go home after that because I forgot to bring an extra outfit for him. He had to ride through downtown Ruidoso in his stroller wearing nothing but a diaper, but he had a blankie in the car, so he was able to stay nice and warm on the way home. Despite a somewhat rough end to the day, we'll definitely be going back to Ruidoso as often as we can! It was really nice, not to mention 79 degrees compared to the 110 it was in El Paso that day.

How to get there from here

I found the location where the school Erin is probably going to next year is being built. It's in your standard far-east neighborhood. It's funny. This charter school district seems to like putting their schools in neighborhoods, which is cool, but they always pick neighborhoods in areas of town that are just kind of, well... what's the word I'm looking for? Boring as hell? Cookie cutter suburbia? Yes, that's about right.

I just think it's so crazy that the only places there are opportunities that are anywhere near decent for kids are on the far east and the west. What's REALLY funny about that is that the neighborhoods on those sides of town are rather hip now, but they're mostly cheap, and are going to be falling apart in five years. Then what? Hell, the ones a lot of my friends live in already look like crap, and they're, yeah, about 5-10 years old for the most part. It's like packed in tiny houses with the worst layout ever, which look exactly like every other house on the block. We looked at houses on the far east because everyone raved about living there, but they were so boring, and the layouts were horrid. We had the financial freedom to let our choices be governed by what would work best for us, not just what we could afford, so we chose to live in the Vista Hills district instead.

Honestly, if I have to live in this city, there is nowhere else I'd rather live. We're far enough from the major highways that we don't have the noise or the thru traffic driving down our street, yet we're near enough to them that anywhere else in the city is convenient to us. Our neighborhood has more flavor than any of the up and coming areas do. It's not boring. It's also got the highest Asian population in the city, and we have the best sushi and the best Chinese take-out in the city, as well as an Asian market, within 5 blocks of our front door. Aside from the fact that 90% of our neighbors are 10 million years old (not that that in and of itself is a problem, but it would be nice to know other young families who live nearby) and the schools we're zoned for are abysmal, this neighborhood is hard to beat.

Even though this place is about as good as it gets for this city, nobody seems to put any good schools anywhere near here. There are a lot of private and charter schools in this city. Most of the private schools are in the historic district. The charter schools all seem to spring up in neighborhoods full of cookie-cutter houses that are going to look like crap in five years. I totally wonder why that is. There is so much space in our part of the city. There are lots that are not used, buildings that can be repurposed, and all kinds of other spaces that could become schools, but they don't want anything to do with us. It's weird.

My new task is to figure out what route I can use to take Erin to school each morning, and run into as few school zones as possible, and avoid as much traffic as I can. It's looking like I'm going to have to take Montwood, which could allow me to avoid all school zones (if high schools start at 9 am again next year) since the only two schools I'd have to pass are high schools, but I HATE Montwood for traffic, and people drive like idiots there. If you commute on Montwood, it's not IF some inattentive soldier on a cell phone or some idiot with Mexico license plates runs into you, it's WHEN. The option to avoid that is to take Montana to Joe Battle, which is ridiculous because I'd have to cross two Elementary schools' school zones, or zig-zag through this one neighborhood that's a total incomprehensible maze of streets, and kind of ghetto, to get around ONE of the school zones. The other is unavoidable. We could also take the interstate, then hit the loop, but then it would require us to drive on the loop during commuter traffic, and the loop is the main road from the border. That's a little too much Mexico on the roads for my taste.

I think school might still be in session. I may drag my ass out of bed early tomorrow, and see how bad each of the routes seem, and go from there.

The charter school is GOOD!!

We went to the charter school today to turn in all of Erin's documents and her registration packet. It wasn't the campus she will be going to. It was the westside campus of the same school, though, so we can expect the eastside one to be very similar when it's finished. It was NICE!

The school itself looks awesome. It's not falling down and nasty like the other schools around here. The office staff was really nice, and treated us wonderfully. They answered all our questions, and again, we were told that Erin has an excellent chance of getting in. They said that since we had all our ducks in a row, and all the necessary documents ready for them, they're putting her into the system right away. We will find out in mid-June if we were accepted or not (again, we probably will be), and she will undergo placement testing later in the summer. I explained that she would be out of town for the entire month of June, and asked if that would create a problem as far as her testing was concerned, and they were very cool about it. They said that it would not penalize her in any way, nor hurt her chances of admission at all. They said they understand that a lot of kids go on vacation in the summer, and are totally prepared to work around us as far as that goes. She will be tested after she comes home in July.

The other cool thing was that that the student population of the school seemed very diverse. That's a priority for us, especially here, where the population of the area is pretty much one race. We strongly prefer our kids to be in very diverse schools. That way, not only do they have friends of all races and cultures, but there is not the bullying problem that there was in the public school here when Erin was one of only three non-Hispanic kids in the entire school. I really was happy to see a lot of diversity in this school's student body.

This school is outstanding. I can't even tell you what a relief it was to walk in, ask questions, get answers, and not have anyone treat us like idiots. It was nice to not be automatically expected to be destitute and ignorant. I think this school has a far better crowd as far as the families go. It would kind of have to, wouldn't it? It's not something you hear about unless you specifically go and search for better academic opportunities for your kids, and really, any family who's going to do that is going to be a little more "on the ball", so to speak, than the average Juan or Juanita of this area, who just wants to throw their kids on a bus and forget about it until the bus drops them off again. It takes effort to get your kid into a charter school, and it takes a family effort to continue to be there. There are volunteer hour requirements of every family, and mandatory parent/teacher meetings, especially for those students who have an individual educational plan, which Erin probably will. Sending the kids to this school is a commitment for the entire family, and any family who's willing and able to make that commitment is bound to be a more conscientious sort than the average parents in this area.

I hope it works out. We'll all be very happy if they take her. Erin LOVED the school. I think she's going to be happy there. In a last-ditch effort to hedge our bets, I looked for other charter schools in this area, and found only two other Elementary schools. They were magnet schools for the gifted, so they weren't for us. This is the only option for us. We have all our eggs in one basket, because that's all there is. I'm glad our one option is a good one. I REALLY hope it pans out.

Charter schools? OK.

I wish someone had told me about this months ago. Apparently El Paso has charter schools. I had no idea. I searched for them repeatedly, but didn't find anything. I have somewhat of a connection (a surprising one to anyone who knows me) with a new charter school, but I don't know if that's going to be enough to get us in. I'm cool with that, though. I'm done fighting Ysleta ISD. I'm NEVER setting foot in one of their slummy piece of crap institutions again as long as I live.

The only wrinkle is that we'll probably get wait-listed since we've missed the first registration lottery by a couple months. The good news is that they continue taking applications throughout the summer. I will take ANY school they're willing to place her in at this point. I don't care if it's on the other side of the mountain and we commute 40 minutes each way. The gas is still cheaper than private school tuition, not like there are any private schools within half an hour of our house either. Anyhow, I digress. We may end up homeschooling for a little longer than we'd planned, but I can totally manage that if we're wait-listed for a charter school. That will be nice. With luck, we'll get into the new one that's being built just 20 minutes away. I have a surprising connection there, so we'll see.

I'm downloading the forms now, and will probably go turn them in tomorrow. I've got to start on dinner now because Thak will be home in an hour. He's going to be thrilled about this. It's something. Honestly, all we need at this point is some hope, and before, we had none. Now we have some, and it makes things better. Yes, we're probably stuck with homeschooling for at least part of next year. Oh well. We'll do it. Erin is starting to make progress (not with reading, but that will come in time). As long as we can AT LEAST get on a wait list for ANY charter school, we will be thrilled.

Cross your fingers for us. I have a feeling this isn't going to be easy.

My kids behaving badly

OK, so my kids are usually good. I generally show pictures of them being adorable and sweet, and they do have that side to them. They also have another side... a side that's decidedly crazy, messy, and even a little nasty. Here are my kids behaving badly. All these photos are less than 24 hours old.

New playroom!

We converted our breakfast nook to a playroom. With more than one kid, it just doesn't work to have all the toys all over the living room and all that. It was just getting entirely ridiculous. We keep their books in their bedrooms, and some of their toys go in their rooms, too, but there are so many that just don't work out for there. Some are toys that they both use (like the blocks, the legos, and stuff like that), others are just messy and I don't want them in their bedrooms (like art supplies), so we really needed a playroom. The nook wasn't working out as a homeschool room, because we always end up doing any formal lessons we do on the couch, and mostly informal lessons anyhow. (I believe the name is "unschooling".)

I can't remember who came up with the idea to make the nook into a playroom. I think it was me, but it could as easily have been Thak. Whoever it was, though, it's worked out very well. The nook is not terribly big, but also not tiny. It's about the size of either of the kids' bedrooms (thus making it roughly 1/3-1/4 the size of our entire on-post place at Ft. Stewart!) so it's not a boundless playroom like some people have, but it's got enough room for many toys (we'll still keep the books in their bedrooms. We wouldn't have room for them in there with all the toys.) and an art table, with floor space to spare for playing with push toys, ride toys, and of course, building with blocks and legos.

View from the door. A baby gate keeps it separate from the kitchen, keeping Orren out of the hazards. I have a separate kitchen door from the formal dining room.

Yes, it's messy now. This is after a whole afternoon of use! This is the view of it from the kitchen.



And here's my messy back yard (when it's this windy, it's hard to keep it clean!) through the big windows. I like that about the playroom most. There are lots of windows. The light bulb is actually blown in there, and you can't tell because the windows let in so much light.

The kids, as themselves

Here's Erin, being crazy, dancing to the music at the beginning of Maya and Miguel. She was going nuts! These pics are blurry, but you've got to see how cute she is when she does this. It's the silliest, most adorable thing ever. Best of all, she has no idea I took these pictures, so she couldn't do her overly posed, big fake smile, trying to look natural but failing miserably, bit.



Here's Orren wearing daddy's motorcycle helmet! He did not want to take it off!



Last, but not least, we have Thak saying goodbye to Orren before leaving for school yesterday. Did you know my husband is a total hottie? Yeah, he is, especially in his motorcycle jacket!

New pics of the kids.

This is a little late for Earth Day, but it's better late than never. It was about time for a new cloth diapering photo. Look how big our studmuffin is getting!! 16 months of exclusively cloth diapering, and 16 months of not contributing to the environmental crisis that disposable diapers create. (They comprise one of the biggest components of the trash in our landfills.) Thak said that he's never had a moment's hesitation about cloth diapering, because when it comes to the planet, this decision is just so obvious. I second that, and might I just say how awesome it is that Thak is such a dedicated cloth diapering dad!


Orren also got some new Robeez. He got some brown sandals, which he hasn't had occasion to wear yet, and he got some canvas ones (with leather bottoms) which are called "Weekend Surfer". They show a van with a surf board on top. So cute! The only way to show you these shoes was to have him pose on mommy's surf board! Yeah, it would be better with water... tell it to Uncle Sam. He's the one who plunked us down in the desert.


And here's Lema! We were watching the NFL Draft on TV yesterday, and she put on this Georgia Tech hat. I think it looks good on her! Maybe she knows that's where the Vikings will be drafting her brother from in about 20 years. Hmmmm..... thinking.... ("With the 32nd pick of the 2030 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings choose Orren M, Fullback, Georgia Tech.") One way or another, this just proves once again that we raise our children right in this family! Haha!

Editing photos

I got bored yesterday, and decided to edit some photos. I use Picasa, which is a free editing program. It doesn't have as many actions as Photoshop, but like I said, it's free. Plus, it's really easy to use, whereas Photoshop takes more to learn, and I no longer live near anyone who can teach me.

Anyhow, here are a few photos I've edited.

Minneapolis Skyline (before)




Minneapolis Skyline (after)


Ceiling of Minnesota Children's Museum (before):




Ceiling of Minnesota Children's Museum (after):


Thak and Orren (before) ((They are so studly!!)):




Thak and Orren (after):


Erin at Tybee Island, GA (before)


Erin at Tybee Island, GA (after)


Another of Erin at Tybee. I don't have the before of this handy, although I'm sure I can find it somewhere. All I did was change the color:



Orren at Minnesota Children's Museum. I don't have the "before" of this one either. It's just cropped and red-eye removed. I edited this one for a photo contest given by my favorite car seat company (Sunshine Kids, who makes Radian and Monterey). They're giving away three Radians to the three cutest little boys, so I had to give my studmuffin the best chance to win one!

Coloring and Jeep Riding

Here is Orren, coloring with the markers the Easter Bunny brought him. He loves coloring, and I love that there are so many art supplies for babies his age now.

OK, OK, I suppose he's actually a toddler now. I mean, he is almost 16 months old. He wears a size 3T in clothing, and stands nearly 3' tall. He runs around the house all day, and pushes furniture around the living room like he's a lineman pushing through to sack the other team's quarterback. I guess he's officially a toddler.

Anyhow, here is my big toddler boy, coloring.


It won't be long before we'll have to buy him his own Powerwheels vehicle, because once he realizes that the pink Barbie Jeep is kind of girly, he won't want anything to do with it. For now, though, he's rather fascinated with the Jeep.

One day, he climbed right in behind the wheel. He couldn't reach the pedals, though!


Another day, he climbed in and let Erin take him for a ride around the yard. He loved it, and Erin loved being able to drive him around!!

Easter pics

This Easter was interesting, as it began with the requisite 0400 hrs phone call to go tend to a soldier who had been in a car accident and was being treated at the post hospital. Then it continued with me trying to keep the kids in bed until 7 so to give Thak every chance to get home, and that was, um, interesting. So it was a crappy Easter, but far from the first holiday Uncle Sam has ruined.

The night prior, the kids' baskets all filled up, waiting for them by the shrine (haha! Is that sacrilege? Can we do Buddhist Easter?!):



One good thing about that day was that it was not too windy to do an outdoors egg hunt! Last Easter, we had 50 mph winds, and it was like 40 degrees outside. This year? 70 degrees, sunny, no wind to speak of. That's an accomplishment for this place!


The good side to Thak not mowing the yard is the fact that you can hide like a ton of eggs in those weeds!




It was Orren's first time to find eggs! He was only 3 months old last Easter, so while this is his second year that the bunny visited him, it was his first time to hunt eggs. At first, he needed some help from daddy. He never quite got the idea of putting the eggs in the basket, but he definitely learned about finding them, and found all 6 of the eggs the bunny left for him! (And after those 6, he was done, and ready to eat some fruit snacks that were inside the eggs, and play in the yard.)





Our eco-friendly wooden easter grass backfired on poor Erin. She got a piece of it in her eye, and rubbed it so much that she got a HUGE scratch on her cornea. She wouldn't leave it alone, so I had to make her an eye patch. She was fine in the morning. She didn't want me to show this picture because she thought grandma would laugh at her, even though I told her that would never happen, but I think she looks adorable with her little eye patch on, so I'm showing the pic anyhow.